How will Val Kilmer be remembered? Will he be known as just another pretty face chewed up and spit out by Hollywood? Or will his performance as Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991) elevate him to the pantheon of serious, but misunderstood, artists much like his idol Marlon Brando? The actor, best known for his role in Top Gun (1986), had leading man status in the late ‘80s through the first half of the ‘90s, starring in tentpole fantasy films (Willow), as historical figures such as Doc Holliday (Tombstone) and even as the Caped Crusader (Batman Forever). But Kilmer, a Method devotee, earned a label as difficult and soon saw himself relegated to smaller roles.
In the new documentary, Val, Kilmer dives into a bonanza of home video and archival footage to tell his own story. Having so much tape at his disposal is both a blessing and a curse. With material ranging from his childhood up to his one-man play where he starred as Mark Twain, Val feels like both a deep-dive into Kilmer’s life story and a display of complete narcissism. The film cuts between the past and the present where Kilmer, now in his 60s, is struggling after a bout of throat cancer. Though he beat the cancer, Kilmer had to undergo a tracheostomy and can only speak in short, gasping sentences. His good looks and voice mostly obliterated, Kilmer uses Val to take stock of his life, looking back on his triumphs and failures. It is a warts-and-all look at an actor past his prime, one that is both painful to watch and moving at the same time.
From the outside, Kilmer may have appeared to have a charmed childhood. His father made enough money to purchase Roy Rogers’ ranch and the family lived in luxury. But Kilmer’s parents divorced and one of his brothers died in a tragic accident when they were children. Kilmer hasn’t gotten over his brother’s death, something that haunts him throughout the documentary. Kilmer tells his story chronologically, speaking candidly (his son, Jack, doing the voiceover) about his early experiences at Julliard and on the set of Top Secret! We see Kilmer goofing off on the set of Top Gun with Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards, learn about how Island of Dr. Moreau turned into such a disaster that they used a body double for Brando on the days he refused to work. For casual fans of Kilmer and his films, Val provides a swift primer of his life and work.
But was he more than a pretty face? If you listen to Kilmer, he was an Actor with a capital A. Though the movie is co-directed by Ting Poo and Leo Scott, it’s pretty clear that Kilmer is calling all the shots. Yes, we get to hear about how his relationship to Joanne Whalley disintegrated because he spent too much time being Method while playing Morrison and we hear a confrontation between the actor and Moreau director John Frankenheimer that demonstrates how he earned that difficult label, but in both situations, Val gives Kilmer the moral high ground. Or at least an excuse to be an asshole.
Despite Kilmer obsessively filming most of his life, there still is a lot left out of Val. There is a mention of his history as a Christian Scientist, but never how it affected his recovery from throat cancer. But this is the Val Kilmer that Kilmer wants us to see, a story pieced together like the collage work he has been doing as he recovers. Just like his one-man play, Citizen Twain, Val is an opportunity for Kilmer to play Kilmer.
The best moments of Val come when the actor allows himself to be vulnerable. He mourns the past, his lost voice and fading looks. His relationships with his son and daughter are touching. And we see the conflict when he goes to Comic Cons to interact with his fans. Kilmer swears he never wanted to tread on past glories. Sadly, that is all he has now. Yet, he is elevated by his fans and doesn’t take them for granted.
Kilmer also has regrets. He recounts all the times he tried to bust out of the Hollywood system, eschew leading man parts for those with substance, but was rebuffed. He also appears to regret selling all the land his father acquired to fund a handful of passion projects. If anything, Val leaves us with hope for Kilmer. He may never act again but he’s beaten cancer and has a family that loves him. Kilmer may be ready for his close-up. But are we ready to confront what one of Hollywood’s most beautiful stars has become?
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