It always kills me how Jennifer Aniston manages to dominate attention even in group or ensemble situations. She has that in common with Angelina Jolie, actually. You put either woman in a group, and your eyes go to them immediately. And even though we (yes, me) whine about how “boring” Aniston is, she still manages to get to be center of attention, even when she’s not really trying. Anyway, that leads me to the point of this post. Jennifer Aniston is one of several women who have just been named for a special Lifetime project. Aniston, Demi Moore, Patty Jenkins and Alicia Keys will all be directing short films for Lifetime’s “Project Five” – stories about women with breast cancer. Even though Aniston is part of a group, all of the headlines are just focused on “ANISTON TO DIRECT”. She’s directed before, by the way. She co-directed Room 10 in 2006 as part of Glamour Magazine’s Short Film Series.
It’s lights, camera, action for Jennifer Aniston! The actress has signed on to direct a short film about breast cancer to air as part of Lifetime TV’s five-part anthology series, Project Five.
Alicia Keys, Demi Moore and Monster’s Patty Jenkins are also lending their directing talents to the project, which chronicles the impact of cancer on people’s lives. The film’s fifth director has yet to be announced.
“Our hope with Project Five is to entertain, inform and inspire dialogue, research and prevention. Otherwise, our goals are small,” Aniston, 42, tells UsMagazine.com in a statement. “We want these films to move people and empower those affected by breast cancer to stand tall through this challenge, which impacts all of our lives, no matter who we are.”
Project Five is the star’s second foray into the directing world. In 2006, she went behind the lens for Room 10, starring Robin Wright and Kris Kristofferson.
“After you get enough movies under your belt you sit back and go, ‘What’s next?'” Aniston has said of assuming a new role behind the scenes. “It’s getting to a time where creatively I want to turn in a different direction.”
An airdate for Project Five has yet to be announced.
[From Us Weekly]
I like the idea of Aniston directing. I would imagine her a very calm, actor-focused director, but a director lacking in a compelling artistic vision. Hey, it could be worse. She could be writing a screenplay, a romantic comedy in which she stars with Matthew McConaughey and she’s sassy and neurotic and he’s a slacker who leaves the toilet seat up! UGH, how will they ever get together?!?
But seriously, good on Aniston. It sounds like an interesting project.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
A relevant, always-timely topic. I hope these ladies don’t screw it up.
To see Alicia Keys (and Queen Latifah, and Dakota Fanning, AND Jennifer Hudson, AND Sophie Okonedo – who plays the other sister, AND EVEN Paul Bettany – swoon!) in a truly heart-wrenching movie, watch The Secret Life of Bees. Wonderful movie.
I really want those frames!
The project sounds OK. LT just had a habit of making things too cheesy. Hope that is not the case this time.
the reason it is a headline is simply the media’s need to keep her in the same sphere as Angelina.. mainly because Angelina just directed. I find that quite silly..
I wonder how the other women feel. None of them have made any statements about the project other then Aniston. But whatever. I am not just stating the obvious. This is a SHORT and not a feature film. I guess she is a Producer too, but her contribution should not get greater attention then that of the other 4 women involved. It is a bit off for her to get all the focus.
I actually hope the project turns out well.. Mainly because of the subject matter. It affects all women.
I don’t understand why she’s getting so much attention either. It’s just a short film for cable. Blogs are making it sound like she’s directing a $200 million, 3 year long epic blockbuster.
@gloaming – me too!
She just co-directed the Glamour short, along with the screenwriter.
Are those glasses for real or fashion? Or to appear intelligent?
I smell an academy award here!
Sounds like it’s a good project, but lifetime does often overdo the cheese.
Off topic: love her glasses
Good for Jen.
Now please oh please can she do a serious movie. I think she would be really good.
In that movie ‘the Breakup’ She had some powerful scenes when Vince Vaughn’s charater disapointed/upset her.
It really was moving, you could feel her pain.
She has potential.
Yeah ITA with Lisa in that there are other famous people like Demi Moore & Alicia Keys doing this. Her PR machine always pushes these things though. I think in this case the project is interesting and the cause is good and I hope it goes well for her and the other women.
She looks good with eyeglasses. I think she will do much better as a director than acting.
I think the media focuses on her because she has the highest profile and gets the most response from the public. Which probably drives Demi Moore nuts! 😀
It sounds like a good project, and I think it will be interesting to see 5 different takes on a story. But I too hope Lifetime doesn’t cheese it up.
