The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1980

1980

5. Gena Rowlands in Gloria

Gena Rowlands (despite her great talent) is not able to save this trainwreck of a movie called Gloria, but at there are some short, but quite strong scenes that ingrained in my memory. I wasn't very disappointed to tell the truth (I knew what to expect), but it's painful to write so negatively about Gena.

4. Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People

This is a fantastic performance, which is extremely haunting and captivating. Mary is able to make Beth a breathing, understandable human being, for whom you really feel sorry. Thanks to Mary Tyler Moore, I was perfectly able to understand Beth's emotions and feelings.

3. Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin

Goldie gives a great and extremely hilarious performance in Private Benjamin, which might very well be her best work, though it's nothing for the ages. The most important thing is that I loved her and the character as well, and she entertained me so well. I loved her, that's it.

2. Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner's Daughter

I was quite pleased by Sissy's performance in this movie. Sometimes I was so captivated by her, that I forgot that I was actually watching a movie. It's a really gripping, powerful performance, which is extremely subtle, but is full of layers, quiet emotions and brilliant singing.

1. Ellen Burstyn in Resurrection

This extremely controversial performance was so healing for me. I loved every moment of it, though I doubt that love is the right word for it. It really made me re-think if The Exorcist is my favorite performance of Ellen. Ellen in Ressurection is thought-provoking, harrowing and unforgettable.

So I can proudly announce

that my winner is...

Ellen Burstyn

in

Resurrection

Miracle worker :)

Final thoughts: Wow, this decision was not easy. For a while, I thought I would pick Ellen, because her performance was so unique, but I figured that Sissy's towering, enourmous performance is the one for the ages and Ellen falls into the Liza Minnelli/Diane Lane category. I LOVED Goldie and I really want to mention her, because if her movie was made in 1981 or 1975, she would be my pick, hands down. She's so utterly charming and I'm so happy that it found recognition. Some may not like that I ranked her above Mary, but that's it. Mary was fantastic as well, though this time she let me down a bit. Just like Ida Kaminska, but to a lesser extent. Gena was the weakest link in this otherwise great line-up: she suffered so much from that shitty movie she was in (one of the worst ones I have ever seen and its memory still haunts me). Anyway, some of the movies could have been contenders for the non-film awards: Resurrection for some spiritual, religous award and Gloria for the Nobel Prize for being the perfect medicine for insomnia (though it's quite bitter to swallow).

Omissions: 

• Ildikó Bánsági in Confidence *My Vote*
• Jane Fonda in 9 to 5
• Dolly Parton in 9 to 5 
• Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5
• Mari Kiss in Duty-Free Marriage 

I really look forward to the next year. I have wanted to do it for so long and there was a miracle and I can do it! YAY!

• Do you want a glass of milk? ;)
• MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!

What do YOU think? Any requests, thoughts, suggestions?

Ellen Burstyn in Resurrection

Ellen Burstyn received her fifth Oscar nomination for playing Edna, a woman who has a healing power after experienceing afterlife for a brief time in the movie Resurrection. It's really entertaining to speculate about someone's Oscar chances. I wouldn't say that Ellen had much chance of winning that award. I'm pretty sure that she was the fifth in the voting: she was a previous Oscar winner, her movie wasn't much of a blockbuster and this is really not the type of movie that usually wins the Oscar.

This movie is so haunting. This movie (and I say Ellen's performance too) is so not for everyone. It really requires a certain way of thinking that's not very common. I say that if you love it, you really love it and if you dislike it, you will really dislike it. It was supposed to be a horror like The Exorcist was, but Ellen Burstyn was really against it and I'm so happy that this movie became what it is: a very unusually effective and extremely thought-provoking piece that you. Eva La Gallienne's nomination is a bit of silly as she doesn't do much in this movie, but I guess it was an honorary recognition.

OK, I'll admit again, but I guess you all know it well enough: Ellen Burstyn is really one of my favorite actresses: she just can't be bad (though I dislike Same Time, Next Year) and any movie in which she stars becomes better even by her presence. I was quite worried, though since many say that this is one of her weakest works and that her last scene ruins her whole performance (more on that later, I promise). However, I always trust Ellen and I was so right.

