SQUANDERING THE REMAINING GOODWILL: I don't hand out a lot of lifetime passes. The only present holders of ones from me are playwright/TV genius Aaron Sorkin (as a result of "Sports Night" and "The West Wing"), actress Parker Posey (if just for her work as slutty Dairy Queen attendant Libby Mae Brown in "Waiting For Guffman" and as "Jackie-O" in "The Houst of Yes"), and writer/directors Wes Anderson and Christopher Guest. However, I do hand out "10 year passes." And I'd like to highlight two people who have 10 year passes, which they are rapidly squandering.
Jason Schwartzman (pass expires 2008) earned his pass for "Rushmore." And what have you done for me lately? "Slackers?" "Simone?" "Spun?" A sitcom co-starring Molly Shannon? None match. Schwartzman's showing a bit of a sign of rebound lately, with "I Heart Huckabees," and upcoming movie choices like "Bewitched" and Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" showing some promise. I'm hoping he can make a rebound.
Julia Stiles (pass expires 2009) earned her pass for "10 Things I Hate About You." Stiles is a little different from Schwartzman--rather than making almost nothing in subsequent years, she's been constantly in action. Her problem is a lack of selectiveness. While there are highs (Michael Alymareda's "Hamlet," David Mamet's "State and Main," Tim Blake Nelson's "O"), they've been mixed with lows ("Save the Last Dance," "A Guy Thing," "Down To You," "The Prince & Me"), movies in which she's been good but the movie hasn't ("Mona Lisa Smile"), and the two "Bourne" movies, where you get the feeling she got largely left on the cutting room floor. A smart script will help her, but she needs to avoid crappy romcoms and chick flicks.
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