What the Hell Happened to Reese Witherspoon?

Reese Witherspoon started her career in independent films in the 1990s.  With the new millennium, she entered the mainstream.  For a while, she seemed like the heir apparent to Julia Roberts as the Queen of Rom Coms.  She scored an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her performance in Walk the Line in 2005.  Since then, she has had one live action box office hit, a handful of disappointments and an embarrassing arrest for disorderly conduct.

What the hell happened?

Reese Witherspoon - Man in the Moon - 1991
Reese Witherspoon – Man in the Moon – 1991

Witherspoon made her film debut in 1991 opposite Sam Waterston and Jason London in Robert Mulligan’s coming-of-age drama, The Man in the Moon.

Witherspoon played a head-strong 14-year-old girl (is there any other kind) who finds love with the guy from Dazed and Confused.  They meet during one of her nude moonlight swims in the neighbor’s pond.

Man in the Moon was one of those little films that didn’t get a wide release.  Director Robert Mulligan was upset with how airlines recut his movie for in-flight showings.  So he had his name removed from the credits.  He was so disturbed that he retired from film-making.  After more than three decades in the business, Man in the Moon was Mulligan’s final film.

Reviews were mostly positive.  Roger Ebert praised the film and named it as one of the 10 best of 1991:

“Nothing else [Mulligan] has done… approaches the purity and perfection of The Man in the Moon. As the film approached its conclusion without having stepped wrong once, I wondered whether he could do it – whether he could maintain the poetic, bittersweet tone, and avoid the sentimentalism and cheap emotion that could have destroyed this story. Would he maintain the integrity of this material? He would, and he does.”

Reese Witherspoon - Wildflower - 1991
Reese Witherspoon – Wildflower – 1991

Later that year, Witherspoon appeared opposite Beau Bridges and Patricia Arquette in the TV movie Wildflower.

Arquette played a partially deaf girl with epilepsy who is being kept by her abusive stepfather.  Witherspoon’s character befriends the poor girl and hopes to help her escape her stepfather’s brutality.  Diane Keaton directed.

As TV movies go, Wildflower was well-received.

Reese Witherspoon - Desperate Choices: To Save My Child - 1992
Reese Witherspoon – Desperate Choices: To Save My Child – 1992

In 1992, Witherspoon appeared in another TV drama, Desperate Choices: To Save My Child.

Her parents were played by Bruce Davison and Growing Pains’ Joanna Kerns.

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Reese Witherspoon – A Far Off Place – 1993

In 1993, Witherspoon starred opposite Ethan Embry (credited as Ethan Randall) in the family adventure film, A Far Off Place.

Witherspoon and Embry played survivors of an attack by a gang of poachers.  They befriend an African bushman who helps them escape the poachers and travel to safety.

 Reviews were mostly negative and the movie was barely noticed at the box office.

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Reese Witherspoon – Jack the Bear – 1993

Later that year, Witherspoon appeared in the drama, Jack the Bear.

Danny DeVito played a single father of two who moves to California after the death of his wife.  So, right off the bat you know what kind of movie this is going to be.  DeVito’s character hosts a horror movie show and has a bit of a drinking problem.  They also have a racist neighbor played by Gary Sinise.  Witherspoon played the girl next door DeVito’s oldest son falls for.

Jack the Bear got even worse reviews than A Far Off Place.  It also did worse at the box office.  But the good news for Witherspoon was that she won a Young Artist Award for Best Youth Actress Co-Star.  Yeah, I don’t know what that is either.  But no doubt it got her the attention of casting directors.

Reese Witherspoon – Return to Lonesome Dove – 1993.

Witherspoon also appeared in the TV mini-series Return to Lonesome Dove.  Jon Voight and Barbara Hershey starred in the sequel to the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove.  Return to Lonesome Dove was based on characters created by novelist  Larry McMurtry, but it was not based on any of his actual writings.  Witherspoon played Oliver Reed’s young wife who befriends a character played by Ricky Schroder.

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Reese Witherspoon – S.F.W. – 1994

In 1994, Witherspoon co-starred opposite Stephen Dorff in the slacker flick, S.F.W.

The title of the film is an abbreviation for the phrase “So F#cking What?”  Which pretty much sums up what Hollywood thought would appeal to Gen Xers at the time.  Dorff and Witherspoon play hostages in a crisis which is televised for 36 days.  Dorff’s character’s attitude makes him a media hero when he eventually escapes his captors.

Dorff was custom-made for the early 90’s.  He was a poor man’s Ethan Hawke.  For a brief, flickering moment, it looked like he might be a star instead of a guy who would go on to do commercials for products to break nicotine addition.  S.F.W. co-starred 90’s flame-outs Jake Busey and Joey Lauren Adams.  Tobey Maguire even has a small supporting role.

When Hollywood aimed for Generation X, they always missed the mark.  But never quite so badly as with S.F.W.   Everything about this movie starting with the title feels like a desperate bid for the slacker audience.  But slackers didn’t respond to overt pandering.  Like every other movie that courted the grunge generation, S.F.W. bombed.  Roger Ebert started his review with this take-down:

S.F.W. is the kind of movie to inspire members of Generation X to lie about their age. It qualifies Forrest Gump for a genius grant. It is a portrait of the most singularly stupid, obnoxious character I’ve seen on the screen in many a day – which would be promising, if he were not boring, as well.

Reese Witherspoon - Fear - 1996
Reese Witherspoon – Fear – 1996

In 1996, Witherspoon appeared in the thriller, Fear opposite Marky Mark and possibly the Funky Bunch.  The Funky Bunch was in Fear right?

Fear was the kind of generic thriller that came out every week in the 90’s.  It followed the Fatal Attraction formula where a crazy person is invited into a family unit and wrecks havoc.  In this case, the crazy person was underwear model and purveyor of good vibrations, Mark Wahlberg (type casting).  The future Dirk Diggler played Witherspoon’s psycho boyfriend.  Future CSI investigator William Petersen played Witherspoon’s over-protective dad who pushes just a little too hard to get rid of the leader of the Funky Bunch.

In spite of mostly negative reviews, Fear was a very modest success at the box office.

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Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippee – 1997

In 1997, Witherspoon met actor Ryan Phillippee at her 21st birthday party.  The two hit it off instantly.  They started dating and became engaged the following year.

Reese Witherspoon - Freeway - 1996
Reese Witherspoon – Freeway – 1996

Later that year, Witherspoon starred opposite Kiefer Sutherland in the thriller, Freeway.

Freeway is basically a trashy take on Little Red Riding Hood.  Witherspoon plays a prostitute’s daughter who runs from her dysfunctional home to her grandmother’s house.  Along the way, she comes across a big bad wolf in the form of a serial killer played by Sutherland.  In a slight variation from the fairy tale, Witherspoon turns the tables on the would-be killer and ends up in jail.

Brook Shields co-starred as Sutherland’s wife who does not know his secrets.  The always-terrific Dan Hedaya plays a cop who doesn’t believe Witherspoon’s story initially.  Amanda Plummer plays her no-good mother.  And Brittany Murphy has a small role as an in-mate Witherspoon befriends.

