A bohemian novelist, a longsuffering wife, a snobbish Lady, and a supremely competent housekeeper were the Oscar-honored roles in the Best Supporting Actress competition of 2001.
The shortlist that year was a veritable who's who of this very category, most of the actresses had been nominated before / would be again. One was already a two-time winner and Dame of the British Empire in fact (Maggie Smith... Helen Mirren wouldn't become a Dame until 2003). The anomaly / party crasher was Jennifer Connelly, who had been a teenage star and was receiving her first taste of awards glory as an adult, building on the momentum of a critically well-received turn the previous year in Requiem for a Dream with a borderline leading role in on of the year's biggest hits (A Beautiful Mind made an incredible $170 million at the US box office, believe it or not).
THIS MONTH'S PANELISTS
Here to talk with your host Nathaniel about these five nominated turns are (in alpha order): Erik Anderson of Awards Watch, freelance critic Valerie Complex, This Had Oscar Buzz's Joe Reid, and Shane Slater from Awards Circuit. Now it's time for the main event...
2001
SUPPORTING ACTRESS SMACKDOWN + PODCAST
Jennifer Connelly as "Alicia Nash" in A Beautiful Mind
Synopsis: A student marries her mathematician professor only to discover that he's schizophrenic after she becomes pregnant.
Stats: Then 31 yrs old, 19th film, 3rd billed. First and only nomination. 45 minutes of screen time (or 33% of the running time)
Erik Anderson: Connelly has never been a very expressive actress and she certainly isn't given anything meaty to work with here. Her Alicia Nash no true path to explore elements of her own character that aren't directly related to Russell Crowe's John Nash and she ultimately becomes little more than set dressing for the film. ♥♥
Valerie Complex: This performance isn't bad, it's just surrounded by so much mess that it can overshadow her work. Upon revisiting A Beautiful Mind, her role as Alicia Nash as the aching wife sticking by her man is so tired, that even Connelly deserves better, but she did excellent with what she had to work with. ♥
Joe Reid: As terrible a movie as A Beautiful Mind is, I try not to hang too much up on Connelly, who is incredibly beguiling in the early going and then does the absolute best she can with that old-age makeup at the end, and in between she acts appropriately terrified for her little bathtub baby. As an IRL sweep winner, she's a bit of a puzzler, and the fact that her career choices nosedived from here is a shame. But judging just by performance, she definitely stands out in the film, which is faint praise, but here we are. ♥♥
Shane Slater: Can someone explain why this is viewed as such an infamous case of category fraud? Jennifer Connelly's role as Alicia Nash is such an archetypal supportive wife that she doesn't seem all that significant in the grand scheme of this film. As for the quality of the performance, she's absolutely sincere and on a more trivial note, captivatingly beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off her. It's therefore easy to see how she became the Academy's celebrated ingenue of the year. But otherwise, her performance isn't substantial enough to merit the win. ♥♥♥
Nathaniel R: "This can't be happening," she says in one of her most distraught moments realizing her husband has had some kind of psychotic break. Which was roughly my feeling the year she bulldozed towards an Oscar win. Jennifer is first asked to essay 'the hot student' and then the dazzlingly perfect "muse" of a girlfriend, and then the longsuffering wife/mother who took the "...and worse" part of the marriage vow seriously. It's always in relation to a man's point of view. Connelly is strong in the hospital scenes midway through the picture and wonderfully inexpressive (I do mean this as a compliment) in a late scene when she's talking, with a relatable lack of effusive emotion about her long marriage and her anger at God. But the inexpressiveness otherwise is a problem, particular in a role that needed to be rescued from a bad screenplay and poorly conceived character. ♥♥
Reader Write-Ins: "She simply isn’t given enough to do, and is not doing enough with it" - Mark B (Reader average: ♥♥½)
Actress earns 12½ ❤s
Helen Mirren as "Mrs Wilson" in Gosford Park
Synopsis: The strict housekeeper of an English manor has her hands full as her employer hosts an ill-fated shooting party. A secret from the past hangs over her like a dark cloud.
