Here are some photos of Jennifer Aniston at the 46th Giffoni Film Festival in France this weekend. Her dress in these photos is by Tibi. I don’t think it’s particularly flattering, but it’s not flat-out bad either. Aniston attended the film festival to pick up a lifetime achievement award. I am pretty unfamiliar with the Griffoni Film Festival, but THR describes it as “Europe’s largest fest for children.” Huh. While Jennifer has made some family-friendly films (Marley & Me, Bruce Almighty), I don’t really think of the bulk of her filmography as being geared towards younger audiences at all. But! She does do some voice work in an upcoming animated film, Storks, so that’s probably one of the reasons why she was invited.
A few weeks ago, Aniston wrote an op-ed/essay for HuffPo in which criticized the tabloid media for saying she was endlessly pregnant. There was a hell of a lot to unpack in the piece and I tried to explain why the essay rubbed me the wrong way. Some disagreed with me, and that’s fine. Some disagreed with Aniston, and that’s fine. But Aniston only heard the praise, and now she’s going to make it her issue, I guess. At Griffoni, Aniston chatted with THR about the essay and more. Some quotes:
Hollywood needs to tell more stories about women: “I think we need to empower women to not just be about dresses and beauty and selfies. We need to start having conversations and put our phones down and get out of social media, take social media brakes. That’s why we’re not seeing the right stories being told, because everyone is stuck in their phones.”
How to handle a bully: “When you see a bully, you have to, in a group of you, take the bully down and not allow it. You have to support each other in just eliminating that. People didn’t stick up to bullies enough. And now with the Internet, it is endless, and it is a bunch of anonymous bullies that can sort of be stalking. We used to think that it was just in childhood that we would be bullied or made fun of. I was. I think many of us can say that we were. And it’s the worst feeling in the world. And now that we are grown up, the Internet is filled with them. And they’re cowardly, and they’re anonymous and they hide behind their computers, so it’s about not allowing it to penetrate and have again, put your computers down and have conversations.”
Whether she ever wakes up in the morning & doesn’t know who she is: “There are not enough fingers and toes in this entire room to count how many times that moment has happened to me. We’re all human beings at the end of the day, whether we’re a waitress or a baker or a student or whatever we are, at the end of the day you kind of hit walls and think I kind of can’t go any farther. Or this is too much. My heart can’t take it or the pain is too great, or am I good enough? Will I survive? And you just have to sort of somehow miraculously overcome. You just go, ‘I can’t, yes I can, yes you can.’ And also know that your actors, your idols, your icons, whatever you call them, have all had that experience in their lives many, many times. There’s nothing that separates us from you, because we all started at the same place. We all came out of nowhere. Don’t punish yourself if you feel that. Go talk to people and seek help and always find something to inspire you.”
“That’s why we’re not seeing the right stories being told, because everyone is stuck in their phones.” Okay…? While I agree that mobile devices need to be put down at some point, I also think that mobile devices are changing the way people (specifically younger people) are viewing entertainment. Kids are more likely to watch a film or TV show on their iPad than go to a movie theater, and that’s neither good nor bad, it’s just different. It’s a different entertainment paradigm and Aniston came of age in a different era. But to equate the shifting paradigm with the lack of women-led stories? No. The new paradigm is one of the reasons why TV and online content has become the new arena for female-led stories.
“When you see a bully, you have to, in a group of you, take the bully down and not allow it.” Why a group?
I’m including Bonus Nicholas Hoult, who also received an award at Giffoni this weekend. Hoult looked scruffy and gorgeous!
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
Says the buddy of bully-extraordinaire, Chelsea Handler. Dump her as a friend then I will believe what you are preaching, Aniston.
Lol, beat me to it! When I read that part, I had my mouth open in shock (I must have looked strange). I thought; really? Did you confront Chelsea Handler? In public (after she walked on stage grinning like a Cheshire cat after Handler viciously attacked Angelina Jolie and racially abused her children), or in private? No, she didn’t. Proof is that Handler *still* goes on about Jolie to this day. To this day. I cannot believe the gob-smacking HYPOCRISY of Aniston. She has front, I’ll say that. But she lacks a sense of self-awareness.
@Tarsha …
That’s because everything is always about ‘her.’ She doesn’t really see anything else unless it’s about something that she wants or needs. “Why are people being so ‘mean’ to me!? And it has to stop! I mean we ‘all’ have to tell people to stop being so ‘mean’ to me!” It’s really a shame there isn’t more ‘there’ there with Jennifer Aniston. It appears that she will forever be an emotional Junior High Schooler.
She doesn’t keep up with Social Media, Tabloids, or Gossip Sites? Then how does she always seem to know ‘exactly’ what’s being said about her?
Nah you don’t have to ‘take down a bully’. As someone who was bullied when I was in adolescence that is the worst advice.
So is she saying that one needs to form a squad?
This may come off badly, but I honestly don’t think grown adults (or anyone older than the age of 17) should use the word”bully”. At this point, as adults,we should call offensive behavior from others for what it is specifically; it’s harassment or intimidation or (in Jennifer’s case) slander and insult. The word bully sounds like a twee delivery that blankets anybody doing something disagreeable, and I think – like many things these day- the word loses its power.Sorry, just something I had to get off my chest. It just feels that there’s an excessive overinfantilizing of issues that very much deserve mature identification and solutions.
