"Thank God for Being Julia, an Oscar-worthy comeback role that may just save one of our most gifted actresses from a life of way too much leisure." Tim Appelo SEATTLE WEEKLY "Bening ... is radiant as ever and appears to be having an absolute blast." Sean O'Connell ECLIPSE MAGAZINE "It’s a dish of a role for a dish of a gal, seemingly tailored for Bening." Karina Montgomery CINERINA "A tour de force and an utter delight." Maitland McDonagh, TV GUIDE'S MOVIE GUIDE "Annette Bening delivers her most scintillating performance to date in this wonderfully entertaining film." Betty Jo Tucker REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS

"It’s impossible to take your eyes off Bening when she’s on the screen, not just because she’s lovely but because she makes being Julia seem so darned fun." Eric D Snider ERICDSNIDER.COM "Annette Bening is splendid being Julia–and is just dandy being Annette Bening, too." Thomas Delapa BOULDER WEEKLY "Bening's comic gifts make the most of Ronald Harwood's witty screenplay." Leslie Camhi VILLAGE VOICE "Annette Bening's performance is the most captivating of her career." Jeanne Aufmuth PALO ALTO WEEKLY "This is, of course, the sort of role about which actresses dream, and it is Annette Bening who brings Julia to raging, mischievous, unforgettable life." Connie Ogle MIAMI HERALD

The Inside Story

"Bening’s performance brings everything up to a level of brilliance..." MaryAnn Johanson FLICK FILOSOPHER

