 |
|||
 |
 |
||
 | |||
 | |||||||||||
|
|
Chicago native Michael Clarke Duncan used his work in security to land several noticeable roles in the movies. It wasn't his experience as a security guard that enabled him to play characters listed as 'bouncer' or 'bodyguard' in the credits, but the fact that Duncan would ask the celebrities he was working for to give him the opportunity to do (essentially) walk on roles in their projects. While doing security for Will Smith on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Duncan convinced Smith to let him have a small part on the show. These small parts began to snowball into larger small parts, like the role of the Roxbury bouncer here in A Night at the Roxbury. Duncan displays a great deadpan humor as the two Butabi brothers (Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan) attempt to bribe him with their good friend "George Washington". This was the last of Duncan's 'small' roles. A supporting part in Armageddon soon followed. Held on the shelf by Warner Brothers for well over a year after principal photography was completed, Almost Heroes was ultimately released in the summer of 1998, some six months after its boisterous, overzealous and hefty star, former Second City alum, Chris Farley, died of a drug overdose in the John Hancock building, where he maintained a residence in Chicago. Originally born in Madison, Wisconsin, Farley attended Marquette University in Milwaukee and then moved to Chicago after graduating. In Chicago, Farley studied at the Improv Olympic on north Clark Street and at Second City, where he was first spotted by Saturday Night Live producer, Lorne Michaels. Sadly, Almost Heroes is recognized as the comic Farley's last movie. Animal House When you begin to list the names of those truly classic comedies that managed to shape the current face of American movies, Animal House remains atop of the list. The success of Animal House brought two of its collaborators in the collective Hollywood limelight; writer Harold Ramis and star John Belushi. Both Ramis and Belushi were Chicagoans and former Second City members. Scripted by Ramis about his own college experiences, Animal House's blunt sexual humor was quite a change of pace for America. The style of writing (and shooting) turned Belushi's off-the-wall antics as fraternity brother Bluto into a cult character and Belushi himself into a major star. The success of this movie allowed Ramis to move into the director's chair for Caddyshack (another comedy classic on that aforementioned list) and thrust Belushi into the leading man territory. Writer/director Oliver Stone turned his sights on the world of professional football in his latest incendiary film, Any Given Sunday. Since the NFL, the world's premier football league, refused to give Stone permission to use their team names or logos (not surprisingly given the content of the film), Stone had to turn to other places to gain a credible and realistic football atmosphere. Stone's preferred way of gaining this was by placing ex-NFL stars in key cameos throughout the film. Linebacker (and drug addict) Lawrence Taylor played the part of an intense linebacker in the film. Ex-Chicago Bears star, Dick Butkus, tackled the role of the defensive coordinator for the team in the spotlight, the fictional Miami Sharks. In this paranoid conspiracy thriller (is there any other kind?), Jeff Bridges stars as a regular guy who begins to suspect that his next door neighbors are, in fact, right wing terrorists who blow things up. Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack and Mason Gamble play his neighbors. Cusack and her brother John remain two of Chicago's most prominent faces in Hollywood, while Gamble is quickly becoming a mainstream 'name' as he gets more and more movies under his belt. Debuting in John Hughes' comic Dennis the Menace in 1994 as Dennis, Gamble's wide-eyed innocence and cuteness shot him to the forefront of child actors at the time. Now a teenager, Gamble has begun to tackle more challenging teen roles in dramatic and independent films like Arlington Road and Rushmore. Austin Powers: Man of Mystery The character of Paddy O'Neill (Dr. Evil's henchman who announces that people are after his lucky charms) is played by Chicagoan Paul Dillon. Dillon is best known in Chicago for starring in the Ivanhoe Theatre play Hellcab. Dillon performed as the original driver in the play (to date there have been six drivers). Dillon reprised this role in the 1998 film of the same name that was adapted from his play. Pretty much a disaster from the word go, The Bachelor production team made the mistake of thinking that they could competently and adequately remake a Buster Keaton film (Seven Brides) and capture the same charm and blend of physical and situational comedy that was possessed in the original. Winnetka native Chris O'Donnell stars in The Bachelor as the titular character, a consummate bachelor who would rather chew on broken glass than get married. O'Donnell was tapped for this role because his boyish charm and his conventional good looks made for the perfect lead in this supposedly humorous romantic comedy. O'Donnell failed in the role, partly because his off-screen life (where he excitedly married his high school sweetheart) didn't suggest that he was the right casting choice for this film and partly because The Bachelor called for a sort of nebbish frat boy who didn't want to grow up in the lead--almost the exact opposite tone of the wholesome goodness that O'Donnell exudes.
