Does Justine Bateman seem a tad bit bitter

[TMC]

I had previously written that she allegedly a bone to pick with the producers of Family Ties because she wanted to go to the college at the end of the third or fourth season. Justine apparently thought the show would be able to write around her absences. But the producers told her no because she was too popular to only be on half the shows each season.

Also, while I don't have any hardcore evidence or proof of the matter, I've heard theories elsewhere that Justine may be upset that her acting career really didn't go anywhere post-Family Ties. Satisfaction, which was intended to be her big film vehicle (just like Back to the Future was for Michael J. Fox) turned out to be a flop. To add insult to injury, not only did Justine not become a movie star like her TV brother, but a supporting actress in her film (Julia Roberts) would end up an Oscar nominee a year or so later and become a megastar shortly thereafter.

And then you have Justine's real life brother, Jason being able to pull off an impressive "second act" in his career.

[RetroGuy2000]

I don't think Justine seems bitter; I think she seems practical and articulate. While she continues to nab small roles in TV and film, and has managed to amass quite a body of work, Hollywood is fickle, so she went to college and got a tech degree.

[80s Dude]

I think Justine is pretty successful with her life after Family Ties, though she is not into acting anymore.

[80s Dude]

Justine Bateman looks like she had some anorexic issues earlier in life based on how she looks now.

[RaisedByTV]

Hollywood loves a comeback, I’d love to see hers!

[TV Guy]

Originally Posted by TMC

I had previously written that she allegedly a bone to pick with the producers of Family Ties because she wanted to go to the college at the end of the third or fourth season. Justine apparently thought the show would be able to write around her absences. But the producers told her no because she was too popular to only be on half the shows each season.

Also, while I don't have any hardcore evidence or proof of the matter, I've heard theories elsewhere that Justine may be upset that her acting career really didn't go anywhere post-Family Ties. Satisfaction, which was intended to be her big film vehicle (just like Back to the Future was for Michael J. Fox) turned out to be a flop. To add insult to injury, not only did Justine not become a movie star like her TV brother, but a supporting actress in her film (Julia Roberts) would end up an Oscar nominee a year or so later and become a megastar shortly thereafter.

And then you have Justine's real life brother, Jason being able to pull off an impressive "second act" in his career.

So, where’s the evidence that she’s “a tad bitter?” I don’t see anything in your post that supports the title of this thread.

Originally Posted by TMC

Also, while I don't have any hardcore evidence or proof of the matter, I've heard theories

[snip]

When you speculate without any evidence, it’s called gossiping. Spreading rumors about people - whether or not they’re celebrities - is a rotten thing to do.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

So, where’s the evidence that she’s “a tad bitter?” I don’t see anything in your post that supports the title of this thread.

[snip]

When you speculate without any evidence, it’s called gossiping. Spreading rumors about people - whether or not they’re celebrities - is a rotten thing to do.

You're taking what I just said out of context. I didn't say flat out that, Justine is bitter, I said that she on the outside looking in, comes across as bitter. What we do know that Justine actually did want to go to college during the production of Family Ties, but wasn't allowed to by the producers:

Bateman first applied to college on the East Coast when she was 17. But her hopes were dashed by the supervising producer on “Family Ties” who informed her that her plan to study there and return to Los Angeles for occasional filming wasn’t an option because she was still under contract with Paramount Studios.

“School had always been the most important thing to me. I really enjoyed it and did well in it. And so, of course, my plan was to go to college. It just never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be able to go. It never crossed my mind.”

Now, 30 years later, she’s taking it all in stride.

Also, Justine herself, said flat out that being famous made her miserable. So how exactly am I gossiping or spreading rumors when the subject in question, admitted that she was miserable at the height of her notoriety?

[SitcomsHeydayfan]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Justine Bateman looks like she had some anorexic issues earlier in life based on how she looks now.

It looks a lot worse than that! She looks like a meth/drug addict or something. Her appearance is pretty shocking!

