Thursday, November 12, 2009

Birthday Suits: Ryan and Anne. Get 'Em While They're Hot

Nov. 12th: Celebrating the birthdays of the filmic and famous

1840 Auguste Rodin, sculptor... still waiting on a biopic though Gerard Depardieu did play him in Camille Claudel (1988). In his honor today, get naked and strike a memorable pose.
1922 Kim Hunter, "STELLAAA!"
1929 Grace Kelly, princess
1942 Wallace Shawn, "inconceivable!"
1945 Neil Young, musician
1947 Patrice Leconte, director (Ridicule, The Widow of St. Pierre, Monsieur Hire, etcetera)
1958 Megan Mullally, Karen no more
1963 Susumu Terajima, Japanese actor
1973 Radha Mitchell, actress. Melinda²
1978 Alexandra Maria Lara, international schauspielerin

Finally, let's hear it for one-time Oscar nominees Ryan Gosling, turning 29 today, and Anne Hathaway, turning 27. Will it be tricky for them to find worthy follow ups to Half Nelson and Rachel Getting Married? Being in demand, which they both unquestionably are, is different than finding challenging three-dimensional parts. Hathaway has 10 projects somewhere on that long and volatile road to the screen the most exciting of which, from an acting standpoint, is probably Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland. But that's a long way off still and for all we know might never happen (development hell is always a danger). The next ones we actually know we'll see are the romantic comedy (Valentine's Day), the true life drama (Love And Other Drugs with Jake Gyllenhaal) and the blockbuster fantasy (Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland). She's covering all her genre bases. Gosling plays harder to get with new projects. Two more coming soon: the unsolved murder drama All Good Things with Kirsten Dunst and yet another contemporary drama that's allergic to linear chronology, Blue Valentine (with Michelle Williams).

Both of these Young Hollywood superstars can sing but only one of them is threatening to take time off for music. Note to Gosling: Better to find a great musical than be one of those actors.
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9 comments:

Andrew K. said...

Megan Mullally was delightful guest starring in the last Parks & Recreations. It's so weird hearing her without the delightful cackle I've come to associate with Karen.

NATHANIEL R said...

I know. Is it just me or did PARKS & RECREATION take like a giant leap in funny since season 1?

MrW said...

Only two suggestions this time: Jack Oakie (*1903), Benzino Napaloni in 'The Great Dictator' and Jacques Tourneur (*1904), director of 'I Walked With a Zombie' and 'Cat People'.

Andrew K. said...

No. They really have improved on the funny. Which makes me glad because Amy Poehler trumps Tina Fey any day. It is so wrong though that Megan Mullally could be my mother.

Anonymous said...

What about the buzz Anne Hathaway will star in the movie adaptation of the broadway musical WICKED? is it already vanished? or was it just a joke?

mirko

NATHANIEL R said...

mirko i think that's but rumor. it's not one of her many official somewhere in production titles

Janice said...

I don't know that anyone could top Depardieu in playing Rodin (in Camile Claudel.) He actually did look quite a bit like the subject with that beard, AND he actually made me understand why he had two women at one time - the "ugly sexy" animal magnetism. So much expressed with so little dialogue.

DJ said...

Eh, I find Hathaway incredibly overrated. She was good in Rachel Getting Married (not one of the top 5), but I found DeWitt much more natural. And she's only been average at best in everything else. I don't get her appeal right now, and I don't think she's necessarily earned it.

And Valentine's Day? Really? Sure she's mixing up the genres, but what a horrible choice, especially after doing Bride Wars.

sp said...

DJ , Anne Hathaway is not overrated. After seeing her in the production of Shakepeare's In The Parks' "Twelfth Night", the SKY IS THE LIMIT for that gal. Hathaway was incredible & it was her Shakespearen acting debut.

Anne is one of the few A-list movie stars that can do period pieces, drama, comedy , & can act on stage. That is brilliance- not overrated.