09-12-2009
Paul Dano stole Patrick Fugit's career.There. I said it.
No one could simper like Patrick Fugit - until Paul Dano. And suddenly, it was like Almost Famous (2000), White Oleander (2002), Spun (2002), Saved! (2004), never happened. Those were break-out roles! His future as the pale, doughy, simpering, muffin man of cenima was seemingly writ in stone (or formed in marshmallow).
And then Little Miss Sunshine (2006) emerged, followed closely by an amazing turn as Paul/Eli Sunday in Paul Thomas Anderson's ferocious epic, There Will Be Blood (2007).
Did filmmakers/moviegoers just assume that Dano, with his strong resemblance to Patrick Fugit (from the lank, no-color hair, to the plaintive, higher-than-manly pitched voice), was the same dude who appeared in Almost Famous, ect? And did Dano knowingly exploit this collective confusion...
And does Fugit even realize what's happened?
Whatever the answer, Fugit sure is taking it in the ass these days... anybody see (rent) Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant? Naw, me neither.
