okay, i'll bite. julia roberts...ugh! i can not stand her. her grating voice, her yuck it up laugh, her unbelievably mediocre acting...all of it. couple that with her ability to make even the smartest, snarkiest, celebritology columnist like her and i think i'm going to ride my pony (okay, lead my pony) off into the sunset. i'm disappointed.
you said one thing i agree with...she is obviously, clearly devoted to her children and possibly her husband. i say that because being a mom myself, i've always been devoted to my children but my hubby has a way of stepping on the very last nerve in me. so, to julia: a decent mom.

Plus, she's loads of fun whenever she is on Letterman.

Someone give that woman a pony!

And her child naming abilities skyrocketed from celebricrazy to normal this year!

(full disclosure, I have a Henry)

Well, I like her! Faults included 'cause no one's perfect...

I'd like to take a moment and stick up for The Mexican. I found it charming - especially the relationship between her character and her gay hitman kidnapper Gandolfini.

That said there is no love for American Sweethearts.

(Obviously, we can't give her methinks' pony, since she's using it. Who's in charge of spare ponies around here?)

i neglected to mention that mine is still an imaginary pony. i was all discombobulated about liz liking julia.

-Since I have a loud laugh too, I'll let Julia pass on that.
-I never enjoyed any of her movies and never understood what was so "charming" about her.
-I"ll stick with Nicole Kidman.

We (me and my dog Millie) don't care for her much. I mean she doesn't cause the kind of venom like when I see Tom Cruise, but I'm with methinks on this one, she's a mediocre actress, she has no range and that vein that pops up in the middle of her forehead is just freaky.

she is ok by me. especially since the paparazzi chasing incident.

Loved her in Erin Brokovich - "they're called boobs, Ed."

I also like the kids names - I wonder if she got Hazel from Watership Down??? (my son's name is Olin, so we like unusual. btw, when ever I see byoolin, I think Bring your own Olin, I could do that!)

If I went to an event that was BYO Olin, I would bring Lena Olin, around the time she appeared in The Unbearable Lightness of Being (a.k.a. The Unberable Lengthiness of Movie).

Loved LOVED her in "Erin Brockovich" and in "Notting Hill".

I like Julia, darnit. She seems like a nice person. And props to her for chastizing the paparazzi at her kids' school.

i like the chastising of the papz but the way she was driving was equally reckless. she could have followed them to their destination and then spoken to them, or called the cops and followed.
i know, i know...i don't care for her so nothing (almost nothing: see children comments above) she does will be okay with me.

I really like her too, but I lost A LOT of respect for her when she and her hubby parked in a handicap spot at the grocery store a few weeks ago - I don't care who is taking your picture or who you are, it is NOT okay to do that.

I started liking her after seeing a documentary she did about Mongolia. Talk about ponies! They were everywhere!
She seems pretty normal for a celebrity. And if George Clooney likes her she can't be all bad.

I'm with the haters. Nothing really personal, I just really hate her movies, I hated her Oscar acceptance speech, I hate everything about her work. The only movie of hers that I have remotely liked is My Best Friends Wedding, and that is because she gets called out for the selfish pratt she plays in about 75% of her movies. She is the only actress in the world who I just cannot watch anymore.

I can't help it, I like her. I don't know why, she does things I find annoying when other celebs do them. That canceling the wedding while the caterers & florist were setting up (practically) - while obviously the right thing to do - had train wreck in the making written all over it. But darn it, I like her anyway and would probably grant her a pony for the kids were it in my power to do so.

Also, in the spirit of full disclosure I actually didn't mind "America's Sweethearts". Maybe because of the John Cusack factor. He's another actor I just like a lot for no apparent reason.

I love Julia Roberts. I am a fan of most of her movies. (How could you not like Sleeping With The Enemy!!!) I also like that she seems so normal. Although, I do have to question why she gave her children grandma and grandpa names.

I think she's pretty and charming, pleasant and goofy, with a nice voice. That said, I do not understand the appeal of "Pretty Woman" - the acting isn't so great, the storyline is preposterous - not sure why so many women loved that movie. I missed that boat.

Like Liz, I admire the fact that Julia has done so much to cultivate a "normal" life for her family. They live much of the time in Taos (which is a very down-to-earth place), she dresses like just another middle-class mom and she doesn't seem to take the whole movie star bit too seriously. I like that.

Plus, as byoolin noted, she's always a hoot on Letterman and seems to have a great sense of humor. She's no brilliant actress, but Julia seems pretty cool.

Can't stand her. The uggie horse-face and hack acting makes my stomach turn. I will not watch movies she is in, because she is in them. Go away already.

Julia Roberts...eh. Sorry, Liz (and Page) but I cannot stand her movies. My husband can't wait to see "Charlie Wilson's War" and I'm dreading having to listen to her and that horrendous, overacted southern drawl.

interesting, i feel this way about jodie foster.

Julia Roberts has all the acting finesse of Kris Aquino, with slightly more charm.

Liz, you ought to do a segment on Asian actors/actresses that the US should see more of. Judy Ann Santos or Regine Velasquez can both carry a scene better than Ms. Roberts.

