On Glenn Close's Oscar Curse
Monday, February 25, 2019 at 11:32AM by Nathaniel R
At this point in her long and celebrated career, Glenn Close surely has reason to wonder. Consider it a reverse Sally Field: 'You don't like me? You really don't like me?'
There are many familiar time-tested ways to win an Oscar and Glenn Close has tried them all. She's tried the debut performance that makes everyone's jaw drop with 'who is THAT?' wonder (World According to Garp). She's tried being the actor who becomes a kind of symbolic representation of an entire film and cast (The Big Chill). She's tried having the necessary momentum, twice actually, with three consecutive supporting nominations ending in The Natural early in her career, and then two consecutive lead nominations a few years later (ending with Dangerous Liaisons). She's tried having the kind of blockbuster zeitgeist hit that can carry you to win even when you aren't deserving though she certainly was (Fatal Attraction)...
She's tried giving the best nominated performance twice (Fatal Attraction & Dangerous Liaisons). She's tried the "comeback role" and the "personal passion project" (Albert Nobbs, her dream role, after a 23 year absence from Oscar contention while she reinvented her career elsewhere). This season she tried the "career achievement" route (The Wife) that's worked for dozens of actors and actresses whose performances were less impressive than what she delivered in The Wife.
Glenn Close has even tried the playing a real person route, inarguably Oscar's favourite actorly trick. It's worth noting -- and perhaps quite telling -- that when she did try their favourite way of winning, with Sunny von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune (1990), they didn't even nominate her.
An ill-fated tweet from yours truly early on Oscar evening:
Food Delivery Guy:
— Nathaniel Rogers (@nathanielr) February 24, 2019
Me: Actresses wear gold when they think they're going to win -- look at Glenn Close !!! pic.twitter.com/EOmDISdPcN
As you know, your host here at The Film Experience (c'est moi) has been rooting for her to win the gold for over a year, been blurbed in support of her, chatted with her on a red carpet, and tweeted numerous times in her defense as he watched the internet pile on at various points with thinly veiled ageist and sexist remarks, the kind no male actor ever has to deal with (everytime someone made a joke or a glib dismissal like 'no one has seen The Wife' my blood boiled since nobody ever says that about an acclaimed male performance winning accolades and never said that about several acclaimed films this year that made far less at the box office than The Wife). In short this was the most painful Oscar loss I've experienced in years (in that she obviously had a great shot at a win), if not quite the size of the hurt I felt watching Viola Davis (The Help) lose to Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), or the mammoth heart-stabbing that was Brokeback Mountain losing to Crash.
The only way off the depression ledge is to understand and perpetually remind oneself that she lost to an actually great performance, Olivia Colman as Queen Anne, in an actually great movie (The Favourite). This is easier to take than when a great actor loses to inferior work (as Close has a few times) but Close's seven losses, mean that it's not easy, just easier.
To those Glenn Close fans, hoping to gain some solace reading this, I have none but to remind you, as I remind myself, that great careers and great performances are their own rewards.
Glenn Close will never win a competitive Oscar.
Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer remain Oscarless. The 1980s are roughly the most brutal decade in terms of the superstar actresses of a particular era never winning. See also: Kathleen Turner and Debra Winger and Sigourney Weaver,
It's time to let that dream go and console ourselves with Close's multiple Tonys and Emmys. Glenn Close turns 72 next month and great roles are few and far between for actresses in their 70s. If any exist in the next decade they will also be offered to Meryl Streep instead, with the notable exception of the Sunset Blvd musical adaptation, if it's ever made but it's hard to win for musicals and people often have their knives out for that genre, and for films that can easily be unfavorably compared to all-time classics). In the history of the Oscars only five actresses older than Glenn Close is now have ever won gold: Ruth Gordon at 72 in Rosemary's Baby (1968), Josephine Hull at 74 in Harvey (1950), Katharine Hepburn at 74 in On Golden Pond (1981), Peggy Ashcroft at 77 in A Passage to India (1984, beating Glenn Close in The Natural), and Jessica Tandy at 80 in Driving Miss Daisy (1989).
