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Less Than Zero (1987) |
Summary |
A wealthy college freshman comes home to L.A. for Christmas break and finds his friends in trouble. |
Direction |
Marek Kanievska |
Downey Factor |
Mid-High. Andrew McCarthy is the lead, but there is a strong focus on Downey's character. |
Role |
Julian Wells, a wealthy drug addict who gets in way too deep with his dealer. |
Looks |
Not bad, considering the role. |
Performance |
One of his best although journalists have been unable to resist comparing his strung out character to his real life. |
Line |
Do I look like I'm ready for homework? |
Sings |
Christmas carols |
Love & Sex |
A fling with Jami Gertz (not shown), he's interupted 'on the job.' |
Dies, Gay or Villain |
Yes. It's debatable. No. |
Other Actors |
James Spader, Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz |
Connection |
James Spader in Tuff Turf |
Location |
Los Angeles |
RDJ Says |
I thought I might have a good shot [at getting the part] because I really couldn't see many of my peers being able to handle playing a crackwhore ... No one likes touching those weird subjects, and I think those are the kinds of roles that I want to do ... I was so fucking happy I got cast. I figured any actor who is smart and is semi-fearless would know that this is a great role. I think a lot of actors were turned off to it because Julian has, you know, bisexual encounters, but you can 't be paranoid about what people are going to think. I was getting dangerously close to that ... I knew how much was riding on it and I said, "This is it. Do not pass go. If you do not kick ass here, you get no career." I felt a lot of pressure ... That's probably the first time I created a character from scratch. And it was really emotional. The first scene was on the tennis court, when Julian is confronted by his father. Everything changed from then on, because I knew if I got that right, the rest of the film was going to go well ... I consider myself lucky to have gone through that period with a career and a working respiratory system ... I thought about aspects of myself and some of my friends. I said, "Look, this role is an exaggerated version of you, and it's also not you at all, so don't think about it, just do it." ... Less Than Zero was sort of a catharsis for me, except the difference between Julian and me is that Julian had a death wish -- he just wanted to die ... Something happened to my psyche or spirituality while I was filming Less Than Zero. I mean, you start digging into your duffel bag that's filled with all of your repressed ideas. Maybe there's a family crisis, but you think, 'I've got to put this in the back of my head because I've got other things to think about.' Until finally there's this pile of dirty, mismatched socks at the bottom. I started to mentally pick them out and fluff and fold them ... I think [the sex scene]'s been shot tastefully. It's not a rock video if that's what you mean. As for the sex, the other guy and I were just getting warmed up. Julian is really a nice guy who goes about three ways sexually ... It's the first anti-L.A. film made completely in L.A. As for me. Everyone should like me until that one scene. Then they'll say, "Damn, he's a fag!" ... I know the situation is really rank, but he's made it that way. I'm sure [Julian] had a good family before he stole, lied, deceived and did all these things. No one can blame their family--as I think a lot of the characters in Less Than Zero, in a roundabout way, feel that they're a product of their environment. You know, you're not a product of your environment. You're a product of yourself ... I think this really is a movie about change. People are afraid of change. They say things like, "We're moving to Seattle -- God I'm scared!" But all the characters in Less Than Zero change, whether it means changing by leaving this physical plane or by doing a serious transition, saying "This is not making me happy" and doing a 180-degree turn. I think it's a positive movie, but it takes a roundabout way of getting there. There's positive and negative in anything. |
Lit Reference |
Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis The script is a loose adaption of Ellis' debut novel. Major differences from the movie include: Julian does not have a very prominent role, Clay does not try to save Julian, Rip and Julian's pimp are two different characters, the novel is quite nihilistic and goes to further extremes |
Gossip |
In the McCarthy/Spader fight scene, one of the extras is a then unknown and uncredited Brad Pitt. |
Release |
November 1987 |
Availability |
Fairly easy to find. Available on video in NTSC and PAL. Released on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4. |
Foreign Titles |
Argentina: Corrupción en Beverly Hills (Corruption in Beverly Hills) Brazil: Abaixo de Zero (Less than Zero) Denmark: Livet i overhalingsbanen (Life in the Fast Lane) Finland: Alta Nollan (Under Nothing) France: Neige sur Beverly Hills (Snow on Beverly Hills) Germany: Unter Null (Under Zero) Israel: Young in Trap (English translation) Italy: Al Di Là Di Tutti i Limiti (Beyond All the Limits) Poland: Mniej Niz Zero (Less Than Zero) Spain: Golpe al Sueño Americano (A Blow to the American Dream) Sweden: Noll Att Förlora (Nothing to Lose) |
Rotten Tomatoes |
72% Fresh | 18 Reviews |
Critical View |
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The movie's three central performances are flawless: Gertz, as the frightened girl who witnesses the disintegration of her friend; McCarthy, as the quiet, almost cold witness from outside this group, and especially by Downey, whose acting here is so real, so subtle and so observant that it's scary. |
2 Reasons to See It |
1. His super-powerful and acclaimed performance. 2. Decadence. Music. Fashion. Blow. Remember why you're glad the 1980s are over. |
Overall |
A weak and shallow movie, but definitely worth seeing for Downey's breakout performance. |
If You Liked It |
You might also like Tuff Turf, A Scanner Darkly, vintage anti-drug PSAs with names like "Maryjane Comes to Town" |
Photos |
Video |