Jezebel: Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Manic Pixie Dream Girls Are The Scourge Of Modern Cinema

Jessica — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

The always-relevant Onion A.V. Club has coined a term for the type of movie girl-woman whom we've long despised: the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. The A.V. Club defines the MPDG as "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures." Our own Sadie had a fantastic rant about this particular kind of flighty creature, whom she termed "Amazing Girls," or, ideal muses whose beauty, sweetness and gentle, studied eccentricity renders them entirely docile. Of all the MPDGs listed by the A.V. Club, the most pernicious of these cinematic sweethearts is far and away Natalie Portman's irksome moppet in Garden State.

I hated that character from the second she flounced on the screen. I remember distinctly Portman telling Zach Braff's character that she was "weird" and then doing a silly little dance to illustrate her "weirdness." Honestly? Anyone who telegraphs their so-called weirdness so outlandishly is not actually weird, they're merely quirky enough to be vaguely interesting without having their own thing going on. They're completely mainstream but have one really big tattoo, or occasionally sing really loud in the shower! "Oh, Natalie," the A.V. Club writes, "your unconventional ways are so inspiring, and your beauty is surprisingly non-threatening!"

As the A.V. Club deftly notes, "Like the Magical Negro, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype is largely defined by secondary status and lack of an inner life. She's on hand to lift a gloomy male protagonist out of the doldrums, not to pursue her own happiness." Since they've defined it so succinctly, I've realized that many recent films employ the MPDG stock character — Forgetting Sarah Marshall, for instance, where Mila Kunis's character is a free spirited nymph deposited on the shores of Hawaii in order to encourage Jason Segel to write the vampire rock puppet musical he's been fantasizing about for years. But what of the dude? You know, the brooding artsy loser in need of a MPDG to revive his creative and sexual juices? The ones who use MPDG's to stroke their fragile egos and project their muse-fantasies on? What should we call him? I think he deserves a name because these movies, and the notion of the MPDG, are really about him: his needs, his desires, his artistic endeavors.

Wimpster, while appropriate, lacks the specificity of MPDG and also is so four years ago. Maybe the new bromantics, because that term emphasizes their dudeliness but also their childish notions of romantic attachment? In any event, these self-absorbed whiners are to be avoided in real life, though, like (adorable!) Jason Segal in FSM, new bromantics can be charming in film.

Wild Things: 16 Films Featuring Manic Pixie Dream Girls [AV Club]
Soapbox [The Petite Sophisticate]
Meet The Wimpster [The Black Table]

Portrayal Of Sexuality In Mamma Mia!: Insulting Or Inspiring?

Jessica — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Mamma Mia!, the rollicking Abba-fest that raked in $28 million at the box office this past weekend has been hailed by some as a feminist film because the writer, director and leads are all women over 40. In early July, MM co-producer Judy Craymer told the New York Times that the movie is, “about real women.” Well, I saw Mamma Mia! on Friday night, and though it's admirable that the trio of 50 to 60-something women (Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters) are shown as sexual, something irked me about the portrayal of their sexuality — the movie made them into caricatures. Perhaps criticizing an ABBA musical for painting in broad strokes is like negging a rave for playing seizure-inducing techno, but it bugged me that Streep, Baranski and Walters were all given choreography that involved grabbing their breasts and crotches repeatedly. It seemed to be mocking their lustiness rather than celebrating it.

Dodai also saw the film, and while she could see where I was coming from, she thought "in someways it was like a relief to see them a) talk about sex and b) talk about enjoying it," even if their dance moves and song choices were borderline vulgar. Even though the movie employed the randy old crone stereotype (specifically Julie Walters' character, who is sort of asexual and chases men who don't want her), Dodai pointed out, "how many movies are there where randy old dudes are looking up girls skirts or whatever?"

I'm not the only one who noted the possibly-insulting portrayal of grown-up sexuality. Salon's Stephanie Zacharek said in her review of Mamma Mia!:

Streep seems hellbent on spreading the gospel of how sexy, randy, raunchy, lively and decidedly not boring women past 50 can be — what she's doing is more advertising than performing. She can belt; she just forgets to breathe. Baranski, also a gifted performer, gets the unpleasant role of the thin, rich socialite who bores through stacks of husbands like a hungry moth munching her way through layers of sweaters. Baranski might have done something even with this cardboard role, but her performance is just shrill and crinkly…And I thought Walters, in her baggy pants outfits and sexless spectacles, was supposed to be the surprise lesbian of the group — I guess that's what we're supposed to think. But I began wondering why Johnson even bothered giving this character a name. Why not just call her "Free Spirit"? I suppose that sounds too much like a maxi pad.

On the other hand, though it won't be winning Oscars any time soon, the move was so much fun to watch, and part of the joy of musicals is that they're loud, flashy and sort of tasteless. Are Zacharek and I sucking all the fun out of it?

Mamma Mia — Feminist Creative Power on Film [Women And Hollywood]
The ‘Mamma Mia!’ Factor, Times Three [NY Times]
Mamma Mia! [Salon]

Sarah Jessica Parker Shows Range By Playing Wealthy, White New York Woman

Maria — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:20:00 EDT

You know the drill: when Hollywood actresses aren't being scrutinized for their looks by dude-centered gossip blogs then they're being given roles laced in stereotypes. The latest round of casting announcements proves to us that female stereotypes in films are here to stay (and probably won't go away with any actor's strike that may come up). This week, we have a large group of heavy-hitters: SJP decides to branch out her acting abilities and play a wealthy single woman living in New York in a new chick-lit-to-chick-flick film; Tilda Swinton gets seduced by Nic Cage; and Hilary Duff seduces a writer. All those and more, along with our assessments, after the jump.

• Sarah Jessica Parker, The Ivy Chronicles: Parker is in talks with Warner Bros. to star in the film version of the eponymous novel by Karen Quinn. The film centers around a woman living in New York (we know) who gets divorced and loses her cushy job and is forced to move downtown and pull her kids out of private school (the horror!). Ivy then starts a business to help upper-middle-class women get their children into posh kindergartens. What a saint. Verdict: You would think SJP would like to branch out of these class-concious, NY-single-rich-white-woman roles but apparently she has no desire to stop spreading crap to women across the world. All that aside, this sounds like a victim role.

