Comment Party: Best Actress, 1991
Saturday, July 25, 2020 at 2:00PM by Nathaniel R
Remember Bette's dream project "For the Boys"?
We've probably done TOO much 1991 before this next Smackdown! Apologies for those of you without a particular affinity for that year but you've only got one more day of this to get through. We thought it might be fun to briefly discuss the Best Actress race of that year before the Supporting Actress Smackdown event tomorrow.
OSCAR NOMINEES
- Geena Davis, Thelma & Louise
- Laura Dern, Rambling Rose
- Jodie Foster, Silence of the Lambs ★
- Bette Midler, For the Boys
- Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise
If I remember the year correctly this lineup was basically a done deal ahead of time but for the fifth slot...
That was a contest between Laura Dern and Annette Bening (with maybe a little bit of Kathy Bates on the side as delayed victory lap for Misery). Midler's performance was not in fifth. True it's the most forgotten of these five today but at the time she had very obvious "dream project realized" momentum ... hence the Globe win.
GLOBE NOMINEES
- Annette Bening, Bugsy
- Geena Davis, Thelma & Louise
- Laura Dern, Rambling Rose
- Jodie Foster, Silence of the Lambs ★
- Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise
- Kathy Bates, Fried Green Tomatoes
- Ellen Barkin, Switch
- Anjelica Huston, Addams Family
- Bette Midler, For the Boys ★
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Frankie & Johnny
BAFTA NOMINEES
- Geena Davis, Thelma & Louise
- Jodie Foster, Silence of the Lambs ★
- Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise
- Juliette Stevenson, Truly Madly Deeply
This one is my big miss from 1991. I've never seen Veronique
CANNES
- Irène Jacob, Double Life of Véronique ★
VENICE
- Tilda Swinton, Edward II ★
Who elses misses Derek Jarman movies? Show of hands. We consider this supporting though. Are we misremembering the movie?
BERLINALE
- Victoria Abril, Lovers ★
Uff. Victoria was so special in the early 1990s. We're sad the movies seemed to lose interest thereafter.
LAFCA
- Mercedes Ruehl, The Fisher King ★
We consider her supporting though, yes, it is a large role.
NYFCC
- Jodie Foster, Silence of the Lambs ★
NSFC
- Alison Steadman, Life is Sweet ★
NBR
- Geena Davis, Thelma & Louise [TIE] ★
- Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise [TIE] ★
Baby Nathaniel was OBSESSED with Emmanuelle Béart from the late 80s to early 90s
CÉSAR
- Emanuelle Béart, La Belle Noiseuse
- Juliette Binoche, The Lovers on the Bridge
- Anouk Grinberg, Merci la Vie
- Irène Jacob, The Double Life of Veronique
- Jeanne Moreau, The Old Lady Who Walked In the Sea ★
The US didn't get three of these until YEARS later... but La Belle Noiseuse and Veronique were arthouse darlings in '91.
GOYA
- Victoria Abril, Lovers
- Silvia Munt, Butterfly Wings ★
- Maribel Verdú, Lovers
GOLDEN HORSE
- Maggie Cheung, Center Stage ★
- Carina Lau, Days of Being Wild
- Anita Mui, Au Revoir Mon Amour
- Lisa Yang, Bright Summer Day
SATURN AWARDS
- Kathy Bates, Misery (1990 film but they have a different calendar)
- Jodie Foster, Silence of the Lambs
- Linda Hamilton, T2 Judgment Day ★
- Julia Roberts, Sleeping with the Enemy
- Winona Ryder, Edward Scissorhands (1990 film)
- Meryl Streep, Defending Your Life
SPIRIT AWARDS
- Judy Davis, Impromptu ★
- Patsy Kensit, Twenty-One
- Mimi Rogers, The Rapture
- Lili Taylor, Bright Angel
- Lily Tomlin, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life...
Judy Davis is lots of fun in Impromptu (incredible cast in that British comedy - seriously, look it up). I'd totally forgotten she won the Spirit.
