Ready? "Why is no one reh-dee?"
GIRD YOUR LOINS!
Ten Best Miranda Priestley Line Readings
10 "My flight has been cancelled... "How incredulous and put out she sounds without even raising her voice. The way she says "school" when referencing her kids recital which she's desperate to attend is giggle worthy, too. So childish. Translation 'How could such a thing happen to the center of the universe... me?'
09 "There you are Emily. How many times do I have to scream your name?"
'Actually my name is Andrea.' Oh shut it Hathaway. She doesn't care. She will call you what she likes and you'll come running. Streep's double sided reaction to this interruption is A+ perfect. She's almost delighted that someone is talking back to her -- the novelty! -- stifling an awkard smile/laugh. But then immediately reasserts control with a list of demands. The silent hanging punchline is so choice "And Emily..."
08 "I agree. No business tonight. Enjoy"
I couldn't include only her bitchiest quips! Thrown by the appearance of her rival Jacqueline, Streep gives us just a peak at Miranda's vulnerability in the gala sequence. Her boss doesn't want to discuss her cryptic reference to a note. She acquiesces by pouring the charm on a little too thickly, a little too needily. Everyone has a boss... even bosses from hell.
07 "And you can do anything... right?"
She wants the Harry Potter unpublished manuscript for her twin daughters. Normally Miranda's bitchy lobs are masked as power displays or excusable from a certain kind of 'Do your job' angle. But this time she's pissed. This one is a direct and purposefully impossible challenge. It's a gauntlet thrown down. For once she doesn't pretend otherwise.
06 "The truth is there is no one who can do what I do."
This line is uttered in the middle of her final monologue in which she is both rationalizing her own actions and chastising Andie on her holier than thou perch. The line is true enough of the character. But it's also not directed at the woman she's speaking too but to herself. It's a pep talk for a narrow escape from the competitors nipping at her heels.
And yes, the line is also true enough of the actress.
05 "You have no sense of style or fashion... No, no. That wasn't a question."This isn't the first laugh Streep wrings from the lengthy opening act interview scene which introduces all four principals but it's her first "joke" in the movie as Andie's (Anne Hathaway) interview wraps up. I still remember the peals of laughter in the theater.
04 "Why is no one reh-dee?" AND "By all means move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me."
So quotable. These two lines are fraternal twins though they are separated by the bulk of the movie. They both spin their comedy from Miranda's exasperated and exasperating impatience. The second impatient quip is uttered when she is at her weakest, determined to work and succeed even in the face of another divorce. The breathy weariness that she employs when annoyed is suddenly not an affectation but the reality.
03 "This...stuff?" (aka the "Cerulean" monologue)
This whole speech, in which Priestley schools her clueless new assistant, is gold. We've written about it before. What's truly remarkable about the scene, which I'd name as the best in the film, is that it's madly multitasking. It brings all four principles together and underlines their place in the narrative while showing us not just workplace politics but actual work (a rare site in movies!). It's a showboating monologue that doesn't interrupt the flow of the storytelling but is the story.
We already know that Miranda Priestely is an über bitch and a major success, but suddenly we're forced into reconsidering our own ideas about the value of what she does and why she's so good at it; it's not just Andie's education but ours. Miranda is working during the whole speech -- "I think we need a jacket here" -- and teaching us the business. The speech, beautifully written and exceptionally delivered, is actually full of hostility and condescencion but somehow we emerge from the other end of it not hating being dressed down but enjoying our own comeuppance. Plus it's "sort of comical" to borrow from the fashionista headmistress herself.
02 "That's all." It's not that it's her signature catchphrase. It's that each and every time those two syllables slip from her mouth, they carry different weight and meaning. And yet, it's never so simple an actor's trick as varying the punctuation mark. "That's all" is always quiet and simple like a period. It's never an exclamation point, question mark, or even ellipses. So how does she do it? We don't know. It's a magic trick from a seasoned confident showman. Professional magicians don't give away their best secrets.
