Oscar Files: Sylvia Miles in "Midnight Cowboy"

Role: Cass, a scheming New York dame/hooker who shows Joe Buck a darker side of this new life in the rendezvous of her hotel room.

Best Line: "Beautiful, baby...."

What The Critics Said: "Sylvia Miles as Buck’s penthouse trick Cass, give(s) a nuanced performance that enhance the film’s exceedingly original script" - Wesley Lovell

Twister's Thoughts: "As you can already tell, I love these kinds of "mini performances" in this category, and Miles is no exception. In her very limited screentime, Sylvia blows in like a gust of energy and excitment mixed with a dirty combination of lust, danger, and horror and actually creates a memorable character; charting Cass' past using what she has present. Mostly she's just fun, but of course with underlying shades of sadness, fear, and vulnerability. Pretty damn good."

What do you think of Sylvia Miles' performance?

Supporting Actress Ranking: 1992

The Field:
- TWO HEARTS - I don't know what it is, but 1992 was a rather underwhelming year based on the batch of ladies given. All the way back in May, I did this year for StinkyLulu's smackdown and I couldn't believe how freakin' bored I was! With some exceptions, I found this field to be boring, unexciting, and drab. So much seriousness and not much zest happening here. I'm not saying that I prefer lightweight, fluffy work as opposed to serious acting, but with these five I can make an exception.
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My Pick:

Marisa Tomei, My Cousin Vinny - FIVE HEARTS -

Next to Binoche's triumph over the favored Bacall in '96, Tomei's booed victory was the biggest upset Oscar had experienced in the '90s. Unknown Italian-American actress emerges in her breakout role in one of the years biggest sleeper hits, makes her mark on pop culture ("oh yeah, you blend"), and takes home the Oscar that was expected to go to Judy Davis. In fact her nomination (which came out of nowhere) feels more shocking than her win. It's just that she wasn't nominated for any other award (besides MTV), and she gets nominated, then WINS the Academy Award! Now Oscar makes dumb choices in this category (Jolie, Z. Jones, Hudson, etc.), but here when everyone was expecting one of the other four "serious" actress' to win, Oscar did right by choosing Tomei. Her role as Mona Lisa Vito is hardly a role at all; rather a stock plot device that works more for the movie than the character. In the hands of a lesser actress Mona Lisa would have succumbed to the cliched pitfalls set out for her, but Tomei is vibrantly fresh in the part as the auto-mechanic know-it-all. Throughout the film all Lisa wants to do is help her bo Vinny (a hilarious Joe Pesci) to win a court case in a fish-out-water situation. Providing depth, humanity, real humor, and warmth to a part that wouldn't require it, Tomei elevates the entire film and goes way above the lightweight material at hand. She's sassy, smart and sexy - what's not to like? And of course, Tomei does what I love best about supporting performances; supporting the lead(s) and the film itself. She is able to both support the film, and end up as the brightest aspect of it. It's committed, grounded, and delightful work from a dedicated, hardworking and talented actress.

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From There:

Judy Davis, Husbands and Wives -THREE HEARTS -

I have liked, not loved, Woody Allen's signature ladies (you know 'em when you see 'em) and one of the most iconic with film lovers is Judy Davis' role as a freakish housewife. In fact, most of the online film community seem to have an obsession with this performance (that might be extreme, but it's close), and I get the love, but I am not on board with it. The role of Sally has "Oscar" written all ova' it; Woody Allen, showyness, and Woody Allen. Perhaps my lack of love and appreciation for this performance has to do with the fact that Husbands and Wives (while occasionally witty and funny) feels slow, pretentious, and dry. The problem I have with the performance is that it never really feels human, but almost always a caricature. I just never felt anything human emerging from the character. But, Davis does provide the film with fresh air, and gives it some life with her never-ending energy. In other words, she is one of the hightlights of the film and is enjoyable to watch on screen even though she does so in a not so modest manner occasionally. I like her work and it is definetly a worthy nomination, but I would have also thrown in a nom for the overlooked Juliette Lewis in the same film who I found to be very interesting.

