Open Thread. Best Amy Adams Performances?
Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 9:16PM by Nathaniel R
With Sharp Objects debuting tonight on HBO (Yes, we'll cover it here), let's talk Amy Adams. Why should film twitter have all the listing fun? Talk Film Society asked people to list their 3 favorite performances were and I was stunned how quickly I came to my definitive answer.
- Junebug (2005)
- The Fighter (2010)
- Enchanted (2007)
You've got her full range displayed; endearing dramedic instincts, stealth pathos with deep soul beneath the exteriors of women who seem ordinary at first glance, her star charisma and comic invention are all over her best work.
And to make the question a bit more interesting. Is there a performance of hers other people love that you just don't? My vote there is for The Master (). I think she's terribly miscast and I couldn't ever figure out the draw of what she was doing or how people figured it was earned within the film -- especially for an actual Oscar nomination. Those are hard to come by ["for other people" - self-editing note] But to each their own in opinion-land, right?
Reader Comments (75)
I wasnt crazy about her in the Master either. I didnt necessarily think she was miscast, moreso that her performance was just...fine. Sometimes she does this “I’m being intense now motherfucker” thing, sometimes it works (ie: American Hustle), but here it was definitely overkill. The Master was at its best when balancing the seriousness and the silliness of the central plot and Amy gave too much of the former. That said, I love her: Arrival, The Fighter, Enchanted (s/o to Nocturnal Animals, I loved all the acting in that quite a bit for some reason)
1. Junebug
2. The Fighter
3. Enchanted
4. Arrival
5. American Hustle
"Is there a performance of hers other people love that you just don't?"
American Hustle. The weirdest thing for me is that she was generally considered the runner-up to Blanchett in Blue Jasmine that year. And to think Thompson in Saving Mr. Banks wasn't even nominated...
Junebug
The fighter
Arrival
The master
Enchanted
American Hustle
Doubt
The Fighter
My favorite Amy Adams performance would have to be 'American Hustle.' It was the first time I thought she was truly memorable in a role.
I don't understand all the hoopla over her work in 'The Fighter.' All I saw was an actress trying, semi-successfully, to go against type.
My main issue with Adams is that I find her bland; her performances tend to lack personalizing stamps, so I have no trouble imagining other actresses playing her roles. She's a competent performer and seems nice enough off-screen, but I think she's ordinary.
1. Arrival (where is her oscar nomination AMPAS???)
2. The Master / American Hustle
3. Her
4. Man of Steel (I love her as Louis Lane)
5. Enchanted
Junebug
The Fighter
American Hustle
And I find it incredible that she's been nominated for her three best performances. That's rare.
The Master
American Hustle
Big Eyes
Arrival
Junebug
American Hustle
Love her in several others, too--I think she's a great actress. Of the performances she's been widely praised for, I'm least fond of The Master. She's fine in it, nothing more.
She deserved the wins for American Hustle, The Fighter and Junebug. She's better in Her than every nominee that year but Lupita Nyong'o, and she's fucking hilarious in Talladega Nights and Drop Dead Gorgeous. I love her in Enchanted until she realizes she's in love with Patrick Dempsey, and her character flattens.
I love her but still find her overrated? To me that she has 5 nominations already feels excessive especially when it also feels that (whether one likes her performances or not) 4 of them are mere coattails.
I adore her in Junebug. Powerhouse of a performance. She's also tremendous in The Master and oh so lovely in Enchanted. Meanwhile, I find her to be flat out atrocious in American Hustle. Then again, I think most things about that movie are bad.
Arrival
Enchanted
The Fighter or The Master
American Hustle
The Fighter
Junebug
...and Sharp Objects looks like it's going to be great
I just adore her in Junebug. One of my favourite supporting actress performances of all time. I was not prepared for the gut-punch towards the end.
I too, love her work in Enchanted, and think Arrival would be the other top.3 performance from her. However, I'm actually a big fan, unlike most, of her work in The Master. Though I do think Reese Witherspoon, the original choice, would have devoured the role.
1. Her (I think about that performance all the time)
2. Junebug
3. American Hustle
4. Miss Pettifgrew Lives for a Day
1. American Hustle (Genuinely believe that, if Blanchett wasn't in the conversation, she would've won in a cakewalk!)
2. Arrival (It's insane that the academy gave this 8 nominations, [including Picture AND Director!] and didn't give her a nomination)
3. Enchanted (Wouldn't of nominated her but this was an excellent and endearing performance)
1- ARRIVAL - She deserved to win an Oscar here and yet she's never given any big Oscar-esque moments, Adams tells Louise's story in her softest moments and through her body language. It's an astoundingly delicate performance.
