Rachel McAdams: a skilled actress?

That's like saying comedians aren't skilled because all they do is comedy.

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Not at all. A comedian's realm is comedy, therefore if they are successful in providing laughs they are a good comedian. An actress' realm is film and the stage, both of which range from many genres, therefore if an actress, in this case Rachel, has only dabbled in dramas and comedies in of which she plays the same respective roles, she's utterly limited in her range.

I never said she was bad, she just hasn't proven otherwise.

The Notebook - Romance
Mean Girls - Comedy
Tim Traveler's Wife - Drama
Red Eye - Thriller
Sherlock Holmes - Action/Adventure
State of Play - Dramatic Mystery

Not varied? She is also still early in her career. She shows promise and she always seems to be the best thing in every movie she is in.

I wouldn't call her limited in range either, as every role she has done differs. Look at her two comedies, Mean Girls and The Hot Chick. Would you say that those are the same roles? Clearly not. One she plays a bitch (to perfection) the other she plays a dude trapped in a female body.

She holds her own against heavy weight Russell Crowe in State of Play. That is a drama/mystery/thriller. Is her role in that film the same style as the one in Red Eye? Not in the least. She chooses her roles carefully and doesn't agree to everything that comes her way. She had five films come out in 04/05. She was offered dozens of roles, but took a break until 07/08.

I think that you're comment is a generic one from someone not familiar with her roles.

Has she played a man?

Has she played a musician?

Has she played a prostitute?

Has she done a non-porn incest scene?

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I've seen all of those, and I'll reiterate. In The Notebook, she's this dramatic woman, in Time Traveler's Wife, she's another dramatic woman, in Red Eye she's a normal woman reacting to a threatening situation, in Sherlock Holmes she was no one in particular other than a stock character, in Mean Girls she plays a woman that any woman can play, in State Of Play she tried to be a clever fox but I thought she did poorly. You misunderstood when I specified genre, film genre differs from character genre. She's not taking any risks at all in her script choices. And I'm well aware she's early in her career, I've insinuated that twice already. If she could take any of these normal roles she tends to play and make them super powerful, like Evan Rachel Wood did in The Wrestler, I will take another look at her...or if she takes a role in a good film.

...or if she gets back in the kitchen and makes me a sandwich.

Oh, the high and mighty will take another look at her again.

The fallacy of this thread is that it presupposes that women can be skilled.

If Sandra Bullock can win an Oscar, Rachel will win two.

Rachel McAdams is very talented. State of Play is a thing of beauty in my opinion. And whether or not you enjoy Wedding Crashers, she plays a good role in it. If you still have questions about her talent, watch The Lucky Ones if you haven't. Her best role right there.

Rachel MacAdams is decent. I liked her in The Notebook and The Time Traveler's Wife. She's a lovely and beautiful woman.

She has 4 upcoming movies.

- Morning Glory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_Glory_(2010_film)

- Midnight In Paris (Woody Allan)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_in_Paris

- Sherlock Holmes 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_2

- The Vow (2012) http://justjared.buzznet.com/2010/09...-film-the-vow/

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oh come on

Morning Glory was fairly decent, though you really can't expect much. I think Rachel kept up her end of the bargain, though the screenplay and plot could have been a bit better in my opinion.

I think she is a very good actress. She is young and even still has time to grow and improve even more. She was really good in The Notebook and I also liked her character in Mean Girls.

I don't know off the top of my head who the official Oscar nominees for Best Actress were the year the Notebook came out but I could certainly see her at least have been nominated for her performance in it.

Since you asked, the Oscar nominees that year were Annette Bening (Being Julia), Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), and Hilary Swank, who won for Million Dollar Baby. Some of the other unnominated performances from that year include Virginia Madsen in Sideways, Julia Roberts in Closer, Nicole Kidman in Dogville, Sophie Okonedo in Hotel Rwanda, Audrey Tautou in A Very Long Engagement, Reese Witherspoon in Vanity Fair, Naomi Watts in I ♥ Huckabees, Neve Campbell in When Will I Be Loved, Natalie Portman in Garden State, and Halle Berry in Catwoman.

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Thank you, HP. I could certainly have seen her at least being nominated looking at the nominees.

What do you think, HP?

I predict No.

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The Notebook was certainly her star-making turn in Hollywood (also helps that it came the same year as her scene-stealing supporting work in Mean Girls, playing a completely different type), but no, I don't think it was an egregious omission for her not to make the Academy cut. She'll make it one of these days, no doubt, but I don't consider that one a major snub, no.

I want to point out that I like her, but I'm a little bit at a loss why so many members absolutely love her. That is, unless they're talking about her looks and not her acting alone.