Readers' Ranking: Streep's Oscar Noms, #16-11
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 1:18PM Last month we asked readers to rank all of Meryl Streep's Oscar nominated performances...
There were 16 of them when the polling began since The Iron Lady was still unseen by many and too fresh for retrospective rank as well. Here are the results in ascending order.
I've included comments on and from the ballots for extra flavor. You'll also find details and guesstimates about that year's Oscar voting though I'm sure you'll "correct" me if you have different ideas about how it all went down, won't you?
16. Music of the Heart (1999)
Role & Balloting: Streep's true story arts-friendly role about a violin teacher (yes, she learned the difficult instrument) is widely seen as her most obvious "default" nomination and though not everyone agrees with its low place in the Streep canon, it ended up in last place with Film Experience readers on 30% of the ballots. Quite a feat when you consider that it was also one of the least seen, absent from another 30% of the ballots. Yikes.
Who Won the Oscar: Hilary Swank, Boys Don't Cry
Other Nominees in Guesstimate Order of AMPAS Love: Annette Bening (American Beauty), Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds) and Julianne Moore (The End of the Affair) and Meryl (Music of the Heart)
The Dread Sixth Place Finish?: T'was obviously Reese Witherspoon in Election, damnit. Oscar should've picked Flick!
15. Ironweed (1987)
Role & Balloting: Her performance as a severe alcoholic former singer "Helen Archer" was greeted in the 80s as one of her strongest "technical" performances since she's virtually unrecognizable. Nowadways it's the least seen Streep nominated role and one of the most divisive considering where it ranked on ballots that had seen it (all over the place). Ironweed got some attention recently when Anne Hathaway resurrected Streep's "He's Me Pal" for the Kennedy Center Honors.
Who Won the Oscar: Cher, Moonstruck
Nominees in Guesstimate Order of AMPAS Love: Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction), Holly Hunter (Broadcast News), Sally Kirkland (Anna) and Meryl (Ironweed)
The Dread Sixth Place Finish?: I was personally nuts for Emily Lloyd's debut in Wish You Were Here but she wasn't Globe nominated so maybe she didn't have traction. Any 80s Oscar obsessives have an idea about who finished sixth that year? I don't have a strong sense of who.
#14 through #11 and more Oscar hoopla after the jump
Reader Comment! Billy Held an Oscar writes:
The first time I discovered Streep was when Kramer vs Kramer aired on television in the early 80s. It was with Ironweed that I became a crazed Streep fan. Ironweed was filmed in my hometown of Troy, NY. One scene was shot inside the Troy Public Library and I remember the barricades set up outside of it - there were hundreds of people standing behind them waiting to catch a glimpse of her - I never did see her. When I finally saw the film in the theatre, I instantly recognized the room in which the scene took place. I later went to the library to sit in the chair that Streep sat in during filming. Before I sat down I just kept looking at the chair expecting to see her image - kind of like the Shroud of Turin, ya know ? I saw it. Streep is God.
[More reader Streep stories here!]
14. One True Thing (1998)
Role: Her cancer-stricken mother was not a favorite among readers (placing first on only 1 ballot) though it was also underseen as these things go missing from 25% of the ballots.
Who Won the Oscar: Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare in Love
Nominees in Guesstimate Order of AMPAS Love: Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth), Fernanda Montenegro (Central Station), Meryl (One True Thing) and Emily Watson (Hilary and Jackie)
The Dread Sixth Place Finish?: I'd say Globe Musical/Comedy nominee Jane Horrocks (Little Voice) because her co-star was nominated and because she performed one of the most incredible feats of mimicry I've personally ever seen. Still. To date.
13. The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
Role & Balloting: Her dual role was a very big deal in 1981 since it was her first movie lead and follow up to the massive blockbuster Kramer Vs. Kramer. Though it's also underseen today, it holds the curious distinction of being the only role which finished in first and last place in equal measure on your ballots (3% in each case.)
