9 Milestones in the Evolution of Courteney Cox
In this weekend's fourth installment of Wes Craven's Scream franchise, Courteney Cox reprises her role as Gale Weathers, the acerbic Woodsboro author and fame-hungry reporter who has managed to survive the Ghostface Killer three times now. How did Cox transform herself from a spunky teenager in the He-man-sized sci-fi '80s flop Masters of the Universe to one of the most beloved sitcom actresses of all-time?
For every Hollywood star, a direct line can be followed from their humble beginnings to where they are now. In honor of Scream 4, let's investigate nine performances in the evolution of Courteney Cox.
Masters of the Universe (1987)
After making a name for herself as the girl pulled onstage during Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" video and a few small television parts, Cox bit into her first major film role in the hilariously bad Dolph Lundgren sci-fi flick Masters of the Universe, in which Mattel's titular line of action figures was adapted for the screen. Cox plays Julie, a denim jacketed teenager whose last night with her boyfriend is foiled when she discovers a Cosmic Key, is chased by evil forces and is fatally injured by Frank Langella's Skeletor. Alas, she is miraculously healed by a Sorceress, who also decides to raise Julie's parents from the dead. To paraphrase Lundgren's He-Man, "[Heavy sigh.] Victory."
[See Cox below at 0:45, 0:50 and most magnificently, 1:10.]
Family Ties (1987)
Cox found her first major TV arc on the sitcom Family Ties, where she guest starred as Lauren Miller, the doting girlfriend of Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) who favors over-sized blazers, keeps in touch with her exes (much to Alex's dismay) and hates psychology thesis papers. (Seriously, don't mention either the words "psychology" or "thesis" around her, guys.) While Cox did not get to deliver many of the sitcom's punchlines, it is already clear that the actress is comfortable with the TV format which would make her famous.
Blue Desert (1991)
By the early '90s, the actress was ready to experiment with heavier material, like this cliche-ridden psychological thriller in which Cox stars as one of the most interesting multi-hyphenates I've ever seen: a rape victim/comic book artist. Cox's Lisa Roberts starts out the movie by fleeing from her past (by motorcycle) to a small town in Arizona, only to find that lowlifes are everywhere -- and the only way to get rid of them is to whack them over the head with frying pans. Like her character, Cox would try to escape from this dark past/IMDb credit.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
After a few forgettable roles on the small screen, Courteney Cox returned to film for her most successful turn at the box office yet. In Ace Ventura: Pet Detective -- also known as the film that really launched Jim Carrey's film career -- Cox assumes the role of Melissa Robinson, the Miami Dolphins' publicist who tries to conceal the kidnapping of the teams' prized mascot while playing the straight man babysitter to Carrey's goofball P.I. With the premiere of Friends just seven months off, 1994 would be the most pivotal year in Cox's own career.
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Whoops I think you forgot "Cocoon: The Return". Actually-this is no joke-when "Ace Ventura" came out I was like, "Ooh-the pretty lady from Family Ties and Cocoon 2!"
You left out her role as the first emo teen with super powers in Misfits of Science.
You forgot the Dancing in the Dark video.
Four years after her weird BLUE DESERT "hyphenate" (rape victim/comic book artist), Cox played another weird hyphenate (rape victim/blind person) in SKETCH ARTIST II: HANDS THAT SEE.
The first SKETCH ARTIST was an unimpressive TV movie in which a police sketch artist (B-film reliable Jeff Fahey) gets caught up in an incoherent noir plot with Sean Young. How Fahey ended up reprising this character has never been adequately explained - supposedly it was a busted pilot - but Fahey is better than usual, and Cox does a fine job. (Her character, blind since birth, memorized the rapist's face during the attack, and she and Fahey try to turn her memory into a usable sketch.)
With that pedigree, SA2 should've been unwatchable. But it's not just an improvement on the first film. Believe it or not - I swear this is true - it's actually a pretty decent and memorable little movie. The reason for this (the only possible reason) is that Jack Sholder directed the sequel, and Sholder was sort of a neglected prototype of Doug Liman. Unlike Liman, Sholder never got a lucky break (like SWINGERS) to vault him into the big leagues. But like Liman, he had a weird knack for rescuing unpromising projects. If Sholder was involved, there was always at least a chance the film would somehow work.
Sadly, Sholder's mostly remembered,if at all, for the first NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET sequel. He should be celebrated for his four low-budget near-classics:
-ALONE IN THE DARK (self-produced,, self-aware slasher);
-BY DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT (a nifty cross between FAIL-SAFE and the non-comedic part of DR. STRANGELOVE);
12:01 (a Fox TV movie that did the GROUNDHOG DAY premise, did it very well, and most importantly, did it just before GROUNDHOG DAY);
-and, most particularly, THE HIDDEN . . . which I see you've covered already.