Yes, Glenn Close has been Richard Burton'd and Peter O'Toole'd to history. But therein lies one final comforting note: That's hardly bad company to keep, the mutual talent and legacy being off the charts grand.
another ill-fated tweet:
Something I'd TOTALLY forgotten but is fascinating considering what came to be: Glenn Close presented Deborah Kerr with her Honorary Oscar. Close would eventually tie Kerr for "most female acting noms without a competitive win (6)"... and now we have THE WIFE, a 7th shot at gold! pic.twitter.com/CkpG3WXLxr
— Nathaniel Rogers (@nathanielr) February 24, 2019
Perhaps Oscar can take a cue from an earlier Oscar ceremony to finally give Close her due. Close famously gave Deborah Kerr her Honorary on stage, an actress, she has now surpassed as the woman with the most nominations to have never won. They should quickly repeat that history and hand Close her own Honorary.
Reader Comments (163)
Glenn Close's chagrined expression upon hearing Olivia Coleman's name says it all. I doubt she'd want to go through the dog-and-pony show of awards season again so I think this was her best chance at winning one competitively. And I know Olivia Colman was surprised that she won but you can see Lady Gaga and Melissa McCarthy's shocked expressions as well.
Too bad.
There was definitely an air about her that she expected to win an Oscar which I found kind of off putting. Did that turn voters off? Or was her movie just not as widely seen?
So we all agree that Glenn needs an honorary next year... presented by Amy Adams?
Count me among those who were rooting for Close to win but actually thought Coleman gave the best performance.
She must have the worst luck of any major actress. Every time she was nominated, they passed her over for another priority, whether it was a career honor (Streep, Ashcroft) or because somebody was nominated who probably wouldn't be taking many more awardable acting roles (Cher, Hunt). Even her loss to Lange is indirectly a loss to Streep, since they were giving Lange a consolation prize for her work in Frances. Sucks to be her, except she still gets to be Glenn Close.
I suspect this will be the same fate of Amy and Annette. Isn't this the same Academy that denied statuettes to Irene Dunne, Deborah Kerr and Barbara Stanwick?
Why you think she can’t have any Oscar worthy roles anymore? More like 50s and 60s are fought for actresses and then they can get roles in 70s and 80s playing though old ladies and he nominated in supporting. Judi Dench and Maggie Smith won’t work much longer and Streep will take the lead and blockbuster roles and the rest are for Close and others to try. Not that it will mean she succees but I would be surprised if she won’t be nominated in supporting at alone point. Unless she stops trying.
Sentiment was guiding me to hope for Glenn, but I also admit it's unsatisfying when the performance isn't in the stratosphere of an artist's best work. I felt the same way when Julianne Moore won or when Streep finally won the third Oscar. Colman's performance is really superb and is the kind of Oscar night surprise I wished for a lot of excellent also-rans like Staunton, Rampling, and Huppert.
I would also add: The Wife was somewhat divisive apart from ageism and sexism. It had big, glaring problems that some people looked past and others didn't. The beauty of diverse opinion is that many (the majority of) people didn't even see those "glaring problems" as problems at all! The majority of Academy voters also loved Bohemian Rhapsody, so take the “stating opinion as fact” thing with a grain of salt.
The Wife was also under-seen compared to Glenn's main rivals.
Stating those things as contributors to the outcome here isn't intellectually dishonest or unfair to Glenn. If anything The Wife wasn't the slam dunk product everyone promised it would be, for many who saw it and formed a good-faith opinion about it. Not only did it underwhelm a significant minority of actressexuals, it also failed to do the job it was designed to do last night.