Joan Plowright, Enchanted April - THREE HEARTS -

Yeah, it could be seen as a standard nom for a British actress (Judi Dench, anyone?) that was thrown in and looked impressive. Plowright's work isn't particularly memorable or special by any means, but her performance is layered with a sadness that comes through in the very end. She plays the old stubborn sausage who at first is very closed off from the world, and eventually her arc reveals a person who can longer ignore what is true and real to the world and join in on what she's been missing. Solid, fine work - but I would have loved if she got a nom for her witty, hilarious performance in Bringing Down The House. Given the weak year that was, she coulda been a contender.

Miranda Richardson, Damage -TWO HEARTS-

A perfectly okay performance, that hardly uses Richardson. I'm tempted to draw a parallel between this performance and that of Beatrice Straight in Network. Both are suffering wives, who practically steal the show with their emotional breakdowns. However, Richardson's big scene etches a bit deeper and unlocks some of those ominous demons deep within.

Vanessa Redgrave, Howards End - ONE HEART -

ZZZzzzzzz....This film bored me to death. Redgrave's part is actually very important to the plot and even when she's not screen she lingers, but I was honest to God so underwhelmed by this dry performance.

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My 1992 Line-Up:

My Pick: Marisa Tomei, My Cousin Vinny

                Juliette Lewis, Husbands and Wives

                Judy Davis, Husbands and Wives

                Michelle Pfiffer, Batman Returns

Director Appreciation: Mike Nichols

Mr. Nichols is perhaps the most underrated Oscar-winning director in history, and he has a whole array of fantastic achievements to prove it. Although his film work is highly praised, he is never seen upon the same level of skill as the almighty Spielberg or Coen Brothers. This is an artist who can pull incredible work from his actors, and works closely with them to achieve magic like no other.

He struck a one-two punch in '66-'67 when he had two hits with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate and was awarded with the Best Director Oscar for the latter. Although he deserved his Oscar for The Graduate, I can't help but feel that some votes came his way for him being denied the award the year before. Those two films, along with the 1988 hit Working Girl, have produced multiple nominations in a wide range of categories but most importantly for acting. In his films, Nichols uses his camera as a intimate instrument that acts as a character of its own in the narrative and takes us to different levels of emotion, understanding, and genius.

Acting Nominations:

- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) -

                            * Elizabeth Taylor (winner)                           

* Richard Burton

* Sandy Dennis (winner)

* George Segal

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- The Graduate (1967) -
* Dustin Hoffman

*Anne Bancroft

* Katharine Ross

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- Working Girl (1988) -

* Melanie Griffith

* Joan Cusack

*Sigourney Weaver

* Amoung others...these were just the big packs.

Supporting Actress Ranking: 1950

The Field:
- FOUR HEARTS - A very underrated year for Supporting Actressness. Why? Mostly because we have the towering but unknown Emerson in a hidden film, the ladies from All about Eve are usually dismissed because of the almighty Margo Channing, Olson has the least showy part in a flamboyant exercise in theatricality, and Hull's (even though she won) has got to be one of the most forgotten performances to have won. How many lists does she top, now? Not many.

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My Pick:
Celeste Holm, All about Eve - FOUR HEARTS -

Confession: It has been a while since I have seen the film. However, since first viewing I have admired the work of the whole cast led by the grand Bette Davis (who was robbed of the Oscar) and the support lended by Celeste Holm. Holm provides the film with a grounded anchor in which the grand theatrics are controlled by. Celeste's delicate Karen is perfectly contrasted with Davis' rough Margo, to the point where new layers and points of view open up between the story and the character's. The craziness of the proceedings are balanced out by her effective underplaying, and she is able to illuminate the goodness, warmth, and wit of the complex creation Karen is. This choice of not being in charge and taking the reins alongside Davis and Baxter works wonders for the film. This is what supporting acting is all about; lending support and layers to those around, while picking just the right actorly choice for the way the character should be played.

