Who Gets Your Currently Unqualified Vote in the 2011 Oscar Race: Meryl Streep or Glenn Close?
You haven't seen the movies. You haven't even done the requisite research on Margaret Thatcher to judge Meryl Streep's role in The Iron Lady. You don't even really understand why Glenn Close is dressed in drag for Albert Nobbs yet. But you do know that Meryl Streep and Glenn Close are very likely to garner nominations for Best Actress at the next Oscars, exhuming a battle that began in 1987 when Cher beat both of them for a statue. Without any knowledge of the films' quality, who are you rooting for?
I can't quite decide whose story should culminate with a walk to the 2012 Oscar dais yet. Glenn Close still hasn't picked up an Oscar after racking up five nominations in the 1980s. Meryl Streep -- the high priestess of acting, accents, and most other forms of sorcery -- has two Oscars and 16 nominations, but she's lost the past 12 nods to everyone from Shirley MacLaine and Geraldine Page to Hilary Swank and Sandra Bullock.
Bottom line, both actresses will win an/another Oscar in their lifetimes. The Academy Awards are nothing if not a bow to zealous statisticians, and Streep's peerless reputation warrants at least one more Oscar -- if not two -- to compete with Katharine Hepburn's record of four. (I'm rooting for a Streep triumph in August: Osage County, whenever that finally happens.)
Close -- who has earned three Tonys and three Emmys -- is owed an Oscar even more than recent gimmie recipients like Alan Arkin and Kate Winslet. Problem is, both Streep and Close are mounting extremely traditional Academy bait featuring dramatic makeovers and/or high-profile historical figures; I'd prefer they both play juicier comic roles.
In the meantime, I'm choosing to root for Close; Fatal Attraction's star performance is just as worthy of hardware as Moonstruck's, and for that Close deserves immediate compensation. What say you?
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Comments
Glenn deserves the Best Scenery Chewer trophy for sure.
Her hammy acting makes me gag.
If Glenn's less-than-stellar cameo as a male pirate in Hook is any indication, Glenn can't do drag. I vote for Meryl.
Close has three emmys.
meryl 4 ever!!!!!!!!!She's the BEST!!!
Glenn Close needs to happen this year. By the way, if directors are any indication of quality, I'd trust Garcìa more than Lloyd at this point.
Ha! Put her in the Boo Box!
Close deserves it only if she earns it, and that goes for any other actress. The Oscars shouldn't be about politics. I know that's not the way it is, but merit should never be overlooked. Close, in my opinion, has never given a bad performance, despite some histrionic performances in her heyday. That's okay, as Streep has her own style as well. Who doesn't? It's all a matter of personal taste and preference. May the best performance win – whether it's Close, Streep, or someone else. I am pulling for Close to turn in a great performance, though, because her depiction of neurotic characters are fun to watch, and she would be great in a screwball comedy. Besides, she has been overlooked, even in films where she may have warranted a nomination from the Academy.
Oliver, Rocky, Ordinary People, Shakespeare in Love, Crash and The King's Speech for Best Picture; Gwyneth Paltrow and Sandra Bullock for Best Actress; Roberto Benigni!!!! and Jamie Foxx for Best Actor; Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for writing. Dear God, it's all about politics.
Meryl gets my vote every year.