In defense of Glenn Close as "Maw-Maw"
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 10:30AM by Juan Carlos Ojano
Adapted from J.D. Vance’s controversial memoir about his family in the Appalachians, Hillbilly Elegy opened to harshly negative reviews from critics, but the film is not really out of the awards conversation. What was seemingly a slam dunk Oscar contender given the pedigree of its cast is now caught in the critics/audience divide, something that has become a commonality these past few years (Green Book, Bohemian Rhapsody, Joker, etc). Just look at the critics and audience scores the film got in Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
ROTTENTOMATOES: Tomatometer: 26% / Audience Score: 85%
METACRITIC Metascore: 39 (generally unfavorable) / User Score: 7.9 (generally favorable)
The most significant Oscar push for the film will undoubtedly be seven-time oscar nominee Glenn Close for Best Supporting Actress. She plays Mamaw, J.D.’s grandmother and de facto guardian when his mother Bev (Amy Adams) spirals into heroin addiction. This role comes after a surprising Best Actress loss at the 91st Academy Awards for her performance in The Wife. Absurdly overdue for a win, Close came to this particular Supporting Actress race as a preordained frontrunner. However, the dismal critical reception of the film immediately cast doubt on her chances. Some now feel she won't be nominated at all. Or, that she doesn't deserve to be which is unfair on Close’s part, in my humble opinion...
Yes, the film has fundamental problems. The film would’ve fared better if it reconfigured the story and made it about the women rather than J.D. who is the least interesting character. There are also scenes that were ither haphazardly put together and executed (Bev threatening to crash the car) or questionably written (how many times do we have to hear that J.D. is a “good boy?).
But Close survives all of this. As Mamaw, she brings a performance that exemplifies her well-known skill and detail. While she could’ve easily done showboating (which many people have won statues for), she goes into the other direction, continuously subverting expectations throughout her performance. To say that this potential Oscar win for her is simply a makeup award is a gross misjudgment of the impeccable craft with which Close brings Mamaw to life.
Let's look at five key moments in the film that demonstrate just that. (SPOILERS)
SCENE 1: Bev, J.D. and Mamaw come home to find that Papaw is dead. (around 41 minutes)
In this scene, Adams takes the more active role as Bev checks on her father’s vital signs after they see him unconscious, declaring him dead, and goes to the phone. Close only has two complete sentences: “call an ambulance” and “how do you know”, said after Adams proclaims his death. Her presentness pervades the first line; she’s in fight mode. Her second line underlines the painful denial that is enveloped in the shock of the moment.
What comes after is a heartbreaking moment. The truth slowly sinks in, but the confusion of the moment is gone. Instead of bursting into tears, Close gets quiet. She absorbs the shock, heartbreak, and loss of the moment and carefully approaches Papaw. Close handles this moment not as talking to a dead person, but as an intimate final goodbye for a longtime partner. Her whisper now is the noticeable opposite of the brash tone that she has in preceding scenes. What remains is a mournful surrender and acceptance that is still filled with love and care.
SCENE 2: Mamaw convinces an objecting J.D. to give his urine sample for Bev. (around 1 hour 9 minutes)
Close arrives in the scene in the middle of a heated discussion. While a previous scene showed her calling herself a “good terminator”, this scene shows how far her goodness will go. With the weariness of old age and ill health, she is distinctly alert to trouble. Mamaw knows what is happening and weighs things before the decisive moment. With a lower register of voice, she asks J.D. to do something wrong for Bev.
Her delivery of “You need to help your mama on this” is multi-layered: she knows she is betraying J.D.’s expectations that she's the pillar of honesty in the family, but it is also a humble persuasion. She is not asserting her authority in this moment but inciting compassion from her grandson. Her beat of silence tells us that she isn't sure about her spontaneous decision either.