01 "So often they turn out to be dissapointing and... stupid." AND "I said to myself 'Go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart fat girl.'"
These twin lines in which she brutally crushes both Emily (stupid) and Andie (fat) are SO mean. But the brillance of Meryl's delivery is that though the text is actually about Miranda admitting fault the delivery is anything but that. She's coddling herself throughout, gently coaxing herself to 'take a chance' and forgiving herself by blaming both assistants. The self regard is as tall as the office building and as transparent as the glass behind her. It's funny, too.
[Great Moments in Screen Bitchery #12, The Devil Wears Prada]Listen, it's true that any number of actresses would have been great fun in this role. But Meryl Streep isn't just playing the caricature but a character. She's finds abundant shade and multiple gradations of color. Other actresses would have been blue; Meryl Streep is turquoise, lapis and cerulean.
*
Which brings us to Oscar nomination #14. We're almost done surveying the Streep Oscar fields, how about that?
And the nominees were...
- Penélope Cruz, Volver
- Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
- Helen Mirren, The Queen *winner*
- Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada *Nathaniel's vote*
- Kate Winslet, Little Children
Other women for contextProbably Came Close: none; Traction Trouble: Maggie Gyllenhaal (Sherrybaby)... but what a performance! Her best outside of Happy Endings I think. I wish I'd nominated her for my own awards.; Low Impact (Not Necessarily Their Fault): Annette Bening (Running With Scissors), Kirsten Dunst (Marie Antoinette), Ivana Bacquero (Pan's Labyrinth), Gretchen Mol (The Notorious Bettie Page), Laura Dern (INLAND EMPIRE), Naomi Watts (The Painted Veil); Box Office Queens: Beyonce Knowles (Dreamgirls), Jennifer Aniston (The Break-Up) and Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine)
What's your favorite Streep moment in Prada? And now that we have four years worth of hindsight, what do you think of the 2006 field but more specifically, what do you make of the absolute lack of competition both in who the final five would eventually be and in who won?
if you liked this post, try also... Streep at 60 or 10 Best Pfeiffer/Catwoman Line Readings
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58 comments:
Sorry, but I still think Streep was supporting in Devil Wears Prada, just my opinion.
my fave line is "am i reaching for the stars here,i don't think so" you almost don't hear the last bit.
this is still a strong field i felt winslet was the weak 5th spot sometimes she was aces others weak or was it the film she was in,i never believed in her and brad she is good but not great like 3 of them,mirren 4th is sort of iconic in this role she is the new judi dench nommed for anything 'cos she played the queen once 7 did it well although some parts do not work the queen making jokes and the line "yes let's" is badly delivered as if she is in a spoof,cruz i put 3rd sipmly for the meaness she puts in a lovely perf but she should a done her own singing but she is so sexy and fresh i will forgive here,dench is 2nd best in show because this is what she needed a role that said i am worth all those noms.
and streep is no well you said it all nat!!
Every, and I mean EVERY word she shays in this movie is example of Streep's genius.
But my favourite moment is #9 on your list.
And Emily... and this thing in her eyes when she is looking at Hathaway. Brilliant!
Vertigo -- yes. AND i love that she totally knows her name is not Emily. haha. It is my favorite ellipses in the movie.
Mirripley -- oh, that's a great one. I was trying to write them all down and eventually i just had to go with 10 of the EVERY.
Nicholas -- supporting or lead, it's still the same performance. Oscarable. I have seen this several times and it is rather surprising how little she's in it. BUT her scenes so dominate the movie that it's hard to imagine the movie at all without her so therefore lead (but i get the argument).
i'd say she dominates this movie far more than Anthony Hopkins dominates The Silence of the Lambs and he's a clear lead to me. But the difference is probably that Lambs is strong even when Hopkins isn't onscreen. Prada suffers (not from Hathaway's performance which is very good and i think people are mistaken when they claim otherwise) from a weakness in virtually every scene that strays from the fab four: BLUNT, TUCCI, STREEP, HATHAWAY. the scenes with Hathaway's friends just don't work (not just because they don't make any sense: they're all in image fields at the beginning of big careers but they don't understand her change of image and working long hours ? it make no damn sense)
Nat, could you direct me to where you talked earlier about the Cerulean speech? It's also my favorite scene in the movie and I would love to read more about it.
