All hail the glorious Glenn Close!
Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 12:00PM 
It's been over a week since the Oscars. Despite losing the prize, it's fair to say that Glenn Close came out of it all as a winner. Dancing to "Da Butt" and insinuating Daniel Kaluuya was too young to know Donna Summer's Oscar-winning tune, the most nominated actress never to have won the Academy Award brought needed playfulness to a mostly somber ceremony. The internet was riveted, and Close may have earned another legion of fans if her sterling filmography and acting acumen hadn't done that already. All this, and she's still making news…
As the speculations surrounding the Sunset Blvd. musical movie continue, the erstwhile Norma Desmond of the stage can be found promoting a jazz album with Ted Nash. In interviews, Close further said she wants to return as Cruella haunting the sewers of NYC and has also opened an exhibition made up of her vast costume collection at the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, IU Bloomington. The thespian might not have an Oscar yet, but it's still an excellent time to be Glenn Close. In fact, she doesn't need an Oscar. Nobody does, especially those who have already carved a place for themselves in Hollywood and cinema history.
I'm a fan of Glenn Close – have been for many years – and would undoubtedly love to see her rejoice about an Oscar victory. That being said, her lack of a little golden man in no way diminishes what she has accomplished, the fame her work has earned, the devotion and admiration of millions worldwide. As an Oscar obsessive, it's easy to become angry about a supposed injustice inflicted upon a personal favorite. However, it's good to step back, get some perspective, and realize that if Glenn Close never wins an Oscar, it will be the Academy's loss, not hers.
In the aftermath of her record-breaking eighth loss on Oscar night, I'd like to try and ignore AMPAS a little bit, wax poetic about Glenn Close, and enumerate some of the reasons why I love her so. Perchance, we can have ourselves a little actressexual lovefest, bursting with admiration and a cinephile's devotion. Here are ten reasons to adore Glenn Close:
THAT LAUGH, THAT CRY, THAT VOICE!
I don't know about you, but my first encounter with this actress' wonders came through Disney. First up, there's her singing voice, which enchanted me as I listened to the English soundtrack of Tarzan. She played Kala, the protagonist's adoptive mother, and I remember how her melodious tonalities rang with maternal warmth, promises of love much more profound than whatever might transpire later between Tarzan and Jane. She was voicing a gorilla in that movie, but the emotions she telegraphed couldn't be more tenderly human.
And, then, there was her Cruella. I first saw the villainous creation on the big-screen not a year after marveling at Tarzan's kinetic animation. 102 Dalmatians was a hoot! Seeing my instant affection for the flick, my parents purchased the VHS of the first flick. Readers, if Kala warmed my heart, Cruella chilled me to the bone while also capturing my attention like few other cinematic works at the time. I particularly loved her laugh, a hysterical cackle so feverish that it seemed to echo through the place long after the screen turned to black.
Of course, as a baby gay, I tried to imitate her in an improvised drag show with no audience. Fluffy blankets were my substitutes for Anthony Powell's delirious costumes, a pencil played the part of the cigarette holder, and I tried my best to evoke Close's shrieking delight. I didn't come close to success, but I had a lot of fun trying. From then on, whenever a film starring the actress crossed my path, I was sure to watch it. Still, I don't think I quite understood what a great performer she was until I first caught sight of Dangerous Liaisons.
Witnessing how she modulated between quiet bon-mots, sweet words laced with arsenic, and overt emotion was like gazing at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. She could say as much with a half-smile as with a Christopher Hampton-penned monologue. In her hands, loud silences are more precious than garrulous words, even when those epitaphs are savored with a predator's gusto for fleshy pleasure. Better yet, is her desperate cry, a furious roar that added a new vociferous miracle to my list of Close's talents. As mellifluously melodic as her song, as impressive as her evil laugh, her cries are the stuff of cinematic dreams.
That was a long one. Let's see if I can be more concise from now on.
A STAR OF THE BIG SCREEN, THE SMALL, AND THE STAGE
Not only is she a great movie actress, but Glenn Close has also proven to be a titan of the theatrical tradition and televised drama. While I've never been so lucky to have seen her live, I've long read about the actress's grand stage performances. The many clips of her Norma Desmond on Youtube are certainly enough to whet the appetite of anyone interested in great acting. As far as the small screen's concerned, I've long been a fan of her Patty Hewes, though the first seasons of Damages tend to show some limitations in Close's approach.
