What the Hell Happened to Renee Zellweger?

[TMC]

http://lebeauleblog.com/2013/02/23/what-the-hell-happened-to-renee-zellweger/

Posted by lebeau

Renee Zellweger has won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress,
she was nominated twice for Best Actress and she has won three Golden
Globes. For roughly a decade, she topped the A-list with both
critical acclaim and commercial success. But she has been missing
from the big screen for the last several years.

What the hell happened?

Zellweger started acting in TV movies like A Taste for Killing in 1992
and the mini-series Murder in the Heartland in 1993. She had
uncredited roles in the zombie rom-com, My Boyfriend’s Back and the
70′s high school comedy, Dazed and Confused (pictured above) in 1993.

In 1994, Zellweger appeared in Reality Bites as one of Ethan Hawke’s
girl friends. The picture above is pretty much the sum total of her
part. She gives the slacker heart-throb a kiss on the porch and is
never seen or heard from again. She was little more than an extra,
but it was her first credited role in a Hollywood movie.

One week after the wide release of Reality Bites, Zellweger had a
slightly larger role in Luke Perry’s bull-riding bio-pic, 8 Seconds.
The film was Perry last grasp at transitioning from TV star to the big
screen. Despite mostly negative reviews it was a small hit at the box
office in relation to its modest budget.

Later that year, Zellweger starred in the Showtime movie, Shake Rattle
and Roll. SR&R was part of a series of remakes of 1950′s B-movies
that Showtime produced under the title Rebel Highway. The idea was to
give drive-in movies a “90′s edge”. Series creator, Samuel Z.
Arkoff wondered “what it would be like if you made Rebel Without a
Cause today. It would be more lurid, sexier, and much more dangerous,
and you definitely would have had Natalie Wood’s top off”.

The clip above includes footage from several of Zellweger’s movies
from 1994 set to a song from Shake Rattle and Roll.

Just about every successful actress in Hollywood has a horror film in
their early days they wish they could make go away. For Zellweger,
that film is The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The low-budget sequel starred Texas natives Zellweger and Matthew
McConaughey who were both unknowns at the time. Zellweger played the
girl in peril and McConaughey went way, way, way over-the-top as the
next generation cannibal who terrorizes her.

In spite of the presence of two future stars, The Return of the Texas
Chainsaw Massacre was terrible even by the standards of a low-budget
horror sequel. It got dumped in a few theaters in 1994 and was screen
at the South by South-west Film and Media Conference in 1995.

In 1997, when Zellweger and McConaughey were both rising stars, it was
re-edited and released under the title Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The
Next Generation. McConaughey actively campaigned to prevent the film
from getting a wide release. And with good reason. His performance
is laughable.

Reviews were almost unanimously negative. McConaughey successfully
blocked the film from getting a wide release. It opened in just 20
cities in 1997 before being dumped to video.

Zellweger’s final film of the year was the independent crime drama,
Love and a .45. She and Gil Bellows played a young couple on a Bonnie
and Clyde-style crime spree. Zellweger was nominated for an
Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance.

In 1995, Zellweger appeared opposite Liv Tyler, Anthony LaPaglia,
Robin Tunney and Ethan Embry in Empire Records.

Empire Records follows a day in the life of the employees at an
independent record store. It’s sort of like Clerks with a bigger
budget and fewer Star Wars references. Zellweger played Tyler’s best
friend who seduces a fading pop star played by Maxwell Caulfield (of
Grease 2 infamy).

When it was released, Empire Records got mostly negative reviews and
bombed at the box office. But it has developed a cult following on
video.

In 1996, Zellweger starred opposite Vincent D’Onofrio in the romantic
drama, The Whole Wide World.

D’Onofrio played pulp writer and Conan creator, Robert E. Howard.
Zellweger played school teacher, Novalyne Price Ellis who formed a
relationship with Howard and later wrote two books about her
relationship with the author.