The original cut of Freeway was slapped with a deadly NC-17 rating.  Some language was cut in order to get an acceptable R.  Reviews were mostly positive.  But Freeway never got a wide release.

Reese Witherspoon – Twilight – 1998

In 1998, Witherspoon appeared in Twilight.  No, not that one.

Paul Newman played an aging detective who is hired by Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon to track down their seventeen-year-old daughter, played by Witherspoon, and bring her home.  He finds Witherspoon shacked up with her sleazy boyfriend played by Liev Schreiber.

It was noir for the senior set.  Reviews were mixed and the movie bombed at the box office.  But hey, Witherspoon got to work with some legends of the screen.

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Reese Witherspoon – Overnight Delivery – 1998

Later that year, Witherspoon starred opposite Paul Rudd in the romantic comedy, Overnight Delivery.

Rudd played a college student who mistakenly believes his girlfriend played by Christine Taylor is cheating on him.  So he goes to a strip club where he meets a dancer played by Witherspoon.  Witherspoon convinces Rudd to send his girlfriend a nasty letter and a picture of the two of them together in a compromising position.  Rudd complies because if he doesn’t, there’s no movie.  After sending the package, Rudd discovers that his girlfriend has been faithful and he tries desperately to intercept the package.  Hijinks ensue.  And who doesn’t love hijinks?

Does any of this sound like bargain basement Kevin Smith?  There’s a reason for that.  Smith worked on an early draft of the script but later had his name removed from the project.  His girlfriend at the time, Joey Lauren Adams, was up for the part that ultimately went to Witherspoon.  Smith, who has more than his share of Hollywood grudges, tells the story of an encounter with Witherspoon after she won the role:

“Reese Witherspoon.  She’s a dick.  I was at some party with Joey Lauren Adams and Reese had just got a part  Joey was hoping to get.  So Joey said, ‘Hey Reese, I just wanted to say congratulations.  I think  you’ll do really great with the part.’  And Reese just gave this dead-eyed look  and was like, ‘Whatever…’   What a f**king douchebag.  At this point she wasn’t even the Reese  Witherspoon that everybody mistakenly knows and loves.  She was Reese  Witherspoon circa S.F.W.To have that kind of attitude back then; I guess she was meant for  stardom.”

As it turns out, Overnight Delivery went straight to video.

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Reese Witherspoon – Pleasantville – 1998

Witherspoon capped off the year opposite Tobey Maguire in the comedy/drama Pleasantville.

Maguire played an awkward young man who was obsessed with an old black and white sit-com along the lines of Leave it To Beaver or Father Knows Best.  Witherspoon played his promiscuous sister.  The two fight over what to watch on TV.  Maguire wants to watch a Pleasantville marathon and Witherspoon wants to watch a concert on MTV.  In the struggle, the remote control gets broken.  Then a mysterious TV repairman played by sitcom legend Don Knotts shows up and gifts Maguire with a special remote.  When he uses it, he and his sister are transported into the world of the 1950’s sit-com.

The citizens of Pleasantville include some pretty terrific character actors.  The sit-com parents are played by William H. Macy and Joan Allen.  J.T. Walsh in his movie appearance, played the town mayor.  And Jeff Daniels played the owner of the soda fountain.  Pleasantville looks like your run-of-the-mill high concept comedy.  But it ends up going to some pretty dark places before the inevitable happy ending.

Reviews were mostly positive.  Unfortunately, the computer effects pushed the budget up to $60 million.  So even though Pleasantville managed a first-place finish at the box office, it only recouped about two-thirds of its budget.

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Reese Witherspoon – Cruel Intentions – 1999

1999 was a big year for Witherspoon.  First, she appeared opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe in the teenage remake of Les Liaisons dangereuses, Cruel Intentions.

Les Liasons dangereuses had recently been adapted into the period drama, Dangerous Liaisons in 1998.  In 1999, a less popular adaptation, Valmont, starred Colin Firth and Annette Bening.  Both of those adaptations took place in the novel’s original setting prior to the French Revolution.  Cruel Intentions reimagined the story as a modern teen drama.

Gellar and Phillippee played rich kids who make a bet over whether or not Phillippee can seduce a virtuous girl.  Witherspoon played the Michelle Pfeiffer role as the subject of the bet.

It’s worth noting that at the time, both Gellar and Phillippee were bigger stars than Witherspoon.  Gellar, of course, was starring in the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  And Phillippee had starred opposite Gellar in the 1997 hit horror film, I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Despite mixed reviews, Cruel Intentions was a hit at the box office.  It spawned a direct-to-video franchise which included a prequel and a sequel.

Later that year, Witherspoon and Phillippee got married.  Witherspoon was six months pregnant.  The couple’s first child was born in September 1999.

Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon – Election – 1999
Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon – Election – 1999

Also in 1999, Witherspoon appeared opposite Matthew Broderick in Alexander Payne’s comedy, Election.

Witherspoon played Tracy Flick, a young gifted student with a strong sense of entitlement.  Broderick played a teacher who is put off by Flick’s naked ambition.  When Witherspoon’s character runs for class president, Broderick’s teacher is compelled to rig the election.

Much was made at the time of Broderick, the former Ferris Bueller, playing a teacher driven crazy by a smug student.  The movie was labeled the anti-Bueller.  Election got positive reviews and was a modest hit at the box office.  It has since developed a cult following.

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Reese Witherspoon – Best Laid Plans – 1999

Witherspoon capped off a busy year by appearing opposite Alessandro Nivola and Josh Brolin in the crime drama Best Laid Plans.

This low-budget crime caper received negative reviews and played in only five theaters.

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Reese Witherspoon – American Psycho – 2000

In 2000, Witherspoon appeared opposite Christian Bale in Mary Harron’s American Psycho.

American Psycho defies description.  It’s based on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel of the same name.  Bale plays a wealthy Manhattan investment banker in the 1980’s.  He lives a tidy life filled with rigid routine, shallow friends and fancy, ridiculous restaurants.  Bale’s Patrick Bateman has terrible taste in music and yet he will wax poetic about his favorite artists; Huey Lewis and the News, Phil Collins and Whitney Houston.  Witherspoon plaid his preppy little fiancée who has no idea that Bateman is also a deranged killer.

If you haven’t seen American Psycho, I’m not going to spoil it for you.  But you should really do yourself a favor and see it.

The film had a troubled production history.  Harron was attached to direct and offered Bale the lead.  But then Leonardo DiCaprio took an interest in the part at the peak of his post-Titanic popularity.  Oliver Stone became interested and Cameron Diaz was considered for the fiancée role.  Stone and DiCaprio planned to make the Bateman character more relatable.  Harron resigned from the project.  But then, Gloria Steinem convinced DiCaprio to leave the project.  Stone lost interest when DiCaprio dropped out.  Ewan McGregor considered taking up the role, but Bale convinced him to step aside.  That opened the door for Bale and Harron to return to the project.