Batman Forever In Tim Burton's sequel to the original Batman, he toyed with the idea of giving Batman his familiar sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder. Sticking with his gothic vision of the Batman tale, Burton went against the grain of creator Bob Kane's version of Batman and cast Marlon Wayans (the youngest Wayans brother) in the role of Robin. At the time, this caused quite a stir; a black Robin. Burton could have argued that Batman was now truly the dark knight, but all these arguments became moot as Burton trimmed the Robin scenes from Batman Returns due to time constraints. Burton bade farewell to the series after Batman Returns and Warner Brothers ushered in the vastly commercial director, Joel Schumacher. Changing just about everything from the first two films in the series, Schumacher decided to a) get a Robin and b) give American audiences the kind of clean cut, wholesome charm that Robin was supposed to exude. Enter Winnetka native Chris O'Donnell. Looking for someone who would make both the ladies and their mothers quiver, Schumacher quickly decided on the preppy O'Donnell. Strange as it may seem, for O'Donnell, the role of Robin was a bit of a stretch. Having grown used to playing private prep school students and very straight characters, the disobedient and rebellious Dick Grayson was quite a challenge for the actor. Beloved Oprah Winfrey is one of the most known and revered celebrities in Chicago (even if she does insist on putting her image on the cover of O Magazine each month). Her name alone has convinced millions of Americans to start reading again and one mention of a product on her show can make or break that particular item. Winfrey was a huge fan of African-American author Toni Morrison's writing. Morrison, who wrote the phenomenally popular (and some AP English students would argue confusing) novel Beloved, following the exploits of Sethe, a slave living in the 19th century and mother of several young daughters. Interested in seeing Beloved adapted to the silver screen, Oprah bought the rights to the story and saw the movie brought to life in the way she (and Morrison) saw fit. Simply not satisfied with just producing Beloved, Oprah took a large supporting role in the movie as well. This was one of Oprah's few silver screen appearances. Given her track record--the stellar The Color Purple in 1986 and Beloved some 12 years later--and her millions of dollars, to say Oprah's been doing okay for herself as of late would probably be the biggest understatement of the year. Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens It's fairly well known (and reported here on this page) that film critic extraordinaire, Roger Ebert, wrote 1970's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls with B-director, Russ Meyer. What isn't so widely known is the fact that, after winning his Pulitzer Prize in 1974, Ebert returned to the world of writing incredibly bad cinema in 1979. That fortuitous year marked the year Ebert and Meyer scripted Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens, a rather unoriginal comedy featuring (what else?) women with inhumanly large breasts. The first Ebert-Meyer collaboration was of far more consequence than this. How many Pulitzer Prize winners can say that they scripted a film (after winning their award) that would star and actress nicknamed "Kitten"? Ben-Hur This 1959 biblical epic is viewed by cinema historians and critics as one of the most lavish and grand scale productions in history (and with a running time of 212 minutes–a whopping 3:42–the scope of this project is, indeed, epic in nature). Winning an amazing total of 11 Oscars, director William Wyler's Ben-Hur set the bar in this endeavor, winning more Academy Awards in one year than any other picture in history, until 1997's Titanic tied the achievement. While Wyler did gain a level of fame because of his association with this project, it was Northwestern University alum and current National Rifle Association frontman, Charlton Heston who benefited the most from Ben-Hur. Catapulted to super-stardom as Judah Ben-Hur, the role that won him a Best Actor Academy Award, Heston parlayed his fame and fortune on this film into a solid career for himself… that now consists of guest starring on primetime NBC sit-coms. Beyond the Valley of Dolls There probably aren't too many Pulitzer Prize winning writers who can lay claim to scripting a film called Beyond the Valley of Dolls, but Chicago Sun-Times film critic, Roger Ebert, is one winner who can. In 1970 and at the Sun-Times for a mere four years, Ebert wrote this tale of one girl group's attempts to find success in the music world. Looked upon as true trash (in the good sense) nowadays, Ebert's work with renowned B-director, and breast lover Russ Meyer, is one of the best examples of exploitative camp there is. This film had nothing to do with the film Valley of the Dolls. Boogie Nights In 1997, writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson (who now goes by the more cryptical PT Anderson) surprised the world with his stunningly well-made sophomore effort, Boogie Nights. Focusing on the world of 1970's porn, Anderson managed to pull off a poignant human touch in this seedy, oft depressing world of skin. The cast of Boogie Nights was filled with great character and independent actors including Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Chicago native, John C. Reilly. A favorite actor of Anderson's (Reilly also appeared in the director's first film, Hard Eight and third film, Magnolia), Reilly spent his formative years growing up in an Irish neighborhood on the city's southside. After high school, Reilly went to DePaul University's School of Drama at the Goodman Theater, where he ultimately graduated in 1987. Chicago native actor Michael Clarke Duncan owes much of his now successful career to actor (and friend) Bruce Willis. Duncan was first introduced to Willis on the set of their mega-budgeted summer blockbuster Armageddon. Willis played the lead, Duncan one of Willis' oil drillers. The two hit it off and Willis gave Duncan a part in his next movie, Willis' personal project and adaptation of author Kurt Vonnegut's book, Breakfast of Champions (Duncan played a character named Eli). After Breakfast of Champions, Willis set up an audition for Duncan to try to get a part in director Frank Darabont's The Green Mile (Duncan nailed the audition and got the part). Then Willis invited Duncan on board his next project, the comedic adventure, The Whole Nine Yards, where Duncan played Willis' bodyguard and gofer, Frankie Figgs. Northwestern University alum David Schwimmer has gotten the reputation of being a rather dopey and nebbish character actor of late. The reason for this is twofold: 1) Schwimmer is being slightly typecast like that of Ross, the popular character he plays on NBC's Friends and 2) In interviews with the media, Schwimmer comes off as being a tad reticent and shy. Whatever the case, Schwimmer realized that this reputation was beginning to stick with him--especially after the woeful The Pallbearer, where Schwimmer played the human equivalent of a basset hound--and he began to choose projects that would allow him to break away from this type of casting. Reasoning that playing a historical character--one of the two men who invented the breast implant--would get him away from this, Schwimmer attacked the made for HBO movie, Breast Men. Sadly, the actor appears to be giving his best 'Ross' imitation in the movie and this film did nothing to distance himself from the image of a nerdy guy. This unconventional political comedy, featuring a lead character, Senator Jay Bulworth, who (on the throngs of a real sleep deprived bender) arranges his own murder and then, much to the chagrin of industrialists and other politicians, begins to tell the American public the truth about the political institution of which he is a part. Conceived of, written by, starred in and directed by Northwestern University alum Warren Beatty, Bulworth&'s screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award in 1999. Look for hulking Chicago actor Michael Clarke Duncan as a bouncer in the nightclub that senator Bulworth attends. This was during Duncan&'s &'security&' acting stage. The 'Burbs The 'Burbs is one production that involves a lot of different Chicago talent (and, supposedly, locations). Written by Northwestern University alumnus, Dana Olson (who appears briefly as a cop), The 'Burbs is a tale of suburban woe based loosely on Olson's own experiences in his suburb of Park Ridge. Faced with new, almost Salinger-like recluses living nextdoor to them, paranoia begins to affect the Peterson family; "neighbors from Hell..." Ray Peterson sighs. If the film's opening and closing shots are any indication, The 'Burbs is set in the suburbs of Chicago (where Olson is also from). The neighbors are played by actors including Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher and Chicago native, Bruce Dern. The supposedly Chicago setting was actually filmed in southern California on a Universal Studios lot. If you look carefully, you'll see glass Universal Studios buildings in the background in several shots. Dave One of the most well known and humorous cameos of the '90's came, courtesy of Chicago actress Bonnie Hunt (who is friends with Dave co-star Charles Grodin), in director Ivan Reitman's comedy, Dave. Playing the part of an obnoxious White House tour guide, Hunt perfected the halting manner of speaking that the most irritating tour guides adapt. "We're walking, we're walking, we're walking. We're stopping." Hunt hails from the city's north side and has returned to the Windy City numerous times to film different movies. Dave was not one of them. Detroit Rock City Before there was Sunset Strip and Almost Famous, before Cameron Crowe's autobiographical, 1970's era rock tale came Chicagoan Adam Rifkin's very similar (in genre, at least) yarn, Detroit Rock City. Based on some of Rifkin's own