Take Three: Laurence Fishburne

Craig here with Take Three

Today: Laurence Fishburne

Take One: Security vans and alien lands

It’s a cheeky sidestep this week. More of a Take Six – although still in three bite-size chunks. For starters, there’s two roles in a couple of nifty, no-fuss genre hits that he contributed supporting turns to recently: Armored (2009) and Predators (2010), both directed by Nimród Antal. In the former he was one of six average Joes – disgruntled security guards feeling the blue collar recessionary bite – hedging their bets on a massive, self-devised and of course ill-thought-out stolen loot payout. Fishburne was Baines, the brawny, aggressive one to whom nobody gave any truck. Along with Matt Dillon, Jean Reno and Fred Ward he lent Armored a hefty dose of gruff gravitas. He got to exercise his infectiously throaty laugh, shoot people willy-nilly and royally show up many of the other supporting actors (Skeet Ulrich I'm looking at you) without too much in the way of visible strain.

Fishburne: Armored van man

Commanding, seasoned actors such as Fishburne may be seen by some to be slumming it in genre quickies like this, but he gives it as good as he always does. It’s decent work – teamwork not dream work – and Fishburne does plenty of heavy lifting, raising it head and shoulders above likeminded flicks. Likewise with Predators. Here he’s Noland, a bedraggled and paranoid ex-assault soldier hiding in the belly of an abandoned alien ship. So he’s literally slumming it here. He scavenges for food. He mumbles something indecipherably questionable over his shoulder to an imaginary friend (or perhaps his agent just off-camera) to the general bafflement of lead Adrien Brody, head of Predators' all-new grunt bunch. Then he leads the not-so-merry lot through twisty tunnels into a sneaky trap. Noland’s outlook was never good, but Fishburne by turns allows him a cool entrance (deceptively dressed as he is as a rogue predator) and a gleeful hint of disturbed menace – both things that another, less talented, actor may well have skimped on. Fishburne elevates these two recent genre treats nicely.

Fishburne (left) and imaginary friend (right) looking fed up in Predators

Take Two: The Matrix Reassessed (just not very thoroughly)

I don’t think I’ve ever written a word about any of the three The Matrix films ('Riginal, Reloaded, Revolutions -1999-2003) before. Any cursory dip into their vastly all-encompassing waters, muddied with plenty of techno/psycho-babble, simply confuses me and I run for the hills. The worlds-within-worlds, meaning-within-meaning slant to the films whooshes over my head fast as a bullet; my comprehension of them slower than bullet time. I saw all three purely for the nifty fight scenes and the spaceships with tentacles. Its “legacy” or its “symbology” I can leave, thanks muchly. That’s why my favourite bits usually featured Fishburne kicking Keanu Reeves in the face. Or vice versa. Or even when he fired two guns simultaneously whilst standing on top of a speeding special effect.

Fishburne as Morpheus kickin' ass in The Matrix: Revolutions.
Or is it Reloaded?

He was Morpheus, and although he wasn’t entirely free of spouting mystical, daft, brain-twisting nothings during some parts of the films ("Welcome to the desert of the real" – "The pill you took is part of a trace program. It's designed to disrupt your input/output carrier signal."), he also made for a no-nonsense alt-world figurehead for much of his screentime – spouting impractical, daft, meaningless nothings ("Switch! Apoc!"), which I could relate to far more readily. He’s indeed the most watchable and entertaining presence in the three films (closely followed by Hugo Weaving’s Mr. Smith).

Fishburne as Morpheus kickin' ass in The Matrix (original).
Or is it him taunting Keanu off set?

Seeing him strut his stuff, dressed in obligatory Matrix cast member uniform of black leather and impossibly cool shades, was worth the combined three films' ticket prices alone. His career may forever be entwined with that of the Matrix phenomenon, but when you have an actor effortlessly delivering thespian goods – and more importantly, making us believe that the words Mjolnir and Nebuchadnezzar actually mean something – in a film series with more convoluted loose ends than a particularly tricky mathematical equation, you know it's a job done well. Who cares what colour pill to take – as long as it’s Fishburne shaped.

Take Three: An unlIKEable role

Fishburne’s best lead role was in What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993), for which he bagged his only Oscar nod. As Ike Turner, the whacked out, drugged-up singer who puts Angela Bassett’s Tina through the spousal abuse ringer, Fishburne essayed one vividly memorable role. Fishburne's deeply unlikeable Ike was played with such stern conviction, that he was more than just the flipside of fun in Brian Gibson’s acclaimed biopic. The (famous) man who beat and tormented Tina Turner was surely a complicated role to play (Fishburne allegedly turned down the role five times; only saying yes after Bassett signed on), but he ensured his Ike was a resolutely watchable character.

