Larry Crowne

Larry Crowne

Julia Roberts has so far enjoyed a career that has spanned over twenty years - she has gone on to become one of the biggest Hollywood stars as well as bagging an Oscar.

Now one of the perks of being one of the biggest female stars is you get to work alongside some great leading men - and Julia Roberts has worked with a whole host of them.

So to celebrate the release of Larry Crowne this week, which sees her reunite with Tom Hanks. we take a look at some of her best leading men.

Richard Gere - Pretty Woman

Pretty Woman and her partnership withe Richard Gere remains her most famous as the role of Vivian kicked off her career back in the early nineties.

The film earnt her a Golden Globe win as well as an Oscar nod it remains one of the most successful movies in the rom-com genre.

She would team up with Gere nine years later for Runaway Bride - but it's this partnership that is still looked upon fondly.

Denzel Washington - The Pelican Brief

The Pelican Brief was a big screen adaptation of the John Grisham novel of the same name and was directed by Alan J. Pakula.

Roberts took on the role of Darby Shaw a law student who uncovers a conspiracy - she teams up with political reporter Gray Grantham (Washington) to uncover the truth.

The political thriller was met well by the critics when it was released back in 1993 and did well at the box office.

Mel Gibson - Conspiracy Theory

From one Oscar winner to another Roberts teamed up with Mel Gibson in 1997 for the Richard Donner directed film Conspiracy Theory.

A paranoid cab driver, Jerry Fletcher, publishes a newsletter about conspiracy theories and nourishes a desire for the lovely Alice Sutton, a Justice Department employee.

Suddenly Jerry finds himself in trouble with the CIA when one of the theories turns out to be accurate.

Hugh Grant - Notting Hill

Another partnership that will forever be remembered was Roberts' part alongside Hugh Grant in Notting Hill.

Roberts took on the role of actress Anna Scott while Grant was the bumbling William Thacker and together they produced, at the time, the highest grossing British film of all time. It was also a critical hit and went on to win a Bafta.

Aaron Eckhart - Erin Brockovich

It was for her role as Erin Brockovich that Roberts finally got her hands on a Best Actress Oscar as this true life tale was brought to the big screen.

The movie saw her love interest played by Aaron Eckhart in what was to be an up and down relationship as Erin struggled to juggle home and work.

The movie was a massive critical and commercial success and Roberts went on to claim the Oscar as well as a whole host of other gongs on the awards circuit that year.

George Clooney - Ocean's Eleven

A remake of the 1960 rat pack caper Ocean's Eleven teamed her up with some of Hollywood's biggest names including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle.

The movie saw Roberts fought over by Clooney and Garcia as Danny Ocean spectacularly crashed back into his ex-wife's life.

Together they produced a box office hit as it went on to gross over $450 million. They all returned for the sequel Ocean's Twelve but it wasn't as successful with the critics or with movie goers.

She would go on to reunite with Brad Pitt in road movie The Mexican - which was directed by Gore Verbinski.

Tom Hanks - Larry Crowne

This week she reunites with Tom Hanks, after starring together in Charlie Wilson's War back in 2007, for Larry Crowne.

When appealing everyman Larry Crowne (Hanks) is inexplicably fired from his job as a big box store clerk, he realizes it's time for some meaningful change in his life.

Deeply in debt and without direction, he returns to college where he befriends a group of scooter-riding students and eventually develops a real affection for his beautiful speech class instructor, Mercedes Tainot (Roberts).

Charming and smart, "Larry Crowne" reminds us of life's small surprises. Sometimes clouds really do have a silver lining.

It's also about the power of new beginnings like the time Larry Crowne, an ordinary man with a gentle heart, was forced to downsize his world... and ended up expanding his life.

Larry Crown is released 1st July.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

 


 


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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