Stats: Then 56 yrs old, 36th film, 11th billed of 20 principals (alphabetical order). Her 2nd of four nominations. 12 minutes of screentime (or 9% of the running time)
Erik Anderson: Regal, despite her place downstairs, Mirren musters a devastating performance in the middle of one of film's most epic ensembles in Gosford Park. The pinnacle of strength but her breakdown in the face of a human truth in front of her is some of her best work. ♥♥♥♥
Valerie Complex: Between the Dames in Gosford Park, it's Mirren who steals the show. Her stoic, reserved performance as Mrs. Wilson will go down as one of her best performances. ♥♥♥♥
Joe Reid: Mrs. Wilson is the beneficiary of the big third-act twist in Gosford Park, and maybe that's what was able to push her out ahead of worthy co-stars like Emily Watson. Mirren is a stout and stalwart presence among the downstairs servants, though I'll admit that I often had a hard time remembering which traits were hers and which were Eileen Atkins's. But it's that final ten minutes and her scenes with Atkins and Kelly MacDonald that really seal it for her. ♥♥♥♥
Shane Slater: Perhaps the most deceptively complex role in this group, Helen Mirren's Mrs. Wilson initially appears to be made of hard steel. A key piece in the machinery that runs this upper-crust country house. You immediately get the sense that she's been doing this for many years, commanding respect from the rest of the staff with an unwavering, no-nonsense approach. As the murder mystery unfolds however, we learn that she is opaque by design. And it makes her eventual breakdown all the more heart-breaking. Her matter-of-fact delivery of the line "I'm the perfect servant. I have no life" - and the dialogue surrounding it - is a true gut punch. Considering how well Robert Altman is servicing the film's extensive ensemble, it's perhaps selfish to wish Mirren had more screen time. However, I just craved one more scene to put her ahead of the pack in my books. ♥♥♥♥
Nathaniel R: Is it strange that this is my all time favourite Helen Mirren performance? It is. think its the utter stillness and lack of vanity, for an actress that can pull focus with ease to deliver a "star" turn (and usually does). Here she's completely in service to the material, as if there is no acclaimed actress involved... only Mrs Wilson, the perfect servant. That she has no identity outside of work, save that which has been subsumed and hidden, Mirren brilliantly conveys with stiff posture and minimalism. All of which makes her late film mini-breakdown superly effective. I wish I could watch a whole movie about her! ♥♥♥♥♥
Reader Write-Ins: "She serves up her big scene at the end with the same measured efficiency that Mrs. Wilson (nee Banks) is known for, but so many small, delicate moments leading up to it provide a groundwork with layers of maternal regret and instinctive intelligence." - Mike S. (Reader average: ♥♥♥♥)
Actress earns 25 ❤s
Dame Maggie Smith as "Constance Trentham" in Gosford Park
Synopsis: A snobbish lady visits her benefactor's manor, while complaining about the service and gossiping with her lady's maid.
Stats: Then 67 yrs old, 36th film, 15th billed of 20 principals (but it's in alpha order). The last of her 6 nominations (she'd already won twice at this point). 16 minutes of screen time (or 12% of the running time).
