One and Done? Toni Collette

by Matt St Clair

Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe. Those are just a few of the grand talents from Australia to grace the big screen. Then there’s someone who doesn’t have the same kind of Oscar record as those A listers: the painfully unsung Toni Collette who, despite having an eclectic fascinating career with roles that range in size, genre, accent, etcetera, in many noteworthy films, somehow only has one Oscar nomination under her belt. 

The Nomination

Her sole bid (thus far) came in 1999 when she was nominated in Best Supporting Actress for her role as Lynn Sear, a working-class mother whose child can see ghosts in The Sixth Sense...

  Despite AMPAS’ notorious horror bias, and no precursor support, Collette managed to wedge her way in the competitive lineup. Her surprise inclusion can be contributed to the film’s immense popularity along with possible goodwill from her Golden Globe-nominated performance in the 1995 dramedy Muriel’s Wedding which helped put her on the map. Another likely factor is her character’s big payoff moment.

During that pivotal moment where Lynn and her son Cole (Haley Joel Osment) are stuck in traffic, Collette pulls off a grand task of undergoing a dynamic character arc within a matter of minutes. Initially, she presents a mother’s unconditional love, making it known Lynn loves Cole no matter how much she can’t understand his gift. Then, there’s a few words Cole says which give Lynn a greater comprehension of his abilities: 

Grandma says hi.”

Lynn’s paralytic shock over this confession then swifts into sadness and remorse as Cole tells her that her mother did in fact attend that dance recital she thought she skipped. The orbit of emotions Lynn goes through in that sequence is fully displayed on Collette’s expressive face. Even the way she asks, “Do I make her proud?” exudes the weight Lynn feels due to the pauses in her line delivery and the way she presses her hand on her chest. 

Life After Oscar

Despite the power of that moment, and the film’s rapturous acclaim, Collette still couldn’t compete with Angelina Jolie who received her “star is born” coronation for her bombastic performance in Girl, Interrupted. Since her loss, Collette has managed to carve out a sumptuous career even if she hasn’t chased movie stardom or become an Oscar mainstay. However, Collette has flirted with a second bid from time to time. Three years after The Sixth Sense, Collette earned a BAFTA nomination in Best Supporting Actress for About A Boy and was in the running for Best Picture nominee Little Miss Sunshine in 2006 but likely succumbed to category confusion since the Globes had her nominated in Best Actress-Musical/Comedy while she was nominated in Best Supporting Actress at the BAFTAs. 

Eventually, Collette nearly cleaned up in the TV awards circuit for her portrait of a mother with Multiple Personality Disorder in the Showtime series The United States of Tara. For the show’s first season, Collette earned a SAG nomination and took home both a Golden Globe and, more importantly, the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. It was her first Emmy win and second of three bids for that role. (She also received one non-Tara related Emmy nomination last season for her work in the miniseries Unbelievable.)

She eventually ended up back in the Oscar conversation with her titanic leading performance in Hereditary.

  Critics and audiences banged the drum to the point where they probably sent a prayer to Paimon, to make a Best Actress nomination happen. Ultimately, she could only muster up a Critics Choice nomination due to the film’s early release, genre bias, and also, the competitiveness of her category. Despite having already earned an out-of-nowhere acting nomination for a horror film, lightning couldn’t strike twice. 

One and Done?

Although Hereditary didn’t do the trick the way most of us hoped, there is a definite world where Collette earns her second bid. As long as the actress keeps busy, the right film role will come along to put her firmly back in the Oscar convo. In fact, depending on whether it delivers, Nightmare Alley, Guillermo del Toro’s anticipated follow-up to The Shape of Water, could be that right role. In the latest film adaptation of the novel of the same name, Collette plays Zeena Krumbein, a carnival mentalist who crosses paths with the scheming Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper). The only question is not if she’ll be good because, let’s be honest, when is she ever not good? Instead, it’s whether her or fellow co-stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara will be the actress standout. Thankfully, because it comes out later this year, we’ll have a greater idea as to whether this’ll mark her Oscar return. Fingers crossed. 

Is Toni Collette a "one and done" or do you think a second nomination is coming? 

Comments

[brookesboy]

She is one of the best of all time. She never lets us down. She always engages you and makes you care about what's happening.

It's horrifying she was snubbed for Hereditary. Ironically, she was in a similar situation for her first snub for Muriel's Wedding. 1995 was also an amazing lineup--it's difficult to remove anyone. Lange, Bassett, Bening and Moore were also snubbed. But there really is no excuse for her not being nominated for Hereditary.

2005 was a weak year, and she definitely should have gotten in for In Her Shoes. Damn, she's sensational in that role.

Toni, just keep doing what you do. We love you. Oscar will come around eventually.