Our personal favourite movie of 1991, Thelma & Louise
FILM BITCH AWARDS
(In retrospect)
- Geena Davis, Thelma & Louise
- Jodie Foster, Silence of the Lambs ★
- Linda Hamilton, T2 Judgment Day
- Mimi Rogers, The Rapture
- Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise
With apologies to (alpha order) Emmanuelle Béart, Annette Bening, Judy Davis, Laura Dern, Gong Li (if you consider her eligible), Michelle Pfeiffer and Juliette Stevenson who would round out my own top 12, a brutally competitive year (though the following year was easily the decade's worst for high quality female leads!). Of my personal ballot Mimi Rogers and her daring vehicle are forgotten today but it was an incredibly unsettling performance which I still think about from time to time. I remember either Siskel or Ebert (or both?) was also a big fan back at the time and FYC'ing her.
Mimi Rogers as a promiscuous woman who experiences a spiritual conversion in "The Rapture"
True Story: In 1991, I was a die-hard unswayable Sarandon voter (the "overdue" narrative got me good, well that and her genius as Louise) and considered Hamilton supporting (before Rampant Category Fraud wised me up) so Dern was in this lineup but I have since shifted to Foster as winner.... unless one could give a "dual" best actress prize to Davis & Sarandon who together deserve it over Foster. Dern's performance doesn't hold up for me quite as well all these years later so she's fallen. I think she's stronger in Wild at Heart the year prior in an even (sorry) wilder role.
Reader Comments (59)
TBH While loved Jodie Foster in SOTL and adored Sarandon in T&L, my fave was Geena Davis. I thought she was tremendous. But any time that you have 3 undeniably brilliant performances or films in any Oscar category, the academy is clearly doing something right.
Not that she was at all in contention but shout out to the delicious Sally Field in SOAPDISH too.
"La Belle Noiseuse" is one of the great European films. Jacques Rivette made this masterpiece in his 60s !
As for the Best Actress Oscar, I prefer for Jodie, with Sarandon a close second.
They're all from 1991? What a festival of excellent acting performances for actresses! Based on the movies I've seen from the lineup above, my top five would be (in alphabetical order):
Judy Davis, Impromptu
Irène Jacob, La double vie de Véronique
Alison Steadman, Life is Sweet
Juliet Stevenson, Truly, Madly, Deeply
Tilda Swinton, Edward II
From the actual Oscar nominees, it will have to be the lovely duet of Susan Sarandon & Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise for me.
I would choose Geena Davis in a heartbeat. What a performance! I would have voted for her even though she had so recently won an undeserved Oscar for The Accidental Tourist. My distant second choice is Laura Deen for Rambling Rose, a lot of which has to do with my love for the film. Glad to see it got SOME recognition. But at the time I was really hoping for Michelle Pfeifer to slip in to the fifth slot. Such an incandescent perfermance, second only to Davis'. Midler's nomination is the only one I don' t like much. James Caan wipes her off the screen merely by being an island of calm while she acts and acts and acts all over the place. The biggest surprise was Annette Bening's non-nomination (for a good performance). This should have been the first warning that Bugsy was in trouble, regardless of being the most nominated film overall.
foster is one of the most deserving winners of all time in this category ( I think the academy did pretty solid job during 90s in the best actress category!)
Sarandon and Davis are amazing and if it wasn't for foster they both could be worthy winners
Franky & Johnny is one of my favorite pfieffer performanes so If I was voting they all would be in.
I’m not sure about last spot , I haven’t seen judgement day since my childhood but I remember being obsessed with hamilton so I’m going With her closely followed by jacob and bening as my finalists
A rich year. My 5 nominees would be:
Judy Davis
Sally Field for Soapdish
Jodie Foster
Linda Hamilton
Mimi Rogers (winner, just beating Foster)
With Irene Jacob and Juliet Stevenson just missing the cut. Tilda Swinton is wonderful in Edward II and I like Mercedes Ruehl a lot, but to me those are both supporting turns.
I don't know how many times I watched The Rapture. Loved that movie and her performance (Will Patton and James LeGros are good too).
Shout out to Glenn Close in 'Meeting Venus' - a delicious and sexy diva star turn.
1991 was the first year that I paid close attention to the Oscars. I videotaped the ceremony and rewatched it SO MANY TIMES. I have certain awards presentations and acting clips memorized And I was only twelve. So this coverage is feeding the deepest part of my Oscar nerd soul. GOD BLESS YOU, NATHANIEL.
Despite her Golden Globe victory, I don't recall Bette Midler being much of a factor in the Oscar race that year. The film was a box office failure, making back just over half of its costs.
