Archive for "Sandra Bullock"

No Blacks Make Forbes Highest-Paid Actresses List

Published by Clay Cane on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 12:00 am.

Forbes released their list of the highest-paid actresses from June 2009 to June 2010. There was a lil’ something missing in the top 10 — some color. No Kerry Washington, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, or even Zoe Saldana. One would think times are getting easier for Black women in Hollywood, but in 2010 women of color are still competing for financial respect in the same ways Hattie McDaniel and Dorothy Dandridge had to back in the day.

I give a big congratulations to the ladies who are the highest paid, but I can’t ignore the fact that many of these actresses haven’t had a hit movie in years — by no fault of their own, but still grossing $27 million.  Jennifer Aniston ranks number 4 on the list but has made critical and box office flops for years (2009’s Love Happens and 2010’s The Bounty Hunter are great examples).

Reese Witherspoon didn’t even release a film in 2010. She lent her voice to 2009’s Monsters vs. Aliens, but her last “hit” movie was 2005’s Walk The Line. Sarah Jessica Parker, I love her dearly, nonetheless, outside of Sex and the City, her films have consistently flopped.  Even Sex and the City 2 was a box office disappointment (debuting at number 4 opening weekend) — not reaching anywhere near the box office numbers it expected.

There is  Cameron Diaz, whose father is Cuban, however, some would argue that she is perceived as White despite her Latin heritage.  She recently said to Playboy, “Where I grew up all the Diazes had brown hair, brown skin and brown eyes, so there was a bit of ‘You’re not a Latina.’ I do identify with my culture. My dad’s first language was Spanish, but he didn’t teach it to us because he was made fun of growing up and didn’t want that to happen to my sister and me. He regretted that choice later.”

This is not to blame the actresses on the list — they are trying to make a dollar like everyone else. However, the fact that these actresses can have consistent flops for years and the powers that be in Hollywood will pay them more than a Zoe Saldana (she has eight films to her credit in 2009 and 2010!) and pay them more than women who are having bigger hit movies and working more frequently… wow!

Check out the list below.

1. Sandra Bullock: $56 million
2. Reese Witherspoon: $32 million
3. Cameron Diaz: $32 million
4. Jennifer Aniston: $27 million
5. Sarah Jessica Parker: $25 million
6. Julia Roberts: $20 million
7. Angelina Jolie: $20 million
8. Drew Barrymore: $15 million
9. Meryl Streep: $13 million
10. Kristen Stewart: $12 million

SOURCE

Dorothy Dandridge

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MTV Movie Award Winners

Published by Clay Cane on Monday, June 7, 2010 at 1:05 am.

mtvmovieThe 19th annual MTV Movie Awards aired last night, which was hosted by Aziz Ansari.  The night was full of cussing, tons of promotion for The Jersey Shore and wins for the vampires in New MoonSandra Bullock accepted the MTV Generation Award by kissing Scarlett Johansson and saying, ”No matter what you might have seen or read, I love what I do. I’m not going anywhere.” Clearly referencing her well-publicized split from  Jesse James. “Whoever established the high road and how high it should be, should be fired.”

Christina Aguilera performed, Tom Cruise did a fun bit with J-Lo and Beyonce won her first MTV Movie Award for Best Fight for her catfight with Ali Larter in last year’s Obsessed, but this wasn’t a televised award.

What did you think of the MTV Movie Awards?

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Female Performance:  Kristen Stewart (New Moon)

Best Breakout Star:  Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)

Best Scared as Sh*! Performance: Amanda Seyfried (Jennifer’s Body)

Best Kiss:  Stewart and Robert Pattinson (New Moon)

Best WTF Moment: Ken Jeong (The Hangover)

Best Villain: Tom Felton (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)

Biggest Badass Star: Rain

Best Male Performance: Pattinson

Best Comedic Performance: Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover)

Best Movie: New Moon

Best Fight: Beyonce Knowles vs. Ali Larter (Obsessed)

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‘Blind Side’ Star Already Over Hollywood

Published by Clay Cane on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 12:00 am.

blindsideQuinton Aaron, who played opposite Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side, is already mortified of Hollywood. Aaron told TMZ, “You need to do what’s best for you … because if you’re with people that don’t believe in you, your career ain’t gonna go nowhere.”  Quinton recently left the popular talent agency APA.

