Sandra Bullock is the first actress I ever loved.
There.
I was 11 when Speed came to VHS. I don't think I saw it until early 1995. Perhaps spring. What's interesting about the film is that everyone in my 5th grade class loved it. I was upset that my parents wouldn't let me watch it because of the language. They eventually gave in. Interestingly enough, mere months after seeing Speed, I would watch and rewatch the ultimate F-bomb movie, Pulp Fiction. Anywho, sometime after seeing Speed, I saw ads on TV for a movie called While You Were Sleeping. For reasons unclear to me almost 15 years later, I decided that I must see it and that I would love the lead actress of the film, Sandra Bullock. Bullock, at the time, was still considered "new" in Hollywood. Speed was a monster hit the summer before, and this was her chance to prove herself. While You Were Sleeping opened in April 1995 to decent reviews and pulled in $9 million its opening weekend. I watched the entertainment shows the following Monday to see how the film did. The entertainment shows - which back then were fluffy and not at all the scandal, tabloidy fixtures they are today - all said the same thing: Sandra Bullock was the new Julia Roberts. In hindsight, this is a rather odd statement given that Bullock is actually a few years older than Roberts. And that Roberts at the time was only about 28. The following weekend, Sleeping actually went up to over $10 million. By the end of the summer, the movie pulled in over $80 million. That probably translates to about $135-140 million in today's ticket prices. Any up-and-coming actress would be proud to pull in those kind of numbers. It wasn't until the end of the summer that I would see Sleeping at the cheap $2 theatre with my mom. The theatre was packed. I think it was probably one of my favorite movie-going experiences. I was the youngest person in the theatre by a wide margin, as I guess the Sunday matinee crowd at the cheapie theatre consisted mostly of seniors. Well, just about everyone in the theatre loved the film. There were laughs and "ooohs." And Bullock was the main reason. So naturally likeable, and pretty in an approachable way, Bullock found a way to steal everyone in the audience's heart. Awwww. At the time of my initial viewing of the film, Bullock was headlining another film called The Net. It was in first run and was doing solid numbers, eventually topping out at about $50 million. I bought Us Magazine because Sandra was on the cover. I read and reread the article about her. I'd have to wait till The Net hit VHS (HA! Remember when it took like 6 months for movies to come to video?) to see it, and it was another film that I watched and rewatched. It is hilariosly dated now, as it had that mid-90's view of what the internet would be to people. But still, its an enjoyable film. Flaws and all.
January 1996 - Bullock stars with Denis Leary in a terrible film called Two If By Sea. The film is instantly forgotten. That summer, Bullock stars in the John Grisham adaptation A Time To Kill, which pulls in over $100 million at the box office. I very much liked the film, even if I didn't realize it would pretty much be the only time Matthew McConaughey would ever be acceptable on screen. Eventually, we'd all be smart enough to realize that he needed to go away.
So in the fall of 1995, there was much hype about the then-Mrs. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, in a film called To Die For. I should mention that during the summer, while I was excited to see While You Were Sleeping, I was equally anticipating Batman Forever, which I saw in cinemas. My interest in actresses expanded to Nicole as well. And when I saw To Die For in April 1996, my affection for Miss Bullock may have dwindled as it was the beginning of my Kidmania. It would be in 1998, when the two actresses would costar in Practical Magic that I would fully switch teams. Interesting, really. Here you have two good actresses - one the essential definition of movie star, the other still struggling to get out of her husband's shadow. (Ironic, she was taller than him.) A mere three years later, Kidman would prove herself to be a "real actress" - to reference her doomed character in Moulin Rouge! - to audiences and critics and earn her first Oscar nomination. Bullock would still be the much loved movie star, starring in modest pictures that performed well, if not outstanding, at the box office.