experiences as a teenager, Detroit Rock City followed four teens as they do whatever they can to get to a KISS concert that was taking place in Detroit. Written and directed by the pompous auteur, Detroit Rock City failed to make much of an impact at the box office or with critics either. Dick Tracy This 1990 film directed by and starring Northwestern University alum Warren Beatty was the silver screen adaptation of cartoonist Chester Gould's popular and age-old comic strip of the same name. Focused on the life and work of square jawed detective, Dick Tracy, the comic strip has been a favorite of newspaper readers from its inception in the 1930's. Gould himself hailed from northwestern Woodstock, Illinois (where Groundhog Day was filmed). Today, should you make the trek to Woodstock, you can visit the Chester Gould Museum located there. Present in the museum are many different original comic strips as well as a multitude of information on Gould himself. Probably the biggest laugh concerned with this movie came from Days of Thunder producer Don Simpson (the movies were going head to head in summer competition). Joking with Jeffrey Katzenberg (who was intimately involved with Dick Tracy), Simpson wrote Katzenberg a note that read: My Thunder is bigger than your Dick. Dick Tracy also featured the acting talents of noted Steppenwolf Theatre member (and famed actor John Malkovich's ex-wife) Gleanne Headley. Dogwater (Since You've Been Gone) I am not of the belief that Northwestern University alum David Schwimmer is a very talented actor. However, Schwimmer's directorial efforts are a different matter though. Not only has this Lookingglass Theatre co-founder directed numerous episodes of his TV series, Friends, but in 1995, Schwimmer fought to get money to make an independent feature that he would direct, ultimately titled Dogwater (which is better than Hot Dogwater, I suppose). The movie, while co-starring numerous name actors, was never theatrically released. The public first got its glimpse of Dogwater as a TV movie in the late 90's that had undergone a name change to that of Since You've Been Gone. Besides being actor Michael Clarke Duncan's favorite catch phrase about what life was like growing up on the south side of Chicago, the horrifically bad sci/fi thriller End of Days was helmed by Chicago director (and director of photography) Peter Hyams. Hyams' ties to Chicago have been shown in many of his other films--even the films that aren't set in Chicago have some connection to our city, ala The Blackhawks in Sudden Death. Needing a place of mass destruction for the second coming of the devil, Hyams decided to bypass Chicago and, surprisingly, Los Angeles in favor of New York City. There the devil (Gabriel Byrne) gets to go after the virgin of his choice (Robin Tunney). Tunney in another Chicago actress who has recently made it big in Hollywood. Her role in End of Days was basically that of a girl who screams a lot (characters tend to do that when they are being chased by the devil), a character she has played several times previously... but never before had she played this type of character in the context of a $100 million blockbuster starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Her presence in this film cemented her status in Hollywood. Steppenwolf Theatre is one of the most prominent theater groups in the city and the Midwest. Located on Chicago's north side (North and Halsted), much has been made and written of the fact that Steppenwolf has produced such viable acting talents as Gary Sinise, John Mahoney, Joan Allen and John Malkovich, but much less has been written about some of the company's other products like Gary Cole, Laurie Metcalf and Entropy's Kathryn Erbe. Erbe has made a name for herself in Hollywood by playing strong, yet realistic female characters. One of the characters Erbe's reputation was based on was Entropy's Evan, lead character Jake Walsh's (Stephen Dorff) sister. Evan was Jake's moral conscience and the provider or the necessary kicks in the ass whenever Jake isn't thinking clearly. Erbe essentially reprises this loving caretaker role in David Koepp's Stir of Echoes. Blue-collar actors are hard to find in Hollywood. With the promotion of the glitzy, glamorous and glossy lifestyles that one can find in Hollywood plastered across the front cover of ever magazine in the grocery store, it's fairly obvious why you can't instantly think of any true blue-collar actors in Hollywood. If you give the matter some thought though one name (or face) should pop to mind: that of Chicagoan, John C. Reilly. Having played a fisherman, a cop and a porn star among other occupations, Reilly tackled the role of Gus Sinski, a catcher for the Detroit Tigers in Sam Raimi's For Love of the Game. Reilly had his breakout role in PT Anderson's Boogie Nights as porn star Reed Rothchild. His performance there allowed him the opportunity to work here in For Love of the Game with Raimi and actor Kevin Costner. A typical Reilly character