2- JUNEBUG - Adams steals the film as the eternally optimistic and determined Ashley. Her performance is outstanding, multi-layered, thought-provoking and genuine. Love that she was nominated here but that was such a terrific year for Supporting Actress ( Michelle Williams & Rachel Weisz were just stunning as well.)
3- AMERICAN HUSTLE- Adams shines playing against-type. She is the most volatile and hardest character to read for most of the film. She embodies the cocoon that her character has created with elegance, sassy and fiery deceit.
"Is there a performance of hers other people love that you just don't?"
Well, I do love her but I really don't get all the attenton towards DOUBT, is a one single note drama, Hoffman ( without a single vibe of sexuality) was miscast and Adams holds her own opposite Streep but it's a thankless role, too passive to generate emapthy. Best thing out of Doubt: Viola Davis Oscar nomination.
Her star charisma and comic invention are all over her best work..
I will just admit that I'm a huge fan of her work, so getting down to the top 3 is hard.
Arrival
Enchanted
American Hustle / Junebug (tie)
I also want to give a shout out to her supporting performance in The Muppets - she is awesome in that. I'm not willing to re-watch The Master, which I found tedious. She seemed fine it was the script that I thought was lacking.
A very down to earth person, with surprising versatility makes her a favourite of mine.
Oh, man. I love it when she sings in the nightclub in Miss Pettigrew. Such a great, tricky bit of acting. Top four performances (in no particular order): Arrival, The Fighter, Junebug, Enchanted.
So far....
1. The Master
2. Arrival
3. Junebug
4. Nocturnal Animals
5. Enchanted
6. Catch Me If You Can
7. The Fighter
8. Sunshine Cleaning
9. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
10. Charlie Wilson's War
11. The Muppets
12. Her
12. Talladega Nights
13. Drop Dead Gorgeous
14. Julie & Julia
15. American Hustle
16. Night at the Museum 2
17. Man of Steel/Batman v. Superman
18. Cruel Intentions 2
Arrival
The Fighter
Enchanted
Fun article, Nathaniel! Agreed on Junebug and The Fighter...she's fantastic in both, and I think her most mature performance was in Arrival. She has so many great moments in American Hustle, but she didn't seem like an actress fully in control of the performance...she looked like she wasn't absolutely sure what she was doing all the time, but everything she's doing is electric. I think her nominations for both The Master and Doubt were generous to say the least...she seemed to not fully explore the material? I like her so much, but for some reason I still don't consider her one of our great actresses? I want to, but I feel she's more a really special screen presence that some directors tap beautifully, rather than a brilliant person in charge of scaling a work.
@thevoid99 - you came to play! Thanks for that very complete ranking.
My ranking would be:
1. Arrival - I may need to see the movie again and know where it's going to truly evaluate this, but she dang broke my heart.
2. Enchanted - this kind of star turn is so underrated. She's already arrived, ready for us to put her into anything - a fantastical character and she sells & grounds it at every turn.
3. Junebug - she lets us know to love her every moment and is fantastic in this part that did (and should have) got her major attention.
4. The Fighter - under-appreciated. She does so well her, I love her and think she's better than her Oscar-winning costar M. Leo.
As for overrated, I agree that "Doubt" was not an Oscar-nomination worthy role - although, people really don't talk about it as one of her best, and I doubt any one would defend it as nomination worthy.
I just realize that i haven't seen her as much as i would, and its a shame because i really really love her work. My favorites
1. American Hustle. The only performance of the ensemble that (still) stuck in my mind
2. In Enchanted plays a perfect Disney princess of real life
3. Her tiny role in Drop Dead Gorgeous is a comic little treasure
@EricB, The word 'electric' to describe her performance in American Hustle is perfect. And what you mention about not being in total control of the performance is what i actually love about it, at least a changing personality is how i imagine someone who lives scamming others and not as if was a profesional actor who gets so deep in character.
I liked her a lot and found her competent and intermittently powerful, until she finally melt my heart with her phenomenal turn in Arrival. She was great also in Junebug, Enchanted and The Fighter. I thought she was the best thing in Doubt, luminous quiet and affecting, why everyone else was overacting. And although I hated the movie and she was miscast (too dramatic, while the dominant tone was comedic) she was highly watchable in American Hustle.
Can't wait to see her in Sharp Objects.
Her. A smallish role, but so natural and easygoing with a touch of sadness. It was almost like she was going against type just by playing a generally normal person instead an archetype like in Hustle or Doubt.
