Letters

Ask most movie marketers, or studio heads for that matter, which movie stars can open a movie domestically -- regardless of genre -- and they will have only one answer: Will Smith.

Sure, Kidman has had unsuccessful films in the past few years, but at least she's made interesting choices along the way.

I don't seem to recall Goldstein devoting an entire article to Jodie Foster after "The Brave One" and "Nim's Island" both underperformed.

Nor do I see him questioning Hugh Jackman's bankability for "Australia's" slow start.

Sure, a lot of so-called movie stars don't consistently bring in enough moviegoers on opening weekend, and that trend is increasing, but why single out Nicole Kidman like that?

Mark O'Connor

Los Angeles

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I don't know if Nicole Kidman is as "revered" as Meryl Streep is, but I'd like to think that she, like Streep, is attempting to sustain a career of quality with the best material offered to her.

However, if she and Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts and other similarly talented ladies slip from the heights of "heyday" Hollywood stardom, they can always descend and join the ranks of "nonstars" like Vanessa Redgrave, Maggie Smith, Gena Rowlands, Judi Dench, Sally Field and others as classy, productive acting legends.

To quote Lee Strasberg, "It's about the work!"

Richard Stevens

Los Angeles

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According to Patrick Goldstein, Nicole Kidman is not a movie star. Hmm. In that case, I'd like to not be a movie star too.

Lisa Glass

Los Angeles

Just how did the script get there?

I read with rising anticipation about the amazing good fortune of "Gran Torino" screenwriter Nick Schenk ["Eastwood Rewrites a Writer's Life," Dec. 9].

But Patrick Goldstein does his readers a disservice when he cavalierly says that the two young producers, Jenette Kahn and Adam Richman, "finally got the script to Billy Gerber."

As a veteran of this business, the mechanics of getting Billy Gerber to personally read a script would be both fascinating and enlightening to learn.

I know full well that it isn't a simple matter to accomplish this. I expect that Gerber has a staff that reviews material, or perhaps one of the producers has a personal relationship.

Either way, it would have been useful to know exactly how this transpired. I'm sure there are thousands, if not more, aspiring writers who would like to know too.

Todd Koerner

Hermosa Beach

Brando's 'Tango' is not a turkey

Jonathan Shapiro is right to point out that Marlon Brando made more than his share of "turkeys" ["How to Explain Brando?," Nov. 27]. But to include Bernardo Bertolucci's pathbreaking, unquestionably artistic "Last Tango in Paris" as one of them undermines his argument.

Calling "Tango" "prurient" is about as helpful as describing Picasso's "Guernica" as colorless.

Jeff Schultz

Los Angeles