Defending Jen

Five of Jennifer Aniston's best

Jennifer Aniston gets a bad rap. From the endless tabloid stories she must endure as the "jilted woman" (need I remind readers who her very famous ex-husband hooked up with?), a perception that spills into even, quite unfairly, critical assessment of her work, the talented actress seems in a perpetual state of maintaining. But that's through gossip. And though I loathe beginning this piece addressing such matters, it's hard to ignore. Aniston onlookers may have a tough time separating her real-life drama from her on-screen image--and she doesn't deserve it.

She made her massive splash as Rachel Green in the tremendously popular sitcom "Friends." Men, women, children, and probably even animals all fell in love with her girl-next-door loveliness and her quickly imitated hairstyle. She was the ultimate girlfriend: sexy, funny, down to earth, and sweet. And she was very funny, possessing a comic timing and delivery that is, dare I say, Aniston-esque. It's no wonder those comic geniuses at "South Park" (Matt Stone and Trey Parker) cast her vocal talent as the kids' teacher during the hysterical rainforest episode. Who would mistake that voice, those nicely timed inflections?

With the release of her newest movie, "Love Happens," in which she plays a free-spirited, funky Seattle florist to Aaron Eckhart's suffering self-help guru, Aniston continues her on-screen appeal. No, she hasn't made her "Casablanca" quite yet (unless you count "Marley & Me" which, sorry, is quite charming). But she has appeared in, among other pictures: an underrated anti-romantic comedy; a poignantly funny, dark indie drama; a bona fide cult classic; and a movie opposite a leprechaun. And she did so with talent, charm and emotion. And sometimes with fantastic hair. But that's hard for her to avoid. With that, here are five of my favorite Aniston performances. Argue, dissect or agree. But please (as much as I love her ex's paramour) refrain from any Team Jolie business.

Here's my first Jen Best:

"The Good Girl" (2002)

Aniston's performance as an unfulfilled, sad, small-town retail clerk is one of her finest, and is not discussed enough. Actresses (and pretty actresses in particular) are often heralded for their bravery when they go "ugly" (like Charlize Theron in "Monster"), but I think it's much more fearless for a woman to go plain. Watching Theron pack on the pounds, place in the false teeth and sport scraggly hair, we know that underneath all that lies a knockout, a fashion model. But what if your posture looks bad, your hair is unexceptional, your clothes, makeup and general disposition are all passably pretty but just a little dumpy? A real woman sans stylists, makeup artists and punishing diet plans -- that's Jen's Justine. Working at one of those low-rent, catch-all stores called Retail Rodeo (the kind of store that seems charming in these days of Walmart-ization), she's the prettiest girl on the floor (if we don't count Zooey Deschanel, whose quirky gorgeousness is too weird for the mainstream outlet). Justine is married to a less-than-ambitious husband (a touching John C. Reilly), and seeks more from her humdrum existence. She finds an out in a new employee, lost soul Holden Worther (Jake Gyllenhaal), a 22-year-old who's obsessed with "The Catcher in the Rye" and, quickly, with Justine. Since both are searching for something, any kind of inspiration or magic in life, their affair naturally becomes intense, and sees a wonderful escape at first, but spirals into dysfunction. Aniston loses all of her "Friends" tricks: no quick jokes, no sunny affirmations, no rocking jeans and tank top combinations. She plays a very nuanced, understated character, a person we all can recognize in people we know, and perhaps in ourselves.