Kristen Bell Will Do the "Dance of the Mirlitons"
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You may see Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell on stage in "Heathers, the Musical."
With one dance movie in the can, Kristen Bell has signed on for a second helping, as the stage mother in indie kiddie ballet comedy "Dance of the Mirlitons."
The film, which was written by Evan Greenberg (who will also direct) made the 2005 Blacklist (PDF) and already has a facebook page, which conveniently offers a synopsis:
- Single mother Corinne (30's) has moved her working-class family to the idyllic town of Battleboro so that her daughter Jesse (13) can attend the world-famous Battleboro School For Young Dancers. But when chubby Jesse discovers she's been placed in the special ed program she embarks on a take-no-prisoners mission to land the lead in the school production of Sleeping Beauty.
The excitement over this bit of casting new is strange for two reasons: 1) It's a month old and 2) Kristen Bell's third-best film role was as June Crenshaw, sex kitten to the Supreme Court, in "Lost Masterpiece of Pornography."
We like Bell as much as the next blog, but the fact is that her film career has been a mess. She was good in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," but that was a small role, and her part in "Get Him to the Greek" was almost microscopic. Beyond that it's been slim pickings.
"When in Rome" was a critical flop and "Couples Retreat" was even more poorly received, if more widely seen. The upcoming "You Again" looks to be equally disastrous and "Burlesque" has her playing the "evil diva" Gina Gershon role from "Showgirls."
Maybe "Mirlitons" marks a shift in her decision-making process, an effort to star in smarter, better films. Let's hope so.
