Ebert and Roeper Discuss Justin Timberlake’s ‘Edison’ Venture

Respected Hollywood critics Ebert and Roeper had a special on Sunday night, which mainly focused on famous musicians jumping into acting. They mentioned the talented successors (Diana Ross in ‘Lady Sings the Blues’ and Barbara Streisand in ‘A Star Is Born’), as well as the so-called untalented stinkers (Madonna in ‘Swept Away’ and Mariah Carey in ‘Glitter’). As the special came to a close, they discussed some singers who will be starring in upcoming movies and *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake in ‘Edison’ was mentioned. Ebert commented, “Justin is surrounded by a well-balanced group of actors – he’s got Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey there, just in case he doesn’t deliver. So, while he’s pretty much in a smart position, if he doesn’t do a good job, he can forget about being taken seriously.” Roeper added, “I don’t think [Justin] will be as appealing on screen as he is on stage. It’ll be difficult for people to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s got to be so good that people forget he’s a pop star and that’s something Mariah Carey and Madonna have failed to do. He’s got to be a real person and not just someone who comes across as desperately trying to conquer all.” On that note, their pre-conceived thoughts on ‘Edison’ were that people should see it for the Timberlake curiosity factor AND the addition Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey.