07.23.10 Juliette Lewis: The Ultimate Sour Patch Kid
She can be sour and sweet, sometimes simultaneously. A while back, I did a feature on the fabulous Jennifer Jason Leigh where I mentioned the film Crooked Hearts and how delighted I was to see Leigh co-starring alongside the inimitable Juliette Lewis, two of my favorite actresses. Well, after first covering Leigh, it’s now time that I give Lewis her due respect. Upon further reflection since first deciding to do this piece, I’ve come to the conclusion that there definitely hasn’t been and probably will never be an actress more deserving of coverage in this “unsung stars” feature than Lewis. Why did I come to this minor epiphany? When mentioning that I would be paying tribute to the impressive yet largely unrecognized career of Lewis in the office, a few of my esteemed colleagues took it upon themselves to voice their disdain for the lithe thespian. One of these opinionated gentlemen—who will remain nameless—stated that she’s “a completely annoying screen presence,” specifically citing her role in the remake of Cape Fear as an example. The other, rather caustic, co-worker even went so far as to call her a “skank.” While that is perhaps not the kindest term to use when discussing a young lady, his argument wasn’t lost on me. It seems that Miss Lewis is a completely polarizing figure. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Fortunately, I have my own voice on this quaint little website, and hearing these base criticisms only solidified my resolve to come to the lovely lady’s defense.
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