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From There:

Nancy Olson, Sunset Blvd. - FOUR HEARTS -

At this point, I can only assume that Sage is becoming enraged that I have yet to rank Emerson. But there is still time, my readers...When watching Sunset Blvd., I was mainly looking out for the ledgendary performance given by Gloria Swanson (at this point I was one of the few cinephiles who had not seen the film). But when Ms. Olson appears on screen she does so with energy, confidence, and genuine gusto. I found her character/story to be more intersting than Norma's, and this is because she really gives some feeling and humanity to a part that is written as a plot device. Olson pulls the same effective move as Celeste Holm; stepping back from the chaos and layering subtlety and nuance into a role that wouldn't require it. Olson is one of the two main female characters in the film, and unlike the frightening Norma Desmond, she succeeds in showing a humane, non-terrifying counterpart in Joe's life and someone who is their self and doesn't have to hide behind shadows to escape their demise. It's fantastic, and truly unexpected work.

Hope Emerson, Caged - FOUR HEARTS -

Sage, this one's for you! A very unconventional performance for Oscar to nominate. Mostly because Emerson's Harper isn't the kind of calculated actorly performance that would be given by Oscar's favorite go-to-gal, Meryl Streep. No, Emerson's performance as the twisted embodiment of evil is actually very simply done. She's just scary. It's in her strut. Her words. Her sick chuckle of Satan deep within. StinkyLulu gives the best description of this performance in saying that Emerson doesn't try to give her character a "light" side; a reason to why she is so evil (you know the types), and instead making her even more ominous by leaving this wide open. In fact, her approach to the role feels so natural that her cruel and sadistic ways almost feel real and humane without tapping into any lighter territory. The irony in all of this is that people have said that Hope Emerson was in fact a sweet and friendly person, which could just make you applaud her work in Caged even more.

Thelma Ritter, All about Eve - TWO HEARTS -
All about Eve is a long film. It may even feel longer than it actually is, and in this time Thelma Ritter has a mere nine minutes to show her stuff. But the sad part is that her character is dropped off early and is never heard of again. It's this that is prompting me to call Ritter's a tag-along nomination. It's the film's fault, really; she just is not given enough to do (even though she of course has the attention whenever she is on). Ritter makes Birdie an interesting creation - too bad the script puts and end too it too early.

Josephine Hull, Harvey - TWO HEARTS -
Like I said before; probably of the most forgettable performances/wins to get Oscar's attention. Although Hull does have her supporters, I am not one of them. He low ranking is a result of the rich, juicy (and more deserving) competition that year and because of her stagey, shrill performance that feels stiff by today's standard's. I am shocked at Oscar for favoring this piffle over her fantastic rivals. But, I must remember -"to each his own" - I can still be pissed though, right??

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My Favorites From 1950:

My Pick: *Celeste Holm or Nancy Olson
                  Hope Emerson, Caged

*I know that above Holm got the higher ranking, but I favor Holm a pinch more than Olson. So in actuality my vote is between Holm and Olson.

                         

Oscar Files: Helen Hayes in "Airport"

Role: Ada Quonsett; a sneaky little old stowaway who experiences a unforgettable night at an airport/airplane.

Critic Reviews: * "The fabled Helen Hayes us more fabulous than ever." - Joyce Haber

                          * "Helen Hayes does her loveable-old-trouper pixie act" - Pauline Kael
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My Thoughts: "Creating a genuinely funny, memorable creation, Helen Hayes milks everything she can from this piffle of a part and does so with charm, wit, and warmth. Providing a humorous facet to this dramatic piece, she stands out amoung this all-star ensemble and finds the right notes to hit it makes for enjoyable viewing."

If I Picked The Oscar's In 1994...

