I CANNOT beleive she didn't win an Oscar for this. Her performance was masterful and each time I think about her performance I feel bitter for her. She was beyond wonderful. Her accent was flawless and she dominates every scene she is in.
Phenomonal isn't even the word to describe how highly I think of her performance. The Acadmey must have been on drugs when they gave out the awards that year.
Anyone agree?
*~Life is wasted on the living~*
I completely agree with you, jen. Meryl Streep gives a tremendous permformance as Lindy Chamberlain. Her performance as Chamberlain is flawless as she shows the same lack of emotion that Lindy herself did at certain points throughout the film but then shows the same emotion Lindy did when she was questioned about the night her baby was taken by the dingo. I think this role would have been amazingly hard to perfect but Meryl did it. She should have won that Oscar!!
Life is like an ocean. You've got to drown in it to feel its intensity.
As I said she was ROBBED! I cannot believe she didnt win! She was perfect, and I doubt that anybody else would have been able to give as much to the role as she did.
*~Life is wasted on the living~*
I can't wait to see this movie. I've been wanting to see it for a while now, but after reading the great compliments you've given this movie, I really want to see it ASAP! I'm a huge Meryl fan, so I'm sure I will love it as well. I placed a hold on this movie from my library, so I'm practically waiting by the phone to find out when I can pick it up. I'll be back on here as soon as I see it!
shareYou'll love it I'm sure. Parts are quite slow moving, but she gives a phenomanal performance. She is literally electric, you really want to love and sympathize with her character but you can see why people dont. As soon as you've seen it, come back here and tell me what you thought!
*~Life is wasted on the living~*
I just watched this movie last night, and jenjen21, I agree with everything you said! I really enjoyed this film... I was absolutely riveted the whole time. Meryl proves, once again, that she can play any role. This character appears emotionless on the surface, which makes her an easy target for slander from the public. It was hard to sympathize for her, but what happened to her baby was so horrific that you can't help but feel some pity for her. Meryl did it again- in every movie she does, I feel like I actually know the character she is playing, even if I don't agree with everything the character does and says (like with Lindy). I can't say enough about her impeccable performance! Her accent was flawless, but there was much more to her great work in this movie than that. I also have to mention Sam Neill; his performance was fantastic too.
The next movie I have to see is The Accused. I really like Jodie Foster, but I don't see how Meryl did NOT win the Best Actress Oscar that year! I believe she was robbed, but I'd like to see Jodie's performance and see if I can possibly understand why Meryl didn't win.
I loved Meryl's performance in this movie. And she deserved the nomination. But Jodie Foster was by far the best actress that year in THE ACCUSED.
sharejodie foster was very good in the accused but the movie sucked, so many critics dumped on it...either meryl streep or sigourney weaver for gorillas in the mist should have won that year.
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Yes, both Jodie and Meryl were absolutely amazing, as you've all said, and it's a very tough question to answer... Well, I'd have certainly given the Oscar for both of them (like the Academy made back in 1969, with Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand), but if it had to be just one, it would by far be Jodie, but believe me, by far...
Anyway, this starts another injustice: the case of actress Sigourney Weaver. As Cat33-1 said, she was also nominated as best actress that year for Michael Apted's "Gorillas in the Mist" and lost. For those who saw the film, I'm sure they agree with me: this isn't the kind of performance you see everyday... She was simply astonishing and absolutely natural in the role, and I think she also had more than potential enough to win...
In the end, I just prefer to think that 1988 was a great year for female leading performances... as long with the three superb ones above, the other Oscar nominees were Glenn Close in "Dangerous Liaisons" (wonderful) and Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl" (surprisingly great), not to mention others that were not even nominated, like Shirley MacLaine in "Madame Sousatzka" and Christine Lahti in Sidney Lumet's "Running on Empty"... with such a concorrence, I think it's already satisfying to see that our dear Meryl Streep was nominated (and got close to win).
"I could've been a contender!"
forbidden but I still feel Meryl deserved the Oscar more than Jodie. I wasn't a big fan of The Accused, but I love Jodie Foster and thought she gave a wonderful performance, she really put herself out there emotionally for the part. Meryl, also put her self out there emotionally and gave a perfect performance. I also agree with starlet about her characther, you really wanted to feel sympathy for her because of what happened to her child but you also see why people doubted her innocence because of the way she dealt with the situation.
I haven't seen "Gorillas in the Mist" but I would like to see it. I think that year should have been a draw between Jodie and Meryl, it was a great year for actresses. I feel that Meryl's performance in "A Cry in the Dark" was underrated.
Those of you who still have your lives take them with you.
