Wednesday, May 19, 2010

YNE (Yes, No, Eh) -- Actresses

I'm slow in getting it up, but here is the second list for the "Yes, No, Maybe" thread—actresses this time. To create this list, I decided to take the list of Academy Award nominees for best actress or supporting actress from the 1980s to the present. There were 44 of them with multiple noms, and I’ve willy nilly narrowed that list down to 35. Then, again, I also chose a few (listed after this first group) who I thought might be actresses that would be polarizing to some of us. As with before, I'm sure I left out people who some of you may want to talk about. I have kept my full list, though, so I will do a "catch all" for the rest of these some time in the future.

As with last time, just GO FOR IT in the comments on whoever you may want to talk about! Who is amazing and what roles do you point to in supporting your view? Who can't you stand or just don't "get"?

Actresses with multiple nominations:

Annette Benning
Amy Adams
Cate Blanchett
Charlize Theron
Debra Winger
Diane Keaton
Emma Thompson
Frances McDormand
Glenn Close
Goldie Hawn
Helen Mirren
Hilary Swank
Holly Hunter
Jane Fonda
Jessica Lange
Jodie Foster
Julia Roberts
Julie Christie
Kate Winslet
Kathy Bates
Laura Linney
Marisa Tomei
Mary McDonnell
Meryl Streep
Michelle Pfeiffer
Nicole Kidman
Penelope Cruz
Renee Zellweger
Sally Field
Samantha Morton
Shirley MacLaine
Sigourney Weaver
Sissy Spacek
Susan Sarandon
Whoopi Goldberg
Winona Ryder

Single-time noms who may generate some commentary:

Angelina Jolie
Anne Hathaway
Gwyneth Paltrow
Halle Berry
Helen Hunt
Kate Hudson
Kathleen Turner
Keira Knightly
Reese Witherspoon
Sandra Bullock
Sharon Stone

9 comments:

Dan W said...

I guess I’ll start. Overall I don’t have any real negative feelings toward any of the actresses on this list, though I can’t say I’ve ever really saw a lot in either Sharon Stone (I think I’ve mentioned this before) or Keira Knightly. I can recall great performances from everyone else on the list.

My all-time favorite on this list is Jodie Foster, who I’ve watched since her Becky Thatcher days in Tom Sawyer, and whose intelligence and courage in “going for it” in roles blows me away. She fascinates me with the way she guards her personal life, too. (Interesting that Kristen Stewart played her daughter in Panic Room and seems to be making similar descions. Good for her!)

My general favorites on this list are Blanchett, Keaton, Linney, and Sarandon. I dig smart, quirky women.

My crushes are on Adams, Tomei, Hathaway, and Witherspoon (hope that’s not too close to incestuous given how close our last names are).

To me, Amy Adams is the real up-and-comer here talent wise. I also really love Samantha Morton—blown away by her in one of my favorite movies, In America (she was also one of the three empaths in Minority Report).

The straight-out “most beautiful” in my opinion are Blanchett, Mirren, and Pfeiffer. And not on this list because not nominated for an Academy Award so far, Scarlett Johansson.

The ones I’d most want to be friends and hang with are Zellweger, Hudson, and Bullock.

I have hopes for a Winona Ryder comeback some day. Dig her strange voice. I’d also like to see Helen Hunt start making more films. (Am I remembering right that there are some of you who aren’t Helen fans? What’s up with that? “What’s up with that?” cue the SNL skit music…)

Other favorites of mine not mentioned so far are: Thompson, McDormand, Hunter, Lange, Winslet, McDonnell, and Streep.

Pops said...

I'm taking a shot at this now that our Federal annual inspection is over. We did good and everyone is happy here at the airport. Okay, this is my thinking: Catagory one: Babes that are just so dang good looking that you may watch just to see them. I confess to about three of those. I'm glad Jane doesn't read this blog very often or she would kick my butt.
Michelle Pfeiffer in Tequila Sunrise with Mel Gibson and in Ladyhawke. Just so fine!! Julia Roberts in Pretty Women, Notting Hill and maybe Erin Brackovich. Her explosive laugh out loud is also special. Charlize Theron. I don't know why but she is compelling to watch most of the time. Even in bad movies, i.e. Bagger Vance, she was worth watching. Catagory two: great acting. Streep, Frances McDormand (in Fargo), Hilary Swank (only in Million Dollar Baby, don't like her in any other movie.) Even Jane Fonda like in Barefoot in the Park, Cat Ballou, China Syndrome and The Electric Horseman, Klute etc. Catagory three. Just like her for multple reasons. Jodie Foster is the main one. She's smart, independant and talented. I watch Contact, Maverick, Little Man Tate and Silence of the Lambs when I can just to watch her. Goldie Hawn for her comic talents. i.e. Overboard, Seems Like Old Times, and Private Benjamin are some likes of mine. Cate Blanchard is a very good acting talent. Catagory four: hate or at least don't care to watch her in most movies. Top of the list is Renee Zellweger. Except for her role in Jerry McGuire, she stinks. Others are Sharon Stone, Jolie, Sarandon, ryder, Nicole Kidman and some others. Maybe most are just Eh! Anne Hathaway, Knightly, Halle Berry, P. Cruz, Marisa Tomei boarder on the too good looking to be real side. Thats about it for now from the old guy....

Emily said...