In the beginning, Edna seems to be a very ordinary woman, who has a simple, but normal life with her husband. Here, Ellen plays her with such ease and so effortlessly. Edna is a good wife, who saves money for a new car, which causes the death of her husband and herself. It's even stranger than you would think, but the scenes of afterlife are so incredibly thrilling. There's so much peace coming from there and everything is so relieving. However, when she wakes up, Ellen shows Edna's fear and desperation so hearwrenchingly. She's lying on the bed, crying in the sadness of her state.

These scenes of suffering and her extremely slow recovery are just breathtaking. The one where she's trying to walk but always falls on the ground made me speechless. I could feel the pain of this character so obivous and I felt everything along with her and it almost made me paralyzed, too. Ellen really hit me in my guts and even when I'm talking about her, I'm becoming so emotionally confused and puzzled. Ellen was able to move me to such a degree, that I almost hate this performance. I think that's why some people dislike her: she mixes the emotions and it can become really puzzling for some.

The real thrill in this performance is Edna's discovery of her supernatural powers. First, she doesn't completely understand everything, but she knows that she has a mission of healing as many people as possible. She's a real miracle worker and she always acts in the name of love and she wants nothing, but help. She delivers speeches to people and she acts so much like Jesus. Although she always denies that, she acts that way and I always had a feeling that Edna actually enjoyed the comparisions to Jesus. And Ellen's transformation in this movie is just superb and we can see how much she worked with the development of Edna. From a very ordinary woman, she became something that brings health and happiness to a small community. Nobody remains the same after meeting Edna.

There's a very long and extremely harrowing scene, which is quite probably one of the best ones I've ever seen from Ellen Burstyn: after an extremely scary examination (oh she's so incredible in that scene), she has to heal a permanently ill woman. Ellen put so much emotion into this single scene: her interactions with this woman are truly amazing. The expressions on Ellen's face show that Ellen totally inhabited this character. It was such an ecstatic moment.

The scenes with her family are also amazing: the tears in Ellen's eyes when she has to say goodbye to her grandmother are so effective. It was a really intense moment and it left a huge impact on me. However, after this, there's the much hated scene, when Edna is old. Hmm. I think it's a great scene which was excellently handled by Ellen and I think although her make-up was not perfect I felt the years one her face.

So to sum up, this performance was so healing for me. I loved every moment of it, though I doubt that love is the right word for it. It really made me re-think if The Exorcist is my favorite performance of Ellen. Ellen in Ressurection is thought-provoking, harrowing and unforgettable. She made me almost speechless.

I wonder how she will do in the ranking. I still have to think a lot about her. I don't know when I am able to finish this year. It might even be on 22nd January, so be patient and I'll do my best.

What do you think?

The Next Year

1980

The nominees were:

• Ellen Burstyn in Resurrection
• Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin
• Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People
• Gena Rowlands in Gloria
• Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner's Daughter

I'm so excited to do this year. That's it. :-) The predicting contest is naturally on.

I wish you all a very happy new year! May all your wishes come true!

Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist

Ellen Burstyn received her second Oscar nomination for playing Chris MacNeil, a movie star whose child is possessed by the devil in the classic movie of William Friedkin, The Exorcist. What can I say about the Oscar chances of Ellen Busrtyn? I think that if it hadn't been for that Mercedes affair, she would have won her first Oscar for this performance, and Gena Rowlandss would be an Oscar winner, too. It's interesting to speculate, but 1973 was also a very open field with the least likely winner. Very interesting.

The Exorcist is in my Top 5 Best & Favorite movies ever. I saw it countless times and I always find something new and exciting things about it that I did not notice before. Now that I saw it many-many times, the horror part is not that scary anymore (though it's so much fun and the atmosphere is still brilliant), but the drama is so intense in this movie and I simply love it. I can only think of The Silence of the Lambs as another horror (though some argue about its genre) that has such depth. I find it quite offensive that The Sting could beat this and Cries and Whispers at the Oscars. That Oscar win really stinks, to put it in an extremely polite way.

