No Replacing Stars: Studios Scramble for Projects Led by Brad Pitt, Will Smith, and Damon/Affleck

Happy Wednesday, folks, and Happy Juneteenth! Hollywood was quiet given the federal holiday, and it was a hell of a beach day here in Massachusetts — one I was fortunate to spend with my Dad and one of my brothers. You can peep my Instagram to see my tan.

Over the weekend, I watched Andrew McCarthy’s documentary Brats, which was very much a mixed bag. In the hands of a more experienced filmmaker, I think Brats could’ve been something special, but McCarthy’s decision to build the narrative around himself and put himself front and center was a fatal mistake, as he was always the least interesting member of the Brat Pack.

Like, if it took one of the Brat Pack guys to direct this movie just to get everyone on camera, so be it. I’m glad that McCarthy was able to scratch this itch and hopefully get some closure. But the actor comes off way too whiny in front of the camera, and 40 years later, he still seems bitter about the way that journalist David Blum branded the young stars of the John Hughes era. That branding was obviously pretty successful, seeing as how we’re still talking about that group of actors four decades later.

I don’t really understand why McCarthy and some of his co-stars were so insulted by the term — it was just a clever title of a magazine article. New York Magazine didn’t insist that everyone start calling those actors “the Brat Pack,” the catchy turn of phrase simply caught on of its own volition.

McCarthy’s interview with Blum is the highlight of the piece — naturally, in a movie full of stars like Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, and Emilio Estevez, the journalist is the most fascinating subject — and I love how Blum doesn’t give an inch and says he has no regrets. Had he not done that, he wouldn’t be sitting for an interview 40 years later.

For more on the frustrating Brats, which is worth watching if only to relive the greatest era of teen movies there ever was, check out this interesting Deadline piece from St. Elmo’s Fire writer Carl Kurlander.

In tonight’s newsletter, you’ll read about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s latest movie together, Sony getting back in business with Will Smith, Warner Bros. partnering with Apple on Brad Pitt’s new F1 movie, mysterious screenplays from both Christopher Nolan and Armie Hammer, and my thoughts on the Smile 2 trailer.

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