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Movies => Good Movies => Topic started by: schmendrik on May 02, 2009, 09:07:45 PM



Title: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: schmendrik on May 02, 2009, 09:07:45 PM
It's easy to think of examples of kid characters that you wanted to strangle. It's a continuing mystery to me why 99% of the time Hollywood casts kids, or writes kid parts, that are so unlikable. In the "characters you wished would die" thread I mentioned Tina Majorino, who was cast as the cute little girl in several films, including "Waterworld", "Corrina, Corrina", and the "Free Willie" ripoff "Andre".

Anyway, every once in awhile there's a kid who actually is cute, who just makes me glad to see on screen. Rare, but it happens. I'm wondering if anybody else has any examples of a kid they actually liked.

Off the top of my head, my short list is:
1. Ricky Schroder in THE CHAMP
2. A young Fred Savage (later on "The Wonder Years") in PRINCESS BRIDE
3. On TV, Tempestt Bledsoe on THE COSBY SHOW.
 


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: ghouck on May 02, 2009, 09:59:17 PM
Shirley Temple of course, Heather O'Rourke was an adorable kid also. Terrible what happened to her.



Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Derf on May 02, 2009, 11:08:10 PM
Fairuza Balk in Return to Oz
Jennifer Connoly in Labyrinth (not really a little kid, but still...)
Jodelle Ferland in Tideland


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Psycho Circus on May 03, 2009, 04:36:16 AM
River Phoenix in Stand By Me/Explorers
Alyssa Milano in Commando


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: RCMerchant on May 03, 2009, 04:59:13 AM
the Our Gang kids (aka the Little Rascals) were all cute kids. Too bad many of them died tragic deaths.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFnJa9Tlk0k


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Jack on May 03, 2009, 06:54:34 AM
Heather O'Rourke would be my choice as well.  Perhaps the only talented child actor I've ever seen.


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Mr. DS on May 03, 2009, 06:58:09 AM
I'll nominate The Olson Twins when they were on Full House.   However then the annoying straight to DVD titles came along with the disturbing countdowns to their 18th birthday.  Its all a bit freaky for me. 


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: The Burgomaster on May 03, 2009, 09:06:00 AM
TATUM O'NEAL, especially in PAPER MOON.


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Rev. Powell on May 03, 2009, 11:03:18 AM
Jodelle Ferland in Tideland

Jodelle was my first thought as well... she was also in SILENT HILL.  Excellent child actor and cute as the proverbial button.


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: InformationGeek on May 03, 2009, 03:59:34 PM
That little girl was Mrs. Doubtfire was cute and she was a pretty good actress.  I think this is the most recent picture of her.  She still looks pretty good after all these years.

(http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/2008/10/16-22/original-Mara_wilson_cinderella.jpg)


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: RCMerchant on May 03, 2009, 05:38:32 PM
Pam Ferdin!

(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l79/RCMerchant/odd04.jpg)  (http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l79/RCMerchant/stos2.jpg)

Before she was terrorized by Cameron Mitchell in The TOOLBOX MURDERS,Ms.Ferdin appeared in many TV shows and movies,including DAUGHTER of the MIND, the MESPHISTO WALTZ,the Clint Eastwood film the BEGUILED,the LAND of the LOST...and the voice of Lucy Van Pelt in the Peanuts cartoons! Fans of the old STAR TREK will remember her as the little girl trying to save Kirk from Micheal J. Pollard and some killer kids in the episode 'And a Child Shall Lead Them'.
Here she is in an early Barbie commercial....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyrWaV2l68M

She even has her own website!!!

http://www.pamferdin.com/filmography/index.html


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Raffine on May 03, 2009, 05:54:36 PM
Ferdin was easily one of the most recognizable faces from the 60s and 70s. She was also the host of the birthday party where Jan showed up in her afro wig as the "New Jan Brady"!


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: RCMerchant on May 03, 2009, 06:00:09 PM
Ferdin was easily one of the most recognizable faces from the 60s and 70s. She was also the host of the birthday party where Jan showed up in her afro wig as the "New Jan Brady"!


 :smile:  Jan pulls a "CARRIE"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOcDZaCeMAA


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Javakoala on May 04, 2009, 06:27:05 AM
Last time  I saw Pam Ferdin was on "Penn and Teller's Bullsh*t", and she was a crazed member of PETA. Like, frothing at the mouth kind. Strangely enough, I think she was wearing a leather belt...



Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: schmendrik on May 04, 2009, 07:05:42 AM
Well, as so often happens, I got a new movie for my queue out of you guys. Never heard of TIDELAND or Jodelle Ferland.


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Rev. Powell on May 04, 2009, 11:21:42 AM
Well, as so often happens, I got a new movie for my queue out of you guys. Never heard of TIDELAND or Jodelle Ferland.


Hope you're prepared to be disturbed.  It's a very unpleasant movie at times (OK, most of the time), but I think overall a worthwhile one.   


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: BTM on May 04, 2009, 02:18:09 PM
Dunno... many may disagree with me, but I've always liked Dakota Fanning.  I know a lot of people thought she was annoying in, for example, War of the Worlds, but I thought was silly.  They're like, "Yeah, she was always screaming and yelling and stuff."  And I replied, "Yeah, way she's carrying on, you'd think people were being killed around her.  Oh, wait..."

When she was younger, I had an obsessive crush on Christina Ricci, especially as Wednesday. 

I thought the kids who played the child and teenager versions of the main two characters in the Butterfly Effect were pretty good.



Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Rev. Powell on May 04, 2009, 08:17:37 PM
Dunno... many may disagree with me, but I've always liked Dakota Fanning. 

Her sister Elle (by far the best thing about the recent PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND) is excellent as well.  Her parents could make a real fortune if they keep churning out cute little girls who can act.


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Derf on May 05, 2009, 10:37:48 AM
Well, as so often happens, I got a new movie for my queue out of you guys. Never heard of TIDELAND or Jodelle Ferland.


Hope you're prepared to be disturbed.  It's a very unpleasant movie at times (OK, most of the time), but I think overall a worthwhile one.   

I'll second the good Rev.'s sentiments. Tideland is an excellent but very disturbing movie. It took me several days to process it, and I'm still not sure exactly what I think about it. I'm glad I watched it, but I doubt I will ever again.


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: peter johnson on May 05, 2009, 01:13:40 PM
I'm an absolutely HUGE Dakota Fanning fan -- The wife and I got "I Am Sam" not even knowing her name -- we wanted to see Sean Penn do his Full Retard -- and were utterly gobsmacked by how incredibly good she was -- "Screw Penn!  Who's this girl, again??"  Since then, we'll see things we wouldn't otherwise be interested in because she has a hand in it.  She can disappear completely into a part, something I think any "actor" worthy of the name should be able to do.  You forget it's her voice completely in "Coraline", for example.

She seems to be growing up okay too (Touches wood/waves rabbit foot/shakes 4-leaf clover) -- One can only pray she escapes the Lindsey Lohan/Charlotte Church puberty meltdown.

Yeah, I'll give props to Wendsday/Ricci too . . .

peter crane/denny full retard


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Hammock Rider on May 07, 2009, 04:47:53 PM
A young Kim Richards in Escape to Witch Mountain was cute. The dude who played her brother though grew up kinda ugly. I think he was in Wrath of Khan as an engineering cadet.

I also liked Maia Brewton, who played the bratty little sister obsessed with the Marvel version of Thor in Adventures in Baby Sitting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yogtP-fpm-U


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: schmendrik on May 07, 2009, 08:23:49 PM
I also liked Maia Brewton, who played the bratty little sister obsessed with the Marvel version of Thor in Adventures in Baby Sitting.


I'll second that. I also thought the casting of Vincent D'Onofrio as the mechanic she decides really is Thor was wonderful. And being a parent, partly because she is so cute, the scene were the kids are stuck on the *outside* of the skyscraper saying "Mom? Dad?" is a real killer.


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: BTM on May 12, 2009, 10:00:12 AM
Found some more:

The two boys in Son of Rambow (Neil Dudgeon and Bill Milner) were great and a lot of fun to watch.  You can tell they were good friends off screen as well as on. 

(Good movie, BTW, you should watch it if you get a chance.)

And did we mention Ivana Baquero, from Pan's Labyrinth?  Be interesting to see what she does in the future...


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: asimpson2006 on May 12, 2009, 12:26:54 PM
I'm an absolutely HUGE Dakota Fanning fan -- The wife and I got "I Am Sam" not even knowing her name -- we wanted to see Sean Penn do his Full Retard -- and were utterly gobsmacked by how incredibly good she was -- "Screw Penn!  Who's this girl, again??"  Since then, we'll see things we wouldn't otherwise be interested in because she has a hand in it.  She can disappear completely into a part, something I think any "actor" worthy of the name should be able to do.  You forget it's her voice completely in "Coraline", for example.

