Future of Movie Stars: Who Will Shine? Who Will Fade Away?

[ribboninthesky1]

Not surprised at all about Chris O'Dowd's acting talent. He is adorable and hilarious.

 

I saw this clip from a Conan interview, and I lost it with his deadpan humor.  I will not disclose how many times I watched said clip, just to hear "my masculinity would overpower the scene" and "the dilation of the pupils."

Edited June 14, 2014 by ribboninthesky1

[DollEyes]

 

Gambit is my favourite comic book character but the thought of Channing Tatum playing him depresses me. Every movie I've seen him in, he's been about as engaging as a block of concrete. No clue how he will ever manage to be a convincing Gambit. Sadly, it would encapsulate the plight of Gambit fans if, after years and years of clamouring, first for him to appear in the movies at all and then for him to get a decent role in a movie, it's played by this lunk.

 

  I've gotta disagree. I think Channing Tatum is a great choice to play Gambit because he's not only from the South, he can actually act, as he proved in Stop-Loss and A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints, the latter of which he not only gave a great performance, he did it with a Brooklyn accent. White House Down and G.I Joe: The Rise Of Cobra shows that he can do action roles, 21 Jump Street and This Is the End shows he can be funny and Magic Mike  shows he can definitely bring the sexy. He even voiced Superman in The Lego Movie, so he can play a superhero. Script and direction are the keys. If the writing and the direction are there, then chances are the acting will be too.

 

It would have been a bad idea if [Taylor Kitsch] tried to take over another big budget role after [The Normal Heart], although I doubt the studios would let him even if he wanted to.

 

 It was a bad idea him ever taking on those big budget roles (although I still think John Carter was unfairly maligned, and set up to fail by Disney) anyway.

 

Partially disagreeing. IMO, Taylor Kitsch was not only horribly miscast as Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, after seeing John Carter out of curiosity to see if it and he were really that bad, the answer to both questions was yes-and that goes double for Battleship. It took both Lone Survivor and The Normal Heart to redeem Kitsch in my eyes.

[VCRTracking]

 

I saw this clip from a Conan interview, and I lost it with his deadpan humor.  I will not disclose how many times I watched said clip, just to hear "my masculinity would overpower the scene" and "the dilation of the pupils."

 

Love that interview. There are rumors about Chris O'Dowd being in the Avengers sequel which I hope are true.

Edited June 14, 2014 by VCRTracking

[aradia22]

 

I think going into theater is a very smart decision. It may not be the exposure she wants, but she is getting good reviews in a well known production.

I only read the NY Times review which wasn't so hot.

[Rick Kitchen]

With the raves for Emily Blunt coming for Edge of Tomorrow, I went looking to see what her next project is, surprisingly she plays the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods.  Can she sing?

 

Following that, she has Sicario.  The plot summary says "An officer from Tucson, Arizona travels across the border to Mexico with a pair of mercenaries to track down a drug lord."  I wonder if she plays the officer mentioned.  The other stars are Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro.  Sounds like another action film.

[aradia22]

 

With the raves for Emily Blunt coming for Edge of Tomorrow, I went looking to see what her next project is, surprisingly she plays the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods.  Can she sing?

Slightly off topic, I am so worried for that Into the Woods movie. I want it to be good but nothing about the casting makes me think that it will be good. I was fine with Chicago casting singers that were just alright as the singing has never been the strongest part of Chicago. And even though I rolled my eyes at Les Miz, I have no real affection for it so I didn't care too much what they did with it. But this is Sondheim. This is Into the Woods. And you cast Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, etc. Like seriously, WTF? Yeah, I know someone them can "sort of" sing but this is Sondheim. I am not interested in hearing people who can "sort of" sing do Sondheim. Meryl Streep couldn't even do ABBA so I'm not sure what we're expecting her to do with The Witch. Maybe they'll lower the keys. 

 

Back on topic, I think this movie will be a good test of movie stardom. On the one hand we have Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp who are meant to pull people into theatres and give this movie some acting cred. But they've also had their share of flops and aren't always box office draws. And if they look ridiculous in this movie, do they have enough cachet to pull them through unscathed? With Emily Blunt and Chris Pine I think it's more of a testing ground. They've had some big mainstream roles, him more than her, but I don't think they've hit that level of movie stardom and guaranteed box office success yet. She can't sell a movie (and has some misses as a second banana) and he just had a miss with Jack Ryan in spite of his Star Trek success. I think Anna Kendrick is in a more unique position because she's basically our new Anne Hathaway. Will she be America's musical-making sweetheart or will we collectively go, you know she doesn't sing that well and she's starting to irritate me. I know she was on stage when she was younger. So was Nick Jonas and anyone who watched the Les Miz 25th anniversary concert can tell you how much that proves. I find her voice pleasant but unremarkable and if they stay true to the Sondheim score as written, I think the part of Cinderella is going to give us a chance to see if she has the chops. Kim Crosby, Laura Benanti... not to mention the countless women who've played the part in non-Broadway productions. I don't know. I don't really see how her Pitch Perfect role was enough to land her Cinderella in Into the Woods and The Next 5 Years over "real" Broadway performers. I hope she gave killer auditions and they didn't just offer her the parts.

[scarynikki12]

Anna Kendrick was nominated for a Tony for the musical High Society, so she does have actual musical credentials beyond Pitch Perfect. With the others it just depends on the finished product. They all might end up sounding great and be the right choices.

[methodwriter85]

   I've been in love with Anna Kendrick ever since I saw this scene from Camp about 9 or 10 years ago:

 

[DollEyes]

I hope [Jennifer] Lawrence and [shailene] Woodley both stick around for a long time. I can see them both outlasting the ingénue stage, which I can't with either Kristin Stewart ( I think she's destined to go the way of Winona Ryder) or Emma Watson. I can see Emma Watson deciding very easily to move on to something else once she's no longer the Cover Girl ingénue, which is probably why she has an English degree, instead of fighting hard to stay in the game.

 

 As for Emma Watson, I think she has more of a Winona opportunity [than Kristin Stewart] to pick projects but after The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and The Bling Ring I don't think she's proven that she has a big enough fanbase to allow her to make any project. I haven't seen either movie yet (they're on my list!) but I'm not really sold on her acting ability.

 

  I've yet to see Emma Watson wow me in a role. She's very pretty, but compared to her former Harry Potter costars she's by fat the weakest link, IMO. Even when she was spoofing herself in This is the End she sucked. I wouldn't be surprised if she left the industry eventually or just decided to work behind the scenes.

 

  I disagree, on several counts. For one thing, just because an actor takes time off to go to college that doesn't mean that their career is over. Plenty of actors have graduated from college during their careers, such as Jodie Foster and Brooke Shields, among others. James Franco is still in college (IIRC) and his career is still going strong. Re Emma Watson, I think she's made some great choices post-Harry Potter whether it's going to college, doing independent films or playing herself in This Is the End. She's even starting to become a style icon, As one of the first, if not the first, of the current crop of starlets to sport a pixie cut. Although Emma Watson doesn't need to work again because of the Harry Potter films, her choosing to finish her education and to do independent films to challenge herself creatively convinces me that she's got a great future ahead of her, onscreen and off.

[aradia22]

 

Plenty of actors have graduated from college during their careers, such as Jodie Foster and Brooke Shields, among others.

I think it's wonderful that she made time to go to school but those ladies didn't really have the best post-college careers. I don't see any agent suggesting that Emma Watson should model her career after one of theirs. Sorry to any Suddenly Susan, Lipstick Jungle, or Addams Family fans out there.

[Oreo2234]

I think Jodie did pretty good for a while. She won two Oscars after she left Yale. 

Edited June 15, 2014 by Oreo2234

[scarynikki12]

Same goes for Natalie Portman and Claire Danes.

[methodwriter85]

   I always got the feeling that after getting two Oscars before the age of 30, then appearing in a disaster like Nell and later in the 90's Anna and the King, Jodie Foster pretty much decided just to do things when she wanted to do them and stop really chasing the fame game.

