My current Top 5

My current Top 5

12/15/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update

 
Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

Winning performances are higlighted in red.

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
8. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
9. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
10. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)

11. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
12. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
13. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998)
14. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
15. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
16. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
17. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
18. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
19. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
20. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)

21. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
22. Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark (1967)
23. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
24. Jane Fonda in Coming Home (1978)
25. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
26. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
27. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
28. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
29. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
30. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 

31. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
32. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
33. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
34. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
35. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
36. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
37. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
38. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
39. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
40. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)

Jane Fonda as Sally Hyde in Coming Home


What the heck just happened? Did I really just upgrade a performance by Jane Fonda? After spending so many years on this blog criticizing her performances and declaring her win for Coming Home one of the worst Oscar decision ever (when I did this ranking the first time, she was among the Bottom 10 of about 350 performances). Yes, times have certainly changed. Who knows what happened? Maybe the fact that I have now seen all nominees in this category (except one…where are you, Betty Compson???) helps me to judge performances better in comparison to all the others. Maybe it’s the fact that I have now spent quite a good deal of time with Jane (I probably started ranking Oscar winners more than 10 years ago). Maybe my taste has just shifted…who knows…

Of course, it’s not like I now suddenly consider her performance my favorite of all time but her position has definitely improved as my appreciation of her work has grown over time. In the end it probably comes down to the fact that I am trying to be more objective than I have been in the past when it comes to judging these performances, helping me to have a more unbiased look. I was also actually expecting to upgrade Jane Fonda in my ranking when I started to re-watch Coming Home as I began to see a more relaxed and spontaneous screen presence than I did in the past and also still think very highly of Coming Home as a movie (despite some flaws that I will talk about soon) – in the past, I mainly credited the cast around Jane Fonda for the film’s success but I now admit that she is an important ingredient, too.

But why live in the past? Let’s just look at the performance from today’s point of view. Obviously, as you can see from the position in the ranking, I still have some problems with the performance but there are other aspects that I began to appreciate. I suggest we start with the parts that I don’t like so much here. First of all, I think I have to begin by saying that, in my humble opinion, Jane Fonda is actually miscast in this role. She is such a strong screen presence that I have a hard time believing her to be a shy and devoted housewife and I also think that she appears too old for this role. Apparently, after having worked with her on Julia the year before and sensing that she was going to be a very big deal, Jane Fonda wanted Meryl Streep in the part of Vi which would eventually be played by Penelope Milford. But I actually have a much easier time imaging the young Meryl Streep of 1978 in the part of Sally. There is something both plain and unique about Meryl Streep and I can easily see her going through Sally’s transformation process in a more believable manner.

The other major problem I have with Jane Fonda’s work is how she reacts to the cast around her. First, there is her friendship with Vi. Again, the casting of a dominant actress like Jane Fonda makes their friendship appear rather unbalanced. It’s just hard for me to believe that 40 year old Jane Fonda would accept 30 year old Penelope Milford as her guidance and kind of role model and if the friendship works, I mostly applaud Penelope Milford for it. She is maybe not truly outstanding in her role but her ‘who gives a s**t attitude’ on the screen makes the whole thing work.

The bigger problem is the fact that Jane Fonda has absolutely no chemistry with Bruce Dern and this is also the most harming aspect of the whole movie. I don’t put all the blame for this on Jane Fonda. I think the casting of Bruce Dern, who is just too unconventional a screen presence to be the kind of ‘normal, American soldier’ he is supposed to play, does not work at all and he and Jane Fonda appear to be uncomfortable together right from the start. This also makes the whole story that follows often extremely unsatisfying. When it comes to Sally’s affair with Luke, Coming Home makes it just too easy to sympathize with Sally – after all, even a crippled Luke can bring more sexual pleasure to Sally than her husband and it’s also not very difficult to find more sex-appeal in Join Voight than in Bruce Dern. I wish the script and the casting of Bob had made this love triangle more balanced and even. But I also wish that Jane Fonda had invested more doubt and guilt in Sally. I don’t think that she misses her husband for his sake but rather for what he represents – security and comfort. Maybe this is even true but it’s nowhere to be found in Jane Fonda’s performance. I also don’t see any true guilt about her affair – she openly interacts with Luke, sitting on his lap on the beach, bringing him to her house, letting him pick her up at the hospital. Even their affair only begins after she actively suggests it to Luke – but this also just poses new questions as she did not even plan to meet Luke that night. Furthermore, her later arguments that she was ‘lonely’ are also not convincing as she begins the affair on the first night after her return from meeting her husband in Hong Kong and experiencing his pain first-hand. All of this also makes her final scenes feel too untrue – I just don’t believe Jane Fonda when she tells Bruce Dern “I love you” and the script again is working against her, letting Sally say “I’m not gonna make excuses for what happened BUUUUUUT…” (okay, not precisely with those words but still…).

