Saturday, October 30, 2010

Streep Nom #15 & #16: Sister Aloysius Beauvier & Julia Child

In an off blog e-mail correspondence earlier this week, one of my fellow movie bloggers said to me "The best thing about this year's Best Actress race is that Streep isn't in it." That's funny. It's true that her ubiquity can be exhausting. It must especially feel like a relief for other Tinseltown goddesses in those rare years when she isn't in play. More room for them. But since Streep at 60, a web series we started over a year ago, needs to wrap up, let's discuss her final (to date) nominations.

"Streep @ 60" Previous Nominations Discussed
78, 79, 81, 82, 83,
85, 87, 88, 90, 95, 98, 99, 02 and 06

In the past two years Streep put yet more distance between herself and her nearest competitors. Her two closest Oscar rivals, Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn, are long gone from planet earth. Streep's similarly aged / Oscar friendly peers (Lange, Close, Weaver, Sarandon, Spacek & Field) have faded from the movie spotlight, comparatively speaking, robbing them of Meryl's abundant Oscar-tallying opportunities.

We suspect Streep's "most nominated" record will stand forever unless, and it's a longshot, Kate Winslet's career (she's only 35) has similar curves, reinventions and renewals: When Streep was 35 (circa Falling in Love) she had collected 5 nominations and 2 wins; Winslet has collected 6 Oscar nominations and 1 win.

2008.
  • Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married *Nathaniel's vote*
  • Angelina Jolie, Changeling
  • Melissa Leo, Frozen River *Nathaniel's second choice*
  • Meryl Streep, Doubt
  • Kate Winslet, The Reader
Other women for context
Probably Came Close: Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky) and Kristin Scott Thomas (I've Loved You So Long); Traction Trouble: Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey) and Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)... I suspect they just needed a break with the latter since they loved the film; Low Impact: Nicole Kidman (Australia -just discussed), Keira Knightley (The Duchess); Box Office Queens: Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!), Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex & the City) and Reese Witherspoon (Four Christmases)

2009.
  • Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
  • Helen Mirren, The Last Station
  • Carey Mulligan, An Education *Nathaniel's second choice*
  • Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire *Nathaniel's vote*
  • Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Other women for context
Probably Came Close: Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria) and Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones); Traction Troubles: Abbie Cornish (Bright Star) and Tilda Swinton (Julia); Low Impact: Julia Roberts (Duplicity), Hilary Swank (Amelia); Box Office Queens: Sandra Bullock (The Proposal) and Meryl Streep (It's Complicated) a rare case of the main Oscar rivals also being big bank in separate films within the same year.

So...

IMPORTANT NOTE: These last two years of the Best Actress category have been very polarizing battles with the winners beloved & loathed in seemingly equal measure. Let's NOT discuss those divisive wins again but the fields in general. Stay Positive. It'll allow new discussions to unfold.

Answer me these questions, four
  1. Which performance has grown on you?
  2. Who do you think landed in the dread six-spot in both years?
  3. Concerning the newbies (Mulligan, Sidibe, Hathaway, Leo, Bullock)... which do you think will return to the race and how soon/often? [Keep in mind that most don't. Approximately 67% of acting nominees are never recognized with a second nomination.]
    and...
  4. Meryl Streep's Julia Child offers to cook you dinner. But only if you eat it at the table with Sister Aloysius icily judging you with every bite, chew and shallow. Do you accept the offer?

48 comments:

Laika said...

1 - Streep in 'Doubt' is the performance that has really grown on me over time - like a lot of people, I didn't think much of it or the film at the time, but rewatchng it recently it felt a lot more cohesive - the interesting details Streep is so good at felt more in the service of a wider conception and less moment to moment pleasures. I like the movie better now too. If Hathaway weren't o good, Streep might even be my pick of the bunch, and I would never have thought that at the time.

2 - We will see more Hathaway, surely? I'm betting on a Julia Roberts style nomination spread - another one soon, a third and maybe a fourth later on in her career. Mulligan, yes, Sidibe, probably not, unfortunately, and I think Bullock will be a one-hit wonder - having rewarded her on her first time out of the gate, the academy will never notice her agai, no matter how good she is. They like her, but she isn't really their kind of girl.

Ben said...

Great post!