[aradia22]

 

I think Jodie did pretty good for a while. She won two Oscars after she left Yale.

Sorry guys, I forgot The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs were post Yale. I blame it on not being born.

 

Same goes for Natalie Portman and Claire Danes.

I wouldn't say either of them really had model careers. I love Natalie Portman but she struggled on the way to nabbing that Oscar. Let's not forget The Other Boleyn Girl (which I liked in spite of ScarJo being terrible), The Other Woman, No Strings Attached, and Your Highness. And then despite meh reviews for Thor the whole Avengers thing took off and now she's set. There is another chain of events where without the big projects, she begins to fade into obscurity. That's not a career plan. I do hope she continues to find good projects because I like her as a personality and an actress.

 

I hate Claire Danes (semi-irrationally) so I had to do a quick wikipedia search. Apparently she was only in college for two years. 

[methodwriter85]

I haven't heard the best things about Claire Danes so I don't try and probe too deep into her life so I can still enjoy her acting. I did read about people who went with her to college saying that she was way over her head in the school. (To put it nicely.)

 

I can't think any of the hyped 90's teen starlets that went off to become real forces to be reckoned with, except for Kate Winslet, but she never had the "Teen Queen" label even though she had Titanic. When I was 14, I thought it was dumb that she followed up Titanic with something like Hideous Kinky, but in retrospect, Kate was pretty smart to lie low for a couple of years after having such a big, smash phenon like Titanic.

Edited June 16, 2014 by methodwriter85

[Amello]

In a recent THR roundtable, Claire Danes admitted she dropped out of going to college after two years.

[DollEyes]

 

I think it's wonderful that [Emma Watson] made time to go to school but those ladies really didn't have the best post-college careers. I don't see any agent suggesting that Emma Watson should model her career after one of theirs. Sorry to any Suddenly Susan, Lipstick Jungle, and Addams Family fans out there.

 

My point is that at least they (especially Jodie Foster) still had careers to come back to. Emma Watson doesn't need to model her career after anyone else if she doesn't want to because IMO she can do what she wants on her own terms.

[Dejana]

Emma Watson worked on five or six movies from the time she began her university studies until her graduation earlier this year. Maybe she could have done more stage work if she hadn't bothered with higher education, but it doesn't always work out for every actor, and it's not like she completely dropped off the Hollywood/celebrity radar in the interim. If she doesn't make it past the ingenue phase of her career, I doubt going to Oxford or Brown will have had much to do with it.

[Danny Franks]

So I guess I find it pretty terrible that going to college and having a successful acting career has been an issue for women. It lends itself to my view that whoever makes decisions in Hollywood tends to be threatened by women who are intelligent and unabashed about it. As exemplified by the vitriol aimed at Anne Hathaway because she made no bones about letting people know she was smart, capable and ambitious. Whereas the current Hollywood darling is someone who is, or pretends to be, a moron, and falls over at every major event she attends. 

 

Great lesson to be teaching the world there, Hollywood.

 

I've never seen Emma Watson in a movie, but now I have a keen desire to see her become a megastar, just to disprove this idea. And I've always liked Natalie Portman, and thought she had charm to burn in anything she's appeared in. The fact that she's not the leading lady of Hollywood right now is ludicrous to me. Either she's terrible at picking roles, or she's not being offered the ones she should.

[aradia22]

 

As exemplified by the vitriol aimed at Anne Hathaway because she made no bones about letting people know she was smart, capable and ambitious.

For me, it was more... oh, you're not at all grateful to all of us who have supported you through your not so amazing movies.

Edited June 17, 2014 by aradia22

[Danny Franks]

For me, it was more... oh, you're not at all grateful to all of us who have supported you through your not so amazing movies.

 

That's a valid reason, if it's the way you feel. But I've seen so many unsubtle allusions, even in mainstream press, to stigmatising intelligence when she's labelled 'stuck up' or 'arrogant' or when she's talked of as taking her profession too seriously and being precious about acting. I read an article that described her as "too actorly" and as a "needy, annoying theatre kid" who "antagonises people with her ferocious ambition". It's fucking gross, because I don't think you would ever hear of a male star being talked of like that. 

 

Perhaps if she fell over once or twice, and talked about sex toys or farting, she'd be more accepted. She'd be 'real' and 'authentic' and 'fun'. Blech.

[aradia22]

 

That's a valid reason, if it's the way you feel. But I've seen so many unsubtle allusions, even in mainstream press, to stigmatising intelligence when she's labelled 'stuck up' or 'arrogant' or when she's talked of as taking her profession too seriously and being precious about acting. I read an article that described her as "too actorly" and as a "needy, annoying theatre kid" who "antagonises people with her ferocious ambition". It's fucking gross, because I don't think you would ever hear of a male star being talked of like that.

Oh, no. I'm someone who loves Inside the Actors Studio, did choir and theatre growing up, and loves musicals. Also, I'm a proud feminist and grateful that I've had an education. None of those things would have bothered me.

[AimingforYoko]

I read an article that described her as "too actorly" and as a "needy, annoying theatre kid" who "antagonises people with her ferocious ambition". It's fucking gross, because I don't think you would ever hear of a male star being talked of like that.

Two words: James Franco.

[methodwriter85]

   It really is depressing to watch James Franco. He looks tired and worn out all the time, and it's depressing to see an actor capable of Oscar-caliber work do everything possible to squander the goodwill people have/had for him.

 

   I'm preferring Dave Franco these days. I don't think he'll get nominated for an Oscar or anything, but I do think he'll have a pretty fun and varied career as the little scene-stealer supporting character.

[Dejana]

I recall the internet being tired of Jamie Foxx by the time he actually won the Oscar for Ray, primarily due to his annoying acceptance speeches at earlier award shows.

 

I don't remember Joaquin Phoenix's documentary/hoax phase going over really well. I think if an actress had done that, it would ruin her as a mainstream star, but Phoenix seems to stick to the more prestige/arthouse side of filmmaking where you don't necessarily need the nice guy/All-American image in order to work.

 

Val Kilmer and Edward Norton became notorious for being "difficult" on set.  Shia LeBoeuf had it beyond made as a movie star but completely ruined the goodwill of Steven Spielberg. Alex Pettyfer got called out very publicly for rubbing people the wrong way and pricing himself out of roles. I haven't heard anything about him being a diva lately, so maybe he's learned or kept his bad attitude under wraps.

 

Going to throw my wild prediction out there that Matthew Lewis aka Neville Longbottom will be the next James Bond, or at least in the running. He has the look and is on the jobbing actor path like several previous Bonds before they got the role. None of the other Bonds have child actor/star baggage, but since he wasn't The Hero or even The Hero's Best Friend, but a supporting player, and he grew up to look like Clive Owen, it probably wouldn't be an insurmountable issue. Even if it's someone else, when there's speculation about the next Bond, I see a lot of names thrown out there, of actors old enough to be Bond now, when they probably aren't going to get around to replacing Craig and making new JB movies with the next person until 2020 or so.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Dejana

[Danny Franks]

I recall the internet being tired of Jamie Foxx by the time he actually won the Oscar for Ray, primarily due to his annoying acceptance speeches at earlier award shows.

 

I don't remember Joaquin Phoenix's documentary/hoax phase going over really well. I think if an actress had done that, it would ruin her as a mainstream star, but Phoenix seems to stick to the more prestige/arthouse side of filmmaking where you don't necessarily need the nice guy/All-American image in order to work.

 

Val Kilmer and Edward Norton became notorious for being "difficult" on set.  Shia LeBoeuf had it beyond made as a movie star but completely ruined the goodwill of Steven Spielberg. Alex Pettyfer got called out very publicly for rubbing people the wrong way and pricing himself out of roles. I haven't heard anything about him being a diva lately, so maybe he's learned or kept his bad attitude under wraps.

