Jennifer Aniston Watch

Where’s John? After a week of date nights with her on-again beau, Jen’s weekend was all about her friends. Her first stop was a Western-themed birthday party for Isla Fisher and Sasha Baron Cohen’s daughter, Olive. After arriving with Courteney, David, and Coco, Jen was snapped catching up with Along Came Polly costar Ben Stiller (above). Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi were also in attendance - with so many funny family friends, lucky little Olive is going to grow up with lots of laughter and love. Check out more pics at PopSugar.

Jen was later snapped arriving at Courteney’s house, along with Isla, Ellen, Portia, and other familiar faces from the party - seems like the grownups had a party of their own! The Gossip Girls have pictures of the arrivals. By the way, if that gray sweater looks very familiar, it’s because it is - she wore the same sweater three years ago on the Derailed junket. It looks as lovely now as it did then! Like many of us do, she sticks to her favorite pieces, and for her, it’s a style strategy that works.

Finally, Jen had a girls’ night out last night with an unidentified female friend at Tower Bar, a favorite hangout for Jen, where she’s been spotted on many occasions in recent months. See the pics at Gossip Girls - judging by the smile on her face, she had a great time! The good times are sure to continue, as buzz for Marley & Me picks up - with equally funny costars in Jen and Owen, the junket will without a doubt have laughs for stars and fans alike.

Whether your nearest and dearest celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Festivus, or just a December birthday, you are most likely looking for gifts right about now. Well, if you have a fellow Jen fan on your list, here are a few ideas (provided, of course, that your recipient does not already possess these items):

DVD’s

Dirt: Season 1 Here’s one that nobody has yet, as its release date is December 11. Not only does Jen’s costar and confidante Courteney star in this FX series, but Jen herself appears in the season finale as rival editor Tina Harrod. And yes, they kissed. This set is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, and it hits stores on Tuesday.

Office Space - Special Edition with Flair This cult classic was rereleased a couple of years ago with additional special features, including behind-the-scenes interviews and deleted scenes. Available on Amazon and anywhere DVD’s are sold.

Friends - The Complete Series Collection While the Frienatic on your list most likely already has all, or at least most, of the series on DVD, those who don’t will without a doubt regard this comprehensive, collectible 40-disk set as the ultimate Friends jackpot. Available on Amazon.

Decor

Rumor Has It poster Allposters.com carries this full-size, double sided poster - and promises delivery by December 24.

Derailed poster Poster Check Out carries this poster - as well as posters for Bruce Almighty and Along Came Polly.

Framed Rolling Stone cover This retro portrait of Jen and her Friends costars is framed for display - and also available for timely delivery.

Jennifer Aniston, gift ideas

In Along Came Polly, Jen played Polly Prince, a commitment-phobic free spirit with a taste for travel. It then follows that she would have to look the part of a woman who is not only beautiful, but a little bit unconventional with influences from all over the world. To this end, she wore a lot of ethnically-inspired clothing and hand-crafted pieces; these wardrobe components were mixed in with the comfortable basics that are characteristic of a young woman who often packs up on a moment’s notice.

This spontaneous look is complemented by sultry makeup with an emphasis on the eyes. Although Polly is the kind of girl who would probably keep it simple with a quick smudge of eyeliner, her look was a bit more involved, what with it being a movie and all. See Makeup 411 for the inside scoop on her products. Similarly, her “untamed” hairstyle actually took some effort. Temporary extensions were added for length, and various products were used to give her hair an unwashed look.

Even though Jen wore this look in character, she actually suits the bohemian look quite nicely, as it showcases her natural beauty without a lot of fuss. Furthermore, it works well with Jen’s approachable, easygoing demeanor; as costar Ben Stiller told Vogue, “She’s surprisingly cool and open-minded about life.”

Jennifer Aniston, Along Came Polly, fashion, beauty, costuming

As many studio releases are, Along Came Polly was released in cinemas all over the world. Here is a sampling of the poster artwork that sold the film to audiences across the globe:

USA

Germany

France

Poland

Italy

Spain

Brazil

Along Came Polly, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Stiller, film advertising, international

This premiere, in February 2004, was the final stop on a whirlwind publicity tour for the hit comedy Along Came Polly. Jen and costar Ben Stiller had not only attended premieres and press junkets in the United States, but overseas as well, and this event afforded many European fans the opportunity to meet her. She branched out a bit in the fashion department, opting for a red Valentino dress (said to have been made for Audrey Hepburn!) and wearing her hair up in a trendsetting side bun. By all accounts, she was warm and gracious with her fans (amid increasingly chilly temperatures) and was truly the belle of the ball.