You can’t lose an Oscar for an A+ performance in a C- movie and then dismiss those critiques of the movie as “sexist, ageist” in retrospect. (Well, I guess you *can*, but I don’t think much of that approach.) Notice how unfavorably it's been compared to 45 Years on the site by people who dislike it—not a crowd who reject/dismiss elegant female-centric films about later life!
Why are people upset that the better performance in the better movie won? And why attack Colman for having a career that started small?
I understand that Close has been a formidable talent, but I think her nomination over better performances like Toni Collette’s is more than enough recognition. It feels rather hypocritical for the same people who moaned about Timothee Chalamet losing to Gary Oldman to complain about Close’s situation.
I was Team Coleman from the jump, but of course it's depressing to think Glenn Close without an Academy Award. It's probably extra frustrating because Colman IS charming AND likable and campaigned in such a low-key way AND was just aces in her movie.
I do hope Glenn gets another chance or two or three. If not, let's give her an Honorary in 3-5 years.
@ADAM There was definitely an air about her that she expected to win an Oscar which I found kind of off putting. Did that turn voters off? Or was her movie just not as widely seen?
I noticed that too,I genuinely believe she thought "here it is my time" with the gold dress and everything this is like Bacall in 1997 all over again,who also looked flummoxed when Juliette won,I could see Glenn smiling at Olivia but what was going on underneath,it did feel humiliating for her rather than sad because Olivia thought and said what Glenn and the whole room obviously thought that this was a coronation for Glenns career and her superb turn in The Wife.
I really don't feel well. I'm speechless. I fell briken, devastated.
Glenn must make one great movie soon to win.
Geraldine Page and Al Pacino won on their 8th nomination.
There' hope.
Justice can be made.
And it wiil be made.
I don’t accept the better-performance-in-a-better-film argument. I would’ve bought it if McCarthy had won, but not Colman. My opinion is not so special, but I mainly just want to say that there are some of out there who genuinely liked “The Wife” and genuinely thought Close’s performance was worthy.
This is another case of xenophobic Brits dominating these awards. Another award for another mediocre royal movie. Another award for another British actor who doesn't deserve it. Remember, to British people Glenn Close isn't a legend but Gary Oldman is. To British people, Helen Mirren deserved an Oscar but not Lauren Bacall or Glenn Close or Viola Davis or Regina King.
They rallied for Helen Mirren in 05 preventing Meryl Streep's third Oscar win so instead we're cursed with The Iron Lady win. They rallied for Eddie Redmayne over Michael Keaton. They rallied for The King's Speech over The Social Network.
It'd be great if people realized that the British don't really care about awarding the best in film, they just want to award themselves, specifically, the white ones. If you really want to shake things up, you'd force the Brits out of the Academy.
@NATHANIEL R, which inferior performances were you referring to?
In my opinion it was Cher’s Moonstruck and Meryl Streep’s The Iron Lady (though Viola should have won that). It seems like you hated Jodie Foster’s work in The Accused. May I ask why?
It’s just that The Favourite was truly a brilliant film with alot more exposure and pizazz as compared to The Wife. Being an optimist, I believe Glenn has one more shot at the Oscars. And it’s going to be a brilliant performance for a brilliant film. If she misses the 8th time, than I think that’s it for her.
It all feels too strange - can we talk about the red carpet and forget everything else about these Oscars?
Ecstatic for Colman, heartbroken for Close - horrified that BR is the most awarded film, let’s talk about the fashion and shut the door on the 91st Oscars for evermore 😂
Of all the non-winners, who do you think had a Maggie Smith/ California Suite moment after the ceremony?? :)
Still sad about this. Like many others have stated, Colman was terrific. But upsets aren't supposed to happen these days (they rarely do) so this one for a seven time nominee feels all the more egregious.
Chinoiserie - I can't see Close taking Dench/Smith roles. When the Dames have stopped working, I suspect their place will be taken by the crop of actresses currently too old but too young to get good parts (I hope Emma Thompson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Helena Bonham Carter, Imelda Staunton and Miranda Richardson have second winds with Dame status). Seems a peculilarly British thing to still be raking in good parts well into old age.