...then Pulp Fiction would have won Oscar's for:

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*Best Picture

*Best Director: Quentin Tarantino

*Best Supporting Actor: Samuel L. Jackson

*Best Actor: John Travolta

*Best Supporting Actress: Uma Thurman

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Now, don't even give me that Forrest Gump horseshit!

Oscar Files: Supporting Actress 1999 Ranking

The Field:

An above average year for Oscar in general, 1999 showcased some of the finest films and performances ever to grace the silver screen. This year Oscar picked a mute woman (disability alert), a concerned parent, a devoted/confused lover, a sexy office worker, and Oscar's favorite a showy, rebellious mental patient (paging Mr. Nicholson). For a year to be strong, for me, there have to be at least three solid nominees in the batch. 1999 is one of those cases, and has held up nicely over the decade. Of course with some exceptions.

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My Pick:

Chloë Sevigny, Boys Don't Cry  - FIVE HEARTS -

In Sevigny, director Kimberly Pierce has found an angelic gateway into a world of dreams, desires, and raw passion. From her first appearence - as an off-putting representation of a cliched gangster moll at a cheap bar - to her last - as a young woman who has seen a world beyond Falls City, Nebraska, and has experienced something she never had before: love. While Hilary Swank sets this story in motion, it is Sevigny who picks it up and carries it into our souls. She provides the film with its rich emotional resonance, and offers a luminous, gentle characterization in contrast to the brutality the film leads up to. Sevingy has a disarming ability to make the audience fall in love with Lana, just as quickly as Brandon does. This is done through the wise choice of giving us a little bit of who Lana is one at a time. The subtle nuances that grace her performance are astounding, and further add to the mysterious enigma of who this woman really is and why Brandon wants her. But while giving in to her desires, Sevigny always makes sure that Lana is determined and never gives into any kind of cheap, sappy sentimentality that the outcome of the story would suggest. An emotionally true, touching, radiant, luminous, and imaginitive performance that is truly one for the ages.

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From There:

Toni Collette, The Sixth Sense - FIVE STARS -

For a film that is actually pretty overrated, and praised maybe too often, the performance given by Collette is seriously overlooked most of the time. While most viewers just look out for the great Haley Joel Osment and that plot twist, Toni Collette is just as essential to The Sixth Sense, as Osment is, and perhaps even more so. Her Lynn Sear acts as a level headed anchor for the film, and keeps the humane side of the story in contact with the supernatural events taking place. She puts on a Philly accent, and is reduced to the cliche's of the worried/emotionally disturbed single mother who must deal with her child's issues (i.e. Burtsyn in The Exorcist). However, instead on playing it safe and just wallowing in these tired old themes, Collette never falls into these pitfalls and shows a woman who at all costs just wants to protect her son and find to despertley discover what he has been hiding from her. To put it simply, this was originally seen as a "tag-along" nomination but once you view the actual performance I guarantee that that is not the case. And that scene in the car -- one of the best acted scenes in freakin' film history. Her reactions and acting choices in that one scene elevate her performance and the entire film, and it's one of those rare moments in film that actually bring me to tears.

Catherine Keener, Being John Malkovich - FOUR HEARTS -

It's easy to dismiss Keener's performance and nomination as nothing because of what a head trip Being John Malkovich is. The charcacter Maxine is written as a blank state; not much of anything going on that we know of. From what we can tell, however, is that she is a total mystery and is somewhat of a bitch. With another actress this role would be a completley useless, dull plot device for the story. But with this creative control, Keener seizes the opportunity to create the charcter herself. She does this by adding layers to the character and always keeping a distance from those around her. What's so cool about this performance is how although Keener keeps feeding us more of who Maxine is, she never completley lets us see the whole, and she always remains a compelling mystery. There is also the sadness that Keener comunicates through Maxine's protective shell that speaks true to the character. A worthy nomination, indeed.

