MovieChat Forums > Sophie's Choice (1983) Discussion > What's the SECOND best female performanc...

What's the SECOND best female performance?

posted 18 years ago by SheniquaFurr
137 replies | jump to latest

The general consensus, and rightly so, is that this is the finest performance by a film actress ever. I have watched this movie many times, with many different goals (one included evaluating the movie without considering Streep's performance), and yes, it is almost certainly the best performance by a female actor ever filmed.

So my thread is this: Let's assume that this is the best performance. What's your pick for the second best performance by a female in film? Please include reasons. Being a fan is a reason but not a good enough one. Explain why you're a fan then.

I am thinking, my personal candidates would be:

Helen Mirren in The Queen, since she really did nail it and walked a very delicate tightrope. When you think about it, any decent actress would consider this to be one of the most terrifying roles she could take. Especially if she were a British actress. Mirren was both fearless and flawless.

Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream. Once again, another horrifying descent into a different type of abyss for an actress. Her unquenchable rage just barely beneath the surface of what could have been a two dimensional portrait of a rich junkie girl is what did it for me. The scene where she stands completely nude in the mirror and examines herself -- What happened to my life, how did I get here? That was heartbreaking. Her sex scene for drugs made me feel filthy and horrible and violated.

Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine. I am going to be biased and pick this as my second best female performance ever. I am a huge fan of the Great (younger) Kate, because all of her characters have some unknowable and slightly dangerous trait of unpredicatability. No matter what her character is, there is always the chance that things could turn dark and dangerous, and quickly. In Eternal Sunshine, her character knows this. Clem knows she is a crazy girl and she probably knows exactly why and how and when and where. She has all the answers but not the solution. She still doesn't have access to peace and joy and security. She knows she just might run even if she doesn't want to. What was amazing to me was that most of our exposure to Clem happens in Joel's head. We get to know Clem through Joel's eyes and memories. It was amazing for Kate to add that extra layer on top of this unstable and unpredictable character, to make her not just Clementine, but Joel's (mostly accurate) version of Clementine. And we fall for her as we go back in time, and we discover along with Joel just what it was about her that made him and us fall for this kooky girl to begin with.

Those are my three ideas, with Kate in Eternal Sunshine being my official second best female acting performance in film. It is just my opinion, and I am sure there might be demonstrably better choices that I simply haven't seen yet.

Come on, this would be a good discussion point. I want to hear what others think and why.

[–] waitingxforxyou-1 17 years ago

Wow, it seems the majority of this thread hasn't seen any of the Best Actress Oscar wins past 1980, or a lot of past female performances...

Vivien Leigh, hands down, for Gone With the Wind AND Streetcar Named Desire
Bette Davis for All About Eve and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Katharine Hepburn, The Philadelphia Story
Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night
Teresa Wright, Shadow of a Doubt
Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce

Can't even think of them right now

[–] Prom_Queen_Carrie 17 years ago

well I put Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs as my number one femalae perfomrance of all time. It may not be as flashy and actressy as most acclaimed female performances but for me it's the most compelling and nuanced female performance I've ever seen.

so

1. Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs

2. Charlize Theron in Monster-BRILLIANT BRILLIANT showstopping performance and if a man gave one like this rather than a beautiful blonde it would get more respect

3. Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

4. Sissy Spacek in Carrie

5. Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves

Honorable mentions:
Liv Ullman in Person/Autumn Sonata/Face to Face
Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry
Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures/Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Frances McDormand in Fargo
Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire
Jodie Foster in the Accused/Taxi Driver
Sissy Spacek in Coal Miners Daughter
Meryl Streep in Silkwood/Kramer vs Kramer
Shelley Duvall in 3 Women
Faye Dunaway in Chinatown/Network

[–] jamesrcook2003 17 years ago

I fully agree with many of the posts that to find stand out performances in recent American cinema you need look no further than Frances McDormand in Fargo, Jennifer Connolly in Requiem and Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine.

