Star Vehicles

foxyboxer

Don't you just despise them? Are there any good examples?
These don't tend to be vanity projects but mass studio produced cliche ridden nonsense designed to 'cash in' on someone's 'it' status.
Usually rom-coms but they can be found in any genre....


Some examples;
Patrick Dempsey 'Made of Honor'
Colin Farrell 'SWAT'
Halle Berry 'Cat Woman'
Josh Hartnett '40 days and 40 nights'
Jack Black 'Naco Libre'

So then what are the best and worst examples of the Star Vehicle?

The Recliner

using the term "Star" here rather loosely

But anything that (usually produced by Adam Sandler) is specifically made to give work to Rob Scheider

mike65

Yentle (1983)

JP Liz V1

Reese Witherspoon had Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama turning her into the next American sweetheart for rom coms after Julia Roberts

Skerries

now this is a star vehicle

bnt

If I watch a film, I don't want to be thinking "star vehicle" even if it is one. For example, you could reasonably say that Nell was a star vehicle for Jodie Foster. She started the project, produced it, stars in the title role, and originally planned to direct it, but the result doesn't feel like a star vehicle.

LittleBook

I would only use the term "star vehicle" if I was thinking of a film that literally carried the star, if that makes sense.

Films like Yentl and Nell and any others that happen to be directed and/or produced by the star wouldn't fall into that category. On the other hand, if they were shít maybe they would.

The best (worst?) examples of star vehicles are the pieces of crap which are churned out to make popstars like Britney Spears, Mariah Carey or Madonna into filmstars ... or shameless cash-ins like Spiceworld or From Justin to Kelly. In all fairness, you'd have to include pretty much everything Elvis appeared in too.

JP Liz V1

Dreamgirls was a star vehicle for Beyonce but Jennifer Hudson stole the film from her

Roaster

Transformers - Optimus Prime

TheManWho

Star Vehicle films are at their most obvious when they're used to give a film debut to someone widely famous in some other career.

The best example I can think of is Crossroads, launching Britney Spears as a serious actress.

Turtyturd

A lot of Will Smith movies seem to fall into this category, Independence Day (kinda), Hitch, Hancock, Wild Wild West, I am Legend. I Robot deserves a mention although he was billed behind a pair of Converse and an Audi car.

madrab

Glitter with maria carey

Abelloid

foxyboxer wrote: »

Don't you just despise them? Are there any good examples?
These don't tend to be vanity projects but mass studio produced cliche ridden nonsense designed to 'cash in' on someone's 'it' status.
Usually rom-coms but they can be found in any genre....


Some examples;
Patrick Dempsey 'Made of Honor'
Colin Farrell 'SWAT'
Halle Berry 'Cat Woman'
Josh Hartnett '40 days and 40 nights'
Jack Black 'Naco Libre'

So then what are the best and worst examples of the Star Vehicle?

Haven't seen the others, but Nacho Libre? That was a great film, and doesn't fit your description of a 'star vehicle' in any way...

Turtyturd

JustinOval wrote: »

Haven't seen the others, but Nacho Libre? That was a great film, and doesn't fit your description of a 'star vehicle' in any way...

It didn't even have a star.

Galvasean

TheManWho wrote: »

The best example I can think of is Crossroads, launching Britney Spears as a serious actress.

Thank the Gods it failed.

Mickeroo

Nacho Libre was definitley not a Star Vehicle. Too damn weird and non-commercial(and hilarious in my opinion!)

Mission: Impossible 2 springs to mind, although that was more a vanity project i guess. Vanilla Sky maybe.