Sometimes when you love an actor, your adoration is easily justified. Nobody asks why. Perhaps they're in love too. Who is going to quibble with loving Ingrid Bergman for example? Yet, sometimes you have some 'splaining to do. Identification or lust or personal connection to actors is sometimes mystifying to those who aren't similarly fan-struck.
I meant to post this list (linked above through the title --which is a lyric sample from Christine Lavin's insightful folk song "Attainable Love") of my favorite silver screen goddesses ages ago. It's finally up. Who do you love? Which names are eyebrow raisers?
Monday, April 25, 2005
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11 comments:
I just emailed you this but then realized I should put it on your blog (to which he main link on your site is down btw).
I realize that Katharine Hepburn constantly topping All Time Best Actress lists is totally excessive and that you aren't especially fond of her, but I have to ask, do you really hate her or downright dislike her, or has her overratedness gone to your head or something. Do you have some respect for her talent, but no real admiration for her as some sort of screen goddess?
2 Nicks thinking alike on this one. Actually, my top two answers on this one would probably be Katharine Hepburn and Tilda Swinton, so I got beef witchoo, Nathaniel. :)
Re: the Great Kate, Long Day's Journey into Night is your one-stop shopping in terms of vaulting her onto this list, I would think. A triple feature with Suddenly Last Summer should seal the deal.
Don't go breakin' my heart.
Katharine Hepburn and Grace Kelly are the two MAJOR female stars to whom I have had the most trouble building up any sort of normal enthusiasm. Julia Roberts would be the modern division I suppose.
I should see Long Day's Journey Into Night...but in Suddenly Last Summer (a must see) I was too busy drowning in lust for Monty Clift (even after the accident) and Liz Taylor (always and every time I see her) to notice... My fav Hepburn performance is (by far) Bringing Up Baby
As for Tilda Swinton. That was category C) Oops. I forgot! I loves me some Swinton.
When I wrote "triple feature" for Hepburn, I meant to include Holiday as the third film, though Bringing Up Baby her other '38 film, works just fine. Glad you like her in that, at least.
I just noticed that my third favorite English-language actress, Jessica Lange, is also missing here. Jessie's a supernova but an uneven one, which is part of what I love about her. As a Judy G fan, I'm sure you understand?
Sorry to be a thorn in your side. You know I love the rest of the list. You know I'm'a make one now, too.
no aussie actresses? judy davis? toni collette?
My very favorite actress right now is Kate Winslet. I could just watch her in anything. And she's always so much fun offscreen, in interviews and such. I just love her. And that career... she really made it to the top in record time and stayed there, not by trying to be famous, but by being hella talented and making good choices. She landed Heavenly Creatures and Sense and Sensibility (and Titanic too) her breakthrough roles, totally through talent and commitment, and you gotta respect that. One could argue that she never really paid her dues since she's had it so good so early, but I think she was just great enough to make it right off the bat (I guess it was sort of luck that she happened to find such perfect projects as HC and S&S so early on, but hey, she earned them anyway...) I just think her career's so admirable. NO one else has proven they can run the gamut from the most obscure of indie flicks (Holy Smoke!) to the biggest movie of all time (Titanic) and be stellar all the way through. Not to mention Eternal Sunshine, Heavenly Creatures, Iris, Quills, Jude, Sense & Sensibility, etc. She's just awesome. I'm just in love with her right now. Julianne is slipping in my ratings after a few lackluster years, though I still love her too.
I also really really like Anjelica Huston. Huston's Grand High Witch is one of my very favorite screen villians (or characters, for that matter) EVER. The rest of her filmography's not bad either.
I will admit to not being very familiar with many older generation actresses but of modern day actresses I have deep feelings towards:
Joan Allen (ROBBED FOR PLEASANTVILLE, I TELLSYA)
Nicole Kidman
Kate Winslet
Chloe Sevigny (don't ask me why I JUST LOVE HER!!!)
Patricia Clarkson
Zhang Ziyi
Kirsten Dunst
and Scarlett Johansson is definitely on her way.
I really like Marilyn Monroe, Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis, Grace Kelly and Ellen Burstyn from the films of theirs that I have seen.
And on the matter of Natalie Wood... well, I'm torn. I've only seen two of her films (Rebel and West Side Story) and while I absolutely love her in Rebel, i thought she was the weakest part of an otherwise fabulous WW Story.
-Glenn
Joan Allen was indeed robbed for Pleasantville. SO good in it. Plus she won like the Boston, LA, and Broadcast film critics awards and still didn't get a nod. Bizarre.
And yeah, I don't know how suited Natalie Wood was for WSS. Her accent seemed affected, and you could tell it wasn't her singing. I LOVE West Side, but I agree that Natalie wasn't the best part... she was even nommed for best actress for a different film that year. That would never happen now.
well as a die hard WSS fan I can say that even I would have nominated her for that "other film" the same year instead because Splendor in the Grassis her absolute best performance.
I also l-o-v-e her work in Bob, Carol, Ted, and Alice "Oh, insight!" but I guess that's a minority opinion to some extent.
I also emailed you asking why Katharine Hepburn was not mentioned on any of your lists.
You should try Adam's Rib, she is superb.
My favorites:
Michelle Pfeiffer
Katharine Hepburn
Meryl Streep
Greta Garbo
Bette Davis
Glenn Close
Julianne Moore
Kate Winslet
Nicole Kidman
Isabelle Hupert
Fernanda Montenegro
What happened to Jennifer Jason Leigh?
Well, there are so many...
Marcelo - Brazil.
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