I went into Bride Wars with low expectations but a semi-open mind (word to the wise: be sure to check your feminist principles at the door), hoping I might recognize a hint of someone I used to love — the dazzling Penny Lane, or rather, the actress who played her. Way back in 2000, Kate Hudson was my newest girl crush after I saw her stellar performance as a "band-aide" in Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical ode to rock-n-roll (and one of my all-time personal faves) Almost Famous. Ms. Hudson was absolutely captivating as the naive and vulnerable adolescent hiding behind a free-spirited, rock-chick bravado (check out a clip after the jump, if you forgot). So what happened to the budding actress I saw and loved nine years ago? She all but disappeared. So far, despite plenty of attempts, Almost Famous is the pinnacle of her acting accomplishments, and after a string of movies like My Best Friend’s Girl, my girl Kate has lost her special place in my heart. I am, however, willing to forgive and forget, so I’ve put together this quick list of five ways the bubbly blonde could earn back my love and trust:
1. Lay Off the RomComs: Seven, yes SEVEN, of her films since Famous have been Romantic Comedies or some variation of that genre. None of the seven are particularly good; most are cliché-ridden duds. Now is the time to experiment with different roles (her upcoming role in Nine may be a promising start) before she gets pigeonholed a la Meg Ryan. Mix it up!! Take some risks! And for the love of God, never, ever do another movie with Dane Cook.
2. No More Matthew: While we’re on the subject of costars to avoid, let’s talk Matthew McConaughey. I like the shirtless wonder just as much as the next girl -– hell, I’ll even admit that How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days has its (minor) charms — but my affection quickly soured after the mess that was Fool’s Gold. In fact, MM’s track record as a romantic lead is, to put it kindly, crap (um, Failure to Launch or The Wedding Planner anyone?). In fact, it’s probably best that all actresses heed this advice.
Three more tips, after the jump.
3. Reunite With Cameron Crowe: Or any other established director that is not Garry Marshall (Raising Helen) or Rob Reiner (Alex & Emma). Crowe has a knack for creating fully realized, authentic characters such as, for example, William Miller and Penny Lane in Almost Famous. And if romcoms are a must, he’s pretty good with those too…I can forgive slight missteps Elizabethtown and Vanilla Sky. The filmmaker showcased Kate at her finest, and I’d like to see if he can coax it out of her again.
4. Take a Cue From Kate and Cate: While Winslet and Blanchettare most certainly in a league of their own, Kate H. could learn a fewthings from her savvy peers. Both women balance heavier prestige pics (Revolutionary Road, Benjamin Button) with lighter stuff (The Holiday, Indiana Jones),but more significantly, both look for films with richly drawn femaleroles — and this is what Hudson should emulate. She would be a great fit in a well-written, quirky movie, like Winslet’s Eternal Sunshine, or a female-driven period piece like Blanchett’s Elizabeth,instead of playing the one-dimensional girlfriend/ex/best friend inevery film. The two Oscar nominated actresses take roles in which womenare portrayed as the complex creatures we actually are, and Hudsonwould be smart to follow their example.
5. More Supporting Roles: Sandra Bullock did it in Crash; Marisa Tomei just did it in The Wrestler. Something similar to the Amy Adams role in Doubt wouldgive Hudson some breathing space to showcase her chops and anopportunity to share the screen with a more sophisticated crowd withoutforcing her to shoulder all the responsibility for the movie’s success.After all, she certainly wasn’t the star of Almost Famous, but that didn’t stop her from stealing the show.
So PopWatchers, do you agree that Kate Hudson is in need of a career makeover? What do think of her post-Almost Famous roles? What could she do to earn back your affection? Did she ever lose it?
Comments (1-30) of 69 Add your comment
Agreed. I cannot stand any movie that she’s made other than Almost Famous. It seems like she’s just doing the rom-com thing for a paycheck.
I was mildly impressed by Bride Wars (the low expectations helped), but you’re absolutely right – she has come nowhere near Almost Famous in the last almost-ten years. I just got a flash of ‘You Me and Dupree’. It hurt.