It's a pity she won her prizes for the early years of the series, as she did some of her best work on the last few episodes, plunging deep into the character of a lawyer whose soul has been long lost in Faustian deals. Her work with Rose Byrne, their malignant dynamic, is an especially twisted delight. Moreover, on the week since the 93rd Academy Awards, my days have been full of Close's TV movies and miniseries, her take on Eleanor of Aquitaine, her Emmy-winning Margarethe Cammermeyer, and much more. It's fair to say she's astounding in every medium.
AN ALLY
Speaking of Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story, it's important to mention that Glenn Close is an ally to the LGBT+ community and has been so for decades. Not only did she star in that flick about a lesbian officer's legal battle to be out in the military, but she also produced it, working hard to spread the story and promote change. Two years later, she returned to the realm of queer storytelling. In the Gloaming saw her play the mother of a dying man who has AIDS and suffers from the scars of growing up in a society that despises his people.
In both works, Close's performances are shining examples of dramatic restraint, carefully constructed tapestries where unsaid words are interwoven with a placid mask of illusory peace. The moment when she gazes at her son's unconscious body and learns how to check for his pulse is one of the best scenes in Close's career, an exercise in illustrating emotion by showing the struggle to hide it. On a lighter note, she guest-starred in Will & Grace and has been vocal about her support for queer causes in public.
She's also an advocate on matters of mental health and works closely with the non-profit Bring Change to Mind. It's nice when good artists are also good people.
ALWAYS UNDERSTANDS THE ASSIGNMENT
Whether boiling bunnies, smirking as she kills herself with ice cream, or having her own Jekyll/Hyde transformation to the sound of the Big Ben, Glenn Close always understands the assignment. Some actors, while brilliant, can have difficulty molding their skillset to different challenges. They may try to play live-action cartoons like a Greek tragedy or make the mistake of joking their way through serious sci-fi. Not so with this particular thespian. From The World According to Garp to Sunset Blvd., Close runs the gamut of stylization. She's as skillful at playing naturalism as she is at letting go in a flurry of melodramatic abstraction.
Just examine her on-screen output in the 90s, and you'll find an insane variety of acting styles. In Zeffirelli's Hamlet, she manages to resolve the irksome part of Gertrude like few other actresses before her, finding a middle point between realism and the needs of Shakespeare's florid verse. Contrast that with the morbid farce of Mars Attacks!, the stoic anxiety of Air Force One, the drag king excellence of Hook, the drag queen extravagance of Cruella. As the internet denizens like to say, your faves could never.
NO GENRE IS BENEATH HER
The actress' tonal versatility is exceptionally apparent, in part, because she's so adept at playing in wildly different genres. While starting her movie career in more prestigious fare, Close has never limited herself to Oscar-bait drama. On film and TV, she's dabbed into sci-fi, horror, erotic thrillers, animated musicals, superhero nonsense, action juggernauts, sudsy whodunnits, and so much more. There's much to admire in her willingness to expand her performative horizons. Just a few years ago, she starred in one of the best zombie flicks of recent vintage – The Girl with All the Gifts. Not many other actresses of her prestige have the same chutzpah.
A COSTUME DESIGN AFICIONADO
Any costume-loving person is close to my heart. For a long time, this star has asked to keep the clothes she wears in character, sometimes stipulated in her contract. The actress appreciates the craft and the role such garments can have in the performer's work, having amassed a splendid collection that includes work from some of the best designers of the past four decades. Over 800 outfits compose her haul, including pieces by Anthony Powell, James Acheson, Maurizio Millenotti, Judianna Makovsky, Ellen Mirojnick, Consolata Boyle, Colleen Atwood, Trisha Biggar, Alexandra Byrne, and this year's Oscar champion Ann Roth. Naturally, she received a special spotlight award from the Costume Designers Guild.
In 2017, the actress donated her collection to the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design's Sage Collection in hopes they could preserve the movie artifacts and exhibit them to the public.
GIVES CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Beyond just appreciating the craft of costume design, Close is an entertainer who's been frank about how there are more components to a performance than just the actor's work. When discussing The Natural, she's been quick to point out how much of the impact her character has comes from the way she's lit, crediting cinematographer Caleb Deschanel with a big part of her success in the baseball movie. Cinema is an intrinsically collaborative art, and everything we see on-screen is a collective effort. While a celebration of the individual is understandable, one should also pay attention to those whose faces aren't projected big and wide. We love a humble queen like Glenn Close.
