New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Jason Lee: While I don't disagree with Josh's assessment of Julia's professional goals, I still think that five years from now, she's the bigger star. She's got more power in Hollywood (actress, producer, financier of her own production company) and still wields HUGE name recognition. Any project she's in will instantly have a higher profile. As for Clive, I'll need to see him open a movie bigger than The International before I put any eggs in his basket.

Joel Corcoran: I think Josh is right, but we also have to look at who has the incentive to work over the next five years. I can see Julia Roberts truly devoting herself to acting again 15 or 20 years from now, but she's publicly said that acting will take a second-place to her family for the time being. Clive Owen, on the other hand, has a steadily growing career, he's branching out into different types of roles, and the next five years will determine whether he continues progressing into bigger roles well into middle age and longer (like Clint Eastwood), or whether he simply fades into the background. I think Owen has much more at stake, but if he continues his current trend, he'll be at the top of his game five years from now.

Brandon Scott: All of you have had some valid and solid points...kudos. I do think that since the question stated "five years from now," though, I am going to say Julia. She has the bigger name and that's not going anywhere anytime soon. She has the power friends in Hollywood and has the power to get a movie green-lit, if she so chooses. I like Clive a lot, and men tend to have more opportunities, especially as they age, but as far as star wattage, he will never be what Julia was. I think in the end, that both of these actors are similarly at a point in their careers where stardom is not really the issue, so much as taking on projects of interest. So while I think Julia will indeed be family-focused over the next four years, she still has the ability to step back at any point in time and say "let's do this." She has the history here, the friends, the looks, and the Oscar. Both will be okay and are good actors, but Julia still wins I think in the end.

Tim Briody: Sorry, but after The International (Remember that? Anyone? Just last month? Really?) and now this, Clive Owen has just been given a code red by North America. Not getting the James Bond gig pretty much ruined his box office career. Julia Roberts' name recognition is still incredibly high and she does have the Oscar. She's fine.

Josh Spiegel: While I agree with Tim's summation of Roberts - she will be fine for a long, long time - I'm not so sure Owen's days are as numbered, if only because The International and Duplicity aren't his first major failures at the box office (I'm also not sure that Duplicity is really a failure). Movies like Shoot 'Em Up, King Arthur, Children of Men, Derailed....I'm not saying Owen's career up to this point has ever been filled with box office success, because it really hasn't. Still, if he's gotten this far, and if enough important people see him as star material, I don't think he needs to worry yet.

Continued:       1       2       3       4