5 Reasons to Love Julia RobertsDecember 03, 2015

"Secret in Their Eyes", which was recently released at movie theatres, would mark Julia Roberts's fourth decade in showbiz. Her eyes were full of spark, while her winsome smile gained a legion of fans. It was her ticket to stardom. (Roberts seldom played a forlorn character during her younger years. Those films didn't do well at the box-office.) After her Oscar-winning turn in "Erin Brockovich", Roberts appeared in genres other than romantic comedies. And she broke up with Richard Gere on screen. ("Runaway Bride" lacked the magic that turned "Pretty Woman" into a sleeper hit.) The rest cemented her A-list status.

Here are five reasons to love Julia Roberts:

Steel Magnolias (1989). Roberts earned her first Academy Award nomination in the big-screen adaptation of Robert Harling's play, of how a close-knit group of women reacted when one of them died from diabetes-related complications. Herbert Ross didn't focus on how the Southern belles could be delicate yet strong, and what a small community would do during moments of grief. He had a dream ensemble (Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis), and each must had her moment or two. Roberts, whose character was afflicted with diabetes, had hers. And that smile was hard to miss.

Pretty Woman (1990). A hooker could dream of a fairy-tale existence, and Julia Roberts was Cinderella in knee-high boots in this screenplay by J. F. Lawton, A sassy soundtrack made this premise believable, but Gary Marshall had to rely on that pearly-white smile.

My Best Friend's Wedding (1997). After the worldwide acclaim of "Muriel's Wedding", P. J. Hogan's sophomore feature would be produced by Hollywood. It was another wedding. And Burt Bacharach's songs dominated the airwaves. Julia Roberts won't be the girl next door, as she tried to reveal her true feelings to her best friend. He would get hitched, and she didn't want it to happen. Cameron Diaz, who played the bride, nearly upstaged Roberts in the Colgate Smiles category. Everybody smiled for the camera, though.

Erin Brockovich (2000). This was Roberts's best performance to date. You must be attentive to see her smile on a few occasions, but the role of an environmental activist was meant for her.

Closer (2004). If anyone still have doubts about Roberts's capability in dramas, then Patrick Marber's play would dispel it. The actress was far from her congenial self, but her fans would be amazed at her compelling performance.

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