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Actor Spacey Takes Risks with Bobby Darin Film
2004-12-06
LOS ANGELES - Even two-time Oscar winners like Kevin Spacey sometimes need a career makeover. Spacey this month debuts his new film, a musical called "Beyond the Sea," about the life of 1950s and 1960s pop singer Bobby Darin, after spending five years working to get the movie made.It was a labor of love for the actor, but one with major risks involving his career and his own finances. He sunk some of his own cash into the just over $20 million project. He sings and dances to Darin's hit songs like "Mack the Knife" in what is a fantasy told as if Darin is directing a movie about his life. The role is far removed from the dramatic parts for which he is best known, but if "Beyond the Sea" works for critics and audiences, it could easily refresh Spacey's ever-changing career. When it opens in major cities on Dec. 17, Spacey's film will not be the only movie biography of a singing sensation on display. Jamie Foxx's portrayal of soul singer Ray Charles in "Ray" has won strong audience approval and Spacey hopes filmgoers will have enjoyed "Ray" so much that will they will want to see another story of a musical legend. Spacey earned Oscars for best supporting actor playing a villain in 1995's "The Usual Suspects" and for best actor in 1999's "American Beauty" portraying a father caught in a pot-smoking, mid-life crisis. Since then, however, several of his films like "K-PAX" and "The Life of David Gale" have received mixed reviews, at best. "Some of them were downright cruel," Spacey told Reuters. "I didn't think the films, or my work, deserved that. Some movies work; some don't, But at the end of the day, this ('Beyond the Sea') is where my passion was." The poor reviews came while Spacey was trying to raise the money for "Beyond the Sea." The 45 year-old actor co-wrote, co-produced and directed "Beyond the Sea." He portrays Darin, who conquered the music and movie worlds before he died in 1973, at age 37, following open heart surgery. TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH In his day, Darin was a major star. He scored hit songs in genres from pop rock to jazz with titles from "Splish Splash" to "Beyond the Sea." By his early 20s, Darin had earned two Grammys -- the U.S. music industry's top honors. He crisscrossed musical genres from pop rock to swing jazz to protest and anti-war songs. He moved into acting and in 1963, Darin earned an Oscar nomination for his acting in the movie "Captain Newman, M.D." He met and married American screen idol Sandra Dee (played in the movie by Kate Bosworth) and the two became the Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston of their generation. But Darin's life was not always golden. He was born poor, suffered rheumatic fever as a child and was told he would not live beyond age 15. The illness permanently damaged his heart. Darin, whose real name was Walden Robert Cassotto, learned to sing and dance from his mother. He wanted to be a star and given his illness, he knew he must rise to stardom, fast. "I find him incredibly inspiring, what he overcame, how he dealt with his life, how he challenged himself," Spacey said. Spacey was driven to make "Beyond the Sea" by the singer's extraordinary life. He also promised his own mother before her death that he would not stop until the film was made. His mom idolized Darin and introduced the actor to his music. Darin's son, Dodd Darin, spent 17 years himself trying to make a film of his dad's life with no luck. Various producers, writers and directors came and went. TOO OLD?, CAN'T SING? When Spacey began pursuing the movie in 1999, Dodd Darin said Spacey's passion for his dad's story convinced him to allow the actor to use Darin's songs. Yet he initially balked due to Spacey's age and because the actor demanded to sing. The two factors also hampered Spacey's funding efforts, and they might still work against him with critics and audiences. But Dodd Darin said the outcome to him and his mother, Sandra Dee, was worth the risk. "He has totally respected the style and performance aspects of my dad's art," Darin said. Spacey points out that he began his career singing and dancing and added that the key question was whether he could get his voice in shape to "honor Bobby's talent." To help lessen the age issue -- Spacey is now eight years older than Darin was when he died -- the filmmakers hired a makeup artist who worked on the "Lord of the Rings" movies. One challenge remained, some potential backers wondered whether U.S. or foreign filmgoers even remembered Bobby Darin. Spacey argues it doesn't matter. "I never cotton to the idea audiences only go to movies about famous people whom they know everything about. Audiences go to movies to discover the character," he told Reuters. He admits that when raising money, some backers did not know Darin until they heard the songs. Then, they understood Darin's impact on music and the reasons for telling his story. Reuters
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