CLOSE GIVES GOOD SPEECH
That facet of the actress, that professional generosity, is also evident whenever she accepts an award. She may have never won the Oscar, but Close has been privileged enough to receive many other golden trophies. Her speeches are always well-crafted and thought-out exercises in jubilant humility. The actress' Golden Globe victory in 2018 for The Wife is probably her greatest ever, but there's a lot to choose from when it comes to great Close awards speeches. After all, she's won multiple Globes, Emmys, SAGs, Tonys, and more.
A GOOD SPORT WHO KNOWS HOW TO HAVE FUN
Still on the topic of awards, Close's many Oscar losses don't mean she's not a good sport about it. Sure, she looked momentarily crestfallen upon losing to Olivia Colman, but as she was the favorite to victory, a mild surprise and a flash of disappointment are understandable. This year, even as she wasn't favored to win, the actress looked like she was having a good time, finding fun in the ceremony. It's a Close specialty to have fun even in the most complicated of projects. Say what you want about Hillbilly Elegy, but, judging by the many behind-the-scenes tidbits, Close looked like she was having a blast. Honestly, good for her.
WEAVES STRAW INTO GOLD
Hillbilly Elegy was also a good showcase for one of Close's most remarkable talents. Like all artists, not all her work is good, and there are some misses along the way. However, it's impressive how often the actress manages to rise above the mediocrity of her projects. Beyond the newest Ron Howard misfire, Close's filmography is full of such feats of an actor overcoming lousy writing, bad direction, horrible cinema.
In 1985, upon finally becoming a leading lady, Close plowed her way through two unfortunate creations, Jagged Edge and Maxie, breathing humanity into them. The procedural saw her tackling an impossibly naïve lawyer, while the later comedy demanded she adds gravitas to a gossamer-thin narrative of Hollywood possession. No matter how miscast Mel Gibson may have been in Hamlet, Close pulls through, and she manages to make Reversal of Fortunes into a much more interesting film than the drama would have been without her ambivalent presence.
The House of Spirits is horrid, but even there, we can find Close indulging in some perverse Mrs. Danvers impersonations. Ron Howard's clumsy considerations on racial conflict and office politics may bring The Paper down, but the actress electrifies the screen from the sidelines. Her supporting role enlivens the whole affair. The same happens in the devastatingly bad Mary Reilly, where Close is the only actor willing to tap into the ridiculous gothic melodrama the script demands.
Lumet's Strip Search is clumsy, but Close's performance is a miracle of scalpel-sharp precision. In The Stepford Wives remake, she knew exactly the correct wavelength of camp to tune herself to, making a preposterous twist ending into that movie's saving grace. Better yet, she finds gradations of blistering anger, repressed indignity, creative pride, and matrimonial acrimony in The Wife. Unlike some, I was very disappointed by the novel adaptation. However, I also thought that Close managed to find the complexities that were otherwise lost in the transition from page to screen. Because of this and more, I'll always be excited to see a Glenn Close movie. She's a star!
It was fun waxing poetic about this actress I love. Join the celebration, dear reader, and sound off in the comments to tell us what you love about Glenn Close.
Reader Comments (61)
Wonderful writing!
This was a fantastic read,hearing someone else pick out moments I have in my own head was really nice.
Top 5 Close performances in no particular order
Fatal Attraction,The Wife,Dangerous Liasons,Reversal of Fortune,101 Dalmatians.
She is a National Treasure.
International, actually. :)
My favorite Glenn Close performance is still the first, in The World According to Garp. Unfortunately, that was the best Supporting Actress lineup of all time, with not only hers, but all of the other four performances deserving of a win, and, unfortunately Jessica Lange had the narrative to put her ahead of the others. Indirect proof of how much the Academy agrees with me are her two succeeding nominations for pretty meh roles, in The Big Chill and The Natural. Although she's fantastic in Fatal Attraction, that's Holly Hunter's year in my opinion. She should have won her second Oscar for the perfection that is her performance in Dangerous Liaisons. As for Albert Nobbs, I'd rather pass over that fiasco in silence, but mention that Janet McTeer wipes her off the screen. The Wife should have been Oscar #3, but instead wasn't even Oscar #1! Then comes this last year, when my 1st choice would have been Olivia Colman, but, well you all know why I wouldn't have been able to vote for her. Glenn is fantastic in Hillbilly Elegy, a film I find pretty insufferable (except that Amy Adams also acquits herself - why have so many people turned on her?), and would have been a worthy winner. My vote would have gone to her.
