Meryl Streep is arguably the best actress of her generation. She can make a bad movie better or a good film great. Her Oscar history speaks for itself: she has been nominated 16 times and won twice for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Streep currently holds the record for most actress nods.
This year, she has been nominated again in the category of Best Actress for her portrayal of Julia Child in “Julie & Julia.”
There is a reason Streep got nominated, even though the Academy did not recognize her movie for anything else – Streep gave a memorable and emotional performance as Child.
It would have been easy for Streep to learn Child’s voice, put on period costumes and create a caricature of the famous cook. Streep could have let her name and great acting from the past carry her through the movie.
Instead, she took the time to understand the script and history of the woman she was playing and created a human being. Viewers were able to identify with Child in the film because Streep made her into a real person.
As a viewer, I felt connected to Child. I wanted her to succeed. From the movie’s beginning until the end, I was utterly fascinated with the person who had grown from someone who was lost to a woman capable of inspiring others by the movie’s end.
Streep’s performance deserves an Oscar. She wasn’t nominated because she is Meryl Streep – – she was nominated because she gave one of the most captivating performances of the year.
Oscar experts – and basically anyone who cares to keep up with awards season – know the competition is truly between Streep and Sandra Bullock who was nominated for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in “The Blind Side.”
This is Bullock’s first nomination for Best Actress and she has already won a Golden Globe for her performance.
I am happy Bullock is finally getting recognition for something other than another half-baked romantic comedy. She had a great year in 2009 with the surprise success of “The Proposal” and “The Blind Side” and deserves to be applauded for her achievements.
However, I don’t think she necessarily deserves an award simply because “The Blind Side” called for her to stretch her acting skills. I’m not saying she is a mediocre actress – she’s able to pull off both dramatic and comedic roles.
I just feel that if Bullock wins, it won’t be because she gave the best performance of the year. It will be because she had a great year at the box office and happened to perform well in a role that wasn’t a comedy. If Bullock wins, it will be a celebratory moment.
However, the Oscars weren’t created to recognize personal bests. They were created to recognize the person or groups most deserving of the award.
This year, Streep’s performance in “Julia & Julia” is an example of acting at its best – the audience doesn’t realize acting is involved and almost believe the character on screen is a real person.
Hannah Rogers is the entertainment editor of The Reflector. She can be contacted [email protected].