Thank fucking god. She is the most over rated actress there is. Shes so one dimensional it isnt even funny. Not to mention she completly robbed Ellen Burdstien(sp?) of her rightfuly deserved Oscar.

she can act?

In a way I'm surprised more A-list actors don't do this, because after just a few films, they're set for life anyway, and although they *are* highly paid, the job of acting is really not easy, even if you aren't talented. On the other hand, it's not terribly surprising more A-list actors don't do this because they don't seem too bright and probably don't manage their money well, so they have to keep working. Then there's the third category of good actors making good money and continuing to work because they actually like it. I respect them more than those lumped in with Julia because their job is ENTERTAINMENT and as long as they have talent in them, I, as a consumer of entertainment who pays in some cases outrageous prices for it when I make maybe one tenth of one percent of the income of an entertainer like Julia, expect and deserve them to keep working--for me. Professional sportspeople can't play forevever, due to physical reasons; professional, talented actors *can* act well past retirement age, and I personally look down on those that don't keep doing at least small parts, however infrequently. Julia isn't one of my favourites, but she's got more talent than many and has entertained me a few times in films, and while I think she should definitely spend more time with her children and have a "real" life, I think retiring/quitting *completely* is very, very selfish. It's more selfish than A-list actors making film after film just for the money, actually. If she needs to take a break, fine; if she needs to have it in her contract that she gets a certain amount of time off while working, fine; if she works less frequently or takes smaller roles, fine; but retire or quite completely while she has years and years of acting life left? Selfish. They're not solving world peace or hunger but entertaining people to take their minds off of their pain and suffering is still a Good Thing, and calling it quits prematurely to have your cake and eat it too is selfish. (Hopefully at a *minimum* she's donating a two-digit percentage of her income to charities, but it's still not the same because that should be a social requirement or moral imperative whether working or not.)

The only person being selfish is you for saying she shouldnt retire so she can keep entertaining people like you. Thats a load of bs. She has her priorities in the right place leaving to watch affter her kids. At least she isn't leaving just because she's sick of the buisness. That could be seen as selfish.

Would you call a working mother who leaves her job to be a house keeper selfish? No. You'd call her a good mother.

Can't say I'll miss her. I wonder if "Pretty Woman" would have been so popular if it opened with a realistic scene of Julia Roberts giving some greasy john a handjob. Just one of the many things I wonder about. :P

Yay! Great news! Can't stand her! Now if only Tom Cruise would follow suit!

Oh thank you Jesus.

If only all you other untalented actresses and actors would retire too.

Pudie,

You're absolutely right, I am being selfish, thank you Captain Obvious. Yet that fact has no bearing on whether Julia is or isn't, and you can't nullify my argument by saying I possess a quality I'm arguing against in another. It's basically argumentum ad hominem.

Regarding your second point: Why would leaving due to being sick of the business be selfish? I feel the complete opposite--that would be a valid reason for quitting. I don't work in Hollywood so I only know what I glean from the media and conclude based on analysis thereof; but it certainly seems to me that the culture of business in Hollywood (and entertainment in general) is very poor, and the only reasons to put up with it are to make a living (for some, a very good living) and/or to feel you're making a difference in people's lives. For an actor to say he/she does it because he/she enjoys it may or may not be accurate: the actor may enjoy acting, but probably doesn't enjoy putting up with Hollywood BS (or having no privacy/anonymity in public, but that's another issue). For example, I work in a corporate office--I love the work, but I don't love the office/corporate politics/culture. I continue to "put up with it" to make a living and because I feel the work I'm doing is making a difference in some people's lives (although not as many and not as impactful as a well-known actor).

Regarding your last point: Would I "call a working mother who leaves her job to be a house keeper selfish?" What a loaded question! It depends on SO many things, like: Is she single? How old are the kids? Does her husband work and is his income enough? What was her job--was she just a cog in a machine or did she have valuable/unique skills/knowledge? Is she quitting entirely or going to a new job that requires less time? The list goes on and on, however, your implied analogy with Julia is false: she's not quitting entirely just yet (if she ever does completely). The article referenced says she's going to be working in a stage production for, it sounds like, a couple of years at least. And I also read that she does voiceover work and other smaller roles. She's not quitting entirely to be with her kids 24x7, she's fulfilling a major career goal and doing other things that occupy a notable portion of her time. And how much would you bet she won't work AT ALL after her play's run its course? Chances are, this announcement of hers is just either a sort of passing fancy, or a ploy to get some media attention--now, and later when she "has come out of retirement because the people felt so strongly she should."

Besides I'm not saying she's being selfish for quitting work to spend more time with her kids at all, I'm saying she's being selfish because she's abandoning what I see as a noble pursuit, i.e. making a difference in people's lives. She can cut back or take a long respite--and with kids, I believe she should--but quitting entirely is selfish and inconsiderate of other people. If she had died instead of quit, the media would say the world was "robbed" of her talent. No she's not single-handedly ending world hunger or discovering practical fusion power, but if she were a burger-flipper at McDonald's no one would care.

I'm inclined to believe that A-listers, and to a certain extent B-listers as well, will never really retire because there is a large faction of them that act because they crave, even need, the attention. These self-absorbed, self-centred, and self-congratulatory actors are the ones I really want to fall of the side of the planet forever. They should quit in droves. I, for one, wouldn't lose much sleep over that happening.

As for Julia, as gross as a lot of people think she is for her stature in the industry, her wealth and her media draw, I don't mind her in the right part. I think she shouldn't quit as much as I think she should be come ultra selective and do a lot more indy roles. Erin Brockovitch was an indy flick on a large budget. Look what that got her: an Oscar and respect as a serious actress in the eyes of some who were sure she couldn't pull off the role. And I cringe when I see her in stupid roles like Tess in Oceans Twelve. I think she's all wrong for roles like that. I would like to see her pull a rabbit out of her ass like Ellen Burstyn does in a lot of her roles. I think Julia should take a few years off and study acting with the great Dame Maggie Smith, Ellen Burstyn, and Helen Mirren to name a few. Let her learn from the greats while she's giving us and our money a break.

That's my two cents.

On a rare occasion Julia Roberts has entertained me as an actress, but on the whole she mostly annoys me. She so rarely plays a character other than herself and at times it's hard to not focus on that vain in the middle of her forehead that pulses whenever she gets upset. I know the vain is not her fault, but it's there and annoying.

As for her taking time off (we all know she'll be back) I respect it completely. Raising kids is a hard line of work and if you feel you want to spend that time with them instead of working then fantastic.

I for one did do well being a homemaker. I did it for nearly two years after my daughter was born and was bored out of my skull. I was also pretty young then, so I'm sure my prespective would be a little different if I were to have another. The hardest part was no adult interaction and honestly, I don't have much in common with the moms of my daughter's classmates; they all seem old to me. How horrible is that when I know some of them are probably only a few years older than me.

Having finally watched Requiem for a Dream, I can't understand how Julia Roberts' performance was better. Sorry, I had to get that out.