Jennifer Aniston Miscasting as a Romcom Queen
John Thompson 
Has Jennifer Aniston long been miscast as a Romcom Queen, since Friends? She is no doubt a talented comedic actress and was terrific as Rachel Green for 10 years on Friends however she doesn’t seem great on film as a lead actress in a romcom role.
I recently watched “Rumor has it” a fairly star studded film including Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Ruffalo, Kathy Bates, Mena Suvari and Richard Jenkins. Now sure the movie had a lot of things wrong with it and cannot be blamed solely on the actors or on Jen for being a flop however I couldn’t help, as I finished watching it, but re-imagine it with Julia Roberts cast in the Jen Aniston role in Julia’s prime. Julia would have killed it.
Having seen how good Jen was in Morning show, I can’t help but think that Hollywood has miscast her all this time in Romcoms just because she was successful as Rachel Green. Now she was hardly Faye Dunaway in Network, nor are the two characters the same, but her performance was compelling.
Would it be better for her to play darker, unsympathetic and non-comedic roles in future? Should she be more of a character actor and less of a movie star?
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 53 | September 20, 2020 12:49 AM |
Jen tried playing dark and unsympathetic in 2005 with "Derailed," which almost, um, derailed her career.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | September 18, 2020 2:01 AM |
I know "We're the Millers" may not technically be a rom-com, but it is funny, and contains romance. She was very funny in that - it was a dumb movie, but the funny kind.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | September 18, 2020 2:02 AM |
She is just an erect nipple support system. Romcoms are the closest she could get to her best setting, which is moronic sitcoms.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | September 18, 2020 2:03 AM |
She was fine in "The Object of My Affection."
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | September 18, 2020 2:04 AM |
Too bad there aren't more movies like Office Space. I would accept a parallel universe where she was sone kind of indie movie Parker Posey thing.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | September 18, 2020 2:05 AM |
Kevin Costner is OLD . Nobody wants to see a 60 year old,no matter how hot he still might be,as a romantic lead. Period.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | September 18, 2020 2:07 AM |
She was great in The Good Girl
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | September 18, 2020 2:07 AM |
R4, no, she destroyed what was a charming novel.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | September 18, 2020 2:08 AM |
JA’s time in romcoms must be over already, that’s one reason why she did The Morning Show.
She was never very appealing on the big screen, but Hollywood does insist on trying to make viewers like certain actors who don’t appeal, in film roles. But then again, one odd thing about JA is that I have noticed some straight men really like her. They’re not romcoms’ target audience of course.
I think she will do better staying away from romcoms from now on. She was quite good if not sensational on The Morning Show and I’m sure will be being sent more stuff along those lines.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | September 18, 2020 2:14 AM |
Her movies have low repeatability for me except for “just go with it” which I’ve seen a number of times. I agree with r2 “we are the millers” was funny. Still, I think her standout roles in the last decade have been in “horrible bosses” and “the morning show”. Horrible bosses was comedic but it was dark and she wasn’t a romantic lead character.
These are the romcom queens; Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock! They make you cry, they make you smile, you root for them and want them to win.
I think Renee Zellweger could have been really good given the success of Bridget Jones’s Diaries if she did more romcoms.
Reese and JLO (I know, she’s annoying) get an honorary mention.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | September 18, 2020 2:17 AM |
Jen’s character was engaged to Mark Ruffalo in that movie, she fucked Kevin Costner and then Mark forgave her quickly and they got back together. I thought that was an odd choice
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | September 18, 2020 2:21 AM |
R10, I don’t know anyone who roots for that Julia creature.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | September 18, 2020 2:27 AM |
I always found her face to be very average. She should not be headlining films.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | September 18, 2020 2:35 AM |
You watch her romcoms and then watch Meg, Julia or Sandra and realize what a movie stah truly is! That’s what the world needs now. Even Whitney Houston, a non seasoned actor, was much better with Kevin Costner.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | September 18, 2020 2:44 AM |
She is just tits and a haircut, I have never understood the appeal. Her casting couch game must be epic.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | September 18, 2020 2:47 AM |
Her best films were the low-key quirky comedy-dramas.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 16 | September 18, 2020 2:48 AM |
She would be miscast if she played herself. She is that bad of an actress. She’s been playing the same damn part for a quarter of a century when she wasn’t even any good at it the first time around.
Retire already, bitch!