Fishburne can do mean and moody with ease. His impressive physicality and screen allure (and, here, confident vocal inflections – Fishburne also sang Ike’s songs in the film) surely assisted in his playing someone so monstrously pre-rendered. But he also managed to make human the troubled, abusive aspects of Ike’s character; there are times when you truly feel for him, despite the violence, which is solely down to Fishburne’s sincere, unshowy and very giving performance.

One of the defining images from Tina: What's Love Got to Do with It

Fishburne and Bassett were a fantastic acting duo; their torturous scenes with hysterically hollered dialogue and intricately performed physical choreography still contain as much hard-to-watch power as they did seventeen years ago. Watching Fishburne flesh out the subtle differences between the fun, earlier days and the tumultuous events later – from living the chart-riding high life to that quietly creepy kiss he plants on Bassett’s cheek during a sombre performance – is compulsive viewing. What’s Oscar got to do with it? Fishburne’s performance itself is proof enough of his onscreen greatness.

Three more key films for the taking: Apocalypse Now (1979), Deep Cover (1992), Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

Streep @60: Music of the Heart

Angela Bassett would like to welcome you back to Streep at 60: Live From Carnegie Hall. Today's topic: Wes Craven's Music of the Heart (1999).

"I want to thank each of you for your generous support and I sincerely hope that you enjoy the blog post."

If you need someone to introduce something, you choose Angela Bassett. It's the only way to go. She will always e•nun•ci•ate for you. I lead off with Angela's intro to the concert which concludes Music of the Heart because this is the sort of film that is entirely about its heartwarming climax. In fact, when it comes to movie narratives, the Inspirational True Story is the subgenre that most begs a swift telling. Inspirational Stories are about inevitable triumphs. The audience knows it's coming so too much dilly-dallying is deadly.

Music of the Heart tells the story of Roberta Guaspari (Meryl Streep) who started a violin program in East Harlem. The program was forever endangered due to a lack of funding for arts education (same as it ever was), but it changed the lives of Roberta, her family, and thousands of students while it lasted.

<-- Streep with her screen son (Michael Angaro way back when!)

When we first meet Roberta she's angry and red eyed, tearing up photos and screaming out the window at movers. Her husband has recently left her and she's moving back in with her mother (Cloris Leachman). With the help of her pushy mom and an old school friend who always had the hots for her (Aidan Quinn) she crawls towards a new life. She wins a teaching job from an East Harlem principal (Angela Bassett) who's impressed by her talent and chutzpah. We spend the rest of the movie watching Roberta find her footing as a single mom, teacher, and Inspirational True Person.

Like The River Wild (previously discussed), the simplistic story is complicated by Streep's detailed characterization. We know when Roberta is worried, turned on, sad, relieved, amused or angry... and she's often angry though Streep is careful to delineate the varieties thereof. Streep's violin skills won attention during the film's release -- is there anything she can't do or pick up quickly should a role require it? -- but that's a technical aspect of the performance that's a necessity rather than an interesting character interpretation. The most intriguing element of her performance is undoubtedly the push and pull between her meek wifely persona and the iron willed single woman she's forcing herself to become. You can feel this especially in the arc of her relationship with Aidan Quinn. Though he's helping her move forward into her new persona, she often seems to be retreating in his presence, replaying her marriage as it were.

Though it's not often discussed when praising her work, Streep's always been particularly skilled at conveying external romantic arcs and the erotic internal (which will hopefully serve her well in Great Hope Springs). I don't mean this in a garish "I'm sexy!" way but in a grounded flesh and blood way. She can hit all the notes that any good actor can about sexual attraction but she also drops enough conflicting suggestions into her performances to keep you guessing about how much Character A likes being with, romantically loves and desires to have sex with Character B and how consistently or deeply she feels or has ever felt those things and whether those types of love are satisfyingly portioned out. If you stop to think about romances, isn't that far more truthful than merely portraying attraction or the lack of it.

"Whoa. Slow down here a minute.
That's a little too much like getting married."

But it's strange to talk about how much she does or doesn't want to have sex with Aidan Quinn in Music of the Heart, because A) who wouldn't? and B) she's playing this romance while entirely buried in Wal-Mart's Old Maid line. Question for all: Is Roberta Streep's frumpiest character? You'd barely know she had breasts or hips underneath all those layers and heavy ankle length dresses. Roberta barely remembers that she has them either, given that her two sons are forced to play matchmaker in the second act.

