Charlize Theron: 5 Awesome Performances & 5 That Sucked

4. Candy Kirkendall - Waking Up In Reno (2002)

Considering the ability of the four lead actors in the Brady Brothers' hill-billy romantic comedy, it's astounding how much of a festival of awfulness it is.

Clearly built on the idea - espoused by Krusty The Clown no less - that the funniest thing about clown comedy is the destroyed dignity of the victim, Waking Up In Reno took its classy cast - Theron, Billy Bob Thornton, Natasha Richardson and Patrick Swayze - and pushed them through a mangle.

The film apparently gestated first in Billy Bob Thornton's mind - which perhaps explains his self-charitable decision to turn Theron's character into a convenience-slut (she has literally no reason to cheat on her husband) - and the fact it was written by five people says all you need to know.

It's just a distasteful affair from start to finish: a comedy that seems to have Jerry Springer as its benchmark for laughs and morality, and Theron - thankfully - has come a long way since.