81st Oscars: Actress

Uri
Adjunct
Posts: 1230
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 11:37 pm
Location: Israel

Post by Uri »

I'll tell you why I'm so pissed with this award.

After watching The Hours, the danger is that one might conclude, from the way she was portrayed by that Eleonora Duse from Down Under, that Virginia Woolf was a comatose airhead and skip Orlando or To the Lighthouse in the public library. After watching The Reader, it's not out of the question, as we saw, for people to say – Hitler was monstrous villain who victimized millions – Jews, poor uneducated Germans, not to mention good heroic Nazis like Tom Cruise.

Kidman's performance was bad. Winslet's is morally wrong, as well as inadequate.
Uri
Adjunct
Posts: 1230
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 11:37 pm
Location: Israel

Post by Uri »

Damien wrote:I felt bad for not jumping to my feet at the announcement of her wind,
It's not your fault, you were probably too far away to smell it.
User avatar
OscarGuy
Site Admin
Posts: 13668
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 12:22 am
Location: Springfield, MO
Contact:

Post by OscarGuy »

I have a feeling Winslet, like Cate Blanchett, is on a trajectory to join the ranks of Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis with 10 or more career Oscar nominations and at least two trophies.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
Damien
Laureate
Posts: 6331
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:43 pm
Location: New York, New York
Contact:

Post by Damien »

As it turned out, I was sitting two rows in front of Winslet's parents, so when I realized that (when the old man whistled) I felt bad for not jumping to my feet at the announcement of her wind, and only standing up after everybody else in the place had.

Kate Winslet's a taleeted actress, but she's lousy in The Reader and this is the worst movie ever to give up a Best Actress winner (ever Monsters Ball was not quite as bad).
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
Franz Ferdinand
Adjunct
Posts: 1457
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2004 3:22 pm
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Contact:

Post by Franz Ferdinand »

And of course, she will give a performance that is superior to all she's done before, and not win the Oscar because she had already won recently. It seems to happen all the time.
Snick's Guy
Temp
Posts: 316
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:43 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Post by Snick's Guy »

OscarGuy wrote:As I recall, Elizabeth Taylor won for Butterfield 8 not as a tribute to career because she hadn't won before, but because she was supposedly on her death bed at the time and they didn't want to lose the chance to honor her, so while it was a sort of career achievement, there were extenuating circumstances, that, had they not been there, probably would have resulted in her first win for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf instead.

that is correct,

my point is I would like to see the best performance acknowledged as opposed to "she is overdue", or "lets honor her lifetime of work", or even, "this may be our last chance" -- delutes the real meaning of who gave the best performance of the year (but Oscar has a spotty record on that) -- the Critics are usually much more on the money with who gave the best performance than the Academy is.
User avatar
OscarGuy
Site Admin
Posts: 13668
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 12:22 am
Location: Springfield, MO
Contact:

Post by OscarGuy »

As I recall, Elizabeth Taylor won for Butterfield 8 not as a tribute to career because she hadn't won before, but because she was supposedly on her death bed at the time and they didn't want to lose the chance to honor her, so while it was a sort of career achievement, there were extenuating circumstances, that, had they not been there, probably would have resulted in her first win for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf instead.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
HarryGoldfarb
Adjunct
Posts: 1071
Joined: Fri Jan 10, 2003 4:50 pm
Location: Colombia
Contact:

Post by HarryGoldfarb »

I, particularly I, didn't say it is one of the worst winning performances. She's very good at it. But she has been way better before so this win looks pale when you compare her work her with her previous work. Even Revolutionary Road was better and I would have been happier if she would have won the award for that film.

She's extremely lovely of course, beautiful as hell and talented as few actresses are now. But right now, considering the film (one that I don't really like) she has joined the group of actors that have won a career achievement award.




Edited By HarryGoldfarb on 1235367806
"If you place an object in a museum, does that make this object a piece of art?" - The Square (2017)
Snick's Guy
Temp
Posts: 316
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:43 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Post by Snick's Guy »

HarryGoldfarb wrote:Actually this win is kind of sad. The "loosers Pantheon" is filled with so many talented actresses and actors that we admire in spite of them not having an Oscar. In fact, them not having an Oscar gives the award a bad name (Kerr for a start, but you may include Glen Close, Julianne moore and some others). On the contrary, there are so many underserving winners... I prefer to think of Winslet as an extremely talented actress without an Oscar than as an extremely talented actress with an undeserving one.

I hate when they use this award to make up for past films -- they have done this with:

Elizabeth Taylor - Butterfield 8
Paul Newman - The Color Of Money
Don Amechee - Coccoon
Jack Palance - City Slickers
Bette Davis - Dangerous
Lee Grant - Shampoo

To name a few

Winslet is only 33, they easily could have waited to give it to her for a film in which she deserved it (it's not like she is 70 and will never make another movie again).
FilmFan720
Emeritus
Posts: 3650
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 3:57 pm
Location: Illinois

Post by FilmFan720 »

I agree here. It may not be her best performance, but even given the faults of the film (of which there are many) she transcends the film and the script. She also takes the most difficult role in this category. Plus, remember the competition she had...this is a lackluster category, with only Anne Hathaway giving an award worthy performance.
"Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good."
- Minor Myers, Jr.
Penelope
Site Admin
Posts: 5663
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2004 11:47 am
Location: Tampa, FL, USA

Post by Penelope »

Well, sorry guys, but I think she gave a wonderful performance in The Reader. True, I think she was much, much better in two of her previous nominated performances (Sense & Sensibility, Eternal Sunshine), but it is utterly ridiculous to claim this as one of the "worst" winning performances.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston

"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
HarryGoldfarb
Adjunct
Posts: 1071
Joined: Fri Jan 10, 2003 4:50 pm
Location: Colombia
Contact:

Post by HarryGoldfarb »

Actually this win is kind of sad. The "loosers Pantheon" is filled with so many talented actresses and actors that we admire in spite of them not having an Oscar. In fact, them not having an Oscar gives the award a bad name (Kerr for a start, but you may include Glen Close, Julianne moore and some others). On the contrary, there are so many underserving winners... I prefer to think of Winslet as an extremely talented actress without an Oscar than as an extremely talented actress with an undeserving one.
"If you place an object in a museum, does that make this object a piece of art?" - The Square (2017)
Snick's Guy
Temp
Posts: 316
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:43 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Post by Snick's Guy »

OscarGuy wrote:I believe he was talking about specific performances, not as an actor.
True, I think most of us can name at least five performances in which Winslet was better than she was in "The Reader"
User avatar
OscarGuy
Site Admin
Posts: 13668
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 12:22 am
Location: Springfield, MO
Contact:

Post by OscarGuy »

I believe he was talking about specific performances, not as an actor.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
Uri
Adjunct
Posts: 1230
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 11:37 pm
Location: Israel

Post by Uri »

rolotomasi99 wrote:
Uri wrote:My name is Mary Pickford, and for eighty long, excruciating years I've been waiting for this moment.

Thank you, members of the academy, thank you for finely making me the second worst best actress ever.

worse actresses then kate winslet who have won lead acting oscar, off the top of my head...

halle berry
reese witherspoon
helen hunt
gwyneth paltrow
julia roberts
Kate is indeed a better actress then those you've mentioned.

Actually, based on acting ability, apart from Helen Mirren, Winslet is by far the best actress to win since Frances MacDormand. Still, based on her performance in The Reader, and on this performance alone, I stand firmly by my words.

Love, Mary.
Post Reply

Return to “81st and Other 9th Decade Discussions”