Before I begin, let me give credit to Lisa Schwarzbaum at Entertainment Weekly for inspiring this post after her blog entry on Jennifer Aniston got my creative juices flowing. It’s a great post, and it’s worth a read.
After Sandra Bullock becomes the latest comedic actress to put on a serious face and win an Oscar (in the tradition of Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon), Schwarzbaum wonders if Jennifer Aniston could ever join the list.
Since she’s taken Aniston, I figured I would take eight other actresses who have a similar track record as Bullock on the comedy side of things. In part one of the “From Rom-Com to Oscar Gold” series, I will analyze four actresses who many people could actually envision with an Oscar in their hand.
These actresses are … Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Garner, and Kate Hudson.
The big question for me going into “Whip It” was Ellen Page. Can she play someone other than the spunky Juno MacGuff or is she truly a one-trick pony?
The answer? Basically, yes.
Page’s latest character, Bliss Cavander, the rebellious Texas teenager is very much a darker shade of Juno. But that didn’t make her any less enjoyable to watch. Page manages to remain fresh doing some similar schtick, and finding a niche at such a young age is truly an accomplishment.
The surprise of “Whip It” was actually Kristen Wiig. No, I’m not surprised that she was absolutely hilarious; Wiig had three supporting roles in 2009 and managed to steal every movie. She’s a great talent who will hopefully land a lead role securing her rightful place in the comedic stratosphere, but her surprise in “Whip It” was that she absolutely nailed the most crucial dramatic scene. It’s rare to find someone with this kind of range, and Wiig showed herself to truly be the full package.
Another big question was Drew Barrymore in her first time directing. Can she pull herself together and create something special?
The answer? A resounding yes.
“Whip It” is a comedic delight, with laughs and wit and quirks lurching at every turn. It follows Bliss as she secretly joins the underground world of roller derby, where the skates shred the track and the women are tough as nails. A bold name is also necessary for success with the fans, be it Smashlee Simpson (Barrymore), Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), or Iron Maven. Bliss settles upon Babe Rutheless, and with her moniker, she becomes the new poster child for the sport. But she has to keep her success a secret from her strict mother (Marcia Gay Harden) who wants Bliss to become the beauty pageant queen that she could never be. How much of this movie’s excellence came from Barrymore is unknown, but I feel like I had as much fun watching “Whip It” as she had making it. B+ /
We give the movie industry late August and all of September to recover from the busy summer season, but in October, it starts to kick it into gear again. Unfortunately, my most anticipated movie in October, Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island,” was pushed back to February. But the month still puts forth several great movies for all tastes.
October 2
This week, I can promise you that I will be throwing my money not at a new release, but at the re-release of two staples of my childhood. “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” will hit theaters again for a few weeks. 1 ticket. 2 movies. 3-D. Need I say more?
The week also gives us “The Invention of Lying,” which could be a sleeper comedy hit. The movie stars Ricky Gervais, who was the lead of the British version of “The Office.” Around this time last year, he starred in “Ghost Town,” a comedy with a heart that you need to go rent now, that was dismissed by audiences. I have high hopes for his latest, in which he plays a man who tells the world’s first lie on an alternate Earth. He continues to wield the power to suit his own selfish needs. The movie also features Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, and the always funny Tina Fey.
And not to mention, the week delivers Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, “Whip It.” The movie stars the irresistible Ellen Page (“Juno”) as Bliss, a teenager weary of the beauty pageants that she is forced into by her parents. One day, she discovers the world of roller derby and she finds the happiness that she has been so desperately seeking. The movie boasts a hilarious supporting cast including Kristen Wiig (“SNL”), Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden, and Barrymore herself.
And it just keeps getting better. The Coen Brothers (“No Country for Old Men”) are back with their latest feature, “A Serious Man;” they also wrote the original screenplay. The movie seems to be a big risk. It features no marquee names other than the Coens themselves. The trailer is cryptic, giving no indication of what to expect from the movie. I don’t mind an aura of mystique, but this is an aura of confusion. The movie is being marketed as a dark comedy, and I pray that it is the polar opposite of the Coens’ last foray into the genre, “Burn After Reading,” which I didn’t find funny at all. The movie starts in limited release and then will slowly expand from New York and Los Angeles.
The other major release of the week is “Zombieland,” a horror-comedy with Woody Harrelson.
October 9
The only exciting movie hitting theaters across the country this weekend is “Couples Retreat.” A comedy centered around four couples at a luxurious tropical resort that is revealed to be a marriage therapy clinic, it appears to provide something for everyone. It has pretty women (Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis) AND funny guys (Jason Bateman, Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau). The movie is the directorial debut of Ralph Billingsley, best known for playing Ralphie in “A Christmas Story,” and the screenplay is written by Vaughn and Favreau. Hopefully it can provide some good laughs in a season usually replete of hilarious comedies.
Opening in limited release is “An Education,” a movie that has been garnering massive Oscar buzz for months now. Most of it has centered on the breakout performance of lead actress Carey Mulligan. In the movie, she stars as Jenny, a 17-year-old in 1960s England who is set on going to Oxford. However, an older gentleman (Peter Sarsgaard) comes along and sweeps her off of her feet, introducing her to a lifestyle that she immediately loves. But reality bites, and Jenny is left at a crucial crossroads. The movie has also generated buzz around supporting actors Alfred Molina and Rosamund Pike (the red-haired villain of “Die Another Day”). Raves are also flying in for the screenplay, written by author Nick Hornby, writer of “About a Boy” and “Fever Pitch.” And with the 10 nominees for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, many people say it has a good chance of claiming one of the ten.
Before I begin, let me give credit to Lisa Schwarzbaum at Entertainment Weekly for inspiring this post after her blog entry on Jennifer Aniston got my creative juices flowing. It’s a great post, and it’s worth a read.
Marshall and the Movies 
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