M.E.E. gets 'stabby' with W.E.

On Sunday night, Meryl Streep proclaimed there is no such thing as a “Best Actress.” Of course, such magnanimity must come easier after you’ve just won the award! Eh, Meryl? While it seems impertinent to question “the world’s greatest, living actress” even as she refutes the title, I must remind that, yes, actually, every year there are performances that stand out as superlative. Some might argue such a notion is purely subjective and yet I find that true greatness transcends individual assessment to artistic consensus. Anyone want to debate Brando’s turn in ON THE WATERFRONT? Michelangelo’s David? Clay Aiken’s… okay, I’ll give you that last one. I first saw Mary Elizabeth Ellis in PISS HAT, a short film I programmed for the 1 Reel Film Festival at Bumbershoot. Her performance was so endearing, so indelible that I created a Best Actress award just to celebrate her work. (Watch the movie and study her face in the movie’s final moments as it wavers between heartbreak, elation, determination, then pride. Top that, Eliza Dushku!) Since then, I have observed Ms. Ellis evolve into an even finer actress who balances comedy and drama deftly — even if agents suggest she focus on just one or the other. For fans of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, she’s Waitress, the unnamed and unattainable object of affection for Mary Elizabeth’s real-life husband, Charlie Day. For those who prefer televised procedurals, you’ve spied her serious on shows such as House , Cold Case and Without a Trace . This year, she appeared in her first feature, A QUIET LITTLE MARRIAGE. Directed by PISS HAT’s creator, Mo Perkins, the film captures the subtle shades and shatterings of young, nuptial bliss; those initial rumblings that may spell doom — or life-long unhappiness — for those whose carnal connection cannot overcome a basic inability to effectively communicate. A QUIET LITTLE MARRIAGE screened at the Austin Film Festival and won the Audience Award as Best Narrative Feature. Last week, it played at Slamdance and scored the Grand Jury Award in the same category. Clearly, MARRIAGE touches the professionals and the public equally, an objective indication of the movie’s strengths, led by the winning performance of its lead actress. I caught up with Mary Elizabeth in Park City for a fireside chat about forgettable, first-time filmmakers, her husband’s regrettable (and imagined) on-set infidelities and her own ethical rebuttal of motherhood. Drink up! You can listen to it all right here on The Warren Report: http://thewarrenreport.com/?p=5893