Joaquin Phoenix: Is He Here or Not Here?

ABC News reports that Casey Affleck's start as a director encompassed an extremely raw look at Joaquin Phoenix. The documentary has some people questioning if it was totally factual, or partly contrived.

Showing the fall from accomplished actor to drug use, associating with prostitutes, and attempting to become a hip-hop musician, Phoenix takes the opportunity to sound off and blast his acting career in a tasteless fashion. He hates acting; his attitude is everyone hates his or her job at some point. Picture an overweight wino on the worst day of his life, and then take it two steps further.

Poor me, I'm having a bad day: Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods had an incredible golfing career. Many people, whether or not they were golf fans, remember the proud father and sweet little Tiger on television years ago. Those people followed him through the ranks, thrilled that Woods was doing well and making his daddy proud. He had trophies, a beautiful wife, adorable children, sufficient money to make most people drool, and a beautiful home; as we found out recently, he also had women.

Many women were luring him, enticing him with their wiles, and causing him to spend his money and his time on them -- time that rightfully should have been spent with his wife and children. Huffington Post presents the cost: a loss of endorsement contracts, a loss of fans, loss of wife and family, and golf games that, for Tiger, were totally ineffectual. Add a loss of money to the other life challenges. He is struggling to make a comeback, but it will be some time before the betrayed fans are willing to trust him again.

Please don't make me go to jail: Lindsay Lohan

ABC News brought another round of poor Lindsay and the mean courts on July 8, 2010. Rehabilitation is not working for the dwindling starlet, whose daily routine seems to be whining about the unfairness of sentencing for drug use. She has been abusing drugs and alcohol for several years; the fact that her drug abuse consists of prescription drugs at this time is irrelevant. She is a lethal weapon behind the wheel. If she is not motivated to change, and her family cannot make her see the need to change, the court has to step in and hopefully get her the guidance she needs. Sometimes jail is the right place. It will certainly be harder for her to get wasted in a more controlled environment. Acting offers will be few and far between, though, until she becomes dependable enough to count on. That means kicking the bad habits and growing up.

How do I outlive this terrible picture of myself: Joaquin Phoenix

Tiger and Lindsay lead us right back to Joaquin Phoenix. Put them together, and they still do not equal the statement he makes in "I'm Still Here." An individual still sober or morally conscious enough to defend his actions against possible judgment is not realistic. A movie about someone desecrating any good in his life and embracing many amoral events on the seamy side of life is worthless. If that movie helped Casey Affleck understand Phoenix better, I hope it also motivated him to change the locks on his door and hide the children and the bank accounts. This might be an unusual idea, but perhaps Phoenix does not realize that acting is not the military. He will not be arrested if he decides to not act. There may be some civil litigation, but no Fort Leavenworth will loom in his future.

Congratulations, Mr. Phoenix. I think your brother-in-law just solved any concern you had about directors rushing to your door, pleading for you to please take a part in their films.

Sources:

Sheri Jennings, Venice Shows Affleck's Film on Joaquin Phoenix

Sheila Marikar, Lindsay Lohan's Twitter freakout: victim of 'cruel and unusual punishment'?

Huffington Post, Tiger Woods Divorce? Wife Elin Nordegren to leave, report says