1) Angelina Jolie in Changeling. I know this film doesn't have a lot of fans, and whilst comparing it to Todd Haynes' inestimable Far From Heaven seems like heresy, I enjoyed it for many of the same reasons. Jolie's performance perfectly treads that line between homage to the old-fashioned pictures that Eastwood is evoking, whilst making you painfully aware of the loss she's suffered.

2) Sally Hawkins and Saoirse Roman. Both Happy-Go-Lucky and The Lovely Bones seemed to have traction that faded away for one reason or another.

3) Mulligan and Hathaway. Bullock can go back to being a great comic actress now she's got an Oscar in the bag and I don't fancy Oscar giving Sidibe and Leo another chance, although both were wonderful.

4) Depends what she's cooking? Ham? Doubt is the one performance of Meryl Streep's that I can honestly say I can't stand.

NATHANIEL R said...

Ben -- 1) interesting note about Jolie though i don't see it. anyone else? 4) what if it's like a full course meal? I think Meryl's Julia would ALWAYS serve ham though (wink wink)

Laika -- yeah, i think the Julia trajectory is a good call for Annie -- and not really because she is looking so Julia in the ads for that movie.

brandz said...

Streep's performance in Doubt has really grown on me over time. The first time I saw the film I thought her performance was rather comedic in a very serious role. Having recently rewatched the film I was able to focus more on the nuances and subtlety of her performance, rather than the overall movie itself. All my friends who attended Catholic school tell me this is exactly how the nuns behaved. I compare Streep's performance in this movie to Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. I now would rank this in the Top 5 Streep performances, so far.

John T said...

1. I think Leo's-I liked it a lot when I originally saw the movie, but it's grown and grown for me since then, and I dare say I've fallen in love with the performances deeper emotional edges. I think I like it better than I liked Hathaway that year, now.

2. Hawkins seems like an obvious bet for 2008 and Blunt for 2009. I've always wanted to know what the next 6-10 vote-getters are each year. It's too-bad they don't have a fifty-year rule on these things like they do with FBI files, so we could know who continually got close to a nomination but never actually got one.

3. Returners are such a weird bunch too-those 33% are never who you thought (who would have guessed that a Kathleen Turner or a Robert Mitchum would have never returned but that Marsha Mason would have four). Historically, though, I suppose that Carey Mulligan has the best shot of the group, and I think that Melissa Leo pulls a Brenda Blethyn and sneaks in a weaker year as a solid supporting player that will help round out a category.

4. Not only would I have the dinner, but you can invite Joanna Kramer and Miranda Priestley to make the evening even more uncomfortable. I'll take any Streep I can get.

Patrick said...

Mulligan, Hathaway and Leo will probably be nominated again and I would think Mulligan and Hathaway will one day win.

Walter L. Hollmann said...

1. Well, I love love love her Julia Child (my second choice for the win, behind Gabby Sidibe), but her Sister Aloysius is, for me, a camp immortal. I actually change back and forth between genuinely adoring Doubt and just loving it for it's OTT goodness. I love Streep's delivery of, "I'm beginning to think you're punching people." It feels like it's the ONE TIME she's trying to make everyone comfortable and good-humored, and it just FAILS. I think I've seen it five times.

2. I hope to God Sally Hawkins *at least* placed sixth. Just the fact that she didn't get in at all drives me ca-razy. I bet Emily Blunt was sixth most recently.

3. Oh, I think Hathaway and Mulligan are coming back, though only Hathaway will win, ten or fifteen years from now, on her third or fourth nomination. Little chance for the others, though. Bullock's got hers, Sidibe ain't coming back, Leo's in the "Just an honor" category (unless The Fighter is well-loved).

4. Yes, just to hear her condemn other secular Christmas songs: "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year shows a lack of respect for the slaughtering of firstborns that led to the Messiah's secretive birth in the first place. And children should not be jingle-belling."

Unknown said...

1. None, though none of the Actress nominees that I've seen from either 2008 or 2009 were "bad."

2. 2008 - Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky
2009 - Melanie Laurent for Inglourious Basterds

3. Anne Hathaway and Carey Mulligan will return. Melissa Leo is a big maybe. I think Bullock will get in for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, possibly for Gravity as well

4. As long as Viola Davis' runny nose wasn't near the food when it was being prepared (kidding, I loved Davis in Doubt)

Side note: 100% agree with your first choices for 2008 and 2009

cal roth said...

Which performance has grown on you?