So, the character of Sally Hyde certainly poses various problems that Jane Fonda is also not fighting, apparently hoping the audience of 1978 will sympathize with a woman who experiences her sexual liberation and who chooses the man who opposes the war instead of the one who fights it. But even beyond that, the character of Sally is not perfect. My major problem with this role in the past used to be that she feels so secondary even in her own story, watching how the men around her choose between different ideals and ideas while she only chooses between these men. And I still stand by this opinion. Sally is a very passive character, only acquiring ideas or ambitions when others show her the way and often remaining very pale.

But – now we come to what I began to appreciate by now. Despite the fact that Sally is such an uninteresting part, there is something fascinating about seeing a strong personality such as Jane Fonda attack this role and give it her own spin. She clearly tried to inject her own acting style that is so often praised for its spontaneity into Sally and so creates something that somehow now feels very satisfying in specific moments. Mostly, I enjoy her ‘small’ moments on the screen because that is when she truly feels to live her character and where I get the feeling that I am watching a real person saying things that are coming into her head just now. Scenes like the one at night in the hospital, when she sits on Jon Voight’s lap, feels a bit lost about the tension between them, laughs nervously and wants to leave. Or later again sitting on Jon Voight’s lap at the beach, unsure about the future and how they can go on with their affair or her shocked ‘Oh my God’ when Luke’s urine bag leaks on her dress. These are moments that get all their special appeal from Jane Fonda because she tries to add an unconventional acting style to a conventional part. Often, these moments are unfortunately connected to other scenes that don’t work as well. I truly dislike the way she reacts to the telegram that might or might not bring the news that her husband died as she seems to be only half-interested in its content, somehow forcing a concerned emotion that never rings true. As mentioned earlier, I also don’t care for her big scene at the end opposite her angry husband as her tears just don’t feel true but I absolutely love the way she reacts to Luke’s knocking at the door, showing confusion and honesty in a small, throw-away moment. And so my favorite moment of her performance is also one of these scenes – the way she talks to the soldiers on a bus about the women at the Officer’s Club and that they would not want to do an article about the situation at the hospital. She feels completely authentic at this moment and it also perfectly underlines how she has changed by now compared to her first day at the hospital when she could only react with a shamed silence to the ways the men talked (but I again do not care so much for the scene that showed the confrontation between Sally and the women at the club – Jane Fonda’s anger actually works well but I have a hard time to believe that Sally would ever have been friends with these women in the first place because Jane Fonda is just too different from all the other actresses around her).

So, there is “good” and “bad” in this performance but more “good” than I had been willing to admit in the past. Again, it is mostly Jane Fonda’s often very modern approach to a rather old-fashioned role that creates some thrilling and unforgettable moments. And most of all I appreciate that Jane Fonda never tried to bring more to the part than necessary – her outburst opposite Luke when she asks him why he has to be such a bastard could have done with much more fireworks but it makes sense that a shy woman such as Sally would stay rather calm and quiet, even in a moment like this. And while I also used to complain that the change in Sally was non-existent in Jane Fonda’s acting, I now appreciate the subtle approach to this change. Her Sally never becomes a new person, she still stays true to her core identity but there is still something new about her. The woman who awkwardly met Luke at the hospital for the first time, who had drinks at the Officer’s Club is not the same woman who lives at the beach or visits her husband in Hong King – the changes are small and affected her character without changing her personality but they are there and achieve an overall satisfying character journey.

So, I now conclude that Jane Fonda gives a sometimes thrilling but also often disappointing performance that lives from her personality but could have used more depth and consideration to be truly outstanding. Still, there is more to enjoy here than I used to see in the past and it makes me look forward to re-rank her other performances in the future.

