Last week's top ten of Most Overdue for Oscar Wins got a lot of people going (119 comments). And it's interesting to me that the readers choice poll ranking is going to be quite different. Seems that 'round the web my confiscating of Peter O'Toole (on account of that honorary Oscar) was an unpopular move and that my #1 choice was deemed an act of Pfandom rather than a discerning view in linking articles... which is fine. I am a total Pfan. 'tis true. I try to curtail my general fannishness to some degree when I do this type of piece though it occasionally gets the better of me. I'm aware that I gushed too much in those Kristin Scott Thomas and Amy Adams interviews. Oops. I suddenly feel terribly hypocritical for bitching about James Lipton's creepy drooling all those years on Inside The Actor's Studio (I still can't finish an episode). As it turns out it's a bit difficult to be machinelike and unaffected in the presence of celebrity. Who knew ? ;)Anyway, it's interesting to me that Pfeiffer's long screen absence seems to have obliterated the strides she made in the late 80s, when the media/industry/public suddenly realized she was a great actress rather than only a great beauty. Public perception now seems to be great beauty who happens to act/used to act. If you rest you rust... or, at the very least, you appear to have rusted. Either way, the moral is the same: you have to stay in the game to win it.
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18 comments:
Reading your first paragraph I had the exact same thought that you were expressing in your second one. People keep forgetting that Michelle Pfeiffer's name was once uttered in the same sentence as Meryl Streep's. I don't remember if it was here or on another site where I read that in a poll about who's the Best living actress (from the late nineties?) Michelle came in second after Meryl. And she's considered due, rightfully, for her third one!
So you're a Pfan, big deal. It's your site, so obviously you're gonna Pfavor some Pfemales more than others. It's not your Pfault, just a personal Pfact.
... I may have gotten a little carried away...
Michelle Pfeiffer was uttered in the same sentence as Streep? Wow, I underestimate the greatness of La Pfeiffer. I was just watching her in Batman Returns and she was fantastic. It's amazing what some actors can do with a role that can easily go off a cliff.
side note: I was just thinking how great she would've been as April in Rev. Road even though I like Winslet in it.
I don't think you are anywhere near as bad a Lipton, Nat.
Nobody is as bad as Lipton, don't worry! The absolute worst was when Drew Barrymore was on the show, and as she told him some detail of her childhood drug abuses, he did this awful, theatrical gasp, widened his eyes and said "My God, Drew!", like he was her uncle or something. Eugh. I died.
Pfeiffer rules!
Three things for me to love her:
1. She's stunning in all her movies
2. She's healthy and beautiful (stopped smoking because of her children)
3. Well maybe a little bit of silly, but she has swedish ancestors and even talked about that she's sometimes is a little secret like swedes (I'm from sweden myself).
I was expecting more Pfeiffer love (justice) too, but I guess you have a younger (silent?) readership than expected. Johnny Depp is really considered so overdue?.
I hadn't noticed there was a poll until today, though. Just voted.
Catherine, sadly I remember that, or had forgotten until you reminded me. That was about the time I stopped being able to watch it, even to see some of my favorite actors it just wasn't worth it.
Lipton gets a lot of credit for having a Shatner-esque sense of humor though, and he became a wonderful part of the stock company on Conan O'Brien's show.
In '92 when she was Oscar nominated for "Love Field" I remember thinking how much better she was in "Batman Returns." Her lack of a nod for "White Oleander" really hurt me. I think she has to be much more prolific nowadays if she's going to be rewarded any time in the near future.
I think what will matter come Oscar season is Michelle Pfeiffer's support in the acting community. Look at the list of co-stars she's had who are now in the Academy - Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Mel Gibson, Alec Baldwin, Jessica Lange, Sean Connery, Glenn Close, Robert Redford, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, George Clooney, Queen Latifah, Sean Penn, Daniel Day-Lewis. If a good number of these people throw major support her way, others will follow.
She's practically guaranteed a Globe nomination, they love her (who couldn't?). The actors branch are the most important factor to consider and she has major respect among her peers. The Academy might smarten up and realize this could be their last chance to crown Pfeiffer.
I also think Pfeiffer's Oscar is going to be largely dependent on whether or not she's gotten along with her A-List costars (she's starred with over 30 Oscar nominees in her career).
One day, someone (w/ sarcasm I didn't pick up on) told me Lipton was a hate-fest, and having never seen it, and the fact of the show's title, I fully expected it to be this old crotchety guy yelling at inadequate young actors. I was so looking forward to seeing that! But instead when I actually saw it, I got him trying to fill out Bette Midler's career, carrying for 10 minutes on the genius that was "Big Business."
You definitely poured on the charm, Nat, with Kristin Scott-Thomas, but never w/ movies that didn't deserve at least some praise. So as long as anything you complement is better than "Big Business," I think you're okay. Let "Big Business" be your guide!
I dont see how she cannot get an oscar!
1)she is an awesome actress
2)she's hot
3)shes 50 and she's hot!
4)she's an awesome actress and she's hot
your website was just discussed on radio here; the hollywood correspondent for the abc (australian broadcasting corporation) said you were "boo-hooing that michelle pfeiffer hasn't got an oscar"
but i'm sure he meant it with love
I will boohoo until michelle pfeiffer gets an oscar
If Pfeiffer wants to win, she needs to work more, and remind people that she is as good as she is. Back in the early to mid-90s, people knew. Now, they have forgotten that's she overdue. Making movies like I Could Never Be Your Woman and Personal Effects, which go straight to DVD, don't help.
par --wow, thanks for letting me know. They can diss me so long as they mention me ;)
Just so you know , Personal Effects won't be a straight to DVD, it premiered last December in Iowa, it had a sneak preview in LA last week and it will have a preview on New York on Monday March 16 at the IFC center. Also, it's supposed to have a one week run in LA starting with March 27.
It's true that making an indie movie and with Ashton Kutcher won't help Michelle's chances for an Oscar but from what I'm concerned if she keeps making movies I don't really care if she gets an Oscar or not.
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