- a) Streep in Doubt. I was impressed at first, but now I think it is one of her best turns. She is awesome when dealing with cold parts that require all her technical skills. This performance is a masterclass in every line delivery, brilliantly self-conscious of the fact she is going bordeline Disney (because the part is a bit like that) without losing focus on anger and all those strange feelings we see in that Sister. It is my winner.
b) Winslet is also very good in the movie. I liked the performance, but now I think she really deserved the Oscar even if that was her debut performance ans she wasnt that overdue. What changed my mind was a post in that Kate Winslet day, in which one of your guest bloggers talks about her early scenes. The church, the restaurant... Of course there will always be someone to dismiss the performance based on that trial scenes or her make-up, but when you see how committed she is int the beginning of the movie, you see how well her raw style of acting does good to such a raw human being as Hanna. Winslet is an instinctive actress, and all those animal reactions (fear, lust, lie as defense mechanism) are absolutely flawless. The movie, well, it hasn't aged well (I've seen it three times), but that backlash against Winslet is not fair. She wasn't the best (I'd vote for Streep, and then Hathaway), but was deserving.

- Jolie - I kind of see what Ben said, but not through the whole movie. She drops the ball when she has to be more emotional. A real classic actress would not go all the way, unless she was Jennifer Jones in Duel in The Sun, or Susan Hayward. But the movie didn't need a Jennifer Jones. It needed a Ingrid Bergman. She's better than we thought, and so is the movie (I am a fan of Clint but Changeling is not one of my favorites. It's only ok, not that disaster we all saw at first).

2 - 6th? Hawkins and... don't know?

3 - Mulligan will return and win the Oscar she should have won for An Education. I still haven't seen Never Let me Go, but I read a lot of reviews that mentioned how great she was. She only needs the right projects.

4 - Of course I accept. I'd be silent enjoying the performance.



Who do you think landed in the dread six-spot in both years? Concerning the newbies (Mulligan, Sidibe, Hathaway, Leo, Bullock)... which do you think will return to the race and how soon/often? [Keep in mind that most don't. Approximately 67% of acting nominees are never recognized with a second nomination.]
and... Meryl Streep's Julia Child offers to cook you dinner. But only if you eat it at the table with Sister Aloysius icily judging you with every bite, chew and shallow. Do you accept the offer?

cal roth said...

2008, other women for context... I know it never had a chance, but Juliette Binoche was awesome in The Flight of the Red Balloon.

Aaron said...

1. None of the performances have really grown or declined in favor with me. Regardless, I'll always think that Anne Hathaway hands down deserved the Oscar that year. Probably one of my top three favorite performances of the decade. Really brilliant work
2. Sally Hawkins most definitely got the "sixth" place vote. I really have no idea how she didn't make it that year--absolutely flawless performance, IMO. It makes me think that the Academy only likes Mike Leigh if he is doing dark, emotionally apparent work...I don't think they really knew what to do with Happy Go Lucky (like they didn't know what to do with Topsy-Turvy, really).
3. Hathaway will certainly be back (maybe this year, if Love and Other Drugs is great). Carey Mulligan has a good chance if her star rises. I don't really see Gabourey Sidibe, unfortunately...I see her having more of a successful television career, rather than as a film actress. Melissa Leo, maybe if she gets a strong supporting role. But overall I think Hathaway and Mulligan--since they are so young and at the beginning of their career--will certainly be back in the future.
4. And, no, I wouldn't have dinner. As much as I love Meryl, Catholic nuns freak me out...especially Sister Aloysius! Sorry!

fbh said...

note: I haven't seen Changeling or The Last Station

1. None. I stand by my first impressions.

2.
2008 - I would have chosen both Hawkins and Scott Thomas over Jolie and Streep
2009 - Cornish and Swinton over Mirren and Bullock

3.

Mulligan or Hathaway. Probably not Sidibe or Bullock. Leo has the chops if she gets the role.

4.

Hell yes.

/3rtfu11 said...

Which performance has grown on you?

Julie & Julia, for I recently saw the film for the first time. I know that’s not the same as a particular performance growing on you but it does have Streep earning serious praise from my end. I’m an 80s kid, Meryl Streep is name said in adult conversation with the kind of conviction we (then children) usually reserved for the likes of Freddy Kruger, Santa Clause, and Hulk Hogan. My first memory of actually recognizing her face came at a movie theater in 1989 with a trailer for She Devil (God awful). I remember she didn’t standout to me as particular pretty.

