My choice for Best Actress for 1982 will be controversial because most everyone loves the actress that did win and feels she deserved it for this year…except me…lol. So let’s get on with it with my choice for Best Actress…
1. JESSICA LANGE IN FRANCES
This is a film that I have not been able to watch since 1982! This is not because I didn’t like the film, but because it was so harrowing and disturbing that I still am emotional when I think about this film. Jessica Lange gave a mind boggling performance as the 1930s actress Frances Farmer, a beautiful woman who starred in a few films before her alcoholism and erratic behaviour took hold. In this film, it is very much implied that Frances’s mother, who wielded a power over the household, did not like her daughter’s independent spirit and was an active proponent to have her daughter committed to the insane asylum. You see Frances’s descent where she is raped while in the asylum and, finally, given a lobotomy. Once out, she is a shell of her former self. It is an incredibly sad film especially since it is based on a true story. Now, it is called a highly fictionalized film version but the real Frances Farmer was a proponent for better treatment of the patients and wanted an end to lobotomies that were in place back in the 40s and 50s. Jessica deserved her Oscar for this role and not the boring romantic foul to Dustin Hoffman’s Tootsie. Personally, I think she won that Best Supporting Oscar as a comeuppance for not winning the Best Actress.
2. MERYL STREEP IN SOPHIE’S CHOICE
I know, I know…sacrilege! How dare I say that Meryl should not have won for her role as a Polish woman, in the concentration camp being told to decide which of her children should live and which one should die. It is beyond disgusting but, for this moment, I just had a hard time dealing with her meh Polish accent and the long winded storyline of her love affairs with Kevin Kline, whom I love and Peter McNichol…um the very short guy who played the creepy nut in Ghostbusters 2. To be honest, I had a hard time keeping my eyes open watching this movie because, I found it…boring. Told you this would be controversial.
3. JULIE ANDREWS IN VICTOR/VICTORIA
Julie was, rightfully, nominated for her brilliant comedic turn as a starving woman in Paris, taken in by an old Queen, played by Robert Preston, who comes up with a brilliant premise. Julie is a woman, who pretends to be a man who pretends to be a woman. She/he sings up a storm and becomes a major star on stage winning the hearts of the audience especially visiting gangster, James Garner, and his moll, played so well by Lesley Ann Warren ( up for Best Supporting Actress)and Alex Karras, who steals many scenes as Garner’s secretly gay bodyguard. This is a brilliant comedy with some wonderful singing scenes showcasing Andrews’ 4 Octave range. I’m glad she was nominated and, if it wasn’t for Jessica Lange, I would have given the Oscar to Julie over, yes, Meryl.
Have you seen these films? I bet you disagree with me but if you don’t …thank you! Is there another actress you would have given this Oscar to? Let me know.
I don't think I have seen any of them. And before he was a creepy guy in Ghostbusters II, Peter McNichol was the young star of Dragonslayer.
ReplyDeleteHave never watched Frances. Enjoyed Victor/Victoria. Can't stand Meryl Streep, so....
ReplyDeleteThe only one I’ve seen is Sophie’s Choice, and I’ve also read the book - can’t remember which way round I did it. I didn’t find either of them boring though. Peter McNichol to me always brings to mind Ally McBeal. I didn’t realise till long after I watched it that he had been in Sophie’s Choice.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Francis (and now don't want to with that plot). I've never seen Sophie's Choice (and never will as I can't do Holocaust anything). I *love* Victor/Victoria. I can watch that one over and over and over again.
ReplyDeleteI gotta admit, I'm a huge Meryl Streep fan.
ReplyDeleteHope your day is pain free:)
I remember Francis, and also thought Faye was excellent in the role! Meryl Streep is probably overrated, although I do like her as well. Victor/Victoria was a fun movie. ☺ Comedy roles rarely (if ever?) win Oscars, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteSorry - meant to say Jessica, not Faye (for Francis)
DeleteHaven't seen Francis though it was on TCM recently and I didn't see it. I recall seeing Victor/Victoria back in the 80s and liking it but never have seen it since. Did see Sophie's Choice and I think I liked it okay, but I really don't like Streep much. I think she's way overrated.
ReplyDeleteLee
I know I'm not going to convince you but...
ReplyDelete"The Scene" in Sophie's Choice will haunt me forever. That is the intention and it's damn effective. The power of Streep's performance goes so far beyond her reaction in that one moment. It's the ghostlike existence she lives afterwards. She knows it was a false choice, that in the end both children were killed. But in that one moment, in being forced to betray her own child, she was stripped of everything. And she had to live with the pain and the shame until she couldn't anymore. Yes, a lot of that is in the writing. But that's not a part you could hand to just anyone. It had to be her.
Interesting take on Meryl. I really like her work and think she deserved the Oscar. Also liked her in "The Deer Hunter."
ReplyDeleteEver since Jessica Lange rode on King Kong's palm, I just can't take her seriously.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen Sophie's Choice of these...clearly I need to do more research lol
ReplyDeleteHi Birgit!
ReplyDeleteThis was a very competitive year loaded with great work, some of which didn't make the cut, and all five nominees gave award worthy performances.
While I don't think all of Meryl's nominations were deserved, and her win for the ghastly Iron Lady is just wrong, wrong, wrong, there are at least four I agree with: The Deer Hunter, Kramer vs. Kramer, Silkwood and Sophie's Choice. I've only watched the film once, it was far too searing for multiple views, but thought she was tremendous in a flawed film. She would be my winner among the nominees.
That's not to say Jessica Lange was any less deserving for "Frances." Now there's a film that's a mess outside of her work and Kim Stanley's as her vicious mother. I've read both the book this was based on "Shadowlands" and Farmer's own autobio "Will There Really Be a Morning" and her life was a hell zone (some of her own making but mostly because of her serious cruel parents). Her win for "Tootsie" was absolutely a consolation prize (unfortunately robbing Teri Garr of her richly deserved win for the same film).
As for Julie Andrews, she wonderful but I don't think her role is quite at the level of those first two women. As for the other two nominees that you didn't mention-Debra Winger in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and Sissy Spacek in "Missing" I though Debra was very good but hers is the weakest of the five. Sissy is brilliant in "Missing" standing toe to toe with Jack Lemmon in doing the highest quality work and she would be my runner-up to Meryl out of this field of competitors.
However if I had my way as good as all these performances are I'd cut Debra, Julie and Jessica and replace them with them with Julie Christie & Glenda Jackson both for "Return of the Soldier" and Diane Keaton in "Shoot the Moon." All three are extraordinary and while Streep would probably remain my winner it would be a more difficult decision to make.