About that second act. Music of the Heart is more enjoyable than its reputation suggests but it does lose considerable steam when it jumps forward ten years. There's a fun moment shortly before the movie's phantom intermission when Roberta conspiratorially teaches her students to make the audience wait for the final notes of a song. The promised moment of silence and release in the mini-concert is quite a satisfying finish. (There's even a slo-mo fadeout like the movie is ending!) Until, you realize, that was only the curtain on Act 1. You've now seen Roberta triumph over her past meek self, lazy students, disbelieving faculty, and her commitment-phobic boyfriend. Now, you'll watch her triumph all over again but on a larger scale.

Roberta's artful baiting , that "wait for it..." theatrical finish, only lasts a few beats. Craven's "wait for it" finish involves a whole second movie. Roberta teach her students discipline. Wes Craven, taking a rare step outside the horror genre for this true story, merely tests his audience's patience.

Music of the Heart is moving, yes. I teared up, I did. But what Inspirational True Story involving kids and learning isn't? Streep makes a valiant effort with Roberta, though, and her sensitive performance is the best and arguably only reason to see this inelegantly structured, awkwardly told story.

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As you may know, Music of the Heart netted Streep her 12th nomination. Some context now.

That honor tied Katharine Hepburn's nomination record and kept Jack Nicholson permanently at bay (the next time he was nominated, she was too). It took Hepburn 49 years to win 12 nominations. Streep did it in only 21. Hepburn is still the champ for Oscar wins with 4 competitive statues to her name. Streep's insane nomination record is working against her when it comes to actual wins. When you're nominated in more than 50% of the Oscar races in your working lifetime -- she has been -- what incentive do they have to give you yet more recognition in the form of a win?

for 1999 the nominees were

• Annette Bening, American Beauty
• Janet McTeer, Tumbleweeds
• Julianne Moore, The End of the Affair
  
• Meryl Streep, Music of the Heart
• Hilary Swank, Boys Don't Cry *Nathaniel's vote*
  

Whatever one thinks of the merits of Streep's nominated performance, deserving or not, it was her most obvious "default" gong. My guess is it's the only competitive field in which she ran 5th in the final voting tallies.

Other 1999 women for context
It was not a competitive Best Actress year. Though there was critical love for Reese Witherspoon (Election) anti-comedy bias and poor box office worked against her worthy hilarious performance as Tracey Flick. Cecilia Roth (All About My Mother) had a passionate but very small fanbase. Beyond that, it didn't seem like anyone was really competing: Michelle Pfeiffer (Deep End of the Ocean, The Story of Us) had a double dose of loud pre-release hype that didn't translate to actual buzz once the films underwhelmed, other Oscar-types like Jodie Foster (Anna and the King), Sigourney Weaver (A Map of the World) Susan Sarandon (Anywhere But Here), Kate Winslet (Holy Smoke!) and Kristin Scott Thomas (Random Hearts) failed to generate enthusiasm for one reason or five others. Meanwhile, Julia Roberts (Notting Hill, The Runaway Bride) ruled the box office and Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) made a frantic dash through the nation's arthouses.

Nathaniel's medals would divvy up like so...

• Gold (Winslet. I still think Holy Smoke! is her best work)
  
• Silver (Swank)
  
• Bronze (Bening or Witherspoon?)
  
  For the fifth nominee I'd go with either Moore, Potente or Roth. (I haven't seen McTeer's much lauded Tumbleweeds performance.)
  

Do you have strong feelings, warm or otherwise, towards Music of the Heart? Who would make your 1999 Best Actress list?
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In Space No One Can Hear You Link

Godxillary Alien vs. Pooh. Ohhh, that's just so wrong.
People celebrates Why We Love Julia Roberts. They have 20 reasons but forget to mention numero uno "she boosts our sales / pageviews when we display her thusly"
First Showing Michael Bay sounds intelligent (gasp) when he expresses concerns about 3D. But, frankly, I don't understand why he's having the meetings at all about 3D conversion. Transformers 3 hasn't started filming yet, so why not do it for real rather than worry about that post-production shortcut that Clash of The Titans went with?


"Stroobs" a collage of Meryl Streep cleavage (via jazzt). haha. The internet is a delightful place
Monkey See terrific piece on film criticism and the eternal confusion about what it's supposed to be
Screen Rant Angela Bassett joins the Green Lantern cast in potentially lucrative role for her. I'm all about Bassett getting more work, however that can happen. So, tentative "yay!" even though I still think Green Lantern woulda worked better as a television series with a complex sci-fi allegory bent (a la Battlestar Galactica)

Fun video from Film in Focus: Karina Longworth of LA Weekly on the Coen Bros classic, The Big Lebowski



The Dude abides.