We feel you Quinton, but he should’ve got the memo when he did a movie about a Black football player who beat the odds, but the story somehow morphed into being solely about Sandra Bullock’s character.  That’s Hollywood glamour for you.

TMZ also revealed he never met Michael Oher, the football player he portrayed in the movie.

Check out the video below.

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Movie Review: The Blind Side

Published by Clay Cane on Monday, November 23, 2009 at 12:00 am.

blindsideSummary: Based on the true story of football player, Michael Oher, who plays for the Baltimore Ravens (the book is written by Michael Lewis). A White, conservative, Tennessee family lets a homeless Black teen sleep on their couch. He is welcomed as part of the family, his grades improve and with some unusual coaching from Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), the mother of the family, it’s discovered Michael has a talent for football.

Review: For many African-Americans, a story like The Blind Side is all too familiar in the history of cinema. First, there is the element of the “Great White Hope” — a white character who saves the life of the poor, uneducated Negro, showing him how to be “civilized” and “sophisticated.” Without the “Great White Hope” the Black characters can’t accomplish success on their own. Second, there is the “Magical Negro,” the Black character teaches Whites compassion, folklore-like lessons and other doses of emotionality (think Hattie McDaniel in Gone With The Wind, Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones, or, a recent example, Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty). With all of that said… this is a true story. You can’t hate a story for being true, even if it channels legendary Hollywood stereotypes.

There is so much thought-provoking material to explore in The Blind Side but it’s as if the director, John Lee Hancock, was afraid to tackle the edgy (and obvious) subject matters like race, poverty and drug addiction. Therefore, every potentially good moment is washed over with some Southern twang and a toss of Sandra Bullock’s hair. For example, Leigh Anne Tuohy, who picks Michael off the street in the rain, was allegedly raised in an extremely racist environment and her father pulled her out of the Tennessee public school system when it was integrated.

Was Leigh Anne never affected by racism?

Was she ever racist or did her feelings of race vanish when she looked into Michael’s brown eyes?

There are plenty of downtrodden Black boys in Memphis, Tennessee roaming the streets — why did she reach out to Michael Oher?

Did the Touhy family confront their own prejudices when this African-American boy moved into their home?

Unlike Sissy Spacek in The Long Home or Michelle Pfeiffer in Lovefield ( while fictional, these two films contain no elements of “The Great White Hope” or “The Magical Negro”), the Tuohys own background is never explored, which might have made this good movie into an excellent flick.

There are some uncomfortable scenes, like Tim McGraw’s character, who plays the father, says about Michael, “He thinks he is a redneck!” Or, Sandra Bullock sashaying through the Memphis projects, fearless of the “gangsters” and saying, “I am a member of the NRA!” as she pats her purse that supposedly holds a gun. On the other hand, as a viewer, you can’t help but be amazed at the compassion from the Tuohy family. Black or White, the Touhys helped changed a young man’s life.

Sandra Bullock’s performance is being praised and it is her best in years, but not Oscar worthy like 2004’s Crash. Yes, Bullock’s performance glues the film together but she didn’t have one climactic monologue to see her acting chops and her character basically remains the same. Thankfully, The Blind Side proves Bullock has more range than those bland romantic comedies.

In his first film, Bronx native Quinton Aaron plays Michael. Aaron definitely has potential but in The Blind Side he gives a one-note performance and you can nearly see his nerves rattling on camera. Maybe it was the writing, but the character was underdeveloped with little depth; you couldn’t tell if Michael was portrayed as socially awkward or developmentally disabled. This movie is based on Michael Lewis’ book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, but this film is not Michael’s story. In the end, it’s more about Leigh Anne Touchy and Sandra Bullock being the star.

Regardless of the racial implications, The Blind Side is a true story that is told fairly well. It’s a story that seems almost too good, therefore, you have to let go of Hollywood’s betrayal of African-American story lines to thoroughly enjoy it.

The Blind Side is in theaters now.

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