though, Gus is a hard working man who drinks too much, has an ex, and spouts off life's wisdoms and advice at the drop of a hat. Look for Gus's Tigers to play the White Sox during the course of the film. Ironically, Reilly has come onto the scene so quickly that, though billed third in the final cast, imdb.com actually took the time to explain to readers that Reilly's Gus Sinski was the Tigers' catcher because people were having a hard time putting a face to the name. Forrest Gump In 1994, Gump fever swept through the nation as Americans gravitated around the words and action of one slow-witted southerner, Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks). The context, of course, was the Oscar nominated and $300 million grossing movie, Forrest Gump, that had been released that summer. Forrest Gump was a probing look at Forrest's life, from his childhood through the present day. During his trip to Vietnam as a soldier, Forrest was under the command of a gung-ho military man, Lieutenant Dan. Lieutenant Dan was played effortlessly by Chicagoan and Steppenwolf Theatre co-founder, Gary Sinise. Sinise ultimately won an Academy Award for his role. This was even more impressive when you consider the fact that Sinise was acting as if he didn't have legs for the last half of the movie. Friday Some of Hollywood's biggest names (or in this case actors) have started out in very small roles. Nowhere is that more true than in the case of Chicago actor Michael Clarke Duncan. Born on the south side to a single mother, Duncan moved to Hollywood to pursue a different life than the one he was leading in Chicago, where he was digging ditches. Once in Los Angeles, Duncan began to get some jobs acting as a bodyguard for the stars. This led to several (very) bit parts in movies that his clients were acting in. In the case of Friday, Duncan's very first on-screen attempt at acting, Duncan can be seen playing craps with Smokey (Chris Tucker) before Debo (Tiny Lister Jr.) arrives and the dynamic changes. Gattaca In Andrew Niccol&'s Gattaca, the future is now. Babies can be genetically produced to look exactly the way the parents want them (and they end up looking like Uma Thurman and Jude Law) and children that are a product of love--conceived through natural means--are scorned and pointed at. They are also made to be the janitors and garbagemen of the society. When Jerome (Law) is paralyzed in an accident, he sells his genetically created identity to Ethan Hawke&'s natural born Vincent. In the flashback sequences, young Vincent Freeman is played by Oak Park native and former Dennis the Menace, Mason Gamble. This was Gamble&'s first role since his debut in Dennis the Menace and an important role in his career too; shedding some of his baby fat and adorable innocence, Gamble proved here that he was a capable child actor, more than just a cute, one trick pony. The General's Daughter The plot of this hackneyed mystery/thriller is pretty formulaic (I knew the identity of the murderer when I saw that actor's name in the opening credits), so, I suppose, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the screenplay for The General's Daughter is written by a screenwriter who has been around in Hollywood for well over 40 years--and who knows exactly how the studios want their movies (i.e.: knows how to write formulaically) in William Goldman. Goldman was born in Chicago in 1931, where he lived up until the time he left to attend Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio during the late forties. Good Will Hunting Chicago native Robin Williams rose to fame on the success of his tour of duty on the stand-up comedy circuit. Using a variety of manic and innovative takes on subjects, Williams was, along with Steve Martin, one of the original alternative comedians. During the majority of the 90's Williams took the money and ran whenever he could, turning out financially successful, but poorly received efforts like Mrs. Doubtfire, Patch Adams and Flubber. In 1997, Williams dusted the grime off of his coat and agreed to cut his fee to play a co-starring role in Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's film, Good Will Hunting. Williams believed in the boys and their script and was only too happy to come on board the production, playing the part of Will Hunting's (Damon) on-screen mentor. Williams risk in taking this part payed off for him in spades as, come March, Williams won an Academy Award for his role in the film. The Green Mile A 1999 nominee for the Best Picture Academy Award, the success of director Frank Darabont's The Green Mile was due in part to the stars of lead Tom Hanks and author Stephen King, but also to the star-making turn by the Chicago native playing the part of John Coffey (a modern day Jesus Christ-like figure), actor Michael Clarke Duncan. Duncan's time on-screen in Hollywood has been brief, but his time in Hollywood has been considerably longer. After growing up on the south side of Chicago, the hulking 6'6" Duncan moved to