Originally, the role of Ellis was to have been played by Olivia d’Abo
who appeared in the Conan sequel, Conan the Destroyer. But when d’Abo
dropped out due to pregnancy, Zellweger was cast.

Zellweger used a tape of The Whole Wide World to convince her future
Jerry Maguire director, Cameron Crowe, that she could convincingly
play a 20-something woman. She was once again nominated for an
Independent Spirit Award.

Later that year, Zellweger starred opposite Tom Cruise and Cuba
Gooding Jr. in Cameron Crowe’s romantic dramedy, Jerry Maguire.

Cruise played a sports agent who leaves his job after suffering a
crisis of conscience. Zellweger played the single mom who follows him
when he leaves. Together, they attempt to start their own agency and
a romantic relationship.

Originally, Crowe wrote the script with Tom Hanks and Winona Ryder in
mind. When Hanks was unable to commit to the project, Cruise was
cast. Ryder did screen tests with Cruise, but Crowe said they “looked
like brother and sister”.

Several other actresses including Parker Posey, Mira Sorvino, Cameron
Diaz and Courtney Love were considered for the role of Dorothy Boyd
before Zellweger was cast. Jennifer Lopez was offered the role, but
turned it down on the advice of her agent.

Jerry Maguire wasn’t just a hit. It became a cultural phenomenon.
Even today, the catch-phrases “Show me the money” and “You complete
me” are over-used. It received several awards nominations although
Zellweger was shut out of the major awards.

In 1997, Zellweger appeared opposite Tim Roth in the murder mystery,
Deceiver. Roth played a rich man accused of cutting a prostitute in
half. Zellweger played both halves of the prostitute.

In 1998, Zellweger starred opposite Christopher Eccleston in A Price
Above Rubies.

Zellweger played a young mother in a Hasidic community. When she
feels ignored by her husband through an arranged marriage, she starts
a relationship with her brother-in-law.

The movie got mixed reviews, though many singled out Zellweger for
praise. It was not a hit at the box office.

Later that year, Zellweger appeared opposite Meryl Streep and William
Hurt in the drama, One True Thing.

Zellweger played a writer who puts her busy life on hold to care for
her ailing mother played by Streep. Although the movie was not a hit
at the box office, it received mostly favorable reviews.

Zellweger had followed up her break-out hit with three well-reviewed
art house dramas. Her mainstream movie career was in danger of
cooling off. She needed a mainstream Hollywood hit.

In 1999, Zellweger starred opposite Chris O’Donnell in the romantic
comedy, The Bachelor.

The Bachelor was a remake of the Buster Keaton movie, Seven Chances.
The premise is kind of like Brewster’s Millions except instead of
having to spend lots of money, O’Donnell’s character needs to get
married in 24 hours. Zellweger plays O’Donnell’s girl friend who
turns down his hasty proposal.

The movie featured a scene in which hundreds of would-be brides chase
O’Donnell through the streets for a chance to marry him. The visual
gag was included in the commercial and the poster. As a result, the
movie came under fire for its out-dated gender stereotypes.

It got mostly bad reviews and bombed at the box office.

In 2000, Zellweger starred opposite Jim Carrey in the Farrelly
brothers’ comedy, Me, Myself and Irene.

Carrey played a state tropper tasked with escorting a young woman to
New York where she will face charges of hit-and-run. Carrey’s
character suffers a psychotic breakdown which results in a split
personality. Zellweger played the young woman, Irene.

The movie received mixed reviews. Although it was a hit at the box
office, it was a disappointment given Carrey’s track record at the
time. It also began a slide for the Farrelly brothers who peaked with
There’s Something About Mary in 1998.

Zellweger and Carrey became romantically involved off-screen as well.
At one point, the couple was engaged but the engagement was broken
off.

Later that year, Zellweger starred opposite Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock
and Greg Kinnear in Neil LaBute’s off-beat comedy, Nurse Betty.