And all this dramatic intensity inside The Exorcist is due to the stellar performances of the members of the cast, and most especially, Ms. Ellen Burstyn, one of my favorite actresses ever, who quite probably gives her most memorable performance along with the one she gave in Requiem for a Dream. That lady is so versatile, always playing very complicated characters with such ease and subtlety, that I am always amazed by her extraordinary talent (OK, I did not like her that much in Same Time, Next Year, if you're thinking about that). She takes very ordinary characters and shows layers that do not seem to exist at the first glance. This is probably the strongest part of Ellen Burstyn's career. I keep marvelling at her great abilities and it' nothing different in The Exorcist, where she probably gives my favorite performance of hers.

Chris MacNeil seems to be quite a cliché: a movie star with an adorable daughter, an ex-hubby not calling at the child's birthday, who is always nice to her fans, cares about their opinion, always signs autographs, smiles at children at the street etc. So the first task of Ms. Burstyn was simply to be charming and loveable. Not only did Ellen make this happen, but she also wins you over instantly. There's something soothing and lovely about her presence and I cannot get it across. She just feels right there and that was very comforting for me. I know that this sounds very stupid, but I actually felt that way.

However, as the movie progresses, Ellen gives more (and sinister) layers to the character of Chris. She becomes more and more nervous, she everything that felt right disappears so fast. At first, she thinks that her daughter has health problems and hopes that it's gonna be all right, but her enthusiasm dies down quite firmly. And yet we also feel so much hope inside her and the maternal instincts of Chris become visable in Ellen's acting. Chris only wants to save her daughter from anything that's bad and her fight is so heartbreaking and devastating. It's full of dramatic intesity.

Although the comparision might seem to be extremely odd, but she reminded me of Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys: whenever she's off-screen, you can still feel her strong presence and you just don't realize that the screentime is working against her. It's quite probably the greatest thing am actress (or any performer) can achieve: making such a lasting impression, that you're amazed even if she's not on the screen. It is breathtaking.

Ellen isn't scary in this movie (I think she could have been had that been needed), but her presence is so electrifying and dazzling that you become shocked along with her. It's not only amazing, but also extremely tricky. I just loved it.

After all, I can say that one of my favorite actresses gives my favorite performance of hers in a movie that's an old favorite. This 3 favorites resulted in real amazement on my side. This is truly an amazing achievement by Ms. Burstyn, who's really at the top of her game. Excellent, extremely effective acting.

So what do you think?

The Next Year

1973

The nominees were:

• Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist
• Glenda Jackson in A Touch of Class
• Marsha Mason in Cinderella Liberty
• Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were
• Joanne Woodward in Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams

OK, this seems to be a very controversial year because of its winner and the reaction of one of the nominees. So you must know how excited I am to do this year first in 2011. So let's just start (basically, it's 2010, but it will end in 2011).

I am using this new type of the nominees' picture as the old ones were too big I think, and changes fit a new year. :-)

What do you think? What's your ranking and who are you rooting for? What are your predictions for my ranking? The contest is on.

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1978

1978

5. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year

So, I can say that Ellen Burstyn gives quite a good, entertaining, but surprisingly uneven performance, which is quite far from her best, but for an actress with less talent it would be a huge feat. But we're talking about Ellen Burstyn who's quite far from mediocre. What worked well on stage doesn't necessarily translate that well to the big screen.

4. Geraldine Page in Interiors

This is fantastic, unforgettable acting for the ages and I'm really hoping that more people will discover Page's greatness in Interiors. Although I could have arguments that she's supporting, the impact of this performance is so strong that it truly stays with you. Somehow, all the things that usually bother me with Page's performances work in her favor here. Simply magnificent.

3. Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman

It's mainly Clayburgh's achievement that this whole thing works. She's the engine, the power, she has so much screentime (she's practically always on-screen) and a very baity role, which is much more layered than you would think. She gets into your mind and leaves there a seed which continues to grow and grow.

