Who were the movers and shakers when it came to the movie industry this summer? One thing's for sure and it's that the criteria for this category is as loose as Matthew McConaughey's belt at a beach party. On the list, we have an actress who made an incredible comeback by starring in an incredible disappointment, an actor who isn't being recognized for his work in a film that has made more than $150 million and a true power player. The only thing these people share is that, in one way or the other, they were making news.
5. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Like him or not, like T3 or not, chances are you've come across Arnold-related news this summer. His decision to run for governor of California was anyone could talk about during the second half of the summer. While he was the butt of many jokes, Arnold looks to be an early favorite for the vaunted political position, and when he wins the election, expect the comedy to only intensify.
4. Johnny Depp
Why Depp? Simply because he carried -- and was the best part of -- what was the most widely-loved action film of the summer. His quirky Jack Sparrow helped Pirates become one of the biggest, and most welcome, surprises of the summer. And we don't mind giving Depp some recognition, something he doesn't get often. And for bringing his unique approach to a big budget film, Depp makes our list.
3. Demi Moore
Demi Moore was the talk of Tinseltown this summer as she burned up the screens in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and the tabloids with her rediscovered fame and May-December relationship with heartthrob Ashton Kutcher. Well, that statement isn't totally accurate; we should say that Moore burned up television screens in ads for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle as not too many people saw her burn up anything in the theatres. Moore's old fans re-discovered her and young teens added her to the Over 40 Hottie club. The question now is will Moore begin dating Kieran Culkin soon after she turns 50?
2. Jim Carrey
It probably happened like this: Jim Carrey's agent said, "Dude, people are saying you're through, you're done for. You can't do comedy. You need to show them you’re the greatest comedic actor ever." After making funny faces for 15 minutes, Carrey replied, “Okay.” That's probably how Bruce Almighty came to fruition over a year ago. The important thing is that this past summer, Carrey proved that he is the biggest comedy actor of his generation when he led Bruce Almighty to become the biggest comedy of all time (we temper this achievement by pointing out that the previous record holder was My Big Fat Unfunny Wedding). Bruce Almighty does not work without Carrey so he gets the number two slot on our list.
1. Jerry Bruckheimer
How boring is it to have a producer top the list? Not very, considering the films that Bruckheimer released in the span of two weeks. Bruckheimer scored a moderate hit, the R-rated Bad Boys II, a mere two weeks after orchestrating the biggest coup in summer movie box office history. And while Bad Boys II, being a follow up to a successful film whose two principals were now much bigger stars than they were when the original was made, was more or less a slam dunk, Pirates was a huge risk by Bruckheimer and Disney. Using no proven box office draws, a green but extremely talented director, and a subject matter whose marketability is iffy at best, Bruckheimer delivered a hit for all ages and captivated the summer audience. Bruckheimer also took back his uber-producer mantle and re-established himself as the man to hire to make a blockbuster action film.
