Musings from SAG screenings (Pt 2): Judy, Bombshell, Little Women, and Dolemite
Friday, November 8, 2019 at 5:44PM
renee's first SAG winsIf you missed part one, we've invited a longtime SAG member to share this thoughts from SAG Nominating Committee screenings of the would be contenders...
JUDY: This one definitely got the most lackluster response. When the movie was over, there was only a smattering of applause—though I had the feeling that had something to do with the way it ends. It kind of ends with a whimper. But people got on their feet for Renee Zellweger—who appeared along with Finn Wittrock. They gushed about her performance—the acting, the singing, all of it. And she had some interesting things to say about the research she did—particularly in regard to addiction. It’s an engaging performance, I think—but is it really as much of a “transformation” as people say? I feel like you see a lot of Renee Zellweger in there—like, it’s as much Judy Garland playing Renee Zellweger as it is Renee Zellweger playing Judy Garland. Does that make any sense? And for what it’s worth, I hated the Oz stuff. Was Louis B. Mayer a sexual predator? You can’t just drop that suggestion into all the other horrible stuff and move on. It all felt very undefined.
BOMBSHELL: With no disrespect to Ms. Zellweger, the “transformation of the year” has got to be Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly...
She just disappears into the role. (And she doesn’t sing a note.) What’s amazing is you wouldn’t think it’s the kind of role you could disappear into—there just don’t seem to be enough crayons in that box. But Theron does it. And the writer, Charles Randolph, creates an interesting role for Margot Robbie. She has a killer scene with John Lithgow—which is the beating—and I mean tense, awful—beating heart of the movie, and the one that will probably get her a Supporting Actress nomination (forget about Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, as angelic as she was in that). Having said all that, I’m not sure the audience was really crazy about the movie (even the introduction of panelists Theron, Kidman and Lithgow didn’t merit standing O’s). I wonder if it’s because it doesn’t have enough of an arc—there’s no real investigation, build-up and denouement in this. It’s just a lot of people talking, and then a quiet scene of Roger Ailes getting the boot. I admit that I had a little of that feeling—a disappointment in being denied a kind of crowd-pleasing, social justice movie—but I appreciated it for what it was. As for the panel…my gosh, I could listen to John Lithgow talk all day.
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME: Certainly the most electric screening I’ve attended. The line was around the block, the crowd was psyched, and when the movie played, every joke landed. And when Eddie Murphy came out for the Q&A – my goodness. I’m used to seeing famous people—I’ve certainly worked with my share—but there’s something about Eddie Murphy. Maybe it’s because he still looks like Eddie Murphy—the superstar from the 1980s (seriously, what is this guy’s secret?)—but it was quite something to see him sitting there. The panel was moderated by Spike Lee—and also included Titus Burgess and Keegan-Michael Key—and it was mostly a Murphy lovefest. Titus and Keegan went on about how they couldn’t believe they got to work with Eddie, Spike went on about how Eddie should be nominated for an Oscar. “Why don’t they nominate comedies?” Spike wondered. Eddie quietly theorized that they only nominate comedic performances when dramatic actors do them (like Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie…a movie whose name Eddie couldn’t remember…”you know, the one where we wore a dress”). It’s an interesting theory. And Eddie might have a shot this year; there are shades to this performance that I don’t think we’ve seen from him before. He communicates a lot—disappointment, self-doubt—by not opening his mouth, which feels revelatory in an Eddie Murphy character. That said, it’s still Eddie Murphy at the end of the day; he doesn’t try to disappear into Rudy Ray Moore the way Theron does with Megyn Kelly or (to borrow a similar Alexander/Karasewski character) Johnny Depp does with Ed Wood—but that’s okay. You go to an Eddie Murphy movie to see Eddie Murphy, so maybe that’s the trade-off with acting awards. But we’ll see what happens. I had a blast. (I also loved Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who has a way of being vulnerable even while projecting strength. It’s a wonderful performance.)