Erik Anderson: With no subplot of her own, Smith is relegated to Gosford Park's best zingers and one-liners (a role she would basically replay in Downton Abbey a decade later). But, those one-liners are delivered with the driest shade possible in a way that no one but Smith can provide. ♥♥♥
Valerie Complex: Dame Maggie Smith's Oscar nomination for Gosford Park is well deserved. This is a slightly different performance than we're used to seeing from her and she looks to be having fun in the role. ♥♥
Joe Reid: It's impossible to watch this movie and not see the long shadows cast upon Julian Fellowes' later project, Downton Abbey. But Fellowes gifted Maggie Smith with a character who was not only locked and loaded with classist barbs (her assuring Bob Balaban's Hollywood producer that none at the dinner table would ever see his movie so he might as well spoil the plot is a stick in the eye for the ages) but with a conspiratorial appreciation for mischief and gossip that makes her so much fun. ♥♥♥
Shane Slater: I'm not as familiar with her work from this period of her career, but looking at "Gosford Park" now, it seems like this role had Maggie Smith's name written all over it. In that sense, it often feels like a triumph of casting rather than a masterful performance. This snobbish, old-money persona has become her schtick and it therefore feels like she's not putting in that much work - much like her leisurely character. Still, she's highly effective and amusing, with every line laced with the haughty disdain that only she can bring. No one does it better. ♥♥♥♥
Nathaniel R: I had misremembered this role, morphing it into a twin to her iconic Dowager Countess in Julian Fellowes not too dissimilar follow-up Downton Abbey. But this Lady is a bit different, definitely less secure in her fortunes and place at the table, and that comes through in delicious ways, especially in her conspiratorial impish but one-sided gossip with her lady's maid (beautiful scene-partner work from Kelly Macdonald throughout) and a snobbishness that feels slightly more performed than innate. She's a lot of fun and Trentham's disdain for Hollywood within this movie is still hilarious all these years later. ♥♥♥♥
Reader Write-Ins: "Drama is hard, comedy is harder. And Dame Smith makes it look easier than ever. True, it's not much of a stretch for her but she knows how to twist and joyously explore the multiple faces of comedy. That she so desperately wants out of her own film while being the funniest component of it is no easy task." - Alex D (Reader average: ♥♥♥ ¼)
Actress earns 19 ¼ ❤s
Marisa Tomei as "Natalie Strout" in In the Bedroom
Synopsis: A single mother feels terrible guilt that she might be derailing her young lover's future but she leans into the relationship when her ex-husband gets violent.
Stats: Then 37 yrs old, 22nd film, 7th billed ("and" Marisa Tomei). 2nd of 3 nominations (she'd won on her first). 26 minutes of screentime (or 20% of the running time.)
Erik Anderson: With a surprisingly minimal amount of screen time (and no real b-story of her own after the event that kick starts the story), Tomei manages to embody - physically and emotionally - a fragility that we hadn't seen from her before. Her Natalie, is sorrowful and remorseful while having to endure her own pain and suffering and Tomei just nails it. ♥♥♥♥
Valerie Complex: The characters quietly carry In the Bedroom through its runtime. Tomei executes her performance as Natalie Strout with subtlety. The audience can tell what the character is thinking and feeling through her facial expressions and body language. A well-deserved nomination. ♥♥♥♥♥
Joe Reid: It's a credit to Tomei's impact that I was shocked upon rewatching to find that Natalie is only in a handful of scenes and disappears almost entirely for the latter half. And she makes this impact so quietly. Reticently. She's perfect at playing those notes of abashed discomfort. Even before Frank is killed, Natalie is so nervously guilty around his parents. Tomei makes the choice to have Natalie see herself through Ruth's eyes — suspect and unwelcome — and she's brilliant at it. ♥♥♥♥♥
Shane Slater: I remember being quite taken with "In the Bedroom" when I first watched it more than 10 years ago as a budding cinephile. Yet although I recalled a horrific tragedy at the heart of the plot, I somehow forgot exactly what it was. But there's an early scene when Marisa Tomei's Natalie discusses Frank's future (played by Nick Stahl) that really hit home. The look on her face is so regretful and apologetic that it all came suddenly rushing back to me. Such is the depth of Tomei's performance. She conveys an underlying fragility, even in her character's most vibrant moments. Though she won her Oscar for a more showy, scene-stealing part, I think she shines even brighter with more nuanced roles like this one. ♥♥♥♥♥
Nathaniel R: In the opening scene she runs through grassy fields laughing and besotted, like a Wyeth painting sprung to life. And yet there's something ineffably sad about the performance from the very start. The acccent is a bit distracting but the feelings she conjures are major. Natalie might feel underwritten or at least underexplored in lesser hands, but Tomei knows exactly what to do with this woman who doesn't even know what to do with herself. You can feel the weight of her past and fears about the future eroding her now; she's particularly impressive in a scene where you see guilt fall over her face when her boyfriend considers delaying college for her. Tomei grants the film a mysterious undertow well before tragedy strikes. The movie knows just what to do with that feeling and with her, however cruelly it dismisses her with that sharp stinging slap -- this story is no longer yours. ♥♥♥♥
Reader Write-Ins: "A lesser actress would not have added the shading required to make this film such an emotional gut punch. Outstanding, career-best work." - Brian R (Reader average: ♥♥♥½)
Actress earns 26½ ❤s
Kate Winslet as "Iris Murdoch" in Iris
Synopsis: A free-thinking promiscuous young novelist falls in love unexpectedly with an atypical suitor, a stuffy virginal fellow academic.
