Sections

"Juror" Moore's success mystifies critics

If someone were to ask you who is the most popular film actress in Hollywood, what would your response be? Julia Roberts? Sharon Stone? Michelle Pfeiffer?

For some unknown reason, some movie fans will answer Demi Moore. This response would most likely be followed by a resounding cry of, "Why?"

True, Moore has been rewarded with immense salaries for lending her "talents" to high-grossing Hollywood productions like "Ghost," and her name does carry with it a certain star power. But what is the cause of all this popularity?

Well, it is definitely not Moore's raw acting talent or her ability to carry a movie. Surprisingly (or not) the overwhelming majority of Moore's films have been major flops or have simply been forgotten.

Moore's journey toward Hollywood stardom began in 1985, when the then-unknown actress received widespread critical and audience recognition for "St. Elmo's Fire."

Bringing together the dubious talents of Andrew McCarthy and Ally Sheedy, along with other names since forgotten, "St. Elmo's Fire" sparked the legend of the Brat Pack. Moore, by far the most successful Brat, fought hard not to be typecast as the temptress, a task that proved difficult.

In the wake of her "St. Elmo's" success, 1986 brought Moore two more successful films. The romantic comedy "About Last Night..." again teamed Moore with Rob Lowe and gave her the dubious distinction of co-starring with Jim Belushi.

Another film, "One Crazy Summer," cast her as tough musician Cassandra, who must deal with such problems as life, work and Bobcat Goldthwait.

In 1988, Moore tried her hand at horror in the Armageddon tale "The Seventh Sign." The following year brought another sign of Armageddon -- "We're No Angels" was unleashed on an unsuspecting world. Moore co-starred with Sean Penn and Robert DeNiro, but all three should have disguised themselves and denied any involvement with this atrocious piece of work.

In 1990, Moore received a new sign, this time it was one of redemption. She scored her biggest critical and commercial hit to date with the supernatural romance "Ghost."

This film was widely embraced, but not exactly as a result of Moore's performance. In fact, Moore's best scene in the film is when she kissed Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg, creating an extremely romantic moment that paved the way for future Whoopi-kissers like Ted Danson.

Expecting to be buoyed by previous success, the only things 1991 produced for Moore were three motion pictures that tanked and dimmed her star. "The Butcher's Wife," "Mortal Thoughts" and "Nothing But Trouble" were those unexplained movies. Such mistakes as these can only be attributed to temporary insanity on the part of Moore and her agent.

But "A Few Good Men," featuring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, provided Moore with a prime role that allowed her to battle both Marines and sexual tension with Cruise. Her role in the 1992 film was by far the best performance of Moore's career. As one of the only women in the film (she played a military lawyer), Moore exuded confidence; even so, her performance was overlooked in favor of Nicholson's and Cruise's. Still, for Moore, the film was a good one.

The following two years cemented her status as one of Hollywood's leading actresses. First as the object of Robert Redford's desire in "Indecent Proposal" and then making Michael Douglas the object of her wrath in "Disclosure," Moore proved her screen stamina. These two films have become beloved by those moviegoers who enjoy inane morality tales.

Last year also provided the public with proof that Demi is here to stay. Through the morally adulterous adaptation of "The Scarlet Letter" (co-starring Gary Oldman) and the faded memory of a movie, "Now and Then," she still managed to garner an unprecedented salary for an actress: $12.5 million for this May's "Striptease."

Our trip concludes with Moore's damsel in distress act in the new so-called courtroom thriller "The Juror." The film is a delightfully cheesy mess that ranks with "Showgirls" as the most unintentionally amusing film in recent memory.

In retrospect, there is no disputing Demi Moore's status as a major star. She can be seen on almost a daily basis on "Entertainment Tonight," shooting a magazine spread, attending the latest movie premiere or holding her children (with husband Bruce Willis).

However, Moore's Hollywood high life is not in question; the cause of her placement on the Walk of Fame is the mystery at hand (then again, they hand out those stars like water at a marathon -- even David Hasselhoff has one).

What exactly enables Demi Moore to enjoy the Hollywood lifestyle she currently relishes? Even after looking back at her career, now spanning more than a decade, it's mystifying as to exactly why she has become a real star.