 

It's one thing for the public to become tired of a movie star, and think certain people are assholes. Just look at Ben Affleck's career trajectory, alongside those you mention. I think that's par for the course, for most actors who stick around for any length of time (and for some, it is the end of them as significant players. I've never even heard of Alex Pettyfer). But with Anne Hathaway, it seems to me that it's been geared around the stigma of her being intelligent and openly ambitious. There hasn't been much in the way of bad movie choices, there haven't been any vanity side projects like Franco's photography or whatever, she hasn't had public meltdowns or been to rehab. So as far as I can tell, the hate is fueled either by jealousy or insecurity. Or both.

 

She should do an ironic cover version of My Perfect Cousin, by The Undertones, just to stick two fingers up at everyone.

 

Anyway, one actor who seems to be rising crazily fast at the moment is Aaron Paul. He's charming and engaging enough, but Need For Speed was not good and that Xbox advert is really irritating. It'll be interesting to see what the next eighteen months hold for him, with a couple of big movies and a couple of smaller ones on the slate. The guy has star quality, I think.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Danny Franks

[Ohwell]

I think Aaron Paul has star quality, too.  Too bad that Need for Speed movie didn't do so well, but I expect to see him in something much better soon.

 

One guy who I thought by now would have gone much further in his career by now is Ben Foster.  He's got the crazy eyes that I like.  I first saw him in Alpha Dogs and I will always remember him for taking a dump on the carpet in the middle of the living room floor.  Of course, he was a good actor in the part, too. :)  Also, I remember him as a really cold-blooded, bad guy in Cold Mountain.  Anyway, he's been in a lot more movies but I guess I expected him in more breakout type stuff.

[Princess Sparkle]

But with Anne Hathaway, it seems to me that it's been geared around the stigma of her being intelligent and openly ambitious. There hasn't been much in the way of bad movie choices, there haven't been any vanity side projects like Franco's photography or whatever, she hasn't had public meltdowns or been to rehab. So as far as I can tell, the hate is fueled either by jealousy or insecurity. Or both.

I will preface this by saying: I love Anne Hathaway. I think she's poised, intelligent and an unabashed feminist, which I appreciate and admire at a time when so many women in Hollywood are terrified to even hint that they're feminists. But, I cringed throughout her entire Oscar campaign. This smart, well-spoken ambitious woman who I admired for speaking her mind and acting like an adult, all of a sudden turned into a twee, baby-voiced child acting shocked she won an award. I hate when anyone fakes shock at winning awards, and I cringed when she squeaked "It came true" at winning her Oscar because that's not who she is. I think she somehow got it in her head (or someone on her payroll told her) that she had to act like that during awards season, it came off as inauthentic, and annoyance set in. I think she was smart to take herself out of the spotlight for awhile to let the heat stay off her, but I'm disappointed that she felt she had to. It will benefit her in the long run though and I can't wait to see her in Intersteller.

I do think it does a disservice to people, especially women, to suggest that those who dislike her must be jealous or insecure - not every woman who is annoyed by another is catty and jealous. It is possible just not to like someone.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Princess Sparkle

[vb68]

 

Also, I remember him as a really cold-blooded, bad guy in Cold Mountain.

 

 

Same with 3:10 to Yuma.  He was so intense it gave the character a kind of freaky vibe.

 

Someone mentioned Chris Pine doing Into The Woods.   I wonder what that will do for him.  It's a gamble, but I think he does need to look for out of the box choices.   The Jack Ryan film flopped, and unfortunately for him, he was one of the main selling points. Maybe not always, but I think he does come across as quite cold most of the time for someone who is getting a major build up as a star.

Edited June 18, 2014 by vb68

[aradia22]

 

Someone mentioned Chris Pine doing Into The Woods.   I wonder what that will do for him.  It's a gamble, but I think he does need to look for out of the box choices.   The Jack Ryan film flopped, and unfortunately for him, he was one of the main selling points. Maybe not always, but I think he does come across as quite cold most of the time for someone who is getting a major build up as a star.