Originally, the film was given an NC-17 rating.  In an illustration of how the ratings system works, 18 seconds were trimmed from the film to obtain an R-rating.

Reviews were mixed to positive.  It was a hit at the box office in relation to its low-budget.  American Psycho has developed a cult following on video and spawned a direct-to-video sequel.

Up until this point, Witherspoon had mostly been known for edgy, art house fare.  But that was all about to change.

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Reese Witherspoon – Little Nicky – 2000

Later that year, Witherspoon had a cameo in Adam Sandler’s devilish comedy, Little Nicky.

Sandler played the son of the devil.  Witherspoon shows up near the end of the film as Nicky’s angelic mom.  The movie was one of Sandler’s very rare bombs.

Reese Witherspoon - Friends - 2000
Reese Witherspoon – Friends – 2000

Witherspoon also appeared on two episodes of the sitcom, Friends.  She played Jennifer Aniston’s sister, Jill, who visits from out of town.

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Reese Witherspoon – Legally Blonde – 2001

In 2001, Witherspoon starred in the movie that would change her career, Legally Blonde.

Witherspoon played Elle Woods, a dingy blonde sorority girl who decides to go to law school when her boy friend dumps her for someone more serious.  The other woman was played by Witherspoon’s Cruel Intentions co-star, Selma Blair.  Luke Wilson plays the boy Witherspoon will wind up with when she realizes her fiancée doesn’t deserve her.

Legally Blonde was formulaic in every way.  And yet, the mixed reviews skewed towards the positive side and the movie turned into a huge sleeper hit.  Witherspoon was nominated for a Golden Globe.  In 2007, it was adapted into a Broadway musical.

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Reese Witherspoon – The Importance of Being Earnest – 2002

In 2002, Witherspoon appeared opposite Rupert Everett in an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy of manners, The Importance of Being Earnest.

Reviews for the adaptation were mixed and the movie flopped at the box office.

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Reese Witherspoon – Sweet Home Alabama – 2002

Later that year, Witherspoon starred opposite Josh Lucas (remember him?  didn’t think so) and Patrick Dempsey in the romantic comedy, Sweet Home Alabama.

Let me say up front that I hate this movie.  I seriously hate it.  I hate this movie not because it is especially bad.  In fact, it’s probably a cut above the average rom com.  But I hate this movie because it never aspires to be good.  Every character, every line of dialogue, every plot contrivance comes write out of a handbook on how to write romantic comedies.  Sitting in the theater watching this thing drag out over a nearly 2-hour run time, I decided that I hated the entire romantic comedy genre.

An over-reaction?  Perhaps.  But I think my ban on rom coms and Reese Witherspoon movies has served me well over the last decade.

Anyway, Witherspoon played a country girl who became a successful city girl and got engaged to the mayor’s son.  She has to go back to rural Alabama to get a divorce from her high school sweetheart who she can’t admit she still loves.  Her big problem is that she has two perfect men who both love her and whom she has feelings for.  It’s a choice between two storybook endings.  So who really cares which one she chooses.  In the end she makes the obvious choice since the movie isn’t called New York, New York.  Nearly two hours have passed with nothing especially romantic or comedic having transpired.

Did I mention I hate this movie?

It’s one of those movies where every single supporting character exists solely for the purpose of advancing the main character.  Without her, none of these people have any reason to exist.

Critics mostly agreed with me.  Reviews were mixed to negative.  But audiences made Sweet Home Alabama a huge hit.  It outgrossed Legally Blonde to become Witherspoon’s first movie to pass the $100 million dollar benchmark.  Incredible.

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Reese Witherspoon – Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde – 2003

In 2003, Witherspoon reprised her role as Elle Woods for the obligatory sequel, Legally Blonde 2.

Elle decides that she needs to find her Chihuahua’s mother so she can attend her wedding.  Wait – what?  Seriously, that’s the plot?  She hires a detective to find the dog and discovers that the dog is being tested on by a cosmetics company.  So Elle decides to ban animal testing.  I can’t believe this ever got made.

Unlike the first film, the sequel received mostly negative reviews.  Entertainment Weekly named it one of the 25 worst sequels ever made.  It had a big opening weekend at the box office, but quickly fell off.  Probably when audiences realized it was a bout a grown women trying to reunite a dog family for her wedding.  Legally Blonde 2 was a hit, but it was also a bit of a disappointment in relation to the first film and Sweet Home Alabama.

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Reese Witherspoon – Vanity Fair – 2004

In 2004, Witherspoon starred in an adaptation of the novel, Vanity Fair.

Witherspoon played a poor English girl who, along with her best friend, climbs the social ladder.  The story covers twenty years of struggles through marriage, motherhood and the Napoleonic wars.

Witherspoon announced that she was pregnant which require the pre-production and filming schedules to be accelerated in order to finish the film before she started to show.

Reviews were mixed and the movie flopped at the box office.

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Reese Witherspoon – Just Like Heaven – 2005

In 2005, Witherspoon starred opposite Mark Ruffalo in the supernatural romantic comedy, Just Like Heaven.

Witherspoon played a workaholic who is involved in a car accident.  Ruffalo played a widower who moves into Witherspoon’s old apartment.  Soon, Witherspoon is appearing to him Patrick Swayze-style.

Reviews were mixed.  Although the film opened at number one that weekend, it quickly fell out of the top ten and failed to earn back its production budget.  It fared better overseas than it did in the US and ultimately turned a profit.

witherspoon - walk the line
Reese Witherspoon – Walk the Line – 2005

Later that year, Witherspoon costarred opposite Joaquin Phoenix in the biopic, Walk the Line.

Phoenix played legendary country singer Johnny Cash who struggled with all of the issues musicians struggle with in these movies.  Witherspoon played his wife and some-time singing partner, June Carter Cash.

Reviews were mostly positive.  Witherspoon was nominated for several awards.  She won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Walk the Line was also a hit at the box office.  This was exactly the shot in the arm her career needed.

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Reese Witherspoon – Penelope – 2006

In 2006, Witherspoon appeared in the romantic comedy/fantasy, Penelope.  Wait until I tell you what this one was about!

Christina Ricci played a rich girl who had been cursed with a pig nose.  Yeah, literally she has the nose of a pig.  Her parents are told that the curse will be broken if one of her own learn to love her.  They take it to mean that she must win the heart of another noble.  James McAvoy played their best home to break the curse.  Witherspoon played a biker chick who befriends the rich, pig faced girl.

So what was Witherspoon doing in a movie about a girl with a pig nose trying to find love?  She was one of the producers.  This was the project in which Witherspoon chose to invest her A-list clout.  The movie was filmed in England and was originally released by the Weinstein company in 2006.  But the Weinstein Company decided not to give the film a wide release.  I mean, can you blame them?

Eventually, Penelope was picked up by Summit Entertainment.  Summit released the film in 2008.  Reviews were mixed and the movie bombed at the box office.

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Reese Witherspoon – Rendition – 2007

In 2007, Witherspoon starred opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the thriller, Rendition.

