Witherspoon inspires women to ‘Shine On’
Actress goes to the small screen to take a turn as talk-show host
Reese Witherspoon would like to inspire you to “shine on.”
The actress has, over the past few years, gradually expanded her portfolio beyond acting: Her book club helped best-sellers such as “The Girl on the Train” get attention. She produced 2014’s Oscar-nominated film “Wild,” in which she starred, and last year’s Emmy-nominated HBO miniseries “Big Little Lies.” She’s also behind an upcoming Apple series about morning television that co-stars Jennifer Aniston.
A mission of Hello Sunshine, her production and digital content company, is to foster female storytellers in film, on TV and in audio and digital projects. And its latest is giving Witherspoon a chance to try her hand at the talk-show couch.
“Shine On With Reese” is a new ondemand series available to subscribers of DirecTV, DirecTV Now and U-Verse via the Hello Sunshine on-demand service. In the nine-episode series, Witherspoon interviews successful women, from Dolly Parton to Ava DuVernay to Teen Vogue editor Elaine Welteroth, about how they achieved their dreams. During each roughly 20minute episode, Witherspoon visits them at their homes or offices to hear their stories, learn about what they do and share her own personal inspirations and anecdotes.
At first glance, “Shine On” seems like a traditional talk show, but it is far more like recent podcasts in which celebrities talk to their friends, such as
Anna Faris’ “Unqualified.” It’s interactive and behind-the-scenes: DuVernay invites Witherspoon to the soundediting booth for “A Wrinkle in Time.” Pink takes her aerial dancing. She and Parton have brunch and sing.
The show doesn’t break news or make anyone cry, but it gives you the feeling of being a fly on the wall on the Disney studio lot or in Parton’s closet. Witherspoon is as charming an interviewer as she has often been as a subject. And, unlike many celebrities who make the jump to hosting, she doesn’t hog the mike and lets her subjects speak for themselves.
Witherspoon and her guests also keep the topics down to earth and relatable to the target female audience, as when Parton shares an anecdote about asking for her first raise or when DuVernay talks about enforcing diverse hiring practices.
“Shine On” achieves its goal of inspiring women to shine, even if it’s sometimes too sweet and slight. Considering the scope of the initial launch last week with little fanfare, it doesn’t seem as if Witherspoon is looking to become the next Oprah, even if she and DuVernay geek out over working with Winfrey in one episode.
But “Shine On” is a nice addition to her other work, especially if you’re a big fan of the actress or her guests. Inevitably, it’s an extended trip into Witherspoon’s Instagram account, showing a world just as brightly colored and curated as her posts.