April 26, 2004
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
It's
a cold, cruel world out there when you're not getting paid $1 million per
episode anymore. As our favorite "Friends" prepare for their final episode
this Thursday, we take a look back at some of the actors' best -- and worst
-- work away from Central Perk.
As with
the women on "The Apprentice," the ladies appear to have a better track
record when it comes to box office and/or critical hits. "Leprechaun" may
have been bad, but at least Jennifer Aniston had the good sense not to
repeat that mistake when she had a little money in her pocket. (Are you
listening, Matt LeBlanc?)
"Scream," "Scream 2," "Scream 3" (1996 to 2000): As pushy, hard-nosed, egocentric tabloid TV reporter Gale Weathers, Cox was a hoot in the "Scream" trilogy. She was bossy in a kick-ass way that puts Monica's whining to shame. Best scene: when she picks up a gun and starts shooting. ****
"Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer" (1989): We know, this is a made-for-TV movie. But she was so deliciously bitchy as Jacquie Kimberly that we'd be remiss if we neglected this classic. Jacquie's affair with Herbert Pulitzer (played by Perry King) set the precedent for Monica's May-December romance with Richard (Tom Selleck). **1/2
"Masters of the Universe" (1987): Three years after being plucked from the audience to dance with Bruce Springsteen in his video for "Dancing in the Dark," a very young Cox starred opposite Dolph Lundgren in this comic book come to life. Her job basically consisted of being spunky, looking terrified and being light enough for Lundgren to carry. It wasn't a great film, but she gets a bonus point for serving me coffee when I was visiting on the set. *
Her likely post-"Friends" competition for roles: Lea Thompson, Brooke Shields and that perky "Trading Spaces" hostess Paige Davis. (Cox is quite the home renovator.)
JENNIFER ANISTON
"The Good Girl" (2002): Aniston was totally miscast as Mark Wahlberg's girlfriend in 2001's "Rock Star," but as a lonely married discount store clerk who has an affair with a much younger colleague, she proved she was more than just a good haircut and fashion plate. Aniston won rave reviews for her portrayal of Justine Last, and the role proved that moviegoers can see her as someone other than Rachel. ****
"Picture Perfect" and "The Object of My Affection" (1997-'98): Honestly, I don't remember the difference between these two films but I do remember them being cute and Aniston being very likable. By this time, she had her cute and frenzied girl act down pat. **
"Leprechaun" (1993): Before she became Rachel, Aniston was one of the twittery screaming teens in this so-bad-it's-still-not-good horror film. The hair, the style, the acting -- it was so not Aniston at her best. *
Likely post-"Friends" competition: Reese Witherspoon and the Breck Girl.
LISA KUDROW
"The Opposite of Sex" (1998): As the no-nonsense Lucia, Kudrow played a woman who would have no time for Phoebe's new age-y nonsense. When she sees her brother being taken advantage of, she does what she can to solve the problem but has to watch as he self-destructs. Kudrow doesn't have the cachet of Aniston or Cox, but she's definitely got the acting chops. ****
"Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" (1997): If there was ever a movie begging for a sequel, it's this. Kudrow's Michele to Mira Sorvino's Romy was pure yin and yang. The ditsy duo arguing over who was the Rhoda Morgenstern to the other's Mary Richards was priceless. The role was a stretch from Phoebe, but it sure was fun. ***
"Marci X" (2003): There's a small chance this script looked good on paper, but it stunk to high heaven by the time it hit the big screen. Kudrow plays Marci, the spoiled daughter of a record label titan. When her father becomes ill, she decides not only to run the company, but also to return it to the top of the playing field. Kudrow's forced love scenes with the usually appealing Damon Wayans didn't help the film any. *
Likely post-"Friends" competition: Teri Garr, Nia Vardalos and Sorvino.
