The few times I've brought up Julia Roberts in the past I've always felt the need to qualify it... and that's not ending here. It's just that post-her-Oscar-win she and I have had a rocky road. I even really like her performance in Erin Brockovich; it's just so blatantly inferior to Ellen Burstyn's heartbreaking work in Requiem For A Dream that it colored everything associated with Roberts for me for a good long while. Well today is Julia's 42nd birthday (sidenote: doesn't it seem like she should be older than that?) and I am going to try to finally let all that go. I like Julia Roberts. I know she's got her small arsenal of annoying tics that drive so many people up the wall, that horse bray laugh being just the start of it, but I do.She charms me. I like her freaky giant mouth and her long sloping neck and the laugh and the whole effing deal. So happy birthday, Julia, and here are my five fave performances of hers.
Pretty Woman (1990)"I do have one Gold Circle coin left...
the condom of champions... the one and only...
nothin' is gettin' through this sucker."
Steel Magnolias (1989)
"My colors are blush and bashful."
Closer (2004)"You seem more like the cat that got the cream,
you can stop licking yourself."
My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)"If he were feeling what I'm feeling...
then he would know how it feels."
Erin Brockovich (2000)"They're called boobs, Ed.".
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5 comments:
I actually prefer her in Erin Brokovich to Ellen Burstyn. I know it's not the popular opinion these days, but Roberts really was that movie.
As usual, we are on similar pages, JA. Despite my efforts not to, I still love the woman. Seeing her in Closer a few years ago helped to wipe away any residual ill will re her Oscar. It's funny, though, my vote that year was 100% with Laura Linney, who I think trumped both Roberts and Burstyn with her quiet but powerful turn in You Can Count on Me....it's been going on 10 years no, and LL's Sammy has stuck with me in a way that the other two can't touch. That was a tough year, though...I still can't believe Bjork didn't even get a nom...
Linney is fantastic in YCCOM and I'd place her above Roberts that year. Bjork above Julia too. But nobody tops Burstyn for me - I know the perf. gets knocked for becoming histrionic but it affects me so, so deeply every time... it goes beyond just acting for me off into this whole other realm.
Ha, I think LL in YCCOM just resonates with me more b/c of personal experiences dealing with siblings are are, ummm, not easy...maybe Burstyn just appeals to you b/c of your raging diet pill addiction and related insanity? (kidding, of course;o)
I love the quotes you chose. Blush and bashful would always knock me out. And for some strange reason I can't help finding her funny in the schizophrenic Ocean's Twelve. Nice list.
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