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By Woodrow J. Hinton
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Michelle Pfeiffer checks out her goddess-like qualities
in the melodrama White Oleander.
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Asked by a young woman if Grease 2, the 1982 film in which she starred as a high school beauty obsessed with her motorcycle-riding boyfriend, is the most underrated musical of all time, Michelle Pfeiffer answers quickly and defiantly: "Absolutely not. How old were you when you saw it? You were 12, right? Have you seen it since then? I haven't seen it in years. Maybe it holds up better than I think."
It's been 20 years since Pfeiffer, one-time beauty pageant winner and a regular on People magazine's "50 most beautiful people in the world" list, starred in the poorly reviewed Grease sequel. Since then, she's matched her flawless beauty with acclaimed performances in films like The Fabulous Baker Boys and The Age of Innocence. Pfeiffer's timeless glamour plays a significant role in her latest film, White Oleander, a melodrama about Astrid (Alison Lohman), a teen-age girl who struggles through foster homes and shelters after her artist mother Ingrid (Pfeiffer) is sent to prison on murder charges.
Ingrid is by far the most unlikable character Pfeiffer has played on screen. It's what attracted her to the role.
"Initially I was more interested in the piece," she says, speaking during an early morning interview at a Toronto hotel. "I love the novel. I actually grew up in California, and I know all those women. I grew up with those women and I relish the book, but Ingrid was an anomaly to me. I was intrigued with playing a character in which it didn't matter how unsympathetic she was. I had never done that, but then the challenge was she still has to be a human being.
"We all want to be liked, and I just had to give that up to play Ingrid. That's the one thing that was crucial to that character. She just doesn't care, and I have an admiration for that person. And she's willing to pay the price for that. She's steadfast, and I don't know anybody like that."
Asked what makes Ingrid engaging, despite her unlikable traits, Pfeiffer sums it up this way: "There are elements of Ingrid that are positive -- her pursuit of the truth, however hurtful it might be to anyone, and her pursuit of her own truth, however narcissistic and selfish it is. There's something bold and courageous about it."
In director Peter Kosminsky's adaptation of Janet Fitch's best-selling novel, Ingrid's beauty becomes her shield against others. Dressed in blue jeans and a sheer blouse, Pfeiffer's own beauty -- her mesmerizing eyes, chiseled cheekbones and flawless complexion -- can be somewhat overwhelming, even "scarily beautiful."
"Oh, I don't know," Pfeiffer says casually. "Maybe in the right lighting."
Pfeiffer's most significant roles revolve around her icy presence. Think back to Brian De Palma's Scarface (1983) or Robert Towne's drama Tequila Sunrise (1988).
Her beauty has always been elusive and enigmatic. That's part of her timeless allure. She can check her goddess-like qualities to play a single mom in the romantic comedy One Fine Day, playing opposite a charismatic George Clooney, or portray a workaholic lawyer in the social-message drama I Am Sam, opposite a spastic Sean Penn. No matter what she wears, Pfeiffer still looks glamorous.
When it comes to on-screen sexiness, today's actresses pale in comparison to Pfeiffer. Gwyneth Paltrow has finally found a role that makes the most of cool demeanor and chiseled looks, playing a poetry scholar in Possession. Jennifer Aniston makes the most of her girl-next-door appeal as a small-town wife who has an affair with a younger man in The Good Girl. Reese Witherspoon is delivering plenty of laughs as a transplanted Southerner who returns to her deep-South roots in Sweet Home Alabama.
But it's unclear whether Witherspoon, Paltrow or Aniston can compete against Pfeiffer's timeless beauty. Aniston, a pop-culture celebrity if there ever was one, will likely fade over time. Pfeiffer, on the other hand, continues to play marquee roles. Later this fall, she begins work on a new film, August and Everything After, about a group of people who share a near-death experience.
Pfeiffer holds our attention. She's that rare actress who's aware of her physical assets. She knows what her beauty allows. She can deliver a subtle performance, but there's no danger of anyone pulling their eyes away from the screen.
"I think people see me as a little icy," she says. "Maybe because I'm shy, and people think I'm reserved. ... I don't go anywhere unless I really have to. I just don't like crowds."
Pfeiffer pauses between questions to collect her thoughts. She asks that questions be repeated and apologizes for the interruptions. She's still feeling the effects of a sleepless night. Besides, she says, she considers interviews one of the harder parts of her job.
"This (interviews) helps me to realize that this is part of my work," she says. "I love acting, and I love making movies. This process isn't always the easiest part, but it's an important part and it's my job."
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Michelle Pfieffer (left) and Alison Lohman play mother
and daughter in director Peter Kosminsky's film
adaptation of the best-selling novel, White Oleander.
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Later that same day, Kosminsky says there are references in the book White Oleander that talk about Ingrid being the most beautiful person in prison. Ingrid wasn't going to let prison change who she is as a person.
With regards to White Oleander audiences, Pfeiffer admits that her beauty might be a problem, saying that many will believe her character looks too beautiful for prison.
"It was one of those things that I didn't pay attention to until I saw the movie," she says, "and I thought, 'Oh, god, do I look too good in prison?' There were many references to the novel about how beautiful Ingrid looked in prison, so that was a conscious choice we made. However, all those references are gone from the movie, and now I'm going to be punished. There's not much I can do about it now."
There is early talk about a possible Oscar nomination for Pfeiffer's performance, but she disagrees.
"I don't think so," she says, before leaving the room. "I think they're going to think I looked too good in prison." ©
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