Angelina Jolie, Girl, Interrupted - ONE HEART -

Jolie has become the biggest movie star within the past ten years, has adopted more children than she can count, has had three husbands, and is in possesion of an Oscar. Her role as the rebellious, disturbed mental patient has Oscar written all over it. And all though she in no way deserved the Oscar, I am not at all shocked that she won. How couldn't she win?! She's loud, she screams, she cries, she's dramatic, and she steals every scene! All of the sad ingrediants that get Academy voters and audiences hot and bothered. What all of those people don't/didn't notice is that all of that absurd showy-ness goes nowhere. It doesn't deepen the story. It's not great acting. Jolie's performance is the polar opposite of what a supporting performance should be all about; actually SUPPORTING the lead actor. To many (for some odd reason) scene-stealing = great acting or deserving of an Oscar. No way in hell is this any kind of logical reasoning for a great performance. Even if Winona Ryder wasn't at the top of her game, you have to back her up until she reaches that point. Jolie, in every scene, wants the attention on her. Her crude show-boating, full of empty emotion and devoid of any depth, at time edges into camp. So ridiculously over-the-top, that it feels as if it is intentional. A sad decline from her brave work from 1998's Gia where she could have been a contender.

Samantha Morton, Sweet and Lowdown - ONE HEART -

It's not entirely Morton's fault that she's given little to do, and considering this was a Woody Allen film, that's shocking. In fact there's not much to write here at all; fair playing, supportive screen partener, but not nom-worthy.

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My Favorites From 1999:

My Pick: Chloë Sevigny, Boys Don't Cry

                 Toni Collette, The Sixth Sense

                 Cameron Diaz, Being John Malkovich

                 Catherine Keener, Being John Malkovich

                 Mena Survari, American Beauty

Goodbye Brittany Murphy

An actress I have always usually enjoyed seeing in films, Brittany was found dead in her shower earlier this morning. The 32 year old had died from a cardiac arrest, which to me sounds a little unusal... I have a feeling that drugs had a part in her tragic death. It's so sad, though. She was young, and this was almost completley unexpected.

~ R.I.P. BRITTANY MURPHY ~

Supporting Actress: My Ballot

My Picks For Supporting Actress:

- I have not seen every nominee for every year, so these are not permeant picks. However, winners with a  single"*" next to them are my final choices for that year, but a "*" with a pending means that my pick is between is undecided between those two.


2008 - Viola Davis - (Doubt)

2007 - Tilda Swinton - (Michael Clayton) *

2006 - Abigail Breslin - (Little Miss Sunshine) *

2005 - Rachel Weisz - (Constant Gardener, The) *

2004 [ edit ] Virginia Madsen - (Sideways)

2003 [ edit ] Holly Hunter - (Thirteen)

2002 [ edit ] Meryl Streep - (Adaptation) *

2001 [ edit ] Helen Mirren - (Gosford Park)

2000 [ edit ] Kate Hudson - (Almost Famous) *pending Marcia Gay Harden

1999 [ edit ] Chloë Sevigny - (Boys Don't Cry) *

1998 [ edit ] Joan Allen - (Pleasantville) *

1997 [ edit ] Julianne Moore - (Boogie Nights) * pending Gloria Stuart

1996 [ edit ] Juliette Binoche - (English Patient, The)

1995 [ edit ] Mira Sorvino - (Mighty Aphrodite) * Haven't seen the others yet

1994 [ edit ] Uma Thurman - (Pulp Fiction)

1993 [ edit ] Anna Paquin - (Piano, The)

1992 [ edit ] Marisa Tomei - (My Cousin Vinny) *

1991 [ edit ] Joanna Cassidy - (Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead) *

1990 [ edit ] Whoopi Goldberg - (Ghost) *

1989 [ edit ] Brenda Fricker - (My Left Foot)

1988 [ edit ] Geena Davis - (Accidental Tourist, The) *

1987 [ edit ] Olympia Dukakis - (Moonstruck)