What a headache it must have been for those voting in the annual Academy Awards. Five exceptional actresses in line for one prize. Oscar! Leading the charge were actresses from three vastly different cultures. Representing the 'good old brits' were Imelda Staunton ["Vera Drake"] and Kate Winslet ["Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind"]; representing the 'yanks' were Hilary Swank ["Million Dollar Baby"] and Annette Bening ["Being Julia"] and finally, representing the 'colombians' was Catalina Sandino Moreno ["Maria Full of Grace"]. All five women played characters which were worlds apart. All five delivered exceptional performances that were absolutely entertaining. Real standouts. Staunton played an abortonist, a middle-aged woman who helped girls when they had a problem; Winslett played a woman who had memories of her former lover erased; Swank played a girl who rose from trailer trash to world boxing champ; Bening played Julia Lambert, an aging darling of the London stage going through a mid-life crisis, while Moreno played a pregnant, poverty-stricken plantation employee looking for a better life. Of these five women, two had already faced off in the running for an Oscar, Bening and Swank. On the last occassion in 2000, Swank ["Boys Don't Cry"] had taken the Oscar over Bening ["American Beauty"]. It's now history that as in 2000, Swank pipped Bening again. It's also a fact that Swank's life in some ways imitated that of her on screen character Maggie Fitzgerald and in all probability, the fact that "Million Dollar Baby" was an all American story, weighed more heavily in her favour than that of the other four final contenders for the covetted gold statue. It's also a fact that when it comes to winning an Oscar there are many who have been nominated on more than one occassion, who have never won the greatest prize available to a screen actor/actress. A glaring example of that is Peter O'Toole who in the end, received an Oscar, not for acting in one particular film, but rather for his wonderful contribution to film over the years. Having not won an Oscar for either "American Beauty" or "Being Julia" in no way diminishes the fact that Bening's performance as Julia Lambert is a beauty. Bening is Lambert as much as Lambert is Bening. It's a role to die for and the superb Miss Bening relishing the opportunity milks it for all it is worth. Born in 1958, Bening is the same age as the character she plays and while she certainly has the looks, presence and ability to play women women around her age, she too just may feel she's at a crossroad in her career as Julia Lambert does. What does the future hold career wise for the mother of four children? Is it as Lambert poses, looking forward to playing old women or someones mother? I suspect not yet for Bening. With performances like this one, you could bet your bottom dollar there is are roles still waiting in the wings for her and you'd be right! Between now and 2006 Bening is signed to appear in four more films; "Diva", "Mrs Harris", "Under My Skin" and "Running with Scissors". So who is Annette Bening, the actress who made her big screen debut appearing in her the film "The Great Outdoors" with Dan Aykroyd and the late great John Candy. The woman who, after divorcing J Steven White in 1991, married Hollywood legend Warren Beatty in 1992 and interrupt her career to give birth to their four children. Annette Bening was born on Thursday May 29th 1958 in Topeka, Kansas USA. She shares her birthday with two other notable film stars, the late Bob Hope [1903] and popular British actor Rupert Everett [1959]. She was the youngest of four children. Although born in Kansas she grew up in California, living in San Diego where her parents still reside today. She attended San Diego Mesa College and went on to gain a degree in drama at San Francisco State University before undertaking further studies at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre. In 1984 she married for the first time but in 1986 it ended in seperation. In 1987 She moved to New York gaining a part in the play "Coastal Disturbances", which saw her nominated in for a Tony Award and receiving the Clarence Derwent Award for Outstanding Debut Performance. This led to a role in the 1988 film "The Great Outdoors". Her next role was in the 1989 film "Valmont". Then her big break came. She appeared alongside Anjelica Huston and John Cusack in the critically acclaimed 1990 film, "The Grifters". Fate stepped in when Warren Beatty decided to cast her in his film, "Bugsy" in which she played Bugsy's gangster moll Virginia Hill. Bening and Beatty formed a relationship away from the cameras and in 1991 she became pregnant with their first child. There was a slight hitch though. Although Bening had seperated from her former spouse J Steven White, she had not filed for a divorce. With that out the way she and Beatty were married on the 12 of March 1992. They have four children; Kathlyn [1992], Benjamin [1994], Isabel [1997] and Ella Corinne [2000]. In between giving birth, Bening has appeared in a some major films and has had a number of Oscar nominations. In 1992 she was to appear as Catwoman in the film "Batman Returns" but her pregnancy put paid to that. The role went to Michelle Pheiffer. Her film career highlights include; "Richard III" [1995]; "The American President" [1995]; "Siege" [1998]; "American Beauty" [1999] and "Being Julia" [2005]. During her career Bening has appeared in threee film which were directed by Academy Award ® winning director Micke Nichols ["Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolf","The Graduate", "Carnal Knowledge" and "Closer"]. They were: "Postcards from the Edge" [1990], "Regarding Henry" [1991] and "What Planet Are You From?" [2000]. Threes must favour Bening as she has played a Real Estate Agent in three of her films, two of which were directed by Nichols. Those films were: "Regarding Henry" [1991], "American Beauty" [1999] and "What Planet Are You From?" [2000]. During her career Bening has appeared on screen with some of the biggest names in Hollywood including, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, Michael Douglas and Kevin Spacey. While she may have appeared with these highly successful male actors she lists Helen Mirren, Frances McDormand, Liv Ullmann, and Ingrid Bergman as her idols. Casting About "BEING JULIA" stars .......
Annette Bening ["Postcards from the Edge", "The Grifters", "Bugsy", "The Siege" and "American Beauty"]; Jeremy Irons ["Lolita", "The Man in the Iron Mask", "Last Call" and "Mathilde"]; Leigh Lawson ["The Devil's Advocate", "Tess", "Madame Sousatzka" and "Out of Depth"]; Shaun Evans ["The Boys from County Clare"]; Lucy Punch ["Greenfingers", "It's Not You, It's Me", "Ella Enchanted" and "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers"]; Catherine Charlton ["All Forgotten"]; Miriam Margolyes ["Cats & Dogs", "Plots with a View", "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" and "Ladies in Lavender"]; Max Irons ["Being Julia"]; Bruce Greenwood ["Rules Of Engagement", "The Core", "Hollywood Homicide", "I, Robot" and "Racing Stripes"] and Michael Gambon ["The Actors", "Sylvia", "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"] as Jimmie Langton. Crew Bytes "BEING JULIA" was .......
directed by István Szabó ["Bali", "Meeting Venus", "Sunshine" and "Taking Sides"]; screenplay by Ronald Harwood ["Operation Daybreak", "Cry, the Beloved Country", "The Pianist", "Taking Sides" and "The Pianist"]; original story "Theatre" by W Somerset Maugham ["The Moon and Sixpence", "The Letter", "The Razor's Edge" and "Up at the Villa"]; costume design by John Bloomfield ["The Bounty", "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", "The Mummy", "The Mummy Returns" and "The Scorpion King"]; production design by Luciana Arrighi ["The Remains Of The Day", "Sense and Sensibility", "Anna and the King" and "The Importance of Being Earnest"]; edited by Susan Shipton ["Toy Soldiers", "Felicia's Journey", "Dragonwheel" and "Foolproof"]; cinematography by Lajos Koltai ["Just Cause", "Malčna", "Taking Sides" and "The Emperor's Club"]; original music by Mychael Danna ["Girl, Interrupted", "Monsoon Wedding", "Hearts in Atlantis", "Antwone Fisher" and "Shattered Glass"] produced by Robert Lantos ["Strike", "eXistenZ", "Felicia's Journey", "Sunshine" and "Ararat"]. What It's All About