I think it’s a smart move for Aniston. LT can be very cheesy but this is topic is important and potent.
@Addie, I agree. She has shown flashes of potential.
@ADDIE ITA.. I have seen real acting out of her but it comes only in flashes
Good for her.
she pays her PR machine more money than any one else does, and she is a fame seeker, that’s why she pushes her own products , to have face time, smart water, perfumes, taking every little project that comes her way, good or bad, she loves the spot light, more than anyone else in Hollywood, IMO, we hardly ever get a break from her. stupid stories about ridiculous things, . i have absolutely no respect for her what so ever, i see why brad left, i believe she used him to get where she is. 1.2.3.4…
She’s getting the most attentoin becasue she is easily the biggest star involved. I know you guys hate her, but she’s a bigger name than Demi Moore, Patty Jenkins or Alicia Keys. It sounds like a good project.
I love her hair. Cutting long hair takes years off. Very flattering.
I think the take away here is clearly that Aniston should be selling me glasses. Those are excellent!
Sandy: I agree. The woman is evil personified. She loves her own face so much I am surprised that she doesn’t wire a mirror to her head. Smartwater, perfume!! What is next??? Commercials in Japan????
i love Google: the frames are “Wacks” by Oliver Peoples.
I am not trying to be bitchy but she should just do Goree Girls that film she’s had in production forever as a TV movie. I am sure she could get a cable network to pay for it much easier and if it was well recieved it could lead to alot of awards and attention.
“After you get enough movies under your belt you sit back and go, ‘What’s next?’”
Bwaahahhahaaahahaaa! Yeah, you’ve really conquered that terrain Jen.
Why don’t they give these Directing gigs to women who DESERVE it? Maybe then Lifetime wouldn’t be swimming in Velveeta. Reminds me of celebrity “designers” and how brilliant they are.
on one site there was a tag that she will direct, star and sing! in that gory girls movie. damn, it’s been 5 years of gonna for that mess.
thats an ugly dress. She’s got a polished nerdy look in the last 2 pics I like it.
Good for her and all the others involved.
I wonder why she is not financing that Goree Girls film. She has enough money to invest in herself. It would be an independent film.. look at Black Swan. Darren did that. So indies do and can make a splash.
I am not a fan so I may be more critical. I just think she does the easy road all the time. Never pushes herself beyond a certain point.
there are tons of actresses that have directed films.
Jodie Foster, Penny Marshall, Barbara Streisand not to mention the actresses that direct episode of TV shows and such. This happens all the time.
I think the comments reflect that Aniston’s contributions are not greater then the others.
I have said before I hope the films are well done because this topic deserves it.
she looks better with glasses. she should wear them all the time.
@Sandy; it’s good that you know why brad left her…..
@truetalk, well besides the obvious, in the past, unless you live under a rock, everyone knows, brad has stated publicly and has accomplished what he wanted, which was a family! she has also stated she wanted children, now fast forward to now, who has done want they sat out to do?, she does several movies each year (horrible ones at that) brad is a proud papa, she is still living the life she wanted, Kim K. the 1st. in the spotlight, everywhere, that’s fine, but be honest, she loves where she is too much to have had a family, most people make time for what they really want in life, i do not want to spend another moment on this empty headed, fame hog, bed hopping, fake person.
It is funny that a SMOKER is directing a short about CANCER.
” i do not want to spend another moment on this empty headed, fame hog, bed hopping, fake person.”
Sandy~ Does that mean you will not grace us with your insightful Aniston musings anymore? This is a sad day indeed.
Flotus: We will see. I don’t think you could stop her if you tied her hands behind her back and put a lizard in her panties.
Why did they pick her, Demi Moore and Alicia Keys to do this? Why wouldn’t they pick Christina Applegate, Cheryl Crowe, or women who have actual experience with breast cancer? It seems
like this project is an attempt by the producers to get the most attention possible using big names rather than those who would be right for the project.
As far as I know, Aniston has not quit smoking and she still sunbathes like crazy. I hardly find her the right person to talk about this issue, but my guess is that she will get her team to do most of the work, anyways. I remember she co-directed a short with her producer friend and then she showed up on Oprah and did most of the talking. Whatever.
