99 Reasons We Love Hollywood: #27-19!

2011’s been a tough time for love and stars in Hollywood, but listen to what went right this year!

By Team Truth Dec 31, 2011 2:49 PMTags
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Happy New Year's Eve! Before you go off to your respective festivities to pop champagne and snog a stranger or just sit at home in your comfies and count down to the ball drop, let's take one last look at the highlights of 2011 while we're still, ya know, in 2011.

And while yesterday had us jammin' to sexy Justin Bieber Christmas tunes and giving Anne Hathaway some long-overdue respect for her stint as Oscars host, today we have our eyes set on nine more big-screen flicks, boobs and soon-to-be ex-brides that make us love Tinseltown:  

27. Female Directors Get Respect. It might have something do with the fact that Angelina Jolie went behind the camera for the first time, but female directors are finally getting a little of the credit they deserve. Ange did amazingly well with In The Land of Blood and Honey. Jodie Foster was brilliant directing (and starring in) The Beaver. And even lesser-known names like Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda 2) and Phyllida Lloyd (The Iron Lady) delivered buzz-worthy films. And yet outlets like The Hollywood Reporter chose all male directors for their annual roundtable—leaving females as an afterthought. Sad. But hopefully things will keep improving in 2012.

26. Ricky Gervais Gets Rehired! Not many people are willing to tell the biggest A-listers what's what. Well, that so does not apply to British comedian Gervais, who during his turn as the Golden Globes host took shots at everyone from Charlie Sheen ("It's going to be a night of partying and heavy drinking. Or, as Charlie Sheen calls it, breakfast.") to Bruce Willis ("Ashton Kutcher's dad!"). And not only did he get away with it...He got hired to do the show again next year!

Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

25. Britney Spears. Love her or hate her, there's no denying Britney made one of the finest comebacks in forever. The best part? Despite all the haters and very public breakdowns, gal's now back and even better. With a world tour earning rave reviews and a recent engagement to celebrate, Brit didn't rely on a tell-all or some other lame attempt to stay in the public eye. Instead, she cleaned up her act and started delivering the tunes we love. Success really is the best revenge.

24. Return of The Muppets. Kermit's back! Miss Piggy's back! They're all back…and truly at the top of their game. 2011 marked the return of Jim Henson's Muppet gang to the big screen and allowed for tons of celeb cameos (Jason Segel and Amy Adams led the way with appearances by Jack Black, Selena Gomez and Rashida Jones, among others). So everyone together now: Mahnahmahnah! (Buh bah bah bah bahhh.)

23. Bossypants by Tina Fey. Tiny Fey is certainly not your typical Hollywood star, but she's turned her embarrassing moments into comic relief for the rest of us. Her laugh-out-loud novel, Bossypants, topped the best-seller list as not only a hilarious tell-all, but also inspiration for women trying to make it in the biz. The best part? The Emmy winner was not afraid to poke fun at her odd behavior and '80s-style looks, but readers come away totally inspired by her success.

22. Robert Pattinson. His Hair. His face. His aroma. His future. Probably the most exciting thing we anticipate about a glorious 2012 with K.Stew's other half is what he'll be announcing for his post-Twilight film strategy. The really big stuff. Everything we're waiting to see after Edward. Like Kristen Stewart's already (kinda frantically) doing. And we totally dig how chill Rob's being, taking his time with it all; he really is today's James Dean, smirk, chops and godlike gaze all wrapped into one.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

21. Modern Family. Few shows make us really laugh, and we have to give proper praise when a show still has us hooting and hollering season after season. The characters are relatable, the plot is hilarious, and the overall message just warms our hearts. Whether it's Sofia Vergara's broken English or Jesse Tyler Ferguson's baby-daddy woes, this show is definitely one of our faves. And is so deserving of every award it has received.

20. The Descendants. If anyone still doubts whether George Clooney can really act, just check this heartbreaking (but oddly heart-lifting) flick out and see George delivering some of the most captivating, unstudied and real moments of his handsome life. He's a little soft, a little unkempt, a lot distracted and entirely shocked when his advantaged and put-out family pulls a 180 ef-u on him (particularly from stunning newcomer Shailene Woodley). It just doesn't get more middle-class raw than this. Oh, it's also filmed in paradise, paradoxically.

19. Jennifer Lopez Moves On. We know why J.Lo left Marc Anthony. She knows why she left. And we're glad she did. Jenny from the Block is hotter than she's ever been…And we mean looks and career. She's got a body that any 42-year-old would kill for and has a gig hosting one of the most successful shows around (American Idol). So it's no surprise that she's got a hot younger BF now. You go girl!