What I'm getting at with all of this is that I'd eventually learn the difference of what a movie star is versus what an actor is. Actors can disguise themselves as movie stars, but movie stars can'd pull off the opposite trick. Sandra Bullock is not a great actress and never will be. She has perhaps only once (Crash) strayed from her warm onscreen persona. She is about to win an Oscar for a performance that a number of actresses could have easily pulled off in a film that is pretty much, to me, a joke. Nicole Kidman could not have pulled off this performance, however. We've seen Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon just this decade win for performances in similar veins. Both were better in their respective films than Bullock is in The Blind Side and both of their films were vastly superior. Not only that, you can see an actressy actress pull off a sweetheart role in the same category - Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia.
I haven't seen Helen Mirren in The Last Station, but I can say that among the remaining nominees, Bullock is easily the least win-worthy. I'll reveal later this week who I think should win, but it's not Bullock. I don't have a problem with her nomination. Her win will be looked at in the same way John Wayne's win for True Grit is - as recognition for being a much-loved movie star and a consistant box office performer, but largely a joke to cinemaphiles. As many have stated, this year, it is "her turn." I don't believe the actress lineup is great enough that Bullock should be ruled out. The only two leading actress performances I've had passion for in 2009 were Jessica and Drew for Grey Gardens. And that was a TV movie. Supporting actress, meanwhile, is stacked with greatness.
But in all honesty, I'll be cheering happily when Sandra adds Oscar-winner forever to her marquee name. It's hard to root against a sweetheart. And when you hear Bullock speak in person, so quick-witted and funny, it's hard to root against her. It's certainly hard to root against that movie star I fell in love with back in the summer of 1995. While my tastes in actresses may have matured, I'll never be immune to the charms of Sandra.
And with that, I present my top 5 favorite performances of Sandra Bullock:
5. The Blind Side
A terribly mediocre film that made $250 million at the domestic box office. Yet, it works for her. The character - a Southern belle who does the Christian thing and takes in a homeless black boy - is one note. Yet, Bullock seems to know this woman inside out and manages to somewhat rise above the film. It's easy to see why people love her, even if this is a pretty easy character.
4. Practical Magic
I'm sure we'd all look good when standing next to God for 2 hours. A perenial favorite of mine, this sorta goofy romantic dramedy/thriller has Bullock playing witchy sister to Nicole Kidman, who looks the best she's ever looked. Kidman is totally sexy and bewitching - easily the best witch she's played in her career. And Bullock is endearing as her more straight edge, PTA-going sister. She has some nice chemisty with Aidan Quinn.
3. Speed
Holding her own against crazy Dennis Hopper and Keanu "woah!" Reeves, Bullock's performance as the wildcat forced to drive the bus-bomb could have easily been second fiddle. Instead, she sparkles with perfect comedic timing and makes an engaging action babe, able to add some dimension to the adrenaline pumping action classic. She earns bonus points for having a great sense of humor about the dismal sequel.
2. While You Were Sleeping
Effortlessly sweet and likeable without turning to some kind of mush. She was nominated for her first Golden Globe for her work here. She makes the entire film work, and its hard to imagine Demi Moore or Meg Ryan - the studio's original choices - come anywhere close to what Bullock acheives here.
1. Miss Congeniality
So I haven't mentioned this film at all yet and there's a big reason. Bullock said she wanted to do a female Jim Carrey role and that's why she chose this film. Like Sleeping and Blind Side, this was a huge sleeper hit during Christmas 2000. It pulled in over $100 million, and like most of her successes, can be credited completely to her. I actually would fully support this performance for an Oscar win, no lie. Again with the impeccable comedic timing and great chemistry with costars Michael Caine and Benjamin Bratt. Admit it: you've said "you think I'm seexxxy" or "you want to kisssss me" endlessly after seeing this. And when it comes on TNT or TBS, you probably waited for the part where she says that. I also love when she mocks the Miss America tape they make her watch for research on the plane. Ranking with Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde and Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones's Diary, this is a perfect comedy performance.
Bullock has so far been an active part in two of this dull award season's best moments: the showdown/makeout with Streep at the BFCAs and the Betty White tribute at the SAGs. Here's hoping she's as fun during her Oscar speech.
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