Witherspoon plays a wife whose Egyptian-born is taken into custody by the CIA as a suspected terrorist.  The movie is based on a case of mistaken identity in which an innocent man was detained when his name was flagged on a watch list for being too similar to a known terrorist.

Reviews were mostly negative, although Roger Ebert championed the film.  Peter Travers named it the Worst Anti-War Film of the Year in his annual worst movie list for 2007.  It bombed badly.  It opened at an embarrassing 9th place at the box office.  Just to illustrate how badly it did, it was beaten by a re-released on The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D.

Throughout the year, there was speculation that Witherspoon had begun a romantic relationship with Gyllenhaal.  She filed for divorce from Ryan Phillippe in May.  The divorce was finalized in October at which time Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal took their relationship public.

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Reese Witherspoon – Four Christmases – 2008

In 2008, Witherspoon starred opposite Vince Vaughn in the holiday comedy, Four Christmases.

Vaughn and Witherspoon play a couple who decide to visit each of their four divorced parents on Christmas when their travel plans are cancelled.

Rumors spread that Witherspoon and Vaughn did not get along during filming.  According to the New York Daily News:

“Vince rolls onto set in the morning looking like he just came in from a night out, while Reese will arrive early looking camera-ready. “Then Reese tries to force Vince into blocking out each scene and running through their lines as Vince tries to convince her that he’s an ad-libber and wants to play around and see where the scene goes. “She’s a one-take perfectionist and Vince likes to try it a few different ways. Sometimes Vince will be standing behind her and he has this look on his face that he just wants to kill her!”

Witherspoon later denied the rumors saying:

“We get along great. We were good friends and we were very much partners in this movie.  Vince is the funniest man I’ve ever worked with.  Apparently, every man I ever work with, I’m either having an affair with him, having a baby with him or we can’t stand each other.”

Despite mostly negative reviews, Four Christmases was a big holiday hit at the box office.

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Reese Witherspoon – Monsters Vs. Aliens – 2009

In 2009, Witherspoon leant her voice to DreamWorks Animations’ Monsters Vs. Aliens.

Witherspoon played a woman who is turned into a monster by radiation that causes her to grow into a giant.  She is taken into custody by an army general voiced by Kiefer Sutherland and joined by other monsters played by Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie and Will Arnett.

Witherspoon’s fiancé was voiced by her Overnight Delivery co-star, Paul Rudd.

Monsters Vs. Aliens got good reviews and was a big hit at the box office.

Witherspoon has gone on to voice the character again on a Halloween special.

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Reese Witherspoon – How Do You Know – 2010

In 2010, Witherspoon reunited with Rudd in James L. Brooks’ romantic comedy-drama, How Do You Know.

Witherspoon played a softball player who gets cut from the US softball team and finds herself evaluating her life.  As is required by the laws of romantic comedies, she finds herself in a romantic triangle with characters played by Rudd and Owen Wilson.  Because this is a James L. Brooks movie, Jack Nicholson also shows up.

Brooks started developing How Do You Know in 2005.  The movie cost a staggering $100 million dollars after $20 million dollars in tax rebate from Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.  The star salaries alone cost roughly $50 million.  Witherspoon was paid $15 million, five times what Rudd was paid.  Although not that much more than Nicholson.

Reviews were negative and the movie flopped at the box office.  It opened at an embarrassing 8th place at the box office.  This is a huge problem if you’re an a-list star who gets paid $15 million dollars to open romantic comedies.  The reason Witherspoon was able to get $15 million dollars for a romantic comedy is that when she starred in romantic comedies, they don’t open in 8th place.

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Reese Witherspoon – Water for Elephants – 2011

The following year, Witherspoon starred opposite the Twilight guy (the one who owns a shirt – Patterson, Pattycake, it’ll come to me) in the romantic drama, Water for Elephants.

Team Edward played a young man who runs off to join the circus.  Witherspoon played the lovely wife of the cruel owner of the circus.  Presumably, the circus had an act that included elephants who occasionally got thirsty and required water.

Reviews were mixed to positive.  The movie opened at number three which was disappointing but not disastrous.

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Reese Witherspoon Wedding – 2011

In 2011, Witherspoon remarried.  Her second husband was talent agent, Jim Toth.  We’ll hear more about him later.

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Reese Witherspoon – This Means War – 2012

In 2012, Witherspoon starred opposite Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Bane (Tom Hardy) in McG’s romantic comedy, This Means War.

Witherspoon played a woman who finds herself dating two guys who both happen to be CIA agents.  The guys, played by Pine and Hardy, use all of their espionage tricks to try to win the girl.

Reviews were negative and the movie flopped.  The studio pushed back its release in order to avoid competition from The Vow.  But it still opened in fifth place just ahead of a rerelease of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 3-D.  Although the Star Wars rerelease was in its second week.  This is disastrous for a supposedly a-list actress whose a-list status hinges on her ability to open romantic comedies.

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Reese Witherspoon – Mud – 2012

Later that year, Witherspoon appeared opposite Matthew McConaughey in the drama, Mud.

Mud is about two boys who decide to help a fugitive played by McConaughey reunite with his girlfriend played by Witherspoon.

Reviews for Mud were universally positive and it was warmly received at Cannes.  It performed reasonably well at the box office for a film in limited release.

In a way, Mud represented a return to gritty independent films which Witherspoon built her career on in the 90s.

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Reese Witherspoon – Mug Shots – 2013

In April of 2013, Witherspoon and her husband were pulled over in Atlanta.  Toth was driving and had a blood alcohol level of 0.139.  He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence.  Witherspoon was also arrested for disorderly conduct which was caught on video.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9fwe_NEerE]

Witherspoon famously threw a fit in which she objected to her husband’s arrest on the basis that she was a US citizen and then demanded to know if the officer knew who she was.  You have to give the officer credit for handling it so professionally.  Toth even apologized to him for his wife’s behavior.

Two weeks later, Witherspoon went on TV to apologize:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAI12zSjCoA]

She absolutely handled the incident correctly.  Although the episode was embarrassing, doesn’t appear to have done any permanent damage to her career.

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Reese Witherspoon – the Devil’s Knot – 2013

Later that year, Witherspoon starred opposite Colin Firth in the crime drama, The Devil’s Knot.

The movie is based on the true story of three children who were brutally murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993.  Three teenagers were quickly convicted of killing the boys in what was believed to be a Satanic ritual.  The story became the basis for Mara Leveritt’s 2002 book of the same name.

The Devil’s Knot debuted at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.  It received mostly negative reviews.  It had a limited release in Canada and was released video on demand in the US.

Witherspoon - Gone Girl premiere
Reese Witherspoon – Gone Girl premiere – 2014

In 2014, Witherspoon took control of her career.  Two years earlier, Witherspoon claims she had grown frustrated with the lack of roles in Hollywood for women over 30.  So she partnered with Australian producer Bruna Papandrea and formed her own production company, Pacific Standard.  The company immediately optioned two books featuring strong female characters.