My favorites on the list are: Blanchett (just saw her in He's Not There playing Bob Dylan- movie was so-so, but the buzz about her performance is well founded.) I also had a lot of fun with her character in Bandits. Also like: Keaton, Thompson, McDormand, Swank is good (speaking of women playing dudes, she did an incredible job playing that "guy" in Boys Don't Cry), Fonda (can't be George's daughter without liking a little Fonda), Jodie Foster (what you guys said about her is what I would have said), Winslet (I really did not like her for a long time- but have changed my tune and now am a fan-- yes, I can do that all you who may think otherwise), Bates, Linney, Hunter -she's so little and cute, Streep, Pfeiffer, Field, MacLaine, and Ryder, oh I also really like Kathleen Turner and Julia Roberts is okay.

Eh actresses: Kidman (another actress I have had a long time hate with, but I have been surprised that since Tom has left her life, I am finding her more and more tolerable- now I may even like her a little), Benning, Tomei, Zellweger, Weaver, Jolie, Knightly, Hudson, Bullock (she is half eh- half really like).

I don't care for: Hathaway, Berry, Paltrow, Close, Stone (maybe I've never seen her in a movie), and Whoopi. Although I can't say I have real strong feelings for any of them. I can say that Rob HATES Kidman and Whoopi, and has a crush on Penelope Cruz.

On an unrelated note:

Dan! I just finished watching the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. Holy bippin crap! When I saw the previews last week I rolled my eyes and said, "here we go, another 'got to top last years season finale' " -a phenomenon I am growing tired of in television in general. But- bip. That was an AWESOME two hours of television. Well done everyone involved. I just went around and hugged everyone in my family in their sleep (but didn't cry).

Dan W said...

Fun to hear from you two. Agree with you on most things but want to hear more about Fonda and her appeal. Of the films George mentions, I can only really remember Electric Horseman, so I am just not feeling her too much, I guess. MP in Ladyhawke! AGREE!

Interesting for the no on Hathaway, Em. Any particular reason? I can see the others and can't say I love Paltrow as an actress, though I still just like what I know of her as a person and would enjoy hanging out with her (and hubby Chris Martin of Coldplay, of course). Kidman has been an acquired taste for me, too. I've never been captured by her particular beauty and can't remember a role that was mind blowing, but somehow I still have ended up with a positive view of her as a person. I do need to Netflix The Hours and will maybe then get how good an actress she supposedly is. Glad you mentioned liking Hunter, too. I never thought much about her one way or another until the TV show Saving Grace, which I love. Lorri has grown tired of her character being such a friggin mess, but I totally dig that show and her in it. Agree that part of the appeal is just how dang small she is.

Glad you mentioned the Grey's finale. Totally agree that it was great (though felt to me like lots of crazy holes in how the SWAT team worked, etc. The creator says she was totally being advised by real SWAT people the whole way, though, so I'm trying to look past all of that). Amazing drama well handled with who the gunman was, etc, and I'm glad for most all of the character turns that it had. Makes me excited for next season.

You watching Glee yet? What are your (and anyone's) favorite television shows? Besides these, I love Friday Night Lights and House the best, but I also watch and enjoy V and Criminal Minds.

Emily said...

I don't know about Hathaway- all I can think of are those stupid princess movies.

Greys:
I agree with you, I was thinking the SWAT team could have done a little more then they did. I thought it did very well conveying the feelings and panic that victims feel during a shooting like that. I even had a mini flashback of some of the feelings I had the night of the Trolley Square shootings and my panic about Rob's safety (probably why I had to hug my family after watching).
But anyway- I was happy too about the turn out of the characters fates. I would have thrown a fit if Bailey had gone down (my favorite character). I already lost George.

I still haven't watched Glee- hope all are still available online. Better get on that. Rob and I LOVE House- we've been fans since the beginning of season 1- a rare thing-- a show we both like to watch, so it's close to my heart. Our favorite part of the show is the relationship between House and Wilson it is so well written and acted- there are so many subtleties to it- most intriguing and fun relationship on tv that I know of. I know Cat is a big fan of House too and that Matt won't watch it, he thinks Hugh Laurie's acting is terrible. A fact that blows my mind and he says he has given it a chance- but that is bull crap(in my opinion)- (oops, I mean- I respectfully disagree) there is no way he can think that- he's brilliant. I have heard that Friday Night Lights is a good show, but have never seen it. I like to watch Lost (yay tomorrow!), Dexter (just finished season 3- AWESOME! Wasn't totally crazy about season 2, but the 3rd was SO GOOD!) Looking forward to season 4 with John Lithgow, but got spoiled by The Soup on the ending (probably best that I am prepared though, so kind of glad). Rob and I also have been watching Celebrity Apprentice this season and I think that is all except for random food network shows once in a while and I Shouldn't Be Alive- love that show.

Dan W said...

Hathaway has definitely done a lot since the Princess movies. Definitely moving into more adult roles. Good in Brokeback, Rachel Getting Married, and Devil Wears Prada. She was really funny in the Valentine's Day movie (pure fluff but she plays a person with a secret job as a phone . . . uh, entertainment of an adult nature . . . operator.

I am planning to use my Netflix this summer to catch up on Dexter so I can enjoy it with all my friends that are crazy about it. Good luck with Lost tonight. Hope you're happy with how it ends. I just never felt like making the investment in that one but kind of wish I had!

Emily said...

Yeah too bad Dan! I mean you can always watch it on dvd sometime, but it has been fun sharing theories and stuff as it unfolds. Plus, you have to miss our very cool Lost party tonight.

I made party favors.

Dan W said...

Ooops, just saw that you had posted about your super nerdy party!

Pops said...

Holly Hunter in Network News was a tour-de-force or whatever you call it. Great job in that and Raising Arizona. She is high on the list of actors. Whatshername Keaton has always been good...Godfather and funny movies. I don't like Woody allen (except for Take the Money and Run) so Keaton is not always on my list of actoreses to see. Hathaway is sure getting better and better and has an appeal.