Johnny Simmons

In the last decade we lost a number of esteemed movie stars, among them Katharine Hepburn. You probably know my feelings on Kate, and I always wished that she’d had a career resurgence before her death. Of course she was in her nineties. These few women aren’t exactly at death’s door (knock wood) but I’m getting a bit antsy for their prospects – cinematically speaking. It’s hard enough getting roles now, but before the next decade they’ll all be seventy. That’ll be even more difficult. Their counterparts (Dench, Streep, Mirren) continue to find success on films. I wish they’d be so lucky. Here are the nine  older gals I hope get a career resurrection this decade. The rule is they can’t have had a notable leading role recently, so even though I wish they’d both do better work Sissy Spaceck (In the Bedroom) Diane Keaton (Something’s Gotta Give) and Julie Christie (Away From Her) don’t make the top ten, even though they’re on the sidelines, not far from this nine.

Marsha Mason (67)
Oscar Nominations: Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Goodbye Girl (1977), Chapter Two (1979) Only When I Laugh (1981)
Last Notable Role: Only When I Laugh (1981)

Back in the days she was a constant Oscar nominee, but I suppose few even remember who she is. She was a formidable screen presence, and I don't think that's something that one can lose. She is particularly gifted in comedy and with so many comedic roles for older women up for grabs it's a pity she can't even land one of those. It's a longshot, I suppose, hoping she'll ever get another good role...

                       

Oscar Win: Funny Girl (1968), Oscar Nomination: The Way We Were (1972)

Last Notable Role: The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)

You may scoff, but Barbra Streisand is actually a talented. She’s not done a real film role in some time and I wonder if she’s forgotten how to. More than being a talented actress, though, she’s an exceptional comedian and I would love to see her reawaken her comedic talents in a nice caustic role (a la Judi in Mrs. Henderson Presents). She has enough money to fund it for herself.

           

Oscar Wins: Norma Rae 1979, Places in the Heart (1984

Last Notable Role: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

The lady is obviously talented. She is currently doing good work on Brothers & Sisters; but I want her back on the big screen. Sally has a knack for heavy drama and she deserves to get a nice juicy dramatic role. The role of a grieving mother sounds like the perfect type of schmaltzy drama she can make work. I mean, Places in the Heart shouldn’t work as well as it does, but it’s Sally’s talent that makes it succeed.

               

Oscar Win: Mary Poppins (1964); Oscar Nominations: The Sound of Music (1965), Victor/Victoria (1982)

Last Notable Role: Duet For One (1985)

I don’t mind when I see actors I love slumming it in pop fare, but I got no satisfaction from seeing her in The Princess Diaries. It’s become a “given” now that Julie can’t act, but I think that’s an obvious untruth. Sure, she thrives when she sings but The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins don’t work any less she uses her acting skills alone. The woman has a skill with mannered comedy, I’m not sure if she’s given up on acting or acting has given up on her….

                               

Oscar Wins: Tootsie (1982), Blue Sky (1994), Oscar Nominations: Frances, Country (1984) Sweet Dreams (1985) Music Box (1989)

Last Notable Role: Cousin Bette (1998)
I’m not sure why, but Jessica Lange doesn’t seem to have too many roles (or fans). For the life of me, I can’t see why. Plastic surgery or not she continues to be an excellent actress (see Grey Gardens, Big Fish) and when she spoke about the lack of roles she gets at the Emmy’s last year I felt a bit sad. The woman’s a double Oscar winner, beautiful and talented. Who doesn’t want to see her in a movie? She has a formidable range. I really want someone to give her the chance to use it.

             

Oscar Win: Dead Man Walking (1995), Oscar Nominations: Atlantic City (1981), Thelma & Louise (1991), Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), The Client (1994)
Last Notable Role: The Banger Sisters (2002)

In a way Susan is like Diane Keaton. She’s been doing work, but not deserving of her talent. She gave a valiant performance opposite Carey Mulligan in The Greatest this year, but the film is not worthy of either woman. She just needs to work with better talent; she’s obviously not lost her touch for turning stock roles into real people. I still recall how the stodgy Shall We Dance lighted up whenever she was on screen. I wonder if her separation from Tim will send her career up or down...

