Breaking: Streep & Blunt Trading Places
Thursday, October 2, 2014 at 9:52AM 
Top billed but so what?!
Meryl Streep has the first poster for Christmas release Into the Woods all to herself and the Witch is always the marquee role in Stephen Sondheim's musical on stage. But Meryl will be campaigned supporting. The news isn't technically "official" but it soon will be so we're playing a little game of switcheroo on the Lead Actress and Supporting Actress Oscar Prediction Charts.
Technically this reversal (at least from our expectations) is probably fine as categorizations go: The Witch is a showy role but it's not a huge one and The Baker's Wife (Emily Blunt) is just as much of a major focal point of the show (winning the lead actress Tony for Joanna Gleason in the first production) and the wife has the clearest arc. So Blunt is our leading contender.
The takeaway, with far less competition (as of yet) in Supporting Actress, Meryl is probably looking at her 19th Oscar nomination. If Emily Blunt doesn't thoroughly own Into the Woods she'll be left out of the very competitive leading lineup which will make it the second time co-starring with Streep where she had a plum role but voters attentions were elsewhere.
And by 'elsewhere' I mean 'where the attention always is': on MERYL STREEP.
Silly Trivia Alert: If nominated this will not only be Meryl's Fourth nomination in the supporting category after The Deer Hunter (1978), Kramer Vs Kramer (1979), and Adaptation (2002) but her Fourth for a role with a singing solo. She sang "Amazing Grace" in Silkwood (1983), "He's Me Pal" in Ironweed (1987), and "You Don't Know Me" and "I'm Checking Out" from Postcards from the Edge (1990). Her voice is so expressive. Can't wait to see how she interprets "Stay With Me" in particular.
Reader Comments (41)
Her "Amazing Grace" gives me chills every single time.
Supporting actress is kind of boring right now. Is it foolish to root for the great Imelda Staunton? (Haven't seen Pride yet)
It might be crazy of me to say this (as a huge Streep enthusiast), but I'm sort of hoping that Meryl is not nominated for this role, so she can be perceived as "snubbed" some of the anti-Meryl she-gets-nommed-for-everything backlash will subside.
Then, of course, she can come along with a fabulous role soon and will win a fourth, and will be aptly celebrated!
The role must really be something if you have her first place and i wish this was her th supporting nod after that silly 04 snub.
we all know emily blunt can act so hopefully she can sing just as good. i really really hope blunt nails her role and blows everyone out of the water. it would be a wonderful surprise shake to the best actress competition
i"m really happy about this... at least in the stage version, the witch is very much a supporting character - you're right, the Baker's Wife and the Baker are the female and male leads. Here's hoping its awesome, and that i can put aside my complete hatred of Johnny Depp long enough to get through "hello little girl"...
Well I'm sure they did this because they realize Meryl has a better shot at supporting; I doubt they did this to avoid category fraud.
Also I see that you have successfully removed Mamma Mia from your memory, she has a solo in that!
Ryan - but she was not nominated for it. I was talking about Oscar nominated roles. She also has a solo in Death Becomes Her
Ryan--ah, but she wasn't nominated for Mamma Mia, at least not by the Academy. Her version (along with the visuals) of The Winner Takes It All is pretty freakin' great.
I also agree with Peggy Sue re Amazing Grace. That, and her heartfelt acapella version of the Parting Glass at an AIDS fundraiser event after the death of Natasha Richardson, are both hauntingly beautiful.
At least Disney is doing something right if what you say is true re Lead vs Supporting. The anticipation of this adaptation along with the crazy internet chatter is killing me...
Charles: Yeah, nominating her this year would be really stupid on the Academy's part, especially since that last nomination pushed out worthy work that's pretty darn close to their wheelhouse on Lead Actress (Brie Larson).
Nat: I've had this on the extreme low end since that "Into the Woods, Jr." announcement and, in all honesty? I'd guess that it and Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (one of the most "really!?" sequels ever made) are at risk of blinking and moving their dates. (5 wide releases on Christmas is insane, but three sounds about right.) Disney doesn't really do December releases, and if they're not absolutely certain that Oscar is in the cards they'll move it (probably to February or March 2015), and HTTM2 has The Interview as it's competition, so that it hasn't moved yet is bizarre. (HTTM2 will probably move only 2-3 weeks, because a bad idea movie ultimately getting a January release won't surprise anyone.)
Volvagia -- there is absolutely no way in hell Disney is moving Into the Woods. It's their big holiday film. Way too much money to be made (and Oscar dreams).
Meryl also sings harmony on Carly Simon's theme to Marvin's Room. It's on the soundtrack, but I'm not sure if it's even in the end credits. Which is crazy, since I've seen this film about a dozen times. Sigh.
I really don't mind seeing Meryl winning a fourth Oscar in Supporting. She'd be the first actress to win both female categories TWICE.
