In Defense of Julia Roberts

https://lebeauleblog.com/2017/04/12/in-defense-of-julia-roberts/

Posted by lebeau

Everyone likes Julia Roberts, right? I mean most people. There’s always going to be someone out there who has a bone to pick with any celebrity. I’m not an especially big fan of Roberts, but pressed for a verdict I will give her a thumbs up. However, twenty years ago Roberts’ future as a movie star was uncertain. Following the massive success of Pretty Woman, she struggled to find the right projects. Her movies were often overshadowed by her tabloid romances.

Her career stabilized when she returned to romantic comedies with My Best Friend’s Wedding. That movie represented a comeback after her uncharacteristically glum performance in Mary Reilly. But prior to Roberts’ return to form, writer David Thomson saw potential in Roberts’ least glamorous role. Where others saw an actress in over her head, Thomson saw potential. While Movieline was counting Roberts out, Thompson was mounting a defense. In the April 1997 article, Thompson argued that Roberts’ future depended on her ability to abandon her mega-watt smile.

Twenty years later, Roberts has rebounded so successfully that many forget that she was ever out of favor. I would argue that she did so by doing the opposite of what Thompson suggested.