THAT SMILE

I take offense at Kenneth Turan’s sexist indictment of Julia Roberts for being stingy with her smiles (“Give Us Something to Smile About,” Aug. 6). If Ms. Roberts were a man , I don’t think Mr. Turan would be making such empty-headed judgments.

I, for one, applaud Ms. Roberts for using her box-office clout to expand her acting palette--both serious and smile-y faced.

Apparently, Mr. Turan would rather have her just sit there and look pretty. NEIL LANDAU

Los Angeles

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Has anyone noticed that the success of Julia Roberts’ films is in direct proportion to the amount of time she is shown in her bare feet?

Keep smiling, Julia, and please leave your shoes off.

ALLEN BROWN

Los Angeles

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Being large Lyle Lovett fans, my wife and I were shocked when we first heard about the Lovett-Roberts marriage, but not for the same reasons as most others: We thought Lovett was too good for her, far too naive and caring for someone with a history of compulsive “this time it’s real” romances (“The Julia Chronicles (Cont.),” by Bronwen Hruska, Aug. 6).

Sure enough, 21 months later, Julia Roberts has destroyed yet another guy’s life and behaves like a kid who simply got bored with last month’s birthday present. I have nothing but contempt and disgust for Roberts’ “homebody” facade, and will never go to another movie with her in it. I can only hope that Hollywood treats her with the same childish attention span she so blindly demonstrates.

So now she wants to play roles for grown-ups? Now that would be some acting.

ALAN K. HOLDEN

Diamond Bar