 And a hint to the next performance that will be ranked:

10/24/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

Winning performances are higlighted in red.

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
8. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
9. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
10. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)

11. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
12. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
13. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998)
14. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
15. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
16. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
17. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
18. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
19. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
20. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)

21. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
22. Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark (1967)
23. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
24. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
25. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
26. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
27. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
28. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
29. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
30. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)

31. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
32. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
33. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
34. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
35. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
36. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
37. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
38. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
39. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)


And a hint to the next performance that will be ranked:


7/23/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

Winning performances are higlighted in red.

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
8. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
9. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
10. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)

11. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
12. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
13. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
14. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
15. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
16. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
17. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
18. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
19. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
20. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)

21. Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark (1967)
22. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
23. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
24. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
25. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
26. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
27. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
28. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
29. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
30. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)

31. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
32. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
33. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
34. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
35. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
36. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
37. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
38. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)



And a hint to the next performance that will be ranked:



6/17/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

Winning performances are higlighted in red.

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
8. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
9. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
10. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)

11. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
12. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
13. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
14. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
15. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
16. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
17. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
18. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
19. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
20. Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark (1967)

21. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
22. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
23. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
24. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
25. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
26. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
27. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
28. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
29. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
30. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)

31. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
32. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
33. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
34. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
35. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
36. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
37. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)



And a hint to the next performance that will be ranked:


5/05/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
8. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
9. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
10. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)

11. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
12. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
13. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
14. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
15. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
16. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
17. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
18. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
19. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
20. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)

21. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
22. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
23. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
24. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
25. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
26. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
27. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
28. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
29. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
30. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)

31. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
32. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
33. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
34. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
35. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
36. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)

Sissy Spacek as Mae Garvey in The River


I think instead of calling the performances that are ranked at the bottom of a list like this „the worst“, I would rather prefer to call them „the weakest“. Because none of them are actually bad (yes, not even Mary Pickford) on a Razzie-worthy level – instead, those at the bottom are simply those performances where an actress failed with her approach, where the role did not give her anything to work with or where the acting itself is quite simply “weak”. But not necessarily “bad”. 

The interesting thing about Sissy Spacek in The River is that most people on the Internet seem to rank her either first or last. I cannot comment yet on the question if she will be last in my personal ranking of 1984, but as you can see from the position she has for now, I am not an admirer. The truth is that I feel quite bad for putting her that low – because looking at The River, there is simply nothing that Sissy Spacek could have done different or better. She plays the part with her usual simplicity that most of the time works so beautifully, she perfectly fits into her surroundings and is always believable as a woman who lives for supporting her husband and her farm. But even within this structure, the part of Mae is a big fat “Nothing”. For this ranking, I have seen parts of her performance probably 20 times in the last couple of weeks and still I fail to remember specific scenes or what exactly Mae is supposed to be. I also wouldn’t call it a supporting performance – rather, the whole role almost completely disappears, even when she has a scene to herself. She leaves absolutely no impression but again I would blame the movie more than Sissy Spacek.

Unlike Places in the Heart and Country, the other two “save the farm”-movies of 1984, The River was not designed as a show case for its leading lady but is rather a showcase for its male character and if that part had not been played by Mel Gibson, I suppose The River would have rather seen its acting nomination come in the Best Actor category. But I guess that Mel Gibson was not taken seriously enough in 1984 and he also played the part with a too obvious determination to change his image, coming across as too forced and unlikable. Sissy Spacek looks like her role as the wife of a farmer – Mel Gibson looks like an underwear model. This also results in the fact that both actors have zero chemistry, they simply do not fit together. Sissy Spacek has a much better chemistry with the actor who plays her former lover and rival of her husband – when she sees him on the street, her eyes immediately tell the audience that there is/was more going on and when she later tells him that it is “too late” for them, it is her only real strong moment in the movie where she is allowed to shine for a moment. But this moment again comes and goes and leaves no impression and when she later slaps her husband and tells him that he is a “stupid, goddamn farmer” it never becomes the kind of powerful moment you have been waiting for but again just another scene the viewer forgets before it’s even over.

In the end, I can only repeat that Sissy Spacek did nothing wrong but the role itself is so shockingly empty that there is nothing that the even most talented actress could do – it is certainly no surprise to me that Jessica Lange left the production to make her own farm movie (I surely don’t think it’s a coincidence that the dead cow in The River is called Jessica…) but it is rather surprising that Sissy Spacek took over. Did she see more in the role than I did? But of course, in the end she got a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination out of it, so what do I know?