The first movie released by Pacific Standard was David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s page-turning thriller, Gone Girl.  Ben Affleck starred as a handsome husband suspected of killing his wife when she goes missing.  Rosamund Pike played the complex wife who goes missing under mysterious circumstances.

Gone Girl received mostly positive reviews and was a hit at the box office.  Although Witherspoon didn’t appear in the movie, it was a big win for her as a producer.

witherspoon - the good lie
Reese Witherspoon – The Good Lie – 2014

Later that year, Witherspoon starred in the indie drama, The Good Lie.

The Good Lie is based on the true story of  the Lost Boys of Sudan, a group of refugees displaced and/or orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War.  Witherspoon played an American who helps four refugees relocate to the US.

The Good Lie has played the film festival circuit where it has received mostly good reviews.

witherspoon - wild
Reese Witherspoon – Wild – 2014

Witherspoon ended 2014 by starring in Wild, the second feature from her production company.

Wild was based on Cheryl Strayed’s novel, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.  Witherspoon played a woman who undertakes a 1,100-mile solo hike after the death of her mother played by Laura Dern.

Like a lot of other Witherspoon movies in recent years, Wild premiered on the film festival circuit.  After receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews, it was released in theaters.  Witherspoon was nominated for Best Actress but lost to Julianne Moore for Still Alice.

Reese Witherspoon - Inherent Vice - 2015
Reese Witherspoon – Inherent Vice – 2015

In late 2014, Witherspoon appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson’s crime drama, Inherent Vice.

Joaquin Phoenix starred as a drugged up detective in the 70’s detective who investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend.  The cast included Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Benicio del Toro and Martin Short.

Inherent Vice received a limited release in 2014 to qualify for awards season and was rolled out to more theaters in 2015.  Despite mostly positive reviews, Inherent Vice flopped at the box office.

So, what the hell happened?

Witherspoon spent a decade appearing in somewhat edgy, arty movies.  She had built a reputation as a certain kind of actress.  But then she got lucky with mainstream comedies like Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama.  And for a short time, that put her over the top.  She was A-list with all of the pressures that involves.  However, Witherspoon’s career started to falter almost immediately.  She got a bump from her Academy Award winning performance in Walk the Line.  But her bread and butter at the box office was romantic comedies.  And her track record was spotty.

In an interview with 60 Minutes, Witherspoon admitted that her career took a turn for the worst.  She claims to have come to a realization while reading an article about actors who were washed up.  At first, she was surprised to see herself on the list.  According to Witherspoon, her personal life impacted her career:

“I got divorced the next year and I spent a few years just trying to feel better.  You know, you can’t really be very creative when you feel like your brain is scrambled eggs. I was just kind of floundering career-wise cause I wasn’t making things I was passionate about, I was just kinda working. It was really clear the audiences weren’t responding to anything I was putting out there.”

Witherspoon was smart enough to realize that Hollywood wasn’t making movies for actresses her age.  So she started producing her own movies and so far she has been wildly successful in that endeavor.  As a producer, Witherspoon has enjoyed one of the more impressive comebacks in the What the Hell Happened series.  We’ll have to see how far that success takes her and her company.

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Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

How Did Reese Witherspoon’s Career End Up In The Crapper After Her Oscar Win? http://www.crushable.com/2012/03/22/entertainment/celebrities-entertainment/reese-witherspoon-career-birthday-734/ First of all, congratulations to Reese Witherspoon for getting knocked up! That’s very exciting news for she and her new husband, Jim Toth. But now that the obligatory response to her pregnancy is out of the way, let’s focus on her career and what the hell is going on with it. In 2006 she won the Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line and ever since, her choice in roles have been, well, shitty. Even before Walk the Line she… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

How Does Reese Witherspoon Stay On The A-List? http://news.moviefone.com/2012/02/16/reese-witherspoon-a-list/ Back in 2005, Reese Witherspoon was a top star; she was earning $15 million a picture, was a reliable box office draw in romantic comedies, and proved her mettle as a dramatic actress by winning an Oscar for “Walk the Line.” Today, she’s a performer whose last $100-million hit was four years ago, who starred in one of Hollywood’s costliest recent flops, and whose current romantic comedy (20th Century Fox’s “This Means War”) suffered a last-minute release date change, away from its initially scheduled Feb. 14th premiere, apparently because she wasn’t… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Future of Movie Stars: Who Will Shine? Who Will Fade Away? http://forums.previously.tv/topic/7750-future-of-movie-stars-who-will-shine-who-will-fade-away/page-6#entry443121 I like to think her How Do You Know?/This Means War era was a really hard lesson from Reese, because after that she seems to have gotten a lot more picky after that. And the truth is, she’s hit that space where she can’t be the young girl in love anymore, but she doesn’t feel old enough yet to pull off the whole “mature woman finds new love” space that Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun or Cher in Moonstruck did. (Which is actually kind of funny,… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Actresses Whose Careers Went Downhill After Winning An Oscar: http://whatculture.com/film/10-actresses-whose-careers-went-downhill-winning-oscar.php/3 Reese Witherspoon When Reese Witherspoon won an Oscar for Best Actress in 2006, she was a proven box office draw. In the past eight years, however, she’s had just one hit: the critically-panned 2008 film Four Christmases, which co-starred Vince Vaughn. Yikes. You might think her Oscar-winning performance in Walk The Line was an anomaly, but when she initially started out, Reese Witherspoon’s career could not have been any more promising. Fear, Overnight Delivery, Pleasantville, Cruel Intentions, Election, American Psycho – not all of these movies were great, but… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

Nice as usual.
I have to say that Witherspoon carreer is particular. “Legally Blonde”, “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Walk The Line” were hits in the US, but most people outside the US have never heard of those films. She’s probabily too american to have international appeal?

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

I remembered your comments while I was writing the article and what surprised me is that her films have actually done very well overseas. Sometimes better than they did in the US. I don’t know which countries she is popular in, so maybe she’s just not as well known in Italy. But she seems to have some international appeal.

johnny88
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Well, here in Italy she’s almost unknown. But also in other european countries like France and Spain her movies failed to have the same success they had in North America. UK (but UK is almost the 51st state of the USA 😉 ) and Germany are probabily the lone exceptions. However, the most curious thing, “This Means War”, that flopped in the US, became her biggest hit outside the USA ’til now, being the first, and to date only Witherspoon movie to gross 100 mln outside the USA. So strange. In Italy her biggest hit has been “Water for Elephants”,… Read more »

johnny88
10 years ago
Reply to  johnny88

And also just look at this. These are Witherspoon 5 biggest hits in the USA to date, look what is the percentage of domestic gross Legally Blonde-68% Sweet Home Alabama-70% Legally Blonde 2-72% Walk the Line-64% Four Christmases-73% That’s why I say she got some troubles being marketable outside the USA. Not that outside the USA she’s unknown like in Italy, but compared to other actors her lack of international appeal is somewhat evident. Her five highest grossing movies gross two thirds of money in domestic market only. The irony is that, as I wrote before, her lone true worldwide… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  johnny88

But look at the movies she made that didn’t do well in the US:

This Means War did 65% of it’s box office overseas. It was actually a hit outside the US.

water For Elephants was 50/50 between US and domestic.