Jennifer Aniston, flashback, Along Came Polly, red carpet, Valentino, fashion

As fans of Jen and her work, we would, of course, like to know what Jen has to say about her various projects. Here, then, is an assortment of Jen’s quotes about work:

“Mostly I like scripts that mix it up. Life can be funny and dramatic all in the same day. I don’t actually feel there’s a big difference between comedy and drama. You just step into the building and stuff goes out the door. Most of all, I just want to do work that comes from the heart.” - Chicago Sun-Times, January 2004

On Friends With Money
“It was great. A great group of women. I’ve never worked with all women. It was like camp. Actor camp. I felt very supported.” - Vogue, April 2006

“I think I’ve been lucky finding, once in a while, these little parts that are just so beautifully written. I read the [Friends With Money] script in about an hour and I just loved all these characters, especially Olivia. I thought, boy, she was really having a tough go at it.” - Entertainment Weekly, April 4, 2006

On The Break-Up
“I love this movie. I have a good feeling about it. It’s beautifully balanced and surprisingly emotional. I don’t think anyone has really seen anything quite like it.” - Vogue, April 2006

“This movie was fate. To be able to walk through a movie called The Break-up, about a person going through a breakup, while I’m actually going through a breakup?! How did that happen?! It’s been cathartic. It’s turned something into a fantastic experience - Not that divorce is fantastic, but I’ve never had more fun in a creative process.” - Elle, November 2005

On Derailed
“It took me so long to say yes because I was terrified of it. Not terrified—I don’t want to say that. But I’d gotten comfortable, and I knew it was going to be a challenge.”

Tell Aniston the ghost of Rachel Green did not appear once while watching Derailed and she squeezes her eyes shut, opens them, reaches her hand across the table, and says, “That is one of my greatest compliments.”

“I’m thinking, Good God, Jesus. It’s like watching a car wreck—you’re riveted and then disturbed. I thought, Why would I want to make someone feel this way?” - Elle, November 2005

On Along Came Polly
“It was five straight days where all we did was dance. My feet looked like raw meat. In fact, I don’t know how dancers do it.” - Chicago Sun-Times, January 2004

January 2004 marked the release of Along Came Polly, a surprisingly smart if somewhat broad romantic comedy. It stars Ben Stiller as Reuben, a cautious risk assessment analyst who, having married a seemingly “safe” woman, finds himself alone again remarkably quickly after he finds his new bride (Debra Messing) in bed with a scuba instructor (a hilarious Hank Azaria). Back in New York, amid the sympathies of his friends and coworkers, he runs into Polly (Jen), a middle school classmate with whom he has lost touch. Even though “her yearbook stats are really impressive,” in the ensuing years her life did not follow the conventional path suggested by her early years as a Mathlete and Model UN delegate. Perhaps predictably, opposites attract.

Here is my Chicago Maroon review:

Stiller finds love with Aniston, Riskmaster 3000

Let me preface this with the fact that I have been anticipating this movie since the days when the Internet Movie Database listed it as Untitled John Hamburg Project. If I didn’t know otherwise, I’d say that John Hamburg camped out inside my (nonexistent) TiVo and then, upon noting my Must-See-TV-heavy viewing schedule, cast the movie accordingly. The pitch would go something like this:

“Well, first and foremost, we’ve got to get Jennifer Aniston on board. And let’s put her with Ben Stiller, and throw Debra Messing in there, too. And how about Hank Azaria, just for good measure. And there’s your movie.”
“This is all well and good, Mr. Hamburg, but what about the plot?”
“Plot? Who needs that?”
I say this in jest, of course. Polly does have a plot, albeit a fairly lightweight one. It is one driven by Reuben Feffer (Stiller), a risk analyst who lives his job, as every plot point centers around his assorted neurotic quirks. Every risk he takes - from walking over subway grates to eating out - is calculated to the nth degree. So when his Riskmaster 3000 software determines that Lisa Kramer (Messing) is his perfect mate, he gets married to her in a ceremony that is large, romantic, and above all, safe. The blissful newlyweds remain so for about a day, after which Lisa leaves Reuben on their honeymoon for French scuba instructor Claude (Azaria).

Rejected and dejected, Reuben heads back to New York, where he is greeted by an outpouring of pity that can only be described as embarrassing. In an effort to take Reuben’s mind off Lisa, his friend Sandy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) drags Reuben along to a party where his junior high classmate Polly (Aniston) just happens to be working as a waitress. Of course, the commitment-phobic free spirit whom Polly has grown up to be is a far cry from the Mathlete/Model U.N. delegate whom Reuben remembers, so guess what? Hilarity ensues, as the opposites slowly but surely fall in love.

Ben Stiller has played hapless loser types since There’s Something About Mary, and he has played intensely corporate types since Reality Bites. So this role, a mélange of the two types, is not exactly a stretch for him. Nevertheless, he is both endearing and hilariously funny, and the flip side is that this is a role that does, in fact, play to his strengths. Similarly, the role of Polly is, as written, nothing but a more bohemian version of Aniston’s typical girl-next-door role; however, she does plenty with what she’s given. Her portrayal of Polly deftly balances the flighty and the more grounded qualities of the character, creating a likable, realistic character. The interactions between the two leads never fall into the carpe diem clichés that are so common with “free-spirit-meets-uptight-guy” films. Polly is not here to teach Reuben a lesson; it turns out that she is just as flawed and fearful as he is.

One thing that must be said for this movie is that it does not waste time. Unlike many semi-predictable romantic comedies, this one remains interesting throughout and never feels like it’s simply prolonging the inevitable. With a strong supporting cast that includes Messing, Azaria, Hoffman, and Alec Baldwin (in a wonderfully slimy turn as Reuben’s boss), this film has no weak link and no dull moment. While Polly only does that which has been done before, it does it very, very well.

Along Came Polly, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Stiller, Debra Messing, Hank Azaria, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Hamburg, romantic comedy