What the Hell Happened to Michelle Pfeiffer?

[TMC]

http://lebeauleblog.com/2011/10/07/what-the-hell-happened-to-michelle-pfeiffer/

Posted by lebeau

Michelle Pfeiffer was one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood.
She starred opposite Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery and Jack
Nicholson. The image of Pfeiffer cracking a whip as Catwoman is
iconic. And then, she disappeared for seveal years. Recently,
Pfeiffer has resurfaced. But her days on the A-list appear to be
behind her.

So, what the hell happened?

Pfeiffer started out as a pageant girl before moving into TV and
movies. Her first film was a 1980 comedy called Hollywood Knights.
But the first movie to really get her noticed was the 1982 musical
sequel, Grease 2. The original Grease had been a box office bonanza
in 1978. Expectations were sky high for the sequel. The movie was
expected to launch the careers of its stars as well as additional
sequels.

Instead, Grease 2 bombed at the box office. Critics compared it
unfavorably to the original Grease – which they hated. Future Grease
sequels were abandoned and star Max Caufield’s career never
recovered. But Pfeiifer was singled out as the one good thing in
Grease 2.

Having seen Grease 2, Brian DePalma refused to see Pfeiffer audition
for Scarface. However, he relented upon pressure from the film’s
producer. Pfeiffer was eventually cast in the role of Al Pacino’s
cocaine-addicted trophy wife.

When Scarface opened, the reviews were largely negative. Critics were
put off by the film’s violence. Although once again, Pfeiffer got
mostly positive notices. Scarface was a hit and has developed a large
cult following over the years.

Pfeiffer appeared in two movies in 1985. The first was John Landis’
thriller/comedy Into The Night co-starring Jeff Goldblum. Into the
Night was loaded with cameo appearances from Landis’ Hollywood
friends. But the comedy was hit-and-miss.

Reviews were generally negative and the film didn’t do very well at
the box office. Once again, Pfeiffer was singled out for praise.

Pfeiffer also appeared in Richard Donner’s fantasy film, Ladyhawke.
Pfeiffer played a woman who had been cursed to transform into a hawk
during the day. Her lover, played by Rutger Hauer, was cursed to turn
into a wolf at night. Matthew Broderick starred as a young theif
tasked with breaking the curse and reuniting the couple.

Reviews were mostly positive. Critics almost uniformly commented on
Pfeiffer’s ethereal beauty. But the movie was only modestly
successful at the box office.

In 1986, Pfeiffer co-starred in Sweet Liberty. Alan Alda wrote and
directed the comedy about a Hollywood movie descending on a small
town. Critical reception was lukewarm. And the box office
performance was modest. But once again, Pfeiffer got good reviews in
a movie no one especially liked.

Pfeiffer’s big break finally came in 1987 with The Witches of
Eastwick. Pfeiffer played one of three women in a small New England
town. Their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of a
mysterious stranger played by Jack Nicholson who may or may not be the
devil.

The movie was a showcase for Nicholson who hams it up in every scene.
Pfeiffer was actually the least famous of the three women at the
time. Co-stars Susan Sarandon and Cher were already established
stars.

Witches of Eastwick got mixed reviews. But it was a bona fide hit.

The success of Witches of Eastwick helped put Pfeiffer on the map.
Ironically, it was the first movie in some time for which Pfeiffer was
not singled out for praise. It was Nicholson’s movie. The Witches
were just window dressing. But Pfeiffer held her own against Jack,
Sarandon and Cher. That counted for a lot.

1988 was a big year for Pfeiffer. After getting big exposure in
Witches, she was poised for success. And unlike a lot of other
actresses, Pfeiffer capitalized on the opportunity with 3 well-
reviewed box office hits.

The first was Johnathan Demme’s wonderfully quirky mob comedy, Married
to the Mob. Pfeiffer played a mob wife who’s husband (a young Alec
Baldwin) is bumped off by a ruthless Dean Stockwell.