Zellweger played a waitress who suffers a nervous breakdown after
witnessing her husband’s murder at the hands of hitmen played by
Freeman and Rock. Betty becomes obsessed with her favorite soap star
played by Kinnear.

The movie is a strange mix of comedy and violent drama. Reviews were
mostly positive, but audiences weren’t quite sure what to make of the
film. Despite the modest box office performance, Zellweger won her
first Golden Globe for Best Actress.

In 2001, Zellweger starred opposite Hugh Grant and Colin Firth in the
romantic comedy, Bridget Jones’s Diary.

The movie was based on Helen Fielding’s novel of the same name. When
fans of the novel heard that a skinny American had been cast as their
beloved Bridget Jones, they revolted.

To prepare for the role, Zellweger put on 25 pounds and took a job at
a British publishing company for a month. She worked under an alias
and used her British accent. Although she was not recognized by her
co-workers, some thought it was strange that she had a picture of her
then-boyfriend Jim Carrey on her desk.

In order to maintain her accent, Zellweger used it throughout
filming. Grant later claimed he never heard her real speaking voice
until the wrap party.

Bridget Jones’ Diary received mostly positive reviews and was a big
hit at the box office. Zellweger was nominated for several awards
including her first Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nomination.

In 2002, Zellweger starred opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison
Lohman in the melodrama, White Oleander.

White Oleander was based on a novel by Janet Fitch. The novel was
selected as one of Oprah’s favorite books. If I am not mistaken, all
of these books were eventually adopted into star-studded movies that
ultimately failed at the box office.

Zellweger played a former actress who takes in an orphan played by
Lohman. I have never actually sat through the movie myself. But when
I read about Zellweger’s character’s fate on wikipedia, I laughed out
loud. I may have to track this movie down. Although friend of the
blog and avid Pfieffer fan Paul (of Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies)
has warned me away from the film.

Reviews were mixed and the movie disappointed at the box office.

Later that year, Zellweger starred opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and
Richard Gere in the Broadwat musical adaptation, Chicago.

Zellweger played Roxie Hart, a would-be singer who goes to prison for
killing her boyfriend. Zeta-Jones played Velma Kelly, one half of a
sister act who killed her sister after discovering she was having an
affair with her husband. Gere played their lawyer.

Several attempts were made to adapt Chicago to the big screen. As a
result, numerous actresses were attached to both of the lead roles
over the years. Most recently, Charlize Theron had been cast as
Roxie. But when Rob Marshall took over as director, he replaced
Theron with Zellweger.

Chicago received mostly positive reviews and was a huge hit at the box
office. Zellweger and Zeta-Jones were both nominated for Oscars and
Golden Globes, but not in the same categories. Zeta-Jones won the
Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and Zellweger won the Golden Globe
for Best Actress.

In 2003, Zellweger starred opposite Ewan McGregor in the 60′s romantic
comedy, Down with Love.

Zellweger and McGregor played writers who engage in a battle of the
sexes in an homage to the comedies of the early 60s. Our own
Daffystardust recently named Down With Love as the Best Comedy of
2003. He describes the film as “Mad Men as a frothy romantic comedy.”

Personally, I was less enthusiastic. I really wanted to like Down
With Love, but eventually I grew tired of the conceit. I think you
have to be a really big fan of Doris Day and Rock Hudson movies to
appreciate it and I’m not there.

Critics overall were equally mixed. The box office was disappointing.

Later that year, Zellweger starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Jude Law
in Anthony Minghella’s civil war drama, Cold Mountain.

Law played a deserter from the Confederate army trying to return to
the woman he left behind. Kidman played the Southern belle of his
dreams whose life falls to ruins during the war. Zellweger played a
simple farm girl who came to Kidman’s aid while Law was off fighting
in the war.

Cold Mountain received mostly positive reviews and was a hit at the
box office. It was nominated for more than seventy awards including
seven Academy Award nominations. Zellweger won both an Oscar and a
Golden Globe.