Just re-watched this the other day, and while I don't like it as much as you do, I do admit that all four leads are very good, and, most likely, a large factor in the movies success.
As for awardage, 2006 never really stuck out as a terrific year for leading actresses, but my ballot would probably look something like this.
Maggie Cheung, Clean
Luminita Gheorghiu, The Death Of Mr. Lazarescu
Shareeka Epps, Half Nelson
Laura Dern, Inland Empire
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Very strong best actress line-up (and good movies too, which is very rare ). My vote goes for Penelope. Absolutely brilliant.
OMG Meryl *really* inspires you!
I think you nailed it.
Some of my favorites:
"sort of comical" -- with a "you poor thing" look
"has she died or something"
"bore someone else with your.. questions"
Alright, I admit it. EVERYTHING in that performance is my favorite bit.
That was the Oscar season I found out about thefilmexperience and I became instantly addicted. It was a great year since Streep, Winslet and Dench were rightfully nominated. I would give Dench the Oscar.
The top 5 were predictable because:
1) Streep was great and.. La Streep
2) Dench was great and.. La Dench
3) Winslet.. the same
4) Mirren played the Queen and she was at least convincing
5) Hathaway, well, I guess they really liked her.
And since both Streep and Dench were previous winners, Mirren had no problem winning against two realtively young actresses especially since she was playing the Queen.
One question in regards to great moments: Is "Here comes Don Quixote Smith" on it?
This post is absolutely brilliant! I never realised the metatextual reference in the line "The truth is there is no one who can do what I do." So true!
It may be cliché, but every single line Miranda says is my favourite. I love the expression on Andy's face when she finally understands why everyone was going crazy about Miranda's early arrival when she says "Am I reaching for the stars here? Not really." Meryl is just exquisite.
I remember at the time of the 2007 Oscars I felt a comedy was too weak a vehicle for Meryl to win, but the more I watch the movie the more convinced I'm that her portrayal is pure genious. It's a very often misunderstood performance, just as the film is waaay underrated. I'm so happy you always do it justice, Nathaniel. Can't wait for the Prada round of Hit Me With Your Best Shot.
5 great actresses doing amazing work (altough I would have repalced Mirren with Dern).
The BEST field this category has had in years!
And they're all Oscar Winners now...
I remember being SO annoyed at how those 5 slots for Best Actress were locked up without any chance of a surprise nomination, and not only were the nominees locked up, so was the winner. We all knew Mirren had it in the bag from the get-go. That being said, it's also probably my favorite group of performances of that decade. Mirren, Cruz, and Dench are all giving the best performances of their careers, but Streep and Winslet are coming pretty close too. That year, Dench was my favorite (still stand by that) but Streep is VERY good. Best line-up of the decade, it's just too bad we didn't have to fight for any of them to get it.
Meryl Streep wrote this movie. I mean (obvs), things that wouldn't even be jokes on the page were funny because of Streep brilliantly plotting out this bitch. Can we give her another nom for writing this one?
I'm a "Streep was supporting" believer, too, but I'm not disappointed she was nominated. It's a wonderful comedic turn.
Mirren is still my unquestioned win, and The Queen still wins Picture for me, too. I love that movie. I'd nominate Mirren, Winslet, Gyllenhaal, Baquero, and Dern. Back then, I hadn't seen Inland Empire, so Mol kept swapping out with Dunst and Colette for the fifth spot. I hated (Hated!) Notes on a Scandal with a passion for being so...flashy and baity in the stupidest way possible. I respect what Winslet and Dench did, but cannot reward them for such awful "LOVE ME" material.
OtherRobert -- i totally get that even if i don't feel it, particularly for Dench who was the best she'd ever been in NOTES even though the movie is ...uh... problematic to say the least.
