50 Appropriate Ways to Celebrate Cate Blanchett on Her Birthday
Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at 10:18AM by Nathaniel R
Blanchett last week at a Louis Vitton fashion showFuture screen giant and supreme actress Cate Blanchett was born in Ivanhoe Australia a half century ago on this very day. Happy 50th birthday, goddess!
Last year at this time we were enjoying the two time Oscar winner in Cannes every day as she led the most stylish jury ever assembled but this year in May we have no Cate Blanchett to enjoy! It's a weird lull in Blanchett-mania so perhaps she's celebrating her birthday somewhere private today? Or maybe she's in Cannes again? We'll see.
Her next picture, Richard Linklater's Where'd You Go Bernadette arrives in theaters in August but until that time, let's celebrate all the Blanchettian goodness we can. She's given us so much over the years, with her sharp celebrity wit, fashion savvy, and (above all else) her inspired screen performances. So herewith...
50 Appropriate Ways to Celebrate Cate Blanchett This Week
Try them and report back on your success!
01 Kneel before your queen.
02 Channel her by being intimidatingly perfect.
03 Wear something fabulous today but dont let it wear you; you ARE the red carpet.
04 If you're not in the mood for beautiful dress, consider a stylish suit.
05 Describe someone you're crushing on as "flung out of space" and see how they react...
06 If they immediately start gushing about Carol (2015), propose marriage -- duh, they're a keeper.
07 Watch Thor: Ragnarok, Carol, Blue Jasmine, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Babel or The Aviator (they're all currently streaming on Netflix)
08 Do your best Katharine Hepburn impersonation for friends (but don't tell them you're actually doing it as Cate Blanchett doing Katharine Hepburn.)
09 While you're on celeb impersonations, create a seventh "embodiment" of Bob Dylan that was deleted from a Todd Haynes movie and sing a Dylan song in Cate's honor.
10 Wear green because you look divine in it.
11 Open all doors today with as much flair as Cinderella's stepmother.
12 Threaten somehow who looks like Lily James or Chris Hemsworth for fun.
13 Form your own Cannes jury for the week, right now (who will you pick?) and discuss the Art of movies with them every day as celebrities arrive in France en masse.
14 Dare someone to strip Spain bare with the hurricane inside them. Demonstrate for them if they're confused "I, too, can command the wind, sir..."
15 Remember The Good German. Congrats, you're the first person who has in some time!
16 Ignore all men today. Even if they look like Kyle Chandler!
17 ...and flirt outrageously with a girlfriend
18 Then give her whiplash by pretending you're disgusted when she flirts back.
19 Smear your mascara and greet your friends with your scariest Notes on a Scandal breakdown. "Here I ammmmm."
20 In fact, just exude as much sapphic energy as possible all day... with any "costar" you come in contact with.
21 Pretend all your girlfriends are in love with you. [Please note: if you are Cate Blanchett and reading this, there is no need to pretend; They are.]
22 Speaking of... watch Oceans 8 (2018) on HBO. Debbie Ocean and Lou totally did it in college, don'cha know. Or at least Lou suggested they did.
23 Send a Cate Blanchett gif with every text message today. There are literally hundreds of perfect hilarious and inspiring gifs to choose from.
24. Rank all the actors that have been double-nominated in a single Oscar year. Where does Cate Blanchett fall for you?
25 Confess which Cate Blanchett picture you still haven't seen that you really should have by now -- mine is Oscar & Lucinda because it was a) her debut and b) it costars Ralph Fiennes... how have I still not seen it after all these years?
26 Make plans to rectify that oversight.
27 Rifle through all of your personas today with speed and theatrical flair
28 Watch Manifesto, Knight of Cups, Little Fish, or The Gift (They're all streaming currently on Amazon Prime)
29 Remember how awesome she was in The Talented Mr Ripley and wonder why people don't discuss her in that more often.
30 Consider that for all her success she's also appeared in her fair share of "This Had Oscar Buzz" type movies (let it be inspiring that even the perfect people stumble on occasion!)
31 Blame something on your imaginary sister Ginger.
32 Quote Blue Jasmine (2013) all day. There are hundreds of brilliant lines (and line deliveries) to choose from.
33 Have a drink and mutter something crazy to yourself.
34 Repeat with each drink ∞. (Please note: The Film Experience is not responsible for alcohol poisoning. We make our own choices in life.)
35 Look at someone in your life today the way you look at Cate Blanchett on the regular, with awe and fascination.
36 Pretend you've won an Oscar.
37 Promise your small child to Martin Scorsese's descendants in holy matrimony.
38 In fact, watch all of her acceptance speeches on YouTube today. They're good.
39 Quote "The Earth is round, people!" with exasperated righteousness whenever anyone says something obvious today.
40 Pretend you've won a second Oscar.
41 And a third. (please, you know it's coming when she's an old lady)
42 Plan to star in a Lucille Ball biopic that never gets made.
43 Get a tattoo with whichever friend of yours looks the most like Amy Adams.
44 Find a park bench and get (un) comfortable. Stay there a while and consider what's become of your life!
45 Rank your favorite Cate Blanchett performances. Know that your list will invariably change just a few years or even weeks later, depending on how soon another movie is coming out.
