FILM MARATHON: Julia Roberts #5 – Erin Brockovich [2000]

“They’re called boobs, Ed” It’s one of those stories to show no matter how bad things are when you’re flat broke, single, raising three kids, and unemployed, sometimes having the high-paying job makes it so your personal life is even worse. Erin Brockovich is a fascinating case study on how a tenacious attitude, street smarts, and an ability to talk to people as though you’ve known them your whole life—with a not so subtle flash of cleavage—can allow you do accomplish pretty much anything you want. Down on her luck,…

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FILM MARATHON: Julia Roberts #4 – My Best Friend’s Wedding [1997]

“This is my whole life’s happiness; I need to be ruthless” Okay, for some reason the opening credit sequence to My Best Friend’s Wedding is sort of brilliant. Showing four women dressed for a wedding, they lip-synch the words to “Wishin’ and Hopin’” (with a version surprisingly sung by Ani Difranco) while performing choreography on a solid pink backdrop. It’s equal parts cute, endearing, and over-the-top, much like the film itself. I’ll admit that my first viewing and impression of the movie was a bit harsh. Watching again, over a…

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FILM MARATHON: Julia Roberts #3 – The Pelican Brief [1993]

“It’s rally around the leader time” It’s only fitting that the director behind one the of the great films of the 70s, All the President’s Men, Alan J. Pakula would be tasked with bringing John Grisham’s own look into political espionage and White House scandal, The Pelican Brief, to the screen. Admittedly I am not a fan of Grisham’s stories as they generally become convoluted and way to convenient, pandering to the audience at every turn, pretending to be suspenseful and unique. But I think perhaps this, along with The…

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FILM MARATHON: Julia Roberts #2 – Sleeping with the Enemy [1991]

“The broken lights in the darkness would show the way” Oh, the power of the moustache. That patch of hair can make even the most affable man appear the villain, but when you cue the horror music and light his face so it’s in chiaroscuro, the effect is amplified exponentially. No matter how idyllic director Joseph Ruben attempted to shoot the beginning of Sleeping with the Enemy, you can’t help but see through Martin Burney’s smile and calming tonal speech. Julia Roberts’ Laura might sway your belief in the existence…

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FILM MARATHON: Julia Roberts #1 – Pretty Woman [1990]

“Well color me happy, there’s a sofa in here for two” And just like that, 1990s America fell in love with a hooker. A hooker named Julia Roberts. She had already arrived to many film-viewing women with a oft-mentioned scene in Steel Magnolias, but it was Pretty Woman that officially vaulted her to A-list status and onto the Oscar-winning trajectory to come. I’ve always avoided watching it due to the fact I’ve never been much of a Roberts fan and because, honestly, I’m a twenty-something male. I don’t wake up…

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FILM MARATHON #1: Julia Roberts – The Mouthful of Teeth Marathon

In order to add some new content to the site, as well as give me an excuse to watch films I’ve missed thus far in life, the marathon series has begun. What is the first subject to be delved into you ask? Yes, that’s right, Julia Roberts. Admittedly, I’ve never been a huge fan of hers as an actress, and thus haven’t seen many of her major works. The fact of the matter is, I only have one review of a movie including her in the cast list—Valentine’s Day, where…

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