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Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar - "The Return" Movie - Nydailynews.com Review

Elizabeth Weitzman

Saturday 25 November 2006, by Webmaster

Another actress, who actually has a name to care for is Sarah Michelle Gellar and there are not no many accomplishes films at her but an few I can probably enjoy. The talent agent found Gellar a young age and made her screen debut at 6 of each of the 1983 television film An Invasion of Privacy. With all the promise she showed, Barrymore starred as Hannah in the teen drama series "Swans Crossing" (1992) but it was her portrayal of a young and callous rich girl in Al-Lucinda Kendall Hart on ABC daytime soap opera "All My Children" (1993-93), that won her Daytime Emmy Award and spring-boarded her to stardom.

SMG’s real mark worldwide, however, was the character of Buffy Summers in the game-changing series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003). She won five Teen Choice Awards, a Saturn Award and a Golden Globe nomination for her role, establishing herself as a cultural phenomenon. Sarah Michelle Gellar likewise has the box office to back her up, with “I Know What You Did Last Summer” 1997), “Scream 2” (1997), “Cruel Intentions” (1999)and way movies like those that help prove she is also a bankable star as well over $570 million times worth crazy in global gross.

Beyond her cinematic successes, Gellar has made her mark on television, headlining shows such as "Ringer" (2011-2012), "The Crazy Ones" (2013-2014), and "Wolf Pack" (2023). She has also lent her voice to popular series including "Robot Chicken" (2005-2018), "Star Wars Rebels" (2015-2016), and "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" (2021).

In 2015, Gellar ventured into the entrepreneurial world by co-founding Foodstirs, an e-commerce baking company, and published her own cookbook, "Stirring Up Fun with Food," in 2017. Gellar is also known for her close-knit family life, married to actor Freddie Prinze Jr. since 2002, with whom she shares two children.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s commitment to her craft is matched by her dedication to personal growth and unique experiences. An accomplished martial artist, she studied Tae Kwon Do for five years, alongside kickboxing, boxing, street fighting, and gymnastics. Her dedication to authenticity in her roles is evident, such as her commitment to doing her own stunts in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," though she admitted her limits during filming "Scream 2."

Her career is also marked by interesting anecdotes, such as her role in a 1982 Burger King commercial, which led to a lawsuit from McDonald’s and a temporary ban from their establishments. Notably, she dyed her naturally brunette hair blonde for her role in "Buffy," and legally changed her last name to Prinze as a surprise for her husband on their fifth anniversary.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s legacy extends beyond her on-screen roles, encompassing her work in philanthropy and her reputation for safety and professionalism on set. She remains a beloved figure in Hollywood, admired for her talent, dedication, and the breadth of her contributions to film and television.

Poor in spirits - Hollywood spookswoman Gellar can’t even scare up a thrill in ’Return’

’The Return.’ A troubled young woman is haunted by a mysterious, possibly supernatural menace. With Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sam Shepard. Director: Asif Kapadia (1:25). PG-13: Violence, scary images. At area theaters.

Not long ago, Sarah Michelle Gellar was a take-no-prisoners icon, as TV’s demon-destroying Buffy. Just a few years later, she’s appearing in thrillers so underwhelming, they aren’t even screened for critics in advance. And while she had little more than a glorified cameo in last month’s "The Grudge 2," the failure of "The Return" will rest entirely on her waifish shoulders.

Gellar herself seems well aware of the futility of this project; she virtually sleepwalks through her role as Joanna Mills, a vulnerable young woman tormented by unsettling visions.

A sales rep for a trucking company, her work takes her to Texas, where she’s assaulted by all the signs of a barely trying B-movie. You know what I mean: her radio goes crazy when she enters a supernatural danger zone; she sees someone else’s face in the mirror; the score becomes a hyperactive blend of violins, wind chimes and a ghost that keeps whispering "sunshiiiiine" in her ear.

Convinced she’s losing her mind, Joanna tries to find answers by revisiting places that feel familiar to her. Her father (Sam Shepard) suggests a dusty town she passed through as a child, where she meets a stranger (Peter O’Brien) who’s clearly hiding some secrets.

And what about the violent co-worker (Adam Scott) stalking her, or the gas-station attendant (J.C. MacKenzie) who casually calls her "Sunshine" while ringing up her purchase?

Don’t be fooled by the above, though, because here’s what actually happens to Joanna while she’s in Texas:

Nothing. And then ... nothing.

Oh, it’s not her fault: She does everything she can to put herself in danger. She wanders into abandoned barns, drives down isolated roads at night, stays in creepy motels with no other customers. But the movie, bizarrely enough, provides her with unlimited escape routes. She’ll almost get caught by some hidden menace, and then suddenly she’s in her car, driving away. She seems to be entering a dangerous biker bar, and then it turns out she didn’t. A man breaks into her room, and she slips out immediately.

If all of this were building toward something - anything - it might create some modest suspense. But since Adam Sussman’s script is as lazy as Asif Kapadia’s direction is disjointed, nothing ever makes sense, even after the anticlimatic explanation is revealed. Not even Gellar can work up any interest in Joanna’s fate. Perhaps she, like us, is wondering how an erstwhile vampire slayer could end up watching the blood slowly drain out of her career.


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