I Missed Nicole! And Other Festival Stumbles

Nashville Film Festival ~ Day 2
Began the day with the Inuit drama Before Tomorrow and fantastical optimism. Basically I was expecting another Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. Atanarjuat, one should know, is nearly impossible to repeat. Followed that with a tiny indie called Mothers & Daughters (so tiny it doesn't have an IMDB page) which... I hesitate to talk about. It was so in love with its actresses that I imagine it would be the type of movie I would make (warts and all) if someone handed me production equipment and several eager actresses eager to chew on scenery. Not that anyone should hand me those.

<--- You'd probably be more interested to hear that it was preceded by a short called Water Pills which starred none other than Winona Ryder. She played a shaky sweating desperate hot mess of a former actress / addict. Um... ouch. She attacked the role so aggressively that I kept thinking she was going for a deglam Oscar. Apparently nobody had the heart to tell her that it was only a short film and you can't win gold for those.

That said, Noni fared better in front of the camera than other big 90s stars did behind it... but more on Demi Moore and Courtney Cox later.

Nashville Film Festival ~ Day 3
Finished jury discussions/ selections today (must keep private until the reveal closing night) so for the rest of the fest I'm off the hook for official duties. Now it's just about seeing movies and trying to spot celebrities. Today there was a lot of excitement on the red carpet but I didn't recognize most of the people causing the rubbernecking. You'd be safe to assume that that's because I know zilch about country music and this is Nashville. The only country stars I'd recognize are those who've married A list actresses (i.e. Chesney & Urban), tried their hand at acting (Reba, Mr & Mrs. McGraw-Hill) or played themselves in movies I'm obsessed with (I do not ♥ Shania Twain but I sure do ♥ Huckabees)

Giancarlo Esposito and Dominique Swain working the crowds

Nick and I did speak briefly with Giancarlo Esposito in the VIP tent after the screening of his directorial debut Gospel Hill. I told him I was thrilled to see Angela Bassett again -- we don't see her enough -- and he said that he was glad to have finally met her through this movie (they didn't know each other before? Or maybe he said he was finally able to work with her through this movie. It was noisy in there). The movie is loaded with celebrities as first films from known actors tend to be. The Bassett but also: Taylor Kitsch, Danny Glover, Nia Long, Samuel L Jackson, Adam Baldwin. Julia Stiles also appeared working her absolutely favorite miniscule niche: down white girl in interracial dramas. It's more niche than Jodie Foster in tight spaces.

A few minutes after meeting Giancarlo I learned that ♥Nicole Kidman♥ was in the building! If you must know, she and Keith were attending the premiere of the documentary Prodigal Sons in the next theater while I was watching Gospel Hill (so close and yet so far!). They chased it with Antonio Campos' Afterschool (which I saw at NYFF last year). I waited in vain for her to come out of the latter but she was too sneaky. Secret exit! I should have known. Basically I have zero in the way of stalking skills. I love my favorites but I'm mostly content to do so virtually and from afar.
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Red Carpet Lineup (Awards Show Edition)

It's that time of year. You're probably back at the gym trying to lose the holiday weight gain but the movie stars just get their cardio on red carpets for the next six weeks. So herewith, some gowns from the BFCA show and the People's Choice --and yes it's the last time I'll be mentioning "People's Choice". [sigh] People... they're always making the wrong ones!

images by way of @ JAMD

Anne Hathaway, who is a smart smart girl, was the princess of the ball in white -- she even referenced her Princess Diaries days in her speech. Don't think she doesn't know how much Oscar loves the princesses. Queen Latifah is always fun and Kate Hudson is always (no comment) but I include them to show that the color palette of the People's Choice Awards is very loud as if these mythical united People continually need to see bright colors to stay interested. Ooh, look...Shiny! Meanwhile, the critics and media types at the BFCA are treated to a solemn area of creams, whites, greys and blacks. Coincidence? I think not. Consider Dakota Fanning's color coding...


But back to the line-up.

Diane Lane is hot. I normally think it's silly how people imagine that actors can't handle seeing their husbands and wives kiss other people onscreen. It's such a "well, duh" part of their job who could be offended / jealous over it? It's like marrying a vampire and complaining about the bloodlust. But with Diane Lane and Josh Brolin, I always find myself wondering. When your spouse is married to someone else in the public consciousness (Diane has been romantically entangled with Richard Gere three times onscreen and she presents him with awards and they're always kissy kissy) might that be a little weird?

<-- Bassett in 1995, during her short but great movie peak.

Another weird thing: Angela Bassett's career. I know she's 50 and only actresses named Meryl Streep are allowed regular leading movie roles past that age. But should she really have to settle for running on ER's exhaust fumes? It makes me so crazy. Finally... Angelina Jolie is a goddess. And knows it. Hey, wait a second, why is Anne Hathaway here twice? Answer: She was smart enough to wear a two sided dress. Therefore you must see her from several angles to fully appreciate. Several angles means more air time and more magazine photos. Savvy girl, that one.

SAG Nominations

@ 9:00 AM EST Angela Bassett announced the nominees for the SAG awards with her unparalleled powers of e•nun'c•ia'tion. I listen to her punctuated "t"s on the telly. Loving her all the while. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there.

Best Ensemble: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire

Does Doubt really need all four of its actors nominated and an Ensemble nomination? What's that for -- the background nuns and the children? Can you say overkill? And Slumdog Millionaire... I can't even go there. Even if I loved the movie I would and could recognize that the acting was nothing special. Certainly not as compared with the casts of Revolutionary Road, Synecdoche New York, Happy-Go-Lucky, Rachel Getting Married, The Wrestler, The Visitor or even unrewarded not Oscar bound movies like Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Stop-Loss or Blindness. I mean... this is a ridiculous nomination. But SAG has never been known for "taste" exactly. Their enthusiasms always take over. They gave Philip Seymour Hoffman a nomination for his worst most mannered performance ever (Flawless) over acting as exquisite as Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story and Jim Broadbent in Topsy Turvy... and that's just off the top of my head. All of this means that Slumdog is easily going to win the Oscar for Best Picture if actors love it this much, without any reservations or qualifiers at all.

• Lead Actor -Jenkins (yay), Langella (biopic), Penn (yay), Pitt (yum) and Rourke (yay)
• Lead Actress -Hathaway (yay), Jolie (yawn), Leo (wow), Streep & Winslet (of course x 2)
• Supporting Actor -Brolin (yay), Downey Jr (hee), Hoffman (wrong category), Ledger (yay), Patel (huh?)
• Supporting Actress -Adams (er, I guess), Cruz (yay), Davis (yay), Henson (yay), Winslet (wrong category)

More elaborate / less monosyllabic thoughts on all categories right here.

Return and share your feelings. It's all about sharing. And feeling.

What's Punctuality Got To Do With It?

My only excuse for not mentioning this sooner is that I was offline in Salt Lake City when it happened. A hearty overdue congratulations to the one & only Angela Bassett, who got her star on the Walk of Fame one week ago.


That's a deserving five pointer! She's still best known for her fierce Oscar nominated work as Tina Turner in the fine bio What's Love Got to Do With It (1993) and lighting the screen (and a car) on fire in Waiting To Exhale (1995)

I'll always have a soft spot for her ass kicking bodyguard Mace in the underrated sci-fi thriller Strange Days (1995). My favorite non-Juliette Lewis' related part of that movie is when Angela gets all confrontational with Ralph Fiennes who can't quite let the past go. She pins him to the wall and in that inimitable enunciating Bassett fashion gives him this tough love truth

Memories are meant to fade.
They're designed that way for a reason

Memories may fade but movie stars are forever. Congratulations Angela.

more at twiigs.com...

Vanity Fair's Hollywood ~Episode 1 (1995)

At the risk of becoming a shill for Condé Nast I want to talk about those Vanity Fair Hollywood covers. They emerge in winter/spring each year and they're usually the talk of the town(s). Let's take a trip backwards and see how this photographic/promotional shrine to stars both lasting and un has morphed over the years, to witness its prophetic moments and its stupid ones, all before the next cover lands. Sound like fun?

The first one hit in '95 calling its lingerie'd ladies "the class of 2000" ~ Starstruck I was.


Left to right: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, Patricia Arquette, Linda Fiorentino, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julianne Moore, Angela Bassett and Sandra Bullock. The idea embedded in the title was that these were fresh careers and they were only going up, up, up. How famous were they at the time and, come 2000, how were they doing?

...............I'm playing Hollywood Historian.

Jennifer Jason Leigh --the crouching focus puller, was already quite famous. Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Single White Female and Shortcuts were behind her (amongst many others) but the next few years weren't exactly rosy. The year this cover hit she was 33 and it was arguably the last of her always shaky A-list status: Georgia failed to deliver her the Oscar nomination many expected and the Stephen King adaptation Dolores Claiborne failed to turn into another Misery at the box office. By 2000 people weren't paying much attention and she was doing voice work and small parts in indies. She's back though this year with Margot at the Wedding. Is that elusive first Oscar nomination finally in sight?