LITTLE WOMEN: I loved it. Greta Gerwig dug deep and wrote a really smart adaptation, and then cast it perfectly. Saoirse Ronan carries the movie beautifully, and Florence Pugh…oh my goodness, Florence Pugh. You know how there are sometimes people who are so magnetic onscreen that the Academy gives them an award as soon as it can? Like Angelina Jolie in Girl, Interrupted. That wasn’t a great movie, but she had such a unique vibe, you just had to give her an award, STAT. I feel like that might happen with Pugh. She turns Amy into a fascinating character (maybe the first person to do that) and you can’t take her eyes off her—even when she’s sharing the screen with people like Ronan, Timothee Chalamet or Meryl Streep. The panel was Chalamet, Eliza Scanlen, Tracy Letts and Jayne Houdyshell—with Ronan, Pugh and Gerwig on Skype. Nothing much to report from there—except Chalamet thought that the play The Humans (of which Houdyshell just shot the film adaptation) was “fucking awesome.”
Possibly more to come...
Reader Comments (37)
I absolutley love this,I know it's just a screening but to have a first hand account is like Oscar nectar.
I really hope Eddie Murphy gets in it's such a joyous performance and he sells every last bit of it.
Can Theron beat Zellweger as that's what I think it will come down to.
Thanks Guest.
The writer didn't mention how the audience responded to Little Women. There's been some minor criticism (e.g. editing, pacing) that I'm wondering if people will be turned off by how unconventional it is as opposed to it's marketing.
Glad to read Dolemite is playing well with viewers. I would love to see Eddie get an Oscar nod. He seems to have strong chance of winning the Globe (over Egerton and DiCaprio).
Lula Livre caralhooow
Why is there no praise or Oscar buzz for Nicole for Bombshell? It seems like it’s about Margot and Charlize.
After reading the writer’s comments about Bombshell, I am losing interest to see it. Whyis there no Oscar buzz for Nicole? It seems like it’s all about Margot and Charlize.
Looking forward to Little Women, even if I know the story like the back of my hand.
Saw Judy a few days ago and I think Renee is hard to beat.
Dolemite was hilarious. I won’t mind if it lands some nominations.
If Margot is truly a lock for supporting actress for Bombshell, I would like to see Robbie pushed for Best Actress for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. That shift would allow Julia Butters to have a stronger shot at a nomination for her outstanding work.
Robbie as Best LEAD Actress in OUATIH? That would break the brains of all of us here at TFE...
Regarding Nicole, Scott Feinberg has her in his top 5. But he seems to be the only one.
Travis, no one's brains are going to break.
Patricia Neal won Best Actress for Hud in 1962 with 22 minutes of screen time.
Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for The Silence of the Lambs in 1992 with 16 minutes of screen time.
David Niven won Best Actor for Separate Tables in 1958 with 15 minutes of screen time.
No one is going to argue that the presence of Margot Robbie's character Sharon Tate is felt throughout the entirety of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. That presence throughout the film is what elevated Neal, Hopkins and Niven.
If Bombshell truly is a sure thing for a supporting actress nomination, Robbie could compete for lead. It's not like there are five great female leads vying for those slots.
You go to an Eddie Murphy movie to see Eddie Murphy, so maybe that’s the trade-off with acting awards. But we’ll see what happens. I had a blast. (I also loved Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who has a way of being vulnerable even while projecting strength. It’s a wonderful performance.)
Anyone else remember TV's Selfie?
Da'Vine Joy Randolph played the office receptionist, and her son (Keith L. Williams of Good Boys) had this weird quirk where his crying sounded like Eddie Murphy laughing.
And now they're in a movie together. Just thought it was an interesting coincidence.
Female leads vying for Best Actress slots this year are Zellweger, Theron, Ronan, Johannson, Erivo, Awkwafina, Lupita, Woodard. I haven't seen three of those performances yet, but the five I have seen are all worthier than Robbie in the lead category.
Moreover, if Robbie were to happen for OUATIH (extremely unlikely), she would take the place of one of the women of color, as the first four seem pretty solid at this point. The backlash would be deafening and could even damage OUATIH in final voting.