2. Jane Fonda in Coming Home

This is a fantastic, brilliant and unforgettable performance for the ages. I'm feeling so guilty about not giving her a win. In any other year, she would be a shoo-in for the award. Unfortunately, I have to go with Ingrid but my dear Jane is just wonderful and really heart-breaking as Sally Hyde. Excellent, unforgettable and thought-provoking work that grows with each view.

1. Ingrid Bergman in Autumn Sonata
This is, and now I'm not overly enthusiastic, one of the best and most true performances I have ever seen from an actor, male or female.She does not only haunt you for days, she remains with you for the rest of your life. I wish Bergman had the opportunity to say farewell to her film career with a last, glorious Oscar win for this once-in-a-lifetime performance.

So I can proudly announce
that my winner is... 
Ingrid Bergman in Autumn Sonata

An astonishing farewell

About the field: If we switched Ellen Burstyn to Liv Ullmann in Autumn Sonata, this could be the strongest Best Actress field on record. I'm a huge fan of 3 of the nominees in general (hell, you all know how I feel about Jane) and even though I'm constantly biased towards Jane, I simply cannot pretend that anyone besides Ingrid Bergman deserved this Oscar. She takes acting to a whole, different level in Autumn Sonata, giving her absolute best performance. I sort of feel sorry for people who don't feel what many of us do feel about her. It's one helluva feeling and they miss a lot. :) 

Omissions:

• Liv Ullmann in Autumn Sonata
• Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween

And now it's time to give the clues to the next year, which was a very legendary year. If there's only ONE legendary year in motion picture history, this is it. No other clues and I helped you more than enough. :)

What do YOU think? :)

Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year

The great Ellen Burstyn (one of my favorite actresses) received her fourth Oscar nomination for reprising her Broadway role of Doris in the romantic comedy/drama Same Time, Next Year. Wow, I'm really sure that Ellen Burstyn received the least number of votes despite winning the Golden Globe (along with the great Maggie Smith). She won the Oscar four years before and really it wasn't her time.

Same Time, Next Year is a nice, but quite an ordinary romantic movie, which is certainly not for the ages, but it is occasionally very moving. As I said it's not the best one ever and it's not as entertaining as it was intended. I think this story is much better for the stage than the screen. Its famous song is really hailed and loved and I liked it a lot, but it did not blow me away. Alan Alda gives a great, if a bit uneven performance and I might even say that he deserved a nomination (I mean he has one reaaaally heartwrenching scene).

Ellen Burstyn is also good as Doris, but she's even more uneven than Alda. Although it's mostly the screenplay's fault, Ellen really could have don more with this role, I think. Actually, she gives multiple performances (each face of Doris is different and it's not that believable that she could change that much), so I' going to review them all.

In my opinion, the first Doris (in 1951) is just terrific: she's not very bright, but we can see how much more she could do with her life and what a lovely and warm person she is. Ellen totally caught her very simple thinking by adding a touch of irony to her. The start is just excellent and I thought that it would go on.

The second Doris of 1956 is probably the best acted one of all: right there Ellen totally grabbed my attention and I just could not take my eyes off her. There she's a bit like Julianne Moore in Far from Heaven: the kind, warm and perfect housewife of the late 50s. Her argument scene with Alan Alda at the airport is just unforgettable: when she says "I am a human being too" I almost got creeps. Her presence was really strong and I just loved her.

However, the best, most moving and funniest scene comes with the 1961 Doris. She has to deliver a baby in the room and Alan Alda doesn't know what to do. Her actions are so damn natural, funny and hearbreaking at the same time, that it's really an unbelievable packing. Although it's not as brilliant as the 1956 Doris, she's really just fine.

She totally loses her strength however in 1966, where Doris becomes a hippie. It's really not credible, it's awfully written and it was only for the sake of showing some trendy politics on screen (I would not have minded it had the movie's story justified it but it really did not fit the rest of it). Ellen is totally stuck in that awful character and she could not really find the way back to brilliance.

As the movie goes on, she doesn't really get that much better. The emancipated businesswoman Doris does not really have any showy or funny scenes and without great material, she really couldn't give anything memorable. I would have wanted some fire and music as Ellen Burstyn certainly is a fire-and-music actress. Her talent is so enourmous (see Requiem for a Dream, The Exorcist etc), but had I seen this movie first from her, I would not have had a great first impression of her.

The ending however (sort of) lives up to the first half and there are some good scenes. That "I'm already married" line is truly great, but it's not really THAT hearbreaking. I may have lost interest during the movie, but the effect of hers was really not that strong on me after all.

So, I can say that Ellen Burstyn gives quite a good, entertaining, but surprisingly uneven performance, which is quite far from her best works, but for an actress with less talent it would be a huge feat. But we're talking about Ellen Burstyn who's quite far from mediocre.
So what do you think? You cannot give your official predictions now! The final conclusion is here in a couple of hours!

The Next Year

So right now, I'm moving along with my next year, which is said to be one of the strongest ones ever in this category. We'll see. There are supporters of all the nominated performances and you will find out my ranking of these five great ladies. I really wanted to do this year, so I'm quite excited. There are more performances here I am very fond of, so I will really like this year I think.

The nominees were:

• Ingrid Bergman in Autumn Sonata
• Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year
• Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman
• Jane Fonda in Coming Home*
• Geraldine Page in Interiors

I really don't know what my ranking will look like (well, I have an idea about a certain place, but no rush) but we will see. Any predictions anyone? Who are YOU rooting for?

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1974

1974

5. Valerie Perrine in Lenny
I can say that I saw a very-very good performance, which might be more of supporting, but has such a huge effect on you with it's emotional honesty and naturality that you are certainly amazed. Memorable work, worthy of a nomination and deserving of a good rating.

4. Diahann Carroll in Claudine
Although the heavy drama was missing and her material was not the best one ever, Diahann was fantastically real as a struggling woman in Harlem. This nomination was richly deserved and in a weaker year, it could have earned Carroll a deserved Oscar win.


3. Faye Dunaway in Chinatown
Faye Dunaway's performance is one of the key elements in making Chinatown the chilling, harrowing masterpiece that it really is. She brilliantly plays this old-fashioned character with her fresh modern approach that reminds us of the greatness of the real golden age of American cinema. Faye's talent has never been used better than here and even if it was working with Polanski difficult proccess for both of them it was worth it.

2. Gena Rowlands in A Woman Under the Influence
Gena Rowlands gave a breathtaking, gutwrenching performance, which is not for entertainment purpuses, but it's thought-provoking, stunning and sometimes unbearable to watch. Rowland's courage and talent really paid off here as she was able to give an amazing performance. Haunting and terrifying job.


1. Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
She totally grew on me in these few days. I can honestly say that I saw a very-very fantastic performance by an actress I love and I was quite impressed by her. It's not her greatest performance, but it's still an unforgettable and excellent portrayal of an ordinary woman.


So I can proudly announce 
that my winner is...  
Ellen Burstyn
in
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

What a surprise!!!

About the field: One of the category's finest - I wasn't as impressed by this year initially, but seriously, having Diahann Carroll's performance as #4 when in a year later she would be an easy pick of mine? Putting Faye Dunaway's harrowing, iconic Mrs. Mulwray at #3? Just crazy. As much as I love and appreciate Gena (and I probably appreciate her more than anyone here), I simply cannot not choose Ellen's beautiful, poetic performance, which (for me) is among her finest. I'd like to sing (hehe) praises about her work that works right inside your soul. It's sort of like Megan's experience with the dolphin in Bridesmaids for me. :) 

Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Ellen Burstyn received her third Oscar nomination and won her only Oscar to date for playing Alice Hyatt, a widow, who tries to support her child while also wanting to become a singer in Martin Scorsese's fogotten little movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She wasn't much of a front-runner that year (I guess they must have thought it was Faye's time), but I think it helped her a great deal that she was expected to win the previous year and yet lost (What a surprise!!!!LOL).