The real problem was Martha Raye. It was commonly acknowledged that the filmls two main characters, Dixie Leonard and Eddie Sparks, reflected the careers of Bob Hope and Raye during their decades of touring for the USO.
At age 75 and wheelchair bound, Raye was a new bride. She had recently married her 42 year old companion Mark Harris. Speaking for his wife, Harris alleged that Midler has come to their home and met with Raye on numerous occasions to discuss her life. He even declared that Raye prepared a story treatment for Midler. A lawsuit was initiated.
Bob Hope declined to participate. He said he was a Midler fan and only wished he had been hired as a consultant for the film. The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, but the negative publicity surrounding the origins of For the Boys and the poor box office showing pretty much shot Midler's chances.
Bette and Laura weaken the pedigree of the slate.
I don't mind taking Midler's nod away because in my perfect world she'd already have a second for Beaches, and I won't apologize for it. Really didn't care for Dern, though I'm glad she now has an Oscar for a performance I love. I'd replace them with Mary Stuart Masterson, who I thought was the best part of Fried Green Tomatoes, and Gong Li for Raise the Red Lantern, which I'm shocked isn't listed anywhere in the awards. Kudos to the Academy for doubling up on Thelma & Louise in Actress, because those two fantastic performances hold up so well.
My 1991 Line Up
Pfeiffer
Davis
Steadman
Foster
Sarandon who wins
The rest i'd rank 6 - 10 like this I consider Hamilton supporting but if she were Lead i'd put her in over Pfeiffer and I think Lange is a Lead in Cape Fear
Judy Davis
Annette Bening
Mimi Rogers
Bette Midler
Jessica Lange
James thanks for the Midler Tea,
I still cringe at Bette's Oscar clip, which only highlighted the poor old-age makeup. At the time, I was rooting for Sarandon. But Foster's win has gone, in my eyes, from being a solid choice from a good field to one of the best selections ever.
Foster
Sarandon
Davis, G
Davis J
Field
1. Jodie Foster
2. Susan Sarandon
3. Geena Davis
4. Michelle Pfeiffer
5. Annette Bening
HM: Laura Dern
I have a to catch up on some of the smaller films from 1991 that haven't left as big a cultural footprint, but this has always been a favorite Best Actress year for me.
It's becoming clear that 1991 was a pretty good movie year.
While I love Davis, Foster, and Jacob - this year is all about Michelle Pfeiffer in Frankie and Johnny.
People dislike this performance because she’s miscast, and I definitely get that, but either way I think she understands the character so extremely well. The sadness and hurt in her really does linger. I think it’s a beautiful piece of work.
"Veronique" is a stone cold classic! Irene Jacob did extraordinary work in it.
I rewatched "Edward II" maybe 5 years ago... still genius. I remember Swinton's role as on the cusp of supporting and lead. I'm perfectly comfortable with Venice rewarding her brilliance in whatever form they liked!
I remember Dern in "Rambling Rose" as being great, but definitely haven't see the movie since its release. This thread makes me think a rewatch might be due.
If Thelma and Louise were released today, they would almost certainly push Geena Davis to supporting and keep Susan Sarandon in Lead
You know this would be true
eurocheese: Unfortunately, Raise the Red Lantern fell into the Academy's doughnut-hole of eligibility. It was nominated for Best Foreign Film in 1991, but not commercially released, therefore making it ineligible in any other categories. Because it wasn't commercially released until 1992, it's 1991 nomination prevented it from being eligible for anything at all. It did win the BAFTA, the NYCC and National Film Critics awards for Best Foreign Film, among others. (It should have won the Oscar, too) It's a Catch 22 fate that many great foreign films suffer.
Of the five given I'd go with Jodie with Sarandon & Geena Davis in a dead heat for second.
If only Bette (or the filmmakers) had been able to maintain that electric first camp show feeling throughout the film I'd be more passionate about her nomination. Those few minutes are a superb short film but the rest is a scattered mess.
Glad to see Sally Field's go for broke work in Soapdish getting love but I'm surprised no one has mentioned Reese Witherspoon's great debut performance in The Man in the Moon. She'd be my winner in an open field.