Married to the Mob received mostly positive reviews. Among a talented
cast that included Baldwin, Stockwell, Matthew Modine, Mercedes Ruehl
and Oliver Platt, Pfieffer was once again singled out as a stand-out.
The film was a hit and Pfeiffer won a Golden Globe nomination.

Later that year, Pfeiffer appeared in Tequilla Sunrise as the woman
Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell fight over. The movie is kind of like
Casablanca (minus the Nazis) crossed with Miami Vice. Actually, it’s
not that interesting. But it is a pretty decent way to pass the
time. The cast and the scenery are beautiful even if the story
occasionally gets lost in its own twists and turns.

Reviews for Tequilla Sunrise were somewhat mixed. But the movie was a
big hit.

Pfeiffer finished out the year with Dangerous Liaisons. Like Cruel
Intentions, Dangerous Liasisons is based on the french play, Les
Liaisons Dangereuses. Unlike Cruel Intentions, Dangerous Liaisons is
really good.

Pfeiffer’s Madame de Volange was the virtuous woman caught between
18th century schemers John Malkovich and Glenn Close. Close’s
character offers herself to Malkovich if he can seduce the chaste
Pfeiffer. Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves appear as a young couple also
caught up in the complex web. Tragedy and awesomeness ensue.

Dangerous Liaisons was a hit with critics and audiences. Among the
many accolades Pfieffer received for Liaisons was an Oscar nomination
for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1990, Pfeiffer starred opposite the brothers Bridges in The
Fabulous Baker Boys. Pfeiffer played a lounge singer who comes
between the two musicals brothers while revitalizing their careers.
In reality, Pfeiffer’s career was the one that got the boost.

The film was widely praised by critics. And Pfeiffer received a slew
of awards and nominations. She was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar
and won a Best Actress Golden Globe.

The movie wasn’t a huge hit. But it cemented Pfeiffer’s status as one
of the most respected and beautiful actresses in Hollywood.

Post Baker Boys, Pfeiffer’s winning track record starts to get a
little spotty. In 1990, she starred opposite Sean Connery in the
beautifully filmed Russian-set spy thriller, The Russia House.
Unfortunately, as a thrillers go, The Russia House is a bit of a
snooze. Pfeiffer and Russia are both beautifully photographed, but
there’s not a lot else top hold the viewer’s interest.

The Russia House actually got mostly positive reviews based on strong
performances and the exotic setting. Pfeiffer was even nominated for
another Golden Globe.

In 1991, Pfeiffer starred in the big screen adaptation of Terrence
McNally’s off-Broadway play, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de
Lune. The film shortened the title to the bland Frankie and Johnny
which is indicative of director Gary Marshall’s take on the film.

The play was about two lonely, desperate middle age employes at a
diner who find a last chance at unlikely love. To give you some idea
what the play was like, Frankie was originally played by Kathy Bates.
And she had a nude scene.

Marshall’s prettied-up and fully clothed movie felt more like a sitcom
than a play. The movie got mixed reviews and underperformed at the
box office. But Pfeiffer managed to score yet another Golden Globe
nomination.

In 1992, much to Sean Young’s chagrin, Pfeiffer was cast in the
coveted role of Catwoman in Tim Burton’s Bat-sequel, Batman Returns.

I’m a big fan of the movie, but even I have to admit Burton made a
mess. It’s a pretty mess, but it confused and even angered families
hoping for clean, super hero fun.

Even the harshest critics agreed that Pfeiffer’s Catwoman was the
film’s saving grace. Well, that and Christopher Walken. Christopher
Walken is awesome.

