Best Actress Oscar Trivia

[Hiram]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 3:36pm

If this has already been discussed, please forgive me. This year's nominees for Best Actress in a Leading role are from five different countries. Cate Blanchett is Austrailian, Julie Christie is English, Marion Cotillard is French, Laura Linney is American and Ellen Page is Canandian. To you Oscar experts: Has this ever happened before or for that matter, has this ever occurred in the other three Acting categories? Just curious. Thanks.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 3:41pm

I've never heard it mentioned before... so it might be a first!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 3:46pm

Although I have not seen many of the movies, I would like to see Julie Christie win it for the sentimentality factor

Realistically, I cannot imagine a better performance than Cotillard so I hope she gets it.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 4:11pm

I've seen them both now, and they're both deserving of the award.

I'm predicting Julie Christie for the win, though. Both give terrific acting performances. Julie's is mostly internal: mental confusion, depression and anguish, while Cotillard's is mostly external: physical debilitation, aging, theatricality and (to some degree) mimicry.

Both are right on the money and entirely believable, though. And from my own personal POV, I believe Julie's work to be more impressive on the degree-of-difficulty scale. It's hard to do what she did with basically "no tricks." No excessive makeup, no theatrics, no original vocal recordings or footage of an iconic legend to study and help you out.

I also think Cotillard has two (if not more) strikes against her unfortunately: she's not doing her own singing, and her performance is in a foreign language. Only three performances in the history of the Oscars have won for a foreign language performance (Sophia Loren, Roberto Benigni and Robert De Niro in Godfather II). Only two have won it for a foreign language film. I'm not saying she shouldn't be next, but the historical odds are against her.

[fflagg]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 4:30pm

Julie Christie gave the best female acting performance of the year. Period.

And I hope the screenplay also wins. I sense JUNO's strongest likelihood to win is in Screenplay even though this soon-to-be-overrated film does not deserve it.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 4:46pm

Mmmm, I find that debatable. To me, it's up between Christie and Page in terms of the best performance. Christie gave such a quiet, detailed, heart-breaking performance in AWAY FROM HER. Page overcame the difficulties of the traps of playing Juno, she was always walking that thin line between struggling teenager and annoying emo kid. She brought in so much to the role, plus she made it funny without taking the real emotions from it. In a year full of dramatic, big performances, it would be nice to see Page's work recognized.
Having said that, it's between Cotillard and Christie. To be honest, I thought Cotillard did great acting in LA VIE EN ROSE, but I'm just a bit tired of all these people getting awards for mimicking someone else. Yes, I know, it's more than mimicking, it's revealing the essence of the person, etc, etc, etc. But I do find it a bit gimmicky. If she wins (and I think the award belongs to Christie), it won't be undeserved but I believe there are worthier actresses in the category.

[BwayLover]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 6:39pm

Christie all the way for me....She is heartbreaking and maginificent in AWAY FROM HER, and I think she deserves the award this year.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 6:59pm

Christie's performance, months after seeing the film, still gives me goosebumps when I think about it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 7:01pm

It will be a shame if she cannot accept it due to the strike

If the Oscars are killed because of it, look for both sides to really dig in. thank god for cable & DVD'S.

[nealb1]

Posted: 1/27/08 at 8:28pm

It will either go to Christie or Marion. Marion gave the best performance of the year. Period!

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 12:21am

Back to the original topic. I was thinking about it and I thought of the year 2004, when Charlize Theron (South Africa), Diane Keaton (USA), Samantha Morton (England), Keisha Castle-Hughes (New Zealand), and Naomi Watts (Australia) were all nominated for Best Actress.