MATTHEW PERRY
"The Whole Nine Yards" and "The Whole 10 Yards" (2000, '04): The "Friends" star has better chemistry with Bruce Willis than Salma Hayek and Elizabeth Hurley (see below). Though his film parts tend to pay homage to Chandler, Perry definitely has a nice light touch with comedic roles. ***
"Fools Rush In" (1997): Salma Hayek is too much woman for Perry, who does what he can to look stunned and endearing. His character gets hers pregnant after a one-night stand in Las Vegas, and he does the right thing by marrying her. Now, that would be a good ending to the "Friends" finale. **
"Serving Sara" (2002): This sad excuse for a comedy wasn't as good as even the worst episode of "Friends." Perry plays a process server whose job is to serve Sara (Elizabeth Hurley) with divorce papers. She makes him an offer he can't refuse and the rest is mayhem of the ho-hum kind. Even his guest spots on "Growing Pains" were better than this. *
Likely post-"Friends" competition: Jon Cypher, Craig Bierko and Adam Goldberg.
DAVID SCHWIMMER
"The Pallbearer" (1996): Schwimmer walks the fine line between comedy and drama, playing a young man who is flustered when he is asked to give the eulogy for an old high school classmate he barely remembers. Soon, he falls for the dead guy's girlfriend (Gwyneth Paltrow). ***
"Six Days Seven Nights" (1998): We don't buy for a moment that there's any heat between Anne Heche and Harrison Ford. With his hangdog expressions and oh-so-perfect timing, Schwimmer is the movie's saving grace. **1/2
"Breast Men" (1997): As Phoebe once said in horror, "My eyes! My eyes!" Schwimmer basically plays a boob who's obsessed with boobs. Playing a smarmy plastic surgeon who develops breast implants, Schwimmer brings out his inner perv. It just makes us want him to go back to playing with dinosaurs. *
Likely post-"Friends" competition: Alan Alda, Noah Wyle.
MATT LEBLANC
"Charlie's Angels" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" (2000, '03): Is it a coincidence that LeBlanc's best film roles so far have been abbreviated and glorified cameos? He's definitely likeable and not exactly hard to look at, but a little goes a long way. As Jason, the self-absorbed boyfriend of the Angel played by Lucy Liu, he was right on. ***
"Lost in Space" (1998): The original TV series was so campy and cheesy, it was actually kinda good. This film version takes itself so seriously, it's not so good. As fighter pilot Don West, LeBlanc would've made more of an impact if he had thrown in a little of Joey's spontaneity. *1/2
"Ed" (1996): The only explanation for LeBlanc's agreeing to do this film was that he was hungry. (He signed the contract to do this film long before "Friends" made him a star.) Though his simian co-star has more personality than the feces-throwing Marcel on "Friends," the film is a stinker any way you look at it. *
Likely post-"Friends" competition: Ted McGinley and Lyle Waggoner.
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I'll be square for you
April 28, 2004
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
For a show that's not really about fashion, "Friends" has had its share of, um, eye-catching looks. From Chandler's hair (yes, Chandler's -- not Rachel's) to Joey's eyebrows to Ross's armadillo suit, the $1 million-an-episode stars have been willing to appear in getups that are unconventional, unflattering and sometimes just plain goofy. Here we look back at some of the Friends' more memorable looks:
Let's face it: Nothing Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) wears would really shock us. But it came as a surprise that the girl who used to live on the streets didn't know how to ride a bike. Proving it's never too late to learn, the floopy gal dons a pink bike helmet and takes a lesson from Ross.
1996: QUITE THE CLOTHES HORSE
We know some roommates like to borrow each other's clothes, but Joey (Matt LeBlanc) takes this concept to the extreme. After an argument with Chandler, Joey puts on every garment Chandler owns. And much to Chandler's horror, Joey reveals he's going commando. Could Chandler be any more horrified?