Who do you think landed in the dread six-spot in both years?
Blanchett (08) It would’ve been her most deserved nomination for Best Actress but they had to make room for the real Mrs. Brad Pitt. Swinton (09) Tilda has a fan base within the Academy but her weirdo taste, like Kidman’s keeps possible voters away because many aren’t interested in being spectators for esoteric avant-garde fare.

Concerning the newbies (Mulligan, Sidibe, Hathaway, Leo, Bullock)... which do you think will return to the race and how soon/often? [Keep in mind that most don't. Approximately 67% of acting nominees are never recognized with a second nomination.]

Leo will earn a 2nd nomination and possible win in the supporting category. Even if she had won Best Actress she would fit right in with Frances McDormand and Kathy Bates where a sole nomination and win in the Lead category doesn’t secure a place for you in future Best Actress races. The Academy doesn’t mind placing these Character Actress victories for Best Actress in the Supporting Actress ghetto for all subsequent nominations. Mulligan will return, Hathaway will win, Bullock is more than likeable, she’s loveable, and if she remains bankable Hollywood won’t hesitate to validate her initial nomination and subsequent win. Sidibe’s only hope is to become if I may barrow from Nick Davis a Best Actress: Slum Queen --- they will allow back in as a Supporting Actress contender.

Meryl Streep's Julia Child offers to cook you dinner. But only if you eat it at the table with Sister Aloysius icily judging you with every bite, chew and shallow. Do you accept the offer?
Yes I’ll do my best Hepburn imitation while she judges my eating. Letting her know who has 4 Best Actress Oscars, reminding that all the nominations were for Lead roles. And that I can see her acting click, click, click.

dinasztie said...

Interesting thoughts.
1) I haven't really decided between Leo and Streep, but sometimes I tend to love Hathaway. Winslet is great, but far from them.

2) Streep absolutely should have won! She was the best hands down. I think people don't appreciate her performance as she makes it look so light. She made me feel better (literally), I was so overwhelmed with joy after I saw her. And that's the MOST imporant mission of cinema and an actor. To make someone feel better. It's Meryl's greatest performance along with Sophie and Silkwood IMO. But I loved Sidibe and Mulligan too.
My ranking:
1) Streep
2) Mulligan
3) Sidibe
4) Mirren (she perfectly caught the spirit of the old Russia I must say)
5) Bullock

Andrew R. said...

1. Angelina Jolie in Changeling, I actually really like that film now.

2. For 2008, it was obviously Hawkins. For 2009, I think it was Emily Blunt in Young Victoria, unless Melanie Laurent got more votes in Lead than I think.

3. Bullock-no way. (Even if Gravity turns out great, they aren't very into one man shows.) Leo, soonish, since she's been getting some solid roles. Hathaway and Mulligan, someday, but not this year. Sibide...I really want to say yes, but it's doubtful.

4. Well, it depends on the meal. Because some of Julia Child's recipes are actually not very good, and adding a nun to them would make it horrific. (AND I'm an atheist, so that would not end well.)

As for 08 and 09 having divisive winners...2008 may be divisive, but the only people who thought Bullock deserved it are the people who stuck Blind Side in the Best Picture category. *gives them the evil eye*

2008 RACE:
OSCAR'S BALLOT FROM BEST TO WORST: Hathaway, Winslet, Streep, Jolie, Leo. Please note that I would've nominated Winslet for Revolutionary Road AND The Reader (she's better in RR, though), and I still like Melissa Leo's performance.
MY BALLOT, WINNER TO 5th: Hathaway, Hawkins, Winslet (see above), Streep, Jolie.

2009 RACE (it's October already, holy crap):
OSCAR'S BALLOT: Mulligan, Sibide, Streep, Bullock. I still haven't seen Last Station.
MY BALLOT: Mulligan, Sibide, Streep, Charlotte Gainsbrough for Antichrist, and Kim Ok-bin for Thirst. It's not like those last two would've been nominated anyway.

Danilo S. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Middle-P said...

not sure if this "counts"...but 6th place 2008 must have been kate winslet in revolutionary road...

The Pretentious Know it All said...

