Donning hundreds of jelly bracelets (remember those?), chunky crosses and ripped garments, and topping it off with a shoddy dye job, Madonna set about redefining pop music in the 80s. Like a Virgin, the album that boasted hit after hit, not only set new standards for women in music, but forced the pop sensation to make a decision: enjoy the hype while it lasted, or come up with new ways of reaching fans. While her girlie rock counterparts like Cyndi Lauper fell by the wayside, Madonna continued to shock, entertain, and make headlines. She ran her artistic ventures like a business, and this no-nonsense approach paid off. By the early 90s, she was so successful that universities were offering courses that analyzed the phenomenon of the Blonde Ambition.

Madonna's crossover from music to film was inevitable. In fact, the singer/actress has stated that acting was what she initially intended to pursue; it just so happened that she fell into performing music. Her big screen efforts, however, have not been as consistently successful as her musical endeavors. Desperately Seeking Susan, 1985's lively comedy about a disgruntled housewife (Rosanna Arquette) who winds up in a whole lot of trouble after assuming the identity of the wild and crazy Susan (Madonna) had audiences and critics applauding the musician-turned-actor for her charming performance. Unfortunately for the pop star, her next film was the box office bomb Shanghai Surprise, in which she starred opposite her then-husband, brat packer Sean Penn. It took both artists a while to live down their adventures in Shanghai. The soundtrack for 1987's Who's That Girl produced a couple of hits, but the movie, in which Madonna starred, was a flop.

While critics remain skeptical of her acting abilities, the last decade has proven that when cast in the right part, Madonna can shine. Sporting a crown of platinum curls and clingy evening gowns for then-boyfriend Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy, Madonna vamped her way through the appropriate role of Breathless Mahoney. This time it was the music critics that gave the star a hard time: they didn't think she could do justice to the Stephen Sondheim music she performed in the film, and many panned the big band/swing album that accompanied Tracy. Fans, however, didn't care - they had grown accustomed to the fact that Madonna was ever-changing.

Following Tracy and her behind-the-scenes documentary, Truth or Dare, Madonna assumed the supporting role of "All-the-Way-Mae" alongside pal Rosie O'Donnell in 1992's A League of Their Own - another winner. But she followed that up with the forgettable Body of Evidence, Dangerous Game, Blue in the Face, and Four Rooms - before taking on the role of a lifetime. As the beloved Eva Perón opposite Antonio Banderas in Alan Parker's grandiose screen version of Evita, Madonna stunned audiences and critics alike. The artist once shunned for her acting attempts was now the winner of a Golden Globe.

That golden glow dimmed however, with the release of 2000's The Next Best Thing. Madonna, a mother of two and a yoga devotee, probably identified with "Abbie", the yoga instructor and single mother. But the movie got mixed reviews, and once again, the extent of the singer/actress' thespian talents is being debated. Perhaps the musician/actress will have to endure this "can she or can't she?" banter for the duration of her movie career, but it's doubtful that Madonna - mistress of reinvention, pop icon and symbol of strength and independence - will pay any heed to what critics have to say. After all, these same critics were once labeling the reigning Queen of Pop as Girl of the Moment. And her fans - among the most loyal in show biz - love her, no matter what.

-- Carolyn Heinze