5. To Die For (1995)
“Jimmy Emmett”
This mid-90s Gus Van Sant feature marked Joaquin Phoenix first venture into acting, well as far as being the Joaquin Phoenix that we know today. Six years after his feature film debut in Ron Howard’s Parenthood and only two years after River Phoenix’s passing, Joaquin jumped back into acting with a meaty role in Van Sant’s To Die For co-starring Matt Dillon, Nicole Kidman, and future brother-in-law Casey Affleck. The noirish tale centers on as aspiring TV personality who seduces three teenagers into killing her husband. While Affleck and Phoenix were relatively unknown, Kidman and Dillon were well-known and well-regarded actors at the time so the two newcomers were in very good company. From their performances in this film, one can easily tell that they were destined for stardom and that prophecy has since proved itself (though Affleck is still very underrated). Based on a true story, To Die For is one of Van Sant’s much darker features and provided an excellent launching pad for the careers of Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix.
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