The results are in for the latest poll, which asked readers which role they most wish they could've seen Meryl do. The full results can be seen here, but I thought I'd comment a bit on the top vote-getters. The top five selections (among those which I specifically listed as options) were 1) Eva Perón in Evita, 2) Patsy Cline in Sweet Dreams, 3) Maria Callas in Master Class, 4) Fern in Nomadland, and 5) Martha Mitchell in Dirty Tricks. I was a little pleasantly surprised how high this last option scored (even though it only garnered three votes ha).
I chose Master Class (Thelma & Louise I think would've been my second choice), mostly because I'm an opera nerd and it would've been so great to see Meryl team with Mike Nichols one last time. Alas it was not meant to be.
The actual second-place selection was "other." I thought I had set up the poll to allow folks to write in their selections, but maybe that didn't work (or maybe nobody wanted to). But I'm fascinated to know if people had other specific roles in mind! It was only six votes, but it tied with Eva Perón for the top spot. For anyone who chose "other" I'd love it if you'd be willing to comment on the rationale for your selections (unless you simply didn't like any of my suggestions and didn't have an actual other project in mind, which is of course fine as well).
Any other suggestions on future polls?
I sometimes think if I could only choose one new role per decade, what would it be? It changes but right now:
ReplyDelete70s: The Rose
80s: Dangerous Liaisons
90s: Thelma & Louise
00s: In The Bedroom
10s: Masterclass
20s: Nomadland
I was one of the Evita votes. I'll admit I just can't let that one go! I recently rewatched an interview Meryl gave on US television in early 1989, while she was promoting 'A Cry in the Dark'. She was at the height of her powers – the Cannes best actress win was soon to deliver broader credibility and more European box office clout – and the interviewer raised the issue of Evita. Meryl said something like: "I think I'm doing that", coyly lifting a shoulder as though there was some doubt, adding that a trade paper had made the announcement that week. She admitted to being nervous, but the transformation into Eva Perón was already apparent in her face and demeanour. Oh my, what coulda been! In my heart, that picture got made and it exists out there in the universe somewhere!
ReplyDeleteIt really is a sore loss of a role. All the pieces were in place. I've read that government/political unrest where they wanted to shoot in South America delayed things, and like so many other wayward projects, it never came together...at least not with the Oliver Stone team.
DeleteI would have loved to see Meryl in a film where she played twins or identical lookalikes.
ReplyDeleteI can think of two where she’d have been great. “Dead of Night” - a horror film from the 80s starring Mary Steenbergen (who was great); and “Big Business”, a screwball comedy with Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin. The latter involved two sets of identical twins and they used split screen techniques to film the actresses. I would love to see Meryl acting opposite herself!