Meet the Contenders: Kristen Stewart "Still Alice"
Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 2:31PM Each weekend a profile on a just-opened Oscar contender. Here's abstew on this weekend's new limited release, the Julianne Moore awards hopeful, STILL ALICE.
Kristen Stewart as Lydia Howland in Still Alice
Born: Kristen Jaymes Stewart was born April 9, 1990 in Los Angeles, California
The Role: Adapted from Lisa Genova's bestselling novel, filmmakers and husbands Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland (Quinceañera, The Last of Robin Hood) wrote and direct this film about a 50 year old Columbia linguist professor (Best Actress frontrunner, Julianne Moore) that is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Stewart plays her daughter, Lydia, the black sheep of the family that moved to LA to become an actress despite her mother's frequent requests for her to go to college. When Alice's mind begins to deteriorate more rapidly, it is Lydia that takes the most responsibility for her mother's health establishing herself as caregiver.
Previous Brushes With Oscar: Stewart has been lauded with multiple MTV Movie Awards and Teen Choice Awards. And despite praise for her work in films like Adventureland (2009) and On the Road (2012), Still Alice marks the first film that Stewart has generated serious Oscar buzz for her performance. She has previously appeared in two films nominated for the Academy Award: Sean Penn's Into the Wild (Best Supporting Actor for Hal Holbrook and Best Editing) and 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman (Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects). Neither film won in its categories.
What Critics Are Saying:
But the film as a whole functions mainly as a scaffolding for this remarkable feat of acting, and also for Kristen Stewart’s excellent work as Alice’s younger daughter, Lydia. The success of the “Twilight” movies has allowed Ms. Stewart’s gifts to be underrated, but her more recent roles (here, in “ Camp X-Ray” and in “Clouds of Sils Maria,” which will open next year) should help re-establish her as an insightful and unpredictable talent.
-A.O. Scott New York Times
As she demonstrated working with Juliette Binoche in Olivier Assayas' Cannes favorite "Clouds of Sils Maria," Stewart is especially good at going toe to toe and holding her own with veteran actresses, and the intensity she brings to the part of a daughter determined to do things her own way is essential here.
-Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times
That said, there is a smoldering performance to behold. Kristen Stewart plays the Howlands’ problem child, Lydia, who is striving to be an actress...With little to go on in the script here, she establishes a troubled, sulky energy in the would-be actress who feels desperate for her mother. Stewart may be as good as Julianne Moore, and a day should come when they both have Oscars.
-David Thomson New Republic
Kristen Stewart continues to revitalize her image as an actress. “Clouds of Sils Maria” and “Camp X-Ray” are terrific examples of her talents put to great use but what she achieves as Lydia, Alice’s youngest daughter is nothing short of spectacular.
-Clayton Davis AwardsCircuit.com
My Take: The Howland family is too perfect to be true. Mr and Mrs Howland both work at Columbia University and reside in a nearby multi-level brownstone. Their oldest daughter is a married lawyer that successfully becomes pregnant with twins the moment she begins fertility treatment and their son is working his way through medical school. Then there's their rebellious youngest daughter, Lydia, bucking tradition and following a path that brings her happiness. She lives in a messy LA apt complex populated with fellow struggling actors and works her way through pay-to-play productions in local theatres. She doesn't fit in with the rest of the family. Which is probably why when her mother's disease no longer fits into the family's idyllic existence, it is Lydia that forms the closest bond. Already knowing what it's like to be an outsider in her own family, Lydia connects with her mother in new ways and through her compassion for her condition establishes the film's strongest relationship. Moore has an excellent partner in Stewart who takes what the older actress gives her and matches her beat for beat, establishing a tender and real mother/daughter dynamic. Previously the younger actress' nervous energy had a tendency to become fidgety onscreen, her tics and constant lip-biting a distraction. With Still Alice, Stewart finally seems comfortable in her skills as an actress, bringing a mature confidence and charismatic swagger. Using stillness to strengthen and settle the scenes, the camera can linger on her face, allowing us a glimpse at her inner life and hinting at the exciting actress that Stewart is becoming.
Fun Fact: Julianne Moore isn't the first Oscar nominee to play Stewart's mother. The actress' motherly co-stars have included Oscar nominated actresses Patricia Clarkson (The Safety of Objects), Jodie Foster (Panic Room), and Sharon Stone (Cold Creek Manor). And both of Stewart's real-life parents are in the industry as well. Her father is a stage manager and television producer and her mother is a script supervisor.
Probability of a Nomination: Slight Possibility. Ever since the Twilight franchise, coupled with her relationship with co-star Robert Pattinson, the media turned Stewart into a tabloid staple and it became very easy to forget that she was once a promising actress that worked with the likes of David Fincher. (All those Razzies sure didn't help either.) But free of the vampire films, this was the year Stewart, with 3 different indies, has shown that she is ready to be taken seriously as an actress again, impressing critics with her natural ability. There's no doubt that Julianne Moore is getting a nomination for this film (it's really the only reason the film is being talked about) and Sony Pictures Classics has stated they plan on mounting a campaign for Stewart as well. If the Academy is feeling generous in their love for the film, Stewart could squeeze her way in. But the role is a little too small, she could've used a couple more scenes for her to be a serious threat for a nomination. But if anything, the film is setting the groundwork for more prestigious work to come and future Oscar talk.