1986 [ edit ] Dianne Wiest - (Hannah and Her Sisters) *

1985 *Such a bad year that none of them really deserved it

1984 [ edit ] Peggy Ashcroft - (Passage to India, A)

1983 [ edit ] Linda Hunt - (Year of Living Dangerously, The)

1982 [ edit ] Jessica Lange - (Tootsie) *

1981 [ edit ] Maureen Stapleton - (Reds)

1980 [ edit ] Mary Steenburgen - (Melvin and Howard)

1979 [ edit ] Meryl Streep - (Kramer vs. Kramer)

1978 [ edit ] Maggie Smith - (California Suite) *

1977 [ edit ] Vanessa Redgrave - (Julia)

1976 [ edit ] Jodie Foster - (Taxi Driver) *

1975  Undecided, but pending the Nashville ladies and (gulp) Brenda Vaccaro

1974 [ edit ] Valentia Cortese - (Day for Night)

1973 [ edit ] Tatum O'Neal - (Paper Moon) *

1972 [ edit ] Eileen Heckart - (Butterflies Are Free) *

1971 [ edit ] Cloris Leachman - (Last Picture Show, The) * pending Ellen Burstyn

1970 [ edit ] Helen Hayes - (Airport) *

1969 [ edit ] Goldie Hawn - (Cactus Flower) * pending Catherine Burns

1968 [ edit ] Lynn Carlin - (Faces)

1967 [ edit ] Estelle Parsons - (Bonnie and Clyde)

1966 [ edit ] Sandy Dennis - (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) *

1965 [ edit ] Shelly Winters - (Patch of Blue, A)

1964 [ edit ] Lila Kedrova - (Zorba the Greek)

1963 [ edit ] Margaret Rutherford - (V. I. P.'s)

1962 [ edit ] Patty Duke - (Miracle Worker, The) *

1961 [ edit ] Rita Moreno - (West Side Story) *

1960 [ edit ] Janet Leigh - (Psycho) *pending Shirley Jones

1959 [ edit ] Juanita Moore - (Imitation of Life)

1958 [ edit ] Wendy Hiller - (Separate Tables)

1957 [ edit ] Miyoshi Umeki - (Sayonara)

1956 [ edit ] Patty McCormack - (Bad Seed, The) *

1955 [ edit ] Natalie Wood - (Rebel Without a Cause)

1954 [ edit ] Eva Saint - (On the Waterfront) *

1953 [ edit ] Donna Reed - (From Here to Eternity)

1952 [ edit ] Jean Hagen - (Singin' in the Rain)

1951 [ edit ] Kim Hunter - (Streetcar Named Desire, A) *

1950 [ edit ] Celeste Holme - (All About Eve) * pending Olson and Emerson

1949 [ edit ] Mercedes McCambridge - (All the King's Men)

1948 [ edit ] Claire Trevor - (Key Largo)

1947 [ edit ] Celeste Holme - (Gentleman's Agreement) *

1946 [ edit ] Anne Baxter - (Razor's Edge, The)

1945 [ edit ] Eve Arden - (Mildred Pierce) * pending Ann Blyth

1944 [ edit ] Ethel Barrymore - (None But the Lonely Heart)

1943 [ edit ] Katina Paxinou - (For Whom the Bell Tolls)

1942 Undecided

1941 [ edit ] Teresa Wright - (Little Foxes, The)

1940 Still need to see the great Jane Darwell

1939  - Olivia de Havilland - (Gone With the Wind) *

1938 - Fay Bainter - (Jezebel)

1937 - May Whitty - (Night Must Fall)

1936 - Alice Brady - (My Man Godfrey)

"Well Fiddle-Dee-Dee!"

Today, December 15th 2009, marks the 70th anniversary of the cinematic masterpiece "Gone With The Wind", and boy oh boy what a remarkable seventy years it has been. The film (of course) hasn not aged a bit and although the word "damn" is hardly a foul word these days, its historical significance is indelible.

