The New York Times has an excellent article up by Laura M. Holson called "A Little Too Ready For Her Close-Up?" that takes a close look at a new trend in Hollywood. For years it seems that the place where dreams are born had become the place where dreams are stabbed in the face with a needle at the first sign of a wrinkle. I couldn't tell you when Hollywood's obsession with plastic surgery began, but at some point it became a self-perpetuating machine where each generation of actors, in an attempt to look better than the previous generation, went under the scalpel earlier and more often. But now, according to Holson and the filmmakers she talked to, it seems that the plastic surgery bubble has either already burst or is in the process of doing so.

Many have no doubt noticed the recent rise in British and Australian actors taking on American roles (even more so in television than in movies), but Holson says that isn't due to the imported talents being better thespians; rather it's because these actors hail from countries that aren't quite so scalpel happy. Casting directors are starting to greatly prefer the more natural look over the Hollywood standard - remember the "no fake breasts" mandate for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides? - and the reason is not surprising in the least.

The rapid adoption of high definition has turned living rooms everywhere into examination rooms. Before actors could, for the most part, get away with poor plastic surgery because their imperfect attempts at perfection were protected miraculously by standard definition. But now that picture quality is sharper than ever, Holson notes "the ability to crumple a mouth into a frown is as vital as remembering one's lines."

Now obviously Hollywood isn't anywhere close to putting a moratorium on surgical enhancements - nor will they ever be - but the emphasis is once again on enhancements and not blatantly inhuman alterations. What's most interesting to me about this new trend, however, is how people in the business are apparently handling it. Amongst themselves filmmakers have no qualms discussing the desire to have natural beauties in their cast. And when they talk to talent scouts and casting directors, they make it clear who their ideal candidates are. But when it comes down to talking directly with actors about why they didn't get a certain part, more often than not politeness wins out; no executive is going to tell an actor their distracting surgery is what cost them the job.

That inability to tackle the problem head-on aside, I think this is wonderful news. I've always understood the industry's fascination with plastic surgery, though a defiance of gravity has never been my bag. So I'm thrilled to hear that it may soon be on the downfall (at least as far as high profile productions are concerned) and I hardly think I'll be alone in that regard... What say you? Do you think this is the beginning of a trend? Do you prefer your celebrities to look natural or do you not mind some surgical intervention? And has high definition ruined any actors for you?