The GOOD Girls of Hollywood

In my upcoming Ro Com, LOVE, HOLLYWOOD STYLE, the main character, Tracy, has an encounter with the newest Hollywood “It Girl,” a fictional actress named Christy Caldwell. When I wrote Christy I made it clear that, while she certainly has a rebellious streak, she is most definitely not a party girl celebrity like so many of those lost souls we hear about all the time on the news ... particularly on the news in Los Angeles. (Seriously. Lead story on the local news almost nightly. Unless we get a rainstorm, which the reporters here react to in much the same way East Coast newsies report on a blizzard. I once heard a reporter warn, “It’s raining hard enough to make puddles!” But I digress.)

The most annoying thing is that these stories are usually about four very specific young women. Hardly anybody seems to talk about all the many other fine young actresses/entertainers out there, so I thought it might be nice to give a few of them some mention here. (This is only the tip of the Hollywood iceberg, mind you. And please forgive me if I reference someone with her own scandal. I can only be up on so much Hollywood gossip at one time.)

First, my personal fave ... Mandy Moore. I didn’t consciously base Christy Caldwell on Mandy Moore, but every time I picture the character in my head, I see Mandy playing her. Ms. Moore darn near broke my heart in A Walk to Remember, but I will always love her for her hysterical villainous performances in The Princess Diaries and Saved! (And speaking of The Princess Diaries, Anne Hathaway is seriously poised to be the next major Hollywood player. Agree? Disagree? Abstain?)

She might not always choose the best movie roles to showcase her talent, but Amanda Bynes is making a pretty impressive transition from TV to film. As many people have said, she was a total standout in Hairspray this summer. The best part is she’s a comic actress not afraid to look silly ... a trait she has in common with another standout, the Emmy award winning America Ferrera from Ugly Betty. And I don’t mean the bushy eyebrows and braces make Ms. Ferrera look silly. They actually make her look normal. It’s the poncho, the butterfly costume, and the constant walking into glass walls that are the comic gems.

Jennifer Hudson’s journey from American Idol castoff to Oscar winner has got to be one of the strangest career paths in Hollywood history. I was never a fan of Sex and the City (Okay, you can get off the floor now), but I may go to the movie just to see what she does next as Sarah Jessica Parker’s assistant. And kudos to Ms. Parker for transitioning from Young Hollywood Starlet to A-List Adult with a minimum of E! True Hollywood Story episodes along the way.

I think I’ll wrap this up with a reality star just to prove that not every young woman who lives her life out on TV is evil. How about that Lo from Laguna Beach and The Hills? She may only be a part time reality star—and maybe that’s why she seems the most down to earth—but she’s got brains, beauty, and sarcasm ... a dangerous combination.

Brava!

P.J.R.