Had The Wife been released last year I think she could've beaten Frances... or again maybe not.
Happy for Coleman but heartbroken for Close.
It amuses me to no end that many of the pundits (not you, Nathaniel) who are expressing absolute shock that "sure thing" Glenn Close didn't win this award are the same people who were calling it for Lady Gaga two months ago. They know who they are...
I'm happy with the outcome, because while politics inevitably do influence the proceedings, it shouldn't be approached as a career achievement award, and people SHOULD ultimately vote for what they consider to be the best performance. For me personally, that was Coleman. That said, I understand that others feel differently, and I know how deeply many people wanted this for Glenn. It may read like cold comfort, but the TRUTH of the matter is this: Glenn Close is one of greatest talents this medium has ever produced. She has earned the respect and admiration of everyone in the film industry, the critical community and the moviegoing public at large. That was true before yesterday, and it's just as true today. Not winning any Oscar takes nothing away from her career accomplishments, just as winning an Oscar would not have provided any further validation or confer any additional status upon her that she didn't already possess. She doesn't need a competitive Oscar any more than Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, Deborah Kerr, Rosalind Russell, or any of a dozen others did to cement their position in the pantheon of legends. So I think we can dispense with the "Poor Glenn" business; in my book, and in most other's books, the Oscars have absolutely no impact on any honest evaluation of her legacy.
But for those of you for whom this doesn't provide any solace, here's this nugget...it took Geraldine Page eight tries :)
Close’s was a great performance and I harken back to the Globes when Gary Oldman while giving her the award took the time to tell her he had seen the movie and he thought was she did was extraordinary.
I think this is a performance that other actors who saw it responded very well too (see the SAG) but because of size of movie and the fact that it is patchy - it did not find the traction that it needed with the rest of the academy who went with a showier performance in a more popular and it has to be said better film.
I don’t know whether she will ever win - I had given up hopes of her ever getting Oscar nomination 6 let alone 7. If she can get the right roles and get Oscar Nom 8, I think she will win but if it in be in a Best Pic nomination and she will need to campaign less (and no gold dresses ever!)
Colman won without much campaigning (she did not even go to SAG Awards!), for playing a supporting role and over a legend with a killer narrative. At first, I was like 'WTF?!'.
But she had a showy role in a better movie, seems more 'cool' and she's British. I think these were deciding factors.
Neither of them was my winner and I'm a bit heartbroken for Close, but boy, Colman's speech was one for the ages.
Folks, this is just movies ... not real life. I feel half of the blog site regulars are taking to their bed.
I like Close a lot... but I always have said to let the best performance win and it did.
Matt, you’re right no more gold dresses ever. I can just imagine how embarrassed she felt in that dress after she lost.
I blame this loss to her 'every wife needs a husband' speech at SAG. I think that's the moment she lost the momentum she had at the Golden Globe.
I was very jazzed to see Olivia Colman win, but definitely felt a pang for Glenn.
I only just watched The Wife last week. It is not a good movie (imo), but Glenn Close is exceptional in it. I was not expecting that honestly, and I went into the movie rooting against it, but she turned me around. It's such a meticulous, complete performance.
I also think it's spot on that a hypothetical man in his 70s who was overdue and the best thing about an otherwise not-great movie would have walked away with this.
I raise a glass to Olivia, and pour one out for Glenn.
This is also very bad news for Annette Bening.
She could win IF they make Sunset AND IF she campaign in Supporting, that´s the rute she hasn´t try.
Really depressing, I know.
Why make Glenn Close lose again? Why???
Gaga was stunned.
The Academy hates Glenn Close. It's utter BULLSHIT that she lost the Oscar to a supporting performance from an unknown Brit. Still fuming not even a day after this garbage ceremony.
