"Childstar" is ultimately less a jab at the politics of being a huge star at such a young age, and more a commentary on what future will lie ahead for a person immensely in over his head. Because let's face it, the character here basically has no future, and in a sense he's very much aware of it, but just doesn't know what to do. He's too famous
to leave it all behind and live a normal life, and too troubled to face his real life of an absentee father and a manipulative domineering mother. He's also afraid of his future which will surely spell doom; he's a young boy who is somewhat talented in his art, but doesn't know how to handle it, and neither do the people around him. His domineering and sometimes odious mother has no idea how to approach her son, so she prefers to run the show and go about her own business, and his father prefers to speak with him only if it involves a fee as if he was a therapist. The two never really feel as if they connect on any sort of emotional level, and the character of Suzanne protects her son more like she's protecting her assets, a stock.

There are hints and essences of love as she clings to Taylor, and obviously loves him, but to her, he's more of a secure prospect she must ensure security for, rather than protecting her son. Taylor is your usual abhorrent diva child star with the veneer of a privileged child who was just insanely lucky. He has a three parter name obviously set for a "Tiger Beat" cover, and he presents the self-evident arrogance and incredibly grating often disingenuous personality we'd expect from a person apparently raised on the film set. He knows he's very important, but has no idea how to handle it, so he seeks counsel in people who only want to take from him rather than guide him. What McKellar succeeds in is giving our core characters layers upon layers of which to draw from that reflect their personality and the actors are able to do so much with their roles because McKellar doesn't just give our characters a one-note concept.

Each and every character in this film is as complex as the story sets out to be, and we're constantly fed this notion that these are truly privileged people, but McKellar trusts the audience in knowing better. The aesthetic is never genuine when Burns is filming or when around his entourage. We see people strutting about, kissing his ass, and we know it's all one big production. His cloying attachment to his mother is more for a sense of security than love, and presents a relationship built on stability and security rather than affection and love, with a hint of an Oedipus complexity. In one particular scene, the main character Rick watches the two cling to one another in the backseat of the limo with an attachment that's anything but loving. Leigh is great as an MIA stage mother especially since she was once a child star. She's often entertaining as the officious mother who always gets her way no matter what and presents the poise of an authority figure.

She seeks to become the complete contrapositive of what a stage mother is, but she always ends up as one in the end. The film is funny, and often times reverts back and forth from portrait of a young star to the ins and outs of a movie set that are more built on witty dialogue. McKellar, as Rick the limo driver is more forced in to the situation of aiding, and guarding this child star who is extremely self-loathing and often times his own worst enemy. McKellar conveys the true shades of a reluctant character who is pushed in to this larger than life relationship between a mother and son and their underlying attempts to strike at each other.

Meanwhile Dave Foley is hilarious as studio executive Phillip who latches on to Burns and goes nuts when the shit hits the fan, Kristen Adams, who is insanely gorgeous with the devil may care and sexual exuberance also reflects the sentiment of potential stability that Burns longs for and really wants to build on in spite of differences. As for Brendan Fehr, his character is the most important as he ends up becoming the antithesis to Burns as Chip who happens to have a deeper connection to him than we know and he ends up representing the present and inevitable future for Burns should he stray. The climax goes with on a whisper with a closing scene that really makes the film, and will ultimately decide the fate of the characters.

Ultimately "Childstar" is never as clever as it thinks it is. While it does excel at being fascinating, its hardly entertaining in the sense of being witty or sharp. McKellar is never sure whether he wants to make a Hollywood satire or a bittersweet portrait of a child star so he reverts back and forth between formulas and none of it is as original or fresh as
he makes it out to be. Some of the time it ended up being pretty cheesy including the finale which was so unrealistic and drawn out longer than it should have been.

Though never as clever or stylish as it tries to be, "Childstar" ends up becoming a truly fascinating glimpse in to characters that really end up as layered individuals under the sharp writing of McKellar who pulls great performances from his cast and a profound story of fame.

• Kristen Adams is delicious. Truly a tasty dish and a highlight, here.

[   Link to Us   |   FAQ   |   Top^   ]
All written reviews material and content are a copyright of Felix Vasquez Jr. and Cinema Crazed.
Content borrowed without written permission will not be permitted.

¤ ¤ ¤