Viola Davis & Maggie Gyllenhaal Won't Back Down

While the Emmy's were happening last night, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis were getting their New York premiere on for Won't Back Down (the movie with the revolving titles, which seemed to circulate through Tom Petty's song catalog). While the coloring of Gyllenhaal's dress is good, I'm not crazy about the fabric or cut. And, aside from the starving Russian child eyes, she looks pretty decent. Viola Davis looks wonderful. I love how she sticks with one bright color and then moves on to the next, which each new event. Practical, less room for error, and when you have the right skin tone for it, might as well work it. It's always nice to have two women pushing leading roles in a major film. Fox is opening it in 2,500 theaters. Not that it being a hit will make actresses more viable in Hollywood; even if it's mediocre, it would just be nice to see it happen. (It's the way I roll.)  Even if the public doesn't take to it, Davis is still in the mix for at least the next year. She has a role in next year's Ender's Game (currently trading at $131.15 on HSX), based on the popular teen novel, which has spawned several sequels. Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, Rendition, Wolverine) directed. She also has a role in Beautiful Creatures, based on another young adult novel, helmed by screenwriter-turned-director Richard LaGravenese. It's trading at $38.77 on HSX. Have you seen the trailer?! Kind of cheesy, but still well-made. Davis doesn't figure much into the proceedings, but I haven't read the book. Still, Emma Thompson and Emmy Rossum seemed to be handed the scene-chewing moments. Or, at least, I think that's Rossum who says, "You think Lena's a good girl now, but it won't matter." Davis also has a supporting role (with The Help costar Jessica Chastain) in both of the His and Hers versions of The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (currently $9.09). Still, where are the leading roles after The Help? Davis just made it near the top earlier this year. Is this the end of the line for a fortysomething black woman? Is she being regulated back to "the help"?  That's certainly the way it looks.

Gyllenhaal is also working, but not fairing much better in terms of material in the medium.  She will star in the Roland Emmerich action picture White House Down ($89.71) about Channing Tatum saving the President of the United States from a military insurgency (I'm sure the right-wing will have a field day with this one, starting with the villains not being Muslim and/or communists).  As this is an Emmerich picture (he's the genius who solidified crash commercialism in the industry with Independence Day, which, I understand, will get its own 3D release next, well, Independence Day), there aren't a lot of women in the cast.  Gyllenhaal is still pretty young, but she's not traditionally beautiful in the Hollywood vein, so I imagine she isn't Tatum's girlfriend, but some government operative who plays devil's advocate to Tatum's outlandish antics in the face of adversity.  Just a hunch.  Gyllenhaal is also taking a page out of Jennifer Lawrence's book (or is it Renee Zellweger's or Chastain's) and may carry mystery thriller Voices from the Stone.  She is also supposed to star in the not-yet-HBO-produced The Corrections.  Sherrybaby was six years ago, so I guess Gyllenhaal's time has passed.

HSX - Hollywood Stock Exchange 

As you might tell, I've suddenly become obsessed with HSX.  I referenced it a month back when Hope Springs opened.  Since my wise, but modest investment, my HSX portfolio has gone south. I'm doing so poorly that I shamelessly used another email to open up a new account to start all over again. (Now, I've discovered "Star Bonds," which, having done no research, look like a bargain; so I started soaking money in some of the possible Oscar nominees this season.) Never one to learn a lesson, I sunk the majority of my $2M HSX into the maximum amount (100,000 shares) for Won't Back Down. The reason? Or rationale? Well ... It is currently trading less than $13/share (or, the amount of money HSX investors believe the film will gross over four [?] week[ends]--still rusty on the rules). In the wake of the well-reviewed Dredd's dreadful opening weekend, $13/share may not seem "that low" for a film opening wide (not sure how many theaters it is opening in), which doesn't have an audience. However, even Dredd's current modified price is still above $18/share. So, provided Down can match Dredd's extremely low bar, it seems Down can't do that bad. But, then, if you consider the recent Hit and Run, $13/share seems appropriate enough (side note: did you know the Kristen Bell movie only had a $2M budget? Wonder how much was spend on P&A. If minimal, the movie was actually a small hit.)
But, back to Down, one might think that a film starring The Help's Viola Davis, may get a small boost from her Oscar near win, no? A friend pointed out to me (which I find easy to forget) the bubble we live in here in L.A. Middle-America just doesn't give a shit supporting film actresses at the box-office (I talk about that like it's an national illness in need of a cure; I like to think it is!). We know they could care less about that liberal elitist Maggie Gyllenhaal. However, the movie looks like its politics aren't traditionally Hollywood, but it remains to be seen. But, does it really matter? The right only seems to show up at the movie cinema for movies that are specifically marketed to their politics and religious beliefs (The Last Temptation of Christ, 2016: Obama's America) or are action-oriented films that are blatantly militaristic or apolitical, yet completely misinterpreted.  And, when films are balanced or have randomly right-of-center elements, they're completely ignored.  Go figure.  We'll see how the stock does (like it matters), but I can't help but think that I make my choices on wishful thinking.

Jennifer Garner multitasking:
losing that baby weight AND
taking calls for her next role

I also "purchased" 100,000 shares of Butter at $3/share, probably because I can't let go of the fact that audiences have forgotten about how much they loved Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30.  Remember loving Garner in that Big remake?  I do.  Lainey calls Garner "taupe."  I can't argue with that.  But, sometimes, taupe is all that's required.  There's a place for it.  Nothing wrong with that.  And, frankly, nobody does "taupe" better than Garner.  The trailer for Butter is well-done, no?

[Via Zimbio x 2]