1994: SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BREWED
1998: TOOL BRITANNIA
HAPPY THANKSGIVING(S): "The One With All the Thanksgivings" aired on Nov. 19, 1998. It's particularly memorable for its many flashbacks. Chandler learned his father was sleeping with the family's pool boy in 1978. Phoebe, in a past life, was injured in 1862. A fat Monica met Chandler (with his Flock of Seagulls coiffure) and he inadvertently insulted her in 1987. A thin Monica hoped to exact revenge on Chandler (with his "Miami Vice" look) but accidentally dropped a knife on his toe in 1988. Joey got a turkey stuck on his head in 1992. In 1998, Monica tries to cheer Chandler up by putting a turkey on her own head.
2000: FESTIVAL OF FRIGHT
2001: THE SUN, THE MOON AND TWO BIG STARS
2003: THE BROW BREAKS
*******************************
'The Rachel' remains a cut above the rest
April 29, 2004
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
Even
if you don't know much about "Friends,'' chances are you remember "The
Rachel.''
Jennifer
Aniston's hair took on a life of its own a few episodes into the show's
debut season, when her character showed up with a striking new hairstyle:
Gone were her long, semicurly locks. In their place was a fluffy, layered
'do -- a modified shag.
While
none of the characters commented on her new look, the rest of America definitely
noticed. Like Audrey Hepburn, Mia Farrow, Farrah Fawcett and Dorothy Hamill
before her, Aniston had a hairstyle every woman in America suddenly wanted
-- in this case, a versatile but simple long layered cut with the front
angled a little below the chin.
When
women went to their stylists and requested the Rachel, hair stylists knew
exactly what they meant.
"I was
working in Los Angeles in the mid-'90s at a small salon that catered to
a lot of society women," says stylist Angelo Diaz. "You'd be surprised
at how many of them came in wanting the Rachel. I talked some of them out
of it because I didn't think it would be a flattering look for them. Like
hot pants and miniskirts, it was a look that was better suited for girls
and younger women."
Laughing,
he added, "It wasn't really that much different from Florence Henderson
or David Cassidy's hair in the 1970s. I think Jennifer Aniston was just
so cute everyone wanted to look like her. You can't get her face, but you
can sort of get her hair."
Created
by Chris McMillan -- who would later style Aniston's hair for her wedding
day -- the style was based around a series of beveled angles that framed
Aniston's baby face. Gel and volumizer gave it an added lift at the top
of her head.
Female
fans persisted in emulating the cutest hairstyle of the cutest "Friend''
-- she and hubby Brad Pitt grace the cover of People magazine's new list
of ''The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World 2004'' -- even as Aniston
moved on. She changed in baby steps, first growing her hair into a longer,
sleeker version of the Rachel. Then Aniston -- who would later mock the
frenzy on "Saturday Night Live'' -- tried to distance herself further from
the look that threatened to take over her career by growing her hair
even longer, while augmenting it with extensions.
She wore her hair long and stick straight. She even cut it into a short
and sassy bob, which she quickly grew out. She let it go wavy. She adorned
it with little pins and barrettes.
But
the legend of the Rachel lives on, in part, perhaps, because it had so
little competition on a show that spawned few other notable fashion or
beauty trends. Courteney Cox Arquette (Monica) and Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe)
have had stylish 'dos, but all were eclipsed by the phenomenon that was
the Rachel.
Long
before "Friends," we saw a jeans and T-shirt clad Cox Arquette sporting
a short pixie cut in a music video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in
the Dark." But she opted for a more glamorous look on "Friends." After
the first season's bangs and shoulder-length cut, Cox Arquette updated
her look almost every year. There was the blunt modified bob with a side
part; the gorgeous wavy sea of brown hair and the mane of jet-black hair
that seems to have inspired Demi Moore.
Moore,
in fact, was referenced in an episode that set up Monica's hairstyle change.
(The writers must've gotten flak for not addressing Aniston's hair early
on.) Turning to Phoebe to style her hair, Monica was horrified that her
loopy buddy mistook her request for a cut like Demi Moore (a la "Ghost'')
for Dudley Moore (circa "10").
