Johnny Depp: A Kind of Illusion
Back in the 1980s, while desperately trying to shake the teen idol image of his 21 Jump Street success, Johnny Depp immersed himself in a small part as a marine grunt in Oliver Stone's Platoon. His best work ended up on the cutting room floor, but he would soon get more chances to showcase his talent. Film historian Meikle (A History of Horrors, etc.) tells the story of the young man from Kentucky by way of Depp's more than two dozen films. A musician and a fan of Beat writers, Depp cultivated his rebel persona and became the only teen actor from A Nightmare on Elm Street to become widely recognized. Meikle portrays Depp as a contemporary of Sean Penn who rarely seemed to "sell out" and who bristled at comparisons to Dean and Brando. Yet the author does not fawn over his subject, and even criticizes Depp for backpedaling on his critique of the 2003 Iraq War. While adequately covering Depp's various romances with female celebrities, Meikle takes more time to explicate Depp's films. His main objective seems to be showing how Depp pursued and survived a "polarized cinematic career" to become a movie icon and an unlikely leading man. This, as the book suggests, occurred most prominently in Edward Scissorhands. There are no earth-shattering conclusions here, but that's just as well, since part of Depp's appeal lies in wondering what he will do next. 32 color photos.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.