America is ready for a new sweetheart. Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock and Meg Ryan are all on the way out, and the current batch of high-powered leading ladies-Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry and Catherine Zeta-Jones-are not cut out for the romantic, sympathetic and funny roles that characterize the lofty title. So who is ready to step in? That's a tough question. But The Daily Cardinal is here to break down some of the contenders exiting and entering the \Sweetheart Battle Royale.""
Fighter: Julia Roberts
Nicknames: Alpha Sweetheart, Julia ""F-ing"" Roberts
Breakdown: Roberts rose to superstardom playing a hooker with a heart of gold in ""Pretty Woman,"" then reached a second peak around the turn of the millennium with hits like ""Notting Hill,"" in which she perfectly played an actress with the heart of a hooker with a heart of gold. But after an awkward performance in the instant classic ""Ocean's 11,"" Roberts has slowed her work schedule. Now married and soon to be a mother, Roberts is months removed from one disappointment-""Mona Lisa Smile""-and might be on the verge of another, with ""Closer"" on the way and looking far too dry and serious for Roberts to fit well.
Fighter: Kirsten Dunst
Nicknames: Spidey-Gal, Dimples McGee
Breakdown: Riding the coattails of the ""Spider-Man"" franchise, Dunst is looking to establish herself as a leading lady. But with her flat performance and lack of box office success in the recent ""Wimbledon,"" don't look for the dimply blonde to reach sweetheart status-even with her forthcoming lead in Cameron Crowe's ""Elizabethtown.""
Fighter: Meg Ryan
Nickname: The Cutesy Adulterer
Breakdown: Probably the best non-Roberts sweetheart of recent years, Ryan is actually responsible for even more classic romantic fare with her star turns in ""When Harry Met Sally"" and ""Sleepless in Seattle."" But a well-publicized affair with Russell Crowe and a series of poor role choices have left her career in ruins, to the point where even raunchy sex scenes in ""In the Cut"" couldn't bring out the spectators. Her last two movies might as well have co-starred tumbleweeds. Even another Tom Hanks pairing probably can't help her now.
Fighter: Sandra Bullock
Nickname: Female Actress #11328B
Breakdown: After her over-exposure in the early 2000s, Bullock has slowed her work schedule and might finally be ending her inexplicable run of leading roles since ""Speed."" Bullock is a modest talent to be generous, and if her career turns back into a pumpkin now, it's several years overdue. She murdered her career by numbers.
Fighter: Natalie Portman
Nicknames: The Hebrew Hammer, Matilda
Breakdown: After years of playing girls who needed professional help in movies like ""The Professional,"" ""Heat"" and ""Beautiful Girls,"" Portman's career was interrupted by college and ""Star Wars""-themed crap, only for her to return in recent indie hit ""Garden State"" as a young woman who needs professional help. Portman is beautiful and has flashes of presence, but she still looks and acts too young on screen. Baz Luhrmann famously removed Portman from opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in ""Romeo + Juliet,"" because her youthful looks made it appear that DiCaprio was molesting her. The problem of her young looks hasn't gone away and makes her contention for America's sweetheart just a little bit creepy.
Fighter: Reese Witherspoon
Nickmames: Mrs. Phillippe
Breakdown: Critically praised, even for dreck like ""Legally Blonde"" and ""Sweet Home Alabama,"" and with an intermittently successful track record at the box office, Witherspoon has to be considered the favorite among a weak group. With the vulnerable but strong charm of a rising sweetheart, Witherspoon will be made or broken by role choices. Her upcoming performance as wife June in the Johnny Cash biopic ""Walk the Line"" could put a feather of prestige in her cap. Or not. A return to comedy would be well-advised.
Fighter: Kate Hudson
Nicknames: Goldie II, Yoko Hudson
Breakdown: Hudson found critical success playing herself in ""Almost Famous,"" then found commercial success mimicking her mother, Goldie Hawn, in ""How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."" Now, after three straight flops-""Alex & Emma,"" ""Le Divorce,"" and ""Raising Helen""-Hudson has lost her rising star status and desperately needs a hit to regain spark to her career.
Fighter: Rachel McAdams
Breakdown: After first garnering notice in ""Mean Girls,"" the success of ""The Notebook,"" in which she starred, should have McAdams' more famous peers watching their backs.
Fighter: Julia Stiles
Breakdown: Dunst Lite.
Fighter: Anne Hathaway
Breakdown: Famous for romantic comedies aimed at 13-year-olds, like ""The Princess Diaries,"" the radiant Hathaway is now turning to heavy adult dramas-including nudity in ""Havoc,"" and ""Brokeback Mountain,"" a story of gay cowboys. Our kingdom for a middle ground.
Fighter: Kate Bosworth
Breakdown: Never capitalized on her bikini breakthrough role in the hit ""Blue Crush."" With similar looks to Dunst, Bosworth has more talent, less fame and a bad track record of choosing scripts. ""Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!"" was fourth-tier sweetheart fodder, while ""Wonderland"" was a cesspool of well-acted misery. Can we have a second dose of that middle ground?
Fighter: Cameron Diaz
Breakdown: Just reminding you that she exists. We'll keep you posted if she ever puts her world-class smile to good use on-screen again.
Fighter: Bryce Dallas Howard
Breakdown: A dark horse, but a perfect world would see a big rise to fame be the one good thing to come from this summer's awful ""The Village."" Howard was the movie's main saving grace. And who doesn't want to see Opie's daughter make it big?
Fighter: Lindsay Lohan
Breakdown: Too young to qualify and likely to become over-exposed before she's old enough, but Lohan has what it takes talent-wise.