Would also be a nice symmetry: Supporting-Lead-Lead-Supporting
I doubt she'll break K.Hepburn's record anyway. She's more nominated than her, that's better than nothing.
Of course it still needs to be confirmed officially and even then we all know Kate Winslet was nominated for The Reader everywhere in Supprting and went Lead at the Oscars.
That could happen to Meryl also.
But we'll see. A holocaust movie is 1000x times baitier than a fairy tale musical.
@brookesboy
On my DVD of Marvin's Room, "Two Little Sisters" is sung at the end credits.
Such a cute and fitting song.
oh so you will crucify julia roberts for category fraud but not meryl. pfft.
I am actually ok with this and I think it guarantees the 19th nomination... And Blunt should be campaigned in lead
I must be the only person who thinks that aside from some tech categories this film will get no major awards traction.
I would not mind Streep winning a fourth Oscar in supporting. That category could use more multiple winners. Harden, Huston, Swinton, Tomei, and Redgrave could all enjoy a second helping of supporting actress glory.
julia -- oh come on. play fair. AUGUST OSAGE COUNTY has always had two leads. INTO THE WOODS has always been an ensemble play.
Disney is starting to sound desperate for Oscars. They sounded that way last year with Banks and now again with this film. It can't be helping their chances. There is far, far too much information about how this film is being made, promoted and the expectations of all involved floating around. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wasn't beheaded by Mickey in the courtyard of Cinderella's castle if their golden goose fails to lay little gold men in the spring.
Thanks Sonja! I think the reason I couldn't remember is because by the end of it, I'm always such a blubbering mess and can't focus at all LOL
I love Meryl. What a class act. Hoping she nails the witch in ITW...
As I said n twitter will it hold? Meryl is their favorite. Will they vote for her in the "lesser" category? And it is lesser even if no one would admit it.
murtada -- i think they would if BLUNT is strong. then meryl will feel less like the lead. we'll see. that's the plan now at any rate.
Don't get me wrong, I love Meryl, but this and the role in AOC should have gone to Jessica Lange. Also, both Marsha Mason and Kathleen Turner would have killed in August.
Makes sense that they'd switch her, but my only thought is what does that mean for Anna Kendrick? Does she really have the ability to score her own supporting nomination if Streep is in the mix? It seemed more likely before the switcharoo anyway...
I was just re-watching THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA again the other night on FX channel, and realized how criminally snubbed Emily Blunt was in that film. So funny, you miss her when she's not on screen, and just the right amount of screen time to be truly supporting the leads!
:)
David, cosign. Emily killed in Devil.
If pressed, "Stay With Me" is probably my favorite song from the show. It's short but manages to be threatening and heartbreaking at the same time. I always lose it by the phrase "Stay a child while you can be a child". It Streep sings it well, it could be a highlight. The revival with Williams kind of made it an afterthought, while Bernadette's take is the gold standard.
sidenote - I think you're underestimating Chastain in AMVY. Just look at her hair. Is Felicity really happening? I pray nightly for Jessica...
Chastain is going lead for both Violent Year and Miss Julie...
And Eleanor Rigby, I imagine.
Still not too optimistic on this, but I'm sure Meryl can have fun w/ the witch part. If Penelope Cruz can nominated for Nine in supporting, Meryl should be able to get in no matter how bad the rest of it is.
brookesboy -- perspicacious as always
a) On stage, the Witch has never been nominated as a supporting role. The Baker's Wife has, fwiw. But The Baker's Wife role, as Nathaniel mentions, has the key arc and performers have been acknowledged more often for it. Just slightly.
b) Jessica Lange in Into the Woods.... no, no, no.
American Horror Story: Into the Woods
Meryl can try, but Patricia Arquette's gonna win.
Suzanne: Oh... imagine if both Julianne Moore and Patricia Arquette win on Oscar night. That would be the two most satisfying oscar wins for actresses in my recent memory.
I suspect Meryl will build a shitload of momentum once ITW screens
and we finally hear the amazement of the vocals as given the treatment
of Mer's incredible pipes !
Jones - I've already thought about how that could make this my favorite Oscars ever, especially if Richard Linklater also picks up an Oscar for Original Screenplay, which seems like a distinct possibility.
I remember being so happy when Blunt got a Golden Globe nomination for Prada, but Abigail Breslin took her spot at the Oscars. And then Breslin won the StinkyLulu Smackdown that year! I suppose they were only willing to nominate one performance from a comedy in the category that year.
The category shift makes perfect sense to me. ITW is an ensemble piece when done right, but even then, the Baker and Wife are the centerpiece - their story is the nexus that connects all the others, including the Witch.
Also, Stay with Me is a lovely song and all, but am I the only person who's more excited to hear Meryl's take on Last Midnight?! I'm haunted by the very thought.
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