Marsha... Meryl writing it would explain a lot. But i thought only Emma Thompson was a brilliant screenwriter AND actor. you know what's weird to me: emma thompson has an oscar for both acting and screenwriting and the next person who will have that is matt damon. And I can't quite put the two of them together.
Fernando -- Dern is brilliant in INLAND but i would take out Winslet for Gyllenhaal in a heartbeat now (even though i had them at #6&7 when i did my awards, i'd flip the order and slide Gyllenhaal up to 5th place. and Mol down one notch to #6.
It's simply one of the best Best Actress lineups ever, or at least of the past decade. And the others on the outside edge were so great as well. Meryl and Kate Winslet both vie for my favorite, but I'm in love with Cruz as well. Her best work yet. And I haven't even mentioned Dench.
But oh, Meryl is so great in this movie. Thanks for this list, so great to reminisce!
MY Lineup:
1. Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada: In the beginning I support Dench, but after second views, I'm now a Miranda Priestly fan. She's outstading!!!.
2. Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
3. Laura Dern, Inland Empire
4. Penelope Cruz, Volver
5. Helen Mirren, The Queen
Alt: Juliette Binoche, Breaking and Etering & maggie Cheung, Clean
Go bother someone else with your questions!
I saw Little Children one night on HBO and couldn't stop watching. It felt so real and strange...I had so many questions afterward. So dark, really.
I loved that year's actress lineup. It's the rare Best Actress lineup that I wouldn't change a bit even if I could. Each of the 5 give excellent performances. I would given the Oscar to Judi Dench. Her work in Notes on a Scandal is a profound, troubling, agonizing experience.
Ha! I'm so glad my favorite line was first. I could listen to a recording of her line readings from this film for hours, she cracks me up.
I totally agree with Nicholas about this truly being a supporting role, but I also agree with Nat in that it's still worthy of it's nomination (or "Oscarable" as he put it). I think Hathaway's work is so underrated in this film though, her every action and reaction is perfect. Nat, I'm also glad to see that you found the same faults in the film that I did. I liked the actors who played her friends, but the situation was so totally unbelievable and I felt like I never saw Andie become the monster they said she was.
As for the Oscar line-up that year, I'd move Meryl to Supporting and throw Gyllenhaal into the Best Actress race. Her work in Sherrybaby was mesmerizing.
Nathaniel,
You felt Beyonce was nomination worthy in Dreamgirls? Please see the Meryl Streep praised performance from Beyonce in Cadillac Records as Etta James. It’s a solid piece of supporting actress work ignored by all awards bodies.
I wish Helen won for The Madness of King George so she wouldn’t have to win this contest. I’d love for Dench to have taken it.
@Marsha + Nathaniel
Actually, Streep improvised two scenes: the vulnerable couch scene where she tells Hathaway that she's getting divorced, and the roundtable scene where she puts down every editor sans Tucci.
Thus adding to her strong track record of elevating movies in every way possible (re-wrote all her court speeches for Kramer vs. Kramer!)
Terrific tribute to one of the best comedies of our era. I am often surprised that more people don't acknowledge this movie's greatness. What other recent film has so much brilliant, quotable dialogue?
Also of note: Even after Miranda deigns to address Andy with her actual name, she insists on giving it her own pronunciation ("Ahn-DREY-a"), thereby maintaining a proprietary control.
"Don't be ridiculous, Andrea. Everybody wants this. Everyone wants to be us."
And let's not forget to credit screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna.
Yes, this was a really strong year! Probably either the 1st or second best lineup this last decade! My thoughts:
1. Dench (Incredible, one of the best nominees)
2. Winslet (Brilliant, beautiful. One of her best)
3. Streep (Fabulous)
4. Cruz (Really good)
5. Mirren (Very good, but not as good as they said then. Worthy winner though)
And great post!
And what do you think is the strongest Best Actress year ever? And which nominees do you have left to see, if you haven't seen them all?
