During the 1980's Keanu's choice of roles fell into two categories: first, there was the "outsider." mostly aliennated, often disturbed teen, challenged by his life circumstances (think: River's Edge, Permanent Record, Brotherhood of Justice.) Then there was the "slacker," the likeable, not too bright, and often unkempt, dude (think: Bill and Ted, Parenthood, Prince of Pa.) "I Love You To Death" represented the last in this series as Keanu chose different roles in the early 1990's. Though he continued to play protagonists overwhelmed by events outside their control, the characters seemed to be more culturally mainstreamed, and certainly looked more presentable (think: Tune in Tomorrow, Point Break, Dracula, Speed.) Marlon's mangy appearance in ILYTD, with his nose-ring marijuana leaf tattoo on his neck, and inarticulate "Ted-speak" was the perfect 1980's phoenix in Keanu's career as he reinvented himself in the next decade.
Producer Ron Moler in 1984 read a news story about Anthony and Frances Toto, a couple with marital difficulties even Dr. Phil on Oprah couldn't fix. The wife tried five times to kill her unfaithful husband. The husband forgave her and the couple reconciled after the wife served jail time. Moler saw this story as an "ideal comedy feature film." Go figure.
Lawrence Kasden signed on as director (known for "Big Chill" and Body Heat" at the time and recently directed "Dreamcatcher" with Kevin Costner.) Kasden remembered Keanu in "River's Edge" and met with him in Los Angeles. He found Keanu to be "intriguing," using descriptive phrases like "extraordinarily charismatic," "great-looking," and delighted by his spirit." Keanu remembered his casting differently, recalling that "Kasden wanted this guy to be...kind of in a daze, harmless, and drugged. So [he] hired me." Filming began April 10th, 1989 after extensive rehearsals which focused on the physical aspects of how Harlon and Marlon moved together. Kasden believed these scenes "moved at [their] own pace, and were crucial to the movie. Some interior shots were filmed at Raleigh studios in Hollywood, but most were shot in Tacoma, Washington, home to pulp mills, foul fumes and few diversions. Keanu passed the time playing basketball and hanging out with River Phoenix, whom he met while filming "Parenthood" (River's girlfriend Martha Plimpton and his brother were in that movie.) Marlon's haircut was the result of many discussions between Keanu, Kasden, and the hair stylist on the set. It ended up being eight different haircuts combined into one which Keanu described as "a schoolboy's at the back, shaven clean at the sides, a mohawk on top, and this bit of hair just dangling down."
Whoa!
ILYTD had an incredible ensemble cast and Keanu was awed by them. He remarked that "there were a few times when I was in the same room with Kevin Kline, Tracy Ullman, River, and Bill, and I would just laugh...because I was so happy to be there with these great actors." Kevin Kline remembered Keanu this way: "I can' say we bonded- [my character] was comatose or heavily drugged at the time and his character was as far gone as mine." But Kline also recalled Keanu's enthusiasm for Keanu's upcoming role as Trincolo in "The Tempest" on stage and was "encouraged because its rare to find...a film actor who really wants to take time off from a cinema career" to do stagework. Kline had never seen any of Keanu's film work. Keanu must have made an impression on Tracy Ullman because their work together led to Keanu's appearance on her TV show, broadcast on December 17, 1989, in a skit called "Two Lost Souls." And what fan alive doesn't love that little gem in which Keanu plays a teen whom Tracy's 35 year old character impulsively marries and awakens in bed with the next morning. There's not too much out there that can top that!
And then there was William Hurt, who shared about 30 minutes of screen time with Keanu as, according to various critics, "dumb-as-oxen killers", "virtually brain-dead would-be assassins," "stoned and mangy" hit-men, who took a taxi to the murder and don't remember the location of the human heart to put a bullet in it. At first, Keanu said he thought of Hurt as a "real serious and tense guy." Hurt was somewhat hesitant around Keanu because "you look at his face...he's so pretty." Neither actor is known to be very articulate on the set, so Hurt described their collaborations this way: "I'd ask [Keanu] something in my language, and he'd answer in his...and I just listened to him." One of my favorite exchanges, recalled in an interview, was the following: Keanu: "Hey, Bill, what kind of movie do you think we're in?" Bill: "Well, Keanu, if your name is Marlon and my name is Harlan, I guess we're in a comedy." And too many, it was just too dark.
Sneak preview audiences hated this film. Kasden believed that it was because "American movies are made about good-looking people achieving things." This movie was about "unglamorous losers doing seamy things in ugly surroundings." (Sheila Johnston, Keanu biographer) Perhaps the film was too cynical. There was nothing funny about marital infidelity and the use of incompetent paid killers for retribution. ILYTD opened in the States on April 6, 1990 to mixed reviews and ultimately made $15,600,000.
Although I am not a big fan of ILYTD, I see Marlon and Harlon as a quintessential comedy team. They are not just another Cheech and Chong rip-off. True, Harlon hits his head a lot on the light and swats at non-existent flies, and Marlon can't recognize his would-be murder victim as he leaves the jail. But there is a certain level of humanity to the cousins that is very touching, which makes them more than a couple of dopers, and more appealing than the team of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels for all their comedic incompetence in "Dumb and Dumber."
Keanu left Ted, Tod, and Marlon behind in the 1990's and has not
returned to physical comedy. I for one would love to see him try comedy again...mixed with a little romance?
Definitely! The balcony is now open.