Yay! It's the return of the long departed much requested Q&A column. Readers ask questions. I pick a handful or two to answer on Mondays. Hopefully it'll be rejuvenating. Every March I feel more like the banner up top. It's the collapsing period post-Oscar.
Let's get right to it and see how long I can keep up it this spring.
JOEY: Now that Julianne has her Oscar, which overdue actress would you most want to see walk away with her golden boy? Annette? Michelle? Someone else?
NATHANIEL: Obviously the 1980s were when AMPAS screwed up most in terms of key actresses who defined the time not being rewarded. This accounts for Close, Weaver, Turner, and Pfeiffer being unOscared. Assuming it's too late for them (and I do) the best I can hope for is the Academy to stop thinking only men deserve Honorary Oscars and take care of at least one of them. Also: is it too greedy to say that Kidman needs a second to remind everyone of her bonafide movie stardom?
ANDY: Looking back on your past Film Bitch Awards, do you regret giving a particular performance your win?
the answer and 6 more questions after the jump...
NATHANIEL: I'm most unhappy with the first year of awards (2000). I dont understand some of the nominations but in particular I'm unhappy that I didn't give Christian Bale the Gold Medal for American Psycho. I nominated him in the moment, though and I believe I gave him bronze? I had enough foresight about how the movie would age for that least. I believe the gold medalist that year was Billy Crudup for Jesus's Son, a movie I really liked at the time (I also nominated Samantha Morton from the same film) but have never seen and rarely thought of since. In 2000 I also gave the gold medal to Björk and the Silver to Ellen Burstyn and today I would definitely reverse that. I'm sure there are other examples!
HENRY: Because you seek advertising dollars from the studios to fund the site, do you ever feel the need to "be kind" to projects over others as a means of survival? How difficult is that tight rope of absolute integrity to keeping food on the table to walk?
NATHANIEL: Yes, this can be a difficult tightrope. I'm never going to lie about how I feel about films but if I don't like something I'd definitely prefer not talking about it much to torpedoing an ad sale if that makes sense. I have to eat. Money is a source of worry/stress (as it is for many people) and it would be so much easier if I could just concentrate on writing making it the best site it can be. The few readers that send a monthly $2.50 or $5.00 REALLY help. I can't stress this enough. If there were another 250 of you or so, I could pay rent !
Consider...
SANTY: Who do you think gave the best "stuck in bed sick" performance ever? Emmanuelle Riva in Amour and Emma Thompson in Wit come to mind immediately.
If God wants me with Him, there is none who will stop Him. I don't mind. Now I am the one going ahead. I am not afraid. I can be brave like you.
NATHANIEL: It's sweet of you to remember that I was sick all week. I'm on the mend but I'm coughing loudly as I type this. But you answered your own question. To your fine pair, I'd maybe add James Caan in Misery (1990) from sheer sympathy for that cockadoodle situation. And I freely admit that Claire Danes makes me ball my eyes out in Little Women (1994).
Finally I absolutely denounce The English Patient (1996) for wasting Ralph Fiennes' peak beauty for a full half of itself by keeping him in bed -- and hidden under burn makeup.
CHRIS: I was wondering what CMS you use. Also, did you develop the layout of your site yourself, or did you have a company/designer design your User Interface?
NATHANIEL: I use Squarespace. They have extremely malleable templates that you can work from and I know some html. Unfortunately the entire reason I chose them was they guaranteed I could export the first years of the blog over here but that never worked or came to pass. (sigh). I am also speaking with a longtime reader who is a wiz at website design about some big improvements this summer which I think you'll all go bananas for... if I can figure out how to achieve/afford them. Stay tuned.
This next question is surely designed to get me into trouble with Marion Cotillard fans again (Please note: I have come around to fandom with nominations for her in Nine, Rust & Bone, and Two Days One Night!)
MIKE: In what order would you rank the Best Actress winning performances for the last 10 years?
NATHANIEL:
- Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (2013)
-way way out front -- the first performance since Frances McDormand in "Fargo" that was also my choice for Best Actress for her calendar year. - Natalie Portman, Black Swan (2010)
- Julianne Moore, Still Alice (2014)
-the runners up - Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line (2005)
- Kate Winslet, The Reader (2008)
-yes I am one of those weirdos who loves both of these very hated wins - Helen Mirren, The Queen (2006)
-wildly overrated. all of her co-nominees were better that year but in her defense, my god what a lineup. - Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (2011)
- Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose (2007)
- Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
- Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side (2009)
- I have small to big problems with 7-10 though they all have great moments. If you ask me again tomorrow 7-10 would be in a completely different order
MOJITO: When can we expect your first predictions for next awards race? In late summer? I love your predictions.
NATHANIEL: Thank you! The April Foolish Predictions are named that way for a reason. I was WAY late in 2014 but I'm doing better this year already in terms of deadlines (as you can see with the Film Bitch Awards which are nearing completion backstage... I hope)
BROOKESBOY: Since Julianne broke the 50s ceiling for Best Actress, can we expect a long overdue change in Hollywood so casting can get creative and allow Jessica Lange, Glenn Close, Kathleen Turner, Sissy Spacek and Marsha Mason to get another shot at Best Actress?
NATHANIEL:
obviously y'all should pipe in on these questions too. how would you rank the best actress winners of the past ten years? Favorite sick bed performance?