I think that was me. It's funny that we're now talking about Anne Hathaway as I always think of him as "that guy from the Princess Diaries II." It could be worse, I suppose. I could think of him as "that guy from Just My Luck" but even with my penchant for terrible movies, I never saw that one.

[methodwriter85]

I kind of always thought that Ben Foster didn't really break out because he's kind of reminscent of Ryan Gosling in that they can both do crazy intense roles, but Ryan Gosling can also do the hearthrob thing while Ben Foster's not really good-looking enough to pull that off.

[Princess Sparkle]

I don't know why exactly Tobey Maguire's career took a downturn after Spider-Man 3 (even though the reviews were bad, the movie did do extremely well at the box office), but he's someone who I wish had a higher profile now. He has great comedic timing, and I actually think he has some pretty great movies to his credit. I had high hopes for The Great Gatsby to give him a boost, because even in high school, I thought he was a perfect Nick Carraway, but no. I did enjoy Spoils of Babylon though.

[Amethyst]

Also, I remember him as a really cold-blooded, bad guy in Cold Mountain.

Ben Foster wasn't in Cold Mountain.  Are you thinking of Charlie Hunnam?  :)

 

Foster is a great actor, though.  I've liked him since Liberty Heights.  He works a lot, but most of his films are indies and quick to VoD type stuff.  I personally think he has the talent and the looks to work in mainstream, but the market is so oversaturated now.  When Hollywood has their favorites, they push everyone else aside.  

 

Someone else who I always thought deserved better success is Giovanni Ribisi.  Seeing him in Seth McFarlane's crap show Dads was just depressing.  Ribisi was amazing in Boiler Room, which was vastly underrated.  I know he was in Avatar, but he was a mustache twirling villain in that overrated mess.

 

I just realized that McFarlane casts the same people in his shows/movies: Seth Green, Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Giovanni Ribisi, etc. Kind of like Adam Sandler.

[vb68]

 

I personally think he has the talent and the looks to work in mainstream,

 

I remember a couple of times back when he was playing Claire's boyfriend on Six Feet Under where I honestly thought he was ugly as sin.  I know that was a character choice, but he cleans up better than I would have thought from that. 

 

 

Someone else who I always thought deserved better success is Giovanni Ribisi.

 

I know I really shouldn't, but I still think of him as Phoebe Buffay's idiot brother.

Edited June 21, 2014 by vb68

[Ohwell]

Ben Foster wasn't in Cold Mountain. Are you thinking of Charlie Hunnam? :)

Yes, you're right.  It must have been 3:10 to Yuma.  I knew it was a western.

[VCRTracking]

 

Someone else who I always thought deserved better success is Giovanni Ribisi.

 

I know I really shouldn't, but I still think of him as Phoebe Buffay's idiot brother.

 

 

I remember first seeing waaaay back on The New Leave It To Beaver on TBS as the kid dating Wally's daughter!

[Danny Franks]

I always think of Giovanni Ribisi as the decent but doomed Wade in Saving Private Ryan. But I've liked everything I've seen him in. He should still have a solid career as a supporting actor, or "character actor" in Hollywood parlance.

 

I do think it does a disservice to people, especially women, to suggest that those who dislike her must be jealous or insecure - not every woman who is annoyed by another is catty and jealous. It is possible just not to like someone.

 

 

Many of those women who voice their dislike of her (and I had a bit of a look into this, as I was making my previous posts) openly admit that they're jealous. A lot of the complaints are along the lines of 'she's that girl in high school who was smarter/prettier/more talented than me'. So if they're going to wave that banner around, it's hardly unfair to read what's on it.

 

Sure, there are always countless reasons to dislike someone (I loathe Drew Barrymore, and honestly can't even tell you the reason why), and not everyone will have the same rationale. But from what I've seen, a lot do.

 

I think it would probably benefit her (as I previously said it would benefit DiCaprio) to do a daft comedy, and remind people that she knows how to be fun. Something silly and unassuming, that isn't anywhere near the Golden Globes or Oscars. Hell, they could do a comedy together. Now that would be some pairing.

