Jodie Foster’s 3 Most Memorable Roles

Award winning actress, Jodie Foster earned her spot on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on Wednesday when she received her own star on the famous Hollywood boulevard. Starring in the likes of such classics as Taxi Driver, it is safe to wonder why she was not given a slot sooner!

Foster’s career does not just involve the art of acting. She has dabbled in directing and producing movies and television. Her appearances in movies have been sporadic in the last several years ,but anything is possible and all it takes is one smart choice of script to make another big impact in cinema once again.

Until, and if that happens, why don’t we analyze what this editorial picks as her three most memorable roles!

Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The classic psychological thriller is now 25 years old, as frightening as that maybe. The Oscar winning picture, directed by Jonathan Demme, was made with enough class so as not to easily be dismissed by the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences as horror movies often are. Jodie Foster won an Oscar for Best Actress for Silence of the Lambs and it truly wasn’t just down to Anthony Hopkins’ slightly campy portrayal of man eating villain Hannibal Lecter. Foster’s Clarice Starling was young and vulnerable, somebody who was thrown into the “lion’s den.” Starling eventually found her deeply concealed courage as the FBI agent who was on the trail of a serial killer, but at the same time was seduced by Lecter’s cunning psychological methods behind bars to reveal personal information that resulted in the two forming an unusual bond.

One cannot help but think that had Foster signed up for the mediocre Hannibal (2001) that the sequel would have earned a more elevated reputation. Julianne Moore is a great actress but her altered portrayal, giving Starling a more assertive edge, took away from the apprehension that the story for that movie was narrating.

Meg Altman in Panic Room (2002)

Foster made a bit of a splash with Nell in 1994 but truly needed to make another captivating movie worthy of classic status. And it is probably of no surprise that Panic Room in 2002 turned out to be yet another psychological thriller. Based on the novel by James Ellison, Panic Room tells the story of a mother who, with a daughter suffering from diabetes, has to fight for both her life and her offspring when three intruders break into their home searching for a valuable piece.

If Silence of the Lambs delivered tension in unpredictable moments, then Panic Room would be viewed at as the one where the twitchiness and suspense would not seemingly die down throughout. Special mention has to be given to a young Kristen Stewart for her performance playing the physically plagued young Sarah.

Although the determination and strength of Clarice Starling wasn’t evident until the last half of Silence of the Lambs, Meg Altman’s is displayed rather early. A game of cat and mouse, Altman thought fast on her feet and displayed enough intelligence to almost constantly outwit the burglars, who get more and more desperate!

Panic Room is definitely one to check out for those that love fast paced thrillers, but be warned! Those with low lung capacities may find it difficult to breathe!

Iris in Taxi Driver (1976)

The wheels of Jodie Foster’s career had already been rolling for several years before the opportunity to star in Taxi Driver came along, so when it did she took it firmly with both hands!

Playing a prostitute named Iris on the unwelcoming streets of New York City in the mid 1970’s, it was a role that was rather minimal for the new girl on the Hollywood block. Robert De Niro commanded much more screen time, and to be fair it is felt that there was perhaps a little too much vigor in Iris considering the situation that she is in.

Still, Taxi Driver was the indicator for things to come for Jodie Foster’s career and the movie wouldn’t be what it turned out to be without Martin Scorsese’s masterful direction of showcasing the dejection and general misery that the city projected. Special credit has to be given to Michael Chapman for his fitting cinematography that consisted of lifeless colours and demonstrating the isolation of De Niro’s Travis Bickle that eventually sends him on the path of destruction, but achieving salvation for Iris.

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