Best Actress Ranking - Update

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

If five performances from the same year are included, the winning performance is 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. Maggie Smith in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
6. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
7. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
8. Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman (1978)
9. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
10. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)

11. Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise (1991)
12. Katharine Hepburn in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
13. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
14. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)
15. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
16. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
17. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998)
18. Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
19. Simone Signoret in Room at the Top (1959)
20. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)

21. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
22. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
23. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
24. Joanne Woodward in The Three Faces of Eve (1957)
25. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
26. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
27. Lee Remick in Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
28. Annette Bening in American Beauty (1999)
29. Emily Watson in Hilary and Jackie (1998)
30. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)

31. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
32. Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark (1967)
33. Meryl Streep in The Devil wears Prada (2006)
34. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
35. Anne Baxter in All about Eve (1950)
36. Judi Dench in Mrs. Brown (1997)
37. Helen Hayes in The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1932)
38. Jane Fonda in Coming Home (1978)
39. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
40. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)

41. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
42. Joan Crawford in Sudden Fear (1952)
43. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
44. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
45. Marsha Mason in Chapter Two (1979)
46. Jane Wyman in The Yearling (1946)
47. Martha Scott in Our Town (1940)
48. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
49. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
50. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)

51. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
52. Jeanne Crain in Pinky (1949)
53. Eleanor Parker in Detective Story (1951)
54. Vanessa Redgrave in Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)
55. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
56. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
57. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
58. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
59. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
60. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)

61. Ruth Chatterton in Madame X (1928-29)
62. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)
63. Bette Davis in The Star (1952)

Annette Bening as Carolyn Burnham in American Beauty

If I had done this ranking 20 years ago, there is a good chance that Annette Bening might simply have been my Number 1. I was absolutely crazy about American Beauty when it first came out – and if you ever click on my Best PictureRanking, you can see that I actually still am. This love covered every aspect of the movie, obviously Kevin Spacey’s central role as Lester Burnham, but back in 1999, Annette Bening was probably the part of the movie I loved the most (I guess the Actress lover in me has always been very strong). There was just something so unusual about her, despite the conservative character she is playing, and her energy on the screen was just out-of-this world and gave a totally different balance to the central relationship. And I still do admire many parts of this performance, but as you can see from my ranking, my appreciation no longer knows no boundaries and I came to realize that the writing does affect her work.

Even though I still am crazy about American Beauty, I am not blind to its many flaws – many, many flaws. I can basically watch the movie and tell you every minute a new thing that is wrong with it – but American Beauty is one of the few movies that somehow totally escapes this criticism and, at least for me, comes out at the end, despite all its flaws, as a pure masterpiece. I don’t know what it is about it that keeps me so completely fascinated but I just cannot deny its power and perfection despite all its actual imperfection.

But even if the movie as a whole is perfect for me, I don’t automatically transfer this impression to every one of its aspects anymore. I still think that Kevin Spacey is perfection in the central role – again, despite the flaws because in a lot of ways, he actually seems miscast as his screen persona never truly embodies the average guy he is supposed to be. And Annette Bening is also incredibly strong as I said in the beginning, I still appreciate many aspects of her work, but I cannot overlook the fact that in her case, the limits of the part are too strong to fully embrace her work.

The first thing I have to say is: it is still true that Annette Bening brings an unexpected amount of energy and dedication to the part that makes her seem like the only possible choice for Carolyn. She attacks this role so completely, making every single moment of her appearance count and she balances drama and comedy flawlessly, making Carolyn a much stronger focus than it would have been otherwise. Because her status as a leading lady is actually debatable – American Beauty always circles around Kevin Spacey and Carolyn is not a bigger part of the film than their daughter Jane, they are aspects of Lester’s life that come and go but are never as developed as he is. Or rather, Jane actually is a layered character – Carolyn unfortunately feels too limited in the way the scrip presents her but also the way that Annette Bening plays her. It’s admirable that she so completely embraced the shrewish nature of the character and that she managed to gain sympathy by adding humur and pathos to her role but the part is not as deep as the movie would like you to believe and her characterization doesn’t always widen Carolyn as a person.

