Hey look every woman in this group has a last name that starts with an S with one that starts with a T. Probably the latest in the alphabet for all 5 women in Oscar history. Yes, I notice these stupid things and then think about them too much. I'm very interested in this group of ladies because these are some big names and I've only seen Stone which I can't even remember it's been so long. I'm fully prepared for a great Best Actress category.
1995 Best Actress
Susan Sarandon - Dead Man Walking
I always forget that Sarandon is an Oscar winning actress. Probably because I never really heard about this film and because I had no idea what it was about. It's like this win slipped under my radar and just stayed invisible until now. This would be one of, if not the first, Best Actress winners I couldn't name or remember if prompted to list them. Sarandon plays a nun who meets Sean Penn's death row inmate character and she is against the death penalty and he wants her help to appeal. It's definitely the type of film where a bunch of liberal Hollywood stars get together to make a message picture about the death penalty being bad. I don't mean that to sound like a terrible thing, either. The film, and Sarandon, never grab me or keep me interested. That's about all there is to it honestly. I recognize that she gave a solid enough performance, one that obviously lots of people and the Academy liked, but I was kinda bored while watching it. I don't even have anything against Sarandon, either, it just that I didn't feel anything for her performance. Sometimes it can be really difficult to describe why something didn't grab you and this is one of those times. It's good enough and Sarandon is warm and believable and I can understand why people loved it. She's caring and sensitive and loving and puts all her effort into the performance which is admirable. I can also see why this performance doesn't get ballyhooed as much as other Best Actress winners and the group she's in probably leads to the win. They are all good, not great type of performances and no one really stands out. Maybe the voters were sending a message about the death penalty or maybe it was just that Sarandon was due, I don't know. What I do know is that I don't really care about this performance and I'm going to leave it at that.
Elisabeth Shue - Leaving Las Vegas
I didn't realize that this was such a depressing and sad film! I always thought it was a lighthearted film about a drunk who meets a hooker and then live happily ever after. Oh no, that definitely doesn't happen here! Shue plays the hooker with a heart of gold which could/should/would be a cliche if not for her amazing performance. Seriously, the prostitute character is actually one of the most awarded professions when it comes to the female acting awards. That obviously says a lot about the roles women get and the films that are made but it's true nonetheless. Shue eschews of the familiar trappings of the hooker with a heart of gold and gives us something with feeling and humanity. You begin to realize how fucked up her world is that she turns to a man killing himself by drinking and falling in love with him and finding a kindred spirit. Shue's performance is touching in that she plays it so honestly. I believe her when she says she loves Cage's character. I believe that she's the needy, broken woman who just wants someone to connect with and find deeper meaning in. Shue makes her character entirely believable and it is some absolutely great work by her. I was totally engrossed whenever Shue was onscreen because she's so innocent and cute and loving and a real woman that you wonder just how did she become a hooker in Vegas and become so broken as a person to love an alcoholic unconditionally. I wanted to know more about her character because of Shue's performance. Hell, I wanted to watch more Shue performances and films because of this one! She's so endearing and makes an oddly interesting couple with Nic Cage that despite the subject matter, you kinda root for them to work out. This may not be a performance that wows everyone, but I definitely thought that it should have been the winner, especially when you compare it to all the others this year. This will go down to preference, but Shue is definitely my pick as the winner.
Sharon Stone - Casino
This is my mom's favorite movie. Which always makes me laugh because knowing her and knowing what Casino is, it is just funny because it's the last movie you'd guess was her favorite. Not that she's a stick in the mud just that it's Casino which is a Scorsese gangster flick and my mom is not anything like that lol. Anyway, my mom has great taste since Casino is a damn good Scorsese flick, one that gets overlooked when it comes to Scorsese films, De Niro films, and Pesci films. You could probably throw Sharon Stone films on to that pile because who realizes that Stone was/is an Oscar nominated actress? We all know her as the lady who flashed her pussy in Basic Instinct. In this film, she's pretty solid. The role doesn't give her all that much to do honestly but she is convincing and able in the role as is. Stone plays a hustler who ends up marrying De Niro's character who runs the casino. She was a hustler as mentioned who still kept in touch with her previous pimp, greased all the staff so she could get protection and favors and drugs when she needed them. She ends up divorcing De Niro and spiraling further into drug and alcohol addiction and then getting arrested for her part in the corruption of Vegas. That's her entire arc and as I said Stone does a good job with the material, it doesn't offer too much for her to actually do, acting wise anyway. Stone is beautiful and wears many elegant dresses and outfits and looks the part of a woman of ill repute who would fall in favor with a casino boss and become a wealthy woman. Stone plays all that just fine. She does devolve into drugs and alcohol and makes that believable and continues her relationship with her ex-pimp and then De Niro's best bud, Pesci so she has to be the crazy ex-wife persona. Her character is a lot of cliches but Stone at least makes the performance not so basic and cliche. Is it worthy of a win? Nah. I'd say this is the film's representation since maybe Il Postino pushed it out of Best Picture? Decent performance, okay Oscar nomination. This would make a great companion watch with The Wolf of Wall Street and even Goodfellas. Lot's of similarities to those films and would make a great Scorsese Day watch.