And a hint to the next performance that will be ranked:


4/15/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
8. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
9. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
10. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)

11. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
12. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
13. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
14. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
15. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
16. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
17. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
18. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
19. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
20. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)

21. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
22. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
23. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
24. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
25. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
26. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
27. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
28. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
29. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
30. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)

31. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
32. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
33. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
34. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
35. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)


And a hint to the next performance that will be ranked:


4/03/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
8. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
9. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)
10. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)

11. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
12. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
13. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
14. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
15. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
16. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
17. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
18. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
19. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
20. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

21. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
22. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
23. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
24. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
25. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
26. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
27. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
28. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
29. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
30. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  

31. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
32. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
33. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
34. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)



And a hint to the next performance that will be ranked:


3/31/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
8. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
9. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)
10. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)

11. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
12. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
13. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
14. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
15. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
16. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
17. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
18. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
19. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
20. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)

21. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
22. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
23. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
24. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
25. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
26. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
27. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
28. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
29. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
30. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)

31. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
32. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
33. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)



3/10/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
3. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
4. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
5. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
6. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
7. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
8. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)
9. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
10. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

11. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
12. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
13. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
14. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
15. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
16. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
17. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
18. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
19. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
20. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)

21. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
22. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
23. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
24. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
25. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
26. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
27. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
28. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
29. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
30. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)

31. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
32. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)



2/22/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
3. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
4. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
5. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
6. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
7. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
8. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)
9. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
10. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

11. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
12. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
13. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
14. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
15. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
16. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
17. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
18. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
19. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
20. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)

21. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
22. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
23. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
24. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
25. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
26. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
27. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
28. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
29. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
30. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)

31. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)


1/13/2016

Best Actress Ranking - Update


Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
3. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
4. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
5. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
6. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
7. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
8. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)
9. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
10. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

11. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
12. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
13. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
14. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
15. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
16. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
17. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
18. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
19. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
20. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)

21. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
22. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
23. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
24. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
25. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
26. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
27. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
28. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
29. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
30. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)


Mary Pickford as Norma Besant in Coquette
Oh boy, I know that I need to defend myself right away. Mary Pickford’s performance in Coquette is most likely the most infamous winner (and maybe even nominee) in Oscar history because she is the poster child for “bad acting” and everyone who knows a little bit about the Oscars is aware of that. Even people who did not see Coquette know that Mary Pickford is the ultimate symbol for hammy and outdated overacting who was only honored by the Academy due to her legendary status as the most famous movie actress in the world and her involvement in the founding of the Academy itself.

So, how is Mary Pickford not last? To be honest, I actually decided to rank Mary Pickford now because I wanted a performance that would be easy to place and I thought that her position at the bottom would be a fairly easy task. But to my surprise I actually did not put her at the bottom…so what happened?

As you can see from my ranking, I surely do not consider Mary Pickford’s performance an artistic highlight. And from a purely neutral standpoint it would probably be fair to consider her the worst Best Actress nominee ever (although I cannot comment on this yet). But after all, nothing about this is neutral or objective – and when I rank the performances, there are other factors that come into play for me. And even if Mary Pickford is very often dreadful in Coquette, she always remains watchable – and that is a big plus for me.

Coquette is certainly a horrible movie – surely one of the worst to ever feature an Oscar-nominated performance. The script always changes between laughable and insulting and the whole cast is awful (apart from the actor who plays Stanley – he is actually quite good simply because he remains very understated during it all). All of this makes it easy for Mary Pickford to stand out – she is the clear center of attention, she is on-screen almost all the time and, like it or not, her character immediately draws attention. There is a reason why Mary Pickford chose this project as her big prestige movie – the role of Norma is a natural show-stealer, a flirty Southern Belle who loves a man against her father’s wishes. It’s a part with many big moments, from fearing about her lover to witnessing his death to defending her father in court. But of course, big showy moments do not make a great performance.

What is noticeable in Coquette right away is one thing – the star power of Mary Pickford. I know absolutely nothing about her apart from Coquette but I can believe that this actress was once the most famous woman in the world. There is something about her that draws you to her even when her acting pushes you away. I also don’t mind the fact that she was much older than her character – Mary Pickford spent her whole life playing children and teenagers so I can buy her as a young, flirty girl, especially since her delicate features help to strengthen this impression.