There was rumor of Iza Calzado being considered for the Wonder Woman remake. Thankfully, she was chosen for the American remake of "The Echo" ("Sigaw"). The US doesn't have a monopoly on sappy dramas... the Philippines, Thailand, and Japan are equally good, arguably better.

I saw Julia when the Pelican Brief was filming in DC. They were filming at Georgetown Law School for a few weeks while I was taking a bar review class there. I'm afraid she is not at all nice in person, at least wasn't then. Screaming at the crew, that type of thing.

Denzel, on the other hand.... OH MY.

The best aspect of the Julia Roberts tribute was the Larry Craig Tribute from George Clooney and Brad Pitt. The rest of the tribute should be flushed.

Never was a big Julia fan, but I have to give her credit for signing onto the "Ocean's" franchise. I wouldn't go so far as to say that she turned in memorable performances, but props for being on board for a series of decently cool movies.

Also, in the spirit of full disclosure I actually didn't mind "America's Sweethearts". Maybe because of the John Cusack factor. He's another actor I just like a lot for no apparent reason.

Posted by: jes | December 11, 2007 11:41 AM

Oh let me count the ways you can like John Cusack:

-His voice.

-His hands.

-He's tall, dark & handsome.

-He's the only redeeming factor in several flicks, "America's Sweetheart" being one of them.

-He really is a kickboxer.

-High Infedelity, The Sure Thing, 16 Candles, Better Off Dead, The Grifters, Grosse Pointe Blank.

-"I gave her my heart & she gave me a pen."

-"I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that."

And if you ever had any doubts about your love for Mr. Cusack, just watch "Say Anything" over & over until you can't think of one reason not to love the man!

I don't like Julia Roberts all that much either. Her mouth is too wide(fine I'm shallow). Also she plays herself in every movie. I don't go to movies to see Julie Roberts as Erin Brockovich. I go to see Erin Brockovich.

But, she is normal and tries to be a good mom. So, in the long run that's important. She can have a pony for that, but not her acting.

truly. I don't get it. maybe she is someone that if you know, she's great. But I know that if she's in a movie, I don't want to see it.

I'm not on board w/ this one, Liz.

I appreciate that she's tried to live mostly out of the spotlight, that she seems humorous and grounded, etc.--BUT she really has a bad track record with men. If the shoe were on the other foot and a man had behaved the way she has, I don't think I'd be so quick to think it was cute or give her a pass. It's not Nicholson skeevy, but it has been childish and/or mean. She basically acted like the character from Runaway Bride w/ Sutherland and Lovett (even if she did actually make it to the altar w/ the latter). And she pulled a tacky Tori Spelling scene w/ her current husband. It's not OK to leave a trail of pain and destruction in your wake just because you're famous/rich/attactive.

If I saw some sense of regret or acts of atonement that made me think she'd grown beyond this, it might be different--but I'm not.

I also think her acting has been waaaay overrated. I've enjoyed some of her movies and they've been pleasant enough, but they haven't been worthy of some of the accolades they've received. But, Hollywood often rewards people on criteria other than merit--it's all about playing the game, paying your dues, and fitting in with the right people.

Basically, she seems as self-absorbed and calculating as the rest of the Hollywood types. Not someone I'd want to spend any amount of time with--and vice versa, I'm sure.

I cannot stand JR. Especially since she was one of the perpetrators of "Pretty Woman", (a film that inspires homicidal rage in me) I have nothing but seething contempt for the woman.

I heart Julia. I even liked Sleeping with the Enemy and The Mexican!

My dogs like her too.

i heart Julia. the part i like the most is how she's the same character in every movie. if you love her once, you'll love her every time.

'And if you ever had any doubts about your love for Mr. Cusack, just watch "Say Anything" over & over until you can't think of one reason not to love the man!'

Thanks bored@home. I wasn't sure I should admit that I still get weak at the knees seeing Lloyd Dobler holding up that boombox outside Diane Cort's window. I heart him in a big way.

Oh, I heart Julia. She's not a terrible actress (there are many many worse actresses). She does a good job of making characters relatable.

Didn't she arrive in Hollywood youngish? Trying to navigate and find herself through all of that nonsense probably caused all of the men issues.

Now, she seems happy, secure in herself, a good mom, and a good person. Someone I'd like to be friends with. She has always radiated so much positive energy. She seems like a real, honest, somewhat down to earth person. And if she's not, she's an even better actress.

That said, I cut her no slack for stealing her hubby away from his wife. It's just not cool, and there are no excuses for that.

Julia, the skank ho? Who not only took up with a married man, but had the nerve to mock his wife? Quelle boitch! Her nostrils are so big you can see up into her empty brain cavity, her laugh is hideously annoying and, worst of all, she has no apparently talent whatsoever. I cheered when she died in Steel Magnolias. She's dreadful.

sorry Liz, I can't get fully on the bandwagon with you on this pic. While I do applaud her for raising her kids outside of crazy Hollywoodland, I'm not a big fan of her acting. In fact, I'm usually turned off when she is in a movie. I think she has an extremely limited range- its either that sullen, frumpy role (i.e.- Closer or Sleeping w/the Enemy) or any role in which she can emit that horrible guffaw of hers (pretty woman, america's sweethearts) or a combination of the two roles.