Who Won the Oscar: Katharine Hepburn, On Golden Pond
Nominees in Guesstimate Order of AMPAS Love: Diane Keaton (Reds), Meryl (French Lieutenant's Woman), Susan Sarandon (Atlantic City) and Marsha Mason (Only When I Laugh)
The Dread Sixth Place Finish?: This was before I started watching the Oscars. Any guesses? Key Globe players that missed were Sissy Spacek (Raggedy Man), Bernadette Peters (Pennies From Heaven) and Sally Field (Absence of Malice)
Reader Comment. William writes:
Her eyes are so big and full of yearning and vulnerability, her face is so classically fine – fragile in its delicacy. Her expression is poignant and she makes me gasp and sigh.
This was the only Hepburn vs. Streep Oscar war though they're the gold man's two favorite women. Hepburn famously didn't like Streep's acting. Pam writes:
When I read that one of my actress heroines, Katharine Hepburn, didn't like Meryl Streep, I felt betrayed! Even though many Streep movies will never find their way into the pantheon of great films, her performances alone should be held up as the gold standard for acting talent.
And one last comment from Ben, an actor, which I think is interesting and I really agree with the final sentence:
"In playing dual roles of the titular heroine from the John Fowles novel and the actress playing her she shows a great range, fully understanding and presenting how a character you portray affects the way you live your life off stage/screen, and the haunted morally ambiguous portrayal of a woman brought low in the stifling Victorian societal mores. And Meryl on the Cobb staring out to see for her former French Lover must be the most iconic image in her back catalogue."
12. The Deer Hunter (1978)
Role & Balloting: In the grand scheme of Streep's Filmography this role as a small town girl left by men going to war one is a mere lovely introduction but what a start she had. Of her five first features, three of them were Best Picture nominees and two of them (including this one) won. We wish she'd have another Best Picture run like that.
Who Won: Maggie Smith, California Suite
Nominees in Guesstimate Order of AMPAS Love: Maureen Stapleton (Interiors), Meryl (The Deer Hunter), Dyan Cannon (Heaven Can Wait) and Penelope Milford (Coming Home)
The Dread Sixth Place Finish?: I'm guessing it was Globe nominee Carol Burnett in A Wedding though when I was a younger and first learning about the Oscars in the 80s I always fooled myself into believing retroactively that Stockard Channing had had awards heat for immortal "Rizzo" in Grease. (This was obviously not the case.)
11. Doubt (2008)
Role & Balloting: Her SAG winning role as the stern nun Sister Aloysius Beauvoir was barely absent from any ballots -- everyone has seen it -- but it was second only to Music in terms of number of last place votes (17% of the ballots said No to this Nun). Now, this star turn obviously had fans and lots of awards heat but it also has true haters. Which are you?
Who Won the Oscar: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Nominees in Guesstimate Order of AMPAS Love: Meryl (Doubt), Melissa Leo (Frozen River), Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), and Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
The Dread Sixth Place Finish?: Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) can arguably lay claim to the most trophied snub in Best Actress history.
Reader Comments (60)
Fun read.
A little surprising that Ironweed is so low, since I thought Meryl was so good in it, but I guess it makes a certain kind of sense. It is underseen, and I suppose it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea.
I know they have more heat, being more recently released, but I'd probably place her performances in "Doubt" and "Julie & Julia" safely at the bottom of the list. But I realize I'm probably fairly lonely in that view.
As for "The Iron Lady", I'd probably rank it somewhere in the middle of the pack.
And I still don't know how I feel about The French Lieutenant's Woman. Pretty ambivalent on that one, and never sure which of my instincts to trust.
Sounds about right to me! Right now Iron Lady for me sits probably right after Doubt...
I'm surprised at the low ranking of The Deer Hunter. I thought that was one of the better early Streep performances.
Doesn't Meryl look like sometimes Oscar rival Kate Winslet in that Ironweed photo?
