The Culkins MaybesometimesNeverLand Ranch

Last night I was bored surfing Itunes movies and happened upon a surprisingly good movie. Igby Goes Down, a 2002 Burr Steers film nominated for 2 Golden Globes, and has a star-studdedcast stacked with actors such as Claire Danes, Jeff Goldbloom, Susan Sarandon, and starring none other than Kieran Culkin. The Culkin family is one of those Hollywood Legacies like the Baldwin Brothers, the Arquette-Cox Clan, or the freshly minted Cyrus virus. The Culkin family spent a large portion of the 90’s on center stage, both in the fim scene as well as in the public eye. Macaulay Culkin, child actor extrodinaire, is perhaps best known for his Home Alone fame, as well as for gracing the big screen in other such productions as Richie Rich, My Girl, and Most recently Brian Dannelly’s Saved! However in recent years, Macaulay has been dredged through the spotlight regarding the now infamous Neverland Ranch.
Big Bro Culkin and MJ became friends riding the success of the 92 release of Home Alone 2. Culkin was befriended by MJ, and even made an appearance in his ‘Black or White’ video. The two became rather close, to the point that in May 2005, Culkin was asked to take the stand against MJ in an ongoing child molestation case, in which Jackson was  On acquitted of all charges. In a prior child molestation case, Jackson settled out of court for a cool 20 Mil. However in ‘05 Culki was slated to break his silence, and be indighted to speak against his childhood mentor, but was able to come to the King’s defense. Since then Mr. Culkin has attempted to stay out of the limelight, and he and longtime love Mila Kunis. After Macaulay was legally emancipated from his parents at the ripe old age of 14, kit ( Stage-Dad to Macaualay and his 7 brothers and sisters) walked out on the family. Perhaps the best parental decision papa Culkin ever made.

Younger bro’s Rory and Kieran have somehow managed to come out on the less psychotic end of the child star tunnel, but have had a rough go of it with the death of older sister Dakota was killed in an auto accident at the end of last year. Kieran considered going back into seclusion but attended Sundance with his Rory, where the 2009 Lymelifewas greeted with rapturous reviews, and even a International Critics’ Award. In fact there was a cross over of Hollywood family bigwigs in this film as Alec Baldwin plays an abusive father to Kieran and Rory (brothers in the film as well) – perhaps another example of art imitating life? My recommendation is to keep on the lookout for these boys – reformed child stars on the rise, think Hansen and Drew Barrymore’s lovechild in family form. Welcome back to the big leagues…