Her non-nomination for Reversal of Fortune is incomprehensible. Also, I like Jagged Edge a lot more than Claudio, and think she deserves a shout out for her cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy. She looks like she's having as much fun as the rest of the cast.
She really does always understand the assignment. Regardless of tone, genre, or subject matter, Glenn is such a dependable actress.
I really do feel like there's enough goodwill, especially now that she's the most-nominated living actor to have never won (with such a good Oscar night regardless), that she could still win a competitive Oscar. She's showing no signs of stopping, and seems to be in very good healthy anyhow.
If Sunset Blvd happens to get greenlit and she plays Norma, it's not sure thing, but I could definitely see it happening.
My first contact with Glenn Close was reading a short critique abou Hamlet on a VHS guide, which said "she was the only actor relying on histrionism" in the film. I did not known the meaning of the word, but then I watched Fatal Attraction and disliked her perfomance so much that the "histrionic Glenn" myth lasted until a fell in love with her in Dangerous Liaisons. After giving Fatal Attraction a second chance, few years ago, I reconsidered it as one of her best efforts. Still keep that (now very old) VHS guide with a side note by the Hamlet piece: "it's not true!".
Glenn will always be one of my favorites. As a millennial, I was first introduced to her Cruella and was enraptured and entertained. For years, I thought of her as a "big" actress. Seeing her in Damages, a performance that I love, sort of cemented that for me. But then, going back in watching her film work, it's fascinating to see how she builds different characters and the way that she's able to, as you so aptly put it, use silence to communicate. She's also talked about this before, but her ability to communicate with her eyes and her breath are marvelous. I was especially blown away by her performance in the Wife, a role that allows her to dive into quiet character moments in a way she simply hadn't been allowed to do in decades. The journey she takes the audience on is incredible there.
I also got to see her in Sunset in 2017, and I can understand why she loves returning to that character. It truly was the best performance I saw that season, if not one of the best performances on stage I've ever seen. More so than Sally and Denzel (who were in plays at the same time), and a host of other film stars, she understands how to modulate her performance for theatre. I've never seen an applause mid-show as long as the one for her performance of "As if We Never Said Goodbye." I don't love the musical, but she adds so much to Norma, building beautifully off of Swanson's legacy and making it her own.
Glenn is a master craftsman, and I'm always happy when she's getting love. Even though she lost the award, the fact that she had the most enjoyable moment of the night was great. Her most recent Oscar-run in the 2010s is particularly impressive since women are rarely allowed to have a break in their Oscar-nom runs. Once they're out, they're typically out. The fact that she just kept working, made the move to television, and then has been invited back to the party is a real testament to just how good she is.
My hope: that they give her the honorary Oscar and then, like Newman, she wins the big prize outright.
Just a correction, it's the Sistine Chapel, not Cystine.
I was lucky enough to see her in the London revival of Sunset. Clearly one of the greatest nights of my life.
I recently rewatched Stepford Wives on Netflix and i didn't remember she was sooooo good in that pretty bad film.
She's by far my favorite actress ever, and your piece made my day, especially the part about 101 Dalmatians which i totally rely to.
Jonathan -- That was a stupid mistake I'm ashamed of having committed. Thanks for pointing it out so I could rectify it :)
The best actress of her generation!
I am thinking that she may get her next nomination for this year's Swam Song - a sci-fi drama with Awkwafina, Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris by Oscar winner Benjamin Cleary (Stutterer, Short Film Live Action)... That's too much Oscar pedigree right there, they'll pay attention. She seems to be in a Supporting role...
... and funny how the biggest chance for a double nom this year is... Frances McDormand (The Tragedy of Macbeth and The French Dispatch). It could be beyond dramatic if Close is nominated and McDormand wins her 4th...
An article by Claudio celebrating the incomparable Glenn Close! Heaven is a Place on Earth!