As for
Phoebe, her hair went from long, naturally blond (or as natural as it gets
in Hollywood, anyway) and curly in the early years to long, peroxide blond
and ironed straight today. Kudrow, keeps her hair short now that she has
a young child, has said the show's stylists use extensions to keep Phoebe's
hair long.
But
when all's said and done, "Friends" style can still be summarized in two
words. Long live ... "the Rachel.''
*******************************
'Friends'-isms: the lingo of Generation Y
May 3, 2004
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
"Oh.
My. God!"
"How
you doin'?"
"I
know!"
Quick
-- real fast. Recognize these phrases? If you knew in a heartbeat these
were some of the catch phrases from "Friends," then you're obviously a
fan. If you're not a fan but recognized them anyhow, chances are someone
in your life repeats them ad nauseum.
The
fact is, "Friends" hasn't spawned a whole lot of fashion trends (other
than "The Rachel" hairdo), but it did create a whole loopy lingo and a
way of speaking that resonated and caught on with Generation Y.
Just
as "I know you are, but what am I?" became equated with Pee-wee Herman,
and "Yeah, that's the ticket," is instantly associated with Jon Lovitz's
"Liar" character on "Saturday Night Live," "How you doin?" has become the
cheesy pickup line everyone can laugh at, thanks to a clueless but lovable
Joey Tribbiani.
Chicago Sun-Times reporter Jae-Ha Kim, the author
of Best of Friends: The Unofficial 'Friends' Companion,
will be among the panelists discussing the show's
lingo on "Today" this morning on WMAQ-Channel 5.
The final episode of "Friends" will air at 7 p.m. Thursday on NBC.
*******************************
'Friends' as lovers
May 4, 2004
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
NEW YORK
-- With the amount of time they spend together, you wouldn't think the
characters on "Friends" would have a spare moment to even think about hooking
up with anyone else. While they couldn't compete with, say, Samantha Jones,
when it comes to the sheer number of romantic conquests, these six friendly
New Yorkers have had their share of relationships.
Some,
like Monica's ill-fated fling with Paul the Wine Guy, were short-lived.
Others, like Chandler's relationship with "Oh! My! God!" Janice have been
recurring and hilarious.
But
the mother of all "Friends" relationships has been the will-they/won't-they/will-they-again
romance between Ross and Rachel. Ongoing and bittersweet, the love story
may get its final resolution on Thursday when we find out whether Ross
will follow Rachel to Paris.
Given
that they still are attracted to each other and had a child together, chances
are that regardless of where they end up, they will end up together.
Ross
may have pined for Rachel since their high school days, but that hasn't
stopped him from dating others throughout the 10 years of "Friends." Since
his marriage to Carol, who left him for another woman, he has married Emily
and dated Joey's ex-girlfriend Charlie. He also had a seasonlong romance
with Julie that drove Rachel crazy.
Meanwhile,
Rachel dated Ross look-alike and sound-alike Russ, so she obviously sees
something in Ross she likes. But she has a penchant for pretty boys. There
was smarmy Paolo, whom she met during a power failure, and Tag, her boy-toy
assistant. When she dated Joshua (played by Jennifer Aniston's then real-life
boyfriend Tate Donovan), viewers got the sense she was competing with Ross
and Emily's relationship more than anything else. She also gave in to a
brief romance with Joey that some insiders say mirrored Aniston's own brief
fling with Matt LeBlanc after the first season.
At the
start of the series, Monica was the level-headed den mother of the group.
So it was a little surprising when she slept with Paul the Wine Guy after
their first date. Her relationship with her parents' friend Richard was
more realistic and a little heartbreaking, because even though they loved
each other they weren't on the same page when it came to kids (she wanted
them, he already had them). When she married Chandler, she got her kid
in the form of a grownup man. And now she and Chandler are awaiting the
birth of their child, thanks to a woman willing to give her baby up for
adoption.
To say
that Chandler was unlucky in love is an understatement. Besides Janice,
whose annoying whine of a voice doesn't make us love her any less, he fell
hard for an Italian beauty who didn't believe in monogamy. When he secretly
began dating Kathy, Joey's girlfriend, Chandler felt so guilty he had to
confess. He won forgiveness from Joey only after sitting quietly in a shipping
crate while everyone else ate Thanksgiving dinner.
Meanwhile,
Joey employed his line "How you doin'?" on everything that walked. He dated
his crazed fan Erika, who couldn't differentiate him from his soap opera
character. He dated Phoebe's twin, Ursula. He dated his roommate Janine,
who couldn't stand doubledating with Chandler and Monica.
And
then there's Phoebe, who seemed much better suited for David the Science
Guy than her new husband, Mike (a k a Crap Bag). She also dated two guys
who were in love with her twin, Ursula: a shy teacher (played by Sean Penn)
and a stalker (David Arquette). But those weren't her creepiest relationships.
The piece de resistance was when she dated Gary the Cop. She was all ready
to move in with him ... until he dealt with a chirping bird by shooting
it. As can be imagined, this didn't go over very well with animal-loving
vegetarian Phoebe.
HITTING IT OFF OFF-CAMERA
As erratic relationships go, the Ross-Rachel coupling is rivaled only by the real-life affairs of the actors who play Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Ross and Chandler. Here's a look at some of their very best friends.
Courteney Cox
Michael Keaton
Kevin Costner
Christian Slater
The Counting Crows' Adam Duritz
Anthony Clarke
David Arquette (now her husband)
Jennifer Aniston
The Counting Crows' Adam Duritz
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis
Jonathan Silverman
Tate Donovan
Brad Pitt (now her husband)
Matt LeBlanc
Gabrielle Reece
Minnie Driver
Jenna Jameson
Christina Applegate
Denise Richards
Kate Hudson
Halle Berry
Melissa McKnight (now his wife)
Lisa Kudrow
Conan O'Brien
Michel Stern (now her husband)
David Schwimmer
Natalie Imbruglia
Shoshanna Lonstein
Mili Avital
Tara Reid
Playboy model Carla Alapont
Matthew Perry
ABC executive Jamie Tarses
Julia Roberts
Salma Hayek
Jennifer Capriati
Lauren Graham
Fashion student Rachel Dunn
*******************************
'Friends:' The ones we remember
May 5, 2004
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
NEW YORK
-- Over the past decade, "Friends" has had its share of ups and downs.
Some seasons -- especially the last two -- have been less than stellar,
but the shows have been entertaining more often than not.
Here's
hoping Thursday's finale will give us something truly worth remembering.
In the meantime, here are one viewer's 10 favorite "Friends" episodes:
Yes, yes, we know Ross and Rachel shared a kiss at the beginning of the second season at Central Perk. But in this vignette, viewers got a sense of how long he has coveted her. In a home video of Monica and Rachel getting ready for their high school prom, a teenage Ross is seen secretly dressing up to escort Rachel when it appears her date has stood her up. When her date finally arrives, Rachel is ecstatic and Ross is heartbroken. After watching this tape, Rachel walks over to Ross, cradles his face and gives him a passionate kiss. Smiling, Phoebe looks at her friends and says, "He's her lobster." If the final episode captures even half the emotion of this one, it'll be a winner.
After dancing around the subject of marriage, Monica and Chandler prove to be too sneaky for their own good. Chandler pretends he doesn't want to get married so he can surprise her with a ring. She thinks he really doesn't want to marry her and considers going back to her ex, Richard. Finally, she turns the tables on Chandler by getting down on her knees and proposing.
The gang
is gathered together for another one of Monica's Thanksgiving dinners.
While waiting for the turkey to cook, Monica suggests a game of touch football
in the park. No one wants Rachel on their team. Phoebe learns she can distract
the opponents by flashing her breasts. Joey and Chandler compete for the
attentions of an attractive blond. And Monica and Ross compete for the
glory of the Gellar Cup, a hideous childhood trophy they made for their
athletic competitions. Trying to wrestle the ball away from
her brother, Monica tries to shame him by saying,
"I'm a tiny little woman!" Yes, she is.
The whole
romance between Joey and his dancer roommate Janine didn't really work.
While this episode sets up the romance between the two, the funniest elements
belong to Monica and Ross and their competitive nature. This time, they
team up to get some good face time at a taping of Dick Clark's annual New
Year's Eve special. The routine they've resurrected is an old one from
their high school days that is funnier than Elaine's
gawky moves on "Seinfeld." David Schwimmer, who plays Ross, is particularly
good at dancing bad, which isn't as easy to do as you'd think.
Another
Season 6 winner contemplates what could have been had the Friends taken
different paths. What if Ross was still married to Carol, who didn't know
yet that she's a lesbian? What if Monica hadn't lost weight and was still
a virgin? How would Phoebe have fared as a high-powered suit screaming
"Go!" to everyone who called her? What if Joey's acting career had taken
off
from the get-go and he was a TV star when the married
Rachel first met him -- would she have slept with him? When would Chandler's
writing career take off? You see them living in an alternate reality and
realize this brief glimpse of the bizarro universe is funnier than the
actual pilot for "Friends."
This is where we first saw Rachel striving for a career rather than just a job. Tired of her job as a waitress at Central Perk, the fashion-savvy Friend interviews for a position at Saks Fifth Avenue, which is kind of like the mothership calling her home. Meanwhile, the girls want in on the boys' poker night. After being soundly beaten by the boys, Rachel, Phoebe and Monica rely on Monica's card-shark Aunt Iris to give them some tips. During a rematch, Rachel gets the call that Saks wasn't going to offer her a position. Ross' competitive nature is thrown for a loop as he throws the game so she can win all the money.
While
in London for Ross' wedding to Emily, Chandler and Monica sleep together
and begin a secret relationship that will delight fans and confuse their
Friends. Rachel, who had turned down the invitation to attend the wedding,
has a change of heart and plans on telling Ross she still loves him. When
she gets to London and sees how happy he is, she wishes him good luck.
But when it's time to say his wedding vows, he accidentally utters Rachel's
name instead of Emily's. That is so no good for him, but great for
the audience.
It's all here in this near-perfect episode. A jealous Monica worries that her ex-boyfriend Richard is dating someone else. Ross is upset that none of his friends is dressed for a black-tie function at which he's giving a speech. And the phrase "going commando" makes its way into pop-culture vernacular. Is it ridiculous when Joey puts on all of Chandler's clothes to get back at him? Yes. But it's also ridiculously funny as he does lunges wearing a pile of vests and button-down shirts.
While
Chandler and Monica are debating the merits of getting married in Las Vegas,
Ross and Rachel fight after he draws a mustache on her face with a magic
marker. Mortified, she refuses to leave the hotel room, so Ross offers
to stay in with her and pay for everything they eat -- and drink -- from
the minibar. When Chandler and Monica get to the chapel to wed, they're
shocked
to find that a very drunk Ross and Rachel have
gotten hitched themselves. For those keeping score, it's his third and
her first.
We know
Rachel is pregnant but she hasn't confided to anyone who the father of
her baby is. Joey says he saw a guy leaving their apartment who left behind
a red sweater. The Friends think the would-be father is Rachel's ex Tag,
who has the same sweater. But when Ross sees the sweater, he claims it
and says he thought he had lost it a month ago. Were we really surprised
Ross is the father? No, but the way the writers revealed the outcome was
worth the wait.
The final episode of "Friends" will air Thursday on NBC.
Jae-Ha Kim, author of Best of Friends, will
be among the panelists discussing their favorite "Friends" episodes
on NBC's "Today" this morning on WMAQ-Channel 5.
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