Ryder's Return

Winona Ryder is now starring (albeit a supporting role)
in the hit movie The Black Swan.

I wrote a pretty harsh comment on Winona Ryder, the actress who was caught shoplifting a few years ago. My post was on her interaction with Angelina Jolie, the aggressive, narcissistic "we are the world" children collector, who clearly intimidated Ryder during their film Girl, Interrupted.

While I do think Jolie is psychologically unstable, this might be excusing her for what must be premeditated behavior from odd to sinful, including adultery, adoption of the world's children, and her bizarre tattoo collection.

Ryder is now in the recently released film The Black Swan and plays a supporting actress role. In the film, she is forced to relinquish her prima ballerina post to a younger dancer. This reviewer writes a glowing article on her, saying that she has several other films yet to release. The director of The Black Swan, Ron Howard (whom I will always associate with Richie Cunnigham in Happy Days - there are still reruns!) says of Ryder:

She's definitely doing it smartly by focusing on roles that show she can act, so people remember her as an actress rather than someone who got arrested for shoplifting in 2001.

Ryder says of her shoplifting/presciption drugs mishp, and it rings true:

I got really wiped out, and I had a semi-breakdown. I wasn't sleeping, I didn't know who I was because of different roles.

Those things. I think they're more powerful than people think. People think, 'Oh, heroin's the hardest,' but pills can be...

I broke my arm in two places. For about a month, I had to take it. But then I just kept taking it for, like... maybe three more weeks. But the thing I do remember is that once my arm was OK and they were still there, you kind of like...

I can never see Angelina Jolie saying, "I didn't know who I was because of different roles." Jolie doesn't let a role take over her, she takes over a role (or plays roles where she can do so).

Ryder is getting unanimous praise for her acting, which is after all what Hollywood is about. I'm still waiting for Jolie's redeeming role, but I don't expect it to happen. Hollywood has never been a sane place, and hopefully Ryder will go on to fulfill expectations.