celebrity gossip, academic style

Note: The following is post a co-production with my best friend and partner-in-crime, Alaina Smith, who has previously authored/collaborated on posts about Dooce (alias Heather Armstrong) and “Does Maybe Gaybe Matter?”

In 2009, Katherine Heigl gave a series of interviews while promoting The Ugly Truth that were perceived as whiny and critical of those who had helped her become famous. In return, she was the subject of a harsh backlash from the media and colleagues. Annie wrote about the position she found herself here, questioning whether or not she was Hollywood’s “New Shrew.” Since then, things haven’t gotten much better. As an agent quoted in a June 2010 NYMag article explained:

“She still green-lights studio movies. And personality aside, she is a movie star. [But...] producers are telling us, ‘We can’t go back to any male lead she’s ever worked with.’ And that’s because she’s a goddamn nightmare. It’s a shame, because she’s talented. She has a shot at being Julia Roberts, but she’s headed towards becoming Jennifer Aniston — someone who works regularly, but who could have been a superstar.

Heigl, her manager-mother, and the publicist who eventually fired her couldn’t seem to do anything counter her bitchy reputation. This June’s Killers wasn’t pre-screened for critics (a fate usually reserved for the likes of Saw 17 and other bombs), eventually earned a 12% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and grossed $45 million domestic and $45 international on budget of $75 million. Add in 50% of that cost for advertising and promotion, and you’ve got a film firmly in the red. Heigl’s image - and perceived ability to open a film - went from bad to worse.

As Vulture explained, “As a whole, her post–Knocked Up movies have been competent, successful, familiar, and undistinguished — all of which you might say about Heigl herself. There will always be starring roles for pretty blondes who are delightfully ditzy and can chew their lips emotively on cue. However, there will also always be blondes like that, too.”

As Annie noted in her previous post about Heigl, we want our stars to be grateful for their success. Heigl broke that rule. She seemed to be just fine with the fame and fortune that came along with her explosive success as America’s new rom-com princess - but refused to embrace that role outside her screen appearances.

After her breakout roles in Grey’s Anatomy and Knocked Up, audiences thought she was a fresh new face. Heigl seemed to feel she’d put in time and was entitled to what she’d achieved (she’s been working steadily since she was 14). She also refused to pander to the minivan majority in her personal life - she shunned dating her co-stars for marriage to a singer, adopted a special-needs baby from Korea in 2009 with relatively little fanfare (by Hollywood standards) and lives in Utah when she’s not working.

Over the last few weeks, however, she began promoting Life as We Know It. This time, the media blitz included a mea culpa interview on Letterman and a fairly fawning article in the New York Times, entitled “The Unwilling Diva,” which was filled with quote after quote defending her professionalism and talent. While Heigl is on the offensive to prove her likability, willing colleagues, including her co-star Josh Duhamel - were rallied to defend her with compliments seemingly designed to tick off each black mark against her. Good on you, KatherineHeigl’s new publicist.

Life as We Know It opened moderately well - it beat out Heartland fodder Secretariat in its first week - and has now grossed 28.6 million domestic on a budget of $38 million, and seems to have decent legs. Add in international grosses (which won’t be tremendous, but will probably come close to the overall domestic take) and you should have a moderate success.

As Anthony D’Alessandro reported over at Thompson on Hollywood, this was what Heigl needed. Life is not a flop - more importantly, it’s good for Heigl’s image. A movie about the trials and tribulations of parenthood, where a career gal’s brittleness is tempered by the twin forces of a rosy-cheeked baby and the love of a good man? A perfect way to “melt” a star who went from America’s princess to ice princess overnight.

D’Alessandro maintains that Heigl’s best move is to stick to small-budget rom-coms like Life in the future. But ultimately, Heigl’s un-likability stems not only from her perceived ungratefulness, but her constant effort to convince us she is *not* the shrew she plays onscreen. Since 99% of female roles in romantic comedy fall into the “beautiful but rigid and neurotic foil for the male lead” (think Jennifer Lopez arranging the cutlery on her TV dinner tray in The Wedding Planner), more of the same likely will not catapult Heigl to the next level of stardom.

And while Life and Heigl’s recent media appearances might have helped to work her way back into female audience’s hearts, it does very little to counter the sentiment that she’s not worth a big-star paycheck. As is, she’s just not blockbuster material, and certainly can’t demand the paycheck of Julia Roberts, who, even at age 42 and years from her halcyon days post-My Best Friend’s Wedding, still propelled Eat, Pray, Love to a worldwide gross of $166 million (on a budget of $90 million).

Several commentators have speculated that Heigl needs to be in a good, serious, well-respected movie - and have a good, well-respected director talk positively about her. Heigl’s upcoming projects have promise, and represent strong departures from the types of character she has previously played. As if to say: “So, America, you’re not sure if you can stomach me as a romantic heroine? How about a bounty hunter? Or a English nurse who goes back in time to 18th-Century Sexy Scotland?”

However, Heigl has persisted in making the worst mistake anyone in show business could ever make: having a family member as your manager, agent, or publicist. Tom Cruise proved this to be forever true when he fired inveterate publicist Pat Kingsley and hired his sister, leading to the Tom-Kat/Couch-Jumping/MattLauer-arguing fiasco, but it certainly holds for Heigl as well: your mom is in no position to give you objective career or image advice. Also, as many have averred, it remains to be seen whether she actually can act.

So, Heigl’s got her work cut out for her. It’s far, far more difficult to rehabilitate an image one than to ruin one. Her recent film and appearances aside, Heigl has not successfully erased negative public perception - nor has she re-established herself as “greenlight” star.

She needs an addition to her picture personality that will force people to reconsider their already formed opinions, and she needs a makeover - not just a new haircut, but a new “stars, they’re just like us!” persona. Right now, we’re still willing to read about her, but usually because we’re waiting for the next incriminating thing to come out of her mouth. It’ll be fascinating to see how, or if, her image can evolve. If not, it’ll be yet another testament to the difficulty of changing the narrative of star image once it’s been set in motion.