• Hilary Duff, Stay Cool: Hilary Duff still acts? Duff will play a supporting role in this upcoming Polish brothers comedy, described as a "knowing-your-age comedy." A successful author (Mark Polish) will deliver a high school commencement speech and be seduced by a sexy high school senior (Duff) who invites him to her prom. Wow! A young gal flirting with a successful older writer - sounds realistic! (At least in the minds of the male thirtysomethings who constantly write about it.) Verdict: Duff's role is minor and certainly the "babe" one of the film, so she could be any version of various cliches depending on how she plays it.

• Tilda Swinton, The Ghost: Swinton will star alongside Nicolas Cage and Pierce Brosnan in this new film by Roman Polanksi. The film centers around Cage, who plays the ghostwriter for a former prime minister in England who is writing his memoirs, but all of his ghostwriters seem to end up dead. Swinton will play the PM's wife who falls for Cage's character as her marriage crumbles. Verdict: We really love Swinton but this role could border on a hooker-victim role. But, again, it depends on how she plays it.

• Christina Ricci, The Hero Of Color City: Ricci is the first cast member to be announced for this new animated CG feature. She will play the role of a "timid crayon" called (and we can only assume, is) Yellow. The plot of the film revolves around a group of crayons whose "colorful world is threatened by an evil tyrant." Verdict: We know that stereotypes can be found in kid's films as well, but she is playing a crayon. Probably no real stereotype to speak of.

• Lily Rabe, All Good Things: Rabe joins the cast of this upcoming thriller that includes Kirsten Dunst and Ryan Gosling. The film centers on a NY real estate scion (Gosling) who gets involved with a girl from the wrong side of town (Dunst) before she disappears. Secrets are revealed, and Rabe will play one of Gosling's character's friends who knows some of those secrets. Verdict: Honestly, her role sound so part of the exposition of the story that we doubt she will be even given a stereotype to play. Rabe is probably safe with this one.

"Movie And TV Studios Brace For An Actor's Strike" [NYT]
"Sarah jessica Parker Lines Up 'Ivy'" [THR]
"Hilary Duff Joins 'Cool' School" [THR]
"Cage, Brosnan See Polanski's 'Ghost'" [Variety]
"Christina Ricci Joins 'Her' Voice Cast" [THR]
"Lily Rabe" [Variety]

Hollywood's Women Problem Is A Case Of Arrested Development

Jessica — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:30:00 EDT

There are few good parts for women in Hollywood right now. This is an incontrovertible fact. When you become a woman of a certain age, somewhere after 30 and before the hot flashes begin, there are no parts at all. Karen Allen, 56, who will be in the new Indiana Jones movie reprising her role as the plucky Marion Ravenwood, tells the L.A. Times, "I'm from a generation of fantastic actresses. It's a big pool of really wonderful actresses, and so many of them we never even get to see on the screen anymore." But why? Why is Julie Christie relegated to senility and Cameron Diaz stuck in the woman-girl cul-de-sac?

I read the Karen Allen interview over the weekend and was thinking about the lack of roles for mature ladies when I read this NY Times 'Sunday Styles' piece about why people hate the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope. It was far from revelatory, but this quote from a Slop residente stuck out: “Hipsters and people who don’t have kids are terrified of becoming grown-ups and parents, which is what Park Slope has come to represent." But it's not just hipsters who are scared to grow up — it's everyone born after 1945.

Think about it: Dennis Hopper is using his bad-ass, drug-using, motorcycle riding cred from the 60s to shill for retirement planning, despite the fact that he's over seventy. Baby boomers are the ones currently running the studios, and they're terrified of aging, of being seen as adult. Because men's roles in film aren't based so much on aesthetics, they're allowed to act like teenagers in grown up, paunchy bodies. But since women, particularly in Hollywood, are not really allowed to age, they're forced to act like girls until they're forced off the screen entirely.

But it's just a theory. Maybe it's much more simplistic; maybe, as Rush Limbaugh said about Hillary Clinton, America is simply afraid to stare at an aging woman.

Remember Karen Allen? Steven Spielberg Did For 'Indiana Jones' [Los Angeles Times]
Park Slope: Where Is the Love? [NYT]

Earlier: Woman-Girl Syndrome: Hollywood's Latest Malady

"Woman-Girl Syndrome": Hollywood's Latest Malady

Jessica — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:30:00 EDT

There are many actresses who have built careers on their innate adorableness — the L.A. Times mentions Cameron Diaz, Meg Ryan and Melanie Griffith, though Kate Hudson also comes to mind — and one Hollywood agent terms this studied cuteness the "woman-girl syndrome." You see, according to LAT writer Rachel Abramowitz, when these women find themselves in the throes of "cinematic middle age...their biceps are well-honed, but their options are limited." Apparently "cute" is not so cute with crows feet, according to the Hollywood establishment. Diaz, Abramowitz points out, "skyrocketed to fame essentially playing grown-up girls. But that's not a stereotype she can keep playing deep into her 30s." It doesn't help that romantic comedies don't even have female heroines anymore, as "the creative Politburos that run the studios have collectively decided that only men are entitled to their romantic fantasies, that love stories should preferably be told from the male perspective."

I can't help but wonder how Diaz et. al. got pigeon-holed into these cutesy roles in the first place. It seems that most of the roles for women — ten years ago, as now — are designed for nonthreatening cyphers. Of course, one way to break out of the adorabox is to take on an "edgy" role. Kristin Chenoweth, who made her name playing fairy tale characters, has signed on to play a hooker in the forthcoming film Into Temptation. And not just a regular, garden variety hooker. A suicidal hooker. Clearly all Cameron Diaz needs to do to solidify her Hollywood longevity is find a nice heroin-addicted streetwalker role and she'll be all set.

When The Box Office Fire Cools, What Are Actresses Like Gwyneth Paltrow And Cameron Diaz To Do? [Los Angeles Times]
Kristin Chenoweth Lured To "Temptation" [Reuters]

Ellen Page To Star As One Of English Literature's Saddest Sacks

maria — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:40:00 EDT

Another day, another round of casting announcements chock full of stereotypes. While older actresses like Susan Sarandon have their pick of saucy-yet-loving-powerful-woman roles, the younger actresses who have yet to convince everyone they're talented sometimes pick up a few victim roles along their march to Serious Actress territory. Maybe it's because they are still pretty "fresh faces", but these talented actresses still succumb to playing victimized lovers, even in supposedly intellectual and interesting films. In this edition of Hookers, Victims, and Doormats, Ellen Page pretends she is "plain" in Jane Eyre and Eva Mendes continues to mimic Angelina Jolie's action film career. All that and more after the jump!

