I’ve been hearing Matthew Lillard’s name a lot lately, and that makes me happy, because along with Jim Carrey, Lillard is one of my favorite actors from the ‘90s who’s still making movies today.
He can be seen in the latest Five Nights at Freddy’s movie (which we gave a middling review, but you know, par for the course), and it seems like pretty much everybody–well, besides Tarantino–loves Lillard. From Scream, to Scooby Doo, to The Descendents, Lillard is always a welcome presence in any movie that he’s in.
However, while most people would likely say that Scream is his best work from the ‘90s (either that, or She’s All That), I’m going with a much more obscure movie, that being 1998’s SLC Punk!. The film is an absolute gem, and I’m here to talk about it.
Oh, and spoilers for a 27 year-old-movie.
To Begin With, SLC Punk! Might Be Lillard At His Finest
Now, even though SLC Punk! came out in the ‘90s, it’s actually about the ‘80s. In the film, Lillard plays a smart guy named Stevo who’s deeply into punk in the “worst” possible state to be into the lifestyle, that being the deeply conservative (in values!) Utah. That said, he’s not completely alone, as his best friend, “Heroin Bob” (Michael Goorjian) is also about that life.
Both of them have to navigate Salt Lake City as outsiders, and they embrace it…for the most part. You see, “Heroin Bob” feels a lot more authentic than Stevo. Because even though “Heroin Bob” is called that, it’s a bit of a joke, since he’s straight edge, and really aligns with the ideologies of punk because he’s had a really hard upbringing. Meanwhile, Stevo is kind of a poser. His parents are well-off, and he could go to Harvard Law School, but he doesn’t because he thinks punk is cool, and he embraces nonconformity.
Lillard plays this effortlessly. Even though anybody can see that he’s more in love with the ideas of punk rather than punk itself, you get a sense that Stevo doesn’t realize this. In his mind, he is punk, but a lot of the things that he does go against that. For instance, he’s casually dating a woman named Sarah (Jennifer Lien), and he believes he’s cool with their non-monogamous relationship. But, when he finds out she’s having sex with somebody else, he beats up the guy, only to later realize that this goes against his beliefs of nonconformity.
It’s a nuanced performance, and one that has a clear beginning, middle, and end…which is likely why Lillard didn’t return for the sequel, Punk’s Dead, that nobody asked for. But hey, at least “Heroin Bob” returned. Sort of.
The Movie Is A Comedy, But Lillard Somehow Manages To Lend It Gravitas
SLC Punk! is actually a very funny movie…when it wants to be (I’ll get to that again later). A lot of the humor comes from Lillard’s character making a mockery of the people he views as squares (such as his parents, who were former hippies turned yuppies). Stevo doesn’t fit in with a majority of the people in SLC, so he riffs on them. “Heroin Bob” is also quite funny, because he seems so kind-hearted, even though he has a mohawk that seems to scare people.
That said, even though it’s certainly a comedy, there’s a gravitas to the story that shouldn’t be overlooked. You see, as mentioned earlier, Stevo really feels like he’s living the lifestyle, and the earnestness he has for the subculture really makes you feel like he’s heading in the wrong direction, and doesn’t even realize it. When he’s freaking people out, you get a sense that he’s going to eventually spiral out of control if he doesn’t get his life together.
Like I said earlier, this performance has a distinct beginning, middle, and end, and Lillard goes from loving punk, to questioning it, to eventually understanding that he was trying to find out who he actually was the entire time.
However, before we get that strong, emotional arc, we get a lot of silly moments of religious people being shocked by Stevo’s words and expressions, which makes for a fun ride…until it doesn’t.
Lillard Makes The Punk Scene Feel Authentic
One of my best friends from grade school introduced me to this movie, and at the time, he was really into punk. I mean, I think he still is, since he still goes to concerts, but I think the side of him that felt he WAS punk (and not just into the music), has kind of dissipated, as it does with most people when they fully enter adulthood.
That said, when he introduced me to the movie, I got a sense that he fully understood that Lillard’s character was just a poser, and that the lifestyle itself was still something worth living up to. But, in that way, he was kind of like Lillard’s character, just a more fully-realized version of him. It’s interesting, but I think Lillard really captures that sense of wanting to be something you’re not, even if you have to force it.
In fact, I’ve been there, too, but for me, it was rap music, as I really thought I was a “part of the culture” when I was younger – even though I was more like Anthony Mackie’s character in 8 Mile. And, Lillard makes that feel authentic, too, as a lot of people who likely claim to be punk don’t really have much of a reason to be raging against authority. It really is just a part of being afraid to grow up.
In many ways, punk itself is about wanting to stay young. It’s a rebellion against aging and Lillard makes that feel all too real with his performance.
It Has One Of The Saddest Endings, And Lillard Totally Sells It
Okay, so even though it wasn’t listed in our article of the saddest movie deaths that break our hearts, I definitely want to add SLC Punk!, as it has one of the saddest movie deaths I’ve ever seen, and that’s the death of “Heroin Bob.” As mentioned earlier, Bob, whose character’s real name was Bob Williams, didn't actually do heroin since he was terrified of needles. Being straight edge, which means not doing any drugs - INCLUDING alcohol or tobacco (I’ll circle back to that) - can be considered punk, because it goes against punk itself in a lot of ways, as the lifestyle often embraces drugs.
The wrestler, CM Punk, for instance, is often referred to as the “Straight Edge Superstar” as he openly embraces the straight edge lifestyle. Now, “Heroin Bob” believes he’s straight edge, but since he’s not completely straight edge, it causes his death, because he (unwittingly) uses both Percodan and alcohol because he has a headache, and ends up dying in the process.
Let me tell you, the scene is brutal, and it’s 100% because of Lillard’s reaction to seeing his best friend dead. It’s a scene where you truly get to see the versatility of Lillard as an actor, as you get to watch him fully question his role in his friend’s death. This transforms his character into realizing that he’s only pretending to be punk once he realizes the ultimate outcome for himself if he keeps up on this current path.
It’s a phenomenal, crushing performance, and one of the reasons why it’s my favorite role of Lillard’s. What’s yours?