     

Oscar Win: Julia (1977), Oscar Nominations: Morgan 1966, Isadora (1968, Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)The Bostonians (1984)Howards End

Last Notable Role: Mrs. Dalloway (1997)

I suppose in some ways this is a bit of a cheat since Ms. Redgrave actually has two films slated for release this year. She has the Amanda Seyfried romance (Letters from Juliet) and the alleged Ralph Fiennes Shakespeare piece (Coriolanus). I’m not certain if they’ll reach fruition, and nonetheless, there’s nothing like too much Vanessa. She remains as one of the most resplendent actors on screen and has aged so gracefully. She was slated to play Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine in the Robin Hood flick this year, but the death of her daughter Natasha Richardson prevented it.

              

Oscar Wins: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), California Suite (1978); Oscar Nominations: Othello (1965), Travels With My Aunt (1972) A Room With A View (1986) Gosford Park (2001)

Last Notable Role: Tea With Mussolini (1999)

Maggie has brightened the last decade with supporting roles (some prime) on screen. Her most notable was he part in Gosford Park – which earned an Oscar nod. Still, even that’s been a while. I do enjoy seeing her breathe life into McGonagall in the Harry Potter series, but surely she deserves a greater role to go out on. Maggie is one of those rare thespians who is equally skilled in comedy as she is in drama, so there’s any number of great roles that could be offered to her.

Oscar Nominations: The World According to Garp (1982); The Big Chill (1983), The Natural (1984); Fatal Attraction (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Last Notable Role: Hamlet (1990)

Sometimes I forget that my darling Glenn is over sixty. She always seems so full of life. She’s experiencing a rebirth of sorts on TV impressing audiences with her audacious work on Damages, but I’m not satisfied. It’s not that I don’t like TV – I do. But the screen is where I'll always prefer to see her, and she is worthy of it. I’d love to see her bring that musical version of Sunset Boulevard to fruition - although I know the chances of that are slim at best. The thing is, she can play more than the caustic roles we've come to recognise (and love) her for. Why isn't anyone using her talents?

             
Which of these women deserves a plum role the most? Or is there someone I've missed?

If all goes well I should be seeing Burton’s Alice in Wonderland next week. I don’t expect the film to be perfect, and I won’t be angry if I don’t love it as much as I wanted to. It seems that so many hate Burton now and with the announcement of his imminent reimagining of The Addams’ Family (which I think could be excellent) the trolls have emerged; but I digress. Whenever I hear the claims of Burton’s lack of restraint I always feel the urge to slag someone off by citing my favourite live action Burton film – an imperfect masterpiece that thrills me as much as it moves me, 2003’s forgotten Big Fish.

Big Fish is a drama, a fantasy, a comedy, a romance and a mystery all rolled into one atypical bundle from Burton. It is the story of Ed Bloom a dying man forever at odds with his son. On his deathbed he tries to explain himself to his son. In this way Big Fish is two stories in one. On the most obvious of levels it’s difficult to believe that Ewan McGregor grew up to become Albert Finney, not because Albert Finney isn’t charming. To be fair Finney’s early work in Tom Jones is not that different from the young Ewan in the film. Finney just gives the feeling of a man whose light has been snuffed out for whatever reasons, even though he’s not unhappy. Jessica Lange plays brilliantly in the small role of Finney’s wife. I’ve always been a fan of Lange and her manner of imbuing so much emotion to a nondescript role is effective. As earnest and delicate as the times in the present are, it’s difficult to deny the sheer (aesthetic) brilliance of Big Fish when it retracts to the past. It’s a fanciful tale, but that’s precisely the point which is why Burton is so effective, but the present moments in their sombreness is done excellently. The visuals are an important of the film, but it’s the not the defining entity. That would be the acting.

