In these weeks, the last film in which the late actor starred will be released in various countries in the region. His director, John Carroll Lynch, remembered him in dialogue with Infobae Cultura: "he was and is the patron saint of character actors"
Harry Dean Stanton died at the age of 91 on September 15, 2017, a few days before Lucky, the last film in which he starred, was released in the United States. He couldn't see it, not even a rough cut. The actor, who during his career worked under the orders of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and John Carpenter (the list is much longer), shone for the last time in a film that would not have been possible without his presence. . This is not a kind way to evaluate his performance: strictly speaking, the main character and the entire script were built around Stanton.
In some town in the western United States lives Lucky, an old man who carries out an obsessive, almost useless routine that seems unbreakable. Yoga exercises, glasses of milk, visits to a diner, coffees, crossword puzzles, occasional conversations with neighbors, question and answer programs and drinks at Elaine's bar, a meeting point with other locals. An inviolable agenda that seems to keep him alive. But an unexpected fainting puts him on the brink of an abyss: it reminds him that the years have passed for him too and that he may not have much time left.
"I had never heard of a script like this," actor John Carroll Lynch, director of the film (which premiered this Thursday in Argentina and will hit the screen in other countries in the region this month), told Infobae Cultura. . "The story and the character are fictional, but they are definitely inspired by Stanton," he explained.
He added: "While none of us would have made the film without Harry, it was important to me and everyone else that the film worked on its own merits even if you didn't know the actor."
Carroll Lynch, best known for his role in Fargo, was not the first name the producers thought of for directing the film. But there was no agreement with the favorite and so the actor, who was originally going to join the cast, received a new offer. A lucky break. "He came from such an unexpected place and with so many attributes... A beautiful script and Harry Dean had already accepted; it was too good to pass up," said the director.
His debut as a director was not without difficulties, as he himself acknowledges: "The learning curve was like climbing the Andes. It's very different to watch someone fly a plane than to fly it. Still, I felt like I was ready. At a certain point, You have to have all the controls at hand and make decisions.
He had to learn to direct from Stanton. Not bad for an operaprimista. Also with David Lynch, who plays Lucky's regular chat partner at the bar, and owner of a turtle that escaped. "He was great," said the director, and clarified that his namesake knew very well what his role was in the film. During filming he made no recommendations. An anecdote: HDS once asked the creator of Twin Peaks to help him understand a text. "It's not my place, Harry," was the response he received. A sign of respect.
