This Sunday marks what would have been River Phoenix’s 50th birthday. A talent taken away from us much too soon, he went from adorable teenage prodigy to Oscar nominated scene stealer to Volpi Cup winner in less than five years. Seeing the work that other actors of his generation, who also started young, like Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, have delivered from the mid 90s until now can be heartwrenching. They make it impossible not to wonder what could have been if that fatidic night in 1993 had not happened...
As magnetic as he was mysterious, River had an unique onscreen presence. One of his earliest roles was alongside then newcomer Ethan Hawke in Joe Dante’s Explorers which presented him at his geekiest. He went from that to Chris Chambers in Stand By Me (which I'd argue is his third most defining role). Adapted from Stephen King’s “The Body” and directed by Rob Reiner, River gave such a mature performance that one could wonder (at the time) if it was a product of the editing/directing. Such questioning often happens with child stars, but, following Stand By Me, River gave a string of performances that left no room for doubt in that department.
While he excelled in that one-two punch of boy group adventures, he showed very early on that he could hold his own against Hollywood heavy hitters like Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast and Sidney Poitier in Little Nikita. His range proved remarkable. He could segueway easily from blockbusters like Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, playing Indy himself as a young man, to indie dramas like Dogfight, or ensemble comedies like Sneakers and I Love You To Death.
He did all of that in his short filmography and still had reserves left for his two most important performances. The first, 1988’s Running On Empty had him at his moodiest, playing a kid who was paying for his parents’ mistakes with a life on the run. It was his second movie with co-star and then girlfriend Martha Plimpton and features some his sweetest moments captured on film.
This family drama is often forgotten when people talk about Sidney Lumet’s filmography --masterpieces like Network, 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon naturally lead the discussion. Bt Running on Empty is filled with the honesty of River’s work in a tale of constant new beginnings. The film garnered what was sadly his only Oscar nomination, along with a nomination for Naomi Foner (Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal’s mama) in the Best Original Screenplay category.
I could love someone, even if I, you know, wasn’t paid for it. I love you and… you don’t pay me.”
Only three years after Running on Empty, he gave an iconic performance in Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho which Claudio recently discussed. Playing a hustler in search of his mother, River navigated the Shakesperian swerves of the story, surreal Van Sant touches, and gritty naturalism in the same performance. The much talked about campfire scene should have netted him another Academy Award nomination, but it would take a few years for AMPAS to warm up to Van Sant (and he would have to go mainstream for that to happen, as we all remember).
Sadly, it wasn’t long after that when River left us. It’s inevitable that we're still left wondering about what could have been, especially in light of the brilliant career of Joaquin Phoenix and his recent Oscar win. But, as with James Dean and Monty Clift and Heath Ledger, the body work he gave us in such a short amount of time should be appreciated and remembered as one of the greatest that any young actor has ever delivered.