It's large in scope, rich in depth and complexity, and features some of the most memorable performances ever acted on the silver screen

   Viven Leigh is perfection as the legendary Scarlett O'Hara, Clark Gable is solid as her suitor, Olivia deHavilland is subtle, poised, and powerful as the tragic Melanie Hamilton, and Hattie McDainel gives depths, dimensions and feeling to a would-be throw-a-way role.  Each brilliant in their own way, and here's to a wonderful 70 years of movie magic!

Rare Oscar Find!

While searching the web I came across this cool and rare "For Your Consideration" Oscar ad promoting Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny for Academy consideration for Boys Don't Cry.

The Supporting Actress' of 2000

The nominees were...

* Judi Dench in Chocolat

* Marcia Gay Harden in Pollock

* Kate Hudson in Almost Famous

* Frances McDormand in Almost Famous

* Julie Walters in Billy Elliot

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After a banner year for supporting actress' in 1999, we got a good, but not quite great cluster in the new decade (can you believe it will be ten years?!). We have the cranky old lady, the wise mentor, the suffering/supportive wife, the over-protective mother, and of course, the sweet young thang. Although 2000, at the time, was called a "horrible year for film" by critics and moviegoers, I find this year to have rather interesting nominees for all categories (even if they weren't fantastic). Some of the winners were (in my mind) badly picked, i.e Julia Roberts....ack. But in the Supporting Actress category there was something of a surprise on Oscar night.

The favorite for the category was Kate Hudson. And why wouldn't she be? She's young, beautiful, won the hearts of many with her performance, scooped up the Golden Globe and is Hollywood royalty thanks to her mother, Goldie Hawn being a past Oscar-winner herself. Her inguenue status was highly helpful considering Jolie, Tomei, and Sorvino, winners of recent years back then, had won with the same status. But on Oscar night, Hudson's name was not in the envelope. Nope. In the envelope was the name Marcia Gay Harden, the dark horse who came out of nowhere with a shocking win. This shock was mostly due to the fact that she herself was not a big name actress (in fact people today still have no idea who she is), and her film, Pollock was a small little indie film which was not seen by many. However Oscar voters took notice alongside critics who raved about her powerful performance as Lee Krasner. Now while Harden could have easily of been  voted for solely based on her performance, I think so other factors went into her win. Hudson wasn't seriously dramatic enough, McDormand had won only four years ago, Dench had just won two years before, and Walters was unknown to most in a film that the Academy didn't love. So in a way, Harden's win wasn't so surprising.

My Pick: This is tough, although I can say my vote is between Harden and Hudson. Marcia owns her film,  and properly supports herself while doing the same for Ed Harris. Her tough, unsentimental performance is the best thing about Pollock adding shadings and layers to her complex charcacter while exploring new depths of her life with Jackson. While at the same time, I was amazed with what Hudson does with her Penny Lane; creating a luminous, complex and humane chracterization without ever bretraying the simplicity of the character. Much like Jessica Lange's brilliance in Tootise. Throughout her performance Hudson provides beautful shades to the mysterious Penny Lane resulting in subtle sadness which resonates in just her mere presence. So as you can see they are both great in their own unique ways, and even though my head says Harden, my heart says Hudson...

