Guess who’s planning on goose-honking her way to another Oscar? Julia Roberts, of course! There’s only one goose-honker. Star Magazine claims that Julia is going to produce and star in a film called Little Bee, which will be a tailor-made vehicle for yet another Julia Roberts Oscar campaign. Keep in mind, she’s already won one time – she won Best Actress for Erin Brockovich, which I never hated. I always liked that movie and Julia’s performance, and I thought her Oscar that year was well-deserved. But this one sounds like a mess:
Julia Roberts wants another Academy Award – and she’s willing to pay for it. Sources say the 50-year-old actress is set to produce and star in a new movie, Little Bee, and will funnel millions of her own dollars into making it an awards contender.
“Julia says that if there was ever a movie that would get her another Oscar, it’s this one,” reveals a Hollywood tipster. The film focuses on a teenage asylum seeker from Nigeria who meets Roberts’ character, a magazine editor, during the oil conflict in the Niger Delta. “She won’t be content with a nomination, she wants a win and she’ll spend whatever she has to in order to make it happen.”
[Star Magazine, print edition]
When I say “this sounds like a mess,” I don’t mean that the story itself is bad. Not at all. I’m just saying that it’s a fine line between The Blind Side versus some messy White Savior Saves African Girl movie, and that fine line involves the number of close-ups on Julia’s face as she cries one dramatic tear for Africa.
As for the idea of one star funding their own Oscar campaign… I don’t hate it, mostly because I’ve gotten used to it over the years. Jennifer Aniston spent a lot of her own money on her massive Oscar campaign for Cake (she didn’t get a nomination). I’m assuming that Leonardo DiCaprio went out-of-pocket for some of The Revenant’s Oscar campaigning too. It happens. And Julia seems like exactly the kind of person who would only spend the money if she was “guaranteed” a win. (Remember four years ago when she lost the Emmy and she even deigned to show up for the Emmys and she couldn’t even contain how pissed off she was? OMG, I just remembered that.)
Photos courtesy of WENN.
UGH… I just can’t stand her smugness. I won’t see anything she’s in; can’t take that braying laugh.
Sure, Julia, whatever. Just as soon as you give Joan Allen the one you stole from her.
Allen can split it with Ellen Burstyn.
I’m good with that. Ellen’s performance in Requiem for a Dream was stellar. I think they would be fine with sharing too.
I read the book, and it was really powerful. I can see it winning her an award.
Um, Ellen Burstyn was nominated and deserved that Oscar for Requiem for A Dream the year Julia Roberts won for “It’s me! Julia Roberts! Now with a push-up bra with sassy monologues!”
And a dress inspired by Y-fronts.
Of the five actresses nominated that year, (Allen for Contender, Linney for You Can Count on Me, Binoche for Chocolat), Roberts was the least deserving of an award.
Totally forgot about the rest of the nominees. Wow! I would say Binoch and Julia were the least deserving and I didn’t hate their performances at all.
P.s: you’re killing me kaiser..“cries one dramatic tear for Africa.” I choked.
Definitely agree on the difficulty of portraying this. If anything, based on the book’s plot lines (which I only know generically, so correct me if I’m wrong, people who have read this book) the actress who plays the teenage girl should get the nom, not the white lady listening to the story. Sigh.
It’s on my to read list, but when I picked it up at the library to skim through I opened to a brutal part and was not at a good mental place to read it. Anyone love the book?
I read it, but it was several years ago. It was a really tough and yet powerful read for me, and it really made me ponder immigration policies. In light of our current situation, I think I’m going to queue it up to read again. I think both roles (the lady and the child) could earn noms. I know people will say it’s a white savior book, but I don’t think it is at all because of the ending.
I don’t buy this story. She may be Pretty Evil Woman but I think she’s aware of the limits of her talent.
The most honest moment she’s ever had was during her Oscar acceptance speech when she said she knew she’d never be up there again or something like that.
I cannot stand this woman, with her “A Low Vera” and the stories about her being the neighbor from hell. And her stepping all over Denzel Washington’s win the year after hers. She’s vain and smug with no good reason. So I hope she spends lots and lots of money on an Oscar campaign and doesn’t even get nominated.
“…her being the neighbor from hell.”
Oh please spill-o-rama. ..
I don’t remember the Emmy thing? What was she up for? How did she not contain her anger?
IIRC she was up for a role in The Normal Heart, and everyone (including her) thought she would win because she was The Big Movie Star who did tv. It was 2014 when TV was still not quite as prestigious as it is now. I can’t remember the exact look but she seemed, um , surprised that she didn’t win.
is it truly worth it to spend all this money so you can die w an oscar?
I can name three oscar winners off the top of my head: Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Anna Paquin
only remember cuz there was controversy for all those wins…obviously more winners I just dont care…but I just dont think an oscar defines an actor/actress as much as they think it does
and yeah this movie sounds like a giant mess
It’s weird, isn’t it? Just yesterday, there was a post about Redford who NEVER won one for a leading performance. And his legacy will be just fine, better than some who won, that we will barely remember.
I tend to think they’re more meaningful in the writing /directing department, and of course the ones the public doesn’t care about are the truly important ones to me.
An award winning DP or editor may not make headlines but are really sought after specimens.
I read this book ages ago. It was just ok for me. Not worth the hype at the time imo, but I met Chris Cleave when he was promoting it, and he is delightful. I seem to remember this had been optioned for Nicole Kidman, but so long ago I forgot all about it!
Obviously I don’t know her or if the stories are true, but don’t we all know someone like this? They can be charming, they are driven and don’t dare cross them, even inadvertently.
Maybe I’m letting my personal dislike bias this comment, but are there THAT many people dying for a Julia Roberts renaissance? I feel like she’s burned a lot of bridges and a lot of time has passed. That old school Hollywood Actor (aka Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, etc) isn’t as revered nowadays and their work, while still often good (I actually liked Cruise in that American Made movie?!), doesn’t get the love and airtime as say, a Jennifer Lawrence movie. I also thought she was hoping Wonder would have gotten her more attention than it did. Thoughts?
Just watched pretty woman again on the weekend. Drivel. Richard Gere was better than I remembered. Her hair was great.
I just watched Steel Magnolias. Loved everything about the movie except Julia Roberts terrible southern accent.
I loooooved Steel Magnolias as a kid. The ensemble was so incredibly good.
The great irony of her terrible Southern accent is that she’s actually from the South.
Because what’s more meaningful than an award that’s bought and paid for?
So in her interviews she comes off as incredibly neurotic and sort of out of touch.
I don’t really like seeing her in movies either, so I passed up some because she was in them… like Erin and another one with Susan Sarandon, can’t remember the name.
Anyway. Long story short, my city is a prime Hollywood filming location, beautiful old town, cheap local labor etc. JB was here with her whole family a few years ago, walked around town for days very relaxed (don’t even know if she was filming, could have been scouting out a location), got ‘papped’ by the local news crews, stayed in a humble apartment and people who she interacted with said she was very sweet.
Flipside- Salma Hayek, whom I adore and will watch grass grow if she has anything to do with it; additionally love her for coming out with ger own metoo story, when she was here filming, was rumored to be incredibly paranoid and wanted to be driven, accompanied by bodyguards to the filming location and back to her hotel immediately after. Did not step one foot out the door of the hotel, didn’t want to interact with the locals, etc.
🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
JR not JB, correction.