The Oscar Week: Mothers and the Mystery of Sally
Friday, December 8, 2017 at 12:00PM In this weekly feature from Murtada we follow Oscar contender appearances and interviews and examine how they impact their chances.
Much has been made in the media that the three leading contenders in Supporting Actress, Laurie Metcalf, Holly Hunter and Allison Janney, are playing mothers. So it seemed natural for them to sit down together for an interview and photoshoot...
It was Hunter though who came up with the soundbite that maybe we should look further into their characters to find commonalities, telling The Wrap:
I feel like I’ve played mothers my entire career. [] For me, motherhood and the realm of the female are intertwined, obviously. It’s always a part of the expression when you play a woman: Do you have children or not? So the commonality of us, it doesn’t feel so odd to me. It doesn’t feel particular serendipitous. It feels like life.
For now it seems that Metcalf is out front having won both NBR and LAFCA, and the expected competition for wins with Janney hasn’t happened yet. We will see if that frontrunner status holds up as more awards are announced.
Sally & Guillermo earlier this year in VeniceThe Shape Of Water had a very good week. It was clearly adored by both LAFCA and the BFCA. Guillermo Del Toro continues to be a delight on the press tour. Not only is he selling his own movie but also being generous to other filmmakers calling out Lady Bird and specifically Greta Gerwig’s direction:
Lady Bird’ is a fantastic first film. Such intelligence and acute eye for drama and cinema. Deceivingly natural, full of style.
Where’s Sally Hawkins though? That is the million dollar question. She has not done that much press since the Fall film festivals. This week her co-stars Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins and Doug Jones seem to be everywhere as the film is opening in theaters. They all sing her praises every chance they get of course. Is that enough?
Judi Dench accepts the Kirk Douglas Award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival
Meanwhile her fellow contenters in best actress are everywhere. Even those notorious for shunning press. Like Frances McDormand, who sat down for a big NYTimes interview. Like Dame Judi Dench, who was recently in LA accepting honorary awards and charming everyone. Maybe Sally is saving her press appearances till after the nominations are announced to maximize her winning chances?
Do you miss seeing Sally Hawkins? Who gave your favorite "mother" performance this year?
Other Oscar-Seeking Happenings This Week
Documentary Field Narrows to 15
New York Times Scare up 10 Great Actors
AFI's Top Ten List
Shape of Water is Critics Choice
Visual Effects Field Narrows to 20
Annie Nominations Honor Coco
LAFCA names Call Me By Your Name the Best
Reader Comments (12)
Sally Hawkins recently gave an interview with The Playlist in which she disclosed that she has an autoimmune condition. She said she needs to pace herself when it comes to promotion, which I totally understand.
I hope the performance trumps politics and she is nominated for Best Actress despite not doing a ton of campaigning. She is a remarkably talented actress.
My fave “mother” performance this year is a four-way tie between Maryana Spivak (“Loveless”), Julia Roberts (“Wonder”), Julianne Nicholson (“Novitiate”) and Nicole Kidman (“The Killing of a Sacred Deer”).
I am really feeling that First Wives Club recasting in the top photo.
Chris, you beat me to the punch! Agreed 100%.
Favorite mother performance of the year? Nicole Kidman in The Killing of a Sacred Deer. By far. But I'll still be happy if Metcalf takes home an Oscar this year.
This is why I love Guillermo, he is a very humble man that just loves cinema and is willing to put in a good word for other films and other filmmakers. The fact that he too likes Lady Bird is him showing that he's willing to share his love of film to everyone.
Metcalf is my favorite movie mom since Patricia Arquette in Boyhood, and I hope she follows her to a Supporting Actress Oscar.
Hunter will join a pretty elite club when she's nominated in her fourth consecutive decade.
Well deserved! And I doubt it will be the last.
Were these women even in the same room? That photograph at the top -- whether photoshopped or real -- looks so fake. Allison Janney looks like a cardboard cutout.
My three favorite mother performances this year are Metcalf, Julia Roberts, and Jennifer Lawrence.
The sweetest and most loving mom I've seen in the movies this year was Kaori Momoi in "Ghost in the Shell".
Since I wasn't familiar with the actress, I looked her up, and of course she's one of the great actresses of Japan. No wonder she was able to reduce me to tears in a matter of minutes with her tender kindness.
Moms who lead by example:
Connie Nielsen in "Wonderwoman"
Carrie Fisher in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Kind of scary moms:
Catherine Keener in "Get Out"
Anika Noni Rose in "Everything, Everything"
My favorite mother performance this year is probably Laurie Metcalf in Lady Bird.