1. From the 2008 Best Actress field, I'd say Anne Hathaway's has grown the most on me, and I loved that performance and film in spades already. It rewards repeat viewings and I discover even more great actorly flourishes from Hathaway each time.
From 2009, I'd say Mulligan's has grown on me the most. I love how much she reigns it in, and maintains control over her scenes. She makes it very effortless, which often gets mistaken for "what's the big deal about this performance?"

2. I think in 2008, it had to be Sally Hawkins in the sixth spot, because fact: people loved that movie enough to give it a screenplay nod and that performance had its feverish partisans. In 2009, I'd say Emily Blunt, who I actually predicted over Helen Mirren on the reasoning that they're both British thesps garnering traction for period pieces that no one seems to care about. I wrongly gave the edge to Blunt because I figured since Mirren had won already, they might want to spread the wealth. Guess not.

3. I think of the two, Mulligan and Hathaway are most likely to return, in that order of probability. I think Mulligan may have a Joan Allen pattern of nominations, with no win (knock on wood). I just don't ever see her being beloved enough or baity enough to really pull off a win. Anne Hathaway, who is beloved and revered at this stage will definitely win at some point in the next 5-10 years, I'd wager, with at least 2 nods sprinkled in.

4. I'd absolutely accept. Free food is free food and I don't turn down anything accept my collar. Also, I went to Catholic school for over ten years. Nuns don't really scare me.

Danilo S. said...

1) None. For me 1st impression stays, at least in these cases.

2) Sally for Happy-go-luck, just amazing. What was Angelina doing in the ballots when they had such a better option?

In 2009 it was probably Emily Blunt, but she had no real chance. It was all setted up for these 5 girls anyway.

3) It's easier to say who will NOT comeback again, Sidibe. There are not many good roles for big black girls and they are all occupied by Queen Latifah.( Well actually there's only crappy roles since she basiclly makes junk movies, excepting Chicago).

4) For sure. And I'd Imagine everybody in the room naked. Nice picture.

/3rtfu11 said...

"It's easier to say who will NOT comeback again, Sidibe. There are not many good roles for big black girls and they are all occupied by Queen Latifah.( Well actually there's only crappy roles since she basiclly makes junk movies, excepting Chicago)."

Latifah fell into the comfort trap, which acting minorities who find themselves either Oscar nominees or Oscar winners given in to a false sense of job security and general level of industry respect. Only Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman has the luxury to jump from low brow to high brow fare without fear he won’t have any footing if he enters a career rough patch.

Chicago isn’t her only good film, Living Out Loud (1998). Her performance in Set It Off (1997) makes a mediocre movie worth watching. It was Oscar worthy but the Academy wasn’t enter that kind of uncharted urban territory yet.

Ángel Ramos said...

In my opinion, Meryl Streep's Julia is not only a great performance, it is also a beautiful one.

MRRIPLEY said...

1 - 2008 - Streep in Doubt,only the end and how she plays it seems phony now,i like her interaction with adams and hoffman but davis blows her away.

2009 - Bullock - I know it is polarizing but she did have 2 or 3 great scenes and basically she has real screen charisma and the film is no bad or worse than some past nominees

2 - 2008 - we'll see Hathaway,Leo,Streep and Winslet again Jolie maybe maybe not it'll have to be a career definer though!!!

2009 - Streep obviously,Mirren maybe and Mulligan for sure.Bullock and Sidibe have had their turn in the oscar spotlight

2008 - 6th spot - most likely Hawkins but may have been a surprise like Knightley

2009 - Ronan or Swank i feel v strong about Swank she did some real research and it shows,she had nothing to go on really.

mikhael said...

1. Carey Mulligan. Her performance was so good, that her character even it’s a girl has such an impact on me as a young people. It’s a performance from a girl who makes mistakes and she admits it and learns from it.

2. Sally Hawkins for 2008, although I haven’t seen Frozen River. Emily Blunt for 2009, she’s just like Rosemund Pike, a lovely lady with great talent and hasn’t been noticed a lot.

3. Mulligan and Hathaway. They’re young and will be offered great scripts to showcase their talent and will win an Oscar someday although there’s a chance one of them won’t win or even get nominated this year. But they’ll be back.

4. I would love to, but I would like to bring a friend of mine, Sally Hawkin’s Poppy to the dinner. Can I?

NATHANIEL R said...

mikhael -- i LOVE the suggestion of bringing Poppy to that dinner. But oh my god would Sister Aloysius hate her. lol.

the pretentious -- yeah i can see Mulligan as a Joan Allen type.

