14 DAY TRIAL // In light of Jennifer Aniston’s latest movie, “The Switch,” failing to cause even a mild impression at the US box office, celebrity pundits are weighing in on why she’s still an A-list celebrity, with one ESPN analyst saying it’s all down to how she uses her personal life to keep her relevant.
“The Switch” is not necessarily a bad movie, critics agree, but the problem with it is that, just like most films she put out in recent years, it brings nothing new to the table: it’s a romantic comedy that sees Aniston playing herself / Rachel.
The only thing that ever changes with her films, Bill Simmons of ESPN says, is her hairstyle (and even that only slightly) and her co-star, with whom she eventually starts a romance that ends shortly after the film is out.
It’s like Aniston’s career is following a well-established pattern, which begs the question of how come she’s still considered (and remunerated as) an A-list when most her projects are flops.
It’s because she’s so relatable that Aniston is still on the map, Simmons argues. She owes her entire career to the Brangelina-Aniston triangle and her seeming inability at ever finding love again / getting married / having children.
Even if she could break the circle and be happy again, she wouldn’t want to do so, Simmons further says, because Aniston is a smart woman and she knows that, as long as she keeps herself in the spotlight with her personal life, she will find people willing to pay money for her to appear in movies.
“That’s seven years, 11 movies, eight clunkers, one above-average (for her) performance and only two solid box-office successes. Two for 11? Certainly nothing to put her on par with Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts or Reese Witherspoon. The other ‘Friends’ stars faded into B- and C-list obscurity (or in Matt LeBlanc’s case, F-list), so why didn’t she?” Simmons asks.
He goes on to answer: “Because of the Angelina / Brad / Jennifer love triangle, which is like Brett Favre’s comeback / retirement / comeback routine multiplied by 10, but has been cruising along for twice as long. The saga evolved in various forms.”
Aniston is now 41, still heartbroken after Brad’s betrayal, still single, still childless and still jumping from one bad relationship to another. In fact, Simmons says, this is how she wants it because she sees choices in her personal life as career moves meant to keep her relevant. I” think it’s all a farce. I think she gravitates toward guys who could never be a potential husband (seriously, John Mayer?) and FWBs (friends with benefits) over actually finding herself the right match. And here’s why: The longer this drags on, the longer she stays on the A list,” the analyst says.
Aniston doesn’t want to take acting chances (despite what she was saying a couple of years ago) because she functions by the principle of “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.” She’s happy playing herself and cashing in millions of dollars.
“She’s happy being a likable celebrity with decent comic timing who plays herself in every movie. [She] seems much more interested in protecting her brand. You can’t differentiate between Aniston when she’s being interviewed, acting in a movie or staring at you on a magazine cover anymore. It’s all the same. That’s the way she wants it,” Simmons concludes.
See here for the entire ESPN piece.