Terrific tribute to one of the best comedies of our era. I am often surprised that more people don't acknowledge this movie's greatness. What other recent film has so much brilliant, quotable dialogue?
Also of note: Even after Miranda deigns to address Andy with her actual name, she insists on giving it her own pronunciation ("Ahn-DREY-a"), thereby maintaining a proprietary control.
"Don't be ridiculous, Andrea. Everybody wants this. Everyone wants to be us."
The Cerulean speech is what sticks out for me, but I agree that the "they always turn out so disappointing" really stuck with me. I think that there's a degree of self-blame there, but she redresses and almost dismisses herself for even putting herself on an even keel.
I would have given the Oscar to Cruz (of the nominees), Huller (of everyone eligible), but Streep's is the performance to remember.
I think this is a great year for female leads.
My ballot would look like:
Half Nelson - Shareeka Epps
Inland Empire - Laura Dern
Notes on a Scandal - Judi Dench
The Queen - Helen Mirren
Volver - Penelope Cruz
With Cruz probably taking the win. I love Streep in this film but the competition is just too high and someone has to come in sixth. Although maybe seventh after Kate Winslet.
It's only a few years but yes, looking back at the 2006 nominees, regardless of one's thoughts on the individual performances, what wonderful women!
Great piece Nathaniel - made me smile aplenty.
I love love love this movie and Meryl in it. I can watch it over and over. Emily Blunt is fantastic too and should have been nominated. She got a film bitch nomination, right?
As for best actress, I feel this should have been Meryl's 3rd win. She's genius. Almost as good but not quite is Dench, so deleicously evil.
I guess it would've been too obvious to choose the Cerulean speech as #1. I still think that was the best moment of the entire film.
I will forever be torn between Cruz and Streep for that year. Now that Cruz won, I wish Meryl had for Prada. Mirren was great though; very dependable but it didn't shine like Raimunda and Miranda did for me.
as much as i enjoy meryl in prada i only ever rewatch the film to see emily blunt steal scene after scene (shoulda been nominated, shoulda won)
the first time i saw the film miranda made me smile/smirk the whole way through but only made me laugh out loud once - on her very last line - "go"
my best actress line-up that year was streep, dench, mirren, gyllenhaal and emily barclay for the aussie film suburban mayhem with dame judi the winner
nathaniel dear, that is one great piece! TDWP ia always on my list as one of fave films,
miranda priestly was brilliantly portrayed by streep, and in my opinion, there is no other actress who can do it better. even the very simple lines like "that's all" and "go" was just perfectly delivered.
what's funny about this, is that sometimes when my "bitchy moments" arrive, i steal lines from miranda and say them to annoying people.
i think Streep's performance in Prada is what launched her to super-super stardom. i mean, we all knew she was great up until that point (perhaps the best, ever?). but with this role, Streep was able to reach a whole new generation, those that never saw her films from the 1970s, 80s or 90s. Streep owned the film, turned in one of the best comedic performances of all time and deserved to be nominated as Lead Actress. I still think I would have given the Oscar to Dench (so evil) though. very tough call.
The Academy (and every other awards group) REALLY got it right.
Every awards group picked the 5 best performances and rewarded Helen Mirren, the best of the lot. Only other performance worth noting who wasn't nominated: Naomi Watts in Painted Veil.
lucheea said... Miranda Priestly was brilliantly portrayed by streep, and in my opinion, there is no other actress who can do it better. even the very simple lines like "that's all" and "go" was just perfectly delivered.
Yes! My favorite is the way she said "go" to the driver after seeing Andie on the street at the end of the film. Not showy, strident - just purposeful.
We'll talk about it later, but I don't understand how you can think this performance is so brilliant (it is) and still reject her killer turn in Doubt. Same tricks, equally praise deserving.
I'd vote for Winslet, no doubt. Silver, Streep, Bronze, Dench. I'd go with the same 5th Oscar nominees.
And I don't think she is supporting. Sometimes the movie is not about a character, but this part may still be a leading role.
