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MVFF T u r n i n g 3 0
Spotlight on Jennifer Jason Leigh
absolute authentiCity
By kristine kolton
Without realizing it, you may be standing next to
Jennifer Jason leigh in line at the coffee shop.
Why would she elude your notice? Her
chameleon-like ability to seamlessly blend into her
surroundings and disappear into a character
makes her, paradoxically, invisible as well as
memorable.
Think about it: Stacy, the wide-eyed teen who
loses her innocence in Fast times at ridgemont
High; Tralala, the tragic prostitute in the harrowing
Last Exit to Brooklyn; Hedy, the psychotic
DoLorEs CLaiBornE
roommate from hell in single White Female; Amy,
the snappy girl Friday whose intelligence crackles
and sparks with a fury in the Hudsucker Proxy;
lois, the phone sex worker who, unbeknownst to
her callers, is changing diapers as she talks dirty
to them in robert Altman’s short Cuts; Sally, the
witty, brilliant actress holding onto the shreds of
youth and fame that define her in the anniversary
Party; and the exhilaratingly acerbic dorothy
Parker in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle—to
name just a few.
From the beginning, leigh has been no stranger to
show business. Her father was actor Vic Morrow
and her mother is actress-screenwriter barbara
Turner, who wrote one of leigh’s most complex
and riveting roles, the painfully and resolutely lost
Sadie in Georgia. leigh thrived in her early artistic
environment, earning her Screen Actors Guild
card as a teenager, in an episode of Baretta. Since
then, her ability to play a great diversity of roles
has made her one of the most mesmerizing actors
of her generation.
Offscreen, leigh has proven herself a successful
filmmaker. In 2001, with friend Alan Cumming, she
co-wrote and co-directed the anniversary Party,
a bristling comedic ensemble that takes a very
honest look at Hollywood. leigh has also
appeared onstage, acting in productions of the
Glass Menagerie, Proof and Cabaret (as Sally
bowles), among others.
up next, leigh stars opposite Nicole kidman and
Jack black in Margot at the Wedding (written and
directed by her husband, Noah baumbach) and
56 2007 MVFF TICKETS | 877.874.MVFF (6833)
reunites onscreen with Alec baldwin (her co-star
in the quirky 1990 crime thriller Miami Blues) in
Lymelife.
One factor unites the performances leigh brings
to life. She is a risk taker. She tirelessly researches
each role she takes on, developing an absolutely
authentic voice. Through characters unhampered
by the need to be liked or, ultimately, understood,
leigh challenges us to recognize elements of the
human condition that are at once completely alien
and all too familiar.
Although associated with intense, unconventional
roles, Jennifer Jason leigh is in fact one of us. And
with the compassionate awareness she devotes to
each character she plays, they become one of us
too. Was that her studying you from the table in
the corner? you should be so lucky.
Freelance writer kristine kolton has worked for
various film-related organizations and is currently
employed at Lucasfilm Ltd.
Fast tiMEs at riDGEMont HiGH
seleCted FilMography
Margot at the Wedding (2007)
Palindromes (2004)
the Machinist (2004)
in the Cut (2003)
road to Perdition (2002)
the anniversary Party (2001)
the king is alive (2000)
Existenz (1999)
a thousand acres (1997)
Washington square (1997)
kansas City (1996)
Georgia (1995)
Dolores Claiborne (1995)
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
the Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
short Cuts (1993)
single White Female (1992)
Backdraft (1991)
rush (1991)
Miami Blues (1990)
the Big Picture (1989)
Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989)
Fast times at ridgemont High (1982)