Worrying about Harry Dean.

I was vacuuming up kitten hair this morning and worrying about Harry Dean Stanton. He's really quite old. I love that guy. He has never been in anything that he didn't completely kick ass in. Even as the dad in Sixteen Candles. That tiny little part. Who wasn't moved by Andie's sad, lonely dad, trying his best to raise a daughter through his grief at being abandoned by the woman he loved. His character had more richness to it, thanks to him, than the entire rest of the cast put together! And The Straight Story, C'MON! How fantastic was he in that? At the end, the look on his face, when he realizes his brother drove all that way on a tractor. The heartbreak and regret mixed with being overwhelmed by the show of love it took to do that, all expressed in his face in under 5 seconds. Or how awesome was he in Wild at Heart? Alien, Paris Texas, even the Wendell Baker story, which sucked, by the way. I knew it would, but I love me some Wilson brothers so I watched it anyway.

If you love Harry Dean like I do, I suggest you rent The Wendell Baker story just so you can watch the extras. There's an informal chat session with Harry Dean and Seymour Cassel and Luke and Andrew Wilson. He's fantastically cranky and existential, but he's struggling with the void. Yes, you can tell all that, just from a little 20 minute chat. I have a feeling all conversations with Harry Dean are that revealing. At the end, he does this beautiful acoustic rendition of an old Blue grassy standard, Rock Salt and Nails. Just him singing and playing guitar. It's worth the price of purchasing the DVD even to have that little gem. If the Wilson brothers were truly savvy, they'd have just made a documentary about him and Seymour Cassel. Just the two of them talking about their lives. Maybe I should call them up and tell them. Or just do the damn thing myself! I wish.

Anyway, if you were here, dear reader, I'd tell you to come over and have a Harry Dean marathon night with me. We'd drink whiskey and dress disheveled and bask in the glory of Mr. Stanton's brilliance.