Helena Bonham Carter made my top 5 of 2003 for her brilliant performance in a dual role. It’s the most sensitive role Burton has given her and she handles it perfectly. It’s difficult to balance her charm against the beauty and stability of Lohman/Lange and Carter never turns it into a cliché. Ewan McGregor gives his best performance as Ed. It’s that fanciful innocence that suits him, and even the accent tends to get obtrusive in some moments it’s still an absolutely brilliant incarnation and Albert Finney does so much emoting with so little time (this man continues to be excellent even in his old age). Big Fish also features Marion Cotillard in a small role as Billy Crudup’s wife.

I am a fan of Burton so I really can’t say whether or not I’m the most infallible critic, but then who is? Big Fish delights me and it stirs me. It’s an excellent creation and a treasure of the last decade as far as I’m concerned. It features on my list of favourites at #41.

People are always lamenting the state of romantic films – the romantic comedy in particular. Has it really gotten that bad? I can’t be sure. Perhaps, but isn’t the consensus that film isn’t as provocative. Still, I won’t lament on that situation. Instead I’m looking back to three oldies of sorts – two comedies, and a drama each centring on romance in some strange places. What makes these films important is the success each found with Oscars and other award bodies. Each won an acting Oscar in fact, not too shabby for a romance, eh?

              

My mother was a huge fan of An Officer & A Gentleman and I saw it when I was very young. Who can forget that memorable ending where Richard Gere – in one of his few performances I like – picked Debra Winger up and walked her out of that horrible place? Not me. And speaking of endings, who didn’t feel just a little misty eyed when The Goodbye Girl ended and we saw that Dreyfuss had left his guitar behind? Not me. And say what you want about Jessica Lange in Tootsie but who wasn’t cheering when she and Dustin finally hooked up? Not me. Each takes a different perspective on love, and each succeeds.

I often wonder why Marsha Mason doesn’t get more work, and then I remember than Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange aren’t getting much work either, but I digress. Mason is a talented actress and was on quite a streak back in her day but she really shines in The Goodbye Girl. There’s a moment in the film when she buys her groceries only to have them all fall down on the sidewalk. Marsha’s reaction is always realistic and never forced. The romance between her and the wandering Dreyfuss is excellent. The premise is so simple and it never goes for the loud and obvious, but it’s the little things that make this so special. It’s the same in some ways with An Officer & A Gentleman. I always lament the fact that Debra doesn’t have an Oscar and then I always marvel that she was nominated for this. Not that the nomination wasn’t deserved. It was. But the performance is so atypical of Oscar. Debra has never been a showy actress and An Officer & A Gentleman is a film that focuses on so much more than the romance between her and Gere. The film examines so much and yet it never loses its touch as one of the better romances of the 80s. sometimes I wonder if Top Gun wasn’t trying to take a page out of their book, but let’s not go there….

Let’s go instead to Tootise. Dustin Hoffman in drag doesn’t seem like the ideal premise for a romance and this VERY light comedy doesn’t seem like an ideal Best Picture nominee. But I’d probably have given it the Oscar. Why does Tootsie work so well? I never can underestimate Jessica Lange. Her Oscar win has become hated. But I don’t care. People undervalue the difficulty of playing a romantic lead. It isn’t easier because it’s less baity and it’s more than her beauty. In a film filled with so much of the ridiculous she manages to keep the film from becoming over the top. Even if Tootsie wasn’t winning Picture I wish they’d have given Hoffman the Oscar to prevent Rain Man from getting than honour – but I digress. It’s not as excellent as his performance in The Graduate (few are) but it’s exceptional nonetheless. His comedic timing is impressive – and speaking of impressive, what of Teri Garr? Perfect in everyway in her small role I always smile to remember that she too was Oscar nominated.

 I suppose the consensus is true. Films like these aren’t made any more, but the thing is if they are made they aren’t as esteemed. Why didn’t Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind get more recognition? Why did The Upside of Anger and Bandits get none? But I won’t go there. I’ll revel in the past, each of the three is on my list of favourites.. An Officer & A Gentleman appears at #56, The Goodbye Girl appears at #50 and Tootise appears at #44. But each are extra special in their own way, it’s unfair to pit them against each other. Bu I’ll ask you to, anyway. Pick a favourite? Which do you like the most?