"Annette Bening is grand." Nathaniel Rogers FILM EXPERIENCE

Julia Lambert, the darling of the stage and star of "Farewell My Love", is ready for a breakdown. Her husband and manager Michael Gosselyn finally agrees that she may take a break from her heavy workload. Julia decides they should go out to dinner and Michael invites an American visitor Tom Fennel, who is totally besotted by his actress wife, to accompany them. It is not long before Julia and Tom are involved in an affair. Julia feels alive and rejuvinated. She's in love. But things sour when Michael decides to invite Tom along for a weekend holiday with himself, Julia and their son, Roger. Tom meets the beautiful and young Avice Crichton. Julia is shattered when she realizes that the two are attracted to each other. Avice it seems, desires a career on the stage and Tom has just the right contacts. When Julia discovers Michael is having an affair with Avice she plots her revenge. A revenge with all the style and splendour that only an experienced actress of Julia's calibre could manage. The Verdict "2005 Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Annette Bening may have been pipped at the post again by Hilary Swank but "Being Julia" shows once again, what a classy actress she is. Whatever Julia's mood may take, whether it be charming, devilish, romantic or dishevilled, Julia is a treat to watch thanks to Bening's scrumptious performance. Highly recommended." The Cast

Annette Bening Jeremy Irons Leigh Lawson Shaun Evans Michael Gambon Mari Kiss Ronald Markham Terry Sachs Catherine Charlton Juliet Stevenson Miriam Margolyes Max Irons Andrew Paton Story Busher George Lang Michael Culkin Marsha Fitzalan Bruce Greenwood Denzal Sinclaire Julian Richings Tom Sturridge Sheila McCarthy Lucy Punch Teresa Churcher Rosemary Harris Rita Tushingham Maury Chaykin István Komlós Bruce Anderson Bryan Burdon Alison Jiear

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Julia Lambert Michael Gosselyn Archie Dexter Tom Fennel Jimmie Langton Mr Gosselyn's Secretary Butler Chauffeur Miss Philips Evie Dolly de Vries Curtain Call Boy Male Singer Antoine the Maitre D Rupert Florence Lord Charles Singer/Pianist Mr Turnbull Roger Gosselyn Grace Dexter Avice Crichton Cynthia Julia's Mother Aunt Carrie Walter Gibbs Prompter Jewellery Shop Assistant Busker 'Chamberlain' Female Singer

The Crew Directed by István Szabó Screenplay by Ronald Harwood Adapted from the novel "Theatre" by W Somerset Maugham Produced by Robert Lantos Executive Producers Mark Milln & Marion Pilowsky Original Music by Mychael Danna Cinematography by Lajos Koltai Film Editing by Susan Shipton Casting by John Buchan & Celestia Fox Production Design by Luciana Arrighi Art Direction by Paul Ghirardani & Lorand Javor Set Decoration by Zoltán Horváth/Attila Köves/Ian Whittaker Costume Design by John Bloomfield Run Time 103 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved