When Casting Overrides Everything Else in a Movie

The following lists have nothing to do with ability, experience, looks, productivity, or success. These are neither my favorite nor my least favorite actors and actresses of all time. They are merely the names that I feel can save or ruin an otherwise average movie. All entries are subject to change but that doesn't mean we can't debate the here and now.

Current Actors and Actresses I Follow (#1 being the most likely to make me watch a movie)
1. Christina Ricci - through good times and bad
2. Johnny Depp - if he's in a movie, you know it'll be a wild ride
3. Brad Pitt - like a Norman Rockwell picture
4. Tom Cruise - read my 1/19/09 post
5. Renée Zellweger - since Empire Records
6. Kevin Costner - read my 2/4/09 post
7. Nicole Kidman - sparks will fly
8. Mel Gibson - doing things his own way
9. Mark Wahlberg - does paradoxes
10. Annette Bening - all heart
11. Ellen Page - cool smart
12. George Clooney - je ne sais quois
13. Liv Tyler - more please
14. Ethan Hawke - since Explorers
15. Bruce Willis - too cool
16. Claire Danes - girl next door
17. Clive Owen - should've been the next Bond
18. Maggie Gyllenhaal - but not her brother
19. Evan Rachel Wood - especially since she's with Marilyn Manson (ha)
20. Lindsey Lohan - through good times and bad

Where are Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino on my list you ask? There are many noteworthy actors and actresses (like the ones in the picture above: Emily Blunt, Amy Adams, Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway, and Alice Braga) that I admit have great stage presence but I don't agree with most of their choices for roles. A couple of my favorite omissions would be Alec Baldwin or Matt Damon (which brings to mind Team America: World Police - see below). I like them well enough but I don't feel a NEED to see all their work.

Current Actors and Actresses I Avoid (#1 being the most likely to make me skip a movie)
20. Jackie Chan - nothing against him personally, but lately if he's in a movie, you can bet the critics will hate it
19. Angelina Jolie - those big lips distract me and not in a good way
18. Shia LaBeouf - the nervous stutter was old way back on Holes
17. Hilary Swank - I haven't been able to take her seriously since The Next Karate Kid; don't even get me started on Boys Don't Cry
16. Jim Carrey - I loved his work since before In Living Color, but now he must be stopped
15. Gerard Butler - I liked Reign of Fire, maybe RocknRolla, but his accent gets in the way of most roles
14. Ben Stiller - has directed some of the worst movies I've ever seen, not counting Reality Bites
13. Natalie Portman - I don't buy it
12. Meryl Streep - nails on a chalkboard
11. Owen Wilson - lowers the IQ of any movie
10. Jodie Foster - something about the voice
9. Jessica Alba - WHAT is the big deal?
8. Colin Farrell - like that popular kid you despised in high school
7. Tobey Maguire - like that weird kid you despised in high school
6. Gael García Bernal - something about the eyes
5. Jennifer Lopez - everything to do with everything
4. Sally Field - because her character bothered me so much in Mrs. Doubtfire, I can't stand her in anything else now
3. William H. Macy - always makes me feel bad
2. Sandra Oh - scares me
1. Kate Hudson - 'nuff said