[JustaPerson]

I hope Robert Pattinson can get over that big Twilight shaped blockage in his career, cause I need more of him being snarky and weird in interviews, especially about Twilight.

Edited June 22, 2014 by JustaPerson

[manbearpig]

I'm not a Twilight fan. I've only seen the first one, and even though I agree with a bunch of the things that Pattison brought up in those clips, I feel like if, say, Kristen Stewart complained about the series that made her famous and gave her financial security she would have a lot of difficulty landing roles, even though, unlike Pattison, she had a pretty healthy career before Twilight. I don't think Stewart is enamoured with Twilight or anything and I'm sure she's happier doing indies, but I think if she was even a fraction as hostile as Pattison she'd be getting criticised. (More than she already is, anyway).

[Chas411]

 

I think it would probably benefit her (as I previously said it would benefit DiCaprio) to do a daft comedy, and remind people that she knows how to be fun. Something silly and unassuming, that isn't anywhere near the Golden Globes or Oscars.

 

I could easily see her doing a comedy again soon. Hathaway is smart and I think she'll work out a next move that suits her career. I also don't think she takes herself that seriously. She has good comedic talent and knows it will benefit her so I definetly see her going down that road again. To be honest the only thing that really go to me about Hathaway was the year she hosted the Oscars and what an annoying show off she was. Yes I know Franco was a nightmare also and she at least attempted to save them but jesus, between the singing and showboating I just thought her attempts at impressing all the major directors in the audience so obvious and embarrassing.

 

One actress who definetly needs to take the above advice and stop taking herself so seriously is Reese Witherspoon. She needs to stop taking every Oscar baity role she can get her hands on and do another Legally Blonde-esque or even This Means War style comedy. I can't recall why I ever liked her in the first place.

[aradia22]

 

One actress who definetly needs to take the above advice and stop taking herself so seriously is Reese Witherspoon. She needs to stop taking every Oscar baity role she can get her hands on and do another Legally Blonde-esque or even This Means War style comedy. I can't recall why I ever liked her in the first place.

This could probably go on the Unpopular Opinions board as well but I didn't think Walk the Line was a great movie and I didn't think she gave a really remarkable performance. Legally Blonde is still the role where she shines the most for me (I haven't seen Election). She is fully committed to the silliness. It's not a lazy performance and she brings "movie star" to the role. I can't through more than a few minutes of her other rom-coms because it feels like she doesn't even care. I'm not sure if the problem is taking herself seriously so much as fully committing and putting in the effort. I think that's what Amy Adams usually tries to do which makes me like her even when I don't love the movies she's in.

[ruby24]

I think Reese Witherspoon's appeal came from her sunny, perky, sweet, ingenue type personality, which fit really well in Legally Blonde and was used to great effect in Election and even a movie like Cruel Intentions. I never thought her performance in Walk the Line was Oscar-worthy either (for one thing it was kind of a supporting role), and I still think she won because she was the most popular of the nominees that year.

 

I also wonder if that kind of appeal can be maintained as a person gets older.

[Danny Franks]

I think she won (at least partly) because she was playing a popular famous figure who had recently died. Always good for an Oscar, that. But I did like her in Walk the Line.

[methodwriter85]

    I think Reese just might be that case of someone who can't really "transition" out of the ingenue roles, but is now too old to play those kind of roles, ala Wynona Ryder.

 

    It's interesting that she choose to option and produce Gone Girl but didn't take the part. I haven't read the book but the lead role is supposed to be a great part.

[aradia22]

 

I think Reese just might be that case of someone who can't really "transition" out of the ingenue roles, but is now too old to play those kind of roles, ala Wynona Ryder.

I wonder if there's any way for them to go genre. Thinking of Wynona obviously makes me think of Johnny Depp. Hollywood movies like to preserve the pretty when it comes to the female talent but there are still some genre parts every so often that require the kind of transformation that might help them break free of their ingenue looks. For example... Elizabeth Banks as Effie in The Hunger Games franchise. And Helena Bonham Carter tends to grab a lot of those roles. But maybe they're not willing to go character actress and insist on playing lead roles. That's probably more true for Reese than Wynona as she did take the small role in Black Swan.

