The 55-year-old actress, singer and dancer made her first red carpet appearance since announcing her divorce from Ben Affleck, who is co-producing the film with best friend Matt Damon but did not attend.
And she didn’t disappoint, wearing a metallic silver dress with nothing but a giant black velvet bow holding her long, loose hair. Sky high silver platform heels completed the look.
In “Unstoppable,” Lopez plays Judy, the mother of high school wrestler Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) who, despite being born with one leg, doggedly pursues — and achieves — her dream of becoming a U.S. university champion.
Oscar nominees Don Cheadle and Michael Pena play the demanding coach, and Bobby Cannavale plays the abusive stepfather, who repeatedly destroys the family.
“Unstoppable” tells the story of Robles’ inspiration while also delving into the difficulties of family life, and shows his close relationship with his mother.
The film has some applause moments in the buildup to Robles’ winning run for college championships for Arizona State University. Then, as the credits rolled, Robles himself, in the theater, got a standing ovation from the Roy Thomson Hall crowd.
“When I read the script, I felt like a lot of women, myself included, could relate to the struggles they’ve been through in their lives,” Lopez said in a question-and-answer session after the screening.
“This story is a Latino story, so it’s very inspiring — it just grabbed me.”
Jerome said he trained for five months, including with Robles on the wrestling mat.
“As an actor, it is one of the most difficult tasks to portray a real person,” he said.
“Unstoppable” is one of the marquee shows on the second day of the Toronto International Film Festival, North America’s largest, which offers a mix of Oscar-bait films, great family fare and heartwarming documentaries.
This year marks the return to normal for the event, after the twin attacks by actors and writers kept the top talent promoting the work here last year.
After the screening, the actress received a standing ovation from the audience. Video from the theater erupting in applause and cheers took social media by storm. The clip also sees the actress reaching out to her director for a hug after the warm reception for the film
Lopez is one of the major stars visiting Canada’s biggest city for the festival.
Ben Stiller, Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry hit the red carpet on Friday night. Also expected are Angelina Jolie, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Salma Hayek, Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman.
– ‘The Last Showgirl’-
Earlier, Gia Coppola debuted her latest work behind the camera, “The Last Showgirl,” starring Pamela Anderson as the veteran Vegas player Shelley, who was left in despair when her show was suddenly canceled.
After 30 years of dancing half-naked in sequins and high heels in the traditional Sin City show, Shelley has to figure out what the future holds.
Coppola – the grandson of the legendary director Francis Ford Coppola – goes beyond the bright lights of America’s favorite gambling game to show the harsh reality of the entertainment industry and what happens to those who discard it, especially women.
“I’ve been preparing my whole life for this role,” Anderson told the audience after the screening.
The “Baywatch” actress quipped that this was the first time she’d been offered a script that was “coherent.”
Jamie Lee Curtis cried when she talked about the movie. She plays Annette, a onetime dancer and Shelley’s best friend who ends up waitressing to make ends meet – and frittering away her hard-won earnings in a bet.
“It’s a movie about dreams and chasing your dreams,” only to discover they’ll never come true, the Oscar winner said.