Katharine Hepburn knew since the early 80s that Meryl would surpass her nom record. And as punishment for her resultant dislike, Miss Hepburn even had to live to see it.
Awesome article! I know this is Meryl-centered (and I'm bummed about French Lt's Woman getting so low), but you can't bring up sixth place at Best Actress (the best of all categories), without a discussion:
1999: I agree with Witherspoon, though one could make the argument that Sigourney Weaver nearly made it for her Globe-nominated performance in A Map of the World
1987: Considering that Aleandro got in, I wonder how close Rachel Chagall was to actually getting in here (which sort of makes you wonder what would have happened to her career if she'd gotten a nomination-would she have ended up playing second fiddle to Fran Drescher for the bulk of the 90's?). Streisand and Dunaway both seem like the Globes obligatory star-loving.
1998: If I recall correctly, Cameron Diaz (Mary) and Susan Sarandon (Stepmom) both also had a lot, lot, lot of awards traction that year for Best Actress (EW even predicted Sarandon to get the nod instead of Watson, if I remember right), so both of them could have been in sixth place as well.
1981: Considering its overall performance and its then very much marquee star, I'd guess Field probably had the leg up on sixth place in 1981.
1978: I'd have to say this was Mona Washbourne, who rivals Sally Hawkins when it comes to winning awards and nominations and still missing out on a nomination. She got a nomination at the Globes, the BAFTA, and won the LAFCA. Because of a very weird release, the performance would also receive Best Supporting Actress at the NYFCC, NBR, and BSFC, but not in 1978.
2008: No doubt on Hawkins-KST had to settle for seventh.
Really surprised Deer Hunter is lower than Postcards, Out of Africa, and Julie & Julia. Shoulda been a top ten :(
I'm surprised at how low The French Lieutenant's Woman appears. It is one of favourites of hers. Probably one of her very few romantic leads where the love story is driving the drama.
IRONWEED absolutely ranks for me at the bottom of the Streep barrel - I still can't get the chewing the scenery Me Pal song out of my head. My wife and I still break into song today whenever we watch bad acting, as a just between us alarm for over the top theatrics.
I'm stunned Deer Hunter and Ironweed are this low, too, even after correcting for both being underseen. Oh, well.
I bet Dunaway might have been 6th in '87, though Lloyd wouldn't have surprised me, given all the furor around her at the time. I recently learned that Diane Keaton was the runner-up at the NSFC for Baby Boom, which sort of blows my mind.
Agreed about Witherspoon, Hawkins, Sarandon. Can't decide between Field and Spacek in '81. A lot might depend on Stevie's eligibility, since it split its awards between '78 and '81, and I don't know which time it was AMPAS-eligible. Jackson and Washbourne both got lots of critics' prizes and I suspect would have bubbled under at the Academy.
In fact, are Washbourne and Hawkins the only actors to ever win New York, Boston, and LA, and still miss at the Oscars? It's arguable over who should have been more snubbed-Hawkins, probably since she got a Globe win and had a proper release schedule, but Washbourne got cited by BAFTA (Hawkins missed there and SAG) and also won the NBR.
Nick-wouldn't Washbourne have been eligible in 1978 since she won her prize for LA that year?
Nick -- maybe a statistician could have done the math better than I but though i weight the ballots of people who'd seen more, if you're on EVERY ballot (like say, Doubt) it's stiill going to help you out with vote totals since i didn't penalize a film for always placing low, because some people like all 16 so it's not like being 16th should subtract points ;) it just accumulates less points
numbers 10 and 9, coming right up are a statistical tie so some of these races for very tight. i didn't know how to indicate that here but it goes like this
16 MUSIC -- clear loser
[gap]
15 IRONWEED
14 ONE TRUE THING (very close in voting)
[gap]
13 FRENCH
12 DEER HUNTER
11 DOUBT (all very close in voting)
[gap]
10&9 (TBA tied so i'm giving 9 to the one that had a couple of #1 votes since the other had no number ones)
[gap]
8&7 (very close)
[gap]
6-2 are pretty evenly spaced apart with a clear hierarchy and then
#1 is way way out front.