I hope Sharp Objects will give her an Emmy!
She deserves the Oscar for Arrival!!! Emma Stone and her barely singing robbed everyone that year.
Enchanted and The Fighter are superb as well.
I haven't even mentioned her in "American Hustle" and "Her", which shows how versatile she truly is.
Truly one of the greats.
Her Debut Oscar Nominated Performance in Junebug.
There's no performance I actively dislike but I too wasn't sure what she was doing in The Master.
The b/f just said to me "She might have all those nominations but she's not a star"
I'd say Junebug for sure. The way she said "You were not" and that incredulous look on her face when the woman she idolized -- Embeth Davidtz's Madeleine just said she was born in Japan. Too funny and too real.
Love her in Enchanted and the often-derided Nocturnal Animals. I thought she was better in the latter film than in the much-heralded Arrival (which I also like very much). She was reliable in other films such as On the Road, Talladega Nights, Sunshine Cleaning.
Did not like her in Julie & Julia, Doubt, American Hustle.
She has yet to top Junebug and it's a travesty that she did not win the Academy Award.
I think Junebug is my favorite of her performances. You just can't take your eyes off of her when she's onscreen in that one.
Of the not as talked about, it's between The Master and American Hustle. I'm leaning American Hustle just because I think she had more to do in that film, but the acting in The Master is just phenomenal across the board.
It has to be her great performance in Arrival. That was the first time I ever thought she was anything other than 'solidly good'. It may be an unpopular opinion but I would go so far as to say she was actively bad in American Hustle.
I completely agree about The Master too - an underwhelming part of a terrific film. Having said that, after Arrival I am now a convert.
If it were up to me, she'd be a double Oscar winner for June Bug and The Fighter. Nothing she's done that I've seen has topped those two performances.
Junebug
Arrival
Enchanted
My love affair with her started strong - Junebug, Enchanted, Miss Pettigrew, The Fighter. Some suspect-ness crept in - Julie and Julia (she's truly terrible in that movie). And then things started to go downhill fast - American Hustle, The Master, and Nocturnal Animals. And I think she is the single worst thing about Man of Steel, and that's saying something because that movie was a total disaster.
I don't get the love for her in The Master, American Hustle or Arrival.
I would personally have nominated her for five Oscars to date, winning one:
Supporting Actress - Junebug (winning)
Supporting Actress - Doubt (losing to Rosemarie De Witt, Rachel Getting Married)
Supporting Actress - The Fighter (losing to Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer)
Supporting Actress - The Master (losing to Gina Gershon, Killer Joe)
Actress - Arrival (losing to Natalie Portman, Jackie)
1. Arrival (without a doubt)
2. American Hustle
3. Junebug
4. The Fighter
5. Enchanted
Nathaniel I think your list is pretty perfect. I would just swap out Junebug with Arrival. The performance I just do not get even though I really tried was American Hustle. She just seemed so lost and when she dropped that british accent I rolled my eyes hard.
I think you point out the three I would, although depending on the day I might swap out The Fighter with Arrival. I go back and forth on her work in The Fighter; sometimes I just see her trying to dirty up her image, sometimes I just see the character shining through. Her work in Arrival, though, is just spot on. Wish she could have clinched an Oscar nomination, but it was a packed year.
I do NOT get any praise for her performance in Nocturnal Animals AT ALL. It's not a part that asks a lot of her, but she somehow only flattens it in her performance.
I love her in American Hustle, a human version of Sharon Stone's part in Casino.
Have to do five...
1. American Hustle
2. Her
3. Arrival
4. Enchanted
5. Junebug
I do really like Amy Adams; I hope she can get that Oscar someday. My top three, also showing her range, are:
1. Junebug
2. Arrival
3. Enchanted
I also seriously love her in Drop Dead Gorgeous, but that movie is a gift overall.
1. The Fighter
2. American Hustle
3. Arrival
I would definitely have given her the Oscar for The Fighter. I know it's blasphemy, but as time passes, I'm less and less enamored with Blanchett in Blue Jasmine, and I might have given her the Oscar for American Hustle as well. That film really holds up for me. Portman should have won the Oscar in 2016 for Jackie, though.
I think PTA is a genius, but The Master is his least successful film for me. None of the performances really work for me in that film.
Junebug
Enchanted
Sunshine Cleaning
I still can’t believe she didn’t win the Oscar for Junebug! I bawled my eyes out watching that hospital scene. It’s still my very favourite performance of hers