Flakey Zooey

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I love the lead sentence in Stu Van Airsdale's 7.13 Movieline piece about Zooey Deschanel, to wit: "[She] has long been something of an emo-dork wet dream for more than just her striking features, lilting voice and commanding screen presence." Feeling no kinship with emo types or dorks, I've never felt the slightest anything for Deschanel. She's just...whatever. I can roll or not roll with her, but in no way does she push the buzzer.

That said (and as I said on 6.20), 500 Days of Summer "may be, in fact, be the most honest and agreeable blend of romantic headiness and sinking despair since Jerry Maguire."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 13, 2009 at 12:32 PM

comment #1

cinefan says ...

I've never really been much of a fan of hers either: she was terrible in the Happening. Much bigger fan of her sister, Emily.

Posted by cinefan at July 13, 2009 12:49 PM

comment #2

Ulysses says ...

She was way sexy during her brief stint on Weeds.

Posted by Ulysses at July 13, 2009 1:11 PM

comment #3

115thDreamer says ...

Yes, we dorks love her - she's adorable. Personally, my two weaknesses are nice legs and nice eyes, and she has both, especially the eyes, so yep, sign me up. Emily - well, she has the eyes as well, but she just doesn't have that cutie-pie quality.

Posted by 115thDreamer at July 13, 2009 1:13 PM

comment #4

Geoff says ...

The Happening almost made me hate her. But I realized it's just Shyamalan.

Posted by Geoff at July 13, 2009 1:14 PM

comment #5

Irving Thalberg says ...

cinefan, you know who else was terrible in THE HAPPENING? Mark Wahlberg, John Leguizamo, Betty Buckley and pretty much every other actor with a speaking role. When that kind of cast-wide rot sets in, it may be instructional to look at the "Directed By" credit.

Posted by Irving Thalberg at July 13, 2009 1:19 PM

comment #6

Circumvrent says ...

I really like Emily. Zooey I can take or leave, All the Real Girls notwithstanding.

Posted by Circumvrent at July 13, 2009 1:19 PM

comment #7

Scott Mendelson says ...

I've been a fan, professionally and carnally, since Big Trouble back in early 2002.

Posted by Scott Mendelson at July 13, 2009 1:40 PM

comment #8

actionman says ...

her best work is still in All the Real Girls, which is also the best movie she's be in thus far (haven't seen 500 Days yet...)

Posted by actionman at July 13, 2009 1:58 PM

comment #9

Gabriel says ...

All the Real Girls was her best starring role, but she was in The Assassination of Jesse James.

Posted by Gabriel at July 13, 2009 2:20 PM

comment #10

EdHavens says ...

The only movie I can tolerate Zooey in is Almost Famous. Otherwise, give me Emily any day of the week and twice on Thursday nights.

Posted by EdHavens at July 13, 2009 2:45 PM

comment #11

nemo says ...

I might have been head over heels for Zooey back when I was 15, but those days are long dead and gone. Give me Kathryn Bigelow or Catherine Deneuve.

Zooey is plenty adorable in small doses, like chocolate cake, but in a starring role? Who wants to make an entire meal of chocolate cake?

Whoa! I just clicked through and read the SECOND sentence at that link. The point-by-point comparisons of her movies and her mopey lame-o male love interests are pretty funny. Especially the recurring item "Her mating call." ("The Smiths? I love the Smiths!)

Posted by nemo at July 13, 2009 2:45 PM

comment #12

dinovelvet says ...

I do not care for anyone who participated in the ruin of The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

Posted by dinovelvet at July 13, 2009 2:45 PM

comment #13

TM says ...

Agree about All the Real Girls. In (500) Days of Summer, she's actually quite good. This is one of those sneaky films -- I wasn't all that crazy about it when I first saw it months ago, but I still find myself thinking about it. Now I'd have to re-evaluate it and my reaction to it. Last film I felt like this about was Annie Hall. (Didn't like it so much on the first go 'round; loved it thereafter.)

Posted by TM at July 13, 2009 3:03 PM

comment #14

Joshua Mooney says ...