Middle P -- great point actually. I had never stopped to think about that but Winslet was probably in at least 6th place that year for Revolutionary Road, not Hawkins... or maybe even 5th... but since you aren't allowed two nominations maybe Angelina had the 6th place. ;)

OtherRobert said...

1 - I've only grown to better appreciate Winslet in The Reader and I liked the film when it came out. She really did quite a lot with that film and, baity though it seems, I've never had a problem with her winning (only because Hawkins wasn't nominated).

2. 2008 is tricky. It could have been the bumped Globes Drama nominee Scott Thomas or it could have been the Globes Comedy winner Hawkins. 2009 was probably Blunt as the Academy loves a good monarch performance and she was perfectly charming in the film. Had The Lovely Bones had any traction, Ronan would have been nominated. It was all or nothing with that film.

3. I want to jump up and down and scream until Sidibe is consistently cast in Hollywood films, but it's not going to happen. Golden Globes? Sure, if she goes with comedy and gets the right parts. Otherwise, it'll be a very unlikely to see her going for Oscar gold again. I see Hathaway being a returning nominee and Mulligan if she has material she can get into again. Leo needs just the right part and Bullock is going to be more polarizing than ever thanks to the win.

4. I've dealt with tougher nuns than Aloysius (don't ask), so it's an obvious yes for me.

Diana said...

Meryl Streep's performance in "Doubt" is atrocious. I'm sorry to say this, because I'm a fan, but she overacts through the entire film, and the confrontation between her character and Phillip Seymour Hoffman's verges into camp. Her performances in the past years aren't as believable and natural as they were in films like "Silkwood" and "A Cry in the Dark". Instead, I see more mannerisms and mugging. I adore and admire Meryl Streep, but the truth, as I see it, must be said.

Hayden said...

The only thing more predictable than the fact that Streep got nominated for these performances are the performances themselves.

And for as critical as this site can be of actresses who "earn" slam-dunk nominations (deglam, biopic, etc), I'm not sure what to make of its appreciation for Meryl post-Prada. I mean, really? Even her failures have tried way too hard. Am I supposed to be excited that she has a Margaret Thatcher biopic in the works? Of course she does! I *doubt* the performance will be any less surprising.

If I were to select the 5-7 best performances in her filmography to nominate (the usual allotment for really beloved actresses) I'm certain I wouldn't miss the rest. And even if I did, I think I'd look on them with more affection as "underrated gems" instead of "building blocks for the most inflated reputation of all time."

Not hyperbole. If the blogosphere and general public want to run with the "GReaTeST aCTReSS eVa" thing, I'm reserving the right to the "most overrated." It always comes across like I don't like her, but I do! I just want her to work for it.

Pat Mullen said...

1) Sandra Bullock aside, I really admired all these performances at first sight, but I love Streep even more in Julie & Julia with each viewing.
2) 2008: Scott Thomas
2009: Emily Blunt, although I think it was a pretty distant 6th.
3) I think Mulligan, Hathaway, and Leo will be back at least once, Hathaway more, though.
4) Heck yes. I'd ask her to say grace to warm things up, and then I'd ask for a second helping! (Though I'd decline sugar in my tea...)

Dave said...

1. I haven't seen any of them since (none of the films were cherished pets of mine, although it's been long enough that I'd love to see Rachel Getting Married again), so I can't really say. I've certainly cooled on some of them, but you said to stay positive!

2. Middle-P makes a great point that it probably was Winslet again, I'll agree with that. 2009 is a more difficult case; I don't really remember Ronan having much traction at all once the film actually arrived, so I'll gamble and say Swinton. After her win, people were likely paying a bit more attention to her, and she was critically cheered. I know, I'm very fanciful...

3. Mulligan strikes me as a very odd case because I don't think she has the 'obvious' beauty of Knightley, Blunt, etc. in order to star in any 'period' films that British actresses get nominated for so often, and, for now, she still seems too girlish to land parts that are really going to get her attention. I can't map out a career path for her at all.

Sidibe would have to strike absolute gold again, which just seems so unlikely. Leo is a possibility in the Supporting race, but I'll say not. Bullock seems happier to stick to her box office queen status, so unless the stars align for awards and $$$ to cross over (hopefully in a plum comedic role... hey, I can dream), I think she's had her moment too. (I still can't believe she won, to be honest, and not because I dislike the performance; I just never expected my childhood favourite to win an Oscar...) Hathaway is almost a cert unless something goes horribly wrong, but I don't see another nom for a few years.