Rendition was 64% foreign.

Yeah, her big hits were predominantly US-driven. I think she was America’s Sweetheart for a short time. But clearly she has some recognition overseas.

pvalenti@bluewin.ch
pvalenti@bluewin.ch
10 years ago
Reply to  johnny88

Weird. In Switzerland – bordering to Italy – she is a well known actress. Sweet home Alabama was a decent hit over here.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  johnny88

Adam Sandler tops Forbes’ list of most-overpaid actors:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/09/us-actors-overpaid-idUSBRE9B813A20131209?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews

Reese Witherspoon, the star of recent films “Water for Elephants” and “This Means War,” was third on this list, with an average return of $3.90 for every dollar she was paid.

mr. ngoc
mr. ngoc
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

I don’t really think she has international appeal like Nicole Kidman or Julia Roberts. “This Means War” was a comedy – action movie, people here in Asia ate up this type of film.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  mr. ngoc

She does seem to have more appeal in the States than overseas. But I think she must have some international appeal given the overseas performance of some of her films. Still, few actresses have the global appeal of Roberts and Kidman.

Mack
Mack
10 years ago

Do I have to proofread your articles??? It was Jeff Daniels who starred as the soda guy in Pleasant ville!!!

Another great article!! As always well researched and written. I actually liked Sweet Home Alabama. Easy to watch and is a cable TV movie staple. As hound dog owner, her crying over the dog she abandoned grave site was heartfelt

Great job again!!

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Mack

Did I say Jeff Bridges again?!? I did that in the last article. Yeah, would you mind proof reading for me? Fortunately, you guys catch my typos so I can go back and fix them. Hang on. I’m going to go check. *face palm* Yep, I did it again. Thanks for the catch. It has been corrected. *sigh* Just wait till I write up Jeff Daniels and get his name wrong every time. 😉 I’m glad you liked the article otherwise. As I said, I had a very negative reaction to Sweet Home Alabama. But it had less to do… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Watch out, Lebeau! Daniels and his friends at the Newsroom will take you down if your information isn’t 100% accurate! Apparently they’re going through a little of that themselves this season.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

No press is bad press right? Maybe I should mess up his name on purpose. Go for an on-air rant. 😉

Seriously, sometimes you get something in your head and you just can’t stop making the same stupid mistake. I’m going to have to start copying and pasting Jeff Br— Daniels from now on.

RB
RB
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

I’m watching two movies at the same time starting yesterday. Just finished “the Proposal” which was huge box office and which has just caused me to (gasp) swear off romcoms for a while. I really think I’m going to be sick. So there is no way I can put Sweet Home Alabama on the list, although it was there for a while. The second movie is Bonfire of the Vanities, which is a far more interesting film.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  RB

I’ll be interested to hear your reaction to Bonfire. I saw it when it came out after having read the book and haven’t watched it since.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

I absolutely adore Pleasantville. Anybody who hasn’t seen it should check it out. That also goes for Election. She really seemed to be making very interesting movies for a while there, but then she succumbed to the Rom Com thing and it resulted in a quickening of her career fast up and fast down.

Witherspoon was always appealing to me as a supporting player, while I avoided her lead role projects like the plague.
ATTENTION FILM STUDIOS!: WRITING MATTERS!

I guess I don’t have much more to say on this topic. It was an interesting article, though!

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

That pretty much sums it up. I was a fan circa Pleasantville and Election. And as I said in the article, Sweet Home Alabama caused me to institute a ban that was temporarily lifted for Walk the Line.

Writing is getting harder and harder to find in mainstream movies. That’s because movies start production before the script is started and producers, directors and even actors feel free to rewrite the script if there is one. The screenwriter is the lowest man (or woman) on Hollywood’s totem pole.

Jake
Jake
10 years ago

Despite its nice cast, the only reason to see the 1998 Twilight is for the nice view of Reese’s peanut butter cups (bad pun, but the only one I could think of)

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Jake

lol – I don’t feel good about myself, but this made me laugh out loud. As I have mentioned before, I do a lot of image searches for these articles. I usually put in the actor’s last name and the movie title. Sometimes the year if it requires clarification or a co-star if I want to include someone specific in the picture. Anyway, when I include an actress and a movie title, I can almost always tell you whether or not they did nudity. Because the search will be heavily weighted towards results that show the actress topless. If they… Read more »

Lydia
Lydia
10 years ago

Well, I think that her career is over. Her performance in Mud wasn’t getting good reviews and it is well known that she is difficult to work with, like a female Mike Myers. Also, she is set to make some more romcoms like Don’t Mess With Texas and Men Are From Mars. Plus, her arrest showed us the real her and her excuse-ridden “apology” won’t change things. It won’t ruin her career but it does change what the public sees her. Even her own husband, in a different arrest video, admitted that she can be like this sometimes, so it’s… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Lydia

Really, most of the reviews I read of Mud singled out Witherspoon’s performance for praise. Who did you read who didn’t like her performance? I read a few things about her being “difficult”. But I’m reminded of one of many double standards in Hollywood. Take the Vince Vaughn story and reverse the genders. Say Vaughn was showing up on time prepared and Witherspoon was the one winging it. Do you think the story would take the same tone? My guess is it would not. Vaughn would be hailed as a professional and Witherspoon would be blasted as a party girl… Read more »

Jake
Jake
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

That’s an interesting point about the gender swap on that story. Robert Downey Jr. (who is a great actor) was in rehab almost as much as Lindsay Lohan before Iron Man & Sherlock Holmes came along. He’s now praised more than ever as a genius, while Lohan is regarded as a joke. Would you say that double standard is at work there, too?

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Jake

To a large degree yes. However, I have to give Downey credit for doing something very difficult that Lohan has yet to do. For a while, Downey was a punchline too. But he cleaned up and really committed himself to his career. He paid his dues all over again. If Lohan does the same, she may be able to earn back some respectability.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Lydia

Re: Reese Witherspoon: Racist Backstabber?

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/381071-Reese-Witherspoon-Racist-Backstabber?p=22796798&viewfull=1#post22796798

I actually remember reading about Jennifer Anniston and how she got Reese Witherspoon kicked off Friends and that’s why she was replaced with someone else to be Rachel’s sister.