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | September 18, 2020 2:57 AM |
Aniston worked better on Friends during those early episodes where Rachel was having to adjust from being a spoilt brat, to actually paying her own way. But mostly she succeeded in Friends because for its time, it was well-written (I know it’s been culturally cancelled now for being problematic etc etc). Take the actor out of that environment and she’s nothing that special. In all honesty she’s had a much stronger film career than I would have ever predicted, as average as it’s been, plenty of better TV actors backed by studios do much worse.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | September 18, 2020 3:01 AM |
I liked Aniston in everything else besides Friends.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | September 18, 2020 3:04 AM |
R5
Ugh. But yes.
Her fame and fortune $$$$ tarnished her career.
Office Space is a perfect example. Maybe she will do something surprising and fun, like Brooke Shields on “The Middle”. She certainly doesn’t need the cash, and is great in the right role.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | September 18, 2020 3:07 AM |
Friends isn't being cancelled when it's still one of the most syndicated programs of all time. Nobody gives a shit about it being problematic besides like 00000.01% of people on Twitter. That said, a lot of people don't really find Friends funny. I think what works for Aniston is her charisma and being relatable to women.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | September 18, 2020 3:09 AM |
R10
Horrible Bosses. Forgot about it (meh, funny) but she was pretty funny and nailed something that could have been creepy instead of funny, but was both creepy and funny.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | September 18, 2020 3:11 AM |
Jen will still be on magazine covers with pregnancy rumor headlines even when she's in her seventies.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | September 18, 2020 3:14 AM |
Jennifer Aniston's appeal is she is average. She is pretty but not beautiful. She is friendly and approachable. She has a nice body but not too ripped and not too plastic. She had very basic hairstyles that were easy to replicate. She is hot enough for straight guys and not hot enough to make women feel jealous of her. She is the type of person women want to have as their best friend. It's really her vibe and personality that sells.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | September 18, 2020 3:19 AM |
R12 character actresses don't tend to be rooted for and project.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | September 18, 2020 3:25 AM |
I do think she is funny though. She did good in The Good Girl and works well in films like Horrible Bosses and Office Space. I don't have any issue with her at all. I think she's attractive and healthy looking in a California girl-next-door way definitely not stunning or beautiful like the press claims. She was in some sketch comedy show called The Edge before she was on Friends. She apparently claimed that Lorne Michael offered her a role in SNL but she declined to do Friends. Smart choice in hindsight.
The media needs to stop forcing her down our throats though in the tabloids though. She and Brad Pitt are not getting back together. It makes it seem like she's stupid and desperate. She built a big brand for herself, so why blow it by wanting to marry him? She can score young hot dick anyway.
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | September 18, 2020 3:37 AM |
I don't understand her appeal to men, I really don't. They almost always go gaga for really hot young women and lose interest the second they age. How a barely cute faced, nice figured middle aged woman has managed to stay popular with that demographic is beyond me. And generally speaking I'm good at gauging what straight guys find attractive.
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | September 18, 2020 3:39 AM |
Big boobs and ass, friendly not too bitchy, blue eyes and blond hair. She looks like that teacher or librarian or best friend's mom that they fantasized in high school
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | September 18, 2020 3:41 AM |
[quote] Friends isn't being cancelled when it's still one of the most syndicated programs of all time. Nobody gives a shit about it being problematic besides like 00000.01% of people on Twitter.
Both SJWs and deplorables have come to a consensus that this show is just not fucking funny.
Exhibit A:
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 29 | September 18, 2020 7:38 AM |
[quote] I recently watched “Rumor has it” a fairly star studded film including Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Ruffalo, Kathy Bates, Mena Suvari and Richard Jenkins.
You're basing your argument on a film that's fifteen years old? That was made during the George W. Bush presidency, OP.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | September 18, 2020 7:57 AM |
She's had enough chances already. She's one of the few actors that make me automatically reject a movie. Give someone else a chance at these roles.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | September 18, 2020 9:16 AM |
I thought Rumour Has It was on of her better romcoms. But i haven't seen it in over a decade so....
| by Anonymous | reply 33 | September 18, 2020 11:51 AM |
She was very good in THE MORNING SHOW. I’m surprised her co-producing Reese allowed Jen’s part to be so much juicier than her own.
| by Anonymous | reply 34 | September 18, 2020 12:48 PM |
R34 Reese has an Oscar and a lot of acclaim as a producer. She probably also wanted audiences to see Jen in a different light.
Jen has failed herself with the limited roles she’s had since friends. Rachel was a much more nuanced and complex character than any of the roles she’s played since. We saw the character go through a number of arcs over a 10 year period.
She needs to look at the careers of ladies like Jane, Goldie, Meryl, etc for characters she should aspire to play.
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | September 18, 2020 2:39 PM |
R35 I have to agree. Television shows allow for more deeper characterizations due to having seasons rather than the 2 hours that films are limited too.
And since the quality of television has kept increasing every decade (minus reality TV), you see some of the most complex character development ever in something from AMC, HBO, FX and Netflix than anything in Hollywood now.
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | September 18, 2020 3:57 PM |
One of her biggest mistakes is her refusal to admit she's over 40, much less 50.
| by Anonymous | reply 37 | September 18, 2020 4:26 PM |
R37 Same with Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Brad Pitt.
| by Anonymous | reply 38 | September 18, 2020 4:32 PM |
Blame the studios, they are the people who only make safe, boring bets (except for the inexplicable Disney Star Wars fiasco - but even that was random Rian Johnson taking a steaming dump all over Abrams' safe bet). Hollywood needs term limits just as bad as Congress does....
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | September 18, 2020 5:02 PM |
None of the characters on that rotten show were nuanced or complex. Anyone who says they are is a word salad-shoveling idiot who likes to throw big words around where they don’t belong.
This woman represents everything wrong with Hollywood over the past 25 years.
| by Anonymous | reply 40 | September 18, 2020 5:29 PM |
Her face is not a movie star face, it’s a character actor face. She was lucky enough to latch onto Friends but that’s the extent of her appeal worldwide. Now that she’s 50 I don’t see her in any rom-coms in the future. I can see her in an ensemble cast as the older woman, sort of what Diane Keaton was doing in the 20-30 years ago.
| by Anonymous | reply 41 | September 18, 2020 6:11 PM |
That analogy falls miserably flat because Diane Keaton can act.
| by Anonymous | reply 42 | September 19, 2020 10:59 AM |
I thought she would have been amazing in Gone Girl but if it was made a few years earlier.
She could have also nailed Witherspoon's role in Wild.
| by Anonymous | reply 43 | September 19, 2020 12:44 PM |
Oh and Big Little Lies as the Kidman character.
| by Anonymous | reply 44 | September 19, 2020 12:45 PM |
She's better at cold than warm. Kind of like Reese Witherspoon.
Like Farrah, this woman has a career because of a haircut. And nepotism didn't hurt.
But I read in Hollywood Bablyon 5: The Boxleitnering, that if you become famous because of your hair, your are destined to die on the someone way more famous than you.
Happened to Farrah.
It could happen to Anniston.
| by Anonymous | reply 45 | September 19, 2020 1:16 PM |
Rumor has it was made in 2005. OP is discussing a topic that hasn't been current in at least 15 years, as well. And it was BORING then. Predigested.
Aniston has kept her meagre film career alive over the 15 years since by playing characters with a dark or cynical side. Sometimes complete Succubus such as Horrible Bosses.
OP must be attending a Cultural Criticism class at the nearby strip mall satellite campus of his community college, taught by a adjunct "professor" who hasn't refreshed his references in 2 decades.
| by Anonymous | reply 46 | September 19, 2020 1:30 PM |
She’s better in ensembles than as the lead. She’s definitely funny but doesn’t have the right presence for rom com. I know she’s fine but IMO she have stuck with tv.
| by Anonymous | reply 47 | September 19, 2020 1:40 PM |
She should have done Gone Girl, Young Adult, Wild, Big Little Lies
| by Anonymous | reply 48 | September 19, 2020 1:45 PM |
She would have been decent in "Little Children".
| by Anonymous | reply 49 | September 19, 2020 1:58 PM |
I really liked her in Life of Crime, but I think only 12 people saw it.
| by Anonymous | reply 50 | September 19, 2020 2:03 PM |
Aniston should have done theatre after Friends
| by Anonymous | reply 51 | September 19, 2020 2:08 PM |
R48 Charlize and Rosamund were the right choice for those parts.
| by Anonymous | reply 52 | September 20, 2020 12:48 AM |
She wasn't even good enough for the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre.
| by Anonymous | reply 53 | September 20, 2020 12:49 AM |