The Stepford Wives remake... it had EVERYTHING to be a masterpiece... a great combo of writer director specialized in comedy/satire, an amazing cast... but somehow Oz and Rudnick lost their way in the final act and the camp went cringy all of the sudden, and the satire too in your nose. I still like the film a lot, but overall it was close to become a complete disaster, and it is one of Oz's less interesting films (but The Score is probably his most boring one, and the only devoid of real interest beyond the method actors clashing on screen).
TLDR , but because it's by the man who makes TFE worth refreshing multiple times a day I will get to it when I can.
When I think of Close weaving gold from straw, I think of the Stepford Wives remake. Granted, the reshoots/editing were the primary problems with that film, but Close was obviously on another level even before all that. Such a great performance in a terrible film.
No mention of Fatal Attraction??? Seriously? You can't emote your love for her work without mentioning Fatal Attraction.
M -- I mention boiling bunnies. Also, much has already been written about that great performance. I didn't feel I had anything of value or anything especially personal to add. You're free to speak about that flick and Close's work in the comment section. Was that the picture that made you a fan?
How is she in the new Mila Kunis addiction drama, FOUR GOOD DAYS?
She's my Meryl Streep. 😘
Great writing. She's The Best. She's Forever. Doesn't need an Oscar. Although she deserves one, two, three...
I've been waiting for a text like this for a long time, honestly. Worth it. It's never too soon or too late or too much to talk / write about our beloved Glenn Close. Kisses to you, Claudio and everyone. And take care of yourselves. Dear people, nearby or not so, are passing away because of the monster out there.
I like her best in Heights, but she's good in a lot. This overview is making me think I should rewatch Reversal of Fortune this weekend. It's been a long time.
Love it!!
And it really does sound like SUNSET BLVD might come to fruition. I just hope folks keep expectations measured because, beyond Glenn (who is BRILLIANT as Norma), it's actually a pretty middling musical.
This article just saved my day! Glenn is one of the best ever.
I don't know if I'm in a minority, but I think Reversal of Fortune is one of her best movies and greatest performances (and one of her most egregious Oscar snubs); Jagged Edge is actually quite good; Mary Reilly is definitely underrated (her cameo as Mrs Farraday is electrifying and left me wanting a whole movie all about her) and even The Stepford Wives is quite fun and surely not that bad as anyone says. I rewatched it recently on Netflix and I think it's Close best comic turn after Cruella.
I agree that House of the Spirits is horrible, but Close as Ferula is the only thing that works. And while you didn't mentioned it, I love with all my heart her chaplinesque Albert Nobbs and I find at least noteworthy all her work with Rodrigo Garcia (especially her supporting, sublte and heartbreaking role in Things you can say just by looking at her).
As for Damages, the first two seasons are definitely the best and she is always devilishly brilliant from start to finish but, yes, her work in a couple of last season's episodes is otherworldly (see the airport scene in episode 7 and the scene with the dying father in episode 10).
I was lucky to see her on stage twice, in Sunset Boulevard (2016, London) and Mother of the Maid (2018, New York) and I will never forget it. Hope to see her again in the future.
Does anyone have the full story on the Reversal of Fortune snub? It was clearly a film the academy saw and liked, and I've never seen a bad (contemporary) review of her performance. Did she miss because she was a "movie star" going supporting at that point in her career? Or was she campaigned in lead? Her name was first on the poster...
Thank you for this! She truly is a national treasure.
I remember when I first saw her in DANGEROUS LIAISONS, I thought her final scene at the opera - and wiping off her makeup afterwards - was the best, most gut-wrenching scene of "acting without words" I'd ever seen or would see. 20+ years later, I still do.
The utter taste.
She is an international treasure now come on now!
Where are you at, hater bitches?
Glenn Close is one of the greatest of all time. Period.
Thank you for this wonderful piece of writing!
I truly LOVE Glenn Close. My first experience with her was by accident. I was in my early teens obsessed with Michelle Pfeiffer in the early 90s. After Batman Returns I watched the Baker boys movie and then Dangerous Liaisons. Glenn Close stole the movie for me. And then I watched Fatal Attraction! I was officially hooked!
She is great as Gertrude. I actually like Mel Gibson as Hamlet and a young Helena Bonham Carter as Ofelia.