Glad to see this fascinating column again! But I, too, would like to know how the audience responded to Little Women.
Why are all these bitter gays doing everything to destroy Zellweger's chances? It's "The Wife" all over again.
So, all this talk about equality...
But every time someone writes "take the place of one of the women of color" isn't that just continuing to exacerbate the problem by pitting color against color?
If nominations were color-coded, what would be the purpose of even attempting to nominate the "best" anything?
Just curious.
Peter A., I take it you’ve been in a coma for a couple years. The bitter gays tried to derail Colman’s chances to give an overdue award to a lesser nominee in Close. It was extremely evident here and elsewhere on the net. We still get people here in the comments fighting for Oscars to drop the individual achievement of the year part of the award for christ’s Sake!!!
F*ck Theron and f*ck you guest contributor.
I feel like Dolemite Is My Name is a movie a lot of pundits might be underestimating. I’m not saying it’ll get a Best Picture nomination, but Eddie Murphy might be a stronger Best Actor contender than people think, and it could get in for Costume Design and maybe even has an outside chance for an Original Screenplay nomination. I can easily see Murphy winning the Golden Globe in the Comedy/Musical category, and a SAG nod for Best Ensemble Cast is possible, which could boost its award profile.
Manny, I think that is a very interesting discussion for sue and I would love to read a column here on that topic.
This has been an interesting read by the guest contributor. I am curious about Little Women, still not sure how this movie will register with Academy voters and general audience. I admit I thought the movie was not gonna have as good a reception as it has apparently had it in recent screenings. So we’ll see. Perhaps it’s such a crowd pleaser that voters will have no choice but to embrace it.
My Actress vote goes to Theron if there ever is going to be some justice for that Young Adult snub. Please, Academy. Charlize would be a worthy two time Oscar winner. She has had the career and the roles to earn it.
I put 20 on Theron winning when she was 33-1. Bring her second Oscar on!
Is it just me or is this year kind of lacklustre at the moment? I am hoping it all picks up.
Brad Pitt is almost 60 and still has abs, let's give him an Oscar!
Renee has a lousy career post her Cold Mtn. Win. Charlize has been brilliant post Monster. Give Charlize the Oscar since it is well deserved.
Fr this article it seems tt Charlize has replaced Scarjo as Renee's competitor.
I tink at this juncture, Renee still has the advantage over Charlize. She almost won for Chicago n she never wins at best actress before. Playing a big icon n receiving numerous rapturous standing O wld certainly matters a lotsa to the voters. I tink she'll Frances McDormand her way to an eventual victory!
From most o the reviews, Charlize did disappears into Megyn Kelly, but she was not singled out on any particular big scene unlike Robbie. I believe a long o/due nom will her prize.
So Pugh is rising in stock n she might just replaced Bening or Zhao Shuzhen in the final 5
I'm kinda worried for The Farewell, it seems like ages ago since it was released n receiving all these accolades, but as a subtle dramedy, voters might not rem it come nom time.
That old Colman vs Close debate continues to erupt in the comments section whatever the topic. The breadth, depth and precision of eccentricity Colman summoned up in "The Favourite" was pretty breathtaking. Close was certainly meticulous but I think Colman trumped her. So I was delighted with the win. It wasn't till after the Oscars that I caught up with Regina King in "Support the Girls". Talk about a fully lived in, awesomely detailed yet completely natural piece of work. I can see why the New York Critics gave her their Actress prize. She'd have been my #1 choice if I'd seen it in time. And then - a few months later - I caught up with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, mesmerizingly good as an unraveling stand-up comic in "All About Nina". Wow! This is an actress who can do it all. She's been award worthy before. But I'd say "Nina" represents her pinnacle so far. Now I have a tough time deciding whether King or Winstead should have taken the 2018 trophy. One thing for sure - that year had a bumper crop of impressive Best Actress contenders and not all were actually nominated.