Geena Davis, Thelma & Louise
Jodie Foster, Silence of the Lambs ★
Gong Li, Raise the Red Lanterns
Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise
Michelle Pfeiffer, Frankie & Johnny
Ken S, thanks for the background. That makes a lot more sense. I know a lot of people think that's the best performance of her career, or certainly one of them. Was that often true that foreign releases literally weren't eligible in the major categories? That explains split years for films like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Shop on Main Street. I just always assumed the popularity the following year was the reason, but split eligibility would explain it. And when did that split end for foreign film?
For best actress my choices are:
1.Jodie Foster
2.Gong Li (Raise the red lantern)
3.Susan Sarandon
4.Geena Davis
5.Juliette Binoche (Lovers on the bridge)
For supporting actress:
1.Mercedes Rhuel
2.Tilda Swinton (Edward II)
3.Juliette Lewis
4.Judy Davis (Naked Lunch)
5.Jane Horrocks (Life is beautiful)
One of my favorite years by far.
Choosing from the list of Oscar eligible titles, my 1991 Best Actress ballot would look like this:
- Jodie Foster in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (winner)+
- Kerry Fox in AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE
- Marisa Paredes in HIGH HEELS
- Michelle Pfeiffer in FRANKIE AND JOHNNY
- Susan Sarandon in THELMA AND LOUISE
Runners-up:
- Victoria Abril in HIGH HEELS
- Annette Bening in BUGSY
- Geena Davis in THELMA AND LOUISE
- Linda Hamilton in T2: JUDGMENT DAY
- Jessica Lange in CAPE FEAR
Ineligible for the Oscar but still great:
- Juliette Binoche in THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE
- Cora Lee Day in DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST (eligible the next year)
- Gong Li in RAISE THE RED LANTERN
- Miranda Richardson in ENCHANTED APRIL (eligible the next year)
- Tilda Swinton in EDWARD II (eligible the next year)
Still need to watch:
- Emmanuelle Béart in LA BELLE NOISEUSE
- Glenn Close in MEETING VENUS
- Vanessa Redgrave in THE BALLAD OF THE SAD CAFE
- Mimi Rogers in THE RAPTURE
- Juliet Stevenson in TRULY MADLY DEEPLY
It was a great year for actresses, that's for sure. There are so many good choices, but the Oscars still had to nominate Midler for one of her worst screen performances. What a pity.
1991 competes with 1995 as the best year for leading ladies in the 90s. Honestly, it's one the years the inspires me to just list 12 performances it's so strong.
eurocheese -- from my understanding they changed that rule in the mid 1970s (right after THE EMIGRANTS) to prevent films from showing up in two separate Oscar races. It makes sense but it still ends up with strange results.. HERO for instance would surely have competed for some craft prizes in 2004 had it not been nominated for foreign film in 2002 since it was such a big hit when it was released. And of course there's the odd CITY OF GOD situation where it was ignored one year in foreign film only to come roaring in by surprise the following year for big nominations.
the one thing i'm unclear on about the current rule is, since they added the "semi-finalist" thing for foreign language if becoming a finalist also makes you ineligible for other prizes when you're releases or if it's only the nomination itself which does.
Nathaniel
I’m not sure about the exact time of changing the rule but it was’t right after emigrants
Day for night won best foreign film in 73 but was nominated in other categories in 74!
I think 1975 was the year. That's the last year a film was nominated in two different years - Amarcord, plus Scent of a Woman, nominated for Foreign Film, was also nominated for Adapted Screenplay.
My vote for Geena Davis all the way. Absolutely love Thelma and Louise!! Sarandon to me was more a one note kinda character throughout the film, but Davis had the character arc that showed true range. Going from housewife to outlaw and that scene after Louise is on the phone and they walk to car and Thelma says she can’t go back because she just couldn’t live - love it.
Can someone explain why Laura Dern's performance in Rambling Rose has not held up well all these years later?
Jodie Foster hands down wins this for me with Gong Li as the runner up for her phenomenonal performance in Raise the Red Lantern. If people haven't seen that film, I cannot recommend it enough any cinephile and an actress enthusiast.
Jarman movies are everything!
What a terrific year for actress! My favs: Foster, Hamilton, Swinton, Davis-Sarandon, Jacob, Rogers, Taylor (DOGFIGHT) and Bening
Not my comment.
From the oscar lineup I'm a Davis voter. It's really close between the T&L ladies but a win here for Davis would be a far better representative of her career than the role she actually won for.