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• Ellen Page,Jane Eyre: Page is set to play Jane Eyre in a new adaptation of the classic novel by Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre is a bildungsroman about an orphaned girl who works as a governess for a handsome married man with an insane wife he keeps locked away. Verdict: Just because a film is based on a classic piece of literature doesn't mean that it won't be chock full of female stereotypes (in fact, literature is usually chock full of those!) and Jane Eyre is just about the biggest lovable female victim in English literature.

• Eva Mendes, Queen of the South: Mendes will star as a Mexican woman who escapes to Europe after her boyfriend is murdered and then becomes the reigning drug-smuggler in Spain. She does this all while being hellbent on avenging her murdered boyfriend. Verdict: While the avenging-murdered-lover thing sounds kind of victimy, the drug-smuggling thing sounds kind of awesome. Of course, a woman can't rise to the top unless she has some secret traumatic past haunting her waking and sleeping moments!

• Kirstie Alley, Nailed: Alley will play a veterinarian who cannot remove a nail from her niece's head after an accident. Her niece, played by Jessica Biel, then travels to Washington D.C. to fight for better healthcare and falls in love with a congressman. So quirky! Verdict: Alley's role seems a bit too small to get enough attention to swing it towards any stereotypes.

• Susan Sarandon, Peacock: Peacock is a psychological thriller about a town in the aftermath of a train crash. Sarandon will play the mayor's wife who also runs a woman's shelter. Ellen Page and Cillian Murphy are also set to star. Verdict: There are little details about Sarandon's character, but we imagine it would be pretty difficult to portray a woman who runs a woman's shelter negatively.

"Ellen Page Takes On Jane Eyre" [Variety]
"Queen Appoints Hartnett, Kingsley" [Variety]
"James Brolin Gets Nailed" [THR]
"Susan Sarandon, Josh Lucas Join Peacock" [THR]

Tilda Swinton To Feel "Irreparable Consequences" In I Am Love

maria — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Sure, there might be an actor's strike on the horizon, but that isn't going to stop studios from casting actresses in stereotypical roles! Yup, it'ss time again for another round-up of the latest movie castings in Hollywood. Unfortunately, aside from Tilda Swinton, we don't have that many big-name actresses in this week's installment (unless you count Virginia Madsen as "big," which you don't) and we're not given that much information about their characters. So, we'll just make educated guesses, like we always do! After the jump, Tilda has an affair with a sexy Italian chef, Virgina Madsen competes with Hilary Swank for some screen time and Gere-time (spoiler: she loses), and Moon Bloodgood takes on the newest Terminator movie. All of it and more, after the jump.

• Tilda Swinton, I Am Love: In this Italian film, Swinton will play a foreign "society matron" in Milan who falls for a young (hot) chef. The director says that the film is about "the irreparable consequences brought about by love in a high-bourgeois family." Verdict: While we love Swinton, the words "irreparable consequences" can only mean some victim elements.

• Virginia Madsen, Amelia: Botox spokeswoman and occasional actress, Madsen will co-star in this Amelia Earhart biopic playing Dorothy Pinney, the first wife of Richard Gere's character, George Putnam. Dorothy's husband eventually leaves her for Earhart (Hilary Swank) and the film focuses on their "rocky" relationship. Verdict: Hm, first wife of the husband of the film's title character? It's likely she'll be painted as a victim, a doormat or maybe a little of both!

• Emmanuelle Vaugier, Dolan's Cadillac: French actress Vaugier will play the female lead in this adaptation of Stephen King's short story of the same name. Vaugier's character is killed by a mob boss (Christian Slater) and her death is avenged by her husband (Wes Bentley). Verdict: Uh, murdered woman? Victim, victim, victim.

• Rose McGowan, Barbarella: McGowan will star in this re-make of the campy 1968 original starring Jane Fonda. In the original, Barbarella goes on a sexual journey to fight an evil man called Durand-Durand. Verdict: In the original, Fonda's sexual exploits are more comic than erotic. McGowan might get off (tee hee) easy with this one in terms of stereotypes, but we just hope she doesn't ruin classic!

• Moon Bloodgood, Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins: Bloodgood, who starred in NBC's short-lived series Journeyman will play the female lead in this Terminator sequel, a "no-nonsense and battle-hardened" member of the resistance. Verdict: A no-nonsense character might seem okay (although it could be leaning into shrew territory) but a grade-A nobody playing an unnamed character as the "female lead" makes us think that the female characters found in this flick will probably be limited to 10 lines each.

SAG, Studios Feel The Pressure [Variety]
Tilda Swinton To Star In 'I Am Love' [Variety]
Virginia Madsen Added To 'Amelia' [Variety]
Christian Slater Drives 'Cadillac' [THR]
McGowan Dyes For 'Barbarella' Role [Variety]
'Terminator' Sequel Eyes Lead [THR]

Halle Berry Will Suffer In Black And White In Frankie And Alice

maria — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Ever notice how many female characters are "suffering" in Hollywood films? "She was suffering through a break-up," "the character was suffering from an abusive past," "she will play a woman who is suffering through cancer," et cetera. It seems like whenever writers want to throw some "depth" into their scripts they will construct a "suffering" character (usually female) and is forced to learn a lesson the hard way and/or die. Sure, it can be done well (Sophie's Choice) but the suffering victim has become so overused that it is now just a cliche that talent agents foist on their starlet clients to move them into Serious Actress territory. In the latest casting announcements, we hear about more suffering women: Halle Berry plays a woman "suffering" from a personality disorder in a mix between Gothika and Queen; Rudy from The Cosby Show plays a hooker (!), and that girl who isn't Vanessa Hudgens stars in a (hopefully) campy re-make of Teen Witch. All that and more after the jump!

• Cynthia Nixon, Distracted: Nixon is set to star in this Off Broadway play by Lisa Loomer about a mother "struggling to learn" whether her son has ADD. According to a previous review, Nixon's character plays more of a narrator to the play. Verdict: She may be a Victim, but it seems like the character is too removed from the story to garner a full verdict, so it all depends on how Nixon plays it.

• Halle Berry, Frankie and Alice: Berry will star and produce this "indie" film about a woman "struggling" with multiple personality disorder and a racist, white, other personality that preys upon her mind. Berry playing a white and black character? It's like Queen all over again! Except for the whole psychological disorder thing. Verdict: Racism and a mental disorder? Victim.