As for 2019, among the buzzed about names, I've seen Zellweger and she's marvelous. Awkwafina's perfectly fine in "The Farewell" but I don't think I'd go further than that. So far this year I've admired work from Penelope Cruz ("Everybody Knows'), Florence Pugh ("Midsommar" - though the movie itself was underwhelming) and Alia Bhatt in "Kalank" (but I've learned to face the fact that Bollywood movies almost never crack Oscar's eligibility list ). Looking forward to seeing Cynthia Erivo in "Harriet" next week.
Ken, A fart is more interesting than your contribution to the Close vs Colman debate.
Regina King does not appear in Support the Girls. Check IMDB before discussing black actresses if you can't tell them apart.
Jones and mark are drinking that /3rtful coolaid, what with the overdue, let’s disregard the actual performances under consideration this year of eligibility and only consider those with the correct careers or ‘snubs’. And then if we need a fourth face of eve, KeKe picks up the jug and drinks down the artful essence.
My apologies to the extraordinary Regina Hall. Very careless of me to employ the wrong surname. My bad.
Yes, Virginia, there are some people who do believe that - really - Glenn Close gave a better performance than Olivia Colman regardless of past film roles. Strange but true.
Erik - haha. it's true. I was one of those people.
KeKe -- play nice. There's no reason to assume the worst of people if they mix up a last name for an actress they've just discovered and are excited about.
Edwin- i've been wondering about Murphy but i think Best Actor is just too stacked and it's not like Netflix can have *all* the nominations this year.
Erik, the problem is Close gave a better LEAD performance than the supporting Colman.
“Bitter Gays” ? Love that. “The Wife” was awful... close your eyes and think about Glenn & her husband jumping on the bed. And, you say I’m not a writer. Does not hold a candle to “snap out of it” or “give my daughter the shot” or even “buck never would ha e been in the hospital.” #bittergays
Urgh, I didn’t know I was for once in agreement with /3rtful on something. Me cheering on Charlize I admit is due to the fact I do think she’s a more versatile actor than Zellweger. I like Reneé very much and Ím happy she’s back in the acting scene but two Oscars for her would feel too generous. Theron’s career is more inspired and I don’t think it’s wrong to celebrate that when the right opportunity comes along. Ask Swinton.
But /that/ is my opinion. Of course.
After contemplation I know my opinion and reasoning is trash, but I just prefer the individual achievement of the year in film be taken out of the Oscars.
I’m only here for Florence Pugh. A year ago I said “not ANOTHER remake!” But now December 25 can’t come soon enough. Guest Contributor-thanks for articulating what I think every time she’s in anything.
I'm excited to see what Charlize does; She can do no wrong and is one of the finest screen actors of all time. Period.
That said, I love her recent, original creations: Tully, Young Adult, Furiosa. I'm sorry it took a biopic to get people's attention again.
JF -- agreed on Charlize. It's annoying that it took a real person again, yes, but she is totally fabulous as Megyn Kelly (i just saw it last night)
Jones, I'm not gonna fall for that. But hey, I'm glad JF and Nathaniel agree with me. ;)
I am going to argue that Robbie's presence is felt throughout the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood...comparing it to Anthony Hopkins? Everyone's brain is going to break cuz it's simple: Supporting. Hell, Hopkins is supporting, really, but his is a much different presence.
Crazy suggestion, sorry.
Agreed on the sexual predator stuff. I didn't hate the Oz stuff, but it just stopped.
Louis B. Mayer did, in fact, touch Judy Garland inappropriately in real life.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/11/14/ill-ruin-you-judy-garland-on-being-groped-and-harassed-by-powerful-hollywood-men/
"Whenever he complimented her on her voice — she sang from the heart, he said — Mayer would invariably place his hand on her left breast to show just where her heart was. “I often thought I was lucky,” observed Judy, “that I didn’t sing with another part of my anatomy.” That scenario, a compliment followed by a grope, was repeated many times until, grown up at last, Judy put a stop to it.'
I'm glad to hear Murphy got a lot of hype. I really hope he gets nominated. Happy to hear about Florence too even though I wish she were getting as much love in lead actress for Midsommar.