This year, Reese Witherspoon has three films coming out, two she carries completely and the other is Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice. She plays Deputy DA Penny Kimball in Inherent Vice (one of the love interests).
She’ll also open two movies.
Wild: “Cheryl Strayed was 26 in 1995 when she set out to hike more than 1,000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. Coping with her mother’s death to cancer at age 45, divorce and heroin use, Cheryl says she was at a very desperate and sad point in life and had “to save myself.” She saw a PCT guidebook in a department store and was drawn to the idea of hiking the trail. “I knew the wilderness was where I felt in touch with my highest self.”
She’ll also play the lead in The Good Lie: They were known simply as “The Lost Boys.” Orphaned by the brutal Civil war in Sudan that began in 1983, these young victims traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys and girls to America. In “The Good Lie,” Philippe Falardeau (Monsieur Lazhar) brings the story of their survival and triumph to life. Starring Academy Award Winner Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line), Corey Stoll (House Of Cards), Sarah Baker (The Campaign) alongside Sudanese actors Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, and newcomer Nyakuoth Weil, many of whom were also children of war themselves.
Three potential Oscar nominations for Witherspoon this year.
I thought was great in Freeway!
Cinesnatch
She COULD get four, if she gets a supporting campaign for Inherent Vice, lead campaign for Wild and BP nods for the latter and Gone Girl. I don’t think The Good Lie will be a factor but if it is a big fat BO hit, it could still help her narrative during awards season.
Well, I guess she could only get four, as she can’t be nominated twice for lead Actress. But, you get what I mean.
Technically, though it’s not going to happen, Witherspoon could get 5 nominations this season. Three for acting, and two for producing.
More realistically, she’s shooting for three (one as actress and two as producing).
She’ll get at least one, and two is a strong possibility.
I only like my Reese two ways. Witherspoon and Withouterspoon.
After a stumble in her arrest and some stinker of some films Reese Witherspoon is for sure ready for a comeback and to get back into the race. I like Witherspoon in a limited amount of performances with Election and Walk the Line going to the top. In Wild after reading the book she should be a sure fire best actress contender and being directed by Jean-Marc Vallée who is coming off the buzzed Dallas Buyers Club. I’m can’t wait to see her working with PTA as she was his original choice for Peggy Dodd in The Master and I feel from her Election performance would have made that character work better then what Adams did with it. The Good Lie looks good but not great so hopefully it’s a hit and she also was in Devil’s Knot this year which is a mess and is so forgettable. Being a producer of Gone Girl and Wild I am happy to see her producing films still.
Her performances in Legally Blond and Election were terrific. After that, I have a hard time coming up with noteworthy work
^^
Me too. Legally blond was funny, but it seems she has never “matured”. She seems to be eternally that college student. And she’s never driven me to see her in movies.
I don’t like her and the stupid movies that she did in the last years.
And her Oscar was not deserved.
I thought she was very good in Man in the Moon as well.
Very much looking forward to Inherent and Wild but not Good Lie.
Ryan – what is with the big lie reference ? Is this a typo for the good lie?
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I have really enjoyed many of Witherspoon’s performances but for me, the Oscar for Walk The Line was undeserved as I thought Felicity Huffman in Transamerica was the best actress that year. That said, I look forward to these upcoming releases.
“Not to mention she’s producing Gone Girl!”
Wow Jordan! Good eye! 🙂 I love stuff like that.
Bait and Switch.
I was led to believe this post would be about Reese Witherspoon Threeways.
Ack! I just noticed my spelling error. No one spells Holy like Wholy.
Wholy crap!! Guatam! Are you putting Reese out to pasture or something. Dang! She’s only 38 years old!!
Normally I don’t respond, but this is a bit shocking.
Nahh.. I don’t think she will get nominated for any. She is long past her prime now and neither does she hold any hold over audiences or Academy members alike.
The big lie ? Is this a typo for the good lie?
Gotta love the Spoon…it’s interesting that she opted not to star in GONE GIRL because I think she’s be perfect for it. I love Pike and she’ll crush Amazing Amy but it’s odd for Witherspoon to have had the chance at such a role and pass it to someone else…maybe the aforementioned roles she’s starring in this year got in the way, especially considering Fincher’s penchant for numerous takes and long shoots.
Remember, she was pretty good in PLEASANTVILLE! And personally I really enjoyed LEGALLY BLONDE that time I saw it about a decade ago.
Though, for many and me, her breakthrough role was in Kumble’s neglected masterpiece, CRUEL INTENTIONS.
Her performances in Walk the Line and Election were terrific. After that, I have a hard time coming up with noteworthy work from her. Water for Elephants was modestly enjoyable, but How Do You Know was a James L. Brooks misfire and This Means War was utter garbage. While Mud was more about McConaughey and those two kids, it was a great movie and I thought Witherspoon was still strong in her small role. Wild and Inherent Vice are two of my most anticipated for the year and I’ll definitely keep on eye on The Big Lie as well. It’s nice to see her trying to make a comeback.
P.T.A. has long wanted to work with her. I believe the performance as *adapted* by Anderson and conceived by Witherspoon, for the character of Penny Kimball, will blow our minds. Truly, one of only a handful of female performances to keep in your radar in this cinematic year.
To be perfectly honest, INHERENT VICE in general sounds very promising, so to speak.
Not to mention she’s producing Gone Girl!
It truly is nice to see her back in strong roles.
FINALLY she is back to the kind of projects that are expected of someone whose big break was an iconic turn in a cult indie
film (Election). I get it, she could become a millionaire movie star with the romcom route, still it’s great to see her taking herself seriously again. It was about time !