So, what does this all mean? On the one hand, yes, Mary Pickford has various awful moments. Most of the time it is stated that her acting seems to come from a silent movie – and that is very often true. She has a tendency to over-use her body, if that makes any sense, bending forward and backwards in agony, sliding away on a chair in court, grabbing her hair in desperation or shaking her arms in the air as she runs to the deathbed of her lover. Some of these moments might actually work in a silent movie (but even then they would be too much) but when she supports these gestures with her hectic and high-pitched voice, the effect is often rather grotesque. And der idea to show the flirting of Norma by putting her index-finger next to her mouth and forming some sort of puckered lips while uttering the word “adorable” looks absolutely ridiculous and does not do her performance any favors. Most of all, her work very often feels too forced – Mary Pickford projects every emotion in her performance 1000%, overstating basically every gesture, shaking her head too hard, flirting too hard, looking surprised too hard, even running too hard and crying too hard. It just becomes too much and this mostly contributes to the fact that her work feels so dated today.

There are also other things working against her. For example, the editor of the movie should have been shot at some point, always switching to unflattering close-ups at the most inappropriate times and even Mary Pickford’s expressive face cannot always save those. Also, what is up with the costume design in this movie? Apparently Mary Pickford wanted to do Coquette because she wanted to “wear smart cloths and play the lover”. But most of the time, Mary Pickford’s cloths make her look completely unattractive and homely without any truly redeeming features.

Well, so much on the negative side. But what is it that I like about her performance? Do I actually like something? As shocking as it sounds – yes. There is the aforementioned star power that, despite all the setbacks, makes me believe in Mary Pickford’s Norma. Yes, I can actually believe that a woman like this would exist, that she would be as shallow but also sometimes as true and she also works well with her cast members as I believe her to be a bigger sister, a faithful lover and a devoted daughter. And so she somehow pulls me right into her personal misery – at the end, I actually feel for her, I feel sad when she witnesses her lover die even if Mary Pickford again adds too many bizarre acting choices and I feel personally engaged in her story. I care more about Norma than I do about Diana Wynyard’s Jane, Irene Dunne’s Sabra or Shirley MacLaine’s Deedee. And as I also mentioned: Mary Pickford always remains watchable. Even when she is bad I like to see her. She adds energy into her performance that the other three actresses lacked – her scenes of sorrow and grief might be overdone but they still keep me interested. Watching her performance is like watching a bad painting – it might be bad but it still makes you look. The performances of Diana Wynyard, Irene Dunne and Shirley MacLaine on the other hand are rather like watching paint dry. These performance might be better acted (though in the case of Diana Wynyard I might actually disagree – just because her outdated acting is quieter than that of Mary Pickford it doesn’t mean that it is better) but I just don’t care about their characters. And for me, this is also a factor in my ranking.

Of course, my appreciation of Mary Pickford’s performance has limits. Just because she is not the last in my ranking does not mean that she is great. Her badness is certainly as bad as legend has it but she also has moments that make up for it. The aforementioned energy is one thing and very often she can suddenly inject really powerful or touching moments, very often just right after or before a good moment. The scene at the deathbed of her lover is an example: her delivery of lines like “Why, don’t you know me” or “Michael, don’t leave me” are incredible touching while her lines “You look almost like you’re dead” or “Maybe you’re only sleeping” are almost laughable. Her intensity when she learns about Michael’s fate from Stanley can be quite overwhelming but then she again resorts to some strange grimaces and overacting. And when she says “I don’t care” and refuses to help her father, she achieves maybe her best acting moment as she is suddenly completely honest and finds a rather quiet outlet for her anger – only to do an over-the-top breakdown a few seconds later. Her overall best scene might be at the end in court – even if she again uses her body too much and slides around the chair manically like a frightened deer, she is still rather touching.

So, the performance is certainly not great, not good, not OK – yes, many parts are bad but personally I can find some moments that compensate for it and Mary Pickford still possesses enough charisma and energy to keep me watching. And so I decided to not put her at the bottom of my ranking as I would rather watch her Norma than Diana's Jane, Irene's Sabra or Shirley's Deedee.