• Sophie Monk, Hardbreakers: Professional nobody Monk will be fleshing out her IMDB profile by starring in the straight-to-DVD film, Hardbreakers. The movie follows two hot and caraaazy single girls who are navigating the dating scene in LA. Monk will play a girl who "has been with a lot of guys." Verdict: This movie is so Z-List we shouldn't even be paying attention to it, but Monk sounds like she will be a pseudo-"feminist" slutty Hooker who will probably end up learning a special lesson about sleeping around once she meets Mr. Right.

• Keshia Knight Pulliam, Tyler Perry's Madea Goes To Jail: Little Rudy from The Cosby Show will star in Perry's newest film as an imprisoned prostitute who is rescued by Perry's matriarch, Madea after she spends some time in jail.Verdict: The very obvious answer: Hooker.

• Ashley Tisdale, Teen Witch: Tisdale, who is apparently some sort of celebrity, will star in a remake of the pseudo-musical (and one of my personal favorite campy movies) Teen Witch. Tisdale will play an unpopular girl who learns she is a witch and then uses her powers to get back at the popular girls at school. She also makes her BFF perform a poorly lip-synched rap and watches impromptu dance performances by cheerleaders. Verdict: This movie is too campy and young to fall into any of the stereotypes.

Cynthia Nixon To Star In "Distracted" [Variety]
Queen [IMDB]
Halle Berry Set For "Frankie And Alice" [Variety]
Sophie Monk Signs For "Hardbreakers" [THR]
Crosby Daughter Hooks Up With "Madea" Comdey [THR via Yahoo!]
Teen Witch Rap Scene [Youtube]
Teen Witch- I Like Boys [YouTube]
Ashley Tisdale Graduates "High School" [THR]

Hookers, Victims, & Doormats

maria — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:20:00 EDT

Are actresses more likely to avoid stereotypes in comedies? We know that some actresses don't think so but two of the newest casting announcements for comedies show us the two possible ends of the spectrum. Drillbit Taylor's Leslie Mann is cast to play the wife of an imprisoned man (Jim Carrey) who falls in love with his cell mate in the black comedy I Love You Philip Morris. Verdict: probably a victim/doormat. Toni Collete will star as the close friend of Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski, who play a couple looking for the best place to raise their unborn child in an untitled film. Verdict: With Sam Mendes directing and two parts of the McSweeney's machine writing, Collette will probably make out okay. [THR. THR]

Starlet Rosamind Pike To Suffer As Vain Surrogate

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:40:00 EDT

*Inspired by Shirley MacLaine's assertion that the best parts for actresses fall into one of the above categories.

Along with playing the ubiquitous hooker, victim or doormat character, actresses are often pegged playing "the wife of," or "the mistress of," or even "the best friend of", especially in films that aren't specifically directed at women. Unless they are starring in a rom-com or a movie that is somehow centered around shoe-shopping, actresses in mainstream films are most often seen in some sort of role that supports the main actor. The newest casting announcements out of Hollywood prove that: most were almost entirely supporting roles, and there were even some hookers and doormats in there to keep things spicy! After the jump, Rosamund Pike fears aging and sticks with the surrogate-obsessed pack in a sci-fi thriller, and Camilla Belle fools around with a dreamy (but much older) Vincent Cassel in a new Brazilian coming-of-age film.

• Rosamund Pike, The Surrogates: In this sci-fi police thriller based on the graphic novel of the same name, Pike portrays the wife of a cop (played by Bruce Willis) investigating the corrupt world of life-surrogates that this future society depends on. In the story, Willis' character grows increasingly critical of depending on surrogates while Pike's character sticks to the cultural norm for fear of growing (and looking) older. Verdict: Doormat, while she may be defying her husband, her character represents the follow-the-herd mentality of the future society and the vanity of women.

• Camilla Belle, Adrift: This Brazilian movie set in the 1980s centers around a 14-year-old girl who learns about the infidelities of her father, played by (sigh) Vincent Cassel, as she experiences her own sexual awakening. Belle is slated to play a young woman that is having an affair with Cassel's character. Verdict: while we don't know much about her character, the fact she plays a young woman sleeping with an older, married man has the potential to be either a hooker or doormat.

• Nicole Kidman and Judi Dench, Nine: It's another movie based on a musical based on a movie! This film is based on the musical adaptation of Fellini's classic 8 1/2 and Kidman and Dench are in talks to join a cast that already includes Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, and Sophia Loren. The movie follows a film director as he juggles the demands of different women in his life. Verdict: Since details of their characters have yet to be released, we will have to hold off on judgment.

• Mary Lynn Rajskub, Julie & Julia: This film is based on the "true life" tale of a woman named Julie (played by Amy Adams) who blogged about cooking all of the recipes in Julia Child's famous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cuisine, in the space of one calendar year. The film will also focus on Julia Child's personal life, played by Meryl Streep. Rajskub will play Julie's best friend. Verdict: While there is little information on the character, this movie sounds like it will be one big snooze-fest (a film about blogging can only be boring, trust.) And best friend roles are usually wither so secondary they aren't noticeable or they turn into doormats for the lead character's plot line.

"Bruce Willis Starrer 'Surrogates' Adds Cast" [Hollywood Reporter]
"Camilla Belle Is Cast 'Adrift'" [Hollywood Reporter]
"Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench Eye 'Nine'" [The Hollywood Reporter]
"Rajskub Joins 'Julia' Cast" [The Hollywood Reporter]

Guess who got another job! Everyone's fave ...

Dodai — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:45:00 EDT

Guess who got another job! Everyone's fave child star turned cautionary tale, Lindsay Lohan, has inked a movie deal. What is BAngieB's pretty pretty girl going to be doing? Why, playing a loyal follower of Charles Manson in a flick called Manson Girls. Sweet! [E!]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Jessica — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:20:00 EST

Breaking! Some dude over at the Huffington Post figured out that being a female in Hollywood sucks! You're either Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson basically sucking face in The Other Boleyn Girl or you're a creaky old crone like Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and Joan Allen in Bonneville, saying things like "Oh, doesn't that just take you back?" The writer in question, Metro film critic Daniel Holloway wonders why "women who look like Scarlett Johansson are handed roles that require them to do little more than look like Scarlett Johansson, while any woman over 45 is left in such a pickle that she jumps at any part with more than 15 lines." Man, we've been asking that question for months now! And anyway, Goldie Hawn said it best in the First Wives Club: "There are 3 roles for women in Hollywood: Babe, District Attorney, and 'Driving Miss Daisy.'" [Huffington Post]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Jessica — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:40:00 EST