Meryl Streep - The Bridges of Madison County
This is the 10th Meryl Streep nomination I've seen for this project and I'm not sick of her at all. I could watch Meryl every year since she always gives interesting performances. Sure, I've disliked some of her nominations as just another Streep nom but she's so consistent and so interesting as an actress that I don't mind. I've even found her to be the better actress while watching other women in their nominations, so Meryl is obviously one of the greatest actors ever. In Bridges, Meryl plays a housewife in Iowa who is Italian having married a GI and come over. This is another one of Streep's accent films where she speaks with an Italian accent. The accent thing is one of Streep's specialties because she is able to give convincing, pitch perfect accents for her different characters from Dutch to English to Australian/New Zealand to Italian to Polish. She's one of the best ever at accents and it helps her performance here. The romance between her and Clint Eastwood is palpable and convincing and very real. This is the kind of film I would have hated and made fun without watching years ago and I kinda did that. I remember hating this film as a kid even though I never watched it because I knew it was a romantic film and why would anyone watch that stuff? Luckily, I've overcome those prejudices and learned to love film and I enjoy this film for what it is. Of note is that this apparently helped establish Streep as a middle aged woman star and love interest. From what I read online, this established her as a bankable star even though she was getting older which is ludicrous to think of because she's Meryl fucking Streep! Of course she's bankable! But what about her performance? I've gone on and on about other crap but how is she in this film? She's sweet and endearing and the budding romance between her and Clint is so engaging and engrossing that you easily root for them to hook up because they are so good together. It brings up a bunch of questions about love. It's kinda like Lost in Translation where people fall in love with each other knowing it can't last and still go through with it. This is the same. Streep and Eastwood have their romance though they know it will only last 4 days. I think most people have these types of relationships in their past, God knows I do, and it's a very universal thing. Streep is great here and I'm glad this isn't one of those boring Streep noms.
Emma Thompson - Sense and Sensibility
Interesting to note that Thompson won for Best Adapted Screenplay for having written this film, one of the few people ever to have a writing and acting award. She definitely did a great job adapting the source material (though I've never read the book) because it never lapses into the stuffy British period piece so many other films do. Thompson plays the elder sister Elinor, whose father has recently died and left them without an inheritance or place to live because of British law. Before moving out she meets the charming Edward Ferrars and the two hit it off. But since this is a period piece, class distinctions get in the way and the two aren't able to say how they feel and life moves on to the chagrin of both. Thompson looks a little too old to be playing the older sister since she looks more like a mother than an unmarried young lady. But if you overlook that, she does a good job with the role. She is essentially the voice of reason and sanity in this story, as she properly behaves by not acting impulsively on her feelings and being demure when it comes to not being able to say how she feels and having to accept it because that's her lot in life. Thompson is sort of even keeled throughout the film, acting rational when it comes to everything that life throws at her. There's no big crying scenes or loud wailing or huffily storming out of a dance or dinner or rushing into the arms of some other man she doesn't love - it's all sensible. That's what I like about the character and about Thompson's measured performance . I'm assuming that's what the title means but it fits Thompson perfectly. She may be this reasoned woman but she's still vulnerable and hurt by not being able to act on her feelings and Thompson emotes this wonderfully. She tries to be there for her sister when things don't go well for Marianne and she puts on a brave face when interacting with Edward knowing he's engaged to another woman. Thompson's sense of duty and understanding is impeccable. She's like the glue holding her family's life together. It's a good performance from Thompson that is steady and strong but not outstanding.
Honestly, this is probably the most evenly matched group I've seen yet. There is no clear number 5 because they all have some pretty good performances. They are all solid, I just may not be as entertained by them. My 5th would have to be Stone just because she is more of a cliche in her film than the others are and it's a bit disappointing because she could be used better. My 4th is Sarandon who I just never connected with and just didn't care about while watching her. I know she is technically good but just not on a personal level. My 3rd has to be Thompson who is solid in her role but doesn't elevate into the wow status. Streep becomes my runner up because I loved her relationship in the film and was totally into her performance. No doubt she's the best ever. My winner is Shue who just really excited me when watcher her. It could have easily been a boring performance but she made it human and revelatory. I think she would have been a good winner. It was just Sarandon's time. Go look at the other years before this and notice Sarandon had been nominated 3 times out of the last 4 years, with another nom in the 80s for a total of 4 before her win. She was due and the Academy recognized that. I think we might get a similar instance like that in 1994 with Jessica Lange but let's see.
Oscar Winner: Susan Sarandon - Dead Man Walking
My Winner: Elisabeth Shue - Leaving Las Vegas
Meryl Streep
Emma Thompson
Susan Sarandon
Sharon Stone
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