Man, I wish I'd had the imagination to concoct a "nomme de plume" like "Stu Van Airsdale" when I was working for Movieline. But Margulies would have said, "Come on, Joshy, you want them to shout THAT on the streets?" As usual, Ed got his way. How naive I was then! How is the new Moveline, Jeff? You reference it frequently, so I guess you must see summink, innit? I had a dream about Ed last night (true story): I'd been forced back to work for Movieline because of some financial problems, I suppose, and he started in by saying he hated all my old stuff and felt guilty about having published it, and he was somehow going to make me pay for my past sins. I got scared about what that meant, but first I got mad and started beating him with the cane I was carrying, with which I seemed to need to walk. I beat him mercilessly. He was just a head in a box but even just that head was formidable! Then Virginia Campbell showed up and we played eight holes at Oakmont, as usual. Then I woke up and realized that I never have had to work for money. It's all been for pleasure. Even the painful stuff. But before I came to entirely, I started stabbing at my stomach with a 9-inch fish-knife I keep by my bed, "just in case." I carved a hole through my stomach from front to back, through which I could see something like eternity, and a few of the little angels whose sole job it is to fake weeping for people like me.

Posted by Joshua Mooney at July 13, 2009 3:17 PM

comment #15

TM says ...

Mooney -- what the hell did you ingest before going to sleep? I hope it was legal and was, like, bad Chinese food. Otherwise, -- maybe you need to take more and write all of your dreams down and publish them as some sort of weird fantasy book. Yeesh!

(And I'm sure Ed Margulies would be laughing about that dream!)

Posted by TM at July 13, 2009 3:21 PM

comment #16

Jay T. says ...

Liked her back in the day in Mumford...

Posted by Jay T. at July 13, 2009 3:24 PM

comment #17

lipranzer says ...

I used to love Zooey, have cooled on her a little as of late. Still, she's a good singer (I like She & Him), and anyone who can cover Steve Earle well (in the otherwise subpar BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA) is okay in my book. And yes, ALL THE REAL GIRLS is her best performance to date, and a highly underrated movie.

Not a fan of Emily. She's one of the reasons I stopped watching "Bones" - when David Boreanaz is more convincing than you, you're in big trouble.

Posted by lipranzer at July 13, 2009 4:40 PM

comment #18

Movie fan09 says ...

saw 500 twice at some free screenings.
and yes, it's good.. verrry good.

and yes, it's like all the other movies too.
but I don't care.
this is the first romantic comedy where I felt like I belonged.
(Levitt is almost perfect.. but he feels strangely disconnected...you are right Jeff.. he does the "I'm overacting so it must be important." if you don't believe me check out the sid and nancy skit on msn.-http://content.foxsearchlight.com/inside/node/3590)

Posted by Movie fan09 at July 13, 2009 6:11 PM

comment #19

hunterd says ...

I think she is incredibly sexy.

Posted by hunterd at July 13, 2009 6:33 PM

comment #20

George Prager says ...

Bad posture. No poise. Ruined ELF.

Posted by George Prager at July 13, 2009 6:35 PM

comment #21

COCO says ...

Nice voice in Elf...she might grow yet.

Posted by COCO at July 13, 2009 7:11 PM

comment #22

Chapman Carruthers says ...

Vacant eyes. Bent mouth. Would have been terrible in The Brown Bunny.

Posted by Chapman Carruthers at July 13, 2009 7:12 PM

comment #23

renorambler says ...

Zooey D is great. A star waiting to happen. She just needs the right vehicles which have unfortunately been too few for her.

Posted by renorambler at July 13, 2009 7:38 PM

comment #24

azmoviegoer says ...

Count me in as one who has a thing for Zooey D. She was the best thing by far in the awful "Yes Man" I haven't seen "All the Real Girls" yet but now will be sure to check it out.

Also welcome back Actionman. I was thinking for a while that your wife made you promise to never come back here as part of your wedding vows.

Posted by azmoviegoer at July 13, 2009 7:53 PM

comment #25

Dance Commander says ...

She may be cute but she's a blackhole of forgettable movies. She does independent movies no one sees or studio films which look awful. Going through her resume I see at least half a dozen independent films I've never even heard of. Th Go-Getter? Gigantic? Flakes? Raving? What the Hell are these movies?

Posted by Dance Commander at July 13, 2009 8:43 PM

comment #26

DeeZee says ...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i34c5832d35cf575914e33e9d5220b99e
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005944.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005932.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

Posted by DeeZee at July 13, 2009 8:51 PM

comment #27

DeeZee says ...

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005933.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

She's trying too hard to be the hipster answer to Natalie Portman. But, personality-wise, she just comes off more like the brunette version of Kirsten Dunst. [I.E. vapid and just in it for the money.]

Posted by DeeZee at July 13, 2009 9:14 PM

comment #28

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

He's trying too hard to be the coherent answer to D.Z. But, personality-wise, he just comes off more like the sober version of LexG [I.E. not entertainingly insane and just desperate for attention.]

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at July 13, 2009 9:32 PM

comment #29

Terry McCarty says ...

Casting I'd like to see--Emily playing a relative of Sigourney Weaver's Ripley in an ALIEN sequel or prequel.

Posted by Terry McCarty at July 13, 2009 10:05 PM

comment #30

mtgilchrist says ...

What's really a shame is that we absolutely HAVE to pick a preferred Deschanel. It's not possible to like both. Or not instantly prefer one over the other.

500 Days of Summer is deep and powerful for people who haven't seen High Fidelity, Almost Famous, or hundreds of other romantic comedies. Generationally I get it if you're 23-24 and this is a world-ender for you, but at 33 I've seen this too many other times to be deeply moved by the lessons it teaches (and which, cinematically speaking, I learned a decade or more ago).

Posted by mtgilchrist at July 13, 2009 11:55 PM

comment #31

DeeZee says ...

My issue with the flick is that it doesn't seem to be based in reality, as most 20-somethings probably don't have cushy corporate jobs right now, and may not even have the money to go out that often at the moment. But, even if people see this for the wish-fulfillment aspect, no dude who looks like Levitt's going to land a chick who looks like Deschanel; and a girl like Deschanel is probably more likely to hook up with an Alpha Male with a flashy car than a guy like Levitt. Total bullshit. Basically, 500 Days appears to be another Beth Cooper with better acting.

Posted by DeeZee at July 14, 2009 1:42 AM

comment #32

Chicago48 says ...

Just saw the movie. Cute, a crowd pleaser. Better than I thought it would be. Deezee, did you and I see the same movie? 500 days? The guy was a greeting card writer, not an executive.

Posted by Chicago48 at July 14, 2009 4:36 AM

comment #33

Krazy Eyes says ...

I thought she was the best thing in Cloverfield. She was pretty hot on her stint on True Blood too.

Posted by Krazy Eyes at July 14, 2009 5:04 AM

comment #34

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"I thought she was the best thing in Cloverfield."

She wasn't in it...not saying that she still wasn't the best thing about it, tho. lol

There were at least 4 extras in the party scene that looked just like her. Nice, young, interchangeably vapid wannabe actresses. I'm sure some are pretty good waitresses by now.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at July 14, 2009 6:38 AM

comment #35

Colin says ...

"she comes off more like brunette version of Kirsten Dunst. [I.E. vapid and just in it for the money.] "

Vapid and for the money that would explain why she frequently does indie films. When trolling, you're supposed to act like you're not trolling. You're just being an obvious twat.

Posted by Colin at July 14, 2009 10:00 AM

comment #36

moviemaniac2002 says ...

Love, love Zooey....felt so sorry for her when she(and the rest of the cast in "The Happening") were made to look like humiliated amateurs by that preening ,lost-his-mojo egotist Shamalingding.
ZD is the only reason I subjected myself to those two Guantanamo-ready instruments of torture, "Failure To Launch" and "Yes Man"

Posted by moviemaniac2002 at July 14, 2009 10:41 AM

comment #37

DeeZee says ...

Chicago: He's still in a corporate job, which is my point.

Colin: I didn't know The Happening was an indie film. Oh, you mean those after-school special flicks which they call "independent", just because they don't have CGI in them. Yeah, real challenging work. Dunst did Virgin Suicides once, too.

Posted by DeeZee at July 14, 2009 3:28 PM

comment #38

Colin says ...

If you love baysplosions fine, but don't pretend to know what you're talking about.

Posted by Colin at July 14, 2009 7:50 PM

comment #39

Noiresque says ...

Emily has been my girl-crush since watching some film she she was in with Naveen Andrews, Brian O'Byrne and Marguerite somethingorother. She can act tomboy/butch and glamourpuss/sexual with equal aplomb.

Posted by Noiresque at July 15, 2009 3:50 PM

comment #40