Star is a supporting character in The Lost Boys. She is Michael Emerson's love interest and a member of David's gang, though she is only half-vampire, having resisted her thirst for human blood. She helps Michael, Sam Emerson and the Frog Brothers to battle the gang, seeing it as a way out of her and Laddie's nightmarish existence. After the head vampire Max is killed, Star becomes fully human again and apparently enters a relationship with Michael.
Background[]
Not much is known about Star; one can speculate she was a runaway that eventually met, and fell in with the Lost Boys. In the novelization of the film, Star says that David found her sleeping on the beach, which would imply she was indeed a runaway. She comments later in the novelization that her father wished she'd never been born and her mother had almost killed her, but doesn't specify how or in what circumstances, although as a consequence "there had been nothing to do but run".[1] Her internal monologue states that she "had been with the Lost Boys a couple of weeks, ever since she had run away to Santa Carla."[2] At some point, Star drank the vampire blood, turning her into a half-vampire (it is possible she was tricked into it like Michael was). Star was apparently horrified by this discovery and refused to become a full vampire, resisting the temptation to drink human blood, though as time passed, it became increasingly difficult for her to do so.
A common belief is that David recruited Laddie when she wanted out, as a ploy to keep her in the gang. Fans also speculate that she was David's former girlfriend before Michael, despite David showing little interest in her throughout the film, sleeping away from Star and ignoring her presence. The only scene in which they interact is when David exercises power over her choices, emphasizing possessiveness more than sensual or romantic subtext.
The Lost Boys[]
Star is the mysterious girl that catches Michael's eye on the boardwalk. (It is arguable that Star was "bait" to lure Michael.) Over the course of the film, it becomes clear that Star is trapped in the dark world of the Lost Boys, and longs for escape along with Laddie, her younger friend. She offers solace to Michael in his confusion about being a half-vampire, and they wind up being intimate. They fall in love throughout the course of the film. During the final confrontation with the vampires at the Emersons' house, the Frog Brothers attempt to stake Star and Laddie, forcing them to hide. When Laddie loses control of himself temporarily, Star rushes out of hiding to defend him from the brothers and Sam, stating he is "just a little boy". Later, Star attempts to attack the head vampire Max with a lamp, only for him to knock her to the floor. After Max is killed, Star's humanity is restored. She and Michael happily embrace; she also hugs a cured Laddie when he runs to her. It is assumed that Star and Michael end up in a relationship.
Lost Boys: Reign of Frogs[]
In the comic, Edgar Frog states that Star and Michael were killed in a car accident, but this was apparently a fabrication on Edgar's part, as he was threatened by a vampire at this point. Although speculation led fans to believe that Michael and Star were the parents of the siblings Chris and Nicole Emerson (who also lost their parents, leading into the events of the second movie); however, the official website of Lost Boys: The Tribe confirmed Chris and Nicole as cousins of Sam and Michael Emerson.
Lost Boys: The Thirst[]
Edgar Frog attempts to recruit a reluctant Alan Frog - now half vampire - in helping him in his mission to hunt the alpha vampire. When Alan suggests asking for Sam's help, Edgar mentions that Sam had turned vampire and "he did what he had to do", stating that he was ex-communicated by the entire Emerson family for killing Sam when Michael and Star's names are brought up, and after what he did for Chris and Nicole two years earlier.
Personality Traits[]
Beautiful, mysterious and somewhat melancholy; Star is the girl who captivates Michael on the boardwalk on the fateful night he first sees the Lost Boys. Star is quiet and awkward, lingering in the background with a tense knowingness. She is gentle and reserved; demonstrating a maternal side with Laddie, which confirms her lingering humanity. Passive, caged and trapped in her own personal hell by the Lost Boys; she seeks salvation with Michael. Though she shows steel when protecting Laddie or facing up to Max, she is powerless in her scenes with the Lost Boys, despite her attempts to discourage Michael from drinking from the bottle. In the same scene, everyone is provided food except her. We never see Marko offer her any, or see her refuse; we just see that all the boys are handed Chinese but not her, and she doesn't speak out about it or make any effort to claim some food. This may suggest that her strength has been beaten down by fear. An example of this is when Star is about to "go for a ride" with Michael: David stops her with merely her name, a warning clear in his voice. (The implication being 'go with Michael and I'll kill him'.) By her own human heart, Star is completely in the Boys' control.
Relationships[]
David: Star's relationship with David is left ambiguous for the most part. It is shown in the film as implicitly platonic, but bullying and possessive. David offers Star no authority over her own choices and merely delivers tolerance and indifference as the sources of his main attitude towards her. (It could be argued that David may keep her in the gang largely as bait to draw in potential new members.) Any romantic connection is brought into question by the fact that David shows no feeling over Star's growing love for Michael: he allows them to be together if it only means Michael is initiated into their gang. Off-screen he evidently tells Star to make Michael her first kill after their first meeting, but judging by his changed attitude towards Michael during the film, he forsakes this plan of action (with of course, Max's plan as well.)
Laddie: Star has taken the role of his protector and relates to him as a big sister or mother figure. She shows her greatest determination and strength when defending him; she insists that Michael take Laddie out of the cave before her, and she steps between him and the Frog Brothers even though Laddie has vamped out and appears at his most dangerous. Paradoxically though, this also may be seen as highlighting her limited gender role, as she is more willing to stand up for a child than for herself (a traditional female role).
Michael: Star's attraction to Michael stems from a mixture of impulsive affection and a need to reconnect with her own humanity. During her talk with him on the Boardwalk, one might assume she has removed herself from the Boys in order to spend some time with him (or, on a less generous level, play bait -- willingly or unwillingly.) However, she does look sincerely anguished by the Boys' arrival. Her feelings and concern for Michael are strong enough for Star to step out of her aloof, fearful persona to warn him about the blood (even to scold the boys at their teasing of Michael). Upon his initiation, their relationship takes a new turn. Bound together in a horrid half state, Michael can relate to Star in a way which excludes Sam, Lucy, or other close members of his family or friends. This deepens their bond almost instantly, leading to Michael seeking solace from Star. She initiates physical intimacy, which not just acts as a confirmation of their attraction, but a desire for comfort and a temporary replacement for their budding blood lust.
Later, after the campfire scene, Star meets Michael at his home in a plea for help. She claims to "care" for him, but is angrily rebuffed by a disturbed, hurt Michael, who laughs mockingly at her request, causing her to leave. The behavior here is different from earlier encounters; one can speculate Michael felt that Star was merely using him as a way out of her hell, and lying about her feelings in order to accomplish that. However, he seems to drop this assumption, calling for her after she leaves.
The next day, Michael goes to retrieve Star and Laddie from the cave, showing his love for her hasn't changed. After David's death alongside the shock of them realizing their vampirism hasn't been cured, it is Star Michael pulls to him to shield himself from the others. She comforts him in this moment. Later, after Max's demise and the restoration of their humanity, Star and Michael embrace, their nightmare finally over. It is confirmed in the third film that they are still alive, and most possibly, still together.
Trivia[]
- Director Joel Schumacher stated that he initially envisioned Star as a "waifish blond" like Meg Ryan before Jami Gertz was cast in the role. He was convinced to consider Gertz by Jason Patric, who had worked with her on Solarbabies.
- Michael speculates that Star's parents were "ex-hippies" like his own, given her unusual name. Star neither confirms nor denies this. It is possible Star is not her real name - if she had run away from home as fans speculate, she may have changed her name, though this is never confirmed in the film.
- Star is similar to the character Wendy Darling from Peter Pan, which The Lost Boys drew inspiration from, in that she is the only female member of the main group in the story, and takes on a maternal role towards one of the younger members - in Peter Pan, the title character wants Wendy to come to Neverland to be a "mother" to the Lost Boys. Star is also similar to Wendy in that they both have somewhat unusual names; the name "Wendy" was invented by the author of Peter Pan, and so would've been unusual at the time.
- Star could also be based on the "second star to the right" that leads the children to Neverland as she is Michael's bait and could have been used as bait before leading victims or potential vampires to the Lost Boys.
Cast[]
Star is portrayed by Jami Gertz.