I also believe that Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton deserve much praise for their portrayals of Ripley and Sarah Connor, two women putting in strong performances carrying the narratives of two hugely popular franchises.
But to find the best performances by female actors I think you have to look to French cinema for the truly memorable performances of all time. Audrey Tautou as Amélie is simply perfect. She is so endearing as the lead character and epitomises everything that the film stands for. I totally fell in love with the film and Audrey Tautou when I first watched Amélie.
Top of the pile without doubt for me though is Monica Bellucci in Irréversible. Her screen time is quite minimal compared to all the above-mentioned performances but what she achieves in that film is near on amazing. I have never been moved as much by the now infamous rape scene when I was watching that film. Much respect to her for putting herself through what must have been a harrowing experience in order to bring this important piece of cinema to life. Looking past the obvious her later (earlier!!) love scenes are truly believable and you genuinely begin to feel anguish and sadness knowing what awaits her. Much praise to Gaspar Noé for A. producing the master piece that is Irréversible, B. for dealing with such a complex, disturbing subject matter, C. showing the film in reverse order (with much better effect than Christopher Nolan’s Memento) and finally D. allowing his actors to improvise the scenes, which makes the film feel so realistic and brings the characters to life.

[–] overkated 17 years ago

ya'll are tripping.

viven leigh -gone with the wind.

the end. :D

[–] johhnywave 17 years ago

The ending to Dancer in the Dark was really awakening. Personally I did not enjoy the movie and I almost complete lost interest towards the end; however, Bjork's singing, and then the sound (trying not to give spoilers even though most people probably already know what happened), it is every bit as frightening as the end to Requiem for a Dream. Some people found it more emotional than frightening because like I said, I started to lose interest, but it's up there.

[–] waitingxforxyou-1 17 years ago

Doesn't get any better than that.

[–] heiminator 17 years ago

my number one female performance of all time is without any doubt linda hamilton in terminator 2,its a mistery to me how shel was not even nominated for the oscar that year, her on screen presence is mindblowing
number two would be maribel verdú as mercedes in pans labyrinth (the housekeeper),absolutely brilliant
i have yet to see sophies choice though :-)

[–] sinunponi 17 years ago

Actually Meryl's fantastic performance isn't the best in my opinion ;) But it's definitely among the best! Such a heartbreaking story and Meryl is phenomenal, with her perfect accent and all.

My number one female performance is Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream. Words cannot describe how much I love that performance. Ellen is so great that you forget she's acting, she really becomes Sara Goldfarb! I still haven't been able to watch the scene where she talks about what she has and how alone she is to her son, without crying. She not winning an Oscar is a disgrace.

I'm so happy that Linda Hamilton's been mentioned! That's a performance that could very easily been forgotten when thinking about great female performances. She as Sarah Connor, what a flawless performance! She should've been nominated. It's such a shame that roles in action movies always seem to be forgotten, no matter how great they might be. Not all action movies are ridiculous explosion-filled disasters.

Hilary Swank in Boy's Don't Cry has to be my number two. I won't even bother to explain myself with this one, everybody who's seen the movie knows how amazing she is. An Oscar well deserved.

GO VEGAN.

[–] heat_like_burning 17 years ago

Some of My faves include

Emily Watson - Breaking the waves. Wow what a performance. Not just the scenes where she breaks down and cries, but the ones where she talks to god and then replies to herself as if shes possesed, then the scenese where shes just wandering around aimless in her ripped shirt and red hotpants while the boys throw rocks at her. God its so sad. And even just when she spoke normally. She got the "not quite retarted but definatly slow" thing down pact.

Bjork - Dancer In The Dark . Yes i Have a Thing 4 Lars Von Trier. he always seems to bring the best out of his female leads. Itb amazes me that Bjork had no training, but then i guess that was part of the charm. The last 30 minutes in particular were excruitiating to watch. She was completly and unteerly perfect.

Hillary Swank - bOYS DON'T CRY. Im glad she won an oscar 4 this, cos the other two didn't. This was y fave performance 4 a long while. The rape scene was good enough, buit just the whole thing. She passed completly 4 a boy, and you could feel her embarassent and shame when she had to buy tampons.

Linda Hamilton _ Terminator 2. I have to add this, cos she was so dam cool. The scene when her arms all all *beep* and she pumps the shotgun with her 1 other arm, is about the coolist thing ive ever seen in an action movie, male or female character. Maybe her performance didnt have as much emotional depth as the other 3, but she was all heart/character/cool

hey, yoda needs to give some better advice, or yoda needs to shut the *beep* up

[–] cswitzer82 16 years ago

I agree it is the finest female performance in cinema...international cinema that is. For me, Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves places second, Charlize Theron in Monster and Holly Hunter in The Piano also rank high, as does Isabelle Huppert in The Piano Teacher and Bette Davis in All About Eve.

[–] otims 16 years ago

Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress is quite simply mesmerizing. Judy Garland in A Star is Born must be the greatest display of all-round talent in any medium. And Barbara Stanwyck in Stella Dallas. Those, with Streep in Sophie's Choice, are my all-time greats.