RB
RB
10 years ago

The first “Legally Blonde” movie is one of those ultimate enpowering chick flicks, one which my daughter and I watch every so often. (My son liked it but only for one viewing). It was well done and to my mind, showcases what Reese Witherspoon can do with a good script. The part of Elle was all hers, it’s tough to imagine any other actress who could have done such a slam dunk. However, the sequel didn’t look as good so we have not seen it. Will get around to it eventually. “How Do You Know” I saw on DVD and… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  RB

I have to admit I kind of want to see How Do You Know and Four Christmases now. Legally Blonde 2 is really, really bad from what little I have seen of it. I didn’t mind the first one.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  RB

Four Christmases, zero laughs, and a whole lot of nastiness: http://thedissolve.com/features/forgotbusters/867-four-christmases-zero-laughs-and-a-whole-lot-of-na/ The repellent Four Christmases, which was the 21st highest-grossing film of 2008, and these days is talked about in warm terms by no one, ever, belongs to the considerable subset of Christmas movies that are 90 percent lump of coal, and 10 percent gaudy tinsel. Four Christmases focuses on Brad (Vince Vaughn), a wealthy lawyer who spends every Christmas in a tropical locale with girlfriend Kate (Best Actress Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon) pretending to do charity work to avoid their divorced parents. Brad and Kate are impossibly hate-worthy yuppies who… Read more »

Dorian
Dorian
10 years ago

Another great article, lebeau. Keep it up!
By the way, you wrote ‘based on’ twice at the beginning of the American Psycho bit, just thought I’d point that out. 😉
I actually really enjoyed Penelope, it’s in my top 3 of Reese’s movies.

Off topic: would you please consider doing an article on Linda Hamilton? That would be awesome!

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Dorian

You know what that is? That’s being interrupted. If I write at work (shhh), it’s employees. If I write at home, it’s the girls. That’s my story anyway. Thanks for the catch. I’ve been doing a little clean-up on some of the older articles this week and I can’t believe some of the stuff I’ve missed that no one has ever pointed out to me! I need an editor to work for free. I remember when Penelope came out being mildly interested because I hadn’t seen Ricci in a long time. The premise is really out there! But I’ve heard… Read more »

Jake
Jake
10 years ago

“In the end she makes the obvious choice since the movie isn’t called New York, New York.”
Indeed. There are many films which basically give away how they will end in their trailers, but I do believe “Sweet Home Alabama” was the first film to give away its ending just with its TITLE.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Jake

I don’t know why, but this comment reminds me of the trope of the Ghost Ship moment. Someone observed that the characters in the movie Ghost Ship took most of the movie to realize what the audience knew from the title – that they were on a haunted boat. Most movies have a GS moment and usually its fairly late in the picture. For Sweet Home Alabama, it was the end.

phosphorus
phosphorus
10 years ago

“Penelope” isn’t that bad, actually, since James McAvoy is in it. The film is on various “Best kisses in movies”-lists (Reese Witherspoon is not in it). As far as I know, the kissing scene was cut in the US version.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  phosphorus

I’ll have to track down Penelope. I have heard good things from a few people. But how do you not make fun of a movie with that premise?

phosphorus
phosphorus
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Can’t blame you.

It is a romcom with a touch of a fairy tale, so be prepared. 😉 No use in watching it if you are not in the mood for that.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  phosphorus

Probably gonna be a while before I can muster up the mood for that! Thanks for the warning.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

He’s on my radar. But it will probably take a looong time to get to him.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Whatever Happened to…?: Vol. 5 – Josh Lucas: http://znculturecast.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/whatever-happened-to-vol-5-josh-lucas/ Though not a household name whatsoever, Josh Lucas came surprisingly close to becoming one in the early 2000s. Starring or co-starring in a string of critical and commercial hits like American Psycho (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), and Sweet Home Alabama (2002, and one of the highest grossing Romantic Comedies of all time if I’m not mistaken), Lucas was well on his way to becoming an A-List actor. With good looks and a charisma not terribly far off from that of Bradley Cooper or Ryan Reynolds, Lucas had the potential to… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Future of Movie Stars: Who Will Shine? Who Will Fade Away?

http://forums.previously.tv/topic/7750-future-of-movie-stars-who-will-shine-who-will-fade-away/page-9#entry737316

I do think Josh Lucas could have played a lot of the roles that made Bradley Cooper famous, for sure. Although Bradley Cooper’s roles tended to be lighter in fare, and it was often about how 80’s movie villain handsome he was. Josh has played a lot of darker indie roles, and his looks kind of allowed him to, while Bradley Cooper has always been kind of boyishly handsome.

Peter
Peter
10 years ago

I hope you can read this, but “absolutely handled it correctly”? No she didn’t. Those were disingenuous apologies and she was so fake saying them.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Peter

Maybe. But she walked out of the scandal unscathed. She pulled a Hugh Grant instead of a Mel Gibson.

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  Peter

I think it fell into “She’s defending her man”- and not “She’s taking shots at every minority group in the US”

It does lessen my opinion of her- but frankly I think her age and recent flops have hurt her more than this incident.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Mastro

The story was a blow to her “sweet girl next door” image. It let the general public see the entitled “Do you know who I am?” princess/b—- she has been rumored to be. But then she got out in front of the story and spun it back the right way. Was she genuine? Probably not. Those who were inclined not to like her weren’t going to accept her apology anyway. Those who already liked her were willing to let bygones be bygones. In the end, I don’t think it will dappen her career all that much. But it certainly could… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Reese kind of “reaped what she sowed” so to speak by seemingly consciously creating her public image as being I guess, a bit morally upright. Take for instance, her speech at the MTV Movie Awards several years back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbtUt6xAUZM

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706243/reese-witherspoon-arrest.jhtml

The actress earned praise in 2011 when she made an inspiring speech
 while accepting the Generation Award at the MTV Movie Awards about how it is cool to be a “good girl” and avoid the pitfalls of reality shows, sex tapes and sexting.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Other than Meg Ryan and maybe, Winona Ryder, is there any female celebrity or actress (to be more to the point) at least that for much of their career (or at the very least, the peak years of their career) had a “sweet/down-to-earth girl next door” image, which they proceeded to immediately shatter via negative publicity?

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago

Lindsey Lohan takes the gold- went from Mean Girls and Freaky Friday to Court TV

Amanda Bynes- totally a Nickelodeon GND- then a rapper groupie- now a very disturbed woman. Just sad.

Tara Reid had it in American Pie- but killed it almost immediately.

Oh- honorable mention is Marilyn Chambers – who went from Ivory Soap to porn (but played up the soap commercial to get press for her porn career)

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

Sure there are. The one that comes to my mind goes back to Old Hollywood. Ingrid Bergman had a good girl persona but was bainshed from the country when she started a scandalous affair with an Italian director. She wasn’t allowed back into the US for years! It was actually discussed in Congress.