Uma Thurman had been enjoying the spoils of fame since she was 18 when she had pulled off her nightgown in Dangerous Liaisons and stood naked like Venus on a shell in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. When this cover image was released she was 25 and full of fame adrenaline from that needle plunge in Pulp Fiction which had just brought her her one and only Oscar nomination. She was also between husbands, Gary Oldman recently divorced and Ethan Hawke yet to come. By 2000 her career was also floundering (but to be fair her career has been a yo-yo of hits and misses since the beginning) but it wouldn't be long before Kill Bill resparked the fires of Umaphilia everywhere.

Nicole Kidman was 28 and most famous for being "Mrs. Tom Cruise" though she had already made Dead Calm and Flirting (pluses in the 'take me seriously as an actress' column) and a few dumber Hollywood pictures. To Die For, the career changer, was just months away. Vanity Fair wasn't too far off with their Class of 2000 idea. Kidman entered the pantheon of true movie stars by 2001 with the triple explosion of Moulin Rouge!, The Others and the shaking off of the Mrs. Cruise mantle.

Patricia Arquette was 27 in 1995 and had won her first significant group of fans through her violent prostitute role in True Romance (1993) and this same year became Mrs. Nicolas Cage. Her stardom didn't really grow much past the level she had already achieved here but as the lead in TV's Medium she's doing fairly well for herself now.

Linda Fiorentino just turning 37 was the oldest covergirl but she had just made a big splash in The Last Seduction. Her smoky sexually charged performance brought her Oscar talk but there was no happy ending to the story. Due to a television airing somewhen somewhere the film was disqualified. Even at the time as a young amateur Oscarologist I didn't think it would happen. I figured 'just ask Kathleen Turner' --she had made an even more successful erotic splash to become a critical darling the previous decade in Body Heat only to be ignored by AMPAS. Fiorentino later appeared in the smash Men in Black but never became a true "star" and hasn't appeared in a film since 2002.

Gwyneth Paltrow was 22 when this cover debuted and somehow got to wear clothes when the rest of the girls were in bedroom gear. Unfair! Aside from her familial connections (daughter of Hollywood players) and strong reviews for her memorable supporting work in Flesh and Bone (1993) she was not well known. 1995 would change all that. She had just begun dating Brad Pitt (they met filming Se7en which would debut in September that year) and in so doing was on her way to becoming a household name and starring in Melissa Etheridge videos. That's what Brad's girls do. Three years later, Brad Pitt-less, she would win the Oscar for Shakespeare in Love (1998), the first of only two women here to do so.

.........But for me in the mid 90s it was all about the last fold.

Sarah Jessica Parker at 30 had been famous for as long as Jennifer Jason Leigh. Four years prior to this cover she had improbably reinvented herself as a sexy sassy supporting movie player in L.A. Story (1991) saving her blah television career from its slow death. Well reviewed turns in Honeymoon in Vegas (1993) Ed Wood (1994) and Miami Rhapsody (1995) kept her star rising but it was the decision to return to television with Sex & The City (debuting in 1998) that made her a superstar. By 2000 she was big.

Julianne Moore at 34 was about to break. She had won a daytime Emmy in 1988 but her rise through the movie ranks was slow: as a star she's been a tortoise rather than a hare. [safe] 's release was a few months away but even that film, crucial to the Moore mystique, took years to build its critical reputation and fandom. When 2000 rolled around, just as the title of this magazine predicted, she was a major leading actress and already a two time Oscar nominee for Boogie Nights (1997) and The End of the Affair (1999).

Angela Bassett on her way to 37 had a huge breakthrough with What's Love Got To Do With It (1993) and her star was shining brightly. After this cover she had two more lead performances in hits both major Waiting to Exhale (1996) and minor How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) --bigger hits than some of the others managed-- but her star still faded. It's maddening (see previous post for more on the plight of black actresses)

Sandra Bullock was fresh off the smash success of Speed (1994), about to turn 31 and prove her own Keanu free bankability in While You Were Sleeping (1995) and would continue to prove it for years thereafter remaining one of the mainstreams favored stars. She hasn't had a big hit since 2002 though and methinks she's transitioning to supporting roles in her mid to late 40s.

now

median age: 30
collective Oscar nominations before this cover: 2
collective Oscar nominations after: 7 --and most of those are Julianne's. 2 wins: not Julianne's. grrrr
fame levels in 2007 according to famousr, from most to least: Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Uma Thurman, Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Linda Fiorentino

Did you like this trip back in time. Want more?
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subsequent episodes: 1995 ,1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001
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Top Ten: Black Actresses

tuesday top ten. for the listlover in you and the listmaker in me
yes, I'm aware it's thursday

A reader sent me this interesting snippet of Essence's December feature on Hollywood's black actresses and their unique career issues. It's a minefield of a topic and for more reasons than just race. There's also the combustible issues of gender inequality in acting careers (no matter your skin color) and then there's the fun sticks of dynamite I like to call 'Generic Celebrity Entitlement.' (hereafter referred to as GenCelEnt)

To explain. Features on the troubled careers of actors always walk a tightrope between generating valuable discussion of the issues at hand and snarky dismissal along the lines of 'Let me get this straight: You're complaining.' Chances are there are tens of thousands of young actors (of various colors, persuasions and genders) who would trade places with the employed covergirls here: Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan and Gabrielle Union. These three may not have their dream careers but they make their living from acting which automatically puts them in the top 10 percentile of their profession, doesn't it?

Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this and it is a topic worth hashing out. I also checked out this trailer to a documentary about black actresses called Angels Can't Help But Laugh which I'm already willing to love in the hopes that it will be as richly hilarious and rewatchable as its white girl counterpart Searching For Debra Winger (a must see of the highest order, particularly for actressexuals and folks who enjoy the double edged sword delights of GenCelEnt... 'you're complaining and also: good point')

The topic of black actresses always makes me long for the lean muscle and forcefully clipped dramatic annunciations of one Angela Bassett, who I fell madly in fandom with in the early 90s only to realize that her ascendance was also her finale. How does that happen? The beginning is not the end --that's not how things are supposed to work! She falls into the exact same age and talent bracket as Annette Bening and Holly Hunter and she is nowhere to be seen damn-you-Hollywood! So the following list is dedicated to her. It is not dedicated to Halle Berry who has somehow become the most successful black actress ever despite not being half as interesting as the ones who came before her or many of those struggling to unseat her from her throne. Anyway...

10 Black Actresses I Wish Had Bigger Careers

10 Anika Noni Rose
From her good sportsman participation in the dreadful From Justin to Kelly (my torturous recap) to her outstanding TONY winning 'children are our future' hope in Caroline or Change on Broadway to her chipper girlgroup backup in Dreamgirls, she brings infectious joy to her material.
Soon: The voice of a Disney heroine in Princess and the Frog

<--- 09 Regina King
It perturbs me that I get unwelcome unfunny flashes of Miss Congenality 2 lately when I think of her (I watched it on a plane or something in a fit of buddy comedy masochism? What was I thinking?) but she can't be blamed. When she gets saleable material --like that potent "hit the road Jack" scene in Ray or basically everything about her good natured matchmaker in Year of the Dog, she knows just what to do with it.

08 Naomie Harris
See previous post for Naomie props

---> 07 Hazelle Goodman
I enjoyed her very brief roles in Hannibal (freaky) and Deconstructing Harry (cookie) and I'm always rooting for strong stage personalities to make it in the cinema.

06 April Grace
I know she's made a living with television gigs, hell, in preparing this list I realized that TV has plentiful opportunities for black actresses even if the great roles are still missing. April is even playing "TV Personality" in the upcoming I Am Legend. (oops, typecasting) but after her sensational head-to-head with Tom Cruise in Magnolia (also as a television personality) --not everyone can survive let alone resonate in scenes with megawatt performers-- how is it that no other filmmakers have thought to capitalize on her steel? Are they blind?

05 Tonya Pinkins
You've just seen her as a near divorcee in Enchanted (the one with the sparkly eyes, Enchanted discussion here) but really. That's beneath her. I'll just say this. Her star turn in Caroline or Change on Broadway is among the best performances I've ever seen. In any medium. If some A list director ever handed her a movie version of same, an Oscar nomination would follow. But considering how shabbily Hollywood treats musical talent, I'm sure they'd replace her with someone who can't sing who is already a "name". What a world.

04 Audra McDonald
Another Broadway diva. She's a four time TONY winner. That's right. At the relatively young age of 37 she's in second place for most TONY awards ever. She's like the Kate Winslet of stage (only Kate hasn't won any Oscars yet), racking up nominations consistently while still young. Audra is raising her profile (and presumably bank account) as a regular on Private Practice but it's hard for me not to feel like it's a waste. How will she have time for Broadway? I mean, have you heard her sing? She's not just any actor with musical ability --her vocal and theatrical talents have landed her comparisons to legends like Barbra Streisand. Someone cast her in a musical right now.

03 Gabrielle Union
Sometimes I am in wary awe of her like T-t-t-t-t-orrance was in Bring It On but I should probably see more of her movies. My bad.

02 Viola Davis
How do you have a year like Viola Davis had in 2002 where she gifted audiences with a rich trinity of supporting performances in Antwone Fisher, Far From heaven and Solaris (I gave her a gold medal for this triple triumph) and NOT be swimming in Hollywood offers therafter?

