Sunday
Feb192017
Podcast: Smackdown Companion Discussion
Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 1:20PM 
Nathaniel welcomes fellow team members Murtada, Chris, and Abstew to discuss this year's Supporting Actress race. It's a verbal companion piece to the "Smackdown" we just held.
Index (42 minutes)
Longform discussion of this year's supporting actress contenders Nicole Kidman, Viola Davis, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Octavia Spencer, their futures, their films. What, if anything new, did they reveal to us this year and what would we like to see next from them?
You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you?
Reader Comments (11)
Can't wait till tonight to listen,thanks fellas.
I'm with Chris - I found Manchester to be rambling & I just was not as enthralled by Casey Affleck.
I agree with you on most of the performances, I liked Kidman's performance as much as Nathaniel.
As for Michelle Williams - I wish she hadn't been nominated, I would have perferred to see Fanning nominated for 20th Century Women.
Maybe I'm just bored with the sameness of Michelle Williams roles. She is an actress that really needs to shake up & diversify her career. She needs to do comedy, and work in different genres. She should look at Julianne Moore's career and take note.
Agreed.I get the fuss over her in BM & BV but nothing else.
Williams was extraordinary in Shutter Island.
@Lady Edith - did you see Williams in My Week with Marilyn? Her bubbly energy really surprised me, even though overall I don't think the performance was a total success (it would've helped if she had gained another 10 pounds or so).
Unfortunately, when she branched out into fantasy with Oz the Great and Powerful she was pretty flat.
I'd love to have seen her in Cabaret to see what she did with such a vivacious, flamboyant character.
Thank you, Nathaniel, for your full-throated praise of Naomie Harris's performance. I also believe she's the powerhouse in this lineup in terms of surprising me the most (largely because I had no expectations of her going into the film beyond what she did as Miss Moneypenny).
The Octavia/Thelma Ritter parallel -- I love it. Wouldn't it be lovely to see Ms. Spencer rack up numerous nominations over the next decades?
I think Nicole has another win in her, and probably a couple more nominations. She deserves more, and as Chris (I think) said, for more daring roles.
Michelle WIliiams doing comedy! Yes! I agree that the comic bits at the beginning of Manchester were her strongest scenes, especially the in-bed-with-a-cold intro.
@DJDeejay - agreed. Williams did surprise me in MWWM, which is why I would really like to see her diversify her choice of roles. I think she is very talented but in Manchester there was nothing really special - she;s done that role before. I like her, just saying she really needs to branch out.
I, too, loved the comparison between Octavia and Thelma Ritter. I know you weren't crazy about Fruitvale Station, Nat, but she made me sob, hard, there and has been a selling point for many movies (even bad movies) since... her no-nonsense charm is so appealing.
Nicole Kidman must have probably three or four more Academy nominations - and one more win, maybe? The winning in lead, please! (Nothing against supporting ones, of course). She's not a conventional star, we can accept that, and she makes unusual choices and one contrasting to the one before, including secondary roles and small parts. In Lion a lot of people tell me about the surprise of seeing her in a "touching, humanized character" because are used to "the cold and cerebral women she plays so well". Maybe this movie means a new undressing and a rediscovery, like Moulin Rouge when it came.
What a great smackdown! Thanks, guys. I think this BSA lineup is going to age well. The movies are strong and the actresses all love to take chances--even Octavia in Snowpiercer. It's a shame about the category fraud, because I do think Naomi would win this thing otherwise. And hers is my favorite performance of the group. I also don't get the divisive response to her work.
I wanted Viola Davis to win in the lead category so much. I still don't understand why she chose to campaign in supporting.
I also want Nicole Kidman to get five lead actress nominations. It would be a shame for someone with her talent and resume not to achieve that.