It’s probably worth noting that this is where Zellweger peaks. It’s
downhill from here.

In 2004, Zellweger did voice work for Dreamworks Animation’s Shark
Tale. Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Jack Black, Martin Scorsese and
Angelina Jolie also provided voices for the film. Despite mixed
reviews, Shark Tale was a hit at the box office.

Later that year, Zellweger returned to the role of Bridget Jones in
the sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

The sequel reunited Zellweger with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. And it
is a perfect example of why comedy sequels rarely work. The first
film was a delicate mix of comedy and romance. The sequel the
slapstick comedy is pushed to the edge of reason. The result is a
disappointing mess.

The reviews were mostly negative. But fans of the first film made the
sequel a hit at the box office. Amazingly, Zellweger was nominated
for another Golden Globe.

A third film in the series is planned.

In 2005, Zellweger starred opposite Russell Crowe in Ron Howard’s
boxing biopic, Cinderella Man.

Crowe played heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock who was
called “Cinderella Man” based on his status as an underdog. Zellweger
played his wife, Mae.

Cinderella Man looked like a sure-fire hit. Crowe, Zellweger and
Howard were all proven box office draws. The film was also expected
to be Oscar bait. Instead, the movie was a disappointment at the box
office in spite of mostly positive reviews.

Theater chains AMC and Cinemark eventually offered money back
guarantees to audiences to try to entice them to give Cinderella Man a
try. While this strategy helped to moderately raise the box office,
the movie still fell short of its production costs.

In May of 2005, Zellweger married country music singer, Kenny
Chesney. Four months later, the couple announced their plans to annul
the marriage. In the paperwork, Zellweger cited “fraud” as the reason
for the annulment. This set off a media circus with rumors that
Chesney was gay. Later, Zellweger clarified that the term was “simply
legal language and not a reflection of Kenny’s character.”

In 2006, Zellweger starred opposite her Down With Love co-star, Ewan
McGregor, in Miss Potter.

Zellweger played children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, the
creator of Peter Rabbit. Originally, the script was developed for
Cate Blanchett. But when Blanchett dropped out, Zellweger came on
board and became an executive producer. She recruited McGregor with
whom she had stayed in contact since Down With Love.

The film got mixed reviews and did so-so box office.

In 2007, Zellweger returned to voice work in Jerry Seinfeld’s animated
feature, Bee Movie. Like Shark Tale, the movie got mixed reviews but
made a lot of money.

In 2008, Zellewger starred opposite George Clooney and John Krasinski
in the 1920′s football comedy, Leatherheads.

Clooney directed as well as starred as an aging football player
looking to revitalize his team, the Duluth Bulldogs. To that end, he
recruits a war hero played by Krasinski. Zellweger played a reporter
looking to expose Krasinski as a fraud. Both men romance her in the
screwball comedy tradition.

There is a lot that works in Leatherheads. Clooney and Zellweger are
at their best when sparring verbally. But the tone of the movie is
horribly uneven. The screwball comedy keeps getting interrupted by an
investigation into Krasinski’s war record and a clichéd sports movie.

Leatherheads got mixed reviews and was a disappointment at the box
office.

Later that year, Zellweger appeared in Ed Harris’ Western, Appaloosa.
Harris wrote, directed and starred in the film which co-starred
Zellweger, Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons.

Originally, Diane Lane was cast in Zellweger’s role. But New Line put
production on hold over worries that a Western would not be successful
at the box office. Production resumed following the success of
Deadwood on HBO and the film 3:10 to Yuma. During the halt, Lane
departed and was replaced by Zellweger.

The film got mixed to positive reviews. But it turns out the studio
was right to worry about its box office prospects. It flopped.

In 2009, Zellweger starred opposite Harry Connick Jr. in the romantic
comedy, New in Town. Zellweger played an arrogant city slicker who
learns a little about humanity when she relocates to a small town.
Reviews were overwhelmingly negative and the movie bombed at the box
office.