[methodwriter85]

I think Wynona's pretty much accepting her leading lady days are done and over probably for good, but I very much think Reese Witherspoon isn't ready to go that route yet.

 

Finding out that Nicola Pelltz's father is apparently a billionaire businessman makes her inexplicable "career" makes so much sense now. Although on the other hand, her shot at becoming a franchise Michael Bay girl means less time for Bradley on Bates Hotel, so yay! She was cleary the weak link in such a strong cast.

 

The other teen star I can't really stand right now is Bella Thorne. I don't know what it is, but something about her makes my skin crawl.

 

The Jully issue of Vanity Fair did an article on up and comers, and of course they listed this generation's Spelling kids, aka Jaden and Willow Smith. I don't mind Willow that much- I think Willow very wisely stepped aside and didn't do Annie, and she seems to be more about trying to be a mini-Rihanna type instead of gunning for movie star status like her brother is. I do think Will made a hugggggeeeee mistake with putting Jaden in so many lead roles- the Karate Kid worked out, but that sci-fi movie might have squandered any goodwill Jaden might have gotten out of that. The movie wasn't a terrible flop, but I get the vibe that Jaden isn't exactly loved, and the increased visibility he's getting isn't really doing much to show why we should like him and root for him.

 

Meanwhile, Jack Quaid seems like he's slowly building himself up. Marvel was a pretty small part in The Hunger Games. I can't judge yet whether or not I think he's good, but I feel like that's how it SHOULD be done.

 

We'll see how things go with Dakota Johnson and this whole 50 Shades of Grey thing. The thing is, I've actually liked all the little parts that I've seen her do, like The Social Network and 21 Jump Street. I think she could actually do pretty well...although this movie could be a big enough of a flop to fully tank her.

Edited June 24, 2014 by methodwriter85

[vb68]

 

I think Wynona's pretty much accepting her leading lady days are done and over probably for good, but I very much think Reese Witherspoon isn't ready to go that route yet.

 

Reese will occasionally take a smaller role, though.  Look at Mud.  Her character was talked about in the movie more than she was actually shown.  I was surprised she took the part because I really didn't think there was much for her to do.

[Princess Sparkle]

I think Wynona's pretty much accepting her leading lady days are done and over probably for good, but I very much think Reese Witherspoon isn't ready to go that route yet.

 

 

I love Winona Ryder so much and I think she's a very talented actress, but I really hate that her career basically got torpedoed after her shoplifting arrest, while actors got a lot more second changes than she did.  She looks like she's finally getting back on her feet, which makes me happy, but man, I've never seen a fall from grace quite like that.

[Athena]

I love Winona Ryder so much and I think she's a very talented actress, but I really hate that her career basically got torpedoed after her shoplifting arrest, while actors got a lot more second changes than she did.  She looks like she's finally getting back on her feet, which makes me happy, but man, I've never seen a fall from grace quite like that.

 

Yeah. I read a blind item revealed about her that says she spends a lot her time doing charity work and philanthropy now. She isn't making much money, but maybe she's not really into acting as much either. She was a child star and had rough patches on her road to fame. I can see how she's more or less burned out. I do think it is unfair what happened after the shoplifting scandal.

[Dejana]

I never of the shoplifting incident being the thing that ruined Winona Ryder's career. In looking at her IMDb page, it seems her peak years were the late 1980s to mid-1990s and if someone is a doe-eyed ingenue, outgrowing that stage in life is a major career challenge. She was already well on the downslope long before 2001. It reminds me a bit of Meg Ryan and how the Russell Crowe affair gets blamed for completely ruining her career, when being a cutesy rom-com sweetheart approaching forty and the awful plastic surgery she went on to have, were factors, too. She tried some serious dramas well before the scandal, but the nominations didn't follow. There were other actresses close in age who were more popular, got more critical acclaim, hadn't jacked up their faces, or some combination of all three.