Natalie Portman is sick of being offered the same degrading roles over and over again. "It's the virgin-whore thing in evidence to the greatest extent. That's really been bothering." In non-hooker casting news, Bollywood star Mallika Sherawat is playing a female yogi in The Aquarian Gospel , a film based on the myth that Jesus visited India. Also, Mad Men's January Jones has been cast in The Boat That Rocked alongside Kenneth Branagh and Rhys Ifans. The Boat is about pirate DJs (seriously). January plays an American woman who visits the DJs on the boat and falls in love with Ifans. They had us at "pirate DJs." [Mirror, Reuters, Variety]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Anna — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:40:00 EST

The Devil Wears Prada's Emily Blunt may need to start practicing her Texas twang: The British actress is in talks to appear in drama The Girl, playing a young Texas woman who comes across the abandoned daughter of an illegal Mexican immigrant and reluctantly heads to Mexico in search of the girl's mother. Two females, road trip, Texas...will this be like Thelma & Louise but with a less suicidal ending? [Reuters]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Anna — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:45:00 EST

We're starting to sense a pattern in the career of Katherine Heigl! Following up her roles in romantic comedies playing an accidentally-impregnated TV producer and an unlucky-in-love personal assistant, Hollywood's "hottest blonde" is set to star as an unlucky-in-love TV producer in the romantic comedy The Ugly Truth. According to Variety, Heigl will play a morning show exec who finds herself "reluctantly embroiled... in a series of outrageous tests to prove [a sexist TV correspondent's] theories on relationships". The not so ugly truth? This time around, Heigl's male costar is named Gerard Butler. [Variety]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Anna — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:45:00 EST

Julia Roberts, who first made her name playing, well, a hooker, continues to use her box office mojo to secure more assertive parts: The actress/mother will be both starring in and producing the film adaptation of the upcoming novel Hothouse Flowers, playing "a divorced woman who chucks her career at a New York advertising agency and sets out on a new adventure," according to the Hollywood Reporter. (Hopefully, that "new adventure" also involves a guy 2/3 her age.) Another red-headed "Julie" in the Tinseltown trades today? Julianne Moore, who will head up the supernatural horror film Shelter, reports Variety. Although the plot of the film has yet to be released by producers, it it's safe to say Ms. Moore will have to spend at least a few hours in the voiceover studio perfecting her scream. [UPI, Variety]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Anna — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:45:00 EST

Marion Cotillard went home without a statuette at the SAG Awards, but the Gallic La Vie en Rose gamine may win a lesser prize: working opposite Johnny Depp. The French actress, 32, is in talks to join Depp and Christian Bale in the Depression-era drama Public Enemies, portraying Billie, the chanteuse and (probably long-suffering) gangster moll to Depp's criminal character, says the Hollywood Reporter. Dear Marion: Welcome to American moviemaking; just don't let them make you take your top off! [Hollywood Reporter]

Best Actress Oscar Nominees Aren't All Victims

Jennifer — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:30:00 EST

This year's female acting Oscar nominees are a strange bunch of characters — and no, we don't mean the narcissistic actresses themselves. While the Supporting Actress field is rife with Hollywood's version of the female victim, the Best Actress category has some complicated characters that have too damn much going on emotionally for us to be able to tell decide if they were victims (or hookers, or doormats) or not! After all, tragedy doesn't equate victimhood and playing tough doesn't necessarily make one a hero. After the jump, we break down the characters — and ask you to tell us who's a victim, who's a hooker, who's a doormat, and who's on the fence. (Hint: We consult our Magic 8-Ball.)

Best Supporting Actress:
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There: Come on, she plays that genius music man Bob Dylan! Who was most definitely not a victim. Or a hooker. Or even a woman. Verdict: OK!

Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton: As Hillary Clinton taught us, even if other people try to hate on you, once a ball-busting lawyer, always a ball-busting lawyer. Which means that Swinton's character gets a Verdict: OK!

Ruby Dee, American Gangster: Yeah, it's sort of an iron-clad rule. Playing the guilt-ridden mother of a heroin dealer leaves no other option than Verdict: Victim!

Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone: She's an alcoholic. And her kid goes missing. Most definitely Verdict: Victim!

Saorise Ronan, Atonement: Once she reaches young adulthood, her character attempts to correct an error in judgment she had as a child by (spoiler alert!) concocting and selling a fictitious version of events. Which makes her either a crazy or a sociopath. No matter how you look at it, dying alone with regret makes you a guaranteed Verdict: Victim! (Even if you're the one making others into victims. Life is complicated like that, natch.)

Best Actress:

[Note: All of these nominees are sorta hard to pin down, so dangerously close do they dance between the line of victim/not-victim. So instead, we simply consulted our Magic 8-Ball.]

Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Plays the infamous Virgin Queen who was tricked into war with the Spaniards. Also, harbors crush on Clive Owen (as Sir Walter Raleigh), who falls for her #1 lady-in-waiting and also knocks her up and marries her. In the end, England wins the war, but Queen Lizzie loses the man and a well-trained bitch. Verdict: Ask Again Later.

Julie Christie, Away From Her: Gets Alzheimer's, has to go to a nursing home, but then finds love. Too bad she's married! The story is sad, but good for her for finding some happiness. Also, isn't it not politically correct to call a person with Alzheimer's a "victim"? Verdict: Signs point to "no".

Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose: Her mother was an alcoholic and she grows up to be one too, in addition to, you know, real-life French chanteuse Edith Piaf. Also, has string of bad relationships and loses her only child. But she's a star, people, a star! Does becoming one of the biggest talents of our time cancel out the tragedy? Verdict: Absolutely.

Laura Linney, The Savages: Has a bad temp job, wants to be a playwright, denied every grant she's ever applied for, involved with a married man, father is dying. But: she's the smart and sassy sister to Philip Seymour Hoffman's even more pathetic brother, which means we're willing to give her the big ol' Verdict: My Sources Say No

Ellen Page, Juno: Has unprotected sex, gets pregnant, decides to keep the baby and give it up for adoption. By movie's end, she's landed her dream man (her dorky best friend), learned that childbirth is painful, makes a woman who wants to be a mom happy, grows closer with her own parents, and even manages to slink back down to original svelte teen-aged self when it's all over. Here's a girl who gets pregnant and refuses to play the victim, which somehow heightens the unavoidable sadness and gravity of the situation. Verdict: Outlook Not So Good

Earlier: Oscar Noms 2008: Women Can Write, Not Direct

Ellen Page Can't Wait To "Kick Ass On Wheels"

Anna — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:30:00 EST

Pretty awesome news: Juno star Ellen Page will star in Drew Barrymore's directing debut, Whip It!, playing an "alterna-teen" and reluctant beauty-pageant contestant named Bliss who joins a female roller-derby team. (Says Page: "I can't wait to kick ass on wheels!"). In other Tinseltown deals, former porn star Traci Lords has signed up to appear in Kevin Smith's Zack & Miri Make A Porno. No details on what her role will entail, but it's not a stretch to say that it will probably involve... porn.