Ok, end of rant!
I agree. Bullied as a youngster, horribly and scarring, what we endure as adults can be so much worse. I would hate to be famous and judged on my personal life experiences.
@Jane, who wrote: “So is she saying that one needs to form a squad?”
They do it all the time in Junior High School. It’s called the ‘mean girl’ clique. If you were part of one, no body dared look at you wrong or the ‘mean girls’ would—as a group—make your life miserable, ironically by bullying you, for the rest of the school year … and sometimes beyond. These girls needed a ‘group’ to feel empowered.
My main issue with her is she didn’t discuss the issue of body shaming when magazine covers were praising her body.When she was named Most beautiful,best hair or sexiest, or best body part she was silent.Yet when magazine covers claim she is pregnant or fat(her words), she starts talking about warped view of beauty.Was it warped when magazines named you sexiest woman or most beautiful?
One of her ads for Smartwater, she kicks a guy in the crotch. She was happy to accept Miss Hotness award dressing all sexy. The first aveeno ad had a voice over saying “the beautiful Jennifer Anniston”. Like we didn’t know who it was. Lapping up the killer bod, sexy (fake extensions) hair she’s ok with, and as soon as there is an unflattering article about her, all of a sudden, she cries Body Shame. Her upper lip looked better before she got it pumped up, but we are supposed to love and accept ourselves. Chelsea H is the biggest bully around and Justin hangs out with Uncle Terry, who sexually assaults his unsuspecting models. Telling people Justin would take a gun to her head if she messed with her face and then gets lip pumping and fillers. She basically ranted that she deserved the Oscar more than the other actresses and got robbed. Could you imagine a getting a promotion at work and another guy was up for it too, and that guy rants and cries around the office that it should have been them. Same shameful behavior. IMO
She is the new guidance counselor. But, I have to say I love her dress, the ruffles and cut out, and the shoes, the red shoes. I’d wear that outfit in its entirety in a heartbeat.
Yes, fresh and pretty–I love it too.
The dress and shoes are cute. The hairstyle is not her best look, but it helps to take attention away from whatever she’s done to her mouth/lips.
She’s never had the trout pout Sullivan. She has rather thin lips, but I’m sure she’s done something. To her credit though, she hasn’t gone full Courteney Cox. Now she just looks sad. Plus, she must be close to 50 by now, she still has a great bod on her. I can’t rag on her hair, cause right about now, mine looks pretty much the same!
I agree that she’s done something. She used to be more relaxed and smiling in pictures – now she always looks mad and her mouth is downturned. Maybe it’s her unhappiness at being papped, but even in posed pictures she looks different.
@Nancy and Kaye: I think that she may’ve done a little bit of fillers in her cheeks, but I also think a big part of it is that she’s gained a bit of weight. If you notice, her chin doesn’t look as pointed as it used to look; her face just looks rounder. Then again, she’s not in her 20s anymore. She’s not going to look perpetually like “Rachel” for the rest of her life.
She does look great here. I love the dress, shoes and hair.
Her words? Meh. If they help someone… Ok… But she always seems vaguely self-serving and shallow… Even when taking on larger issues. I also agree with Annaloo that overusing the word “bully” has sucked some of the words power… and that it infantilizes issues when used about adult problems.
Damn, Nicholas Hould is looking hot these days! Love the scruff on him.
I’m here for Hoult. I’ve never taken Aniston seriously.
Did Leann Rimes get a hold of her hair? That bun is all kinds of wrong. It makes her look like Ma Kettle.
Haha it is really unflattering.
Yikes! Ma Kettle is a good description. She kind of reminds me of Goldie Hawn in her attitude and they way she speaks. I love both of them.
A question. How many times do you have to comment on this site before your comments quit going to moderation before being posted? Or do ALL comments go to moderation first? Can somebody please tell me if I’m doing something wrong. It’s no fun to post and be long gone before (if) your posts go up.
Never stops it’s nothing personal.
it would also be nice to be able to easily see responses to your posts instead of manually searching a page after. But I guess that’s a sly way of creating new page views rather than being user friendly.
From a web developer’s standpoint – it’s a limitation of the product, and ease of use. This isn’t setup as a site where you create an actual account – and get site feedback based on your username. The posting functions in a way that anyone can plugin a name and an email and make a post. That – to me – is the epitome of user friendly. Less steps involved, immediate gratification, no storing a ridiculous number of active/inactive accounts.
As for page views – likely they’d be looking at unique views anyway – not counting anytime a single person views the same page.
Having to create an account, wait for approval and then activate it is going to deter people from posting a lot more than this current setup is, inconvenient or not. Personally – I prefer the current setup.
Basically, she is trying to transition her roles from cute, youngish female lead to middle age, more serious characters with real life issues. She’s trying to save her career.
Good for her, it’s called dealing with life on life’s terms.
I wasn’t aware that she has a career left to save.
IMO she looks very pretty. Her dress is amazing and seems a good choice for a children even.
