Almost There: Let's vote again!
Tuesday, September 1, 2020 at 6:00PM ;)
Last month, we asked you to choose what performances should be analyzed in the Almost There series which concerns itself with acting achievements that came close to the Oscar but failed to secure the nomination. You came through with more than 800 votes on each of our polls and the feedback seemed quite positive. Your choices were the against-type star turn of Cameron Diaz in Being John Malkovich and Joan Allen's incandescent fury in 2005's The Upside of Anger. Not only that, but the runners-up of the new to streaming poll, Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler, were also written about.
Because of such good results, we're repeating that experiment. This time, we'll be focusing on movies that are newly available to stream in September as well as flicks from 1938, our sidebar theme thanks to the Supporting Actress Smackdown.
First up, here are some possibilities from different streaming services:
Secondly, here's a selection of 1938 performances. While it's difficult to discern who had awards buzz on those early Oscar races, we believe all of these folks were in the conversation:
You can vote on each poll, once a day, until Saturday, September 5th. We can't wait to see who you choose!
Almost There, polls, streaming
Reader Comments (25)
John Cazale DIDN’T get Oscar nominated for Dog Day Afternoon!!!???
Still, I’d love a review of Election and specifically Witherspoon’s marvellous work (may I request some sort of companion piece looking at Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted - her best work, probably, yet zero awards love)
Why not Erroll Flynn for The Adventures of Robin Hood? He's so great, such perfection in that role, that it's easy to overlook how magnificent his performance really is.
On the first I was initially torn between John Cazale and DDL but then I saw Debbie Reynolds was an option and the choice was made! She's wonderful in Mother and I was really hoping for a late career nod for her.
With '38 I was considering the Robin Hood baddies but then saw von Stroheim's name. Gabin is excellent in Grand Illusion but von Stroheim dominates.
We definitely need to be talking about Myrna Loy more!
I love, love, love Gene Hackman and John Cazale in their respective films, but I seldom hear anyone discuss DDL’s hilariously prim performance in Room with a View so I went with that.
Has Gene Hackman ever been a topic at TFE? If not, I'd love he'd be introduced. I only know him by The Royal Tenenbaums.
John Cazale has no nominations. He needs to be discussed.
I voted for Hackman, he's really great in The conversation, and for 17 years he didn't get another nod after his win for The French connection. But Cazale is a good option too.
Von Stroheim would have been a perfect nominee in 1938 as a supporting actor.
For Reese you accidentally put her movie in parentheses, as opposed to the streaming service.
I voted for Nathan Lane and hope he manages to pull ahead - A great comedic performance for a gay role back when that was a much bigger deal. AND he's actually gay, which is a nice bonus.
My other vote went to Myrna Loy out of curiousity for the performance.
Up there Cazale-y!
Yes - "We need to talk about Myrna" ... what a fantastic career !
ERIC. ROBERTS.
I voted Day-Lewis because I love that film and him in it. But I hope it winds up being Cazale. Fantastic film and fascinating work.
Andrew -- right? He's just excellent in that movie.
PoliVamp -- now that you right that i hope he wins. Lol. it's funny in these polls cuz I'm like "can't we have all of them?" haha.
J -- we *definitely* have not written about him enough, no. He's such a great actor.
I adore Myrna Loy and she absolutely should be talked about much more than she is! However Test Pilot is no great shakes, not bad but a standard MGM star vehicle and while her performance is customarily exemplary her role isn't something that requires her to plumb the depths of her character.
I agree with Nathaniel in thinking "Can't we look at all of them?" A great collection of work.
I voted for Gene Hackman , magnificent in The Conversation, and for Erich Von Stroheim.
But what an amazing career John Cazale had! The Godfather I and Ii, Dog Day Afternoon, The Deer Hunter . So sad that he died so young!
Reese Witherspoon all the way! She absolutely should have gotten a nomination for ELECTION.
Grand Illusion is such a great movie!
A must see French classic!
August 5th?That's in the mood of Retro Oscars, I guess
I voted for Gene Hackman not only because I love his performance, but also because I really love his film and just love seeing it discussed. It's also interesting, given the recent Pakula discussion, to consider him as part of the 1970s paranoia films. Though the women from those films got attn, I'm not sure the leading men always got as much Oscar recognition.
I'd be curious to hear more about DDL, given that he also was in another Oscar-nominated film and won critics' prizes for both performances.
Mother would be fun to revisit-especially since it was a comeback for Reynolds. Hard choices!
Wild, then Big Little Lies 1&2 then The Morning Show. Feels like we never stop talking about Reese in these parts, and by comparing and critiquing her performances often get a truckload of opinions and takes on Election. Give Cazale a short spotlight like his career was.
Plus Cazale missing BSA for DDA. Oh okay, I guess Durning must've gotten one of his two Oscar noms. He was great after all and...WHAT? Sarandon?!? That's fascinating in a way a series like Almost Therr can really sink it's teeth into.
Plus anyone who would pass up a piece on Cazale by THE Claudio Alves is loco.
Luis -- Sorry for the typo, but thanks for pointing it out. It's already fixed.
Manuel -- Agreed. I adore the cinema of Jean Renoir and this is one of his masterpieces.
kermit_the_frog -- He was never nominated for any of his films, all of which were Best Picture contenders. If I had any say in it, he'd have been nominated for every single one of his big-screen performances. Regarding Winona in GIRL, INTERRUPTED, if I ever write about her it won't be in the Almost There series since she got no precursor buzz whatsoever.
Ken s -- I like him a lot in that picture, but, even back in 1938, he wasn't considered a serious actor. While his movie's great, I doubt he featured too prominently in the Best Actor conversation.
Bradley -- Even if she loses here, I'll eventually write about her in the Almost There series. It's mind-boggling that she was never nominated for an Oscar.
Jonathan -- Oops, sorry.
To be honest, I'd love to write about all of these, even if some of them are performances I have big issues with. Once again, I have to say I can't wait to see who you choose.
But Claudio, you did a piece on Madeline Kahn in "What's Up, Doc?" and she only got a Most Promising Newcomer - Female Golden globe citation, which is more a Keep an eye on them, or good job but you're not a name so you have no chance at the big awards sort of prize.
The two lists of acting contenders are no longer available. : (