Stats: Then 26 yrs old, 11th film, 3rd billed. 3rd (of 7 nominations). 28 minutes of screentime (or 31% of the running time).
Erik Anderson: Kate Winslet's fierce feminist Iris works in perfect opposition to Dench's deteriorating version of the acclaimed writer and Winslet gives one of most fiery performances here. ♥♥♥♥
Valerie Complex: She's surrounded by an outstanding cast of actors. She plays the younger version of Iris so well. Almost too well. While Winslet always delivers an A+ performance, it doesn't seem she was challenged enough. ♥♥♥
Joe Reid: Winslet brings every bit of life and vitality to the young Iris that she can, all the better to contrast with old, sundowning Judi Dench in the present. I think Judi outdoes her, but Winslet comes to play. In particular she nails a moment of vulnerability late in the film with a kind of take-a-breath-and-charge-forward air about her that I found deeply endearing. I'm not sure she'd ever make my top 5 (of 2001 or of Winslet performances), but she's very solid. ♥♥♥
Shane Slater: I've long been a fan of Kate Winslet, but this is my least favorite of her Oscar-nominated performances. While I appreciate the effortless quality to her acting here, the part feels quite lite. Especially in contrast with the more difficult task handed to Judi Dench as the older version of her character. The film portrays both a character study and a decades-spanning romance, but I wasn't convinced by the chemistry between Winslet and Hugh Bonneville. Her one vulnerable scene - a monologue where she basically confirms that they aren't quite the perfect match - is a great one. I wish there were more scenes like it. ♥♥♥
Nathaniel R: In my then very young Film Bitch Awards I gave the gold, silver, and bronze to Winslet, Tomei, and Mirren respectively. Rewatching I think I'd reverse the order, not because Winslet isn't fab but because I realize a portion of the deep love I felt for the performance was her megawatt screen presence as the most exciting young actress of that era. She's brilliantly enigmatic, earthy, and sensual as this budding novelist though the movie isn't asking for a full characterizations as much as for her to insure that we fall madly in love with Iri's potential and mystery. All the better to set up the gutpunch of watching Judi Dench's beautiful mind fade to white. Neverthless it remains an undervalued performance in Winslet's filmography ♥♥♥♥
Reader Write-Ins: "Playing counterpoint to Dench's fragmenting Iris, Winslet's youthful version devastates because she makes the crumbling spark of a brilliant mind more precarious and cruel." - John V. (Reader average: ♥♥♥¼)
Actress earns 20¼ ❤s
Jennifer Connelly swept the awards race for A Beautiful Mind (but for SAG where she was nominated in the lead actress category and Helen Mirren won instead) and won the Oscar on her first try. But the Smackdown disagrees and emphatically endorses Marisa Tomei as the rightful winner that year for In the Bedroom.
THE PODCAST CONVERSATION
Download and listen to the companion podcast right here at the bottom of the post, or on iTunes for a more in-depth discussion with our panelists about these four movies and five actresses.
Other Smackdowns: 1941, 1943, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1954, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2016, 2017, and 2018 (prior to those 30+ Smackdowns were hosted @ StinkyLulu's old site)
NEXT UP? The 1960 Oscar race on Sunday July 14th. Watch: The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, Elmer Gantry, Psycho, Sons and Lovers, and The Sundowners before then to maximize the fun!