Leading Actress 1996

Can't really think of much to say for this intro. I see I keep getting one view when I post these and I'm assuming it's the same person so feel free to comment mystery guest! I've only seen the winner previously so I'm looking forward to what a lot of people thought was such a great year for women in film. I guess we'll see!

1996 Best Actress

Frances McDormand - Fargo

Marge Gunderson is an iconic role. When you think of Fargo, you probably think of her pregnant cop before anything else. I do think the role has become slightly mythologized in that we remember her as being more outlandish and more North Dakotan than she actually is in the film. McDormand plays Marge very close to the vest. What I especially loved about her amazing performance is that we can see there's a whole lot more going on in her head than what she's outwardly showing. The gears in her head are turning and working overtime but the outward facade is steely and cool. She says things in a sort of deadpan way but it's not because she doesn't care about life, it seems to be that she's a big thinker and also very nice and goes through pleasantries and questions without seeming to be too accusatory or flippant. I don't know if I'm making any sense there but Marge is such a quietly strong woman which is what I like about McDormand's performance of her. She obviously made Chief of Police because she's smart and a go getter and a great policewoman. She dominates the scenes she's in because she is so Midwestern nice, which I know sounds ridiculous but she is so charming and has that gosh darn down home quality to her that's just so likable. McDormand also has amazing, expressive eyes. I'm telling you, watch her eyes in this film because they say so much that she doesn't vocalize. It's amazing. I know I'm not doing justice to her performance with this review but McDormand is indeed incredible. I implore you to watch it and see for yourself. She's probably the best female character the Coen Bros have ever written and maybe that's because McDormand is married to Joel. Either way, she creates such an iconic character that this was a no brainer for the Academy.

Brenda Blethyn - Secrets and Lies

There's just something about Brenda Blethyn performances and characters that I just intensely dislike. I hated her character in Little Voice and I hate her character in this film. I could not stand her whiny, little girl voice and constant wailing and crying and her skittishness and overall demeanor. I recognize that Blethyn is doing what's somewhat necessary for the character so her performance can't be classified as awful, I guess, but it doesn't mean I like watching her work. I just could not stand the way Cynthia reacted to basically everything in the film. She was like a chihuahua shaking at every little sound. It just annoyed the hell out of me, just like in her other nomination. However, I do recognize that Blethyn does a great job as the mother especially in the scene after she meets Hortense for the first time and they have 7-8 minutes of uninterrupted discussion going back and forth. It's intense but also familial and loving and is a really great scene driven by two women working the hell out of their characters. So yes, I do recognize that Blethyn knows what she's doing but I still don't like her character. I wouldn't want to suffer through that again, honestly. It's too weepy and tumultuous for my liking. I'd like to see a Blethyn performance where she's not using some grating voice or milking some annoying quality from her character because I think she would be fantastic otherwise. She's just an actress that doesn't do it for me and I imagine there will be a few of those to come. She's okay within the scope of this film but it doesn't work for me. Luckily, I have no more Blethyn to look forward to.

Diane Keaton - Marvin's Room

I don't care about this performance. It's like the Academy decided well, Meryl Streep has had a bunch of nominations so let's vote for Diane Keaton who hasn't been nominated in awhile. Thing is, Meryl is actually good in this film. By that I mean she's her typical good self, but her way of acting is so much better and more natural than Keaton's by a long shot. Meryl makes it look easy while Diane looks like she's acting, it's too obvious. Maybe it's unfair to compare the two but the difference is too glaring. Keaton plays a woman who has been taking care of her bed ridden father for years while Streep's character has been out of touch with her family. Keaton finds out she has cancer and needs a bone marrow transplant and contacts Streep who brings her son Leo DiCaprio along. Lots of family drama going on and Keaton eventually bonds with Leo and Streep starts helping to take care of her father. But when it comes to Keaton's performance, my main issue is that I didn't find it convincing at all. And that's the heart of the matter for me. If I don't find it convincing, why care? I was very bored by this performance and I cannot understand all the glowing reviews I've seen about this one. Especially given that 1996 has been heralded as such a great year for women in acting and then we get the likes of this kind of boring performance and a Lauren Bacall veteran nom that's full of nothing. I guess there's one in every category but there absolutely shouldn't be. I never want to watch this performance or film again because I have no interest in revisiting it. I'm not going to learn any deeper truth about her performance. I've contended for awhile now that I think some people just see the name and automatically ascribe more importance to their performance and forgive the flaws more easily than they would lesser names and unknowns. But that's the Academy for you: sometimes offering up truly inspired nominees and sometimes lazily going back to the well over and over like here.

