The Harvey Girl.
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 12:15PM Jose here with one for all of you Streep obsessives.... which is, hmmm, 88% of TFE readers? Last week The Weinstein Company acquired distribution rights for Meryl Streep's Margaret Thatcher movie The Iron Lady. Apparently Harvey Weinstein was so impressed with Meryl (duh?) that he just had to have this movie.
What does this mean in terms of Oscar? Meryl probably has it in the bag. Consider: Back in the glory days of Miramax, Meryl was nominated for Music of the Heart (one of the most forgettable performances in her oeuvre) and people like Émilie Dequenne, Julia Roberts, Cecilia Roth and Nicole Kidman were snubbed. Meryl had no chance of winning that year but still...
Fast forward nine years and Meryl was back to represent Miramax with Doubt. Difference is that by then, the company had nothing to do with the Weinsteins and Harvey was hard at work getting Kate Winslet her Oscar. Meryl was inarguably the runner-up that calendar year but it would be interesting to think how things might have gone, had Harvey been pushing Meryl and not Kate. Let's not forget that back in 01, Miramax (under Harvey) won Jim Broadbent an Oscar for Iris, in the year of Gandalf and Don Logan.
Harvey Weinstein is as much of an Oscar obsessive as we are and 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of Meryl Streep's first Best Actress nomination (The French Lieutenant's Woman). Will he be using this as an angle in his campaign?
Related:
Current Best Actress Chart (next update when Cannes concludes)
Streep Posts and Old Streep Posts
Reader Comments (33)
Maybe meryl will do a kate hepburn and win her 3rd and 4th oscars back to back for the iron lady and august osage county!!
mark -- either that or win and never be nominated again with people saying: here's your third damnit. UNCLE. now give someone else a turn ;)
Meryl has got to be the one to beat with Harvey and his magic wand behind her...
I think she wins for Iron Lady, gets immediately nominated for August Osage County (ala Jeff Bridges), and then wanders in the wilderness for the rest of her career (unless he has an On Golden Pond in her when she's in her 80's-if she's still acting then).
I like Mark's idea best. What scares me about this year is that they'll all feel bad about Glenn Close and give it to her! I would be so sad if that happened. I'm perfectly happy with Meryl being the awards with Oscar and Glenn be shut out.
I want Close winning this year. Meryl deserve her third Oscar but Glenn is as good as Meryl and she has never won the Oscar. Gleen Close deserves it more.
I hope Glenn Close wins this year, and Meryl wins next year for August Osage County, and both ladies go home happy.
I hope that the best performance wins the awards...oh wait, who am I kidding?
I have a feeling that in order for Streep to win that elusive third trophy her nomination is going to have to be tied to a best picture contender. It can't be one of these stand-alone nods for stellar work in a popcorn flick ("The Devil Wears Prada," "Julie & Julia") or one of a handful of nods for a (somewhat?) devisive movie ("Adaptation," "Doubt"). The performance will have to be considered an exemplary portion of a work of cinematic art.
I have maintained from the moment casting was announced that Meryl will not win a third for Iron Lady. Older women winning Lead is so rare, and we all know she's lost a zillion times- and recently. I don't think something that feels a bit out of vogue (icy British monarch? ehhh) is going to have the extra mileage necessary to get her the trophy. Some young thang will swoop in and she'll be an also-ran once again, I have little doubt.
*divisive* -- I knew it didn't look right.
Nat ... why does she have to win and then move over and let someone else take their turn?
She has worked damn hard to be where she is and whatever happens, she should take a good role if it is offered.
Hepburn won 4 times ... she should have won once ( A Lion in Winter ) ... Morning Glory was OK ... Guess Who'
s Coming to Dinner ( she won because Tracy died ) .. she won for On Golden Pond because Fonda was dying ) Her acting in those last 2 films was no more than her eyes welling up with tears in every scene..
Come on ... give Streep a break!!!!
I love Meryl, but I'm really pulling for Glenn Close this year. If there was any justice, Close would have had a Meryl-esque career for herself, and I'm ready for Oscar to try and right the ship.
So here's hoping (*gulp*) The Iron Lady is a flop.
I think we've heard 'Streep has it in the bag!' a bit too often in the last few years to believe no younger actress will come along during the year to steal her thunder. But if the film itself goes over well, like Troy said, it'll likely be her biggest chance for a third.
MacLaine over Streep (83)
Page over Streep (85)
Cher over Streep (87)
Foster over Streep (88)
Bates over Streep (90)
Sarandon over Streep (95)
Paltrow over Streep (98)
Swank over Streep (99)
Zeta-Jones over Streep (02)
Mirren over Streep (06)
Winslet over Streep (08)
Bullock over Streep (09)
Foster and Swank are the only double winners in the bunch.
Isn't Weinstein handling Michelle Williams' campaign as well for My Week with Marilyn? So which real-person portrayal will come out on top? Should be interesting.
If it's more mimicking, she's not going to win. Plus they haven't always liked her political roles. I just keep thinking... *this* is going to be her long awaited 3rd win? It seems.. hokey.
