Kirsten Dunst’s Blondie ambition

Look, I’m a big fan of Kirsten Dunst’s. She’s got genuine old-fashioned, golden-age-Hollywood screen presence. She’s got that magical, indefinable It. But when she’s awesome in comedy -- like Bring It On -- her steely backbone is hidden behind cute spunk. When she’s awesome in drama -- The Cat’s Meow -- her steely backbone is hidden behind sweet vulnerability. Debbie Harry may be all steely backbone, but I don’t think either cute-and-spunky or sweet-and-vulnerable is gonna work here. I’m with Harry’s fans, who had some interesting ideas about casting: Dunst is far from the first actress to spring to mind to play the Blondie frontwoman.

So for my unathorized Blondie movie, these are the gals, in no particular order of preference, I’m getting on the phone first:

• Maggie Gyllenhaal: cuz she’s pretty much a rock chick by nature

• Samantha Morton: ditto

• Scarlett Johansson: ditto

• Toni Collette: cuz she knows how to handle anti-rock little miss sunshines

• Chloe Sevigny: cuz she’d bring some of that Party Monster ’tude

• Franka Potente: cuz she would bring that Run Lola Run ’tude

• Miranda Otto: cuz she kicked Sauron’s ass in The Lord of the Rings

• Sarah Polley: cuz she kicked zombie ass in Dawn of the Dead

• Cate Blanchett: cuz if she can play Bob Dylan, she can sure as hell play Debbie Harry

• Kate Winslet: cuz she pulled off blue hair in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

• Charlize Theron: cuz she pulled off playing a serial killer

• Namoi Watts: cuz she knows how to entertain apes

[compiled with the assistance of Nathaniel R.’s “Top Actresses of the Aughts” at The Film Experience]

(Technorati tags: Kirsten Dunst, Debbie Harry, Blondie)