Cynthia Nixon is Emily Dickinson
Manuel here. No sooner was Nat discussing the talents of one Miss Cynthia Nixon, who's great in James White (review) and commenting on the fact that she’s an Oscar away from EGOTing, than we got these new images from Terence Davies’s upcoming film A Quiet Passion.
In the film, Nixon plays poet Emily Dickinson. The always welcome, if criminally underused, Jennifer Ehle plays Vinnie Dickinson, her sister, and if these images are anything to go by, we’re in for quite a treat. The project should no doubt excite anyone who’s ever fallen in love with Dickinson’s lyrical poetry. A known recluse (or “introvert” if you want to put it mildly), Dickinson produced copious amount of poetry in her lifetime but saw but a few of them published. Since her death she has become a key figure in American literature.
Emma Bell plays a young Emily which suggests the film may shuttle back and forth between her younger years and her later later life.
We know what a wondrous performance Davies courted out of Rachel Weisz in The Deep Blue Sea — you’ll remember she won the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Actress and even earned a Golden Globe nomination for her work — and so his pairing with these two talented actress should have us all excited. May this be a chance for Nixon to at least contend for that coveted golden statue? In the meantime for those looking forward to more of Davies’s work, his new film Sunset Song, which premiered at TIFF will be released in the UK next month.
Reader Comments (11)
Interesting. Hope this turns out well. Sunset Song was unfortunately weighed down by an un-compelling/unconvincing leading lady and a sense that it didn't quite know what kind of movie it wanted to be.
Is this really happening?
Am I awake?
Terence Davis made me fall in love all over again with Rachel Weisz. I hope he converts me to Nixon.
cal roth: You never liked Nixon on SATC?
Terence Davies is so great with actresses, but they do have a history of being snubbed. Gillian Anderson was transcendent in "The House of Mirth" and Rachel Weisz was heartbreaking in "The Deep Blue Sea," but neither got a nomination. Here's hoping Cynthia Nixon pulls through with her EGOT.
I've only seen two of his films (The Long Day Closes & The Deep Blue Sea), but both are exquisite so I'm excited for any upcoming Terence Davies project. Good for Cynthia Nixon too!
I've been looking forward to watching Nixon's performance ever since the project was announced a few years ago.
I didn't particularly like Weisz in Deep Blue Sea but I think Nixon is a more interesting actress and I can easily imagine loving her performance and it being a contender or even a winner.
Nixon as Emily Dickinson?
God, that makes so much sense.
I love Terence Davies films, and I love Cynthia Nixon, (Miranda on SITC was brilliant) so I'm looking forward to seeing this.
Ah, this has all of the earmarks of a breakthrough for C.Nix. If James White breaks her way this year, I totally could see her scoring a nomination or potentially a win (given industry respect and career momentum). She does have that soon-to-be 50-something and Terrence Davies bad luck charm to contend with though.
I never cared for Sex and the City, I mean, at all, and I am not even a SJP hater. The whole thing is just too meh for me. I like my women stories fleshed out, with actual human beings that live in affordable places. Like, you know, Once and Again.