"And she pulled a tacky Tori Spelling scene w/ her current husband."

This I missed - can anyone explain?

The Mexican is one of the few good performances she's turned in; she wastes so much time stinking up the joint with goody-goody roles that it's refreshing when she plays real human beings with annoying personality traits, like here, My Best Friend's Wedding or in Erin Brockovich. Sorry, but horribly overrated actress.

And she still owes me money for that awful little misogynistic Pretty Woman movie.

sunnydaze, Julia's husband was already married when they got together.

Why does Ms. Roberts get a pass for "stealing" her current husband from his wife and making fun of her in the process?

Yes, good for her for raising her kids away from Hollywood, but double standards should not be allowed.

I have mixed feeling about Julia Roberts. I liked her in Mystic Pizza, but couldn't stand her in Steel Magnolias. On the other hand, I loved her in Hook, although that could have just been the pixie costume.

Boy, I think she's as nuts as the rest of the celebs: Did you reda her 50's throwback interview in Vanity Fair? C'mon... She sounds like Tom Cruise: she's found herself through marriage, and she wants to be pretty for her husband. Okay, but what ELSE?

Ah, thanks anon at 2:16.

Husband stealing is a very low form of behavior. I do not understand why otherwise seemingly classy people can not keep their pants on until the married person is divorced.

I belive this merits having her pony taken away, although, being a good mommy to her kids does wash off a little bit of the adultery stench.

I give her points for actually wearing clothes in this picture, unlike many of the stars we see lately.

I'm sure she's a nice person or whatever but man, seriously, this woman cannot act. Have you all seen Closer? She was jaw-droppingly terrible. Then I went back and watched Notting Hill again and thought, wow, how did I miss this the first time around? Granted, she was brilliant in Eric Brockovich, and Pretty Woman is a classic, but in general, she is just horrible. Great smile though.

Julia is the pony.

I am so glad I can finally come out and confess my dislike for Julia Roberts. Thank you.

And Paul is the walrus.

I don't like anything about Julia Roberts. She can't hold a candle to our own Sandra Bullock. Now there is a star who is a down to earth, sweet, decent, person. I can't explain the marriage to Jesse James, however.

Julia does seem like a nice, decent sort of woman, and I do admire her for settling her family out of the limelight. However, she's not a good actress. Hasn't turned in a good performance since "Mystic Pizza." She's just physically appealing and very spirited in an infectious way.

Harumph. I submitted a rant excoriating everything from her (non-existent) acting ability to her appearance to her (lack of) morals, and it never showed up. Oh well, if this one goes through that will be good enough.

I tolerated Julia until she stole a husband and attempted to (or maybe really did) pay off his wife. I also despised her for the way she made Denzel Washington's Oscar win all about her. Don't try to steal someone else's spotlight, Julia. It's tacky!

OK, so I like Julia, a lot. None of us, NONE, know what was going on in her husband's first marriage, so I can't judge her on that count... And John Cusack, I love that man.

Yeah...you people have listed plenty of reasons why I shouldn't like her, but I still do! And I love Notting Hill. That movie kicks all kinds of ass.

I know I'm very late here but I do have to add that her comment recently about wishing she could be a stay at home Mom seemed odd to me. Why does she have to work? You can't tell me she isn't set for life with all the movies she's made. It just rubbed me the wrong way. I don't love or hate her. I do enjoy some of her movies though. And I admire her to giving what to the paps trying to get pictures at her kids school. So not cool.

Thank goodness my fellow haters have weighed in. I was afraid I was the only one. I've never understood why she's considered beautiful, due to the cavernous mouth and nostrils mentioned above.

I didn't like Erin Brockovitch. I wanted a movie about an issue, not about some chick. It was overwrought, IMO. I did enjoy America's Sweetheart, but give credit to the other stars there.

And like some of the other haters, JR in a movie is a good reason to give it a pass.

Now we can bond over our Julia hate while we curry our ponies.

"I didn't like Erin Brockovitch. I wanted a movie about an issue, not about some chick."

Maybe the title was a clue to the focus of the film? You'll notice the film was not called, Carcinogens in the Town's Aquifer. Duh.

MisterBear, I am oh so apologetic for my post. What was I thinking? You're right, I should have kept my eyes shut on the plane while the film was showing.

You just go on with your Julia lovin' while I keep the ponies out of your way. They don't need spittle on their shiny coats.

Liz, how disappointing! I cannot believe it! Not you, you cannot have fallen for this bunch of baloney that is JR. Bad actress, buttaface, phony (as in the above baloney). Please. Say. You. Were. Kidding.

Hater vote. She grates..there's a near Gwynethian degree of smugness there that has no basis in anything beyond having been highly photogenic, according to Joel Schumacher anyway, in the late 80s. Sniff.

Since when is Sleeping with the Enemy a stinker?!? I'm not a big Julia Roberts fan, but that movie is a classic!

"near Gwynethian degree of smugness"

great quote/post!