From the whole of 91 in addition to Davis and Sarandon i'd add Jacob in Double Life of Veronique, Abril in Almadovar's High Heels and my personal winner for the year Michelle Pfeiffer in Frankie and Johnny. I find Pfieffer beyond excellent as Frankie and while some call her miscast as Bates had played the role prior on stage there's no denying the power than Pfeiffer posses.
What an incredible year for best actress. I’m loving the shout-outs for Judy Davis in Impromptu - I’m a die-hard Davis fan and this is my favourite of all her performances and my most-watched, most frequently quoted movie of all time! It’s so much fun and Davis is effortlessly dashing and witty - people tend to forget what a charismatic romantic lead she can be. The supporting cast is wild and even though the film is uneven and sometimes silly it endears itself with it’s hilarious irreverence toward these vaulted literary and artistic icons. Davis has the Oscar in the bag (not the only time) for me.
I haven't seen For the Boys, but of the others, I thought that Dern was good and that Davis, Foster and Sarandon were all spectacular. At the time I slightly favoured Sarandon, but now, I would go Foster. Not because Sarandon's performance has fallen in my eyes - not at all - but because Davis is her equal and Foster's performance has grown on me. So, my vote now goes to Foster - but only just.
Shit, missed the Smackdown votes. If my absent mind robs Tandy I'll never forgive myself.
Susan Sarandon has always been a Hollywood acting legend, on par with Meryl Streep and Glenn Close. The woman should have been nominated many more times over her career but, because of her political views, she's been ignored. In Thelma & Louise she is brilliant, filling her performance with incredible nuanced choices.
Foster comes second, followed by Davis.
I had a chance to watch "For the Boys" recently and the film doesn't hold up. As a Bette Midler fan I came away disappointed and she does better work in other films.
Moving swiftly on.... I would have chosen Benning for that fifth spot. However Juliet Stevenson holds the screen completely in the under seen art house favourite, "Truly, Madly, Deeply".
Speaking of art house favourites the entire cast of " Imprompdu" (Emma Thompson!) deserve most talented ensemble.
Pity they never give comedy more notice. Sally Field is great in the delectable "Soapdish".
What a wonderful year.
While Jodie Foster was definitely deserving of an Oscar for this performance, I'm going to take it away from her and give it to Susan Sarandon. This way, Susan can have her Oscar and we can award Elizabeth Shue for Leaving Las Vegas without upsetting Oscar-actress karma!
If we're to add the European festivals, then Venice that year went with Glenn Close for Meeting Venus and Berlin to Victoria Abril in Amantes
Foster, Davis, and Sarandon are three of the best Best Actress nominees in my lifetime in this category and it is impossible for me to choose among them. It's astounding that they were all nominated in 1991.
I would also have nominated Allison Steadman and maybe Irene Jacob, though I'd have to rewatch The Double Life of Veronique to be sure.
Olivia deHavilland (1916-2020)
Pfeiffer took a lot of heat over being "too beautiful" for the part -- the fact that Kathy Bates had begun the part on-stage persuading people that Frankie was supposed to be plain-looking. But there's nothing in the script that says that, and, in fact, in revivals, attractive women like Rosie Perez and, especially, Audra McDonald have taken the role with no flak.
And Pfeiffer is just glorious in the role, conveying all the lower-class pain inherent in the character. I'd argue Pfeiffer's most exceptional performances in that period were those where she portrayed similarly working-class women, notably in Married to the Mob and The Fabulous Baker Boys. But she couldn't get many more of those parts, because people thought anyone so beautiful shouldn't be playing them. That, among other things (her own idiosyncrasies) have kept her career from matching the extraordinary potential of her talent.
I think Midler is just OK in the initial sequences and flat terrible in old-age make-up, so I'd drop her for Pfeiffer on the spot.
Of the nominees, I'd opt for Davis but could accept Sarandon. I've truly never seen Foster as all that great an actress, though this is probably her finest leading hour. (Taxi Driver is still my favorite of her nominations.)
@Tom Q
The character is older than Pfeiffer. Nothing about her physicality suggest being in midlife nor worn down by being poor. I think her acting is great despite being miscast if you're being honest about who the character is.
Beautiful people aren’t allowed to be sad or poor!!