[mattonstage]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 12:50am

Here's what I found: from 1960-2001
1963-Best Supporting Actress
Diane Cilento-Australia
Dame Edith Evans-Great Britain
Joyce Redman-Ireland
Margaret Rutherford-Great Britain
Lilia Skala-Austria

1965-Best Actress
Julie Andrews-Great Britain
Julie Christie-Great Britain
Samantha Eggar-Great Britain
Elizabeth Hartman-USA
Simone Signoret-France

1966-Best Actress
Anouk Aimee-France
Ida Kaminska-Czechoslovakia
Lynn Redgrave-Great Britain
Vanessa Redgrave-Great Britain
Elizabeth Taylor-USA (born in Great Britain)

1971- Best Actress
Julie Christie-Great Britain
Jane Fonda-USA
Glenda Jackson-Great Britain
Vanessa Redgrave-Great Britain
Janet Suzman-South Africa

1992-Best Supporting Actress
Judy Davis-Australia
Joan Plowright-Great Britain
Vanessa Redgrave-Great Britain
Miranda Richardson-Great Britain
Marisa Tomei-USA (aside: one of Oscar's great mysteries)

1997-Best Actress
Helena Bonham Carter-Great Britain
Julie Christie-Great Britain
Judi Dench-Great Britain
Helen Hunt-USA
Kate Winslet-Great Britain

1998-Best Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates-USA
Brenda Blethyn-Great Britain
Judi Dench-Great Britain
Rachel Griffiths-Australia
Lynn Redgrave-Great Britain

and that's just actresses, I didn't bother with the actors.

[Urban]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 4:33am

I must be the only person that like Marisa Tomei's performance :p

[Hiram]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 9:51am

StageManager2 - I forgot about the five women in 2004. Excellent!

[lildogs]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 9:56am

I didn't look, but I'd bet if you went back to the 20s/30s
you'd find alot of foreign-born actors--The first group of Best Actor noms Chaplin, Jannings and Barthelmess were all from different countries.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 9:56am

Urban, Tomei gave a spectacular, and yes award-worthy comic performance in MY COUSIN VINNY. However, compared with the ferociousness of both Judy Davis and Miranda Richardsons performances (maybe they cancelled each other out) it is odd she won.


Ironically, Tomei was robbed about ten years later for the same award in IN THE BEDROOM.

[lildogs]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 10:00am

And the other two options are British theatre royalty...I was rooting for Judy too--one of the best living actresses I think.

Marisa was very good and she was the most attractive and the only Yank. There's alot of horny execs (and Ernest Borgnine) in the Academy.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 12:15pm

Oh, please, get over it. Marisa Tomei gave a brilliant comedic performance, I don't understand why that is less accomplished than Judy Davis' or Miranda Richardson's performances. I don't understand the "mystery" behind it, for the first time the Academy went for a non-Oscar bait role and it went to someone who very much deserved it. To this day, I think Tomei's performance in MY COUSIN VINNY is genius. I agree she was robbed for IN THE BEDROOM though, well, her and Kate Winslet for her flawless supporting role in IRIS.

[Pippin]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 12:20pm

^

I agree with everything you just said, Ray.


Tomei's performance was wonderful. She was totally believable, and caricatury, but not over the top. With that type of character, it takes the right kind of balance that only a skilled actress can give. Her casting was Kismet, IMO.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 12:26pm

I think some people take issue with the fact that Tomei wasn't nominated for a Golden Globe or BAFTA or other awards, but I concur that hers was well-deserved. Lisa's testimony kills me every time.

Updated On: 1/28/08 at 12:26 PM

[lildogs]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 12:30pm

I won't beat the Tomei dead horse, but it's not for nothing that people thought Palance read the wrong name cuz he'd been drinking.

I'm not sayin, I'm just sayin....

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 1:38pm

If the wrong name was read, that would have been settled by now...


Anyway. Though I loved Christie and think that she's completely deserving of the award, I would vote for Cotillard.

[lildogs]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 2:02pm

Honey...I know that...that didn't stop people from thinking that though--which was the point. I do believe I used the past tense right?

Lord.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 2:08pm

Forget about In The Bedroom and My Cousin Vinny, how about Before The Devil Knows You're Dead? I would gladly hand her the oscar for her subtle, yet still comedic performance in that movie.

[lildogs]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 2:11pm

I'm so glad to hear that's a good film--it's #2 on my must watch list