Kristin Scott Thomas - The English Patient

Okay so she was the Leading Actress while Juliette Binoche was Supporting, yet if the roles were swapped I wouldn't really complain. Yes, Thomas was the love interest of Ralph Fiennes' character who dominates the story but she does seem more supporting at times than Binoche. Maybe because the story likes to go to the present day of Fiennes in the monastery more? I won't question the nomination anymore but Thomas is pretty good in her role. She is super charming. You honestly can't help but like her. Thing is, it's not like you can't help but fall in love with her, it's more of a can't help but like her and want to see more of her. The love story is left to her and Fiennes and they are certainly passionate. We are the bystander watching them flirt and eventually get it on. One thing about Thomas is that her smile conveys more than just joy, it has so many different meanings when you pay attention to it. It was the first thing I noticed about her and she uses that expression to great effect. She's quite beautiful in this film and her smile is just simply amazing, but I noticed she uses it at all times to mean all kinds of things and I think that's great acting. Thomas is very natural and I learned she campaigned hard for the role and it shows. She's so at ease as Katharine that it feels like it was certainly destiny. I like her performance a lot and she has great chemistry with Fiennes that I find it hard to imagine anyone else in her role. It might not be the strongest performance of the year but it absolutely fits the character and Thomas delivers on what that's all about. Thomas should feel good about her performance in a Best Picture film because it is certainly memorable.

Emily Watson - Breaking the Waves

This being a Lars von Trier film, there's a lot to parse out from Watson's performance which is heavily layered in subtext and all that stuff. Watson plays a woman who lives in a very religious group in Scotland but falls in love with an outsider and gets married. She then experiences sex and loves it but her husband becomes paralyzed in an accident shortly after they are married. He then asks her to have sex with other men and describe it to him and thus the point of the film. Like I said, there's a lot going on with Watson's character. She's easily manipulated by her husband, she confuses love and sex, she wants to be free to express herself when it comes to her church and family and it all comes from a good place. Watson doesn't treat her character as if she's stupid, she's just young and devoted to her husband. Watson has such an expressive face and can act with her eyes extremely well. That's what is most notable about the beginning of the film for me. There's not a lot of dialogue but there is a ton of acting going on. Watson's face and eyes when she is getting deflowered on her wedding day is quite remarkable as you watch her go through the emotions and realize that she really loves sex. It's great acting without doing too much. There are times where Watson gets on your nerves with her screeching and crying and fainting spells, as they are a little over the top, but she doesn't swing too wildly to one side or the other, thankfully. At least you can describe that overacting as part of Watson's character's traits instead of on Watson herself. I think that she's really great as this young, naive character and at times she's emotionally devastating with her situation of randomly fucking men. It's easy to see why Watson was again nominated 2 years later because she definitely established herself here as a woman to watch. This is a film that most people will not have seen or heard of and I think in the context of this year and Watson's career, it's a must watch because it's pretty strong work. There's a lot going on with her performance and she nails every aspect of it. I'm glad the Academy was able to vote for some really indie and interesting performances this year because it paid off.


As far as being touted as a banner year for women in film, well 1996 does have some good performances. I'd say I like the top 4 with the 5th being the one I don't like at all. That 5th would be Keaton who, I'm sorry, but completely bored me with her performance. I need more than what she gave. S o no. My 4th is Blethyn, her character can be annoying but it's overall a good performance with some pretty strong scenes that help elevate it. My 3rd is Watson because it's obvious that she is a strong actress and is doing a lot with little and I like that. Didn't think I'd like her so much after her previous performance I reviewed but I did. I just happened to like Thomas a little bit more. Her romance with Fiennes is enjoyable and I loved how natural Thomas felt in her role. She was born to play that and it shows. My winner is Oscar's winner because McDormand blows everyone else away with such a subtle and low key performance that hits so hard. She gives an iconic performance that even regular people know, so how could it not win? This was a good year but could have been better. I look forward to the year where I love every performance, though!

Oscar Winner: Frances McDormand - Fargo
My Winner:  Frances McDormand - Fargo
Kristin Scott Thomas
Emily Watson
Brenda Blethyn
Diane Keaton