Major word. I liked her in Almost Famous, but I would go so far as to call her one of my least favorite actresses making movies today.
I saw Bride Wars last week, and it wasn’t so much that Kate Hudson was the problem, but placing her opposite Anne Hathaway, who stole every scene she was in, which was basically the entire film. As mentioned, Winslet and Blanchett can move effortlessly through many types of films, but I don’t know if Kate Hudson could be in that same league. But maybe after so many rom-coms, she can appreciate a challenge.
Great clip; exactly the scene I think of when I remember Kate Hudson in that movie.
Whoa, whoa, whoa – Elizabethtown was a misstep? I beg to differ!
Simply put….Perfect. I haven’t another recomendation for what is now a lack luster career.
The problem, as you mention, is that she’s only had ONE GOOD PERFORMANCE. She’s been coasting on that for nine years! Good Kate Hudson is the exception. Cruddy Kate Hudson is the rule. There’s no way to “fix” her because she was never good in the first place.
To advise Hudson to take cues from Winslet and Blanchett is incredulous and laughable. They have REAL acting chops. Even Beckinsale and Boswell are superior actors. The Kate closer to her league is Holmes, (who also had one great performance in Pieces of April).
I’m so with you on this one. My best friend sends me snarky text messages every time Kate signs on to do a new movie: “This one’s with Dane Cook!!! Mwaahaaahhaa.” She hates Kate for her rom-com disasters while I’m still holding on to that vision of her I took away from Almost Famous and have never forgotten. That scene under the trees, the “what kind of beer?” scene is as subtle and natural a performance by an actress put to film in this decade. I’m confident that Nine is a good choice. It fits all your criteria well: supporting role, notable director, different kind of role, etc. She also has the Margaret Keane biopic Big Eyes on the horizon. That should challenge her a bit. I think it’s her first drama since The Skeleton Key (if you count that as drama). By the way, Skeleton Key was a nice little departure for her, though not an outstanding film. At this point interesting and mediocre would be an improvement for our beloved Ms. Hudson.
ONE way the not-great Kate can earn all our trusts: RETIRE FROM ACTING!!!
She was decent in the nearly forgettable “Skeleton Key”. Without the twist, it would have been completely forgettable, and had a decent role in the equally forgettable Four Feathers.
She’s unfortunately not found anything to showcase her talents since Almost Famous. A shame, because this actress has talent.
Agreed though. No more Romcoms and no more Dane Cook!
To Kelsey: I’m on board for Elizabethtown, I think it was quickly judge, but in my opinion is a really good movie!!
While I agree that she needs a career revamp, what you’re forgetting is that Penny Lane was THE role for her – free spirited hippie rocker chick. I can’t picture her in a period piece a la Doubt or Elizabeth. Have you seen Four Feathers??
While she seems more talented than something like Fool’s Gold gives her credit for, it also looks like you’re overestimating her range and skill.
the huffington post recently had a blog devoted to the “The Kate Hudson Theory” – that if she died after almost famous, she’d go down as the best actress of all time.
very funny – here’s the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-abramson/kate-hudson-theory-furthe_b_156612.html
its sort of funny, kate hudson was originally cast as the role of anita, the sister (zooey deschanel) and then moved up to penny lane! and now 10 years later zooey is the one with a crazycool career and doing things that are interesting! almost famous is also one of my favorite movies and i do wish the best for anyone involved with it!
Listen, everyone needs to take a deep breath. These movies (Fools Gold, Raising Helen, Bride Wars, etc.) are fun and simple to watch. They’re perfect for that. People are going to make these movies, and girls all over the country love and watch them. And people shouldn’t be knocking them just because it’s not a war epic or some indie film.
I was intrigued by your post, so I went to the KH IMDB page. I count 4 rom-coms: MBFG, HTLAG, A&E, and maybe LeDivorce (didn’t see it so not sure). Fool’s Gold had an awful script but wasn’t really a rom-com (I’d say more comedic action adventure). BW has no male characters so therefore it’s a chick flick but not romantic comedy. YMAD wasn’t centered around the male-female relationship, so it’s also not a rom-com. The point is, if you don’t actually watch the movies, should you be giving advice? If you had actually watched some of them, you’d know if they were or weren’t rom-coms. I laughed my toosh off watching YMAD, and BW was good. I think some folks get a little sexist when females star in comedies, and then therefore lump them all together dismissively as rom-coms. Think about it.