Okay guys, before you all start yelling at me.. I just wanted to ask if any of you here are Australian or know any Aussie's.. Because even though Meryl's performance was amazing.. Her Aussie accent is crap! I'm Australian, in fact, I grew up across the street from Frank Cole, the man who now claims to have shot the dingo that took Azaria...As far as I know, her accent in the film is a joke amongst Australian's,(that is at least, all the Aussie's I know) and I reckon she sounds more like a Kiwi... So please dont get all pissy with me.. I agree that her performance in the film was superb, I just had to comment about the accent... Also.. I think Jodie deserved the oscar more than any other nominee that year, although the competition was TOUGH!! 1988 was a great year for women in film!!
Your Perfect Yes It's True.... But Without Me You're Only You
Sorry but I couldn't bare to see this film after hearing Streep (who I think is a wonderful actress) say in a trailer "A dingo ate my baby" in the most awful Australian accent imitation I have ever heard.
shareLindy is not an Australian you mental midget! Meryl Streep was doing Lindy Chamberlain's New Zealand accent, and sounded just like her!
share"Lindy is not an Australian you mental midget! Meryl Streep was doing Lindy Chamberlain's New Zealand accent, and sounded just like her!"
That's rather hilareous given that Lindy who was born in NZ, lived in Australia from the time she was 20 months old. So please tell me how much NZ accent would Lindy actually have after 30 years? No wonder Meryl's voice didn't ring true!
About the accent: Unless you've seen footage of the real Lindy Chamberlain, I don't think we can fault Streep's accent. Among the world's actors, Streep is known to have the highest standards in perfecting the accents (and characterizations) of her subjects -- ESPECIALLY if they are real life subjects. I'm sure she studied all possible footage of Chamberlain, plus met with her, plus studied intensively with a dialogue coach.
The New Zealand accent can have several reasons -- that is, several reasons why Lindy still retained her Kiwi accent. (1) Her parents had that accent. (2) Her husband Michael was also a Kiwi -- and was a much much more recent immigrant. (3) Being a Seventh-Day Adventist, it's possible Lindy grew up in a tight-knit circle of other 7th-Day New Zealand immigrants (there were hardly any *Australian* 7th-Day Adventists back then) and hence retained/copied their accents.
In short, unless you've seen extensive footage of the REAL Lindsay Chamberlain, stop goofing on Streep about her Kiwi accent. And keep your bloody babies out of the way of dingoes!
"About the accent: Unless you've seen footage of the real Lindy Chamberlain, I don't think we can fault Streep's accent"
That's true. In case you didn't know, when Lindy's baby disappeared in mysterious circumstances, Lindy was in the news here (in Australia) talking over and over for months and months. Lindy has a weird accent and YES Meryl is a fine actress but SORRY folks Meryl sounded comical trying to imitate her accent.
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yes she was born there, however she and her family immigrated to country Victoria, when she was less than two years of age! So really, she grew up in Australia, that is where she learned to talk, and that's where she developed an australian accent.
You're Perfect Yes It's True.... But Without Me You're Only You
Uhm, it's not Australian as much as it is a New Zealand accent, because Lindy was from New Zealand. And when I saw Meryl on Rosie O'Donnell (sp?), she said she was doing a NEW ZEALAND accent not an Australian one.
"Don't lets ask for the moon... We have the stars"
Her accent was awful but her acting was good. I think she really figured out why people went after Lindy so viciously. Normally people would feel bad for Lindy, but Lindy tended to, as Streep showed us, sort of remove herself from her surroundings, which made her seem kind of cold and distant. Streep once said how uncharming and lacking in mass appeal Lindy was, which I think was really true.
Its difficult to say whether an accent worked or not, a perfect example is an English accent, theres not just ONE English accent, theres a variety beacuse it depends which part of England you're from. Liverpool accents differ from Birmingham ones, and so on. I think thats the case with Meryl's accent in this film.
And will you tell all your friends, you've got your gun to my head?
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Maybe that's not funny
Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes.
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No it's really, really not that little girl lost her life. But I guess if you can make a joke (that was more stupid then funny) then everyone is happy?
Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes.
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Ok when you lose a loved one tell me, So I can show up and laugh at you
Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes.
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LOL!
Back on topic, I agree that Meryl should definitely have won that year. But then, there are lots of years when she was very deserving and didn't win. The Academy take her for granted.
Yeah, well she got one for five minutes of screen time in Kramer vs. Kramer, so I guess it all evens out.
shareFor the people saying merryl's accent was crap, is just rubbish, Merryl couldn't have been more spot on...and I'm Australian too...
Don't forget Lindy had a strange half-australian, half-new zealand accent, and Merryl did it perfectly, it's one of the most amazing things about the film, that's how Lindy spoke!
So watch the movie again, and remember: Lindy wasn't Australian, she was from new Zealand, and she didn't have a normal Australian accent. What Merryl did in that role was beyond magnificent...
Oh and I also think Sam Neil was perfect as Michael Chamberlain too, he under-played that role amazingly, just like Michael was in the whole thing.
No way... I just didn`t feel she was strong enough in this role. Ms. Foster rightfully deserved the Oscar......
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