But this week it is like a dream come true for me. One of this generation's greatest actresses in a movie directed by one of today's greatest directors (David Fincher - directed Se7en, Fight Club, The Game and the underrated Alien 3). I have been fascinated with Fincher's style ever since Alien 3, I just didn't really know who he was at the time. Then he did Se7en and The Game, and I started noticing. Then came his best movie, Fight Club, which just totally blew me away. Some of my own scripts have taken a decidedly darker twist since Fight Club and I hope to have Mr. Fincher direct one of my psychological thrillers someday. Okay, I'm dreaming and this is about Jodie Foster, not David Fincher.

Why would I compare Jodie Foster to Macaulay Culkin? Well, there is only one real comparable thing and that is that both of them were child stars. Foster just took a decidedly more dramatic path than Culkin. Child stars usually get described as "cute" and maybe "funny". Try to use that description when discussing Foster's performance in the Martin Scorsese/Robert De Niro classic, Taxi Driver. By the way, in case you don't know, she played the part of a teenage prostitute and she was only thirteen at the time; not a role your everyday child star takes on.  But Foster did and it helped secure her future as more than just another child star, as she received her first Oscar nomination.

Foster started her career at the young age of two, as her manager mom got her parts in commercials. At the age of six she played a part in an episode of Mayberry R.F.D. For several years she appeared on episodes of TV shows such as Sesame Street, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Kung Fu and ironically, in a show that was full of child stars that never made it in Hollywood, The Partridge Family. In 1970 she appeared in a made for TV movie, Menace on The Mountain. She landed her first major movie role in the 1972 adventure, Napolean and Samantha, a movie that co-starred an actor that would make it big and later star in one of Fincher's movies; Michael Douglas - The Game.

Jodie Foster went on to star in small roles in movies like Kansas City Bomber (1972), One Little Indian (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974 - directed by Martin Scorsese) and Echoes of a Summer (1976) until she finally landed the role that would make her a star.

Taxi Driver (1976) is a classic movie that spawned the classic De Niro line, "Are you talkin' to me?" The movie about a Vietnam Vet trying to return to a normal life in American society as a Taxi Driver materializes into a violent finale that is quite shocking. Travis Bickle (De Niro) has it in his disillusioned mind that he can make life better and trains to assassinate a political figure, only to decide that he will instead save the life of a teenage hooker (Foster) by going after her pimp.

Unfortunately the movie became a life-imitating-art fiasco, as a disillusioned man by the name of John Hinckley, infatuated with Jodie Foster and Taxi Driver, attempted to assassinate United States President, Ronald Reagan five years after the movie came out. In case you don't keep up on history, Hinckley was unsuccessful but President Reagan was seriously injured by a gunshot wound.

After the success of Taxi Driver, Foster had two more memorable roles in the '70's. In 1976 she starred in the all kids cast mobster spoof, Bugsy Malone, co-starring another child and teenage star, Scott Baio (who would go on to star in Happy Days and Charles In Charge). Jodie Foster played the seductress, Tallulah.

In 1977 she starred in the Disney movie, Freaky Friday, playing a teenage girl who's mind gets switched with that of her mom's for one day. Since I haven't seen the movie in probably twenty years, I don't remember much but I know that I laughed for much of the movie. While still acting, Jodie Foster took on a rather tough challenge: Attending Yale University to study English Literature. Turns out she is more than just a great actress, as she graduated magna cum laude in 1985.

In 1986 she took on another job in the movie business, as she not only starred in Mesmerized, but also co-produced. She would go on to produce other movies as well. She appeared in three more movies (Five Corners and Siesta in 1987 and Stealing Home in 1988), before she finally got the role that would make her a top star. In 1988, Jodie Foster took on the role of a rape victim who enlists the help of a lawyer to convict the men that stood around and cheered on her rape rather than helping her. Kelly McGillis co-starred as the attorney representing her. The story was based on actual events and Foster won her first Academy Award for Actress in a Leading Role.

