Poll #10: Which Streep film or performance left you particularly disappointed?

Now that I've rekindled the polls, I'm adding one that at first glance might seem a bit uncharacteristic for the tone of this blog. A commenter had suggested doing a poll of where "Meryl underperformed by public opinion." I think this isn't a bad idea to explore. As much as I'm consistently astounded by Streep's performances, there are definitely films that I've gotten supper jazzed about seeing, only to have my expectations not met. Whether it be the role itself, the quality of the film, critical or box office success, or (very rarely) how Meryl approached a certain aspect of the character, there have been times I wish I'd seen a different outcome. 

The below list is obviously not exhaustive. I just chose a number of films that weren't exactly unanimous gems. I'm sure some folks may choose something not on the list, or even one of her most lauded performances, for reasons that are special to them. I just like to hear the discussion. As in the last poll, I'll leave my answer for the results post next week. 

Fire away!

"Don't Look Up" officially releases to Netflix on December 24

I guess we have confirmation, now that Netflix has tweeted its plan to release Adam McKay's film Don't Look Up on Christmas Eve:

DON’T LOOK UP (Dec 24)

Written and directed by Adam McKay, two low-level astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence) must go on a giant global media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.

— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) August 23, 2021

The film will open its brief theatrical run on December 10, qualifying it for Oscar consideration. I'll likely try to see it in the theater if it's anywhere near Minneapolis.  If not, maybe I'll have some viewing plans to add to my busy holiday weekend. 

Results of poll #9

Last week, I reinstated the poll tag on the blog! Folks made their choice in response to the question, "Besides 'Sophie's Choice,' what was Meryl's best screen performance?"

Below are the top five results:

1. Doubt

2. The Bridges of Madison County

3. The Devil Wears Prada

4. A Cry in the Dark

5. (tie) Adaptation, Silkwood

I have to admit, I'm a little surprised that Doubt came out on top. I'm certainly not complaining. I absolutely LOVE that movie and performance. I think a lot of people find Meryl's portrayal of Sister Aloysius a bit over the top. It might be a tad, but I think it's splendid. Bridges is an excellent choice too. I happened to select A Cry in the Dark. Her performance as a ordinary woman from Australia thrown into extraordinary circumstances was both mesmerizing and heartbreaking. And she did a wonderful job with a very difficult accent (I always love that). 

I'd be curious to know why other people chose what they did. And specifically which role those who selected "other" would've chosen?  Big Little Lies? I'm also surprised more people didn't choose Angels in America. The scenes as Ethel Rosenberg are probably top five for me in Meryl's career.

Any suggestions for the next poll?

"Don't Look Up" set to drop on Netflix on December 22

Film Updates tweeted on Wednesday that Don't Look Up is apparently going to be released to Netflix on Wednesday, December 22. 

Adam Mckay's #DontLookUp is set to release on December 22.

The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rob Morgan, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Himesh Patel, Timothée Chalamet, Kid Cudi, and Ariana Grande. (Source: @IndieWire) pic.twitter.com/144Ybip5iQ

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 11, 2021

I don't know for sure exactly how reliable this site is, but the folks on Awards Watch seem to think it might be legit. It seems like a perfectly reasonable date. I though a Wednesday may seem strange, but if they released it on the 24th instead two days later, its number would probably be lower because a lot of folks are likely going to be busy doing other things on Christmas Eve. We'll see if we get confirmation from Netflix. Knowing they're going to have a short-run theatrical release as well, it'll be interesting to see when that date is going to be, and in exactly how many cities it will actually play. 

Ten years of Word on the Streep!

Wow. It's hard to believe it's really been this long. I can remember the summer of 2011 after the first teaser for The Iron Lady came out. So many people were abuzz with how uncanny Meryl's portrayal seemed in just a few short seconds of dialogue. 

Something about it got me more excited than I had in previous awards seasons leading up to a film's release. It probably helped that I'd been dating Joe for a year and a half by that point, and he was savvy enough with the computer to suggest putting my thoughts about all things Meryl onto a blog. Welp...ten years and over a thousand posts later, I've enjoyed perhaps the biggest deep dive into Meryl's screen career anyone has ever undertaken (at least for those of us who choose to write down their thoughts about it publicly). 

Just a quick rundown of some bigger projects Meryl has done since I started:

The Iron Lady

Hope Springs

August: Osage County

Into the Woods

Ricki and the Flash

Florence Foster Jenkins

The Post

Big Little Lies

Little Women

The Prom 
Let Them All Talk

Imagine if she could have another decade even close to the success these films have achieved for her. I suspect many out there may think her best days are far behind her. After all, she just turned 72! Who in God's name is going to have an illustrious string of performances (or even parts!) into their 80s? 

Meryl Streep. That's who. And beyond. Here's to the next ten years of her work. I hope to keep following it every step of the way. My continued gratitude to any and all readers and participants of this blog. It's been a wonderful ride, and I thank you. 

A new poll!

I've missed being able to do polls on this site. The interaction and opinions from readers are always a fun aspect. A couple of years ago, Blogger for some lame reason discontinued that widget. I tried one from a different site but didn't like it much, so I kind of just left it alone. It's been on my mind to revisit it, and I think the one I found actually seems pretty good, so I decided to give it a try. Hopefully it works out! I'll wait to divulge my choice until I close the poll in a week. 

First teaser from "Don't Look Up"

Last night during the Olympics, NBC aired a teaser for Adam McKay's upcoming Netflix film, Don't Look Up. The quality isn't great, as it wasn't officially released to YouTube, for example, and just pulled from someone's TV screen:

I've read that a lot of people are in a tizzy about Meryl's wig in this. I have to wonder if the choice is a bit tongue-in-cheek, as sort of an oblique parody of our recent former president and his bad hair life. 

Meryl's time during the teaser is extremely brief (a couple seconds). They definitely played up the humor. Jonah Hill looked effective as the sort of bro-ish clown. Leo DiCaprio certainly seems to be playing a little against type--it's not often we see him as the nerdy professor in a less than serious role. Jennifer Lawrence seemed fine. With only a thirty second spot, it's hard to glean a ton of info (the film is 145 minutes long), but it's just fun to get an early look. Hoping this means we'll see a full trailer sooner than later.