Later that year, Zellweger starred in My One and Only which was
loosely based on stories George Hamilton told about his early life on
the road with his mother and brother. Although the film got mostly
positive reviews, it received a limited release at the box office.

Around this time, Zellweger returned to horror in Case 39.

Zellweger played a social worker who takes custody over one of her
cases, a girl named Lilith. As if that name wasn’t enough of a clue,
it turns out the child may or may not be a demon. Bradley Cooper
(whom Zellweger was dating) and Ian McShane show up long enough to be
victims of the scary kid.

I actually sat through Case 39 for this article and let me tell you it
is bad. It was originally scheduled for release in February 2008 and
was pushed back four times before finally being dumped in theaters
October 2010. Reviews were bad and the movie tanked in the US.

In 2010, Zellweger starred opposite Forest Whitaker in the drama My
Own Love Song. Zellweger played a paralyzed former singer who goes on
a road trip with her stuttering friend played by Whitaker. Reviews
were mostly negative and the film failed to get a theatrical release
in the US.

So, what the hell happened?

Zellweger had a pretty incredible run from 1996-2003. In seven years,
she had several hits, an Oscar and three Golden Globes. But to a
large extent, I think Zellweger got lucky. She got the right roles at
the right time.

Often times, I think her movies were more popular than she was. For
example, I don’t think all that many people went to see Bridget Jones
or Chicago because Zellweger starred in them.

After Cold Mountain, that luck started to run out. The Bridget Jones
sequel was a hit, but nowhere near as beloved as the first film.
Cinderella Man and Leatherheads which looked like hits on paper, both
turned out to be disappointments.

Once the big box office and accolades stopped rolling in, Zellweger
backed away from her career. If Bridget Jones 3 is actually released
in 2014 as expected, it will end a 4-year absence from the screen for
Zellweger.

[Vaughan Andursen]

On Feb 24, 1:34 am, TMC <tmc1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://lebeauleblog.com/2013/02/23/what-the-hell-happened-to-renee-ze...

> Later that year, Zellweger starred in the Showtime movie, Shake Rattle
> and Roll.  SR&R was part of a series of remakes of 1950′s B-movies
> that Showtime produced under the title Rebel Highway.  The idea was to
> give drive-in movies a “90′s edge”.    Series creator, Samuel Z.
> Arkoff wondered “what it would be like if you made Rebel Without a
> Cause today. It would be more lurid, sexier, and much more dangerous,
> and you definitely would have had Natalie Wood’s top off”.

Natalie was 16 when she made that movie. Roman Polanski is the only
person stupid enough to make a movie with her top off.

> In 2002, Zellweger starred opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison
> Lohman in the melodrama, White Oleander.
>
> White Oleander was based on a novel by Janet Fitch.  The novel was
> selected as one of Oprah’s favorite books.  If I am not mistaken, all
> of these books were eventually adopted into star-studded movies that
> ultimately failed at the box office.
>
> Zellweger played a former actress who takes in an orphan played by
> Lohman.  I have never actually sat through the movie myself.  But when
> I read about Zellweger’s character’s fate on wikipedia, I laughed out
> loud.  I may have to track this movie down.  Although friend of the
> blog and avid Pfieffer fan Paul (of Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies)
> has warned me away from the film.

According to Wiki, she kills herself with pills, because she thinks
her husband is cheating on her. What could possibly be funny about
that?

[TT]

24.2.2013 8:34, TMC kirjoitti:
> The Bridget Jones
> sequel was a hit, but nowhere near as beloved as the first film.

All Bridget Jones films were rubbish. That's what happened to her.

[Mack A. Damia]

On Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:34:36 -0800 (PST), TMC <tmc...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>http://lebeauleblog.com/2013/02/23/what-the-hell-happened-to-renee-zellweger/


She sang on the Academy Awards show last night along with the rest of
the cast from "Chicago".

--