WithSpencerreleasing this week in theaters, andKristen Stewart’s performance as the late Princess Diana already racking up critical praise, we thought now might be a good time to take a look at some of Stewart’s other performances that may have been overlooked by the general population. Stewart hasn’t had the easiest climb in Hollywood. Her most popular role to date played out at an early age - that being Bella Swan in theTwilightseries. And while the movies were box office successes and gushed over by pre-teen fans of the young adult films the world over, they didn’t do much in the way of giving Stewart credibility as a serious and talented actress.Spencershould finally provide her that Hollywood stamp of approval she so richly deserves, but there have been a number of other, smaller roles which she performed quite brilliantly. Let’s take a look at what she’s done.
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Adventureland
As a child in Queens, NY, I visited the real Adventureland more times than possibly could have been healthy, I can tell you that this movie got the vibe of the little amusement park and the army of irresponsible teenagers that practically ran it pitch-perfect. Aside from the carefree ’80s summer nostalgia that the film evokes, it tells a well-written coming-of-age story of two of said teenagers working at the park played byJesse Eisenbergand Stewart. While Eisenberg plays the main protagonist, it’s Stewart that does most of the emotional heavy lifting. Her character is a complicated amalgam of a girl suffering from trauma at home, dealing with other-woman status toRyan Reynolds’s married park mechanic. All whilst she plays first love to Eisenberg’s pre-college virgin. It’s a role with a lot of hats, and she juggles them very impressively for one as young as Stewart at the time.
Camp X-Ray
Camp X-Raywas a far departure from anything Stewart had tackled thus far. It tells of Army Private First-Class Amy Cole (Stewart), a guard at Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Though cold and professional at first, she eventually forms a bond with detainee Ali Amir (Payman Maadi), who claims that his arrest as a terrorist is unfounded, as he is a citizen of Germany and was never involved in the September 11 attacks. This coupled with uninvited advances by her commanding officer instigate a world of trouble for Private Cole. There are political and moral issues abound in this film with a touching relationship between two people who are truly worlds apart at its center. It’s a tough part for anyone to perform, but once again, Stewart nails it.
Charlie’s Angels
Once more, Stewart enters the world of camp and franchise cheesiness in this picture, but she does it with flair and gravitas. It’s an attempt to reinvigorate theCharlie’s Angelslicense once more, but I have to say, I find it superior to theCameron Diaz,Lucy Liu,Drew Barrymoremanifestation. Stewart plays wildcard, Sabina, opposite tech genius Elena (Naomi Scott), and former MI-6 agent Jane (Ella Balinska). Sometimes it might seem that Stewart’s Sabina is the least intelligent, but her street smarts and utter fearlessness cements why she is an angel. Stewart performs her role of femme fatale / badass warrior to perfection. The film allows Stewart to use her comedic timing chops and shows her further ability to cross boundaries in her roles. It’s a fun movie, and Stewart is the best part of it.
Panic Room
ThisDavid Finchermovie is on the list not because it itself wasunderrated, but because Stewart’s role within it is often overlooked. Stewart was but a child when this home invasion movie was filmed, and it was one of her very first roles. Stewart plays Sarah, the diabetic daughter ofJodie Foster’s Meg as their home is invaded by a group of robbers. Stewart has most of the intense scenes riding on her shoulders. Locked away in the panic room with her mother, Sarah is separated from her much-needed insulin, and this allows Stewart to showcase her physical acting skills. She hyperventilates and seizes up, making for believable, dire diabetic symptoms during an already tense standoff between homeowner and invaders. Stewart’s performance raises the stakes of the narrative, and it’s an impressive feat for an actor so young at the beginning of their career.
Personal Shopper
Personal Shopperis a small movie by New French Extremity directorOlivier Assayas, starring Stewart as a Parisian personal shopper for a supermodel. Moreover, her character, Maureen, is a medium for spirits, as was her recently deceased twin brother, Lewis. The twins had promised each other that whoever died first would send a sign to the other. Add to this formula a more sinister supernatural entity, as well as the evil of man himself, and you have the makings of a well-made psychological thriller. Stewart runs double duty, playing a believable, unappreciated assistant to the rich and powerful, as well as a person with magnificent powers all her own. She makes her connection to her dead brother both moving and eerie at the same time. Stewart is front and center in this film with nowhere to hide, and she grabs this opportunity to lead the story with a firm grip.
The Runaways
Before she played Princess Diana, Kristen Stewart played American bad-ass rock singer and legend, Joan Jett,in the movie about her first band, The Runaways. The movie is special not just for highlighting Joan Jett’s early years, played out marvelously on-screen by Stewart, but for giving The Runaways the recognition they so deserved as the first all-female hard rock band. They had a hard time in the male-driven rock landscape that then existed, but they carved out their own piece of the pie by being tougher and more talented than the bands around them. And Jett had a lot to do with that, being a gritty, no-nonsense force of nature as portrayed so accurately by Stewart. The actress not only had to re-enact all the dirty details of Jett’s rise to rock stardom, but she also went through musical boot camp along with her fellow castmates (includingDakota Fanningas Cherie Currie) in order to learn to wield her guitar and sing like Jett herself. Not only was her performance praised by critics,but by the woman she magnificently brought to the screen.
Underwater
Underwateris a relatively recent work of sci-fi horror starring Stewart as a mechanical engineer, Norah Price, working in a deep-water research station in the Mariana Trench. The movie begins with the characters already in crisis, as an earthquake has caused massive destruction to the station and many casualties. Price and a handful of other survivors are forced to trek across the seafloor to reach their only means of evacuation. But the earthquake has also endangered them by awakening a deadly breed of creature never before seen by man.Underwateris a fun, exciting horror romp with great special effects and notes ofH.P. Lovecraftspun throughout. Stewart, in particular, does a terrific job of playing both disaster victim and courageous hero, acting selflessly to save her friends and colleagues. If you’re a sci-fi or horror or Stewart fan, this is one not to be missed.
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