Beauty vs Beast: Everything's Coming Up Con
Monday, December 7, 2015 at 4:29PM Jason from MNPP here with our weekly battle of the good-to-bad guys called "Beauty vs Beast" -- today I'm taking us deep inside all of the shades of gray in between. This past weekend marked the 25th anniversary of Stephen Frears' first US film, the electric noir The Grifters, which came out in limited release on December 5th, 1990. It is a very good movie! If you haven't seen it in awhile, you should. It was nominated for four Oscars -- Frears was nominated for Director, writer Donald Westlake got a Best Adapted nod, and the final two nominations went to the two lovely, too awful ladies making muck out of John Cusack's poor-sap-life...
PREVIOUSLY We're really loving on the year 1990 this month - last week it was Misery's turn, and with a swing of the sledgehammer Annie Wilkes took Paul Sheldon down for the count again, walking off with just over 3/4s of the vote. James Caan had his cheerleaders though (besides myself, even) - here's what brookesboy says:
"Kathy is so entertaining in this, but Annie is torturing some poor dude who does not deserve it one lil bit. And I don't know anyone who isn't fully delighted when Paul cracks her skull with that brass pig. Annie gets the bronze--where it counts; Paul gets the gold."
Reader Comments (17)
I Gonna watch this movie tonight!! Haven't seen it a while!
I love this movie so much and wanted both of them to win their Oscars at the time. Still kinda do in my time machine. choosing between them. EEK.
I loved this movie - how can I choose between 2 actresses that evoke so much affection and respect. But I think Lilly is slightly tougher.
The best Bening as far as I'm concerned.
Nathaniel
They both could be worthy winners but ...
We discussed about meryl and kathy before but what about whoopi?! Her performance is so memorable
What evil person asks us to choose between these two? E-v-I-l.
Hi Jason! thank you so much, I adore James Caan. He's so underrated, I think.
The Grifters is one of my all time faves! This one is a real toughie. These ladies are unbelievable in this! They so need to do another film together.
I love The Bening so much, but you've gotta go with Anjelica in this film. It's her career best.
And John Cusack being a 0 time nominee is STUNNING. I get missing the 86 and 88 noms for supporting actor (no one really knew if he'd be an actor who matters), and also get missing the '97 Lead Actor nom. But it's missing BOTH the 1990 and 2000 Lead Actor fields that just completely taunt me with tasteless misjudgment. In 1990, switch out Costner for Cusack. In 2000, switch out Rush for Cusack. Are the fields better? Of course they are.
Love the opening credits and score! And the best Huston & Bening.
Ironically enough I was thinking about when has the Academy ever awarded two character actresses in single night. I believe it happened twice 85 Page and Huston and 90 with Bates and Goldberg.
Team Lilly all the way! Anjelica Huston gave a superlative performance and her Oscar loss is all the proof I need that the Academy is a sham.
I liked Bening more than usual here, but never felt the orgasmic love that many others do. Was kind of surprised she did poorly when StinkyLulu held the 1990 Smackdown.
Volvagia -- well, the problem might partially be that he has something of a "difficult" reputation and sometimes those things can haunt you when you're in the "please love me" phase of trying to get nominated for something. And also that the films you're mentioning (apart from the Grifters which is obviously the closest he got to awards season and even then the hoopla was always about Annette & Anjelica) were not "awards" films at all.
Mike -- that surprises me too because she's perfection in that film and it's a huge juicy part. but then she tends to be a divisive actress so maybe stinkylulu just had a panel that wasn't pro Bening.
I alws felt the James Caan gives the BETTER performance in Misery. Looking back, It seems so preposterous that Huston had lost to a horror/thriller movie part!
Its just like 1998 when Gwhiney won over the clearly more deserving Blanchett and Montenegro!! some mag did a poll in 2008 & majority of the voters voted Blanchett in a landslide!!
If some1 did a poll for 1990 best actress race now, I'm sure Huston gonna nail it! Same for Bening in 2004
Nat: Actually, '88 Supporting Actor would have been for an awards bait film: Eight Men Out, about the 1919 World Series controversy.
ClaranI actually think Kathy Bates would still win Best Actress if polled now. Bates has more goodwill than ever, I think, and everybody remembers that role and that performance like gangbusters. It's iconic. I'm not knocking Huston or The Grifters (she's astonishing in the movie, really and truly) but the movie hasn't stayed with in the popular consciousness the same way. (Although I do think of it every time I see a bag or oranges.)
Then again what do I know I always pick the losers in these battles and I'm the one staging them! ;)
Claran - I think that the present-day vote would favour Staunton, actually. I still think that she polled second at the time (though I'm biased as I really wasn't feeling Bening in Being Julia - aside from the immortal and still used by me "Beer. Pint Of." line.
I choose Huston here - !the Grifters is a far more sinister and unpleasant film than I first thought it was. That Huston makes you actively root for the character is achievement in itself.
By the way, I nominate Huston twice in Best Actress 1990 - this and The Witches (I've never understood the annoying 'one nomination per category' rule!