Meryl has the interesting distinction of one of four living actors to have major roles in back-to-back Best Picture winners with The Deer Hunter and Kramer vs. Kramer.
The other three are Christopher Walken (Annie Hall and The Deer Hunter), Russell Crowe (Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind) and most recently Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker and The King's Speech).
It's amazing to think of that despite all the nominations that Meryl gets for acting, only three of her nominations have come with Best Picture nominations. Conversely, if you look at Katherine Hepburn, of her 12 nominations, those films were only nominated for Best Picture twice, with both films being considered absolute classics (The Philadelphia Story and The African Queen). Strange.
I can't resist predicting the Top 10:
10) Out of Africa
9) Julie & Julia
8) Postcards from the Edge
7) A Cry in the Dark
6) Adaptation
5) Kramer vs Kramer
4) The Devil Wears Prada
3) The Bridges of Madison County
2) Silkwood
1) Sophie's Choice
I think a lot of the low rankings for performances she got a lot of praise for here might just be indicative of how many just OK movies Meryl has been exceptional in. She's great in these movies, but maybe the movies themselves haven't been strong enough to stand the test of time.
Nathaniel, not second-guessing the math, just expressing surprise. Given how many people are saying in the other thread that Death Becomes Her was their intro to Meryl, I'm also wondering if there's a kind of generational split between folks who geek out about Meryl in straight-drama mode (Ironweed, Deer Hunter) and those who want the saucy entertainer represented somewhere in the mix.
in 1987 I am pretty sure that the 6th spot (unfortunatly she should've got SO Nominated, perhaps win...) went to screen legend Lilian Gish for the WONDERFUL "The Whales of August". Ann Southern got a nomination for Best Supp. Actress & I remember, very well being outraged by Gish's snub. Perhaps they were split voting with her co-star the no less LEGENDARY (and as deserving of a nomination) Bette Davis...There was also Barbra Streisand in "Nuts". I know they hate her, but I am sure she as her fan & it is a very strong performence (I don't care what "almost "everybody says.about it..) OMG! this post made me feel soooo old!
Looking back at my email...these films were in my 16-11 slots as well just in a slightly different order.
I ranked Deer Hunter low...not because I do not think the film is a classic....but mostly I like my streep roles with a little more screen time and a little more "showiness"
As for French Lieutenant's woman...Though I like the dual role...I never get a true sense of who either of her characters are truly about...
People seek out Ironweed. She's awesome in a "character" part. The DVD is full frame unfortantely--although it shouldn't matter too much since its 1.85 like the majority of Streep's theatrical filmography.
If Sophie's Choice doesn't win I will be ashamed to associate with everyone here.
Nick, i bet that's probably true. It's so interesting that her career had these different movements. I guess all long careers do but hers seem especially rich to divvy up into "acts" as I did during Streep at 60 two years ago.
Sophie's Choice will be #1. For sure.
"I always fooled myself into believing retroactively that Stockard Channing had had awards heat for immortal "Rizzo" in Grease."
I know right??? It's painful to realize the truth!
This is splitting hairs, but do you really think Hathaway was behind both Streep AND Leo in '08? I always imagined she was right up there with Streep and Winslet. Even an outside threat for the win. Though all this could of been a wishful thinking haze I was in at the time.
To answer your question about "Doubt," I guess I'm on the hater side. I mean, I don't HATE it, but I didn't like it. It's exactly the kind of performance that Hepburn would criticize - too much ACTING in all caps, all the technical choices way too transparent.
But you know, even her not-so-great work is still pretty good.
^ Oh, I didn't even notice that. I agree. Hathaway was before Leo, I think.
The Katherine hating Meryl thing just makes me think of Madonna and Lady Gaga, lol.