This movie has such a long title that I don't want to type it. It's DEFINITELY not Scorsese's biggest masterpiece, but it's not that bad, despite the fact that it's boring and a bit annoying. The supporting actors give solid performances at best, personally I don't think that Diane Ladd was that good, but I agree that she shined in some scenes. And boy that kid annoyed the HELL out of me, I mean he was such an utterly stupid little bastard that I'm not surprised that the guy beat him (totally deserved if you ask me).

However, Ellen Burstyn whom I admire very much (Gosh, how did she lose for Requiem for a Dream? OUTRAGE! SCANDAL!) gives an excellent perfomance as Alice Hyatt and she's even able to hold the movie together with her great acting. The role of Alice is partly interesting: it's not a very baity role, but it has some big opportunities for Burstyn, who's always able to shine. Probably the best word to describe this performance is charismatic. Burstyn has a kind of magnetic presence which always attracts your eyes and therefore steals the whole movie (as she's in almost every scene).

When we get to know Alice, she's just a houswife having a rough husband and a stupid, annoying smart-ass child. It's so heartbreaking when she's crying while she sleeps on the bed and after that has a tender moment with her husband. However, her world turns upside down when she unexpectedly becomes a widow. The scene where she receives the phone call about her husband's death is simply terrific: it's so heartbreakingly real the way she screams. Yes, it's a bit over-the-top scene, however I think that Burstyn was as subtle with that scene as possible.

It's marvellous how effortlessly Burstyn goes to point B from point A with this character. We're entertained so well that we do not really notice how well Alice develops. Burstyn totally lived this character and became one with her. Actually I think that Ellen Burstyn is a perfect chameleon: she always disappears in her roles and becomes one with them (let's face it: real method actors are simply brilliant). I always saw Alice Hyatt in the movie and never Ellen Burstyn.

Probably the greatest scenes of her performance come along when she's struggling to become a singer and meets Harvey Keitel. Her quiet desperation in the scene where's literally begging for a job is simply hearbreaking: there's such a huge reality and experience behind it. Burstyn was completely able to catch the thoughts of this character. Her big scene with Harvey Keitel when he attacks her is also magnificent: the terror and fear in her eyes makes it very hard to watch and yet it keeps you very interested.

Her so-called "chemistry" with Kris Kristofferson is also OK, though a bit more romance could have been useful to that storyline. Actually it's more of the director's fault that he almost ignored it. Ellen is great in those scenes too, but I wished for a bit more fire in it, if you know what I mean.

Her initial feud with Flo (and then friendship) is also very well-acted by Burstyn (and also Diane Ladd). She perfectly showed the rivalries, but also the fellowship between women. I love their dialogues very much and I found them very clever and credible. I liked the scene where they were relasing while sunbathing and chatting, it was a very naturally and flawlessly solved sequence.

It was also a great achievement that she was able to make her scenes with her son very loveable and not as annoying as the kid himself. But I must also tell that I missed something from this performance. I don't know what, but something seemed a bit off. I guess that she never had such a huge breakdown scene which could have made it even more impressive.

Nevertheless, I can honestly say that I saw a very-very fantastic performance by an actress I love and I was quite impressed by her. It's not her greatest performance (hello Requiem for a Dream and The Exorcist), but it's still an unforgettable and excellent portrayal of an ordinary woman.
So what do you think? I'm looking forward to reading your predictions. Who should be the next reviewed lady?

The next year...

Until I'm able to start 2002 (which will be next week and thanks for offering help, it's a bit of scheduling problem I have) I do a very much talked about and strong year, whose line-up includes five very famous and loved performances, two of them might be even legendary. This time I did not give you clues, but I hope this year will be as exciting as people say. So right now you might have found out that it's 1974.

The nominees were:

• Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
• Diahann Carroll in Claudine
• Faye Dunaway in Chinatown
• Valerie Perrine in Lenny
• Gena Rowlands in A Woman Under the Influence

So what do you predict for my ranking? What's yours and who's your pick? The predicting contest is on.