5. Doug Hoult - Inventing The Abbotts
In the shadow of his older brother River Phoenix's death, Joaquin had a lot to prove in his early career. River was considered by many to be one of the finest actors of his young generation, and Joaquin really had to step up if he was to walk in his brother's acclaimed footsteps. Unfortunately, things don't come that easy, especially when you're just starting out in the business. Prior to Inventing the Abbotts and following a string of guest roles on various TV shows, Phoenix had a small but memorable turn as a high school student seduced by Nicole Kidman's fame-crazed weatherwoman in Gus Van Sant's brilliant and underrated dark satire, To Die For. Abbotts was Phoenix's first starring role in a film, and one can see why he picked it - the film is certainly not the typical Hollywood fare that young actors usually go for to increase their exposure. Unfortunately, though, Inventing the Abbotts just isn't a good film. It's a bland, forgettable soapy melodrama bogged down by some very questionable directorial choices and an overall vapid, emotionless script. At this point in his career, Phoenix was a young up-and-comer who was hired for his youthful looks more than for his acting talent, and his uninspired performance in this film reflects that very well.