Kieran Culkin

Yes, Kieran is Macaulay's younger brother. Yes, he is much more talented than Macaulay. He proves this with his first starring role in Igby Goes Down. He had hinted at his talent in fine supporting roles in The Cider House Rules and Father of the Bride, but this is the first time he took over a movie. He plays the title character, Igby, with a sardonic flair that few can match. It's a truly great performance, both comedically and dramatically. He gets to deliver these devilishly clever quips that any actor would kill for. What sets Kieran apart from "any actor" is the fact that he can make every quip believeable. He has this laziness in his eyes that add to the character in such a way that only Tobey Maguire or Jake Gyllenhaal could have managed. The true revelation is Kieran's dramatic ability. He breaks down at the door of his friend Sookie's apartment, banging on her door and sobbing and screaming with this devastated look on his face. Later...!!!!SPOILER!!!!...Igby breaks down on his mother's death bed, realizing any chance of any meaningful relationship with her is gone. It's the mark of a remarkable actor that he can pull off the character's complexity and make it look natural. Earlier in his career, he played the brother of the bride in Father of the Bride. Most of the acting comes from his cuteness at his young age, but there are tender, humorous moments shared with his onscreen father, Steve Martin. In The Cider House Rules, Kieran played opposite Michael Caine, Tobey Maguire, and Charlize Theron as an orphan in an orhpanage run by Caine. He plays the innocent who looks for answers from his hero Homer (Maguire). He adds the necessary naivete that the role requires, and in fact the whole film relies so heavily on as a theme. Igby Goes Down marks the beginning of Kieran Culkin's career as a great actor in the future and the present. He has stepped out of his brother's shadow and cast his own.