How come Witherspoon is so hated here?

[SuperiorBatman]

I'm not talking about personally, or at least I'm not, but the thing is that everytime I see a thread mentioning her here or on imdb, she is met with distain and disgust because she won an Oscar. Some say that there were other better nominees and that she didn't deserve it, winning only because of politics. Some say that she won because it was a very weak year that year (I disagree). I thought she deserved it completely. I wrote an essay about her performance a few years ago for Cinetext. I hope you can see where I'm coming from.

http://cinetext.philo.at/magazine/st...therspoon.html

[erikdean]

She is a mess.

[DirkDiggler]

Best thread of 2013.

[with_one_voice]

Winning an Oscar for a performance that most here dislike and consider undeserving of major accolades wasn't especially helpful to her likability (even though she obviously had no control over how her performance would be embraced). I think that's pretty much the crux of the anti-Witherspoon sentiments on AD.

[Rage Colored Glasses]

I don't hate her win, mostly because none of her competitors were all that great.

She's had a pretty bad streak of project choices since though, no doubt about that.

[crazyfists3600]

I really loved her performance in Walk the Line and was happy with her Oscar win especially since it was a weak field that year (not overall, since there were some amazing performances and Witherspoon wouldn't make my ballot but because AMPAS didn't embrace anything really special) although Knightley should have won. That being said, I don't like what Witherspoon has done with her career since her win and she has kind of crumbled into a terrible actress as of late, so I think that justifies the hatred even if the initial reason for it isn't all that justified.

[erikdean]

Her win was seemingly inconsequential at the time. It was probably the most uninspired group of Best Actress nominees in my lifetime. But, what it did was officially remove Witherspoon from being able to make good choices and good films. The first half of her career was brilliant, full of stellar performances and grade A movies. The second act of her career has been one disaster after another, both financially and critically.

[Ben7]

I can't speak for everyone, but though Reese Witherspoon is a fine actress, she hasn't done much outside Election and Walk The Line to make me take her seriously. I enjoyed the Legally Blonde films, but I don't go back and re-watch them like I do with a film like Clueless. And, when I want a fun romantic comedy, I don't go to Sweet Home Alabama, I'd rather watch an old Julia Roberts movie. I don't like or dislike Reese Witherspoon, it's just that she's nothing spectacular to me. She's just kind of... there.

Though I do admit, I enjoyed her for a time in 1998-1999 when she did Pleasantville, Cruel Intentions, and Election all back to back from one another.

[Blasty]

Her win was seemingly inconsequential at the time. It was probably the most uninspired group of Best Actress nominees in my lifetime. But, what it did was officially remove Witherspoon from being able to make good choices and good films. The first half of her career was brilliant, full of stellar performances and grade A movies. The second act of her career has been one disaster after another, both financially and critically.

I agree with this. Sometimes winning an Oscar is the worst thing for a career. It can just imbue the performer with such a terrible complacency. It's as if all they were striving for was the Oscar and now they don't care anymore about their choices, only making money.

A major exception to this is our Lord and Savior Deity Nicki K.

[Ben7]

I agree with this. Sometimes winning an Oscar is the worst thing for a career. It can just imbue the performer with such a terrible complacency. It's as if all they were striving for was the Oscar and now they don't care anymore about their choices, only making money.

A major exception to this is our Lord and Savior Deity Nicki K.

Well, I think Nicole Kidman loosened up a little with her film choices after she won (Stepford Wives, Bewitched, etc..) but looking at her post-Oscar career, I get the sense that she might be chasing after #2. Its kind of how I feel about Marion Cotillard.

[Aurelius]

Let's not forget the biggest reason: she did Jake Gyllenhaal.

[Blasty]

Well, I think Nicole Kidman loosened up a little with her film choices after she won (Stepford Wives, Bewitched, etc..) but looking at her post-Oscar career, I get the sense that she might be chasing after #2. Its kind of how I feel about Marion Cotillard.

Not so, Nicki K. always balanced Hollywood big studio fare like The Peacemaker, Practical Magic, ect. with artier, trailblazing fare like To Die For and The Portrait of a Lady since the beginning of her career as a major leading lady - so those 2 films you mentioned was nothing new for her. Those pics help her to maintain a visibility in the mainstream that allow her to get flicks like Rabbit Hole, for instance, greenlit.

[misere]

Let's not forget the biggest reason: she did Jake Gyllenhaal.

Pretended to do Jake Gyllenhaal.

[Largo]

I really loved her performance in Walk the Line and was happy with her Oscar win especially since it was a weak field that year (not overall, since there were some amazing performances and Witherspoon wouldn't make my ballot but because AMPAS didn't embrace anything really special) although Knightley should have won. That being said, I don't like what Witherspoon has done with her career since her win and she has kind of crumbled into a terrible actress as of late, so I think that justifies the hatred even if the initial reason for it isn't all that justified.

OH NO YOU DIDN'T

Honestly, my problem with Reese Witherspoon is that the movies I like that feature her, I like in SPITE of her presence, not because of it. Legally Blonde succeeds because of its sharp, witty screenplay, as does Election. There's just something about her voice that grates on me.

It doesn't help that my sister and mom adore Sweet Home Alabama, which might be the worst rom-com ever put to film.

[AliasDarren]

I don't hate her. Her fall actually makes me really sad. The 90's stuff she did was so adventurous, a nice balance between mainsteam and independent. Much as I love her in Legally Blonde, that was probably the beginning of the end for her. Even since, its been romantic lead or bad comedy, with the a few failed Oscar bait thrown in. I don't think her Oscar is entirely undeserving, but that role doesn't show us what she can really do. I did really like Amy Adams in The Master, but I was so excited when I heard Reese was teaming with Paul Thomas Anderson. I was hoping we'd again see that risk-taking young actress from the 90's. That's exactly what she needed in her career, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

[crazyfists3600]

Well, I think Nicole Kidman loosened up a little with her film choices after she won (Stepford Wives, Bewitched, etc..) but looking at her post-Oscar career, I get the sense that she might be chasing after #2. Its kind of how I feel about Marion Cotillard.

No, Marion Cotillard just makes really good choices and has probably the single best career/filmography of any actress her age in the industry right now.

[crazyfists3600]

OH NO YOU DIDN'T

LOL...that lineup was so and so yes, of those five Knightley should have won in a walk...but I understand why Witherspoon did.

[Thomas]

Eh. She is not a good actress. Why should we love her?

[SuperiorBatman]

Her win was seemingly inconsequential at the time. It was probably the most uninspired group of Best Actress nominees in my lifetime. But, what it did was officially remove Witherspoon from being able to make good choices and good films. The first half of her career was brilliant, full of stellar performances and grade A movies. The second act of her career has been one disaster after another, both financially and critically.

I don't see how it was a weak field that year. IMO, there were a lot of amazing performances that year. Huffman had to completely change herself, Knightley was the perfect embodiment of her character in the book, etc. Witherspoon actually worked hard in the role, doing my research, and the reason why I loved her performance so was because it wasn't the typical Oscar role. Sure she was playing a real person, but the way she played it. No overthetop scenes, no physical changing your face or body, just subtleness. She had small screentime but managed to steal it away for the equally brilliant Phoenix. In fact, that's also the same reason why I think Jennifer Lawrence gave the best female performance of 2012. Both are different and a refreshing change of pace.

Also, I do agree that she pretty much went downhill after her Oscar win. Four Christmases was worse than any Adam Sandler movie.

[erikdean]

Let's not forget the biggest reason: she did Jake Gyllenhaal.

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY POST, I was trying to not mention that.