by Nathaniel R
Let's start a new season of Posterized, shall we?
With Gloria Bell expanding nationwide (or thereabouts) let's talk about Julianne Moore's leading roles. She's now in her Post-Oscar years which can be tricky territory for actresses but if Gloria Bell is indication she still has a lot more left in her.
We can't do the ginger goddess's entire filmography on Posterized because she works almost as much as Nicole Kidman, and apparently considers no part or no project too small to be part of. She's been in over 70 movies since her debut in the horror flick Tales of the Darkside (1990) but many of those were supporting roles. So let's focus on ONLY the films that she either headlined or co-headlined (in case of films without one clear lead) for this week's episode shall we, which takes us down to a far more reasonable 27 pictures. How many have you seen? All 27 posters are after the jump...
ACT 1. A RISING STAR (1994-1999)
VANYA ON 42ND STREET (1994) -Boston Society Film Critics Winner
SAFE (1995) - Independent Spirit Nomination
NINE MONTHS (1995)
THE LOST WORD: JURASSIC PARK (1997)
AN IDEAL HUSBAND (1999) -Globe Nomination, NBR Winner (supporting, shared)
THE END OF THE AFFAIR (1999) - Oscar, Globe, SAG, BAFTA Nominations
It seems fitting that her first leading role was actually within an ensemble picture -- she was fifth billed for Vanya but the billing was alphabetical. Though we like to think of Short Cuts (1993) or Vanya (1994) or Safe (1995) retroactively as her original calling cards, her true breakthrough to the A list year was 1997 when she was second billed in a Jurassic Park movie (though it was really an ensemble picture) and won best-in-show raves for two other ensemble pictures: The Myth of Fingerprints and Boogie Nights, for which she snagged her first Oscar nomination. She was no longer a "up and coming" talent but had officially arrived.
ACT 2A ESTABLISHED STAR (2001-2007)
She's in demand but this filmography is truly all over the place.
HANNIBAL (2001)
FAR FROM HEAVEN (2002) - LAFCA, NBR, Critics Choice, Venice Festival, and Spirit wins, Globe, SAG, and Oscar nominations
THE HOURS (2002) - Berlinale and LAFCA wins, SAG and Oscar nominations
MARIE AND BRUCE (2004)
LAWS OF ATTRACTION (2004)
THE FORGOTTEN (2004)
THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE OHIO (2005)
FREEDOMLAND (2006)
SAVAGE GRACE (2007)
ACT 2B - FADING STAR? OH WAIT, NEVER MIND! SHE'S STILL GOT IT (2008-2014)
Given that she hasn't usually been a "bankable" star Hollywood appeared to be gradually losing interest but then came another best picture contender, and then the Emmy-winning detour, and then the Oscar, cementing her legend.
BLINDNESS (2008)
CHLOE (2009)
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010) - Globe, BAFTA nominations
6 SOULS (2010)
GAME CHANGE (2012) - Emmy, Globe, SAG wins
WHAT MAISE KNEW (2012)
THE ENGLISH TEACHER (2013)
MAPS TO THE STARS (2014) - Globe nomination, Cannes win
STILL ALICE (2014) - NBR, Critics Choice, Spirit, Globe, SAG, and Oscar wins
ACT 3. THE POST OSCAR YEARS (2015-ongoing)
FREEHELD (2015)
BEL CANTO (2018)
GLORIA BELL (2019)
Though Hollywood has definitely made major improvements in our lifetimes about how they treat older actresses (it used to be the media and the industry would start worrying about your expiration date in your late 30s... (if you lived through the early 90s and saw in real time how the media turned on Meryl Streep when she hit 40 you know of which we speak!) and that is definitely not true anymore. Generally speaking the A list ladies have until their early 50s now before people start getting bitchy about them. Julianne is 58 years old so it's tough to say how long the leading roles will continue. But given her workaholic nature and her obvious love of juicy supporting roles we suspect she'll transition quite nicely into her senior citizen years even if the leading roles do abruptly stop.
How many of those 27 pictures have you seen? It's weird to toss out her supporting roles, right (?), since she's had a few iconic ones!