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by SitcomsHeydayfan

It looks a lot worse than that! She looks like a meth/drug addict or something. Her appearance is pretty shocking!

Never heard of any reports of that. That would be hard to keep secret now a days with TMZ, the National Enquier, etc.

[SitcomsHeydayfan]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Never heard of any reports of that. That would be hard to keep secret now a days with TMZ, the National Enquier, etc.

Look at any child/teen/young actor from the 70s or 80s. Justine has aged worse than ALL of them. I'm not the only one to notice this.

I thought Erin Moran aged badly but Justine is even worse.

[RetroGuy2000]

I believe it's because of her Bulimia.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by SitcomsHeydayfan

Look at any child/teen/young actor from the 70s or 80s. Justine has aged worse than ALL of them. I'm not the only one to notice this.

I thought Erin Moran aged badly but Justine is even worse.

This is an observation that I just found regarding why Justine may have not been more successful acting-wise post Family Ties so take it as you will:

1. She’s not a very good actor - While she was tolerable on Family Ties, her other forays into acting were met by indifference. Her skills never seem to have improved and she’s moved into more writing, directing, and social projects.
2. Satisfaction bombed - That was the feature film that attempted to make “Justine Bateman, television actor” into “Justine Bateman, feature film star”. It didn’t work and except for the fact that it was Julia Roberts' first big feature film, it’s largely been forgotten.
3. She returned to television, but wasn’t as successful as she was in Family Ties - Bateman has worked somewhat steadily in smaller roles since the series went off the air in 1989. However she has never returned in a successful series, she looks radically different than she did in her youth (See also #4) and there doesn’t seem to be a demand for her abilities.
4. Time has not been kind to her - Bateman is actually five months older than me, but looks nearly a decade older than her calendar age. She seems to have issues with eating disorders as her weight has fluctuated and she’s appeared rather gaunt during several of her television appearances. If she looked similar to what she did in her youth, she probably still be sought out for roles. She doesn’t.
5. Her brother doesn’t seem to be helping her out in more than a minor fashion - Bateman’s brother Jason has been far more successful than his sister however she only seems to have benefited from that with a role a a prostitute in a few episodes of the first incarnation of his series, Arrested Development. She hasn’t appeared in any of his feature films; nor has she been a part of his successful streaming series, Ozark. Basically her career REALLY could have used his help 25 years ago, and that doesn’t seem to have happened.

[jets4life]

Originally Posted by TMC

I had previously written that she allegedly a bone to pick with the producers of Family Ties because she wanted to go to the college at the end of the third or fourth season. Justine apparently thought the show would be able to write around her absences. But the producers told her no because she was too popular to only be on half the shows each season.

Family Ties is not reality. It was a sitcom. If Justine Bateman wanted to go to college, she would have left the show to go to college. She has free will. It's not like the producers could prevent her from doing so.

Also, while I don't have any hardcore evidence or proof of the matter, I've heard theories elsewhere that Justine may be upset that her acting career really didn't go anywhere post-Family Ties.

Bateman was never a good actor. She played Mallory Keaton well, that's it.

To add insult to injury, not only did Justine not become a movie star like her TV brother, but a supporting actress in her film (Julia Roberts) would end up an Oscar nominee a year or so later and become a megastar shortly thereafter.

Julia Roberts was an outstanding actor, unlike Justine Bateman.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by jets4life

Family Ties is not reality. It was a sitcom. If Justine Bateman wanted to go to college, she would have left the show to go to college. She has free will. It's not like the producers could prevent her from doing so.

Yes they could if she was under contract. And I am glad they made her wait, Family Ties wouldn't have been nearly as good if she was only on it occasionally.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by TMC

She’s not a very good actor

Hogwash! Justine Bateman's acting was great on Family Ties, much better than overrated brother Jason's acting on Silver Spoons and The Hogan Family from the same decade. The only thing I didn't like about Mallory was her season 3 choppy hairstyle, but that eventually got longer again.