Ellen Page To 'Whip It!' For Barrymore [Variety]
More Sign On To 'Make A Porno' [Hollywood Reporter]

Salma Hayek Gets A Beard; Christian Bale Is A Hot Cop

Anna — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:30:00 EST

Salma Hayek has been keeping a low profile since giving birth to her daughter, Valentina, and now she's ready to get back to work. The actress will star opposite John C. Reilly in the horror film Cirque du Freak, according to the Variety. Hayek, 41, will play a bearded lady, "Madame Truska" opposite Reilly's vampire character in the film, which is based on the 12-book children's series by writer Darren Shan. (Is a bearded lady a victim? Survey says: No.) In other casting news, actress Olivia Wilde (The O.C., House) may have finally gotten her big film break, signing on to star as Jack Black's love interest in the "biblical-era comedy" The One, directed by Harold Ramis.

Lastly, for those Jezebels who appreciate fine-looking fellows, actor Christian Bale is set to star alongside Johnny Depp in director Michael Mann's Depression-era drama Public Enemies. Bale will play a FBI agent in hot pursuit of Depp's gangster. Think of it as Heat, minus 80 years.

Hayek Joins Reilly In Weitz's 'Freak' [Variety]
Olivia Wilde Joins Ramis' 'Year One' [Variety]
It's Bale As Manhunter In 'Enemies' [Hollywood Reporter]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Anna — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:45:00 EST

Royal victim! Scarlett Johansson is set to star in the Phillip Noyce-directed Mary Queen of Scots, playing the Scottish queen, who, in 1542, became Scotland's queen (she was only an infant), and was later imprisoned on charges for plotting to murder Elizabeth I and beheaded. In other casting news, the actress who can do no wrong, Kate Winslet, is taking over for pregnant Nicole Kidman in The Reader, a drama helmed by The Hours director Stephen Daldry. [Variety, UPI]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Anna — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 09:45:00 EST

Diablo Cody's ascent in Hollywood continues apace: Her hit film, Juno, made second place in the weekend box office, surpassing the Will Smith starrer I Am Legend, and, in a hat trick for women in Hollywood, the Juno screenwriter's script, Jennifer's Body, has been picked up by Fox Atomic with director Karyn Kusama (Girlfight) set to direct. The film, described as a "quirky comedic thriller", follows a cheerleader (Megan Fox) "whose perfect life goes haywire when she becomes possessed and begins killing the young men in town who lust after her." Looove it. [Variety, Variety]

More great news for women in Hollywood: A ...

Anna — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:45:00 EST

More great news for women in Hollywood: A poll of motion picture exhibitors conducted by Quigley Publishing has determined the top 10 box office-earners for 2007 and, for the first time in 24 years, there was nary a lady to be found. Johnny Depp came out on top, followed by Will Smith, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Will Ferrell and Tom Hanks. Hey, at least two of them are black! [UPI]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Anna — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:45:00 EST

Hollywood's most famous reincarnated superstar (and inspiration for this very feature), Shirley MacLaine, is set to star as none other than Coco Chanel, reports Variety. MacLaine, 73, "will play the designer in her later years, as she set out to re-establish her reputation as a fashion trendsetter" in a Lifetime miniseries on the legendary French designer's life that will cover everything from Chanel's upbringing in an orphanage to her re-invention in her 70s. (Shirley is playing the "older" Coco, natch.) "It's a love story, it's a rags to riches story, it has some strong statements about women and about how the world has changed," the film's director, Christian Duguay, says, adding that Chanel head designer Karl Lagerfeld is helping on the production. Which means, invariably, that the finished product will end up being 90% Karl and 10% Coco, just like the Chanel exhibit at the Costume Institute a few years back! [Variety]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats

Anna — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:45:00 EST

Talk about Dreamgirls: Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, box-office behemoth Queen Latifah, singer Alicia Keys and British actress Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) are set to star in the Fox Searchlight drama The Secret Life of Bees, based on Sue Monk Kidd's 2002 novel of the same name. Latifah, Keys and Okonedo will play "an eccentric trio of beekeeping sisters" who take in a teenage girl (Dakota Fanning) and her caregiver (Hudson) after the two flee the girl's troubled, mother-less home. Wonder who will get top billing? [Variety]

Hookers, Victims & Doormats*

Anna — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:45:00 EST

*Inspired by Shirley MacLaine's assertion that the best parts for actresses fall into one of the above categories

• Victim? Perp? Or blatant grab for Glenn Close-like Oscar nom? That's the question we have after reading this morning that actress Mischa Barton has signed onto star in the "indie thriller" Homecoming, in which she'll play the ex-girlfriend of a guy (Matt Long) who develops an "unhealthy obsession" with him and begins stalking him and and his new girlfriend. Here's hoping the film's producers will avoid any mention of boiled pet bunnies. [Variety]

The Golden Globe Nominees: No Hookers, But Lots Of Victims

dodai — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:30:00 EST

As you may have heard, Hollywood icon Shirley MacLaine once asserted that the best parts for actresses always fall into the category of hooker, victim or doormat. Sometimes an actress wins an award, like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, for playing all three at once! Well, now that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced the nominees for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards, we wondered: what kinds of roles are women getting the nod for this year? We break it down, after the jump. (Also, we haven't seen all of these movies or TV shows, so feel free to disagree.)

Film:

Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Cate plays the Queen of England, who is not really a victim. But she's in love with Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) and she can't have him, because, duh, she's Queen. Verdict: OK!
Julie Christie, Away From Her: Woman with Alzheimer's who "forgets" husband. Verdict: Victim
Jodie Foster, The Brave One: Strong woman who goes on a vigilante killing spree after her fiance is killed. Verdict: Victim
Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart: Woman loses husband in Pakistan! Verdict: Victim
Keira Knightley, Atonement: Girl falls in love with housekeeper's son, then tragically loses him. Verdict: Victim
Amy Adams, Enchanted: Cartoon princess in real world falls in love with real boy, fish-out-of-water hijinx ensue. She's basically a damsel in distress! Verdict: Victim
Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray: Campy teenager dances against segregation! Funny! Verdict: OK!
Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd: Helps Sweeney Todd seek bloody revenge. Bloody blood blood blood. Verdict: OK!
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose: Edith Piaf rises from street performer to international star. Verdict: OK!
Ellen Page, Juno: Pregnant teen seeks adoption parents. Verdict: OK!

Television:

Patricia Arquette, Medium: Psychic solves mysteries. Verdict: OK!
Glenn Close, Damages: Ruthless litigator with a bulldog approach. Verdict: OK!
Minnie Driver, The Riches: Modern gypsy grifter slash drug addict. Verdict: Victim-ish
Edie Falco , The Sopranos: Carmela is complicated but often gets stepped on. Verdict: Victim, Doormat
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters: Nora Walker is the matriarch of a complicated family of a adult children. Verdict: OK!
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace: Alcoholic law enforcement lady with a guardian angel. Verdict: Victim
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer: Police chief solves cases with her intuition and ability to read people. Verdict: OK!
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?: A woman suffers from amnesia and is forced to find out who she really is. Verdict: Victim
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty: Plucky yet unfashionable assistant at a fashion magazine works hard and overcomes obstacles. Verdict: OK!
Tina Fey, 30 Rock TV show head writer deals with crazy actors, boss. Verdict: OK!
Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies: Chuck, once dead and now brought back to life by her childhood sweetheart, can't touch him or she'll die again. Meanwhile, they solve mysteries together. Verdict: Victim, the dude has all the power!
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds: Suburban mom turns into a pot dealer after her husband dies and she's in financial dire straits. Verdict: OK!

The bad news: 21 roles, 9 victims. The good news: No hookers!

Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Women In Hollywood Speak Out On Women In Hollywood

Dodai — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:00:00 EDT

Today, Salon has the transcript of a roundtable discussion between a group of the most powerful women in Hollywood. The panel was moderated by producer Lynda Obst (Contact, Sleepless in Seattle). Included in the conversation were (among others) writer/director Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally), writer/producer Laura Ziskin (To Die For, Spider-Man), writer/director Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise), producer Cathy Konrad (Walk the Line), writer/director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry), and a female studio head: Universal president of production Donna Langley. (Part of the discussion appears in this month's Elle magazine, but Salon has the extended version.) The group touched on a number of subjects, including whether or not women — other than Julia Roberts, that is! — can "open" films. Some of the highlights, after the jump.

Women don't pursue producing and directing careers because they would rather have kids.
Ms. Ziskin says, "I think it's harder for women whose peak career-making years coincide with their peak baby-making years. Directing is a job that requires 100 percent of your time and energy and it's therefore hard to have children." Ms. Peirce points out, "I think the indie world is actually great for women, and for gay people. Because if you have a story, you're going to be able to [tell it]. That's where a lot of women get their start. But you get into your second, your third movie, and you're building a career, and it's hitting smack up against those years when you want to have a child. I mean, you can't get bonded [insured for the film] if you're pregnant." Callie Khouri admits that she chose her career over giving birth. "I didn't have kids because I felt like, I'm not going to be able to do both things. I'm not going to fail at two things," she reveals. "I'm the kind of person — it's hard for me to leave my dog. And my dog I can bring to the set and I don't feel so guilty about it. So I made a conscious decision... I'm going to give that up because I want to have a career." Margaret Nagle thinks that there's a double standard for working moms and working dads: "I was working with this producer, and his kid would have an ear infection and he'd leave the meeting, and everybody would go, 'Oh, God, he's so great,'" she says. "And I went, 'If I took that call and left this meeting because my kid had an ear infection, I'd be fucking vilified.' It would be over. There would be a call to my agent. I remember just thinking, 'You're probably going to see your mistress. You're not going to the kid with the ear infection.'

Women don't direct as many movies because the scripts don't come their way.
Cathy Konrad claims, "The material that gets made at studios is a function of the culture: what is branded and what makes money. I'm not saying that women only want to make dramas, but I do think that you'll find a lot more women that want to tell stories about people than cars." On the other hand, Ms. Khouri, despite writing Thelma & Louise, says she would love to do a movie about cars. "The stuff that comes to me is still way girlier than I would go after on my own," Khouri says. "I spent years trying to get a baseball movie made, and that didn't happen. I wanted to make a NASCAR movie. The stuff that comes to me, I'm always like, 'I don't want to do this. There's crying in this.' That's what sifts down to me, and it is frustrating. I would like to work outside of the female-centric world. But if it's got a woman in it, I'm going to have a better shot at [getting] it." Big action movies make money, but, Ms. Nagle says, "I've never wanted to make anything blow up. That was something my brothers did, and I never wanted to watch movies where people blew things up." Kimberly Pierce, on the other hand, is pro-explosions. "I love blowing things up," she admits. "I just did Stop-Loss, a war film, and there was nothing more exciting than when they set those cars on fire."

Women would go to the movies more if there was something worth watching.
The panel discussed the success of the Bourne movies, which appeal to women even though they have "all that testosterone." Also, though it was marketed to women, men went to see The Devil Wears Prada because "Everybody's had a scary boss," says Ms. Nagle. In addition, Spider-Man was an action-packed movie with emotional heart, so it had a broad appeal.

If Hollywood won't help, you have to do it yourself.
In the end, the women admitted that while there are only one or two women (Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon) that can get a picture green-lit by a major studio, Ms. Khouri and others just end up making their movies independently, with other actresses. Says Ms. Nagle, "There's more than one way to skin a cat. If you can't take one path, we're learning to take another path. And that's a very good path for chicks like us to learn."

Chicks Behind The Flicks [Salon]

Hollywood Locates Source Of Crappy Movie Receipts: Women Actors!

Moe — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:30:18 EDT

The tough thing about being one of those people who is paid to summon outrage all day is that inevitably it happens that you are sitting there, and you grab hold of a specimen of such unadulterated, 99.44 pure inconceivably outrageous outrageousness, and you just don't have it in you to do anything but blockquote a whole section:

Warner Bros president of production Jeff Robinov has made a new decree that "We are no longer doing movies with women in the lead". This Neanderthal thinking comes after both Jodie Foster's 'The Brave One' ... and Nicole Kidman's 'The Invasion' (as if three different directors didn't have something to do with the awfulness of the gross receipts) under-performed at the box office recently.

