Costume Designers to Fete Naomi Watts
Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 10:00AM Manuel here. The Costume Design Guild has announced that they’ll be celebrating Naomi Watts with the Lacoste Spotlight Award when they announce winners for their film, TV and commercial awards on February 17th. While they bill the award as honoring an “actor whose talent and career personifies an enduring commitment to excellence, including a special awareness of the role and importance of costume design,” their choices so far (previous recipients include Anne Hathaway, Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry and Emily Blunt) have yet to really reflect the award, no? Whither Keira, Nicole, Tilda or heck, even Colin Firth? The man can wear a sweater (among other things), you know.
Anyways, we should really focus on the positive and be thankful Watts was able to bounce back so quickly from that horrible triple-whammy of Movie 43, Adore and Diana. Let's just hope she can keep up the momentum going. And so to think along with the Guild's award, here are, off the top of my head, 5 of my favorite costumes from Naomi’s films:
5. Have you seen St. Vincent? I’m kind of in love with Naomi’s trashtastic looks.
Costume designer: Kasia Walicka-Maimone (CDG nominee for Capote, 2005, and Moonrise Kingdom, 2012)
4. Her gorgeous umbrella in The Painted Veil
Costume designer: two-time Academy Award nominee Ruth Myers (Emma, 1997 & The Addams Family, 1992)
3. Ann Darrow’s pretty evening gown in King Kong
Costume designer: Terry Ryan (who also gave us Muriel's Wedding!)
2. This ridiculous outfit from I Heart Huckabees
Costume designer: two-time Academy Award nominee Mark Bridges (The Artist, 2011 winner, & Inherent Vice, 2014)
1. Her pink sweater in Mulholland Dr.
Costume designer: Amy Stofsky (CDG nomination 2002)
Naomi has also worked with Albert Wolsky (Birdman), Eastwood staple Deborah Hopper (J. Edgar), Cronenberg's sister Denise (Eastern Promises) and Hobbit-costumer Ngila Dickson (The International). What other Naomi looks do you think the CDG had in mind when they decided to cap off Naomi's great year in film? Let’s help out the CDG; which actresses (or actors!) do you think they should celebrate next year?
Reader Comments (16)
Great choices. She wears trashtastic well, from the aforementioned St. Vincent to Ellie Parker and 21 Grams.
Clearly the clip reel should be nothing but Tank Girl footage
I like Naomi Watts, but she's not one of the more impressively-costumed movie stars I can think of.
What a silly excuse to have a celebrity show up at their party (cough starf***ers cough). And they don't even stick to the supposed definition for their awardees. As Manuel mentions, Watts is not someone that it'd particularly link to costuming. And more so, I really wouldn't associate neither Berry nor Beckinsale to "enduring commitment to excellence". Ha!
Dangerous Beauty. Some pretty spectatular period finery there. Comstumes by Gabriella Pescucci (Oscar winner for Age of Innocence).
But as much as I love Watts, I don't really see her as prime material for a costume award. Not when Tilda can wear everything from a shoe to any period and reek of chic. Not to mention give the loving stroke of a middle aged, frumpy sociopathic, lawyer's stockings, heft.
I hate to be the (first) one to say it, but Streep, Blanchett, Winslet, Depp and Samuel L. Jackson would all be ideal recipients for this award.
I can see why this may confuse people, but damn Naomi looks good in anything.
Keira Knightley
Naomi looks pretty cool in St. Vincent. I don't know how she pulls it off. A really wacky performance that still manages to be touching.
This sounds like an award for Streep...
Have they even seen Tilda's movies and costumes, from utterly stunning (I am Love) to wackadoo (Snowpiercer)? Judging from their previous recipients, they wanted young(ish), although Tilda is only 8 years older than Naomi. Plus, she slept in a glass box at MoMA in her own costume! I'm with Henry.
Well, at least the award isn't for her suspect acting skills.
Their honoree list is rather bland for the most part. I agree Meryl and Tilda should be on the list. The Devil Wears Prada and I Am Love are great examples of "a special awareness of the role and importance of costume design." Instead of being a generic window dressing the costumes in these films are a natural extension of the characters.
Take away the accent and her line readings are quite amusing in st vincent.
I loved the stuff she wore in I Heart Huckabee's. Most of all, the bonnet.
It seems stange to make up an award like this and then not honour the actors and actresses who have made the most impact with costume design. I agree with others about Tilda, Meryl, Cate, and Keira. I would add Helena Bonham Carter to this list as well.