Abigail Breslin's long, slow road to Zombieland 2

It’s been a good decade for the stars of the original Zombieland, which came out ten years ago.

Jesse Eisenberg has appeared as Lex Luthor and Mark Zuckerberg, for which he received an Oscar nomination, and has starred in two film series (Rio and Now You See Me).

Emma Stone has appeared as Gwen Stacey and Billie Jean King, winning an Oscar for her role in La La Land.

Woody Harrelson has appeared in one Star Wars movie, one Planet of the Apes movie, one Venom movie, four Hunger Games movies and the acclaimed first season of True Detective, with an Oscar nomination for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Abigail Breslin has …

Well, three out of four ain’t bad.

Poor Abigail Breslin, caught in the post child actor purgatory that has at least not caused her to succumb to drug addiction or public brawling. Oh she’s been working during that time, and some of the films have been pretty prominent, such as Rango, August: Osage County and Ender’s Game. But next to the outsized accomplishments of her co-stars, she’s lived the last ten years in comparative anonymity.

It’s kind of like when there are four stars of a movie announced in the trailers, and it reels them off as follows: “Oscar winner Meryl Streep, Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis, Oscar winner Charlize Theron, and … Keanu Reeves.” (Don’t know what movie that would be, but I’d like to see it.)

Breslin, alas, is Keanu Reeves.

Bad example as Keanu Reeves is having a terrific career. Okay … “and … Kellen Lutz.”

Breslin, alas, is Kellen Lutz.

Ages 13 to 23, which is what Breslin has been this decade, can be tricky for any performer. Some performers – I hate this example, but let’s say Miley Cyrus – can sail right through that period. They keep getting work and they keep getting bigger.

But for many if not most child actors, you have to make a bit of a rough adjustment, and see how you come out the other side when you’re finally deemed to be an adult. The things that made you so castable as a child may desert you during those intervening years. Your cute baby fat may become less cute teenage fat. Your nose might start growing crooked. That adorable baby voice may turn into an awkward squawk like the “that’s not our policy” kid on The Simpsons.

The fact that Breslin has kept working during those years is a sign that she’s doing better than most. But unfortunately, we still think of her as “the little girl from Little Miss Sunshine,” not for any new performance she’s given since Zombieland.

Zombieland: Double Tap comes out this week, and marks her most high profile appearance since Zombieland. Hopefully this will kick off a more enriching next decade for this engaging performer.