Blake Lively Resembles True Movie Star in Ambitious Hollywood Journey
In the overlooked romance-filled comedy Long Shot, there’s a memorable line stated by Seth Rogen. He mentions Jennifer Aniston saying, “Having a role in a movie doesn’t necessarily grant you the status of a movie star.” As much as we respect Aniston, there’s some truth in that. She’s neither a regular name at award ceremonies, nor a surefire magnet for box office earnings, and she’s most renowned for her idealized character on a popular TV series.
Let’s indulge in a hypothetical: What if Jennifer Aniston has remained Brad Pitt’s spouse, gaining his influence through their relationship, accompanying her charmer of a husband to premieres, and making appearances on Vogue and Elle covers instead of Us and inTouch? Is this the life Blake Lively is living? Her actions, such as matching the Met Gala’s carpet glamorously, or launching her own line of haircare products, have a very Serena-like vibe to them.
However, there’s a key difference between Blake Lively and the character Serena. Lively seeks employment, particularly aiming for an acting career in film, an occupation that isn’t a guaranteed acquisition, regardless of your teen show’s success. Lively, though, entered Gossip Girl with a silver screen merit badge already clipped on, thanks to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
The possibility of a successful transition from small-screen to big-screen appeared promising for Lively when Gossip Girl ended. Initially, she invested the goodwill she’d earned in a serious project – The Town. Regrettably, this bid was met with harsh criticism and a pungent response that would follow her around well into the next decade, tarnishing her critical standing.
Subsequently, she appeared in a commercial failure that managed to diminish any further expectations she may have had for a smooth transition from TV actress to movie star. Post Gossip Girl, her professional portfolio bore a three-year hiatus. During that period, her major projects were mainly personal and non-acting related: starting a family with her spouse and initializing her ephemeral lifestyle website, Preserve.
Perhaps believing that her prior cinematic misadventures have been largely forgotten, Lively rejuvenated her motion picture career in 2015, though with minimized ambitions. Until the pandemic hit, she approximately made one film per annum. Her focus was on films with strong premises, confined to sensible budgets of around $25 million, steering away from potential box office disaster or scrutiny of poor performances.
With her partner soaring in his career, Lively wisely took her time selecting the best script that will set the stage for her enhanced career trajectory. She took another break from work and then agreed to a sequel of the popular movie A Simple Favor. Then, she went on to work on a project for a top-billing author’s highest-rated book.
When the film adaptation of It Ends With Us landed in theaters, her aspirations were answered with positive critiques and satisfactory box office earnings, an accomplishment she’d been chasing for roughly two decades. To decipher the complexities of her unstable career trajectory, and in appreciation of upcoming A Simpler Favor — excuse me, it’s Another Simple Favor — it is fitting to examine her performances in various films. Not gauging the overall quality of the movies, but specifically focusing on how effectively they capitalize on her unique ability to manifest charm, intrigue, and a hint of danger.
To illustrate, we refer to Lively’s role in The Shallows. It churned out such a significant profit that they released a Mandy Moore–versus-shark movie in theaters, as opposed to straight-to-VOD. If that doesn’t suggest a budding movie star’s potential, then what does?
The only Lively film I find myself regularly revisiting is The Best. A narrative reminiscing Gone Girl but with a heapful of lip gloss, a Bimbos’ version of The Talented Mr. Ripley – a delightful cinematic piece. Her skill shines brilliantly as she becomes the cold-hearted fashion-conscious Emily. With her performance, she successfully portrays a character who is manipulative and alluring, drawing in the supermom played by Anna Kendrick.
Lively absolutely nails playing Emily, a sociopathic fashionista who ensnares and manipulates Anna Kendrick’s sunny supermom character, Stephanie, by showcasing glam bitch fabulousness that would overshadow other stars. One can only anticipate the sequel to further unravel and reveal the personality beneath the surface.
As a closing note, it’s fascinating to see the unpredictable career of Lively. Starting from teen TV show fame to make the daring and, at times, rocky transition to the big screen, her professional journey is testament to her resilience. The deliberate choices she made to build on her career, despite facing criticism or box office flops, demonstrates her determination to succeed.
Looking at the big picture, Lively’s journey serves as an illustration of the transition that many actors face when moving from television to film. It’s a path marred by challenges, but one that also offers great rewards. Lively serves as a beacon, showing that with determination – and perhaps the right material – success is attainable.
So, despite Seth Rogen’s longitudinal reflection over what makes a movie star, it seems ultimately, the determination to overcome setbacks, and continuously seek to improve, just might make Blake Lively the definition of a movie star after all.