---> 01 Kerry Washington
She rules. That is all. If you read this site regularly you already know of my love (and proprietary claims --I saw her first! I even gave her a prize in 2001)
*

Let's Start at the Very Beginning

For those of you wondering why I'm counting down the days (4) to a movie which I don't really expect to like all that much (X-Men: The Last Stand), it's like this: These mutants are a permanent part of my psyche. It all started at Christmas time in 1979 when there, next to my stocking filled with candy, fruit and other long forgotten knick-knacks, was issue #129 of "The Uncanny X-Men" (pictured to your left). I had read one previous issue purchased at a neighborhood Seven-Eleven (issue #125 I believe) and presumably somebody in my family noticed how thunderstruck I was reading it. And reading it. And reading it some more.

There's a thrill that runs through my body while watching these movies that has nothing to do with the quality, whether they its tentative and serviceable (the first) or confident and exciting (the second) or --well the third movie can wait for its adjective. Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Cyclops... they are as much a part of my biography as Madonna or Michelle Pfeiffer or any 80s cultural figure that I grew up with and became emotionally attached to. Seeing them come to life? Sweet.

But because of this I'll never be completely satisifed. The movie in my head will always be sharper, grander, more definitive and it will be undeterred by budgetary limitations or Hollywood's superhero formulas. And the casting?

Though they obviously done the world proud with Hugh Jackman (Ahhhh, Jackman) the ideal X-Men movie would cast each character as carefully. There would be no examples of "oops they played this character in a cameo so..." or "they have the physicality for it so who cares about the talent" and of course, no "bankability" concerns. For example: Storm. Halle Berry always was and always will be completely wrong for the part. I'm not saying this to offend anyone but I can only think it was a case of comicbook ignorance combined with racial myopia that got her the role.

"Storm is black. Who is a famous and bankable black actress? Halle Berry! The part is yours, Ms. Berry, come on down."

It's as if box office and skin color were enough. Berry's movie star persona (consciously sexy, emotionally fragile, etc...) as compelling as it can be in the right role, is just about the polar opposite of Storm's persona in the comic book pages (regal, a born leader/teacher, completely unconcerned with her own hotness). If they thought that Angela Bassett or Lynn Whitfield or any other known actresses at the time were too old or not secure enough investments, they should have gone straight to an unknown. There are probably hundreds of virtually unknown talented and beautiful black actresses out there that would have done more with the role and become stars in the process. Look how well the larger casting net worked for Wolvie. While it's true that Dougray Scott originally had that role and was better known (at the time) than Hugh Jackman, the shift to unknown as centerpiece hardly hurt ticket sales.

So, yes, I'm counting down. How can I not? But the movie playing in my own head will always be the one and only X-Men: The (Masterpiece) Movie.

Another trip down memory lane? Here were my gushy thoughts preceding the original film's release way back in 2000. Now that I'm sufficiently embarrassed, talk amongst yourselves.

tags: movies, XMen, Comic Books, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, X-Men, Marvel

The Actress -Ex Factor

In my listing on favorite actresses, I said about the following (listed below) that we had "broken up. The passion had dwindled..." My therapist feels I should work through these relationships --Analyze what went wrong so that I can move on and form new attachments. He warns me "Scarlett and Evan Rachel shouldn't have to share you with Winona and Helena! If you're not careful you'll lose them too!"

ANGELA BASSETT My heart still jumps when I see her in magazines or at awards shows but is there any mainstream Actress working that Hollywood seems to understand less? Why aren't they casting her? How do you go from charismatic and financially successful leading work in What's Love Got To Do With It, Waiting to Exhale, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back in the space of only a few years straight to the land of thankless supporting stock roles? How does this happen? I still can't figure it.

HELENA BONHAM-CARTER I blame Kenneth Branagh and Tim Burton. Oddly enough Merchant and Ivory, who probably didn't look at her with lust in their hearts, had far more respect for her great beauty. They never put her in hideous burn makeup or ape latex, now did they?

JULIETTE LEWIS If I ran the world, singularity would be much more crucial to an actors longevity and fame. Juliette Lewis is incomparable. Even if you hate her you'll have to agree. But what happened to the matching memorable roles? The background minor girlfriend / unfaithful wife role isn't really suited for someone whose gifts are this unique.

WINONA RYDER Remember those t-shirts that got popular for a split second "Free Winona!" She even modelled one on the cover of a magazine. The only person keeping Noni locked up now is Noni herself.

EMMA THOMPSON It was a good run but couldn't it have lasted longer? I know that for some fans TV movies are just as good as features for a fix of their favorite actors. Not true for me. I'm televisionally challenged...I'm sorry but I need that big screen for proper worship of my false idols.