Actress: Katherine Heigl
2007 notables: Grey's Anatomy, Knocked Up
2008 notables: Grey's Anatomy, 27 Dresses
Why she made the list: She's on a little TV show that a few people watch and she appeared in one of this past summer's surprise hits. If 27 Dresses connects with the ladies and they drag their boyfriends with promises of late night flirtations, the Grey's Anatomy producers might be in for a world of trouble. You know they'll all be smiling at Heigl's face, wishing her good luck with the new movie all the while praying it suffers a quick, albeit painful box office death. Now you are ours forever!

Actress: Kate Hudson
2007 notables: She was nowhere to be found
2008 notables: Fool's Gold, Bachelor No. 2, Cutlass, Bride Wars

Why she made the list: Kate needed a year off after the whole Raising Helen-Skeleton Key-You, Me and Dupree era and quite frankly, so did we. But I'm feeling a comeback for Penny Lane. She's got a safe bet with Fools Gold in which she co-stars with Matthew McConaughey for a second time. A movie with that guy always helps with the female audience. Women like women who like Matthew McConaughey, I think. She also has a safe-sounding movie in Bride Wars about two women who schedule their wedding on the same day and begin a rivalry. She's even writing and directing a movie called Cutlass, which I'm pretty sure will suck, but hey, at least she's out there living it up. The other bad news is she's doing a movie with Dane Cook. Nobody's perfect.

Actress: Michelle Monaghan
2007 notables: Gone Baby Gone, The Heartbreak Kid
2008 notables: Trucker, Made of Honor, Eagle Eye

Why she made the list: She starred (and was pretty good) in Gone Baby Gone -- one of the year's better films -- and The Heartbreak Kid which isn't. If I could sum up her 2008 outlook with one word (or two) it would be ... Le Shia. You got it. She stars with LeBeouf in a flick called Eagle Eye. The Shia has been pretty platinum of late (late night visits to Walgreens notwithstanding). Plus, in 2008, Le Shia has Spielberg in his entourage with a little Indy movie (and I don't mean "independent") so it's going to be hard to bet against him or, for that matter, her.

Actress: Nicole Kidman
2007 notables: The Invasion, Margot at the Wedding, The Golden Compass
2008 notables: Australia, The Reader,

Why she made the list: Kidman can be tabloid fodder sometimes. As a result I become dangerously close to forgetting what a good actress she is. I have a feeling a rough 2007 is going to end pretty well for Ms. Kidman as The Golden Compass rolls into theaters next month. And I'm very interested in seeing what kind of insanity Baz Luhrmann has cooked up in the form of Australia. Meanwhile, I've read Bernhard Schlink's novel The Reader and it has serious Oscar potential if done right.

Actress: Ellen Page
2007 notables: Juno
2008 notables: Jack and Diane, Smart People

Why she made the list: She made me pay attention with Hard Candy and now she's turning even more heads (and starting some Oscar chatter) with this year's Juno. Her 2008 schedule looks pretty light but she has at least one project that is already raising eyebrows. The movie is called Jack and Diane and it's being described as a "lesbian werewolf movie." I don't know, personally I'm getting a little tired of all of these lesbian werewolf flicks. I mean, enough already. Have you really run out of ideas, Hollywood? If you fix this whole WGA strike, will I be able to tell the difference? Anyway, if Page lands herself an Oscar nom, expect those 2008 prospects to kick into another gear.

That about does it. I know, I know I left off some of your favorite actresses with some exciting projects. And here's your chance to give me a piece of your mind. Leave a comment below and give me a real earful!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dre writes three times a week for Film.com. Email him!

Recommend (0)

|  Comments (0)

|  Email

|  Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us