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« Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo | Main | Detroit Loves "The Artist", Feels "Shame" »
Friday
Dec162011

Reader Streep Ranking

I apologize that posting has been draggy of late. While we prep new articles and prepare ourselves emotionally for the Oscar nominations which are just 38 days away (and which will surely hold Meryl Streep's 17th nomination), I thought it might be fun to celebrate with a reader ranking of Oscar's favorite actress. 

Rather than a simple polling I'd like to do a group rank by point system. If you'd like to participate please send me an email] with "Streep Rank" in the subject line by Tuesday, Dec 20th UPDATE: This project has wrapped. Here are the results. In the email put these performances in order, no comments necessary unless you really need to say something. Only vote once!

78 Deer Hunter
79 Kramer vs Kramer
81 The French Lieutenant's Woman
82 Sophie's Choice
83 Silkwood
85 Out of Africa
87 Ironweed
88 A Cry in the Dark
90 Postcards from the Edge
95 The Bridges of Madison County
98 One True Thing
99 Music of the Heart
02 Adaptation
06 The Devil Wears Prada
08 Doubt
09 Julie & Julia 

That's 16 performances. If you have not seen all of them just list the ones you have seen. I'll parse all the info and we'll see where it takes us!

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Reader Comments (43)

outlook?

what year are we in? 96?

December 16, 2011 | Unregistered Commenterdanilo s.

Ahhhhhh I keep forgetting she never get nominated for "The Hours"...

December 16, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterButtercup

Should I count Out Of Africa if I bailed about half an hour in? :p

December 16, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTim B.

Love it!

December 16, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJamie

Streep. Whenever I say it I think of Dustin Hoffman's voice in Hook saying I hate, I hate Peter Pan.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered Commenter//3rtful

I love this! Meryl is the greatest, I just can't get enough of her!

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJoan Holloway

I don't think she's Oscars favorite actress. She's lost 14 times.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered Commenterbrandz

brandz - Yes, but look how few actresses even make it to Oscar. 14 losses means 14 nominations, and that's nothing to sniff at. I think it's safe to say Oscar loves her most, even if he gets easily distracted by other beauties at the party.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterWalter L. Hollmann

I understand the sentiment but Oscar should still be ashamed.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered Commenterbrandz

Misinterpeted that, then. In which case: I FEEL YA.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterWalter L. Hollmann

Favorite Streeps that were not nominated:

1) Manhattan

2) The Hours

3) Death Becomes Her

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterPatryk

Danilo -- what are you talking about? outlook? i don't follow?

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterNathaniel R

The top four or five slots are so tough. (And that's not having seen Out of Africa and a few others!)

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJake D

Wow!!! That sound great! Happy to participate... also because it's one of the few times that I've seen ALL the movies you are talkin'about! =)

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTerris

E-mail just sent! Here is my top 3:

1. Sophie's Choice
2. Silkwood
3. Adaptation

It was not easy to make a ranking, because sometimes you have loved Meryl's performance but not the movie, or vice versa... I just voted the performance. Looking forward for you ranking now guys! =)

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTerris

1. Sophie's Choice
2. Silkwood
3. The Devil Wears Prada
4. Kramer vs. Kramer
5. Adaptation
6. Doubt
7. Postcards From the Edge
8. Julie and Julia
9. The Bridges of Madison Country
10. Music of the Heart

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterSam Marziale

Nat i think you should also do a ranking of her unnaominated then we would really see where streep was unnappreciated and maybe overlooked.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterMARK

@Nathianiel

When you click the link to your email, it opens the Microsift Outlook.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered Commentercal roth

Email sent. My top 3.

1-Prada
2-Postcards from the edge
3-a cry in the dark

And I have seen Sophie's choice and it's at 7 in my ranking. She is absolutely astonishing in each and every of them. My least favourites were Julie and Julia and French Lieutenants Woman.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterAFK

It's really difficult - i voted just the performance,
and funny enough Julie & Julia ended up very high - just saw it again it is such a buttery and joyful performance brought to the big screen & just the best performance nominated (!) that year.. should have been her 3rd! .... honestly Sandra... great actress, good past performances but Oscar missed the chance again to celebrate a good comedy performance that year - instead of honoring a shallow dramatic one from a beloved rom-com-queen!!!


1. - Sophie's Choice
2. - Julie & Julia
3. - Out of Africa
4. - The Devil Wears Prada
5. - Doubt
6. - The Bridges of Madison County
7. - Silkwood
8. - Kramer vs Kramer
9. - The French Lieutenant's Woman
10. - A Cry in the Dark

haven't seen Adaptation though

Marvin's Room would be on place 5. or 6. - Oscar overlooked perfect white trash mom character

Go for Meryl - we want to see you holding up the little golden guy again!!!