As I just said, the energy and dedication of her acting is astounding. From her first close-up, she treats Carolyn as a force of nature – the way she laughs nervously when Lester introduces himself, the way she snaps at her husband and her daughter, the way she drunkenly flirts with the “Real Estate King” or slaps herself after failing to sell a house are all moments that didn’t need to be as great as they are and that all benefit from Annette Bening’s way of being both seriousness and a caricature. Even though Kevin Spacey’s has the best character and also gives the best performance in the movie, Annette Bening absorbs every bit of attention whenever she is on-screen. She also manages to create Carolyn as a logical flow within the movie – as long as you don’t think too much about the flaws in her character, everything in her work fits right into the style of American Beauty. Who can forget her fight with Lester at the dining room table or her complete breakdown at the end of the movie? She creates an unforgettable character and really does this all by herself.

The reasons why I am not placing her higher lie in both the script but also Annette Bening’s performance – because even if she creates something unforgettable, this is only in relation to the fact that American Beauty is not interested in her and takes the same view of her character as Lester does: that she is a mostly shrill, humourless shrew and Lester is more than right to start treating her like crap. American Beauty is never truly interested in her point of view – Lester gives us all his reasoning and thinking in Voice Over, Annette Bening’s Carolyn doesn’t have this luxury and so many of her motives and decisions remain unclear. Annette Bening’s performance works in the contact of satire and caricature but it doesn’t really elevate Carolyn to a human being – it is fun to see her having an affair, but neither the movie nor her performance ever explain the reasons why Carolyn, so careful about her image of perfection, makes this step, in total contrast to Lester who’s lusting after his daughter’s highschool friend is given much more room. Neither Annette Bening nor the script explain why Carolyn turned into the woman she is today and Annette Bening’s performance also doesn’t take benefit of the scenes when Carolyn is not with Lester – here, Annette Bening might have deepened the character of Carolyn but instead she continues to play Carolyn the way Lester sees her. She is a good sport about many things but I wish she had fought a bit more to give Carolyn her point of view - for example when Carolyn sees Lester working out in the garage; that scene could have been played with a bit of humor and curiousity but Annette Bening too quickly and willingly presents herself as the opposite of Kevin Spacey's Lester, only there to make him look more appealing to the audience. There is unfortunately no element of surprise in her work and again – it benefits the movie and is still thrilling to watch but like a lot of other elements of American Beauty, it doesn’t totally hold up to a “closer look”.

So, this is a performance that does have a special meaning for me as it might have been the first best actress performance I was completely crazy about (and I was devastated for weeks when she lost the Oscar) but a more subjective look has shown me that what I love about this performance (the total dedication, the willingness to so strongly go along) are also the reasons why Carolyn doesn’t reach the potential she might have had if the movie had asked her to be a real human instead of a concept. Still, Annette Bening does excellent work that, within its limits, stood the test of time and is thrilling to watch.

YOUR Best Actress of 2004!

Here are the results of the poll:

1. Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake (13 votes)

2. Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full of Grace & Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (12 votes)

3. Annette Bening - Being Julia (6 votes)

4. Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby (3 votes)


Thanks for voting!

Best Actress 2004 - the resolution!

After having watched and reviewed all five nominated performances, it's time to pick the winner!

5. Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Just like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind itself, Kate Winslet’s performance sprinkles with creativity and originality. She meets all the challenges of this unusual script and creates a character who is a firework of emotions, sometimes impossible to bear, sometimes selfish and mean but strangely fascinating and loveable at the same time.

4. Catalina Sandino Moreno in Maria Full of Grace

                     

Catalina’s prim charm is wonderfully suited for her part as the headstrong but also insecure Maria. She hits all the right notes and makes Maria an unforgettable character by giving a very subtle, relaxed and natural performance that dominates the movie and helps to tell this very moving and gripping story.

 3. Annette Bening in Being Julia

Annette Bening almost bursts of confidence in her performance and her eccentric, larger-than-life diva who is full of self-assurance but also very insecure is an unforgettable portrayal that is able to entertain and astonish the audience with its humor, wit and originality.

2. Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby

Hilary Swank is able to make Maggie both a dreamer and a worn-out woman at the same time. She combines her hopes and dreams, her fears and disappointments in the greatest way and gives an unforgettable performance of a strong-willed, determinant, but also insecure and uncertain character.

                

1. Imelda Staunton in Vera Drake

In the performance of Imelda Staunton, the always cheerful Vera who constantly hums sunny melodies becomes a very real and everyday character but she is also able to challenge the audience when she shows that Vera is involved in a matter that couldn’t be more controversial. By capturing all these aspects, Imelda Staunton gives one of the most heartbreaking and complex performances to ever grace the screen. 