4. No thanks. I'm jumpy enough as it is, I don't need a nun yelling at me because I bit into a pea at the wrong angle.

cal roth said...

This Sidibe case is so bad. Minorities still don't have enough roles. Remember that fantastic Q'orianka Kilcher? She wasn't even big as Sidibe but what happened? Where is her career?

Ian C. said...

1. Streep in "Doubt" has grown on me...I was disappointed when I saw it for the first time because I reaaaaally wanted it to be a slam-dunk, and the trailer had gotten me sooooo excited, but the performance is still compulsively watchable, and there are so many little moments in it that are pretty unforgettable...so no, it isn't perfect (and Shanley's direction sure doesn't help), but I still treasure it...

2. Sixth spot in both years probably went to Hawkins and Blunt. Although if I'm being NGNG (which is kind of pointless in this case...unless they release the nominations tallies someday...), I would wager that Blanchett may have been the sixth vote getter...

3. For repeats (number of subsequent nods) I would say Mulligan, Hathaway, and Leo, in that order

4. Of course I would accept Julia's invitation...I would try to make nice with S.A., and then if it didn't work I would pull a Mo'Nique in Precious and say "you got this bitch sittin here judgin' me!", pick up my plate, leave, and take it to go...

Paul.D said...

I did not have a problem with Streep's performance in Doubt as a certain type of nun and thought it was brilliant. Comments from numerous nuns and people who attended Catholic schools in the 1960's would tend to bear this out. Streep's performance in Julie and Julia was pure joy and another great example of her versatility.

Stefano said...

1) Meryl Streep in "Doubt"... wonderful performance, Meryl's electrifying on screen. It's really one of her best roles of the last decade.
2) In 2008, it was Sally Hawkins for "Happy-Go-Lucky". But we've got to consider that, without "The Reader", Kate Winslet would have been nominated (and would have won) for "Revolutionary Road", so she's also in the sixth spot in a way... I would have liked to see Kristin Scott Thomas nominated for "I've Loved You So Long" (such a beautiful performance!). In 2009, it surely was Emily Blunt for "The Young Victoria".
3) Maybe Melissa Leo this year for "The Fighter", but I'm not so sure (I've got a feeling this movie will flop with Oscars). Probably it will be Anne Hathaway, but only if she gets a big dramatic role...
4) A dinner with Meryl Streep? Of course!!!

mikhael said...

I can’t imagine if we substitute Sister Aloysius to teach Poppy the driving lesson.

Alex said...

1. Winslet's performance in "The Reader." I was really not a fan because I was very pro-"Revolutionary Road," but it's really grown on me and I'm fine that she won the Oscar for THAT performance. I still prefer Hathaway and Streep (loved her from the get-go), but I really do enjoy Kate in that.

2. I know it's against the grain, but I think it's Kristin Scott Thomas for 2008, not Hawkins. Melanie Laurent seems a sensible choice for 2009, but no one came close to cracking that top 5.

3. I could see them all coming back, actually. Hathaway and Mulligan will definitely be back. Leo will probably show up in supporting (maybe this year?) but I doubt another Best Actress nomination is in her future. I'm guessing her film career will end up very Frances McDormand. Sidibe landed a great role on "The Big C" so I can only hope her momentum keeps up. Bullock will be back, but it'll take awhile. She'll land a "Driving Miss Daisy" role eventually, but I think it'll take that long for her to be back.

4. Yes, but only if Julia and I get the kitchen to ourselves for dessert! :)

chris na Taraja said...

Ann Hatholway was my first too. some of her best work in RACHAEL GETTING MARRIED. A fine film. so surprised that they weren't up for score, especially how they brought the music into the piece. ANnie was robbed!!!

Ryan T. said...

1. I really liked Hathaway's performance in Rachel Getting Married, but I know A LOT of people loved it. In that context, I just wasn't that crazy over it. I saw the movie again a few weeks ago and I guess I'm slowly seeing what people REALLY saw from that performance. Then again can't really complain that year since Kate Winslet won for a role that gets way too much hate. I will forever love that role for giving her the Oscar. Love, love, love.

