My Newfound Respect for Ryan Phillippe

When you’re friends get divorced, it’s hard not to choose sides; you inevitably end up socializing with only one half of the affected parties. So, it was no surprise when Ryan and Reese broke up we were going to side with Reese. After all, my husband still harbors ill will towards Diane Lane for what she did in a movie: he’s still upset that she cheated on Richard Gear in Unfaithful . So, Ryan was automatically on the outs with us when rumor had it he was stepping out on his lady. Mind you, we don’t actually know the Witherspoon-Phillippes. This was an entertainment choice: Walk the Line vs. Crash , Just Like Heaven vs. Flags of Our Fathers. Cruel Intentions was a tough one for us as they were both in it, but Ryan is a douchebag in it, so we root for Reese. So, imagine my surprise this week when I started to get behind Ryan. On the media tour promoting his new film Stop Loss (which sounds like his big break, finally, like Walk the Line was for Reese), he’s been around a lot. First, he was on Howard Stern last Thursday. He was surprisingly a big fan of the King of All Media, naming bit players in the Howardshpere. He was open and funny, but never disrespectful of his baby mama. And, he didn’t come off as the prick he always plays, but instead an everyday guy from Delaware. Then, yesterday, Bestweekever tipped me off to a segment on Jay Leno. Typically unfunny Jay was grasping for material and in the process making fun of his past roles (a gay teen on One Life to Life, and a high-art nude jeans commercial) and you could feel Ryan’s pain, though he was trying to be a good sport. I really though he might walk off the set and even the clip felt chilly (see for yourself here). Based on all of this, I have a new found respect for Ryan. I forgive what may or may not have occurred with that hussy Abbie Cornish and I hope Ryan gets recognized come awards time. I haven’t switched sides: Reese is still my girl (she and Jake Gyllenhaal are too damn cute), but I think there’s enough love to go around. Now if I could just get the hubby to make his peace with Diane Lane . . .