"He's beyond human, and stuff like that."

Brad Renfro died on Tuesday night. He was an actor and I’m not sure how famous he was for that. He was better known for his problems with drugs, the notoriety of which culminated in a widely seen photo from a Skid Row drug bust, in which he looks at least ten years older than his 23 years. I don’t want to comment on what the death of a young actor could possibly mean. It’s probably not much, and it’s not much more than the death of any other young man does. In the age of the Britney deathwatch, he could be a lesson for the Lohan and the Winehouse, but he probably won’t. According to his numerous online obits, he had a troubled childhood that included trashy, poisonous parents and who knows what was going on his head or how much his parents are to blame. I, personally, am weirdly taken by the death of any young actor, but he wasn't exactly James Dean.
But in the spirit of celebrating a life instead of dwelling over a bad ending, I would like to discuss the one perfect thing he got to be a part of, which is, ironically, Ghost World. He played the small part of Josh in a fun, real, touching 2001 movie. If you haven’t seen it, imagine Juno without the affected dialogue or Lost in Translation in the ‘burbs. Actually, if you haven’t seen it, just see it – you won’t regret it.
Ghost World doesn’t give much to Renfro. He’s plays the Jordan Catalano for the two main girls to flirt with and talk about. Renfro was a talented actor, though, and he gives the part perhaps more than it deserves. He makes his presence felt and you understand why Enid and Rebecca want to be around him when they hate nearly everyone else in their world. Renfro may not have let himself do much in his short life – or, just as likely, the vicious town of Hollywood was too much for his self-destructive soul – but he got to be a part of at least one great thing, and it’s a film that rewards repeat viewing and will probably touch you differently the older you get. As far as legacies, that ain’t nothing.