I want to dine with these characters:
- Patty Hewes (Damages)
- Alex Forrest ( Fatal Attraction)
- Cruella (101 Dalmantines)
- Marquise de Merteuil (Dangerous Liaisons)
- Monica Rawling (The Shield season 4)
- Chief Justice Evelyn Baker Lang (The West Wing season 5 episode 17)
House of the Spirits is a disaster that nothing can save from the precipice. You feel for everyone involved. A pity because it's an unique opportunity to see Glenn and Meryl together.
GLENN CLOSE is LEGEND.
She's so versatile! I remember her as Cruella first and foremost which is obvious for a 1990s child. One-two punch of FA & DL rarely happens with two performances so different and yet so good (maybe Kidman in early 2000s comes... close :D).
Encouraged by Oscar recognition for her and the screenplay, I watched "The Big Chill" and... it was so underwhelming and - in its final act, given the decision of her character - infuriating. "The Natural" nod also wasn't warranted, TBH, and "The Wife" includes a very good performance from her and yet I was - once again - pretty much infuriated by her character when all backstory was explained.
I remember vividly reading about "Evening" in 2006/2007 and thinking that it might be her Oscar vehicle. :) Meryl Streep gave one of her best performances in "Devil Wears Prada" but I'm still intrigued what Close would do with Miranda. Apparently she was considered for the role...
Re The 1990's Oscar snub,Supporting is where I think she was campaigned,she's not the lead in it anyway but as others said it is one of her best,I too am baffled but then they left out Shirley MacLaine too.
I greatly admire Glenn Close for her consistent ability to identify the humanity in women who may well repulse many.
I don't believe I could ever slaughter a child's beloved pet in an act of revenge responding to unkind treatment of a lover. In Fatal Attraction, Close shows me how a lifetime of injury to a damaged psyche could prompt such behavior.
I don't believe I could forgive, much less reconcile with, my spouse who sexually abused our child. Close shows me how a woman could mine her grief, shame, rage, and self incrimination to make steps towards healing in Something About Amelia.
I don't believe I could nurture those who self mutilate as an act of political expression. Close shows me how a woman can dig deep for the compassion necessary to aid such trauma in The World According to Garp.
Glenn Close has long been an ardent activist for raising awareness and assistance to address mental health issues. That advocacy influences her work. I am in awe of her ability to draw upon her values to influence a lifetime of performances.
When I look back at the breadth of her career, Glenn Close touches me personally in a small moment in a then contemporary comedy. The camera finds Dr. Sarah Cooper seated on the shower pan of her bathroom. The water splashes off her nude body as the bereft woman weeps copious tears in a private expression of loss of an ex-lover and good friend to suicide. I find the humanity in that single quiet dramatic moment in a pretty funny movie to be deeply touching. Over the years, I still catch myself shedding a tear at how evocative Close is of naming my own grief in personal loss. A superlative performance.
Garbo doesn't have an Oscar, Chaplin doesn't have one for acting. Max von Sydow never got one. Donald Sutherland was never even nominated--he finally got an honorary one. Drifting away from acting we can point out that Hitchcock never won for directing, either. Close is in good company. Who would you rather be: Gwyneth Paltrow or Glenn Close? Helen Hunt or Glenn Close? F. Murray Abraham or Glenn Close?
She suffered the same humiliation as Meryl Streep and Anjelica Huston, being called ugly by a producer / member of the film crew. A fact that must have occurred with other actresses at the beginning of their careers and that must occur constantly with other actresses.
An amazing and talented actress with so many classics in her filmography. But if she had done only Fatal Attraction, she would already go down in history. After all, there are so many actors remembered today because of a movie or a character.
She suffered the same humiliation as Meryl Streep and Anjelica Huston, being called ugly by a producer / member of the film crew. A fact that must have occurred with other actresses at the beginning of their careers and that must occur constantly with other actresses.
An amazing and talented actress with so many classics in her filmography. But if she had done only Fatal Attraction, she would already go down in history. After all, there are so many actors remembered today because of a movie or a character.
Sorry for posting twice. My dog woke up euphoric.
What? No one in this thread complaining about "Glennfans" and how horrible she was in Hillbilly Elegy and whatever else? I guess we'll have to wait for her next nomination to hear from those bozos again?
My ideal win for Close would be a lead performance in a great film that gets nominated for BP. Not sure I picture Sunset Blvd being that, if it ever gets made. But let's hope.
