Albert was not just any old character in any old film.... no, Albert just so happened to be the very first full length feature film role for Haley Joel Osment, and that makes this film truly special indeed. Not only is this film ten years old, but that also means this film, a Haley Film, has been a part of our collective conscience for a decade. So embedded are Haley Films in our minds and in our hearts, and the one thing woven throughout his films and into the tapestry of his career, is a golden thread of magic. It is in that magic, which makes us believe in something so unbelieveable, we can feel it in our hearts.

The Magic of Bogus, a 10th Anniversary Tribute

by FAIR

"If you believe in only one thing, believe in Bogus."

So says the tagline for the movie "Bogus", a feature film that premiered ten (10) years ago on 06-September-1996, but I think this film also gave us something so much more in which we could believe. This was not just about magic and imagination, this film was also about one little boy, and his name was Albert.

M. Night Shyamalan tried to capture the essence of that magic into words, when he spoke about his own written and directed film, "The Sixth Sense", which premiered on 06-August-1999...

How appropriate then, that the first true Haley Film would be so dominated by all types and kinds of magic. The magic of imagination, the magic of illusion, the magic of slight-of-hand, the magic of simple parlor tricks, the magic of the story, the magic of film, the magic of Haley's performance, and of course the magic of Haley himself. As was so often asked in the film, "What is reality?" and "What is illusion?", when dealing with magic the answers can quite often be insightful and revealing.

The celebrated director of the film, Norman Jewison, would write in his recently published autobiography, "This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me : An Autobiography" about the reality of working with the young star...

But perhaps that was the illusion, for Haley seemingly had so little experience and maybe it was the depth of his talent, which left everyone amazed... just like all magic should. Mr. Jewison would remark during the production, about making such a key casting choice for the most important role in the film...

Less than two years into his illustrious and already celebrated career, this six-year-old prodigy would begin the magical journey of this film by spending the first two weeks filming in Las Vegas, before shifting to Newark, New Jersey for an additional nine days. The bulk of the filming was then completed in and around the Toronto, Canada area. In that time, the diminutive star would comment about the production...

One subtle trick Haley had to learn and seemed to master with ease, was commanding the same focus and screen presence, so as not to be overshadowed and overwhelmed playing opposite the gentle giant Gerard Depardieu. Were there not some element of might and magic at play, how else could Haley have given such a dexterous performance when up against a character written so big, stupendous, colossal, amazing, fantastic, magnificent, and unbelievable... like Bogus.

Here again we find Haley in complete control and commanding our attention. Rather than trying to match such an over-the-top character and play up to his level, Haley would bring the gentle giant down into his world, and allow us to experience Bogus through his character. It is in his eyes and imagination that allows the characters to interact, and now at the same level, the two characters can thrive equally together. There is no better example of that, than the swordfight sequence that was filmed in High Park in Toronto. The duality of the two characters, involved in such a classic duel, is one of the more magical moments of Haley's early career.

With Haley giving back so much in his performance and to the production, certainly the gentle giant Gerard Depardieu could not help but be influenced by so much creative energy flowing around him. Mr. Depardieu would comment about working with the amazing young actor during the production...

For a glimpse of what Haley feels in his heart directly, one need only watch the sequence near the end of the film after Albert is rescued from the fire escape by Harriet, played by Whoopi Goldberg. There is one pure moment where you can see Haley working his magic, and it would foretell all the other brilliant moments that were still distant on the horizon of his young career. In the scene, the two characters were discussing how Albert is not to run away again, and if he does, then he should do so on the ground. In that moment, you can see Haley feeling exactly as Albert would, were such a sequence to have actually happened. It is a moment of pure talent, and a moment so rare among all child actors, that it could only be achieved by someone truly gifted like Haley.

So much was made possible by this film centered around magic and imagination. What began as the first leading role for one amazingly talented boy, would cascade into him becoming one of the most celebrated young actors of all time. As we look back at the magical journey he has followed, we cannot help but question if it is all in our imagination that a Haley Film is really ten years old. We cannot help but wonder at how blessed we have been to have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, his incredible work for over a decade. Is that what this small little film called "Bogus" has given to us, a permanent marker to remind us that even when so very young, Haley already possessed all the abilities needed to enchant us all. Maybe what this film was really trying to say in a very subtle and magical way, if you believe in only one thing, believe in Haley... and there is nothing bogus about that.

Haley Joel Osment is the best.

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You are listening to "Kalimando", written by René Dupéré © BMG Classics and featured on the soundtrack of Bogus