SCENE 3: Mamaw interrogates J.D.’s loser friends before kicking them out. (around 1 hour 25 minutes)
Here’s a scene that could’ve been just broadly comedic but Close is doing a lot. As in the previous scene, Mamaw can read people. She knows when and how to call bullshit, depending on who she is dealing with. Close comes to the two friends with what feels like an olive branch, asking about their names and maintaining a parental demeanor. But Close makes each line delivery count; with every succeeding question, she destroys the bullshit of J.D.'s friends and calls them out for it. She intends to show J.D. that he shouldn’t stick with losers and she shows him that through sneaky verbal combat.
It’s delicious to see Close put the two losers in their place without ever raising her voice. Even her “out!” command is delivered with effortless authority. Her next threat of running them over with her car isn’t delivered with empty badassery. Instead, it’s with the same weariness that exists in her entire performance that makes this moment of tough love even more endearing.
SCENE 4: Mamaw asks for additional food from the Meals on Wheels delivery guy. (around 1 hour 33 minutes)
A very subtle rollercoaster for Mamaw excellently played by Close. She starts all appreciative until she realizes that the food won't be enough. She then shifts into asserting what she knows she did right: she called for additional food so she is entitled to have it. When that doesn’t work out, she changes her tone and humbly asks for whatever the guy could give to her. She's not begging, so much as asking for compassion.
This is still the Mamaw that we know that keeps her dignity and is proud of what she is despite her imperfections. She doesn’t even finish the sentence and say the actual words to ask for more, but adapts to the situation. She mentions her own conditions as reasoning, but she is swallowing her pride for her grandson. It’s all beautifully done by Close. This scene serves as a catalyst for J.D. to start upping his game, but Close’s take on this scene is a delicious arc on its own.
SCENE 5: J.D. shows Mamaw the results of his algebra test. (around 1 hour 36 minutes)
One of the problems of the film is redundant situations in which people tell J.D. that he’s a good boy. This scene verges on that, but Close again upsets expectations. Instead of making this scene a schmaltzy congratulatory moment for J.D., Close plays her pride in him with beautiful restraint. Her health is worsening and her body language registers that clearly. Her “keep it up” is whispered, it's not in Mamaw’s character to just pat you on the back. She is keeping J.D. on track and knows that a single algebra test is far from life-changing.
When she goes to the living room and sits on the couch while looking at J.D.’s test paper, her quiet moment of small victory is wonderfully played; J.D.’s road towards self-improvement isn’t just his. Mamaw is along for the journey and cherishing this step in the right direction.
It is a mistake to diminish the work of any actor simply because the quality of the film around them is questionable. Close emerges as the clear MVP of this particular wildly uneven film. So no, her potential Oscar nomination and win for her performance as Mamaw wouldn't be a mere consolation Oscar. I'd argue it's a worthy addition to a lifetime of performances that amply show why Glenn Close is simply one of the best.
Reader Comments (54)
Thank, Juan Carlos, for the polite and tactful response. Although I wasn't referring to critics being financially successful or not, that's okay. I think at this point the conversation is mute. Anyway, HE may not be the best movie, but critics have been way too harsh in bashing it. I've seen much worse than this film over the years. All anyone has to do is watch the SciFi channel made-for-TV movies, for example.
As a fellow fan, I would say to other fans who say "I really don't want her to win for this bad/mediocre/whatever film" that she may never be nominated for another film. Let's not kid ourselves that Sunset Blvd. is a sure thing, and she's still not landing bigtime roles with truly great directors right now (the peak strength of Ron Howard's star faded at least 15 years ago, then there's Bjorn Runge and Rodrigo Garcia). Colman already has an Oscar and none of the other candidates really need one, so let's not preclude this based on the film alone.
THANK YOU! Glenn Close was excellent in "Hillbilly Elegy." It would be a very deserved Oscar win. Don't let biased, shitty critics dictate the entire conversation about this misunderstood film that's turning out to be an audience favorite!
I'm in total agreement with Kyle's comment. I know HillBilly Elegy isn't perfect but Close is wonderful. Ignore the arrogant elitist film critics (and commenters). Friends and family I've spoken with have said they connected with Hillbilly Elegy and truly loved Close's performance. They see themselves in the characters. That means something.
Glenn Close for the win.