Okay Julia, Give Yours Back

Scott Hardie | October 9, 2003
Last night a friend asked me to name some movies we could see together. When I mentioned "Out of Time," he shook his head and said that he didn't like Denzel Washington. In his opinion, Washington couldn't act: He had one character that he played well, and he just played that same character in every movie. (My friend did acknowledge that Washington was in his favorite film, "Much Ado About Nothing.")

Now, I like Denzel Washington, and I have seen him play a variety of characters, but this was the second friend to express that exact opinion to me. I wonder, does anyone else feel this way about Washington? Is he so overrated?

Jackie Mason | October 9, 2003
[hidden by request]

Anna Gregoline | October 9, 2003
I like Denzel Washington o.k., and the caliber of movies he is in are generally pretty good. I can kind of see how someone would say that about him though - he picks roles where he is generally kind of tough and focused.

Anna Gregoline | October 9, 2003
"Okay Julia, Give Yours Back?" Scott, why am I not understanding your titles? =)

Scott Hardie | October 9, 2003
I wondered if you would ask about that. :-)

Julia Roberts has been a very close friend of Washington ever since they made "The Pelican Brief." In 2002, he was up for an Oscar for Best Actor for the third time, and he was expected to lose for the third time. (He'd already won Best Supporting Actor for "Glory" in 1990, but that's less prestigious I guess.) After the nominations were announced, Roberts started campaigning for him, and she said in the press, "I can't believe I live in a world in which I have an Oscar and Denzel doesn't." Thus, you see the title.

Anna Gregoline | October 9, 2003
I'm going to always question titles now, as apparently they are understandable to Scott first and foremost. =)