Frustrations of a Fan

by Lani

Anyone who is a fan of movies also has their favorite movie stars. Even film critics are not immune to a bit of bias: I can always tell which actresses Roger Ebert has a crush on and the Filmspotting guys are notoriously fond of Naomi Watts and Michael Fassbender.

One of my favorite actors is Hugh Jackman. One reason I like him is that he harkens back to the movie stars of classic Hollywood, combining the musky masculinity and athleticism of swashbucklers like Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn with the physical presence and booming baritone of Howard Keel. Sure, he's a bit "theater people," but I love theater people. I am theater people. And it was at the theater, watching Jackman's Tony-winning turn as singer/songwriter/showman Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz, when I was truly and thoroughly convinced of his talent.

All this is to say, I would like to see Hugh Jackman in a movie; however, his choice of film roles is making this more difficult than it should be. At the beginning of his movie career Jackman made a couple of good action films (X-Men, X2) and a decent romantic-comedy (Kate & Leopold), but in the ensuing years he's had more duds than not. I'm speaking of Swordfish, Van Helsing, Deception. And with every new movie trailer, I'm left asking: Why can't Hugh Jackman just be in a movie that I want to see?

For a comparison, let's look at the career of Brad Pitt. Like Jackman, Pitt is handsome, charismatic, and able to handle both comedy and drama. But can Brad Pitt sing? I haven't heard any compelling evidence. And, let's be real, if Wolverine walked into Fight Club, he'd kick Tyler Durden's ass. Yet almost every year Brad Pitt puts out a movie that I want to see. He has two high-profile films out this year: The Tree of Life, an arty, dreamlike meditation on life and loss, and Moneyball, a mainstream-yet-intellectual true story set in the world of pro baseball. These films are very different from each other, but they both seem to have been made for intelligent adults. What's Hugh Jackman's big movie next month? Well, he's starring in Real Steel, a schlocky-looking popcorn flick about boxing robots. Now, I'm not against a robot boxing movie on principle; I would just prefer that movie if it starred Vinnie Jones. Frankly, Real Steel looks like the kind of movie that would star Gerard Butler, an actor who, at this point, either needs to fire his agent or just stop making films altogether because he seems to be a magnet for terrible scripts. And no one wants to look like they are taking Gerard Butler's cast-offs (except maybe Vinnie Jones). I don't want to have to watch something that I don't like just to see an actor that I do.

The last Hugh Jackman film I really liked was The Fountain, an arty, dreamlike meditation on life and loss. (Sound familiar? This film was also originally set to star Brad Pitt.) Some people, myself included, felt it was a haunting, poetic film about a love that transcends time. Others felt it was just really weird. However, I think everyone who saw The Fountain could agree that co-star Rachel Weisz was luminous even while on her deathbed. Jackman was in love with her on camera, director Darren Aronofsky was clearly in love with her from behind the camera, and I fell in love, too. Unfortunately, Weisz is another star with frustrating taste in projects. Her new film, Dream House, is advertised as a haunted house thriller reminiscent of everything from The Shining to The Others. So, while I like Rachel Weisz, I just can't get excited for Dream House. First of all, I don't like scary movies. Sure, I can sometimes be persuaded to watch one if it stars a compelling performer or has a unique premise, but I've been burned too many times before. There was the disappointment of The Forgotten with Julianne Moore and her pretty red hair. Then there was the drab, depressing Dark Water with Jennifer Connelly and her cute ankle-strap shoes. I refuse to be seduced this time by Weisz and her adorable paint-splattered jeans. And while I think Weisz sparkles on screen with beauty, wit, and intelligence, I hate, hate, hate her American accent. As soon as I hear it in a movie trailer, I'm out.

I'm not asking that Hugh or Rachel only make movies which are good. I'm just asking them to make a movie that I might be interested in seeing. I realize this is highly subjective and entirely selfish, but if I'm going to commit to being a fan, I will need something to work with beyond X-Men and The Mummy.

Of course, they aren't the only actors I like who pick films in which I have no interest at all. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was at the top of this list for nine years. Since 3rd Rock from the Sun ended in 2001 until last year when he co-starred in Inception, Joe did not make a single film which I wanted to see. Paul Bettany, so charming in A Knight's Tale and Wimbeldon, is lately starring in weird, religious-themed action movies like Priest and Legion. Then there's Bettany's wife, the aforementioned Jennifer Connelly, who despite being an Oscar-winner is stuck playing fourth fiddle in lame relationship comedies like He's Just Not That Into You. Ryan Reynolds is a gifted comedian who is usually the best thing about a crummy movie, but even he couldn't get me to watch The Green Lantern. Brendan Fraser was the best thing about several movies circa 1999, but then came Monkeybone...and I haven't watched a Brendan Fraser movie in ten years. I'm almost ready to give up on Anna Faris after a string of films in which she is either a vapid airhead (Observe and Report) or a good-hearted Jezebel (The House Bunny). I feel like she is capable of more, but it looks like we may never see a film which proves it.

I guess I just have to accept that while the guys who run Hollywood continue to insist that Julia Roberts is America's Sweetheart and Sam Worthington is the greatest actor of his generation, my favorites will have a harder time getting the roles that I want for them. Sure, it can be frustrating, but isn't cheering for the underdog what real fans love to do anyway?