The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1983

1983

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Jane Alexander in Testament

There are fantastic scenes in this performance of Jane Alexander but the overall impact is a bit mixed. This work is a bit incoherent and the character could have been developed better. It's the screenplay's fault mostly but Jane Alexander couldn't avoid all the traps set by the writing. Still, some astonishing moments really make up for the weaker ones.

4. Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment

I liked Winger as Emma. I may not be in awe of her as much as others, I can appreciate the merits of Winger's work. Although the performance starts out a bit boring, it improves in time and it becomes a very interesting one that has a great effect on the viewer. It might be the fact that I don't like this type of characters very much but I wasn't that impressed.

3. Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment

I have to say that Shirley MacLaine is just excellent as Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment. Although I'm not as impressed by her some many others, I like her performance very much and I found her exceptionally entertaining. I have my problems, unfortunately but the overall effect of it is quite positive.

2. Meryl Streep in Silkwood

I cannot deny Meryl's greatness as Karen Silkwood. she's sometimes incredibly great and it's great to see Meryl play such an odd character. I'd really like to praise this performance as I feel it's really great and I most certainly loved her. Meryl is really gripping in this role and shows Karen's development brilliantly.

1. Julie Walters in Educating Rita

This performance is not as popular and talked about as the other ones this of year even though it really should be. Julie Walters gives a fantastic, heartwrenching and very emotional performance as Rita, a girl who just wants to sing a better song. I was really touched by Walters' natural acting, loveable presence and great sense of humor.

So I can proudly announce

that my winner is...

Julie Walters

in

Educating Rita

This is a better song, aye? :)

Omissions: 

• Hédi Temessy in Job's Revolt *My Pick*

Final thoughts: Again, I less than satisfying year. I was first blown away by Julie whose luminous presence made my pick easy in the end, despite the fact that I changed my winner many times. Meryl really grew on me and in the end, but I was still disappointed. Shirley was quite good, Jane and Debra were good, too but not that much. And again, I picked a not-so-popular nominee but I really don't care. I love making controversial decisions. It may not even be controversial, though. :)

About the next year: It's going to be a great one and I start it on 19th. Until that, no posts, sorry. The return will be great, though. :) I won"t give clues this time because I'm not sure which year I should do.

What do you think?

Jane Alexander in Testament

Jane Alexander received her fourth (and to date last) Oscar nomination for playing Carol Wetherly, a woman who has to take care of her family without her husband who got lost during nuclear bombing in the movie Testament. It's really interesting to think about Alexander's chances of winning for Testament. This was her fourth nomination but she wasn't really the overdue one because Shirley MacLaine was way ahead to win, plus Alexander was the only nomination for Testament. I guess Alexander was third or fourth or even fifth. I have no idea.

Testament is a movie that is both too depressing and too soft. First of all, it's a bit too short and it doesn't give enough time to all of the characters. It seemed to me as if the writer only wanted to create huge and very hard-hitting scenes and did not care about building the whole story up. For instance, there are really interesting characters about whom we don't get to know enough. We just see them pass by and that's it. Too bad.

Jane Alexander is not one of the most popular Oscar nominees. In fact, many of her nominations are criticised nowadays. Personally, I quite like her and yes I even liked her in All the President's Men. I wouldn't say that she's a favorite of mine but I like her. And when I first saw Testament, I was totally blown away by her, especially the huge scenes.

I guess this is a performance that is much less mindblowig for the second time because you know what to expect from it. I was quite worried about that when I did Natalie Portman's profile for Black Swan. However, the second look at Alexander in Testament wasn't that great. That doesn't mean, though, that I didn't like her, it's just that my appreciation has cooled a bit.

Carol Wetherly is not a very interesting person, she's just an ordinary housewife and mother who's concerned about very ordinary things. That being said, there's nothing really extraordinary about her. We hear her thoughts as Carol has a diary and Alexander narrates the movie after a while and it's most certainly done very well by her.

During the movie, Carol should loose her mind gradually and that's something that I didn't really see in Alexander's performance. I mean I saw big meltdowns like the one when she was shouting "God damn you!". I mean that could work but did they think that people hadn't seen Planet of the Apes. I mean come on. Alexander even had the same gestures as Charlton Heston. It was a bit embarassing.

Other than that, Jane Alexander is quite great. What I loved the most about her is the she showed so many aspects of a mother's love. Sometimes she's angry, sometimes she just feels like dancing with her son (which is by the way the best and most honest moment of the movie because of its naturality). Alexander was just wonderful in these scenes, always remaining believable and realistic. There isn't a a sentimental or soappy moment in her performance and that's really impressive.

I guess the fans of this performance (like I was) mostly love her big scenes, which are indeed quite harrowing. SPOILER ALERT! After a while, people start dying in her town, including two of her children. The way Alexander portrayed the grief is just extraordinary. That teddy bear scene might be a bit over-the-top but I think it worked in the context of the movie. However, the one where she prepares her daughter's body for the funeral is very haunting. It's a quiet and ver heavy moment that's astonishing. SPOILER OFF!

There's Alexander's famous monologue about making love and that's excellently delivered by her. It's a really emotional moment, mostly because of its simplicity and honesty. And the communication between Alexander and Roxana Zal (who plays her daughter) was just brilliant. I really believed that they were mother and daughter.

To sum up, there are fantastic scenes in this performance of Jane Alexander but the overall impact is a bit mixed. This work is a bit incoherent and the character could have been developed better. It's the screenplay's fault mostly but Jane Alexander couldn't avoid all the traps set by the writing. Still, some astonishing moments really make up for the weaker ones.

I was tempted to go higher but I have to be stricter.

What do you think? It's time for the final predictions! :)

The Next Year

1983

So the nominees were:

• Jane Alexander in Testament
• Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment
• Meryl Streep in Silkwood
• Julie Walters in Educating Rita
• Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment

A fantastic looking year, a year that I know well as I have previously seen all of the ladies so I'm very excited (just like with 2006) how much my opinion changed.

What do you think? What are your predictions for my ranking? Who's your pick? What's your ranking?