Wednesday, February 6, 2002
Doubly deserving - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- Forget Denzel Washington’s performance in Training Day or Sissy Spacek’s in In the Bedroom for a moment. A week or so before we find out who’ll be nominated for an Oscar -- and Washington and Spacek are practically shoo-ins for getting nominations -- let’s think about those that turned in multiple performances in 2001, performances which happen to be critically acclaimed.
Before going on about the four I’ll focus in this space, let me say that I don’t really count Cate Blanchett (who was in The Shipping News, The Man Who Cried, Lord of the Rings and Bandits) or Julia Roberts (who appeared in The Mexican, Ocean’s Eleven and America’s Sweethearts). No, let me focus on Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Billy Bob Thornton and Jim Broadbent. These four gave critically acclaimed performances this year. And not just that, but at least two critically acclaimed performances. So before Denzel and Sissy, Ben Kingsley, Marisa Tomei, Will Smith or Russell Crowe or Halle Berry get their nods from Oscar, the four aforementioned are truly the cream of the crop, the best of the best; though they may not get the Oscars themselves. It’s all about the work right, instead of the validation?
Jim Broadbent is probably the least known of the four. Some may remember him for his role in Mike Leigh’s Topsy-Turvy a couple of years ago. This year he’s already won a Golden Globe for Iris, the movie that may land him a supporting actor nomination at the Oscars. In Iris, he plays opposite Judi Dench. However he also appeared in Moulin Rouge and his role there has also earned him many plaudits. Speculation says he’ll get a nod for Iris, though he was great comic relief in the Kidman picture.
Dame Judi Dench has an Oscar and two other nominations, including one for Chocolat last year. Chocolat was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, who directed Dench again this year in The Shipping News. Dame Judi’s name has been floating around for a possible nomination in the best supporting actress category this year. And she would be quite deserving, as I am a fan of anything she’s in. (She got double nods from the Screen Actor’s Guild.) However she’ll likely score a nomination for her lead in Iris, where she co-stared with Jim Broadbent, and which Kate Winslet plays a younger version of her. I doubt that she’ll win, but she probably won’t be shedding any tears as she has an Oscar already, the one she won in 1999 for Shakespeare In Love.
Billy Bob Thornton first came to film attention with the critical buzz surrounding his 1996 picture, Sling Blade. He directed the film, a film that he screenplayed and acted in. He won the Oscar for adapted screenplay and he’s been on a roll since. I actually remember old Billy Bob as sidekick to John Ritter on the CBS comedy, Hearts Afire.
Thornton, now a full fledged star thanks to his insanity with Angelina Jolie, is still the critically acclaimed actor. This year he turned in a performance in Bandits; but the two they’re talking about are The Man Who Wasn’t There and Monster’s Ball. The Man Who Wasn’t There is of course the Coen Brothers’ homage to film noir, where Thornton plays a barber. In Monster’s Ball he plays opposite Halle Berry and does so well. However if he’ll get a nomination it’ll probably be for The Man Who Wasn’t There, as Halle Berry’s probably getting one for Monster’s Ball. Thornton is a most unique person, and not just because of his marriage to Angelina. No, he’s a consistent performer who gets noticed by the critics nearly at every outing.
And then there’s Nicole. Nicole Kidman was selected by Entertainment Weekly as Entertainer of the Year for 2001. And perhaps she’s most deserving. She endured the break-up of one of Hollywood’s most high profile of relationships and she did so with grace. Though she did slag Tom Cruise on her appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. Prodded on by Dave as to what’s new as she’s recently divorced, she replied, “Well, I can wear heels now.” Poor Tom? Hell, he’s got Penelope.
But Nicole did give a dramatic turn that surprised all in The Others. She got a Golden Globe nod for that, and she looked to have scored an Oscar nomination as well. However, in December when it looked like Moulin Rouge was going to be forgotten by the Academy, it’s gotten a spurt of growth. If Moulin Rouge will score major nods in February, then Nicole Kidman will get the best actress nomination for Moulin Rouge. And let’s not forget Nic, sang. She sang in Moulin Rouge and now she’s charting with the Robbie Williams single, a duet cover of the old Sinatra duet, “Something Stupid”. (However at the SAG awards, she’s been snubbed.)
Hollywood break-ups and spats in the press usually boost your chances at getting Oscar nominations. Elizabeth Taylor had gotten seriously ill and had dumped Eddie Fisher, when she won her Oscar for Butterfield 8. Lynn Redgrave, in 1999, was getting divorced from her hubby while she was pegged to win for Gods and Monsters. (Seems hubby had baby with daughter-in-law. Redgrave, incensed and while winning praise and nominations for Gods and Monsters, dumped lothario baby-having hubby.) And mind you, Julia Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow won Oscars for so-so performances.
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On a slightly different note: I have a paper due in a few weeks, so I will be spending my time working on that. For the next little while, my appearances in this space will be sporadic. Do keep well until then.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .