Happy 4th of July (Starring Actresses, Who Else?)

Last year at this time I wished you a Happy 4th from the Film Experience's Holy Trinity (American Division) plus one. But in the interest of expanding my cinematic spirituality beyond, quoth reader Robert,

In the name of the Meryl, the Julianne and the Holy Pfeiffer

I've decided I should commemorate this particular patriotic day with photos of a few randomly selected young American actresses I like. Loving rising talent is quite easy (everyone does it) but for me, as an actressexual, it's also fraught with anxiety. Nobody ever quite comes right out and asks me why I'm so continually focused on the 30+ movie star sector but it's for that reason. When actors are teens or twentysomethings you never know if your fandom will be rewarded. They might have long pleasurable careers one can obsess on for years after like the Holy Trinity but they might not. Unfortunate fates are many: flash in the pan popularity, bad breaks, repetitive dull performances, "exhaustion" (usually followed by rehab), marrying Tom Cruise, arrests, TV gigs, scientology, sudden retirement with an eye on politics (I made that one up), no growth talent-wise even though practice should make perfect...

Loving rising stars is a gamble and an investment and, as such, easy to lose. But it's a holiday weekend so... positivity. May all of today's sparkly young stars continue to give off fireworks for years to come.

Happy 4th of July!

Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Natalie Portman (actually born
in Israel but has lived in the States most of her life), Ari Graynor, Kirsten
Dunst, Shareeka Epps, Saoirse Ronan (she was raised in Ireland but born
here in the US... so I suppose I cheated unknowingly in that that's like
calling Nicole KidmanAmerican -- she was born in Hawaii -- when she's
Australian. I have no idea about their visa situations or whether they have
dual citizenships. I was just playing around in photoshop ;)

If you're one of many foreign readers, please excuse this exclusionary post. Obviously some of the best and most fascinating young actresses out there are French, Australian, British and [insert your country here].

After the holiday: foreign film Oscar hopefuls for 2009, August: Osage County casting ideas, new films, vodcasts, Meryl Streep in the 90s, Brüno, Humpday, I Love You Beth Cooper, Grey Gardens and whatever else comes up.