Re Dangerous Liaisons loss.
Listening to the Stephen Frears/Christopher Hampton bluray commentary I learnt something fascinating about its making, release and ultimate awards season.
Hampton had sold the film rights to his script some yaers earlier but it hadn’t gone anywhere and not even a film Script had been written. Then Milos Forman announced he was making Valmont. And the race was on. On the 1 January 1988 Hampton started working on the Script (it took 3 weeks); the producers they then found Frears and the cast started shooting in the summer. Close turned up half way through the movie 6 weeks after giving birth (hence the great bosom); Warner brothers bought distribution half way thu shooting and by December it was released. So little did anyone think of its chances that it didn’t even get show to the Golden Globes voters (hence the lack off noms). The critics raved and
the moral of the story? I am not sure. Except great cinema can happen quickly. So there is still hope for Glenn.
Josh R, all three acting. Television and stage also bear witness to her prodigious gifts.
@ R - Please come and attack. It ain't gonna leave any Oscar from Olivia's and all the others British hands.
From Europe with <3
Stop blaming Meryl. She has no Tony’s and Glenn has 3.
Streep is not responsible for Glenn’s career or movie choice or Olivia Coleman having a showier role.
If it is announced today that Streep has accepted Glenn’s Sunset Blvd. movie role then we can talk.
Question for those of you who are suggesting this loss is a sign that she's not well liked by the Academy or Hollywood in general: any ideas as to why this might be the case? I ask because based on the interviews I've seen her give over the past year, she comes across as warm, personable, thoughtful, direct, accomplished--all of which are things *I* like in a person/actor, but then again, I'm not a part of Hollywood...
Glenn has always been ahead of her time. Unapologetic, intimidating, a consumate thespian. That the same actress could be in Garp and Fatal Attraction and 101 Dalmatians. She plays the game her own way.
I just really really hope she declines the Honorary. It would be insulting after last night with her community legit turning her down. Make a TV movie, win another Emmy and tell the audience you turned the Oscars down and don't want no businness with it.
@ER
Someone replied to Nat last night with this and I think it's spot on:
"People like to pay lip service to "strong women," but Close's star persona = strength without a hint of timidity, strength without apology. And they don't like it. It's threatening."
I mean, even last month she was on Colbert, openly talking about being sexual and liberated. She's one of a kind.
Crushed, disillusioned and inconsolable. I don't know why it worked out this way but before even knowing anything about their Oscar records, I had always looked up to Glenn Close, Deborah Kerr and Thelma Ritter as inspirations. This just leaves me stunned silent and I know it's the blinding mad rage right now (spare me the logic of merits, I'm not in the space to be reasonable at this time) but I am done with the Oscars. Awards season ends at Cannes from now on for me. And if the Academy ever gave Glenn a makeup supporting statue or an Honorary, the most I will be able to say is, "that's nice."
@Brown Cow Stunning
Being proud of being xenophobic gutter trash and glorifying your colonial history at the expense of poc doesn't actually make Europeans more deserving of awards or their stories more deserving to tell.
Signed,
The Citizens of the Countries You Colonized and Think You're Better Than
To round out my thoughts a bit: Yes, I thought The Wife was an misfire, even though Glenn was great in it. However, plenty of weak performances in good movies have won Best Actress, as have great performances in not-so-great movies. It's politics. I still wanted to see her win. The question then becomes "Why Glenn?"
Here I do jump to the ageism/sexism conclusion Nat raised. I think the "political" knock against Glenn is just as petty and mean-girly as you'd fear: She's not a movie star anymore, her peak was 30 years ago, she's an East Coast Hollywood ex-pat, she's not as interesting as other choices, etc. Weirdly, "she's not Meryl" comes to mind though that's not Meryl's fault by any stretch. I do think that's how Hollywood sees her now, even if it's wildly sexist and ageist and dismissive of an all-time great.
I give Glenn loads of credit for a fun, classy, authentic campaign that dismissed every single one of those knocks, even though she didn't overcome them in the end. The way she carried herself from start to finish was absolute perfection.
@ R - If you are so smart you could have colognized us before we did.
From the ones with the best cinema with <3.
P.s. For others readers that are not dumb, I'm just joking. Have fun Internet, don't hate
Almost everyone thought Glenn Close was going to win, but why did she really lose? Why did this formidable multiple Oscar nominated actress lose again?
Is it because,as some of you say, her peers dislike her or is it because they believed Olivia Colman delivered a better performance? It must be one or the other. If not, what is it?
Glenn is one of my five favorite actresses of all time and it's sad that she lost. Then again, I feel Olivia was outstanding in "The Favourite". To me, she gave the best performance among the five nominees and I am overjoyed for her victory.
Glenn will have her time or maybe not. However, no matter what happens, she will always be considered as one of the best actors of all time.
Awkward loss for Glenn Close Last night. Funny how just a few months ago everyone was saying Gaga had this thing wrapped up. Quite happy that Olivia Colman won as her performance was a standout. The Favourite had 10 nominations!
And why drag Meryl Streep into the conversation? Sour grapes or what? Streep deserved her win in Iron Lady, a true leading performance, unlike Viola Davis' supporting role in The Help.
Lots of rending of garments and wringing of hands in these parts! Obsessed with the never-wons (Kerr, Stanwyck, etc) in whose company Glenn continues to find herself.
I'll just pop in to add that in the last ten years, 7 out of 10 best actress winners came from movies that were also nominated for best picture. I'd say this is a great trend - giving the big actress prize for movies that are also being considered for best picture (as opposed to the stranded solo nom for a movie in best actress). Considering the fact that The Favourite was tied for most noms with 10, perhaps voters wanted to throw something to The Favourite and saw Coleman as the best way to hono(u)r the film.
@hickory, maybe it’s both
I have never been a big fan of Glenn Close. I do agree that Fatal Attraction was probably her most effective performance but I'm not at all sure it showed more depth or complexity than Toni Collette's performance in Hereditary this year. Unlike so many of you, I did NOT like her performance in Dangerous Liaisons. I have strong reasons for this - which I've already stated at another time - but I feel she was miscast - going with the cold calculating bitch without the hot, passionate under current that makes the role really effective on stage I've seen all her nominated supporting roles and none of them seem outstanding from a performance point of view. Yes, she was luminous and compassionate but not remarkably so for me. The only nominated performance I have not seen was Albert Nobbs. BUT I confess to being truly shocked and saddened when Ms. Close did not win the Oscar last night. I do think Olivia Colman was excellent in The Favourite and certainly worthy of the award BUT - Glenn Close is perfect in The Wife - it's a perfect role for her and her icy poise covering up emotional turmoil was so effectively calibrated in that role. It, too, was worthy of a win and, in this case, I hate that the Academy denied her. It felt hurtful to me, and very disappointing. There's no way an actress of her calibre, after giving so many strong performances and being recognized so many times, does not deserve a competitive win for such excellent work. It is sad that I can't quite celebrate Ms. Colman's win because of this (although Colman gave such a delightful acceptance ramble). But then I hate that Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton never won as well - and I believe both of those men gave more outstanding performances in more films than Glenn Close.
@ Monsieur Crowe: who is "mildly devastated". Who are you, Emily Dickinson's ghost writer? Or that cooler host?
I feel so sorry for Close. I imagine she’ll go home, feel a bit sorry for herself and have a bottle of vodka/gin but will pick herself up and be past caring. She should be proud that she’s one of the most nominated actresses of all time.
If she does get nominated again I can’t see her campaigning or even wanting to attend the ceremony. I know I wouldn’t.
As someone who knows Colman from Peep Show I really can’t begrudge her the win, but do feel bad for Close.