Obviously, the movie was a hit. One of the biggest of Pfeiffer’s
career. For years afterwards, Pfeiffer and Burton talked about
collaborating on a Catwoman spin-off. But when Warner Brothers chased
Burton off of Batman 3, that more or less killed the chances of the
Catwoman spin-off. At least until Halle Berry expressed an interest
in the role…

Pfeiffer followed up her Bat-blockbuster with Love Field. Pfeiffer
played a housewife who was obsessed with the first lady. After
witnessing President Kennedy’s assassination, she decides to attend
his funeral. On the way, she befriends a black man and his daughter.

Love Field got mixed reviews and didn’t perform especially well at the
box office. However, Pfeiffer’s goodwill at awards ceremonies scored
her both a Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nomination.

In 1993, Pfeiffer starred opposite Daniel Day Lewis and Winona Ryder
in Martin Scorsese’s period drama, Age of Innocence. Just about every
word in that last sentence drips with prestige. In a way, Age of
Innocence should have been a victory lap for Pfeiffer.

While the film was well-regarded among critics, it wasn’t popular with
audiences. As a departure for Scorsese, the movie had detractors
among critics as well.

Age of Innocence did receive some recognition come awards time.
Pfeiffer was once again nominated for a Golden Globe. But the Academy
nominated co-star Ryder instead. At the Globes, Pfeiffer lost yet
again and Ryder won Best Supporting Actress.

In 1994, Pfeiffer reteamed with Jack Nicholson for Mike Nichols’
monster movie, Wolf. When they made Witches of Eastwick, Pfeiffer was
an up-and-comer. But now, both stars were at the top of the A-list.

Still, there was no doubt that Wolf was Jack’s movie. Pfeiffer was
essentially cashing a paycheck to play the pretty damsel in distress.
Her role was originally offered to Sharon Stone who turned it down.

Wolf was a hit at the box office. The reviews were pretty mixed. But
Wolf wasn’t the kind of movie where reviews matter all that much.

Up until this point, Pfeiffer had a pretty impressive run on the A-
list. But there was one nagging question about her star status.
Pfeiffer had more than her share of hits. But she had never had a big
mainstream hit in which she was the main draw. Many in Hollywood
questioned whether or not Pfeiffer had any box office draw on her own.

In 1995, Pfeiffer played an inner city teacher in Dangerous Minds (as
well as making an awesome cameo in the Coolio video for Gangsta’s
Paradise…

Dangerous Minds got mixed reviews, but the soundtrack propelled the
movie to big box office. As the only star in the picture, Pfeiffer
finally had a hit movie she could take full credit for even if it
wasn’t among her best reviewed.

I imagine that Pfeiffer had a list of all of the A-list actors in
Hollywood and she was checking them off as she went. Realizing that
Robert Redford was entering semi-retirement as an actor, she pounced
on the chance to check off his name while she still could by co-
starring in Up Close and Personal.

Up Close and Personal was supposed to be based on the biography of
Jessica Savitch. But the final film was so sanitized it bore little
resemblence to Savitch’s troubled life story. Instead, the studio
sold it as a tragic romance.

In spite of the bad reviews, the star power made the film a mild hit
at the box office.

In 1996, Pfeiffer also starred in her husband’s little-seen drama, To
Gillian on Her 37th Birthday. To Gillian received overwhelmingly
negative reviews and bombed at the box office.

Pfeiffer closed out 1996 with the romantic comedy, One Fine Day. Her
co-star was George Clooney who was still making the transition from TV
to film. At this point, Pfeiffer was clearly the bigger star.
Unfortunately, One Fine Day got lousy reviews and was a disappointment
at the box office.

In 1997, Pfeiffer starred in and produced the big-screen adaptation of
the novel, A Thousand Acres which co-starred Jessica Lange and
Jennifer Jason Leigh. In 1998, she did voice work for the Dream Works
animated feature, Prince of Egypt. Neither film was a hit with
critics or audiences. Pfeiffer’s hot streak was cooling.