Nick
Since reading the two Streep blogs, I had the exact same "generational split" idea that you mentioned today.
I fall into the older group who were in their 20's when Streep began her climb to the to
the top of filmdom. At first, I really did not care for her at all.... the came Sophie and all of that changed... still not in love with French Lieutenant's Woman and Plenty, though.
Pretty sure it was Gish 6th in 1987.
I am a Doubt hater,some of her choices are fine but it is a Streep role in which the a c t i n g is plain to see.
Drew B -- i think Leo & Hathaway were probably pretty close as in far behind the leaders. Hathaway had the young star rising thing Oscar loves but within the industry there was a helluva lot more love for Frozen River (which is crazy since Rachel Getting Married is b-r-i-l-l-i-a-n-t
Did you guys see "Marvin's Room"? I think Meryl's performance was really outstanding; but they gave the nomination to Diane Keaton that year. I was also surprised that Meryl didn't get a nom for her role at "The Hours" (that year she got a supporting nom for "Adaptation")
I hope that her performance in The Hours will be at top 5. Streep was A M A Z I NG
My order:
17. Doubt
16. Music of the Heart
15. The Deer Hunter
14. Julie & Julia
13. The Iron Lady
12. Postcards from the Edge
11. Out of Africa
10. Ironweed
9. Kramer vs Kramer
8. The Devil Wears Prada
7. Adaptation
6. One True Thing
5. The French Lieutenant's Woman
4. Silkwood
3. A Cry in the Dark
2. The Bridges of Madison County
1. Sophie's Choice
Ugh I despise her performance in Doubt. It's like Meryl without a leash. It's baby jane grande dame guignol. Her tics, her eye rolling, her mannerisms are on full display and it doesn't work in a Sandy Dennis kind of way. She's just doing toooo much, she's all over the place physically and emotionally. She hams it up in every..single..frame. I'm sorry but can we just acknowledge the ridiculous physicality of the "confrontation" scene, where she's waving that cross around? I feel like the absurdity of that scene in particular isn't talked about enough. It just doesn't work for me but maybe it would've worked in the theater.
Manuel -- it can't be. we were just voting on nominated performances and that's a rare case of being passed over.
The rankings so far seem right although I would have thought her performance in One True Thing would have been higher, that's based on her performance and not the film which was middling. I've always liked her although she's never been my favorite actress, that would be Julie Christie, but the initial poll made me realize how many of her films I hadn't seen both nominated and not and I've been working on seeing more, Plenty is next, although some like The Deer Hunter will probably go unseen. I've tried with that but have never been able to get more than 15 minutes in before bailing on it. Of her nominated turns have Bridges, Cry in the Dark, Adaptation and Iron Lady left, the first three are near the top of my Netflix queue so maybe by the time of the awards I'll be caught up.
This was actually a really fun read. I didn't think I would bother reading these Streep-rankings posts (I know it's sacrilege here, but I'm not a Meryl obsessive) but you added in the "Oscar guesstimate" and "Sixth place" sections and I just couldn't resist. You always know how to put a twist that I can't resist Nat ;)
@Mark and @Stjeans: Bravo! You're totally right about Gish. Forgot about that. I loved when a reporter called to interview her about being left out, and she said, "Well, at least now I don't have to go and lose to Cher."
@Rick: We're on similar wavelengths with all of that. Though I actually really like her in the '79 performance that no one talks about anymore, in Seduction of Joe Tynan - the earliest sign of her friskiness and sense of humor, I think, even more than in Manhattan. And I do love her in Deer Hunter.
@Ell: I *love* imagining Sandy Dennis in Doubt.
The 6th spot thing is genius! I also believe that in 1987 it was Lillian Gish.
I wish "One True Thing" would have been higher and "Julie & Julia" lower, but I did expect it. Pretty surprised with "Doubt" instead. I enjoy that performance a lot, specially after a couple of viewings.