@Sandy, and now u just KNOW she’s a bedhopper?
if she had gotten married again or is in a long stable relationship and still doesn’t try to have kids i would then guess she’s been lying all along. not everyone wants to be a single mum.
Ha-ha. Those smart glasses… I immediately remembered how Justin Timberlake though that those “smart glasses” make him look like a serious actor. So he was wearing them to every Social Network event.
And now Aniston is in those glasses. Don’t they understand how ridiculous they look in those? When there is nothing wrong with your sight and you wear those big glasses for no reason…
We all know what this is all about, ala Angelina Jolie directorial movie debut, this was coming, now we are going to be bombarded with dayly and weekly updates of JA sitting in the barest mini, horn in her hand atop directors chair, marked so the world can see JENIFER ANISTON DIRECTOR. Angelina Jolie have a serious stalker!
Flotus:
March 30th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
Aniston stopped smoking (unlike her X) 3 1/2 years ago!
Flotus, Aniston still smokes…there are many pics as recent as last year of Aniston smoking…google is your friend.
Jen has worn glasses for years.Even when she was married to Brad Pitt. Jen is getting attention for this because she is a producer.
This is a little OT but I have to get it out there!
I understand why so many of Jolie’s fans hate Jen – Pitt married Jen and even after six children he still won’t marry Jolie. I am over the Jen haters. She did NOT jump into bed with a married man nor did she convince her young child to call a strange man “Daddy”. Afterall, it was Maddox who decided they should be a family, just read the vanity Fair interview she did, gushing about another woman’s husband. I liked her before she hooked up with Pitt,now she is just a shell of her former self. Before Sandy starts her abuse, I blame Pitt not Jolie or Aniston for this sordid triangle. He does not respect either of these women. JMO. sorry but why does Pitt get off so lightly?
Meh, I have a hard time seeing how any of them could make interesting films about this topic and if Lifetime is involved I’m guessing it will be preachy and weepy. Gee what a fun saturday afternoon to spend. I’d be interesting in maybe seeing a documentary with real life survivors but even than I don’t see how this topic is that interesting. You get cancer. It’s terrible. You undergo treatment and you try to survive. I don’t see why I’d want to watcha a short about that? I’m not trying to be heartless I’m not saying I don’t care about people that get cancer, had many in my family, and it’s horrible, but I don’t see the movie appeal of this and with those specific people attached as directors. It just feels like it will be some overwrought mess. We shall see I guess.
I love her. She’s just so laid back and calm about everything. You don’t get the sense that she’s trying to be anything more or less than herself.
Bigger
Bigger than Demi Moore? ROFLMAO! You loonies sure are dreaming! This is the lowest of the low; a LIFETIME movie. She’ll never get an Academy award. Then again, she is the creme de la trash of comedy and acting.
Actually MickeyB, it was proven that there was no affair. Neither Angelina nor Brad did anything wrong. So your moral pontificating was all for nothing. Angelina fans only hate Jen because her nasty, shallow and immoral fans blame Angelina and Brad for something it was proven they never even did. As for marriage, that proves nothing. Brad has been with Angelina longer than he was ever ‘married’ to Jen. THAT, proves something!
I am so over the loonifers and Angelina haters.
Flotus, you have got to be kidding! You have it the wrong way around! Jennifer is a chain smoker and always has been. Brad is the one that rarely smoked. Aniston still can’t stop chain smoking.
And not just a CHAIN SMOKER pansy, but a POT smoker, too!
There is no reason why anyone should question why Jennifer’s name is being used the most by all the blogs in reporting this story – least of all the author here since this blog uses Jennifer’s name similarly. Whether you like her or not she attracts hits – and does so more than anyone else attached to this project.
That said, it’s worth noting that this news was actually released as a press release from Lifetime – not Aniston or anyone else. Jennifer is quoted in the release as she is both director and exec producer of the project, and seems to be one of its main champions given that the majority of the writers and producers assembled are her friends and former colleagues.
Who knows why high-profile celeb breast cancer survivors are not involved. But given that Jennifer is close friends with both Christina Applegate and Sheryl Crow (as suggested above), I think it’s safe to assume they weren’t overlooked, but merely are not interested in being involved. Not surprising really given Applegate just had a baby and Crow is about to embark on a new tour. Regardless, it’s a worthy cause to bring attention to, and if Aniston and the others can achieve that then great.