It seems to me like I have heard for years that a film was going to be made on the life of one of my favorite singers from the 60s, Janis Joplin. For the longest, we heard Melissa Etheridge (who I think would have been an excellent choice) was going to star as Janis. Then I remember reading somewhere that she had done a screen test and frankly, just was not a good enough actor to play the role. I found it sad that Melissa could not act because she had both the look and the voice. Then singer Pink was scheduled to play Janis, but that fell through as well. It seemed that we might not see a film on Janis until the 50th anniversary of her death!
Of course, there is an excellent documentary that has been airing on the Encore channel recently called Janis that was done in 1974. In The Rose, Bette Midler plays a singer whose life bore a striking resemblance to that of Janis Joplin. But there has never been a big screen movie about Janis and her life.
But now, my wait may be over. Zooey Deschanel (Elf, The Good Girl) has been signed on to play Janis in The Gospel According To Janis. Zooey was chosen over Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears – both of whom I cannot imagine in the role. Lindsay and Britney are like the anti-Janis’. Janis was not cute, blonde, particularly popular growing up from all I have read, and she did not have men falling all over her from all I have read. This was a double-edged sword. I feel like the sorrow she lived in her life helped her sing the blues like few other women ever have. And yet, I cannot help but think the loneliness she felt surely contributed to her drug use and eventual overdose at the age of 27 in 1970.
I loved Zooey Deschanel in Elf and hope she can do justice to Janis in this upcoming flick.