Post Dangerous Minds, Pfeiffer made a lot more movies which rested on
her star power rather than that of her co-star. She also seemed to be
attracted to adaptations of books recommended by Oprah. The result
was movies like 1999′s The Deep End of the Ocean. Reviews for Ocean
were negative and Pfeiffer’s name wasn’t a big enough draw to save it
at the box office.

In 1999, Pfeiffer also appeared with an all-star cast in a big-screen
version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The movie got mixed to positive
reviews, but played to small audiences.

Pfeiffer ended the year with The Story of Us co-starring Bruce
Willis. The Story of Us was a major holiday release directed by Rob
Reiner. Expectations were high.

The domestic drama was savaged by critics and bombed at the box
office. While Willis was still riding high on The Sixth Sense, The
Story of Us was a pretty major blow to Pfeiffer’s career.

Pfeiffer regained some ground in 2000 with the ghost story, What Lies
Beneath. The studio sold What Lies Beneath to audiences as a Harrison
Ford movie. But Ford’s role is relatively small. The movie belongs
to Pfeiffer who reminded audiences why they loved her in the first
place.

Most of the twists and turns of Robert Zemeckis’ thriller were spoiled
by a trailer that gave away too much information. Reviews were mixed,
but the film was a much-needed box office hit for Pfeiffer.

In 2001, Pfeiffer returned to melodrama with mixed results. In I Am
Sam, she played a lawyer representing Sean Penn’s mentally disabled
father in a custody case. The movie got mixed to negative reviews.
But Penn and co-star Dakota Fanning managed to win some awards
recognition. The movie was a mild hit at the box office.

2002′s White Oleander was another female-heavy Oprah’s Book Club
adaptation. It met the same underwhelming fate as movies like A
Thousand Acres.

At this point, Pfeiffer put her career on hiatus to concentrate on her
family. There’s no doubt her career was cooling, but Pfeiffer was
still on the A-list. Four years later, when she returned to the big
screen, that was no longer the case.

In 2007, Pfeiffer returned with a small part as a villain in the big
screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Hairspray which was itself
an adaptation of the original film of the same name.

Hairspray was a good career movie for Pfeiffer. She reminded
Hollywood and audiences that she was a ravishingly beautiful and
talented actress without taking on the burden of a starring role.

Hairspray got positive reviews and was a hit at the box office.

Pfeiffer also played the villain in 2007′s big screen adaptation of
Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel, Stardust. Stardust got mixed reviews and
was a moderate hit. But coupled with Hairspray, it represented an
impressive comeback for Pfeiffer.

In the years since, Pfeiffer hasn’t capitalized on that momentum. The
films she has made have barely gotten theatrical releases, though she
continues to work.

In 2011, Pfeiffer reteamed with director Gary Marshall as part of the
ensemble comedy, New Year’s Eve. New Year’s Eve was sort of an
unofficial sequel to Marshall’s surprise hit, Valentine’s Day. Like
Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve got bad reviews. Unlike Valentine’s
Day, News Year’s Eve bombed.

In 2012, Pfeiffer finally got the chance to work with Tim Burton
again. She had a supporting role in Tim Burton’s big screen
adaptation of the TV show, Dark Shadows.

Following Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, expectations were high.
Reviews were mixed. But the appeal of Johnny Depp giving another
quirky performance was not enough to generate interest in Dark
Shadows. It turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of
the summer movie season.

Pfeiffer also appeared in People Like Us opposite Chris Pine and
Elizabeth Banks. People Like Us continued Pfeiffer’s recent losing
streak with critics and audiences.

For better or worse, Pfeiffer was only a supporting player in these
films. If they had been hits, they might have given her a little
higher profile. But the fact that they bombed really can’t be held
against her either.

The impression that I get is that Pfeiffer isn’t especially interested
in returning to the A-list. She walked away from Hollywood of her own
acord and is now able to pick and choose smaller roles in projects
that don’t hinge on her star power. Unlike a lot of actors profiled
in this column, I get the impression that Pfeiffer’s career is exactly
where she wants it to be.