Most fascinating, though, a decade has also proven Down to You to be another example of the “Real Genius Theory” of teen movie’s fickle stardom, which states that a given actor in a teen comedy playing the crazy friend (X), given a few years’ time (T), will prove infinitely more successful than the film’s actual star (Y). The lead of Real Genius was technically Gabriel Jarret, but it was his wild and unpredictable roommate Val Kilmer who would go on to fly jets with Tom Cruise.
Similarly, the stars of Down to You are technically Julia Styles are and Freddie Prinze Jr., but 10 years later their crazy friends Rosario Dawson and Ashton Kutcher are the ones starring in Sin City and fucking Demi Moore while Prinze Jr. fans wonder if the six aired episodes ABC’s Freddie will be released on DVD. Thus proving, once again, (XT) > Y, just like Wiley Wiggins vs. Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused, Ethan Embry vs. Seth Green in Can’t Hardly Wait, and Jeremy London vs. Jason Lee in Mallrats did.
A rare exception to this rule is Risky Business. And to be honest I’ve always considered Curtis Hanson and Bronson Pinchot to be more famous than Tom Cruise.