Popcorn Flick Pick: "Shampoo" (1975)

Shampoo is a film that can be fun and inviting even after several viewings,and it's the skillful direction that keeps the film at an easy pace, and flowing. Director Ashby finds the stillness of these rambunctious characters at different moments in time, and projects their hidden integrity with curious nuance and texture. Personally, I love film's where its narrative is set within a reasonably compacted amount of time (i.e. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Halloween) because, A) the plot and people within become immensely compelling, and exciting, and B) the arc and/or climax of the film is usually something of a doozie. Shampoo's players are always up to one thing or another, and it ends up becoming one helluva of a 48 hours for them all. Set on election eve 1968, the film perfectly captures the craziness of those groovy hippie times, filled with hidden (and expressed) sexuality, the power and restraints of one's actions, and finding out what the real world is all about. To George, the world revolves around his many women with their precious hair, and his own personal predicaments. Within almost two days his "perfect world" slowly crumbles away, and he is forcefully exposed to the reality everyone else lives in. In fact, the compacted time set is essential to the entire feel of the film, as all of the characters (not just George) are abruptly and unexpectedly shown what they couldn't see and comprehend from the get-go. We are constantly waiting for the moment where one of these people will see what the others cannot, and as the film continues those cracks in this golden egg of a world begin to show.

Art almost imitated life when Warren Beatty played the womanizing hairdresser, who's had more woman in his bed than all of the Kennedy's combined. The character of George redefines what we today call, a "man-whore". That's right, like a heterosexual hustler who doesn't make his clients pay for his services ("I don't fuck anybody for money, I do it for fun!"). Beatty may be the one true weak link in the film, and it's a shame considering he's the center of it. His portrayal of George is quite flawed, and its amazing the rest aren't taken down with him. George is a player, right? Than why doesn't he act like one? Where is that control and aggressiveness a hustler would/should possess? To me, all George looks like is a Labrador being told what to do (yes I got that from The Constant Gardener). We see George's growing anxiety and short attention span, but Beatty just seems to walk through the film, and the performance ends up being a complete misreading of the character.

Luckily Beatty's scenes are brightened up with the help of his co-stars, Goldie Hawn and Julie Christie, who both deliver first-class performances. They play best friends, but are actually quite the exact opposite of each other; Jill is the loyal and loving girlfriend of George, who is strong willed, but a bit naive. Jackie is the ex-girlfriend of George who (like any women) would still screw him in a New York minute, and is not naive to the fact that George is a lying bed-hopper. Both actress' are perfectly cast in their roles, and as always, give depth to their characterizations even if the script doesn't. As the day goes on, both ladies discover what their secretly shared lover is all about under unfortunate circumstances. Jill's arc is given subtle shadings thanks to Hawn - who possess over flowing charm, but who is able to ground her character and surroundings. Much like in her other roles, her golden locks may project her giggling and lightweight persona, but theirs much more to it than that. The fluff is inlaid with indelible strength and intelligence. And Hawn's take on Jill is no exception. Christie makes Jackie a person who you can hate and feel for at the same time. Although we don't know much about her past, we can perceive that it wasn't as pretty as she is.

The next player is perhaps one of my favorite aspect's of the film, and she won the Oscar for her engaging performance of a wealthy but bored housewife. Yup, that player is Ms. Lee Grant who remains vivid in her part even after all these years. Grant is aware of the typical bitch housewife routine set up for her, so she gracefully avoids it, and gives her role a resolute feeling of following dreams and losing them just as quickly. Felicia is very much human, and not some cartoon sketched up to pass the time. For example in the scene where she finds George coming out of her daughter's bathroom, even behind those bug-eyed sunglasses we can still see her questioning and doubt about what really just happened. Then to push those ideas aside, she must immediately pounce on George, so psychologically she has the upper-hand to her daughter who only gets to enjoy the ride once. Aside from the technical aspects of the performance, Grant's Felicia is a real hoot to watch. Walking around her house in a mink coat, having different hairstyles in every scene, her neurotic ranting and line readings. God, I wanted more! However for me, the icing on the already delicious cake is her climactic chance of attempting to turn around her life which is slowly falling apart. Her husband is trying ever so gently to avoid the conversation, but Felicia knows that this is the final straw ("No....no we cannot go into this later."). After Lester refuses to hear the reality of the situation, Felicia forcefully shoves it down his throat with a sharp edge.

To sum it all up, this is one bottle of shampoo that never looses its luster, texture, or proficiency.