Giffoni FF takes place in Italy, not France
This look is very grandmotherish to me. I feel like she’s own of those actors that just didn’t want/couldn’t accept new technoly or move with the times (see: julia Roberts/George clooney) and so technology is evil. The group thing might mean so you don’t have to feel alone but I think in her case it’s because she’s no type of leader.
This article makes me like her more!
I’m pretty sure the Giffoni Film Festival is in Italy.
Love that dress and shoes. Again I disagree with the writer about this outfit. The words coming out of her mouth though, so annoyingly eye rolling. She plays the game but can’t control the entire narrative. How many times do we have to go through bump watch with her and how many times has she speculated will maybe have kids some day? It’s only new in the last 2 years she has said otherwise. Yawn. Don’t play the victim when you played the game.
Meh, I guess this social media shift is leaving celebs who rely on publicists in the dust. We need to empower women to be about more than their looks? No sweetie, women have been about more for since the beginning of women. They need more acknowledgement. But thanks for noticing.
Giffoni is in Italy!
That’s nice that she’s talking about women being underrepresented in film, but I’d like to see her do more about it. I know she’s done some producing, but I think she’s in a position to do more, creating opportunity for herself and others. I hope she does.
She comes off a little out of touch with social media and all, but I don’t blame her one bit for avoiding it.
That hair and outfit…not her best look…..
It seems like the last several sets of Aniston pictures are showing that you can’t postpone the effects of sun damage forever. Something seems really off about her look lately too..unpolished.
Her face looks quite different here (and not in a good way). I’m not sure if its fillers or weight gain, but she looks puffy or something. I wish she had left her original nose alone, it suited her face.
She usually looks better. This is not good. that dress gives her no shape. And something weird is happening in the underarm area. .
And isn’t her husband a “writer”.. why is he not writing scripts with a female focus.
I actually think the dress gives her a very graceful shape. Something about the early 2000s seems like it demonized anything not skin tight or overly flouncy.
She usually looks better. This is not good.
And isn’t her husband a “writer”.. why is he not writing scripts with a female focus.
@ Lisa2, who wrote: “She usually looks better. This is not good. … And isn’t her husband a “writer”.. why is he not writing scripts with a female focus.”
‘And’ she co-owns a Production Company. He could write them and she could produce them. The woman has about $200 million dollars. Most of her films only have a production budget of 15 – 20 million any way. She could make a real name for herself only producing films with strong female-centered storylines.
True. Actually, her motto for Echo Productions seems to be in line with putting unknown/unheard female perspectives onscreen and yet… crickets.
JMO, she is too chicken to take responsibility for failure, therefore she places herself in the most vacuous circumstances because the stakes are low. She’s known for getting people fired too, like the director of Rumor Has It, just because she didn’t like the way she was lit. If anything she produces blow, who can she blame? Herself- Hell no! She can try to blame her producing partner and likely, she would, but she has to be careful, since it seems that no one else is chomping at the bit to work with her. The solution? Do nothing and b!tch about ‘the lack of opportunity’.
She is really beginning to age in the face and arms! NO I’m not being a bully
Well, she’s 47…she’s going to look older. That’s life-we all age even if you have money and resources.
Twentysomething ladies, if you are lucky you’ll be in your 40’s one day, too. It may seem far away but it comes faster than you think. Aging is a normal part of life, but it’s not fun. I’m 43 and I admittedly miss being young and cute-I used to get lots of male attention but once I got close to 40 that really started to change. I accept it but I would be a liar if I said that I don’t miss it.
Jennifer Anniston was the “It girl” for awhile and I’m sure she never thought about how it would be when she got older. I know there are many on here who criticize her appearance, but back in her 1990’s heyday she was considered very attractive-I remember a lot of guys thought she was hot. My guess is she got into her 40’s, things started to really change and it’s been an eye opener for her. I’m not one to feel sorry for celebrities, but I do feel for female celebs to some degree as they get older-it’s got to be tough. Like in regular life, there’s such a double standard in terms of how women and men are viewed as they age but they have to deal with it on a public level. It’s one of those things you know intellectually but it’s still disconcerting when you start to see it in your own life. That being said, many people don’t live long enough to “age in the face and arms” and those of us who do should count our blessings. I have a good friend who died last year at 47 from lung cancer-I’m sure aging’s effect on appearance was the last thing she was thinking about when she was struggling to survive. I remind myself of that when I look in the mirror and feel “old.”
She is almost 50.
Do you expect her to not age and look like a women in her 20s?
Find this woman intolerable lately! She cannot string an intelligent sentence together unless it’s been written by her publicist. Total hypocrite. She is obsessed with beauty and how she looks. As for helping women writers & better roles? She can’t even produce or get a decent role herself let alone helping other women.
Very well said. You don’t take down a bully with a group. (I think a few commenters forgot that Ms. Aniston was speaking at a children’s festival so she really was referring to little punks.)
You school them swiftly, but with mercy in case they are lost and were the kids incessantly picked on, and you teach your children to do the same. Teach your kids they are the strong ones, and teach them to be kind.
Is it just me our does she look like close version of Meg Ryan bad facelift pics?