In defense of Jennifer Lopez

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Just what the doctor ordered
Lopez recently said on “Primetime Live” that she’s not going to talk so much about her personal life anymore, that she’s learned the hard way to treat what happens in that side of her life as “sacred” and private. Three cheers for that.

One thing that will always work against her is the way she has to promote her music career. Her appearances and music videos put her out in the public eye way too much. She has to cut back. Actresses who win Academy Awards don’t do “TRL.”

Lopez should also take a look at what Charlize Theron did to ignite her career with “Monster.” She shouldn’t be afraid to put her glamour on the shelf in service of a good role. Looking like “J.Lo” in movies will only undermine her credibility. She needs to treat that persona as another role she plays.

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In this era, Lopez is never going to get the chance to showcase the range of her talents the way Cyd Charisse did in the ’40s and ’50s. If the movie adaptation of “Phantom of the Opera” does well at the box office, Lopez should jump on that trend and look for a musical of her own to star in.

Next up for Lopez
While it’s hard to have much hope that “Shall We Dance” will have the charm of the Japanese original, at least Lopez did herself the favor of teaming with some strong co-stars in Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon. In her next film, “An Unfinished Life,” she teams with a good director in Lasse Hallström (“Cider House Rules,” “Chocolat”) and even more veteran actors, Morgan Freeman and Robert Redford.

In her “Inside the Actors Studio” appearance, Lopez said “Being a celebrity is not being an actor.” This gives me hope. Despite all the naysayers in the media, I’d love to see her triumph.

Paige Newman is the Movies Editor for MSNBC.com

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