MADONNA TURNS 50
A look at ‘The Material Girl’ on the silver screen
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Madonna celebrates her 50th birthday on Saturday (Aug. 16), and to mark the occasion, we remember that “The Material Girl” is more than a pop superstar — she’s made her mark on the silver screen as well. For better or for worse, we take a look at a few of her more memorable roles:
Sony Pictures
Madonna starred with Tom Hanks and Geena Davis in 1992’s ‘A League of Their Own.’
MGM
Madonna and Rosanna Arquette were two wild and crazy gals in 1986’s ‘Desperately Seeking Susan.’
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“Vision Quest” (1985), Singer at Club, $12.9 million at U.S. box office: Madonna’s first big-screen appearance was a cameo in this movie about a high school wrestler (Matthew Modine) who falls in love with — and subsequently gets dumped by — an older woman (Linda Fiorentino). She sang “Crazy for You” (her second No. 1 single) in a nightclub scene.
“Desperately Seeking Susan” (1986), Susan, $27.4M: This movie, co-starring Rosanna Arquette as a bored housewife looking for adventure, was Madonna’s first major foray into film, and it cemented her first “look”: Headbands, bangles, leather and big belts had never been so hip.
“Shanghai Surprise” (1986), Gloria Tatlock, $17M: Madonna may have enjoyed making this movie tagged “A romantic adventure for the dangerous at heart” with then-husband Sean Penn, but not many people enjoyed watching it. It was nominated for six Razzie Awards and took home one: Madonna’s for Worst Actress.
“Who’s That Girl” (1987), Nikki Finn, $7.3M: Madonna basically reprised her “Desperately Seeking Susan” role as a feisty free spirit who lures in a bored compatriot, this time Griffin Dunne. But while she won yet another Razzie for Worst Actress, she did manage to get nominated for both a Grammy and a Golden Globe for the title song.
“Dick Tracy” (1990), Breathless Mahoney, $103.7M: Madonna’s first big-budget movie (this comic-book fantasy starring Warren Beatty) was a box office success, but most critics didn’t attribute that to her presence. Roger Ebert said: “Her mistake in ‘Dick Tracy,’ I think, is that she frankly reaches back to Marilyn Monroe and tries to make Breathless into a Monroe clone, right down to the lighting and costuming in some numbers, which seems inspired by Monroe in ‘Some Like It Hot.’ It doesn’t work. She’s not Monroe and she’s not Madonna, either. Breathless should have come out of a new place in her mind.”
“A League of Their Own” (1992), Mae Mordabito, $107.5M: In this movie about a women’s baseball league formed when the men went off to fight in World War II, Madonna finally earned a bona fide thumbs-up as “All the Way” Mae. Starring alongside Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Rosie O’Donnell, Madonna more than held her own — although, truth be told, her character wasn’t exactly a stretch for her.
“Body of Evidence” (1993), Rebecca Carlson, $13.3M: Madonna wasn’t able to build on that success with her next role. This movie about a woman who’s accused of killing a man to inherit his millions by having sex with him earned her a third Razzie for Worst Actress, but also helped her garner Most Desirable Female honors from MTV.
“Evita” (1996), Eva Peron, $50M: There’s pretty much nowhere to go but down for a movie with the tagline “The Most Anticipated Motion Picture Event of The Year.” Amazingly, though, the critics were kind and the awards were plentiful. Madonna won a Golden Globe and an MTV Movie Award for her performance as the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina, and “You Must Love Me” won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
