Every time an award show runs a tribute to the recently deceased, I always mentally catalog five or ten of the losses I was most personally hit by and wait for their moment in the sun. Last night, I patiently waited for Dennis Hopper, Tom Bosley and Corey Haim. Unfortunately, the clip of Corey Haim never came. He was apparently axed in favor of everyone else that ever took a shit somewhere near Hollywood at some point in his life. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of Brad Renfro’s exclusion during the Oscar In Memoriam last year, but truth be told, this one was a lot more confusing.
Let’s be honest: Corey Haim was a mess for a long time before he died. Broke, erratic and sometimes addicted, he’d sunk a long way from his 80s heyday, but that doesn’t discount the fact that he was a principal actor in two of the greatest teen movies ever made. The Lost Boys and Lucas weren’t just products of their time, they’re wonderful films that still get watched today. How many actors topline anything that makes a significant cultural impact? How many less topline two?
Longtime buddy and co-star Corey Feldman spoke out in protest of the omission today. Among other things, his statement said, “I have faith the Academy will make a wiser choice.” I do too. I have no idea what the specific criteria is to be included in one of these things, but it needs to be fixed immediately. At one point in time, Corey Haim meant a lot to a lot of people, and regardless of how he died, that still means something.
