Thoughts I Had... Laura Linney in "Nocturnal Animals"
Friday, September 16, 2016 at 8:00AM Chris here. We're pretty jazzed about Tom Ford's meta-noir Nocturnal Animals in these parts, even with (or because of) festival reactions are all over the map from negative to positive. Whether or not the film is a potential awards player, it did pick up the Grand Jury Prize in Venice and even the poor reviews call out Michael Shannon as a highlight. However, the buried lede in all of the conversation (and the just-launched trailer) is the buzzed about cameo by The Lovely Laura Linney, whose character shows up like this:
Praise the heavens, she's no longer a supportive wife trapped on a phone! And now she's letting her hair down up. Some takeaways:
- Category is: Oliver Stone First Lady Before She Betrays Him And Country Realness
- She's drowning in hair, pearls, and stiff fabric, yet her face is still luminous.
- The role may be small, but when has she ever gotten to go big even just if it's in costuming? Let's hope it's not just the look because we'd love to see her go wild.
- Linney is playing Amy Adams's mother, which could be as delightfully bonkers as the movie sounds if not for the depressing ageism repeated here. Linney is TEN years older than Adams, but in Hollywood years the math inexplicably adds up.
- But seriously: no husbands to concernedly call, Ninja Turtles to catch, or maiding to be done here. We're stoked to see her back in the game.
Anyway, since Animals isn't hers alone, feast on the trailer and try to decipher what the film is all about:
Reader Comments (29)
She's really good in her scene,.
God, Amy looks MESMERIZING. This is truly her year and I can't wait for her to prove her naysayers wrong with two acclaimed performances in vastly different movies. Suck it haters!
The cast here is insane. Riseborough! Sheen! Kristen Bauer! Malone! And that's just the guys who have small moments but still get mentioned in interviews as being memorable. Really looking forward to this one
Rachel Donezal's cameo looks insane!
Saw it at TIFF and LOATHED IT. I will say, tho Hollywood's ageism is indisputable, the Linney scene is a flashback. The film has very simple coding where Amy with severe glossy hair is current day late 30s, relaxed long hair is about 10 years prior. So Amy is playing maybe mid-20s when she's Laura's daughter? Slightly more plausible
Tony T - LOL I had to watch it three times to get that it was Andrea Riseborough
The problem is not with Adams' talent. It's that she is incessantly miscast. Please, let this be an exception.
Ha -- I thought that was Kathy Baker in the trailer!
I need Linney's one scene wonder in my life right now!!!
Everyone says it's a flashback scene, but even still, Laura Linney as Amy Adam's mother is ridiculous. I hope she got great material to compensate.
On the ageism point, I still think it's great that Adams is 42, while her Gyllenhaal and Hammer are 35 and 30, respectively. How rarely are the husbands younger without characterizing the wife as a 'cougar'. Also, very happy to see her top billed; in most movies Gyllenhaal would be, no matter the size of his pet.
@Curtis
Exactly! Amen! Even if you don't care for Amy's acting you should at least respect her career. How often is it for an actress to find her groove as a leading lady and be paired with men several years younger than her in her 40's?! Remember she's also paired opposite Henry Cavill in the DCEU movies and he's nine years younger than her.
I don't know if Amy can win an Oscar for this kind of neo noir thriller, but I would be happy if she won instead of becoming the new Glenn Close (close but no cigar). Anyone but Portman, who has already won.
If it's anything like Jane Fonda's shoulda won the Oscar cameo in Youth I am there.
How long's Linney's screen time.
Adams isn't half the actress Close is.
Mark, I'm still pissed at Jane not being nommed last year. What a fiery, unforgettable, not to mention, meta star turn. That entire cast was fantastic. And Caine should have won the Oscar. Sigh.
Caine should have won the Oscar
Unfortunately for him his two Oscars are in supporting. No precedent for two-time supporting winners to receive 3rd Oscars in the lead category.
Brennan 3/4: Supporting
Hepburn 4/12: Lead
Bergman 3/7: 2 Lead, 1 Supporting
Nicholson 3/12: 2 Lead, 1 Supporting
Streep 3/19: 2 Lead, 1 Supporting
Day-Lewis 3/5: Lead
I feel Adams is the actress Close is in spades... she has accepted far too many poorly written roles..
Amy Adams has no signature role. Glenn Close based on looks alone never got what she deserved. Her talent overrode the politics of the era. Hence getting Fatal Attraction when no one was seeking to cast her. Afterwards booking Dangerous Liaisons because no one else then made sense as an alternative.
Damn you Academy for recognizing Jackie Chan before Glenn Close. You people are sick.
Christoph Waltz won two Oscars in three years for playing the same role. The great Albert Finney has never won an Academy Award. You can never predict anything.
Enchanted is beloved by many,her turn in Junebug is considered a great calling card,The Figher is her best role,American Hustle was putting those good girl roles to bed,The Master & Doubt are considered her weakest work but she is good in both roles if not stand out,Big Eyes is working against her committed turn.
Yes to Caine winning last years Actor prize,my what a terrible line up that was and Fonda simply slaid them all.
As a big fan of A Single Man, I am looking forward to Nocturnal Animals.
Of course, the previous movie had so much going on for it (Christopher Isherwood is a favorite of mine, Colin Firth was genius in it, Tom Ford's aesthetics were a matcj made i heaven with the source material), that in a way I was worried NA could only disappoint! The reviews have given me hope and now I am holding quiet anticipation for the movie!
Awards wise, I think it'll be a tough year for Amy Adams fans here at TFE. The more succesful she gets the angrier her detractors become, so I can see them coming with their knives out.
I have a feeling that the distributor will fraud her down to supporting so she doesn't have to compete with herself (Arrival) and Ruth Negga (the distributor's other push) in lead.
Normally I'd say that would cancel Linney's chances, but the woman has pulled off one the most epic wig snatches of recent Oscar history with that lead nom for Savages. Plus, supporting actress is the one category where double noms from same movie still occur somewhat frequently (twice with Amy Adams, btw), so who knows? Maybe they'll both make it in.
If Adams manages a double whammy, she'll win supporting, for sure. Seven noms and two near misses (Big Eyes and Enchanted), in about a decade, the campaign will drum up the "it's her time" narrative and she is always game to campaign, a consumate pro by all accounts.
Even if she only manages a supporting nod, she'll only have to beat up Michelle Williams, as this category is a bit of a wasteland this year. And considering Williams only has a very limited role in Manchester by the Sea and has a bit of an awkward personality, Adams should have this in the bag.
Academy Award winner Amy Adams, 7 nods/1 win, 2016. I can hear the wails of desperstion already.
This is Adam's year. She's gonna beat Viola and Annette for the Oscar. Mark my words.
Amy is great in Doubt. That is not an easy role because you have to believe her character is totally innocent. I would be a little sad if they gave her a consolation supporting Oscar next year, since she has shown that she is talented and a great lead. These notions of Viola, Emma or Natalie just coming in to automatically be nominated or win are offensive. I said good day!
Re: Adams Oscar chances
This isn't going to make a dent with AMPAS but it's a solid second credit. Given the amount of buzz Arrival got this past week or so I fully expect that to be her main credit this year.
Close is an excellent actress, but so are many other women... for someone who basis everything on Oscar chances and then calls the Academy sick... I think to myself "Who's sick"???
amy also-ran adams will get her heart broken by portman. aww
Total YES for this.
Amy has a real chance to win if she plays her card right this year.
And guys, while I love Jane Fonda in Youth, she would not be deserving if she were indeed nommed at the Oscar.