PS "Ironweed" had the most beautiful poster. Do you remember?
re: 1987 - I think it might've been Maggie Smith for The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Arkaan -- I also thought about it but according to IMDB it was released in 88
I always thought Julianne Moore was the clear 3rd place in 1999. She had a huge year with 5 movies, was an almost nominee for Magnolia and her film had a decent showing in the precursors - an oscar nomination for cinematography, 10 Bafta nominations (including best picture) and a nomination for best picture - drama at the Golden Globes (+3 other nominations).
Much stronger support than Janet McTeer's Tumbleweeds.
Streep was not nominated for "The Hours" because her name was accidentally left off of the list of possible nominees.
Also I just read on 2 blogs today that August:Osage County with Streep and Roberts is slated to go into production in September....
Great rankings so far. Happy that Deer Hunter is low, sad that French Lt's Woman is low and... am I the only one who liked Music of the Heart? Oh well. Couldn't remember some of these well enough to vote (seen all 16), but show me high placement for Prada and Kramer!
Why DOUBT is so low rank ? i think it's the most strong and pierce performance from her
Hardly the wildest Streep fan here, but going off my spotty memories of 1999's slate of Hollywood middle-brow mediocrity, I'm almost certain that she was warm, detailed, buoyant and believable in Music of the Heart in a way she has rarely been since. That is in no way her weakest of the 16 nominated performances, it's barely even the worst of the 16 films that got her nominated (though maybe it was the film that had the least reason to exist among that 16).
At the very least that performance was infinitely more watchable than her uneven-with-definite-highlights Sister Aloysius or her kabuki Streep-does-Daniel-Plainview-doing-Julia Child. The latter is my vote not only for the worst Streep performance, but also the worst Actress-nominated performance by anyone in the last several decades.
In 81 (I am old enough to remember and I was old enough to follow the season and watch the show) there was an audible gasp when Kate won over the frontrunner;Meryl. It was considered a shock result.
I'm shocked The Deer Hunter and Ironweed scored so low. I'd put both much, much higher.
I have sadly never seen Ironweed but I have always heard that it's one of Meryl's strongest and most underrated. Will have to check it out. Other than that, I agree with these rankings. I enjoyed Doubt, but yes, it's definitely her most histrionic performance to date (even more so than Death Becomes Her) and it's wildly uneven, shrill, and a little too studied and affected--nevertheless, she has some good moments. I've never personally liked The Deer Hunter, but she was fine in a sort of thankless role. Music of the Heart was passable, but honestly I haven't seen it since the movie theater when I was ten years old (my mother is a music teacher and was obsessed with that film for awhile). I loved her in One True Thing even though the movie is sort of meh.
And yes, I would have replaced her (in a heartbeat) for Reese Witherspoon in Election. And I agree with Nat that Jane Horrocks was probably #6 in 1998 (didn't she receive a SAG nomination)? Poor Sally Hawkins was robbed in '08.
@Bede NZ: Wow, haha, I totally misread your comment. At first, I thought you said, "I'm 81 (I am old enough to remember and I was old enough to follow the season and watch the show) there was an audible gasp when Kate won over the frontrunner;Meryl. It was considered a shock result."
So I didn't even consider Hepburn, and for whatever reason went right to Winslet, thinking, "Well, if you're 81 now, you were definitely old enough to follow the Oscars three years ago. And you've clearly entered senescence, as Winslet was the frontrunner that year."
But you obviously didn't say that, so I don't know why I'm sharing. :)
People forget that Golden Globes winner, SAG and BAFTA nominee Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road was probably at the 6th place actually in 2008. Plus, she dragged Michael Shannon in the race and she wasn't even nominated herself for that film. If the Oscars accepted the double nominations, I wouldn't be surprised she would have scored here like she scored at the BAFTA. Hawkins really deserved a nod that year. I don't know why the Academy suddenly stopped loving Mike Leigh's ladies. The Lesley Manville's snub was disgusting too.