Tonight at 8pm EST, AMC is premiering Julia Roberts: An American Cinematheque Tribute, which is basically an awards show crossed with a roast crossed with an infomercial. And yet the reason I’m bothering to blog about it is, weirdly, that it’s a pretty entertaining hour of TV. All her celebrity friends–Tom Hanks, George Clooney, David Letterman, Natalie Portman, the list gets embarrassing after a while–show up in one form or another to toast her contributions to film. Mostly, this involves telling a funny anecdote and then introducing a clip reel. (See a sneak peek below.) And again, I know that sounds sort of dull, but there is just something so pleasant, so charming about Ms. Roberts at this stage of her career that I couldn’t help but grin the whole way through, even when they played that awful soundbite from Notting Hill ("I’m just a girl. Standing in front of a boy. Asking him to–" [insert vomit noise here]) not once but twice.
So, PopWatchers, check it out if you’re home and bored, and until then, let’s talk: What’s your opinion on the lady? Is she talented, smart, funny, warm, lovely, and deserving of all her success? Or would you prefer her to go away from you now and stay there, possibly in the same box where they’re keeping Meg Ryan? I think you can tell by the title of this post what I think, and I’ll tell ya what–it’s not just cause I like her hair. It’s because of what she says at the end of tonight’s special, once she finally gets on stage to accept her "award." I’ll not spoil it, but it has to do with breast milk, and it took balls. And made me love her even more! Either it’s the holiday spirit taking over, or man have I lost my edge!
Anyway. Let’s do this in an orderly fashion. Please ring in with love/hate, favorite/least favorite movie, and why. Go!
I’m one of those cold people you mentioned. I just don’t see the appeal.
I don’t know about America’s Sweetheart, but Erin Brockovich is definitely one of my favorite movies and Julia’s pretty awesome in it.
I love her. If you wonder why, here’s a snippet from Erin Brockovich:
Teresa: “I think we got off on the wrong foot.”
Julia/Erin: “That’s all you got, lady. Two wrong feet an d f***ing ugly shoes.”
I can’t stand Julia Roberts. I find her to be one of the most self-absorbed and pretentious celebrities alive today. If no one ever talked about her again (and quite honestly, I think we’re nearing that point), then I would be extremely happy.
She is a great actress and very humble
Loved her ever since I saw her in Pretty Woman.
I’ve never been a fan and find her grating and odd looking. I don’t get this sweetheart thing but maybe I’m not the right age (25) to have gotten to know her when she was younger. That said, I do not mind that she’s famous and successful like I do about other actors I don’t like. I think she has earned her spot and isn’t as bad as a Meg Ryan. I just hate it when she pops into movies I want to watch like the Ocean’s movies, etc. She’s grating – eck!
I was one of those people that used to hate on her consistently because I never believed she was worthy of basically being known as the top actress of her generation, so I resented her for that.
Eventually I grew up and realized that “top star” didn’t mean “top actress” and I eased off a bit. I mean, even Julia lovers will conceded there are actressed out there who are WAY more talented.
Now I can appreciate her for what she is. She’s a reasonably talented actress (I’ve enjoyed her work in Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich, Closer, and a few others) who makes really smart choices, turns in consistent and sometimes very good performances, and mostly stays out of trouble. She’s basically George Clooney or a pre-meltdown Tom Cruise.
I can’t stand her, and the moment I realized it was Ocean’s 12. Smug.
(sorry for the rambling post) I guess I don’t hate her as much as other pretentious celebs like Beyonce because she does have Erin B in her arsenal
Don’t hate her but don’t like her. Not sure where that puts me. Don’t care? I’m one of the few that liked Oceans 12 and liked her in it. Think Pretty Woman is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay overrated. Hooker with a heart of gold? Ugh.
I used to like her til I read her interviews. Man is she an arrogant wench. I can’t stand her now or her movies. I guess I’m cold
The one thing I noticed about Julia Roberts that really bugs me is when she’s presenting an award for someone else, somehow she always has to be the center of attention. Example: presenting Denzel Washington with his Oscar. She was right up there, in the middle of it, looking sort of smug, like *she* was giving it to him, and you could tell she loved the attention.
Other than that, I enjoy some of her movies. She was kind of dumb in Mary Reilly…”There was bluuud, on the walls!” But all in all, she’s a decent actress.
She plays herself in nearly every movie, and when she tries to play someone else she fails miserably. Unfortunately “herself” is a person I do not like. She is smug beyond all measure and incredibly self-centered (witness the way she managed to make Denzel Washington’s Oscar win all about her.) She is highly overrated and not nearly as attractive as she is made out to be, I seriously do not know a single man who thinks she’s at all attractive. In short, I am apparently one of those “cold” people who do not like her. I hope she does retire to raise her children like she said she was going to. I did not miss her at all when she went away.
Talented actor. The talent ends there. All of her guests (listed above) are part of the left-wing, liberal, lunatic, clinton-loving glitter-atchek. Oh Wilbur!
Whitney! I was beginning to think you didn’t work there anymore. Where are your top-ten lists from way back when? I love those.
Now to Julia Roberts, I usually can’t stand skinny women (out of pure jealousy) so the fact that I like Julia must really mean something.