southern California and soon became a bodyguard for the likes of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Soon the acting bug bit him too and he began to appear in very brief roles (if you blink, you'll miss his appearance in Friday). Now a full-fledged star thanks to his Academy Award nominated performance in The Green Mile, Duncan was voted the ShoWest Male Star of Tomorrow in 2000. Grosse Pointe Blank Otherwise known as the rejuvenation of actor John Cusack's career. In Grosse Pointe Blank, actors Cusack and Jeremy Piven plays high school best friends. Cusack and Piven are actually best friends in real life and often like to joke that if the two of them couldn't realistically play best friends on the silver screen, they didn't deserve a place in Hollywood. However, the acting performances delivered by Piven and Cusack are right on and Grosse Pointe Blank succeeded because of them. Grosse Pointe Blank also marked the finalization of Cusack's transition from a teen star (Better Off Dead, Sixteen Candles) to that of an adult star. The film's surprise box office allowed Cusack the opportunity to do whatever he wanted to do following this project. Choosing his roles carefully, Cusack chose to star in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and several other projects before returning to similar ground in Stephen Frears' 2000 film, High Fidelity. House of Games When writer/director David Mamet was making a name for himself as a playwrite in Chicago during the late 70's and early 80's, he gained a reputation for crafting crisp sharp dialogue while also investigating the morays of current society. Given his background, House of Games was the perfect fit for Mamet. In House of Games, (the film that stands out as being Mamet's best work to date), Mamet used good friend and fellow Chicagoan Joe Mantegana as the movie's narrative center. Investigating the seamy world of con men (much like The Spanish Prisoner), Mamet ultimately created what Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert declared 1987's best movie. Chicago director Michael Mann has been producing truly quality fare since his debut film, Thief, in 1981. Mann brings a sense of purpose, creativity and true drive to a given production, something that has brought him to the forefront of 'name' directors at the beginning of the new millennium. In 1999, Buena Vista Pictures released Mann's film, The Insider, to theaters with much critical aplomb. In March of 2000, Mann's story of the behind-the-scenes look at 60 Minutes during their interview with tobacco whistle blower Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) was given one of the highest honors a film can receive: it was nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award. Many had thought Mann's 1992 effort, The Last of the Mohicans, would garner him and Academy Award nomination, but such was not the case. The fascinating story of The Insider drew Mann's first and most certainly deserving Best Picture nomination. Chicago native and River Forest resident, director Chris Columbus has never been accused of being a director of refreshingly original cinema. However, with his 1996 holiday release, Jingle All the Way (following in the long line of Columbus, money making holiday films like Home Alone, Home Alone 2 and Mrs. Doubtfire), Columbus sunk to a new level of commercialism that isn't often seen outside of Joel Schumacher productions. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a father looking for the new &'in' toy for his son on Christmas Eve. Look for Wheaton product Jim Belushi in an extended cameo as a con-man Santa Claus who assures Arnold that he will be able to buy a Turboman action figure. Belushi then promptly hands Arnold a Turboman that speaks only in Spanish and that then quickly breaks. Jurassic Park The concept of Jurassic Park is one of the cleverest ideas to come out of a fictional author in quite some time. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that this idea was a product of the 20th century's renaissance man, author/screenwriter/director/doctor/anthropologist/cool guy Michael Crichton. Having read Crichton's non-fiction work, I'd venture to say that there isn't a country or a state on earth that the fabulous man hasn't traversed. Back before the traveling, writing and multi-million dollar possessing Crichton became what he is today, he spent most of his childhood in Chicago, the city where he was born. Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World In screenplay of The Lost World, there was a dynamic young character, a photographer, Nick Van Owen. Over the course of the script, this character would emerge as one of the true heroes of the film, helping save the lives of many fellow dinosaur enthusiasts, including Ian Malcolm (Jeff Bridges) and Malcolm's main squeeze, Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore). This role needed to be played by someone with conviction, charm and an easy going affability that would al
| ||||||