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterMartin

1. - Sophie's Choice
2.The Bridges of Madison County
3.silkwood
4. A Cry in the Dark
5.Adaptation

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered Commentera

I wish I could vote for Angels in America.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterPeggy Sue

Along with Sophies Choice and Silkwood, I find her work in The Hours and Angels in America to be her best

But my favorite performance of Streep is Bridges of Madison County

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterManuel

cal -- bizarre. why would it do that? it's just a standard email link... it should open whichever email program the person uses.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterNathaniel R

When I clicked the email link, it opened in my gmail... methinks danilo's 1996 problem is his own

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterDerek

Having seen all but Ironweed and Music of the Heart, I'd vote for A CRY IN THE DARK. Perfect.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterKEVIN M.

How I love this woman!
I actually met her once when she visited Stockholm for the Mamma Mia premiere and she was just a sweetheart in real life. Got her autograph in my Angels in America box and she was overjoyed when I told her how much I loved her performance in Ironweed =)

My top 10 if I remember correctly as how I voted:

1.The Bridged of Madison County
2. Ironweed
3. Sophie´s Choise
4. Silkwood
5. A Cry in the Dark
6. Doubt
7. Postcards from the Edge
8. One True Thing
9. Out of Africa
10. Kramer vs Kramer

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterPalle

My top 5:

1.Silkwood
2.Adaptation
3.Postcards From The Edge
4.The Devil Wears Prada
5.Deer Hunter

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered Commenteradelutza

I think her 96 perf in marvin's room is far better than keaton's who does her shtick as usual an deserves reassessment,her talk with leo about her love being like fish hooks always breaks my heart.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterMARK

Top 3 (when I sent the e-mail):

The Bridges of Madison County
Sophie's Choice
One True Thing

Bottom 3;
Out of Africa
Doubt
Julie & Julia

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterPaul Outlaw

I thought "kramer vs. kramer" would get more praised (in the comments at least). such a beautiful, heartbreaking performance, and the movie is a gem. always think of this one when people say meryl does not work in great pictures.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered Commentermarcelo

1. Sophie's Choice
2. The Devil Wears Prada
3. The Bridges of Madison County
4. Kramer vs. Kramer
5. Silkwood
6. Julie & Julia
7. A Cry in the Dark
8. One True Thing
9. Out of Africa
10. Postcards from the Edge
11. The Deer Hunter
12. Doubt
13. Adaptation
14. Music of the Heart

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJoan Holloway

Haven't seen all of them but of the ones I have:

1. Silkwood
2. The Bridges of Madison County
3. Sophie's Choice
4. Adaptation
5. Postcards from the Edge

Hon. Men. - I have a feeling I'm gonna add Angels in America once I see it.

I've seen more but these are the only ones I can rank before it starts to get fuzzy.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterCrazyGeekyCool

Postcards has really grown on me over the years. She's fantastic in it, and her work in Silkwood and A Cry in the Dark hold up beautifully.

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered Commenterzigzag

marcelo -- i hear you on Kramer (lovely work) but it isn't really a good defense of "meryl doesn't work in great pictures" since it was 32 years ago ;)

December 17, 2011 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

1. Adaptation
2. Silkwood
3. Kramer vs. Kramer
4. One True Thing
5. Julie & Julia
6. A Cry in the Dark
7. Postcards From the Edge
8. Doubt
9. The Devil Wears Prada

December 17, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterMJM

1. Adaptation
2. Sophie's Choice
3. Julie and Julia
4. Kramer vs. Kramer
5. The Devil Wears Prada
6. The Brdiges of Madison County
7. Silkwood
8. Postcards from the Edge
9. Doubt
10. One True Thing
11. The Deer Hunter
12. Music of the Heart
13. A Cry in the Dark

December 18, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterChris

I've gone through so many combinations with performances jumping up and down the list. I'll just have to nut up and make a decision for today!

December 18, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTim B.

Nathaniel--- Would you say yours then? =)

December 18, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTerris

Terris -- i will once i compile all the info -- probably closer to when the Iron Lady actually comes out. It's still two weeks away.

December 18, 2011 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

Ok... I'm so curious... :)
Thank you Nathaniel.

December 18, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTerris

cover of Newsweek too. she's officially campaigning!

December 18, 2011 | Unregistered Commenterbrandz

My favorite Meryl Streep films are: "The Hours" and "Doubt". But her all time best performances are: "Ironweed", "Sophie's Choice" and "The Devil Wears Prada", in that order. And she was especially enchanting in "Defending Your Life".

December 20, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTrippy Trellis
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