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Top 10 Child Performances – The 00’s

 

Article by Terry Plucknett

Posted - 12/21/09

Go to Top 10 Child Performances

 

Looking at the top child actors out at any particular time is a very interesting exercise because you could be looking at the future film stars 10 or 20 years down the road.  Some examples of this in the past would be Drew Barrymore, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Kirsten Dunst, etc.  So let’s take a look at some of the top performances from the potential top actors of the 2010’s or 2020’s.

Honorable Mentions – Michel Joelsas (The Year My Parents Went on Vacation; 2008), Logan Lerman (3:10 to Yuma; 2007), Maude Apatow (Knocked Up; 2007), Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness; 2006), Joey Gaydos Jr. (School of Rock; 2003)

10.  Nathan Gamble (Babel; 2006).  Okay, so I have to start out with a very biased choice (I personally know the kid), however that doesn’t cheapen this or any other performance he had in the last handful of years.  This role was his first and probably his best as he portrayed the son of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett that was smuggled into Mexico with his sister, Elle Fanning, by their nanny, Adriana Barraza.  The scene where the two kids were abandoned in the desert by their nanny as she goes and looks for help was one of the most lasting images of 2006 in film as young Nathan is left sobbing under a tree.  You add this to roles in The Dark Knight, Marley & Me, and The Mist, where he was the only good thing going on in that film, and you have a young actor who is worth paying attention to.

9.  Matteo Sciabordi (Miracle at St. Anna; 2008).  In a film that on all other accounts underwhelmed, young Angelo was one of the few endearing parts to the “Spike Lee does war” movie.  This character brought some light-hearted childish looks into the tragedies war brings about.

8.  Bobb’e J. Thompson (Role Models; 2008).  This comedy came with some fire power: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Jane Lynch, McLovin’s follow-up to Knocked Up, yet it was this young smart-mouthed kid that stole the show and the attention.  Since this movie, he has started to blossom out into other roles.  This is definitely one to watch for in the future as he grows up.

7.  Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine; 2006).  One of the few child performances to be nominated for an Oscar this decade, Breslin shows that she is more than just a great young talent, but a great talent regardless of age.  Her young, naïve, and innocent demeanor in this and other films like Definitely, Maybe is the embodiment of what you look for in a young child actor.  Continue to pay attention to her in the coming decade.

6.  Edward Sanders (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; 2007).  In a decade where we saw the reemergence of the musical genre to movies, this film gave the best role and best performance to a child actor.  Sanders, portraying the young sidekick Toby, shows that he is an incredible talent with his acting skills but also his singing ability as well.  Through several musical performances in this film, he shows that he could be seen as a star in several different aspects in the future.

5.  Kristen Stewart (Panic Room; 2002).  Before she became the infinitely recognizable star as Bella in the Twilight series, I knew Kristen Stewart as the girl from Into the Wild and as Jodie Foster’s daughter in David Fincher’s Panic Room.  When robbers come to rob their brand new house, Stewart and Foster are forced to hide in their panic room and wait until they are gone.  The tension and suspense in this movie give the perfect atmosphere for Stewart to show her acting chops, and she does so admirably.  After seeing this performance, I knew she would be great in the future.  Now she is.

4.  Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland; 2004).  In one of the biggest breakout performances of the decade, Freddie Highmore emerged as a top young actor in his role as J.M. Barrie’s friend and companion as he was creating Peter Pan’s Neverland.  Highmore shows a wide range of emotions as he goes from pure joy to anger to sorrow throughout this film, and believable every step of the way.  Other films such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and August Rush have continued to reinforce the talent that was first discovered in this film and have shown that he is going to be around for awhile.

3.  Saoirse Ronan (Atonement; 2007).  In an amazing film with amazing actors and amazing roles, Ronan was the only one to come away with an Oscar nomination for her performance.  She definitely deserved it too.  A performance like this makes you forget that Ronan was as young as she was when the film was made.  She is one that will blossom into a star in the next 10 years, and is the star of 2009’s much-anticipated The Lovely Bones.

2.  Haley Joel Osment (A.I.: Artificial Intelligence; 2001).  Coming off his Oscar-nominated role in The Sixth Sense to end the 90’s, Osment put in another top-notch child performance to start off the 2000’s.  This time, he was a robot designed to be just like a real boy for those who wanted a son.  As with Ronan, you are quickly amazed how believable such a young person can be in such a dramatic role.  Unfortunately, Osment has not been able to translate his acting talents to more adult roles as he approaches 20 years old, but regardless what happens in the rest of his career, Osment will be remembered as one of the greatest child actors of all time.

1.  Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth; 2006).  In Guillermo Del Toro’s great imaginary world created in this R-rated fantasy film, Baquero carried the film on her pre-teen back.  No other child actor in the decade was able to carry a film single-handedly quite like she did as the center of this created universe.  She did what few child actors get a chance to do: be the main character in a great, respected movie, and she took advantage of her opportunity.  I cannot wait to see what kind of actress she becomes over the next 10 years.



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