Yeah, every single word she says is brilliant. BRILLIANT. One of the few truly iconic performances of the last decade.
I love the cerulean speech especially because it works as a way of subtly ridiculing the people who criticise these sort of movies as being mass-produced and not important or worthy. I would bet more work went into this movie than 13 austere, bleak arthouse movies.
dude, nathaniel, this was a FANTASTIC post!!! so much fun to read! you hit the nail on the head after andie's name correction - "and emily..." eyes scroll from head to toe. death stare. "that's all." i also love "go" at the end - despite the glimpses of respect of andie we see in the 3rd act, she's still the same. a thousand bows to blunt for stealing as many scenes as she did, considering the shark she was acting opposite.
worthiest final 5 for best actress in a longgg time (though I had forgotten how divisive Winslet was.) choosing between streep and dench ("you're not young!") is a heartbreaker. it's a photo finish, and yet i know streep earned it all the way.
-dom
I fell very powerful and full of energy after reading this post;
Meryl's somehow enables you to dream big while watching Miranda in the movie.
You really have that nice feeling in your stomach after the end of the film. Somehow neither Andrea nor Miranda emerged as a victor and they are the obvious 2 leads in the movie.
I remember reading somebody saying that Oscars should be awarded with at least a 10 year delay, because you give the movies and the performances time to age and really stand out. Miranda will definitely stand out for a long long time, while Mirren's Queen is already boring to me. I haven't seen Volver (don't kill me) so in my case it's between Dench and Streep, but Streep is doing Iconic, One of a kind Comedic turn (as interesting and different as Daryl Hannah's Ell Driver in Kill Bill) and therefore the Oscar goes to Meryl Streep :-)
I also remember LOVING Emily Blunt from the very first moment she showed up in the film and WAITING for more scenes with her; she should have been Oscar nominated for her work too.
I liked Little Children and Kate was very good in it, but it ain't worthy of an Oscar.
Penélope Cruz gave the best performance in any movie that year. If the Academy wasn't so ridiculous about "owing" Oscars, she would've won, but nope, they love perpetuating that silly tradition and awarded Mirren for all her past work and a few years later awarded Cruz for not giving her this one. Silly, silly AMPAS...
Cate Blanchett was co-lead, not supporting, in Notes on a Scandal, and her work affected me more than Dench's. But you play category fraud, you lose to Jennifer Hudson.
Nathaniel I have been reading you for 5ish years now and I gotta say this piece is one of your best...truly inspired.
However, you left out one of my favorites that me or my boyfriend recite or adapt to the situation about once a week:
"And this layout for the Winter Wonderland spread. Not wonderful yet..."
The way she trails off at the end of that statement...its her perfect blend of serious work tone, highlighting her own intelligence, tearing down everyone around her, and joking in her own sadistic way...sheer brilliance...
I would have moved Meryl Streep to supporting (and winning) and put Laura Dern in her place.
I'm sorry, but no Best Actress 2006 line-up is complete without Laura Dern for INLAND EMPIRE in it.
Gahh, I could on forever, but I, too, love "at SCHOOL!"; I adore "please bore someone else with your...questions"; and I always get such a pitiful kick out of "Oh, and if you don't have that Harry Potter book by then [head tilt, grimace] don't even bother coming back."
But, by far, my fave is the cerulaean monologue. I know it by heart (don't we all?).
It's a bona fide contempo classic, TDWP.
I always took Miranda's line about her other girls being "stupid" as being about the past assistants that she's fired, not Emily. At that point in the film, it seemed like she held Emily in high regard. But that was definitely a pointed stab at Andrea. I think I would have picked "That's all" as number one just for the ubiquity, but this was an awesome top ten. Makes me want to revisit "The Devil Wears Prada" ASAP on DVD, tonight even!