She seems to be growing up okay too (Touches wood/waves rabbit foot/shakes 4-leaf clover) -- One can only pray she escapes the Lindsey Lohan/Charlotte Church puberty meltdown.

Yeah, I'll give props to Wendsday/Ricci too . . .

peter crane/denny full retard

I'm interested too to see if she ends up with a puberty meltdown as well.  Anyways,  I know she did some voice acting work a few times (her first VA role was part of the Disney's English dub of My Neighbor Totoro which I need to listen to the English dub to see how good it is, since I've only seen the original Japanese language track.)  I'm curious to see if she will do some more VA roles in her career.


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Hammock Rider on May 14, 2009, 09:44:35 AM
Mary Badham played Scout in the '62 To Kill a Mockingbird. She was pretty natural, not some stage-mothered super-kid. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for that role.


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Raffine on May 15, 2009, 10:50:00 AM
Mary Badham played Scout in the '62 To Kill a Mockingbird. She was pretty natural, not some stage-mothered super-kid. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for that role.


Her performance as Scout is certainly one of the best performances by a child, or by anybody, for that matter.

About your only chance to see Badham in another role was in The Twilight Zone episode The Bewitchin' Pool, where she plays a character named "Sport". Somebody apparently didn't like her her voice or her natural Southern accent so she was dubbed by June Foray using her 'cute little girl' voice. The results are, uh, very weird.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgoA66bmby4

EDIT: Watching this again, it's very puzzling as to why they had Foray (whom I still worship!) try to do a Southern accent, since neither parent has one. Please note when Foray says "We won't fight!" at app. 1:20 it comes out sounding like "We won't fart!".  :teddyr:


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: Psycho Circus on May 15, 2009, 02:49:31 PM
Jill Banner Jill Banner Jill Banner Jill Banner!!!!!!

(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/437686862_eecfab3409.jpg?v=0)


Title: Re: Any kid actors who actually were cute?
Post by: BoyScoutKevin on May 17, 2009, 03:11:14 PM
I've had this list for some time, but I never posted it anywhere, so I thought I post it here. And here "cute" is used as in "Don't get cute with me."

The 50 or So "Cutest" Child Performances

Mary Badham in "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Fairuza Balk in "Return to Oz"
Freddie Bartholomew in "David Copperfield" (the short title)
Jamie Bell in "Billy Elliott"
Linda Blair in "The Exorcist"
Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine"
Keisha Castle Hughes in "Whale Rider"
Jackie Cooper in "Skippy"
Quinn Cummings in "The Goodbye Girl"
Brandon DeWilde in "Shane"
Karen Dotrice in "Mary Poppins"
Bobby Driscoll in "The Window"
Patty Duke in "The Miracle Worker"
Jodie Foster in "Taxi Driver"
Matthew Garber in "Mary Poppins"
Judy Garland "The Wizard of Oz"
Peggy Ann Garner in "Jane Eyre" or "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"
Bonita Granville in "These Three"
Marilyn Harris in "Frankenstein"
Justin Henry in "Kramer vs. Kramer"
Ron Howard in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father"
Olivia Hussey in "Romeo and Juliet"
Claude Jarman, jr. in "The Yearling"
Tommy Kirk in "Old Yeller"
Mark Lester in "Oliver"
Patty McCormack in "The Bad Seed"
Roddy McDowell in "Lassie Come Home"
Hayley Mills in "Pollyanna"
Sal Mineo in "Rebel Without a Cause"
Emil Minty in "The Road Warrior"
Margaret O'Brien in "Meet Me in St. Louis"
Tatum O'Neal in "Paper Moon"
Heather O'Rourke in "Poltergeist"
Joel Haley Osment in "The Sixth Sense"
Anna Paquin in "The Piano"
Chris Pitt in "Lair of the White Worm"
Kurt Russell in "Follow Me Boys"
Sabu in "Thief of Bagdad"
Meredith Salenger in "The Journey of Natty Gann"
Jonathan Scott-Taylor in "The Omen II"
Anne Shirley in "Anne of Green Gables"
Harvey Stephens in "The Omen"
Martin Stephens in "The Innocents" or "The Village of the Damned"
Dean Stockwell in "The Boy with Green Hair"
Elizabeth Taylor in "National Velvet"
Shirley Temple in "The Little Princess"
Jack Wild in "Oliver"
Jane Withers in "Bright Eyes"
and
Natalie Wood in "Miracle on 34th Street" or "Rebel Without a Cause"