Jon has gotten a LOT of critical acclaim. I've done massive searches for reviews of his movies and the overwhelming majority of reviews of his acting have been positive. Check my website for a collection of reviews. People like Peter Travers, Siskel and Ebert, Owen Gliberman and other major film critics have praised him for his abilities.

One reason Jon's not gotten so much attention for his movies is that he's done mostly smaller independent films that don't have the budget to promote themselves to the point that a "8 Mile" has. Moonlight and Valentino was a studio production, but a small film aimed at the female audience. Most of his major roles have been in independent films films with very small budgets. This hurt him becuase he didn't get exposure. However, it helped him in that critics realized he was serious and not just out to make a dollar by using his fame and looks to get big roles in big fluffy films. Jon's choice of films has been praised. His work has been praised. He's made the repuatation in Hollywood that he is a good actor--otherwise he wouldn't be cast in a film like Pay It Forward where his only scenes were with Oscar winners and an Oscar nominee. They knew he could hold his own, otherwise they would have hired someone else. He's gotten the most attention for U-571, which is a shame because the storyline used false pretenses and the dialogue was drivel.

Another factor in all the talk of Eminem is that Eminem is such a controversial character. People watch his every move because he's presented himself in such a way as to create curiosity about "what will he do next?" He's brilliantly taking advantage of this image, but he may have a short lived career because of it. Remember Marilyn Manson? All Eminem needs is for someone to come along and be more controversial than he is, just the way he dethroned Marilyn Manson as the king of controversy. The, it's buh-bye, Marshall. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the guy. He's probably very well aware the game he's playing and where it will lead.

Jon, on the other hand, is not controversial at all. His longevity comes from talent and perserverance. He'll still be making movies and records years from now and probably be writing and directing his own films by then. Jon's had the slow build to critical acclaim and that will last much longer than the burst of recognititon that Eminem is getting... unless he continues to remold and remarket himself the way Madonna has. Otherwise people will become bored with him.

Becky