In a new W magazine cover story interview, Demi Moore speaks candidly about her position in Hollywood (which is currently on the indie scene, see: a role opposite Parker Posey in the upcoming Happy Tears). She also talks about her decision to “step back” and semi-retire to Idaho after starring in and producing G.I. Jane. “I think G.I. Jane got hit because I was paid $12 million to do Striptease,” Moore says. “In a sense, Striptease was a film where women felt I betrayed them. G.I. Jane is a film where men felt I betrayed them. The focus went on that paycheck.”Have you ever felt “betrayed” by an actor? It’s a strong word that reveals just how seriously we take entertainment. The first betrayal that comes to mind might show you what you value most. For me, the betrayal is Vince Vaughn in Fred Claus and the value is comedy. After Old School and Wedding Crashers, I trusted Vaughn to know both a funny set-up and how to keep the laughs going for 90 minutes. There’s nothing worse than watching a comedy that starts with a great concept (Vaughn as the black sheep brother to a Santa Claus played by Paul Giamatti), but falls flat repeatedly. You feel betrayed because you can’t believe that anyone thought these jokes were funny on the page, which could mean that the film was greenlit with a half-assed script that producers assumed would get better on set (because look at the actors cast, they know funny!). A more recent betrayal in this vein, Nia Vardalos in My Life in Ruins. I read the reviews, but I assumed that with my freakish tolerance of/affection for romantic comedies, I’d enjoy this more than the average person (or critic). But no. Not funny. At all.