For Best Actress, I don't think there's any denying Elizabeth Olsen getting nominated. She's the Jennifer Lawrence/Carey Mulligan of this year, so that narrative alone will secure her place.
In order of likeliness:
01. Elizabeth Olsen
02. Meryl Streep
03. Tilda Swinton (can she sustain the buzz?)
04. Keira Knightley
05. Glenn Close
06. Kirsten Dunst (we'll find out on Wed...)
07. Jodie Foster
08. Michelle Williams
09. Rooney Mara (she's being way overestimated everywhere, I think)
10. Charlize Theron / Rachel Weisz
Didn't her nomination in '99 deny Reese Witherspoon a nom for Election?
For what its worth, it is interesting to read in the British press including The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph articles by reporters who have seen the footage of "The Iron Lady" shown at Cannes and marveled at Streep's performance as Thatcher. Remember, these are two very conservative papers that have had many negative things to say about the film.
"So here's hoping (*gulp*) The Iron Lady is a flop.”
C’mon, to like an actress over the other is okay, but to wish that film to be a flop is not. Plus you said you love Meryl. I thought we are all movie lovers here.
@Ryan
I think Mr. Harvey is looking for plan B. From what I heard about michelle's performance was either love or hate. Now it made me feel skeptical and worried that she can't pull it off. Is a nomination in the cards? I think it's 50/50 chance. i am waiting for Mr. Rogers next chart revision.
I agree with Troy, that Streep's next win will be in an exceptionally good movie.
I just keep thinking "Frost/Nixon" in regard to "Iron Lady". I don't see much of an audience for it. Are Americans interested in a former British Prime Minister of the 1980s(?) and decades old British politics? At least Frost/Nixon had an American in it (and was directed by a considerably better director). I don't think even Brits are that interested in Margaret Thatcher these days. And if the film doesn't make enough money, even for a small film, it's Oscar chances are tiny. Especially if it's perceived that a better film (Osage County) is waiting in the wings.
while i'm a huge Streep fan, and i hope she wins 2-3 more Oscars, i say let's see the movies, let's see the performances before we begin to judge. so few Oscar contenders (like 0) have even been released. that being said, with Harvey in the picture now, Streep is assured of at least a nomination.
Paul D. made a good point. The review of the Daily Mail was really interesting, especially for Streep's chances. I don't say she's a shoo-in for winning, but maybe another factors couldl decide the race:
*She was runner-up twice in a row (2008-2009) and she lost with actresses with a strong marketing and background (Winslet) and box office queen (Bullock) and both are in BP nominees.
*Her last resume of box office hits
*At least, right now, with the exception of Close, we haven't an actress with an historical debt, a big box office queen or beloved by the critics:
"I don't think even Brits are that interested in Margaret Thatcher these days."
Actually, with the actual political situation in Britain and Europe could be the opposite situation. The interest would be part for admirers or detractors but the response could be even bigger. Right now, I know many young people from Britain whom are die-hard Thatcher's admirers but also there's others biggest critics. Thatcher was a polarizing figure and still is part of public memory
I'm from Europe and I'm not at all interested in a movie about Margaret Thatcher. I'm sorry but this movie sounds like it's going to be extremely boring. Can't she win the oscar for a more entertaining movie? I mean we all know she can act, she doesn't need these types of roles. Anyways, I'm still rooting for Michelle Williams, because I think she's an amazing actress, even though playing someone like Marilyn Monroe is difficult and can go wrong easily.
And I don't get why people don't like Katharine Hepburn. Apart from being an amazing actress she was also a wonderful, classy lady. I think she deserves her oscars.
But... it's Phyllida Lloyd!
Point: Glenn.
Nina, thinking that Hepburn didn't deserve at least two of her Oscars doesn't mean people don't like her. I like her very much, enjoy watching her, have no doubt that she was a strong, admirable woman but as someone above said she won for GWCTD solely because of Tracy. Hers wasn't even a lead role nor was there anything extraordinary in the way she portrayed the mother/wife.
As for a Thatcher biopic appeal, I can see it since Meryl is a box office draw andThatcher is still a controversial figure.
Exactly Glenn.
Besides Mikhael, who really wants to like this movie? "Oh, I can't wait to see this movie about Margaret Thatcher." A biopic of one of the worst political figures of our time? It's destined to either be A) an overly political message film or B) a whitewashing. I'm sure Meryl will deliver a quality performance, but I'll be really surprised if the film itself is worthy of high praise. The whole situation screams Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth 2: Cruise Control.
Jose, since I already saddened you last week with my thoughts on Jodie I won't go there with The Iron Queen.
:)
I wanted to say the box office chances might increase significantly if Thatcher, bless her cold heart, were to meet her maker, after all she's pushing 90, isn't she? But that sounds quite macabre.
LOL Glenn. So true.
My immediate reaction to this post: "OH. NO. NOT HARVEY."
May Fools Chart:
Tilda Swinton - she looks STRONG
Glenn Close - grand comeback
Elizabeth Olsen - the new kid on the block
Jodie Foster - welcome back
Meryl Streep - maybe if not too much mimicry
Michelle Williams - keeps picking INTERESTING projects
Charlotte Rampling - overdue
Keira Knightley - moviestar