Monday Morning Quarterback Part I

By BOP Staff

April 29, 2014

A united front.

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Kim Hollis: Who benefits the most from the success of The Other Woman?

Matthew Huntley: My gut tells me Cameron Diaz, since she got top billing and the trailer essentially made it look like her vehicle. After this weekend, I think we can expect more scripts for comedies of this nature to end up on her desk, although if she's smart, she'll avoid them and choose better, more substantive roles. The world can do without movies like The Sweetest Thing and (probably) The Other Woman.

Edwin Davies: I'd go with Diaz primarily, with Kate Upton as a possible secondary figure. Diaz has had some considerable success in the past, but she's also coming off a disappointment in What to Expect When You're Expecting and an outright bomb in The Counselor. Both were ensemble films, but she was the main star of the former and her, er, auto-erotic performance in the latter came in for plenty of derision, so being the headline star of a decent hit reasserts her status as a draw in the right projects. However, it could just as easily backfire on her if the word-of-mouth on the film is bad, in that it could make people skip the similarly raunchy comedy Sex Tape, which comes out in July.

Upton, meanwhile, has her most high-profile role to date after bit parts in The Three Stooges and Tower Heist, which will no doubt boost her profile as an actress, even though her actual ability seems a little dubious at this stage. Still, being prominently featured in a hit film so early in your career can't hurt (she's almost the same age that Cameron Diaz was when she successfully transitioned from model to comedic actress with The Mask) and will probably afford her more opportunities going forward.




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Bruce Hall: With much of the attention surrounding this movie going to Diaz, the easy money is that her career gets the biggest immediate boost from this, at least in the minds of the public. But Leslie Mann is quietly putting together the kind of resume that certainly has its peaks and valleys, but also increases the chances of her finally landing a career role that takes advantage of all her gifts. This is not that movie, but forget who she's married to - I think it's coming, and it's coming on merit.

Kim Hollis: This feels like a movie that benefits Leslie Mann, though I’m having trouble quantifying that belief. All comments I’ve heard are that she steals the movie (and that she’s basically the best part of a terrible film), so I think she could see some carryover with regard to recognition that she might not have had previously as more of a character player in Apatow’s films and stuff like 17 Again.

Reagen Sulewski: I have to agree that Mann is probably the best one to bet on following this - this is her first hit in ages without her husband anywhere involved, and it's much more legitimizing than Knocked Up or This is 40. She's a very funny woman, who has mostly not been in the public eye for a long time, and thus is not overexposed and doesn't have a ton of baggage weighing her down. I don't know if her range is huge, but I'd be throwing her some scripts if I were a producer right now.

Max Braden: Had this flopped I would expect Diaz to take most of the blame. The reviews aren't good, but with the box office numbers I think it helps keep Diaz and Mann afloat, but I wouldn't call that a “win” for them, more like a wash. I think the under the radar wins here are really for Upton and Minaj. Debuting from non-acting fields can lead to knee-jerk "she should go back to modeling/singing" reviews, but it sounds like neither screwed up, which means they now get to say they were in a solid box office movie and deserve to be in another.

David Mumpower: I'm going to answer differently from everyone else. I believe that Kate Upton is aided the most. Mann and Diaz's careers were already secure, even if Diaz has struggled lately. Upton established herself in a hit film and in a role where was more than just a sexy nun (I feel like I'm going to Hell simply for typing those words), her forgettable role in The Three Stooges. Upton has a ubiquity that matters more to this generation of celebrities than in past eras. Establishing herself as a viable lead provides another avenue to sustain her popularity. I also believe that Nicolaj Coster-Waldau receives a boost for being the male lead in a hit movie. All of the Game of Thrones actors are receiving opportunities in major motion pictures. The artist currently known as Jaime Lannister was just a background character to the many Tom Cruises in Oblivion. With The Other Woman, he takes center stage and does so well enough to justify further work as a male lead.


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