I disagree, this may not be the best example of her talent, but Sally Field is a wonderful, natural actress. I agree, she isn't the single most talented, versatile performer out there, not next to Streep or Blanchett. But she is always raw, honest, and realistic. Like so many other actors, she often plays a certain type (to the point of risking being typecast). Yet she always excels in the role.
This movie was more a vehicle for Newman and very much a wannabe All the President's Men/The China Syndrome that went too far with the characters having an implausible relationship. However, the acting was universally strong. A lot of what Field had to do was internal, and I liked how she subtly underplayed the reaction to Dillon's suicide. No, I agree it wasn't worthy of an Oscar, but you have mostly the character and script to blame for that. It was a mostly reactionary character, and I don't think any of Field's megastar peers, like Streep or Jane Fonda, could have done much more with the role.
If you want to point your finger as to why Sally Field has two Oscars, don't just look at her. Blame her agent for getting her two great Oscar-worthy roles. Nothing could beat Norma Rae. I haven't seen Places in the Heart, so I don't know if that was really any good or perhaps too close to her previous work.
But she was simply marvelous in (the TV-movie) Sybil.
The point is that it's very difficult to win more than one Oscar. The people who have that distinction, in almost every case, can thank the screenwriters for their great roles. Not everyone is Kate Hepburn. Most people have to work hard for their second Oscar, appear in a Best Picture nominee, physically transform themselves or play against type, etc.
It's the role that makes or breaks every performance from any reliable actor in Field's class.
Again, I don't think this dated and underwritten movie is the best example of her talent (or Newman's, for that matter). But I appreciate that they had that powerful scene together and didn't overact anything.
And I also don't think that the distinction between TV and movies holds up anymore. Field is simply brilliant in Brothers & Sisters, constantly elevating the material and being heartbreaking in what could have been a one-note, cliched role. It's the kind of performance/character that would garner her well-deserved Oscar consideration if it were in a movie. You look at Field and Glenn Close and these other actresses of a certain age who have returned to TV, and it's not simply about talent.
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