I'm ready to call the 2006 race the best of the decade. All of these five nominees could have been highly deserved Oscar winners, and not a dud in the group (and there's at least one dud in every lead actress race this past decade). If Streep had won here, the incessant third Oscar talk would finally cease, and she could have shown even more range by winning for a comedy. Winslet winning here would have avoided her later horrible win. Cruz argubly hit her peak with the brilliant "Volver." First-time newbie status probably hurt her, but this role showed the world that she was ready to be taken seriously as a real actress and not just as a Tom Cruise ex. Judi Dench was stunning in "Notes on a Scandal," and really could have taken this had she not won before. But Helen Mirren swept 30+ awards and was never losing. She was stellar in "The Queen" too, and I can't begrudge her the Oscar either. Great field of nominees truly, and still no room for Maggie Gyllenhaal for "Sherrybaby." But that's how it goes sometimes unfortunately.
One of my favorite tiny bits in Prada is that sequence where Miranda keeps heeping her things onto Andy's desk and says, at one point, "Why isn't my breakfast here? Are my eggs here? Where are my eggs?"
Winslet winning here would have avoided her later horrible win.
You believe it to be horrible why? I like The Reader.
After hearing all the bitching about it from the several groups – Jews tried of The Holocaust being exploited (we Gentiles are as well) and the fan boys for The Dark Knight (it’d be nothing without Heath Ledger) I was in shock at how enjoyable the actual movie was.
Although I would agree it’s not Kate’s best it’s a superior win over the nominations for Titanic and Sense and Sensibility. The woman earns 6 nominations; doesn’t mingle much in Hollywood (lack of quality female material hell) so many Oscar nominees and winners find themselves in.
I'm no big expert on that year in movies, but I love both Dench and Streep's performances.
As for my favourite line, it still has to be, "Find me that piece of paper I had in my hand yesterday morning." It's so bizarrely casual, as if she expects Andie to just automatically know what piece of paper she's talking about. And she does expect that, because she's Miranda Priestly. I think it's the best sum-up of that side of her character in the film.
Are you new or something 3rtfu11? There's been enough material to write a book on how godawful "The Reader" was and Kate Winslet's Oscar win. Go and browse through the internet for more information on that. I'm not expending any more energy on that shitty film and role.
my fav Miranda's line would be..
1. AND emily.. *brilliant delivery*
2. the details of your incompetency do not interest me!!! *ouch*
And Winslet winning for the true correct performance (that'd be ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND) would've avoided her later win for The Reader (which I, too, thought was undeserved). She acted very well, of course, but I don't feel that performance as an Oscar-winning one. Doesn't seem to make much sense, you know...
People still debate whether Streep was lead or supporting, but I'm glad she was nominated in lead. Had she been nominated in supporting, we'd have to witness her loss to JENNIFER HUDSON! (And don't think that wouldn't have happened. It would. J-Hud had all the momentum and was unstoppable).
Also, I have my doubts if Streep would've took that Oscar if it wasn't for Mirren's presence. I still think they'd prefer Winslet because of her overdue status. Plus, The Devil Wears Prada, as a movie, isn't exactly the kind of movie they feel comfortable bestowing an acting Oscar upon.
Having said that, allow me to say that Streep was also my #1 female performance of that year. For the exact same reasons you listed, Nat.
GASP! Nate highlighted one of my all-time favorite performances in one of my all-time favorite comedies of the millenial era, and I missed it?! (Irony of ironies, I was not the biggest fan of the film when I initially saw it in the theater.)
At any rate, I have nothing but infinite love for Streep in "Prada" for the simple fact that she wastes not a single moment. Every line, gesture, and look has purpose and thought behind it. It's the specificity of the performance that makes it so great.
Right now, the line that is on permanent loop in my head is, "Go." My best friend and I use it quite often.
Each year ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY anonymously interviews a handful of Academy voters about who and what they cast their ballots for. One of them that year thought Streep was great, but he chose Mirren because he didn't think an actress of Streep's caliber should win for a slight comedy.
Explains a lot, doesn't it?
Best post ever!!!! My favorite line reading will always be "This... s-s-stuff?" Amaaaaaaaaaazing. For me, this is the best performance of the entire decade in any category.
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