2. For 2008 it's certainly Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road. I mean yeah Sally Hawkins, but if Winslet wasn't nominated for The Reader, she was IN for RR. For last year, hard to say. If the movie was better received, MAYBE Saoirse Ronan, but she's "too young" to be double nominated. I'd say Abbie Cornish.

3. Definitely think Mulligan and Hathaway will get nominated again. I can see Leo and Bullock getting nominated, but I wouldn't bet a lot on it.

4. I've eaten with a mean nun before. The answer would be... no. That is all.

cal roth said...

I love to see that more and more people are getting to see how great Streep was in Doubt and Winslet was in The Reader.

RobUK said...

1) Which performance has grown on you?
Kate Winslet in The Reader. I still don't think it's the equal of Revolutionary Road, but I think she's pretty impressive throughout and has got better on return visits.

2) Who do you think landed in the dread six-spot in both years?
Sally Hawkins and Tilda Swinton. I just think that they both placed first on enough ballots to almost be in the mix, whereas I can't see Emily Blunt placing at the top of anyone's ballot last year; she'll have been picking up 4th and 5th slots.

3)Concerning the newbies, which do you think will return to the race and how soon/often?
Mulligan. I can imagine them properly falling in love with her.

4)Meryl Streep's Julia Child offers to cook you dinner. But only if you eat it at the table with Sister Aloysius icily judging you with every bite, chew and shallow. Do you accept the offer?
I'd even pay!

I'd add that I actually can't stick Streep's Julia performance, but I absolutely adore her in It's Complicated and I wish she'd got the nod for that.

Arkaan said...

1. Meryl's performance in Doubt has grown on me. It's a mediocre role in a mediocre play, but its interesting to see how she plays it nonetheless.

3. More Hathaway and Mulligan.

2. Sixth slot? Hawkins in 2008. No one in 2009.

4. Maybe. Can it be a big meal with leftovers? Enough for a food fight?

Bryan said...

There is no doubt in my mind that Sally Hawkins placed 6th in 2009. However, I have no idea who was 6th in 2010... that race seemed so clear-cut.

There is no way that Bullock will be nominated again. And Sidibe, sadly, will probably struggle to get parts worthy of her skill. That leaves Mulligan and Hathaway, and I expect both of them to be nominated again.

I was upset that Kate won in 2009, not because I dislike her, but because I liked her better in Revolutionary Road, and feel like she has had better performances in the past. However, over the last two years, I've decided to simply be happy that she (FINALLY) got her Oscar, which has allowed me to appreciate her performance in The Reader more.

Bryan said...

Oops, forgot Leo. Ironically, I bet that's what Oscar will do, too. Her nomination was her career honor; she'll probably need to up her profile for them to remember how good she is.

Thomas said...

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and say that Kate Winslet was probably in a sort of 6th place in 2009. Actually, I would bet that her two performances were both in the top 3 or 4, but obviously Revolutionary Road placed one or two lower and was knocked out.

Actually, I almost wish the Academy had bought into the category fraud, just so that Kate could have had two noms in the same year like Julianne Moore.

Orion said...

Well why not have Streep in race after Oscar race? She racks up the nods and her "street cred" while continuing to build her legacy as the GREATEST ACTRESS TO WALK THE FACE OF THE EARTH!. It's not like she's won ten Oscars or anything. The other girls are safe whether she's there or not. Just watch out if she's in a best picture nominee, doing a biopic, or working with a halfway decent director. Then all bets are off!!!

SoSueMe said...

I'm probably the only one who thinks Melissa Leo will be back at the Oscars several times in the next decade. The woman works a lot, and she is incredibly talented. A nomination for The Fighter is coming, no doubt.

SoSueMe said...

If Carey does My Fair Lady...she's got a second nom in the bag for sure. Hopefully the critics get behind her Never Let Me Go perf. And why not a supporting nom for Wall Street?
Totally disappointed Anne will not be back at the Oscars for Love and Other Drugs.

NATHANIEL R said...

SoSueMe ... i have found the online response to LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS so fascinating. The reports have been so conflicting and yet everyone believes whichever is the latest one -- no offense!

Romantic comedy Oscar nods are totally predicated upon audience reaction -- and we still have NO idea how the audience will respond.

SoSueMe said...

I hope I'm wrong about Anne...pretty sure she will be at the Globes!