Lady in the Van: Maggie in 4 Gifs
Monday, September 7, 2015 at 1:00PM
Manuel here to welcome another Best Actress hopeful to the fold. Yes, it was unclear whether two-time Academy Award winner Maggie Smith’s vehicle, The Lady in the Van, would indeed get a US release this fall in time to qualify for awards consideration but with a Toronto Film Festival special presentation, a December release plan, a new poster and a new trailer, we have to welcome Smith to the race. More...
And so, rather than to go with our usual YNMS treatment (we can’t keep up with every trailer since movies get multiples) I figured we’d just give everyone more reason to advocate for Maggie Smith as one of the most gifable actresses working today singling out four such moments from the newly released trailer for Lady in the Van (which you can watch below) with some fun captions for our amusement.
The trailer invariably depends on Smith herself, clearly the big sell:
“Oh, you thought I’d be sitting this year out? Well, I might have been bumped from the Best Supporting Actress category at the Emmys and the Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel might not have exceeded its predecessor’s box office haul (though it did pretty well, you have to admit), I show no signs of slowing down!”
Showing us precisely why it is that we love her so:
“When you think you’ve had enough of my acerbic silliness and then you see a film of mine and you suddenly remember why I’m a living legend.”
I mean:
Self-explanatory.
Side note: I am currently fascinated with these ‘Academy-Award winner’ title cards, inspired by that wonderful Winslet/The Dressmaker one. Clearly marketing-induced practice that nevertheless forces you to see images like these as necessarily being imbued with a sense of prestige by name-recognition alone; I mean, who chose this image as the one to remind us of Smith’s awards? Inquiring minds want to know).
And finally:
Actressexuals everywhere when they look at Nathaniel’s current predictions for Best Actress and realize that this year’s race is shaping up to be the most crowded one in recent memory, filled not just with past winners, but also with plenty of rising stars. Can Smith, whose last nomination came in 2002 for her exquisite turn in Gosford Park, find herself back in Oscar's graces?
Related: All Time Oscar Best Actress Hierarchy. Maggie currently at #12... a seventh nomination would catapult her to #7
Reader Comments (8)
Please let this film be as good as this trailer, Maggie Smith is a tonic to my soul.
BTW, the line-up of supporting character actors shows strong support in this film.
As sentimental favourites go, there are some wonderful choices; Lily Tomlin, Blythe Danner, Charlotte Rampling, and now the indomitable Maggie Smith.
That "tribute" to Rooney Mara at Telleuride looks even more silly now.
Bring on a nomination!
I love how unsubtle that Academy-Award title card is. Maggie's hungry, nay, she is STARVING for another Oscar.
I love Maggie Smith. She is one of those rare actors who fit the terms "special" and "unique" perfectly. I'd love to see her with a 7th nomination.
Yes - make way for the queen! She really does deserve to have 7 and it would only be fitting to keep her on par with Judi wouldn't it? This looks like a slight change from the countess roles of late and I am incredibly excited. Keep in mind she's done this on the stage and won many awards for it. If they're feeling sentimental they'll give in.
However, while I swear by the Church of Maggie, I want her to knock our socks off with a performance and if this is just her usual schtick, I would rather see Charlotte Rampling, Blythe Danner or Lily Tomlin take the veteran slots (in that order) - Maggie's going to be working into her 90s I reckon - plenty of time yet and these other ladies don't get the same opportunities she does or carry the same prestige!
I much prefer old veteran nominees (and eventual winner) than past winners back as nominees. I mean that would be heaven.
Rampling
Smith
Tomlin
Danner
And a filler (Lawrence/Blanchett/Moore)
Go Maggie!
Rampling-Smith-Tomlin plus Mara and Mulligan. Wouldn't it be nice?
The movie is written by Alan Bennett so we can hope for the best.
Haven't seen Rampling's or Tomlin's movie, but did see I'll See You in My Dreams this weekend. Much as I have admired some of Danner's work in the past, can't see what all the fuss is about for this one. Certainly not an Oscar worthy performance, and the movie itself felt a a little "It's Complicated"-lite (if you can go "lite" with a movie that's already light--the women friends cackling together over wine and cards, getting high, love triangle, gorgeous house by the sea). Best scenes by far were the one with the dog and last one with the pool guy. I really wanted to like this one.
For sentimental reasons, I would love to see Tomlin nominated.
And I'm with LadyEdith. What's the deal with the Mara tribute at Telluride? Shouldn't those kind of "career" things be reserved for people who've been in the business for at least 25 years?
Thanks for the support on the Telluride tribute, how they can do that with a straight face I will never know. I have nothing against Mara, just that it's way too soon.