It's been a while.
This is the second entry on the forgotten art of the motion picture soundtrack.
The early 1990s represented a boom for homeless men.
On television, Damon Wayans' portrayal of homeless alcoholic Anton Jackson on the Fox series In Living Color had the nation's minorities and hip white people in stitches! For those with vague recollections, just think of a pickle (perhaps snickers bar?) in a jar of lemonade. Indeed, poverty and substance abuse has never been more amusing.
On the radio, Arrested Development made us tap our feet with their tale of a man with no clothes, no money, no plate. Mr. Wendal, that was his name. No one ever knew his name cause he was an old one. However, despite this anonymity, Sir Wendal was incredibly well-versed and intelligent. In fact, he would exchange his knowledge if you bought him some shoes. Speech and his fellow Arrested Developers shattered the perception of the homeless that Anton Jackson perpetuated. Go ahead, Mr. Wendal!
On film, the Arrested Development spirit was kept alive by the movie With Honors. I actually saw this movie theatrically and quite frankly only remember 3 things about it: 1) Brendan Fraser (!) as a Harvard student who knew how to succeed, but not how to live. 2) Joe Pesci as a homeless man with a troubled past who, despite dying, taught Brendan Fraser all about living. 3) Madonna's I'll Remember as the "Theme from With Honors"
So next time you see a homeless man in the street, don't just pass by him. Remember the early 90s, walk over to him and say "here, have a dollar...in fact, nah brother man, here...have two."