I do love her in Cookie’s Fortune - and with Julianne Moore!!
I don’t understand how Frances McDormand has 3 Oscars and Glenn has 0, but alas.
. - Elementary school kids can figure it out or anybody who can view information and consider all the factors and context. But I love that you still read and try, so keep it up buddy!
Glenn Close should play Cassandra DeVries in a Perfect Dark adaptation and really kick ass.
Totally agree with the write-up and (most of) the comments here. She is indeed an international treasure.
I had the privilege of seeing her onstage in "Mother of the Maid" at the Public with my wife. In a cast of equals, she was in a different league: funny, serious, tragicomic. That scene where she thought she had a vision of a saint was one minute heartbreaking, then hilarious, then back again. Her beats were well paced. I saw her in the 2017 version of "Sunset Blvd" on Broadway. The show can be a snoozer but not when she was onstage. Talk about a bolt of energy. She handled the high tessitura demanded in the songs by either transposing or knowing when to go for broke for maximum impact.
The first movie I saw of hers is Dangerous Liaisons and that confrontation scene with Valmont, her breakdown, and that last scene were all electrifying. Stephen Frears said in an interview that he wanted to end with a text that explained what happened to her, but Close said: "I can act it" and that's what we got as our last scene. One of the best endings, and what is closest to an intensive face (in a Deleuzean sense). I have since been a fan.
Her Ferula is underrated and for me the one true thing in The House of the Spirits. If she can play a pirate in Hook then she can probably play Prospero, King Lear, even Caliban.
May she release a proper vocal album where she sings. I think a bluesy after-hours cabaret/jazz vocal album would be in her metier. Like a cross between Julie Wilson and Mabel Mercer. One can dream.
Totally agree with the write-up and (most of) the comments here. She is indeed an international treasure.
I had the privilege of seeing her onstage in "Mother of the Maid" at the Public with my wife. In a cast of equals, she was in a different league: funny, serious, tragicomic. That scene where she thought she had a vision of a saint was one minute heartbreaking, then hilarious, then back again. Her beats were well paced. I saw her in the 2017 version of "Sunset Blvd" on Broadway. The show can be a snoozer but not when she was onstage. Talk about a bolt of energy. She handled the high tessitura demanded in the songs by either transposing or knowing when to go for broke for maximum impact.
The first movie I saw of hers is Dangerous Liaisons and that confrontation scene with Valmont, her breakdown, and that last scene were all electrifying. Stephen Frears said in an interview that he wanted to end with a text that explained what happened to her, but Close said: "I can act it" and that's what we got as our last scene. One of the best endings, and what is closest to an intensive face (in a Deleuzean sense). I have since been a fan.
Her Ferula is underrated and for me the one true thing in The House of the Spirits. If she can play a pirate in Hook then she can probably play Prospero, King Lear, even Caliban.
May she release a proper vocal album where she sings. I think a bluesy after-hours cabaret/jazz vocal album would be in her metier. Like a cross between Julie Wilson and Mabel Mercer. One can dream.
Glenn fans that are actually actressexuals as well acknowledge the only possibly "robbery" was for Garp. If you think otherwise we appreciate you as a fellow fan and pity your lack of actressexuality.
Off topic but @Nathaniel
Google up "Aronofsky Brendan Fraser The Whale" specially in google images. Thank me later, inmediately in the radar for Lead Actor and Make Up at the very least.
I like the name Rama on you Sam. Suits you ;)
Glenn Close will still receive other nominations - in leading and supporting roles. Whether or not she'll ever win, who knows?
Glenn should have won for :
Fatal Attraction ( Cher? Glenn and Holly Hunter were better)
Dangerous Liaisons ( Jodie Foster?? Glenn, Sigourney and Meryl were so much better! )
The Wife ( I love Olivia, but she was supporting in The Favorite).
A brilliant actress (stage, cinema and television) !
Last thing I'll offer on this thread - I think Glenn is amazing. Would love to see her get the Kennedy Center honors treatment. To me, she's just as, if not more, prolific as Lauren Bacall, Kirk Douglas, Al Pacino, Shirley McClaine, Sally Field and others who have received it. Her seamless ability to move from stage, to film, to TV throughout her career is really something that not many others have done, and she's done it in such an interesting way that, I think, paved the way for other actors to take that on as a real option.