Should Ronnee have won the oscar? - Nashville Discussion

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] MOVEEFRK-1 18 years ago

Tomlin didn't win the Oscar either, it went to Lee Grant for SHAMPOO.

I would have given it to Ronee too. She is absolutely heartbreaking, several times throughout the movie, and she is also charming and sweet and she's a hell of a singer/performer.

Tomlin was great though too. That scene alone at the Exit/In where she is watching Keith Carridine sing "I'm Easy " is so touching and real and she sold it.

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[–] robinobambino 17 years ago

Absolutey, yes, without question. When you look at the 5 nominees in that category, Ronee's performance was the most compelling, fullest and exciting of them all. You couldn't wait for her to appear on the screen again, that is what I mean by exciting. It may have been the best female performance, lead or support of any film actress that year.

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[–] shepardjessica-1 17 years ago

Yes. Best performance in the film.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] jackcarson 17 years ago

Lee Grant is a good actress but did nothing in Shampoo IMO to even warrant a nomination.

Gwen Welles from Nashville deserved a nom, too. But yes Ronee Blakely was stunning in Nashville and would have gotten my vote.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] dinasztie13 17 years ago

She should have won. She was so heartbreaking and wonderful. She was much better than Lily Tomlin (who was also perfect but she was not as fascinating as Ronnee Blakely). But they both deserved the award more than Lee Grant.

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[–] ljcostello_22 17 years ago

Lily Tomlin actually helped her with some parts of the "nervous breakdown" speech. I LOVE Lily Tomlin's stories. One of my fave scenes is when they are at Haven's house and she's telling that story about the woman who was in the accident.

But Ronnee's scene at Opryland should have nailed an Oscar for her. It's just one of those performances that really draws you in. I hope that she if forever proud of her work in "Nashville".

I also totally agree that they both deserved it over Lee Grant.
Then again, no one has ever accused The Academy of being accurate. Just saying...

"No wonder we often know how to make a watch, but we don't know the time of day." -- H.P. Walker

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[–] freakaman24 17 years ago

I love this movie and I have watched it so many times and although Ronee Blakely is Oscar Caliber, I would still pick Lily Tomlin. She is so perfect in her role. She is a mother to 2 deaf children and the scene that nailed it is her scene with her kids when they talk to both their parents- Ned Beatty is the father and she simply illuminates as she is trying to get her husband to hush up as her kids try to tell them how their day went. I know that Ronee is more showy that Lily's, but watch that I'm Easy scene and tell me that without a word, she knows that song is about her and it is a guy singing his feelings for her. No Question - Lily Tomlin deserved it, and if Lee Grant hadn't been nominated and lost 3 times before,Lily would have won.

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[–] meincali2006 17 years ago

There is a documentary, a sort of a look into the Oscars for this year. I forget who produced it but it's really fascinating. It follows Ronee, Lily, and Lee as they prepare for the awards and attend the show. Lee is in the limo on the way to the awards with Goldie Hawn and she says to the camera that if she won it would be because the Academy felt responsible for blacklisting her several years prior and this was their way of making it up to her. She was right. She's a fine actress but in no way was she better than Ronee, or Lily for that matter. Also a little trivia for you. Ronee was supposed to be nominated for Best Song over Keith Carradine's. She and Altman had a falling out and he switched the campaign in Keith's favor, pushing him to win. Newsweek that year, upon reviewing the film stated that no matter what happened at the awards Nashville would atleast take home the best song oscar for reinventing a genre. Hence why Keith won which in my opinion is not the best song in the movie by any means. I think Ronee got screwed out of two awards that year.

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[–] freakaman24 17 years ago

Wow- if you could find the name of that doc that would be great- Although I loved all of Ronee's songs, I still think Keith's I'm Easy is stilll the best

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[–] socorso 17 years ago

great post, meincali2006. I hadn't known of the doc. The row with Altman does sound familiar. It does kill me. HOW could he create a schism...?! (Like Almodovar and Maura.)
And, yes....Ronnee should have won. (I've never seen Shampoo. I was lucky to see Nashville in the theater. 3x) She's incredible in the role.

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[–] Benedict_Cumberbatch 16 years ago

I'd pick Lily Tomlin, as well. A wonderfully subtle performance... the look on her face when Carradine sings "I'm Easy"...ah. She's probably my fave comedic actress, but she can also be heartbreaking. Granted, I haven't seen Lee Grant, but I'd also have nominated Gwen Welles, Ronee Blakley and Geraldine Chaplin for this film (not sure about the 5th spot).