46 Remember fondly the first time you saw Elizabeth (1998). So many future stars and of course Blanchett's breakthrough.
47 Stream The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Elizabeth, or Elizabeth: The Golden Age (which are all on Hulu right now)
48 Inspire unlikely heroes "even the smallest person can change the course of the future"
49 Pass every test.
50 Go into the West and diminish. Remain Galadriel.
Reader Comments (26)
Judging actresses is often like comparing figure skaters. You might admire one performer's grace, another's athleticism—it's all very murky and subjective. Lots of intangibles and matters of preference to consider. It's why Nicole Kidman is my favorite actress despite struggling with "simple" tasks like sounding American.
But if acting were track and field—and we scored actresses based on objective measurements of what they can do and how well they can do it—Cate would be the world champion decathlete, by comfortable margin.
Paradise Road (1997)
Starring Glenn Close 0/7
Co-starring Frances McDormand 2/5 and Cate Blanchett 2/7
F the Academy. Happy Birthday Blanchett. Only you and Bates received your Best Actress Oscar from Day-Lewis.
I mean, really, when is that Lucile Ball movie going to get made?
She had me with Elizabeth. I also believe she will be awarded another Oscar.
#37 made me laugh so hard!!
Have a perennial day my pet, you are a treat to a statistically obsessed mind. You and Woody should team up again!
I used to sit on that same bench to eat lunch circa 1998 when I lived in SF and worked around the corner. I kept it warm for Cate.
One of the best, of course, and what she did in Blue Jasmine was beyond amazing. One of the most deserved oscars ever.
It takes time to get a project going and Lucy is hard shoes to fill and rather forgotten nowadays,who is interested in the project,I'd rather she got Co Stars,Director,Scriptwriter just right b4 she steps in front of a camera,she may then have her 3rd Oscar for it.
Re: #29 - My husband and I love Ripley and have watched it together at least a half dozen times. We each love imitating Blanchett's Miriam, trying to capture her breathlessly self-conscious attempts at sophistication, as in: "EVERYbody knows Freddie Miles."
It's a great movie, anyone who hasn't seen it watch it at once, I implore you.
Before she hit the big time, I saw this little-seen Thank God He Met Lizzie which must be among her earliest films. She's with the effervescent Frances O'Connor and Richard Roxburgh. O'Connor has the juicier role but Blanchett even then was solid. I wonder if anyone else saw this. It does not seem to appear in her imdb credits. Maybe I just imagined this.
My favorite Blanchett films were her earlier ones: Oscar & Lucinda, Charlotte Gray, Bandits and the rarely-discussed but unforgettable Heaven written by Kieślowski and directed by Tom Tykwer. Maybe it has so much 9/11 resonance that's why no one talked about it when it came out? Oh and that very last image...
I remember watching Oscar & Lucinda in the movie theater and thinking that "Lucinda" was really weird and unattractive. Of course I had no idea at the time that she was actually acting and not that person. ;-)
I L O V E her! Almost too much some times.
Never heard of her until I saw Elizabeth, right before the Academy Awards in 1999. She was phenomenal in that movie. And it is still one of her very best performances.
I have also been lucky enough to see her live on stage in to occasions: A streetcar named desire and The Maids
You can tell she that Blanchett has become a better actress in both technical and inner emotionals terms. I think that Liv Ullmann really gave her lessons in acting beyond her technical skills and really challenged her
I am so so grateful for this supreme being of an actress. I hope that there will be a Bowie project with her and Tilda Swinton directed by Darren Anorofsky
As to 29 - I discuss how awesome she was in Ripley all the time. Why would people not be doing that nearly daily?
And I love that Owl mentioned Heaven. Blanchett and Ribisi with that script and that direction - such a compelling film, on a variety of fronts.
Anyway, nice appreciation of one of the greats - although I'd have added more Marissa Wiegler.
Carol - the best English language performance of the decade, after Marion Cotillard in The Immigrant. I love every single minute of her in Carol.
I would totally kneel before Cate Blanchett as long as she gets to do a few Dylan impressions.
I've seen all of Cate's movies except "Parklands". Will I ever find this movie?
She is truly an amazing actress. I will always remember the first time I saw her. It was in "Paradise Road" and since then, I have been a huge fan.
When will I see her again in a movie? It has been quite a while.
Love her. I hope she makes a comeback. The Bernadette movie looks bad.
She's the PRESENT screen giant....there's no one else like her.
To be fair, everyone was magnificent in Ripley. Hbd queen!
The “build your own Cannes jury” should be a post unto itself!
(Unless I missed it) You forgot “Get into an argument with your more successful doppelganger/cousin à la Coffee and Cigarettes. I love that head-to-head scene.
Love her, wish her well. I was also incredibly lucky to see her Blanche DuBois on stage.
She has always sense of humor, should make more comedies - but unfortunately there aren' t many good scripts of comedy these days.
@Owl - you didn't imagine it. The movie is fantastic, and was her first great film acting role.It's listed as THE WEDDING PARTY on imdb (must have (blandly) changed name for non-Australian audiences).
I actually first saw her in the television series "Heartland" - she was so fantastic in it.
But, of course, all Australians know that her first major acting role was as the Tim Tam girl! "I want a packet of Tim Tams that never runs out":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5bY2UVY7QI
@Travis C
Thanks a lot for the info. I prefer the Australian title than the one listed in IMDB. Especially when you think about the delicious little ironies in the film.
Thanks for the Tim Tams ad -- I've not seen it before but Cate has a lovely voice ... and lips.
I've seen ALL OF HER MOVIES
even The Wedding Party
She's the ONE
I had been obsessed with Streep and Kidman until 2008 and then something happened (don't know what or how) and I switched to Blanchett.
11 years have passed and she's still very much the ONE in my book.
Jans -- i meant she was a future giant when she was born ;)