Best Actress 2004: Annette Bening in "Being Julia"

To play a great diva of the theatre world is always a challenge and a reward for each actress. If she succeeds in the part, then critical praise and awards attention are guaranteed. But to succeed, she must be able to meet all the challenges of this part.

An actress has to be confident enough in her own talent to be able to fill both her own performance and the constant performances of her character with all the qualities that make a diva so unique. She must be able to be a complete bitch to everyone else in the movie but make the audience love her at the same time. She has to walk a thin line between being an eccentric diva and a hateful woman. She has to be larger-than-life but never go over-the-top. She must also know when to show a real character behind the grand exteriors. In a part like this, an actress must constantly act but avoid to appear unrealistic. And most of all, an actress has to have enough personality to be believable as this diva.

In the part of Julia Lambert, a great star of the London stage during the 30s, Annette Bening achieved all these demands wonderfully. Her eccentric, larger-than-life diva who is full of self-assurance but also very insecure is an unforgettable portrayal that is able to entertain and astonish the audience with its humor, wit and originality. Julia Lambert is not a rip-off of other famous divas like Margo Channing, instead Annette Bening created a character that is totally her own. She also succeeds in bringing the screenplay to a greater level since Julia is not that well written and brings together a lot of clichés but Annette is able to combine these well-known clichés with a lot of depth and creates a real, three-dimensional character.

Annette Bening almost bursts of confidence in her performance. She makes Julia a force of nature, a true diva of the theatre who knows who she is: a true star and a gifted actress. Julia has no doubt in her own talents and her own success but she slowly learns that life outside of the theatre is not going according to her own script. But when everything seems to slip away from her, she is confident and strong enough to fight back – and what else could she be using as her battlefield but her own territory, the stage of the theatre? She needs that stage to bring her personal life back into order.

Annette is a totally commanding presence on the screen and both she and Julia reduce everyone around her to mere props. But the gift of Annette is that she may take full spotlight with her performance but she allows others to shine, too, and is always able to create great chemistry with all her co-stars.

Annette Bening’s biggest success is how she is able to show so many sides of Julia. Her Julia on the stage talks and moves totally differently from the Julia off-stage but even the off-stage-Julia has more than one personality. There is the off-stage-Julia who is still acting and reading lines to get what she wants and there is the honest, the real Julia who sometimes becomes visible. It’s thrilling to watch Annette Bening turn Julia into a real tour-de-force and how she constantly plays with her intentions, motives and behaviors.

Annette is able to make Julia’s constant acting and awareness very natural and believable which is probably the biggest challenge of them all. It is clear that Julia is never letting her real personality become apparent and instead puts on an act for everyone but Annette presents this as a natural part of Julia’s character. When she is visiting her young lover at night and starts to cry one is never certain if she is acting or really honest. Only when she later breaks down in the quietness of her own room, it seems to become clear that this time, Julia really is herself. She constantly has to trick both the audience and the characters around her about her real intentions.

As said before, Annette Bening also has to be able to be really unpleasant to the characters around her but at the same time make the audience care about her and she also succeeds in this part. The most famous scene of the movie when Julia takes revenge on a young, upcoming actress on the stage during a premiere is certainly the highlight of Annette’s performance. One feels sorry for the young woman whose most important night of her life is turned into a personal fiasco but at the same time it’s impossible to not love Julia while she is doing it. Annette Bening’s smile can brighten up the whole screen and she is able to turn Julia into a character so crazy, eccentric, real and loveable that one finds oneself always on her side.

The only thing working against Annette is that she is in a movie that certainly adores her and gives her every opportunity to shine but is never able to catch up with her. Sometimes, Annette’s performance is too big for the movie because while she has to struggle with the eternal problems for every theatre diva – age, love and a new young rival – it is done in a rather simple way that can’t live up to Annette’s performance. Everything that happens to and around Julia is never as epic as Julia herself. Sometimes, Annette’s performance is too spectacular for its own good.

Still, Annette Bening turns Julia Lambert into one of the most extravagant, stylized, real and memorable divas ever and for this, she gets

Best Actress 2004

The next year will be 2004 and the nominees were

Annette Bening in Being Julia

Catalina Sandino Moreno in Maria Full of Grace

Imelda Staunton in Vera Drake

Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby

Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind