Scene-Stealer: Winona Ryder Is on the Comeback Trail

This Friday, following a four-year absence, disappearing act Winona Ryder returns to movie screens everywhere in Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly. Her last high-profile gig was 2002’s Mr. Deeds…which as you may remember came out on the heels of her even higher-profile December 2001 arrest on shoplifting charges.

Water under the bridge, as they say – Ryder is, indeed, on the comeback trail. As a longtime fan – Edward Scissorhands! Reality Bites! Little Women! – I couldn’t be happier to finally get to see her back on the screen where she so rightfully belongs.

Set in a future world where America has lost the war on drugs, A Scanner Darkly follows the story of an undercover cop, Fred (Keanu Reeves), one of many agents hooked on the popular drug Substance D, which causes its users to develop split personalities. Fred, for instance, is also Bob Arctor, a notorious drug dealer. Along with his superior officers, Fred sets up an elaborate scheme to catch Bob and tear down his operation.

The erstwhile Girl, Interrupted plays Donna in the Philip K. Dick novel-based movie, which is also a must because Linklater gave it a necessarily surreal look by using rotoscope animation, much like he did in 2001’s Waking Life.

Ryder is also currently filming Sex and Death 101, which reunites her with Heathers writer Daniel Waters, and has The Darwin Awards in the can and Alpha Numeric in the pipeline.

Photo: Warner Independent Pictures.