"I did cramps the way Meryl Streep did accents" - Calliope (Middlesex)

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Benedict_Cumberbatch 16 years ago

OMG, how could I have forgotten Barbara Baxley? Thanks for reminding me! She'd be the 5th spot. Yeah, I said it - all 5 nominees should be from Nashville!

"I did cramps the way Meryl Streep did accents" - Calliope (Middlesex)

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[–] sockmonkey-3 17 years ago

Without a doubt she should have one. It is one of my favorite performances in movies ever. But the real reason she should have won is that she so completely became that character that people thought that Barbara Jean was real. They were convinced that Altman had found this backwoods country girl to do it and gave him credit for her performance. She'd go on talk shows at the time and they'd want her to be in character as Barbara Jean. It did not do Ronnee Blakey's budding film career any favors. That she could so completely embody that character is, to me, Oscar obvious. Lily is great, but you can see her acting. You can see everybody acting in the movie but Barbara Jean - I mean Ronnee. Yikes - a natural Freudian slip. See what I mean?

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[–] jrhpax 16 years ago

Speaking only for myself, I would have voted to give Ronee Blakely the Oscar, and I think she gave one of the best performances I've ever seen. (BTW, "Nashville" is my all-time favorite movie.) The Oscar voters disagreed, and who am I to say that Lee Grant didn't deserve it?

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[–] jondoe888 16 years ago

I'd give Ronee an award just for her little scene in the hospital church, quietly singing a hymn to the few, while the others are hamming it up to their flock.

Making sense of Oscar wins is always a fun argument, but futile. We need a 'People's Award'... then we could argue about that, instead!

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[–] Prom_Queen_Carrie 16 years ago

I know sockmonkey! That's the thing. I think her performance was so good that people thought she really was that character. They thought she wasn't acting. That's how convincing she was.

Mama:I can see your dirty pillows everyone will!
Carrie:If you got it,flaunt it bitch!

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Prom_Queen_Carrie 16 years ago

Ronnee Blakley so should have won the Oscar that year. This was a worthy supporting performance if I ever saw one! Lee Grant didn't do anything in Shampoo. They just gave it to her to make up for her past blacklisting. Ronnee Blakley's performance was the most honest, compelling and convincing of the group.

The best part of Nashville and IMO one of the best performances ever. A sad portrait of an unstable country superstar trapped into a false fascade of what society wanted her to conform to. Her part is integral to the film because it represents the loss of innocence that occured after the Vietnam war.

I watch the film today and it still holds up as a heartbreaking, layered and beautiful piece of acting. That it loss just goes to show how the Oscars really do get it wrong 90% of the time anyway.

Mama:I can see your dirty pillows everyone will!
Carrie:If you got it,flaunt it bitch!

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[–] Lawdent 16 years ago

"Nashville" is probably my all-time favorite film and Ronnee was incredible. She definitely should have won the Oscar that year, and it's a crime that she did not enjoy a more successful career. The soundtrack is on my iPod and I still love "Tapedeck In His Tractor" -- now THAT's a country song.

"When the truth becomes the legend, print the legend."
... "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Jaynrand 14 years ago

It's repetitious for me to add my comment - but YES, Ronnee Blakeley gave the performance of the year in NASHVILLE.

I will also echo the comments to say that because it was her first film, we didn't really know she was acting. She WAS Barbara Jean. I love all of her songs, like everyone else - My Idaho Home is a favorite. But it's Barbara Jean singing Dues that breaks my heart. Just like Loretta, you knew that Barbara Jean wrote and was singing that song from her heart about her and her husband....."It's that careless disrespect.....I can't take no more, baby....."

Lily Tomlin was excellent as well....certainly better than Lee Grant with her Actors' Studio grimaces and ticks....but if I have to choose between my Nashville beauties.....I give it to Ronnee....

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[–] Isaac5855 14 years ago

I actually think the Best Supporting Actress Oscar that year went to the right person. This is the only time this has happened, but when I walked out of the theater after seeing SHAMPOO, I actually said to myself, "Lee Grant is going to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress." I saw NASHVILLE a couple of months later and began to worry that my prediction was going to be wrong because I thought Ronee Blakely, Lily Tomlin, and Barbara Harris all deserved nominations and after the nominations came out, the buzz was very strong for Tomlin. If anyone but Grant had won, I would have liked for it to have been Tomlin. Her performance is the most breathtakingly realistic turn in the entire film.

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