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Yeah- Ingrid was a huge scandal- but that was in the McCarthy era- they probably thought she was a Red as well-

Gotta stay a little current.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Mastro

Okay. Hannah Montana? 😉

Lydia
Lydia
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

So you’re saying that while she may not have been really sorry, she handled the PR the right way? I guess she did, but that is the point of PR. Someone like Christian Bale, he seemed genuinely sorry for the rant. I got the feeling that Witherspoon apologized only for the sake of her image, and since there were already more people in this world that already like her and are willing to accept her apologies, I guess her image won’t be tarnished, but if you ask me, she should really stop being so egotistical and know that the world… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Lydia

That is exactly what I’m saying. She sounds like a prickly pear (some would use other words to describe her I’m sure). But most of America considers her a sweet All-American girl like she plays on screen. Those people were more than willing to overlook what they saw as a momentary flash of diva in defense of her man. Whether or not that is true is a matter of perception. I suspect she’s more diva than Sweet Home Alabama.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Lydia

Reese Witherspoon: Racist Backstabber? http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php?t=381071 [CDAN] This actress is A list through and through. She has achieved about the most success an actress can receive. Money, fame and awards. She wanted to be the world’s sweetheart, but if they knew how she got to her lofty position they would be rethinking their judgment. When Backstabber came to Hollywood she thought she was hot and that she could make it on her looks. Back home she was always the prettiest and she figured she would be here too. Nope. Not even close. She was smart enough to figure that out and… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Lydia

The Unholy Tale of Greasy Reese Witherspoon (by Kevin Smith): http://freekatie.yuku.com/forum/getrefs/id/190060/type/0 It’s Friday night at eleven o’clock, and me, my producer Scott Mosier and my wife Jen are sitting around the patio bar of the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles with Cruel Intentions actress Selma Blair. What started as a routine meet-and-greet has now become a five-hour gab session, during which Selma has just let slip that she knows where Greasy Reese Witherspoon lives. “You must tell me where,” I gravely say. “Why?” Selma asks, a little uncomfortable, due to the sudden change in my demeanor, brought on by… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

She’s a viable candidate.

RB
RB
10 years ago

Scratching my head after reading the gossip items above. It all sounds like stuff that someone just made up, and really what is stopping the writers from doing so? Especially where they take pains not to mention names, maybe because they know they can get even more creative without getting sued.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  RB

True or not, blind gossip items don’t interest me very much. There are enough stories out there about Witherspoon that I already know she has made enemies. And the America’s Sweetheart thing is all about image. I could believe a lot of other stuff in those gossip items, but what difference would any of it make whether its true or not?

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

I really don’t know if this is a fair or good analogy or comparison but Reese sort or reminds me of like an acting version of the figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. What I mean is that it seemed like Nancy’s PR team and to a certain extent, the otherwise lazy media tried to paint her as the sweet, all-American girl-next-door (especially after her attack prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics). Unfortunately, Nancy like Reese has if you looked closely, shown signs of real unpleasantness and entitlement. For example, Nancy during the medal ceremonies was got on camera making some sarcastic… Read more »

Terrence Clay
10 years ago

10 Huge Hollywood Actors We All Loved (But Now Hate): http://whatculture.com/film/10-huge-hollywood-actors-loved-now-hate.php/3 9. Reese Witherspoon We Love You Moment: Legally Blonde (2001) Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon was marked as a rising star following her great turn in the underrated Freeway, playing Texan trailer trash in an updated road movie version of Little Red Riding Hood released in 1996. The following five years saw her star in Fear, Cruel Intentions, Election and American Psycho as she slowly but surely built a career as a talented and versatile actress. She found worldwide fame following the release of Legally Blonde in 2001. The role… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Terrence Clay

Flopped Actors/Actresses Thread:
http://forums.boxoffice.com/index.php?/topic/6035-flopped-actorsactresses-thread/page-19#entry751576

Alcohol is a revelator of your true nature and inner turmoil you try to hide. So basically, when she put on a good and humble girl front in social venues posing as America’s Sweetheart, she’s actually a self-entitled and obnoxious egomaniacal that is stuck up and condescending to everyone she feels “lower than her”. Just like her role in Election.

I mean she was drunk, her hubby was DUI. If a police agent stops you, you just obey and shut your f***ing loud mouth up!

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

http://forums.boxoffice.com/index.php?/topic/6035-flopped-actorsactresses-thread/page-18#entry749717 LOL. Reeses popularity was never only beauty-based since shes averige cute. Age will put Evangeline Lilly, Emily Van Camp and other talentless TV hacks in flopped actress category very fast, just watch. Unlike them, Reese is an actual talent and charisma with a slump in a career. Nothing that cannot be resurrected in a stellar comeback. Give her the right showy role where shes bitchy and kinda self-mocking her DUI incident and - voila - shell be top of the game aagin. IMO, Reese is going through typical phase in a romcom queen span. Its time to move onto… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Terrence Clay

Future of Movie Stars: Who Will Shine? Who Will Fade Away? http://forums.previously.tv/topic/7750-future-of-movie-stars-who-will-shine-who-will-fade-away/page-3#entry147571 I think Reese Witherspoon’s appeal came from her sunny, perky, sweet, ingenue type personality, which fit really well in Legally Blonde and was used to great effect in Election and even a movie like Cruel Intentions. I never thought her performance in Walk the Line was Oscar-worthy either (for one thing it was kind of a supporting role), and I still think she won because she was the most popular of the nominees that year. I also wonder if that kind of appeal can be maintained as a… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Another Celebrity Wants To Tell Us How To Live Better:
http://ti.me/1fxaECO

CLEFTHEART
9 years ago

Just thought I’d say, the actor that played opposite Reese Witherspoon in ‘The Man in the Moon’ is not Jeremy London. It’s his twin brother, Jason London.

admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago
Reply to  CLEFTHEART

Thanks for the catch. I will update that.

Joboots
Joboots
9 years ago

Let’s bid Resse a happy 38th today!!!

joboots
joboots
9 years ago
admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago
Reply to  joboots

I’m having trouble reading the article. Every time I scroll down to read it, my browser pops me back up to the top of the screen. Weird.

Seems like Oscar bait. But I wouldn’t go handing out trophies based on release dates. Lots of Oscar hopefuls go home empty handed. Best of luck to her though.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  joboots

How Reese Witherspoon Got Messy And Saved Her Career: http://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/reese-witherspoon-wild-the-good-lie#3csj7h0 In The Good Lie and especially in Wild, the 38-year-old actress has finally rekindled the spark that launched her career. TORONTO — It is no simple task to shake off the squeaky-clean title of America’s Sweetheart, but Reese Witherspoon appears to have finally done it. All she had to do was get her hands dirty. Two upcoming films featuring the 38-year-old actress recently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival — Wild and The Good Lie — and in both, Witherspoon plays characters who are a far cry from the… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  joboots

Why I’m Not Wild About “Wild” http://frettsonfilm.com/2014/12/14/why-im-not-wild-about-wild/ If you don’t think this year’s field of potential Best Actress nominees is the weakest one in recent memory, consider this: You may soon hear the words “Oscar winner Jennifer Aniston.” To be fair, I haven’t seen Cake yet—nor has almost anyone else, as it hasn’t been released—and Aniston may be a revelation as a victim of chronic pain. But I’m still in pain from watching her last attempt at Serious Acting, The Good Girl, in which she did most of her character work by slumping her shoulders. I haven’t gotten to see… Read more »

Alan Smithee
9 years ago

Don’t think he quit because of the airline cut of Man In the Moon. He was pissed, no doubt. Think it was more the booze talking though. I didnt know until today anyone knew about that…though I do remember a young Reese calling and asking why Alan Smithee was the director of her in flight movie…

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