Chicago Tribune Article with Emilio

A few Friday nights ago, Emilio Estevez tried to watch a preview screening of his new film, "Wisdom," in one of those matchbox-sized multiplex theaters at a suburban Los Angeles shopping mall. Even in the dark, the mostly teenage audience soon became aware of his presence. They punched each other, whispered loudly, and made unnecessary trips to the bathroom in order to stare at Estevez as they walked by. Rattled, Estevez left after only 15 minutes.

Estevez, 24, the eldest son of actor Martin Sheen, is attracting lots of unwanted attention, some of it from critics, who have generally panned "Wisdom." Estevez wrote, directed and starred in "Wisdom"; he completed the project at age 23, becoming the youngest member of the Hollywood community ever to write, direct and star in a major motion picture. Because of his father's fame (although he chose to use his family name, Estevez, instead of the stage name, Sheen, chosen by his father, many moviegoers know who he is), and because of his age, Estevez will not enjoy the blessed anonymity of most fledgling filmmakers. While other beginners have the chance to make mistakes, gain experience and fail in private before becoming major-league directors, Estevez knows any errors he made in this $5 million film from 20th Century-Fox will not go unnoticed. And he knows he made mistakes in "Wisdom."

"Wisdom" is the story of a frustrated 23-year-old named John Wisdom who cannot find a job because he has been convicted of a felony--joyriding drunk in a stolen T-Bird on graduation night. After rejections from every business from law firms to the local City Burger, Wisdom decides to turn to a life of crime. He and his girlfriend Karen (Demi Moore) head off, armed, to break into banks--not to steal money, but to torch the mortgage records so the elderly, the poor and the farmers will not lose their homes.

"In a way, it's a very subversive film," Estevez said. "A lot of people are angered by the message it gives the kids: If you want something changed, then pick up a gun and change it. But if they stay until the end, they'll realize that violence doesn't solve anything." "I'm going to take a beating on this one," admitted Estevez, a sandy- haired, baby-faced young man with wide blue eyes. "I can see myself getting my feet wet as a director, and there's a choppiness, an awkwardness to it. It's not totally relaxed. "I made the movie first for myself, and I think just getting it done is an accomplishment. I fought my battle in just getting it done, and being the youngest person to get it done. Not that I set out to break any kind of record or anything, or to prove to anybody that I could do it. "I knew I could do it. Whether it succeeds or fails now is in God's hands."

If he didn't have to do interviews for "Wisdom," Estevez said, he would be spending his free time skiing in Montana. He owns some land there, and someday hopes to live there with Moore, his "Wisdom" co-star. They are engaged (they met when both starred in "St. Elmo's Fire") but put off their wedding because of the opening date of "Wisdom," as well as Moore's current role in a play in New York. "We're both kind of strung out," Estevez said. "And we want our wedding to be special. Even if we elope, we want it to be a special day, not just squeeze it in."

So, although he has to stay in Los Angeles for the time being, Estevez is doing his best to ignore the swirl surrounding "Wisdom." Following the interview, he planned to take his grandmother for her first visit to the Santa Anita race track. He likes to bet on the horses. "I'm doing my best to just let it go, to just try to divorce myself from it as much as possible," Estevez said. "I'm doing my best not to read anything written about me anymore, not to read reviews and not to accept other people's judgment of me, because it really means very little to me in terms of my life as a person."

Estevez learned the handy trick of not reading after "The Breakfast Club," in which he starred with Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall. Around that time, a New York magazine journalist dubbed this crop of young actors the "Brat Pack." "That was ridiculous, and at the time I was very angry about it," Estevez said. "He painted us in a very negative light. He didn't portray us as hard-working young men and women who cared deeply about our craft. "He wanted the same notoriety that we had, and he got it. But since then, I've just sort of learned to let it go."

Estevez thinks he engenders the wrath of the press partly because he didn't go to college, but jumped right into the business after his graduation from Santa Monica High School in 1980. "I just knew what I wanted to do," he said. "For a while, I had this romantic idea about being a foreign correspondent. . . . I always loved writing, and being up on the stage. There was never any question about what I would do." Added Estevez: "I can't bring 45 years of experience to this film. . . . I can bring 23 years of experience to it, because that's how old I was when I did it. "I've got to start remembering that I'm exactly where I should be."


Copyright 1987 Chicago Tribune Company Chicago Tribune

By Diana Haithman, Knight-Ridder Newspapers.

Typed by Elaine for PRESENTING...EMILIO!!!