Still Alice opened in NY and LA yesterday for a week qualifying run. It will return to those cities on January 16 and gradually expand.
Reader Comments (16)
I thought Stewart had some good and some great moments. The Three Sisters final monologue was not good at all, and I was given the impression she (Stewart - not Lydia) was trying her best. I think her style or her personality as an actress (which is which in her case? - I don't know) might be too morose or contemporary for Chekhov. She fares better in the Angels in America monologue, but the only think I could think of was Mary-Louise Parker, who killed it in the TV series! However, with all the inconsistencies of the performance or the limitations of the role, it's important to finish strong and she really gives one of the best line reading I've seen all year when she asks her mom: "What was it about?". That moment was transcendental.
Lovely entry. I don't have any bias agains Kristen Stewart. Anyway, it's good to know she's establishing her name as a good actress.
I didn't like her at all in the role. I still see her playing the same character over and over. Same tone of voice, same mannerisms and I can see right through her performance. I can see her thinking. In her defense, I didn't like anyone in Still Alice but Julianne Moore.
I couldn't even read the whole thing because I despise this woman. I think about all the wonderful, talented actresses that must be out there and how Kristen Stewart keeps getting their jobs and it's actually upsetting. I've seen one clip from Still Alice and KS was biting her freaking lips the entire time. If she ever stops doing that then maybe I'll think she can act.
I admit that I liked her in this role more than in other movies I have seen with her, at least I really liked some scenes, but there were scenes, especially the one where she was performing on stage, that for me were quite embarrassing. So I agree with what 'Sad man' wrote above - I also see her playing the same character in every movie, even the clothes, what she does with her hair, how she reacts... Actually I watched a couple of interviews with her recently and what is even more astonishing - I felt as if I was watching one of her movies, she is behaving in a similar way. It seems that she is not only picking similar characters, but characters that are similar to her, therefore for me it is not "acting", but I understand that other people may find her performances natural... She isn't convincing for me, I prefer when the actor does something to go out of their comfort zone, do something more risky, surprising - I just don't see that with her. But good luck to her!
After her gr8 work in Camp Xray i was excited for her in this but my god what wa she doing,she never seemed there in any of the scenes as if she was acting in another room,shame cos Moore just delivered.
Robert Pattinson Fanss are arrived here. They living in the Kristen articles comment sections. That's probably what they do all day. I thought after his new girlfriend, his stupid fans would have left Kristen Stewart alone but it seems they are more interested in her career than in their idol... Poor Pattinson.
I think her 3 movies this year were brilliant and her roles were perfectly played by Stewart. And for that, all she's getting is excelent reviews. And she deserves it, she's an excelent artist and she's been working since she was 9yo. Good for her, this was her year, even if she doesn't have a nomination, because she let only her work speak for her and she have all the critics talking about her excelent work, when those same critics talked bad about her work years ago. And to be on every posibility list for a nomination, is a win for her.
I actually don't agree with some of the posters above saying she played the same type of performance. I have watched many of her movies; Speak, The Runaways, On The Road, Snow White etc. and her characters and her acting were quite different. Some where sweet, some were angry and stuff, some of her character were lost and sad.
Anyway, I have watched Still Alice and I though she was great in it; I loved the scene with her being her angry with her mother (Julianne Moore) about her journal and her last scene reciting a book.
As most readers, I have watched all KS's films. I think that she's great in all. and all films were different. She is talent actress! I am looking forward to see her upcoming new films!!!
She definitely could have used a few more scenes. My favorite one is when she asking Alice to forgive her. She sounded so honest. It was very believable their relationship as mother-daughter.
She doesn't seem to be campaigning which is strange. who knows when the stars will align again.
Can't we please get past the rob and Kristen thing and watch and fairly review each of their efforts!! My god.....this is getting so old!!! Why hate people that you have no relationship with? So broken.
Can Pattinson fans just leave Kristen alone. What are you doing here?
She plays herself in all of her movies,you can easily watch her interviews and then her movies,it's the same person not possible to dissapear into the character.She turned herself into tabloid fodder not because of her relationship but because she was caught making out with married director of SWATH.
Rose shut up I like pattinson he's a great actor and not liar I hate Kristen Kristen sucks in her movies she's stone face biting lip potsmoker if u love her for kiss her ass I will never leave the cheating whore alone and neither will the rest of the world because..... Guess what they hate her of she took classes for emotions I would take her serious but she will never be as good as Jennifer Lawrence sorry it hurts ur crush but get over it
Love both Julianne & Stewart in this film! Stewart says so much with her eyes in her work... I'll check out any future films she's in.