An Independent Spirit

I said it once before and I’ll say it again: As an actress, Mandy Moore thrives in roles that call for her to be slightly wicked, like in American Dreamz or Saved!, you know.

Just recently I rented Dedication, an independent film directed by Justin Theroux in which Moore plays a less-than-sunny children’s-book illustrator.

The film isn’t the best film we didn’t watch last year, but it certainly showcased Moore’s range in a way that neither Because I Said So or License to Wed did. Hollywood is doing everybody a disservice by pigeonholing her in romantic comedies.

As evidenced by the risks she’s taken in her recording career – eschewing the pop star track (which boasted “I Wanna Be With You,” among others) to put out a CD of covers; releasing the folky and underappreciated Wild Hope – Moore likes a challenge. So I say give it to her.

Moore is ready to be extraordinary, so have a little faith in her.

Photo: PhotoBucket.com.