A short three years later she would return to the Oscars to win her second Academy Award for Actress in a Leading Role, this time for the multiple Oscar winner, The Silence of the Lambs (1991). The movie was a major success that cleared the way for a sequel in 2001 (Hannibal) with a prequel on the way this summer (Red Dragon). Foster refused to reprise her role as Clarice Starling for Hannibal (played instead by Julianne Moore) and after seeing that movie I could understand. Although the movie was a huge success, it was bad compared to Silence of the Lambs, with Starling's role reduced to almost unnecessary. Foster won't be in the prequel either.

Silence of the Lambs was one of those violent horror movies that you would think stood no chance at the Oscars, but it ended up winning five of the top eight categories (Best Picture, Best Actress for Jodie Foster, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, Best Director for Jonathan Demme and Best Adapted Screenplay for Ted Tally). It was just one of those movies that was done well at every level. It would rank as one of my top 100 movies if I had to come up with a list.

In the same year, Jodie Foster took on another behind-the-camera task, as she directed her first feature film, Little Man Tate, as well as starred as the mother of a boy genius. The story deals with her trying to protect him from society. I remember seeing the movie and being mostly disappointed with it.

You know that you've made it in movies when you appear in a Woody Allen movie and that is exactly what Foster did next, returning to the role of a prostitute in the movie Shadows And Fog (1992). The following year she starred opposite Richard Gere in the romantic drama, Sommersby. The movie is set in the post civil war period and just like Shadows and Fog, the movie wasn't received very well by audiences.

In 1994 Jodie Foster served as producer and starred as the title character in the movie, Nell. Her amazing performance as a woman that was raised by her partially paralyzed mother (which in turn caused Nell to learn broken English) was worthy of another Academy Award nomination. Although she didn't win the Oscar this time around, she did end up with a Screen Actor's Guild Award. Many felt that she should have won the Oscar but politics plays part in the process if an actress (or actor) has already won at least two awards. But I believe the choice of the Academy that year was one of the worst for any category for any year in the history of the Academy Awards, giving it to Jessica Lange of all people. Oh well.

In 1994 Foster took on another role that was the opposite of the serious drama, Nell. She played opposite Mel Gibson in the hit comedy western, Maverick. It was strange to see Jodie Foster in such a light hearted role, as she almost seemed uncomfortable in it but she managed to pull off the comedic role.

In 1995 she produced and directed the comedy, Home for the Holidays. This time she didn't star in it but the title role went to Holly Hunter, who played a woman that returns home to a dysfunctional family for Thanksgiving. In 1997, Foster starred in the sci-fi drama, Contact, based on the best selling book by Carl Sagan. It was kind of the intellectual man's "aliens-contacting-earth" movie. And when you really think about it, will aliens just come and attack us here on earth if they want to make contact with us (such as in the movie Independence Day) or will they do it in a more civilized way like in Contact? My guess is that it would be similar to the latter, if there is intelligent life out there of course. The movie was a hit and was graced with another wonderful performance by Jodie Foster. I thought it would be good enough for a fifth Academy Award nomination, but unfortunately it did not happen.

Anna And The King (1999) turned in lower than expected numbers at the box office and was a disappointment overall. And here we are in 2002, as Jodie Foster takes on another suspenseful movie along the lines of Silence of the Lambs. When I started writing this Star File, it was a few days before Panic Room premiered. Since then I have seen the movie and found out that it made an estimated $11.7 million on its opening day. Since I predicted that the movie would make $18.5 million for the weekend, I was taken by surprise. There are just many factors that conspired to make the movie the success that it is. First of all, it's Jodie Foster directed by David Fincher and it has been a while since Foster has been in a really good movie. Also, Fincher is getting a cult following thanks to the movies I have mentioned before (especially Fight Club) and the previews have also been very good for the movie. All of these factors came together to give the movie a monstrous opening that could in the end make over $100 million. I liked Panic Room very much (A-) and I believe that the average moviegoer will also enjoy it thoroughly (A-). Look for more info in my review.

Next up for Jodie Foster are two movies coming out in 2002. She produces and stars as a nun in the movie, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys and also producing and directing Claire Danes in a movie set in the 30's called Flora Plum.