Saturday, January 22, 2005

THERE'S NO RIGHT, THERE'S NO WRONG, THERE'S ONLY PUBLIC OPINION: On this snowy, snowy day, maybe you can help me out with something I don't quite get: Just why is Brad Pitt so popular, anyway?

I ask this in light of the fact that the Brad/Jen breakup issue was the biggest selling edition of People magazine since 9/11, and is causing uncontrollable trauma throughout the nation.

And I ask because, when you look at his film credits, it's just not that impressive. One Oscar nomination -- for 12 Monkeys, and other than that the only other movies I've liked him in were True Romance, in which he had a great stoner cameo, and Ocean's 11, just because I thought it was cute that he was eating a snack in every scene in which he appears.

But beyond that? Fight Club is all about script and art direction, not acting. (And, technically, he doesn't really exist in the movie, which has to count against him.) Se7en? Ditto. Her head! It's in the box! Oh no!

He is a very attractive man. Granted. But a great talent? I don't think so. Even among actors who focus on entertaining films rather than Oscar-seeking seriousness, he just don't have a lot of memorable choices in the resume. Among his contemporaries, people like George Clooney, Denzel Washington and Hugh Grant and are just much more likely to appear in movies that I'll want to see.

Here's one metric to use: 40, 50 years from now, towards the end of Pitt's life, will the Academy Awards want to devote a special segment to honor his career, or will a mention during the Necrology suffice?

So do this for me today: either explain the basis of Brad Pitt's fame, or tell me someone whose Fame : Talent ratio is even more askew. Then, just enjoy all the hot chocolate you want.

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