The weird thing is, clearly a lot of people think she’s like the greatest thing ever. She’s got to be one of the most popular actresses around and she sells tabloids. So depending on her aspirations, she has the perfect career. I also agree that Penny Lane was the perfect role because it was practically her personality at least her personality as it appears in interviews.
I forgot to say that Raising Helen wasn’t a rom-com either, because it wasnt’ a comedy, although it was about romance. Again, not defending the movie, but I just think someone writing for EW should know how to categorize movies. Falling into the “I hate rom-coms” anti-female dogma doesn’t look good on a female writer who is supposed to know a little about what they write about.
To blair. I hope you were kidding when you said that Zooey Deschanel had a “crazycool” career and she was doing “interesting” things. I wouldn’t catagorize The Happening and Yes Man as crazycool or interesting. They were both terrible.
Great post. My girlfriend and I were having this conversation just the other day after we watched My Best Friend’s Girl (big mistake). I talked about how I thought Kate was a great new star after her turn as Penny Lane. When William Miller tells her on the bus that he needs to go home and she waves her hand and tells him he already is home…it gets me every time. She embodied the concept of the muse better than I’ve seen it portrayed in nearly any other film. So I fully endorse your list of 5 ways to get back to that place. I only fear that maybe Ms. Hudson is quite content collecting paychecks for films like Fool’s Gold (worst film of 2008…it gets my vote) and will continue to make the shlock. My new fear is now after a great turn in Rachel Getting Married, I hope that Anne Hathaway doesn’t follow the same path.
I think Kate Hudson doesn’t challenge herself because she knows she’s not up to the challenge. Sadly, the drivel she’s putting out is all she’s willing to give.
I liked the Skeleton Key, it is a decent movie compared to all the crap thriller/horrors that have been out recently. I personally don’t think she gets offered the roles she would like, didn’t she fight for the role of Penny Lane? maybe that is the problem, she isn’t fighting hard enough for the better roles
I do think she has talent and she is good in the rom coms, but it would be nice if she mixed it up too.
I agree with the majority of these steps. (Although, I liked “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and I don’t care who knows it!) I miss the Kate Hudson of “Almost Famous.”
As chance would have it I saw “Almost Famous” for the first time last night. Was she really THAT impressive? I didn’t think so.
100% agree with you. Kate Hudson needs a career makeover.
I completely agree with this article, what I don’t agree with are the comments from the TruthPolice. Congrats on learning how to use the search function on IMDB, but for you to attack someone for a great article that shows what what a horrible person you are; just because a person doesn’t agree with your opinions doesn’t them wrong (as you put it doesn’t know much). As far as putting things in catagories I’m sure you think the Goo-Goo Dolls are Rock as oppposed to easy listening. You obviously have no idea what your writing about depending on the person RH is a rom-com. I’m sure you should have someone read the article to you, that way in your next comment you will not add phrases in articles, (“I hate rom-coms” yeah didn’t see that line in the writers article). FOS, FOP they are both in the constitution. Research it, I’ll give you a topic: people are entitled to their own opinion, I can’t wait to read your article.
I agree with you completely. She was wonderful in Almost Famous, but Fool’s Gold… *shudder* Was that supposed to be a comedy? I didn’t laugh once. I think if she gets back into drama her career will be fine.
Bride Wars… definitely not seeing that.
Scobes, I agree wholeheartedly with you – Hudson was good in Almost Famous because she IS Penny Lane. Otherwise, she really doesn’t have much range. If she did, she’d be able to make these crappy movies she does so much better because of the depth that she would bring to it. Kate Winslet did that with the otherwise horrible The Holiday – everytime she wasn’t on screen, the movie was horrible, but when Winslet was on, the movie was great. That’s the mark of a great actress. Kate Hudson, on the other hand, just does not have that kind of depth and acting range.