So yeah, the gist of this is they're no longer going to make movies with women in the lead if there isn't also a strong male lead. And by the way The Brave One co-starred TERRENCE HOWARD. (Who, by the way, thinks women should not be allowed to take shits.) And yeah they did a REALLY GREAT JOB PROMOTING THAT MOVIE.

You can tell from the movie poster in which they misspelled the oft-botched phrase "Jodie Foster!"

Warner's Robinoff Bitchslaps Film Women [DeadlineHollywood]

Demi To Hollywood: Give Me A Chance, Dammit

Dodai — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT

There are several fucked up things about the Demi Moore article on MSNBC today, the first of which is the headline: "As Career Sags, Demi Moore Battles Ageism." Nothing on that woman's body sags, OK? She's made it clear that she won't tolerate gravity. The item references yesterday's Daily Mail, which had the headline "She's Spent £226k On Plastic Surgery But 'I Still Can't Get A Hollywood Part', Says Demi." The cruelty never ceases. But surgery rumors aren't the point. And whether or not she is a good actress isn't the point, either. The point is this: Since 1981, this woman has worked consistently. After hits like St. Elmo's Fire, A Few Good Men and Ghost, she became the first woman to earn a $10 million salary. Then, in 2002, she turned 40. She sort of proved she still had "it" in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle but after that, the work slowed down. At age 45, the only project she has coming up is animated. You'll only hear her voice.

Demi told British magazine Red, "It's been a challenging few years, being the age I am. Almost to the point where I felt like, well, they don't know what to do with me. I am not 20. Not 30. There aren't that many good roles for women over 40. A lot of them don't have much substance, other than being someone's mother or wife." The aging star phenomenon is nothing new — see 1950's All About Eve — but Moore is not trapped in some Sunset Boulevard fantasy land. She's a working mom, albeit with a younger man, and she seems willing to keep her famous body and long shiny hair Hollywood-ready. She's willing to play the game, but Hollywood won't let her join in. Is it any wonder that Glenn Close is doing TV and Susan Sarandon stars in the craptastic-looking Mr. Woodcock?

Imagine working at a job for 26 years, giving it your all, and then basically being forced into retirement, despite your experience, qualifications and stable personal life? Consider this: Jim Carrey, Eddie Izzard, Jon Bon Jovi, Jon Stewart, Ralph Fiennes and Tom Cruise were born the same year as Demi Moore. Does anyone consider them to be over the hill? Demi's frustration with Hollywood's attitude may cause her to take action: "If we are told we are not valuable once we hit 30, it is a problem," she said. "We all have more to give. We can't just wait for something to happen. We have to say, 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more.'"

As Career Sags, Demi Moore Battles Ageism [MSNBC]
She's spent £226k On Plastic Surgery But 'I Still Can't Get A Hollywood Part', Says Demi [Daily Mail]
Earlier: Actresses Ditch Hollywood For Small Screen

Actresses Ditch Hollywood For Small Screen

Dodai — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:30:00 EDT

Male-dominated movies like The Bourne Supremacy and Superbad are doing great at the box office, but where does that leave actresses? Television, apparently! Film is losing its feminine touch, writes Mary McNamara in today's LA Times. "Challenging roles for women over 40 have been few and far between since Joan and Bette faced off at the box office, but now, with blockbusters and male-oriented sex comedies ruling the big screen, women under 40 are having a hard time." The upside? TV is being graced by great actresses like Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Lili Taylor, Parker Posey and Kyra Sedgwick. And, according to McNamara, TV has never looked so good. She likens the choices (mostly) cable channels are making — in terms of casting and storylines — to that of "good indie films."

And not even indie films. Of good mid-budget films, the kind they used to make in the '70s and '80s when movies didn't have to make a profit on the first weekend, when they didn't open for 3 1/2 seconds on 1,000 screens.

McNamara notes that Jodie Foster has a career on the big screen, but she's basically a hard-bodied action hero these days — more like a man.

Critically appreciated but less established actors like Julia Stiles and Virginia Madsen are forced to take tiny roles in male star vehicles (the Bourne films for Stiles, "Firewall" for Madsen). Meanwhile, "Grey's Anatomy" has become a think tank of performers who couldn't find enough work in film, including Ellen Pompeo (whose breakout role was with Sarandon in "Moonlight Mile") and Madsen's "Sideways" companion, Sandra Oh.

As viewers, quality actresses on TV means we're treated to better material and better acting. But the idea of Hollywood blockbusters being only for the boys is unsettling. McNamara claims that if Julia Roberts had to make her career today, she'd probably be on television. Pretty Woman would have a tough time getting greenlighted, but says, McNamara, "it's got Showtime original series written all over it."

(An articulate drug-free prostitute and business magnate discover how worlds overlap as they struggle to make a relationship work — why has no one done this yet?)

Still, does TV sometimes seem like a downgrade? Or is it better to take the work you can get? Or is it totally fucked that women aren't as likely to make huge Hollywood salaries? Also: how do you feel about the word "actress"? Is it sexist? Too close to "waitress"?
Film Loses Its Feminine Touch [LATimes]

Say what you will about Jessica Simpson's ...

Anna — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:15:08 EDT

Say what you will about Jessica Simpson's dad Joe, but the man has some boundaries. People is reporting that Joe — who has publicly marveled on the voluptuousness of his own daughter's breasts — declined an offer that Jessica play a porn star in an unnamed film. "We were promised we would win an Oscar with that," Simpson told the magazine. "I was like, 'Eh, we'll just buy a [statue of a] little man and keep our clothes on.'" [People]

This Week In: Hookers, Victims & Doormats*

Anna — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 10:58:59 EST

Here's an end-of-the-week wrap-up of the roles being offered to women in Hollywood.

Angelina Jolie may team up with director Clint Eastwood to star in the drama "The Changeling", playing a mother who suspects that her abducted son — then returned — is not actually her son. [Variety]
Maggie Gyllenhaal is taking up where Katie Holmes left off: She'll be starring alongside Christian Bale in the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight". [Hollywood Reporter]
Desperate Housewives' Andrea Bowen will play a teen with HIV in a Lifetime movie. Jennie Garth also stars. [Variety]

*Inspired by Shirley MacLaine's assertion that the best parts for actresses fall into one of the above categories.