Accents Mastered updated

Ok, I was reading a few scenes tonight from the August: Osage County play script (because I'm an obsessive freak) and I was remembering reading a recent tweet which stated that Benedict Cumberbatch was having difficulty getting into the dialect of an Oklahoman.  Shocking that someone born and raised in London might struggle with such a drawl.  It made me think about how natural it'll probably come to Meryl, assuming it would be similar to her accent in Silkwood.   Then I remembered that I had listed in my previous Accents Mastered post that as Karen Silkwood, Meryl donned a "rural-Oklahoman" accent.  Having looked up Karen Silkwood, I recalled that she was actually born and raised in Texas.  It's therefore unlikely that as a reasonably young adult she didn't retain something more of a Texan accent.  I don't really even know what that would be, but Nederland, Texas is on the eastern border of the state, and I doubt folks from that "neck of the woods" sounded exactly like Oklahomans.

Therefore, I've updated her accent in Silkwood to "Texan."  Also, since filming on August: Osage County is set to begin one week from today, I thought I'd include this film in the updated version.  You may be wondering how I can consider this an "accent mastered" when they haven't even begun shooting.  Well, I've seen the play, and they all have Oklahoman accents, so I think there's about a .01% chance that Meryl will not have one in this film, and an even slimmer chance that she won't "master" it.    

The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979)--Tennessean
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)--British (specifically Received Pronunciation)
Sophie's Choice (1982)--Polish (in English and German)
Silkwood (1983)--Texan
Plenty (1985)--British
Out of Africa (1985)--Danish
Ironweed (1987)--Irish-American
A Cry in the Dark (1988)--New Zealand (with strong layers of Australian)
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)--Italian (Meryl calls it Iowatalian)
Dancing at Lughnasa (1998)--Irish
Angels in America (2003)--Yiddish and Bronx (in separate roles)
A Prairie Home Companion (2006)--Midwestern
Doubt (2008)--Bronx
Julie & Julia (2009)--Boston Brahmin
The Iron Lady (2011)--British (again Received Pronunciation)
August: Osage County (2013)--Oklahoman

Ewan McGregor cast as "Bill"

Wow, two casting updates in under 24 hours.  Variety is on it this week.  It was just revealed that Scottish actor Ewan McGregor has been cast as "Bill" in August: Osage County.   This announcement comes less than a day after we were given our "Johnna" in actress Misty Upham.  McGregor is a fantastic actor and I'm thrilled that we continue to get such big names added to the cast.  He's probably best known for his role as a drug addict in Trainspotting and of course opposite Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge (the latter not my fav).  When I originally saw his name I thought he seemed a bit young too, but at 41, he's only a little over three years younger than his onscreen wife, played by Julia Roberts.

The role for McGregor is by no means huge, but I am so excited about seeing this amazing collection of actors working together as an ensemble.  This could be really special.  Definitely an actors' film and will therefore be very much on the awards season radar early on.   Of course it technically already is, but let's at least let them begin shooting before we start handing out Oscars.

 I've read on Meryl Streep forums that Amy Adams is more than likely not going to be in the film as "Ivy."  Possible reasons include being too busy, or being too tired after participating in Into the Woods in Central Park this summer.  She also likely has a lot of press responsibilities in the coming months promoting both The Master and Trouble with the Curve.  So, I've removed her from the list completely.  I'm not disappointed.   As I've said in previous posts, two films with her and Meryl in the last four years is plenty.  Alrighty, here's where things stand as of this afternoon:

Violet Weston: Meryl Streep (confirmed)
Barbara Fordham: Julia Roberts (confirmed)
Charlie Aiken: Chris Cooper (confirmed)
Karen Weston: Juliette Lewis (confirmed)
Jean Fordham: Abigail Breslin (confirmed)
Beverly Weston: Sam Shepard (confirmed)
Mattie Fae Aiken: Margo Martindale (confirmed)
Steve Heidebrecht: Dermot Mulroney (confirmed)
Little Charles Aiken: Benedict Cumberbatch (confirmed)
Johnna Monevata: Misty Upham (confirmed)
Bill Fordham: Ewan McGregor (confirmed)

Yet to be confirmed:

Ivy
Sheriff Deon

Misty Upham cast as "Johnna"

Variety is reporting that Misty Upham has been cast as housekeeper "Johnna" in Meryl's upcoming film August: Osage County.  Upham, of Native American descent (evidently Blackfoot tribe), is probably best known for her supporting role in 2008's Frozen River.   Melissa Leo earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in the film.  This may elicit a gay gasp but I've never seen the movie.   I guess I have a good reason to now.  With shooting set to begin in under two weeks, we can hopefully expect to have the remaining three cast members revealed over the next thirteen days. 

We now have only Sheriff Deon, Bill and Ivy left to round out the full cast.  Ivy will be huge.  Bill isn't a tiny part by any means, but Ivy is arguably in the top two of role importance in this story.  Although Barbara likely has more screen time, Ivy and Violet are the two most interesting characters in my opinion.  Plus, whoever plays Ivy will likely have some intimate scenes with Meryl.  Here's where we stand as of tonight:

Violet Weston: Meryl Streep (confirmed)
Barbara Fordham: Julia Roberts (confirmed)
Charlie Aiken: Chris Cooper (confirmed)
Karen Weston: Juliette Lewis (confirmed)
Jean Fordham: Abigail Breslin (confirmed)
Beverly Weston: Sam Shepard (confirmed)
Ivy Weston: Amy Adams (speculated, but I doubt it)
Mattie Fae Aiken: Margo Martindale (confirmed)
Steve Heidebrecht: Dermot Mulroney (confirmed)
Little Charles Aiken: Benedict Cumberbatch (confirmed)
Johnna Monevata: Misty Upham (confirmed)

Yet to be confirmed:

Ivy
Bill
Sheriff Deon

 

Update on Meryl's chances for Oscar

This morning I took a look at Awards Daily forums, thinking I would casually peruse the comments on where things stand with best actress.  I found myself engulfed in an almost endless litany of personal top ten lists.  After only 36 pages(!), I came away with a very different outlook on this year's race for Oscar.  As I wrote earlier this week, Helen Hunt had been moved to the supporting category for The Sessions on Gold Derby, and with what I read today, that seems to be the near consensus.   In addition, I was surprised to see that not only did Laura Linney's performance in Hyde Park on Hudson not receive much love, she was essentially removed from all top five (and many top ten) lists.  That's a huge jump.  

Maggie Smith's upcoming Quartet (which seems to be very much up my alley) has been gaining major steam.  But the biggest revelation at the Toronto Film Festival this weekend appears to be Jennifer Lawrence's performance in the dramatic comedy Silver Linings Playbook.  I mean, some people on the forum are basically describing this lack luster best actress category as "game over" now that Lawrence's performance has been unveiled, after it seemed that Quvenzhane Wallis was the overwhelming front-runner.  Up until this morning, I was giving Meryl a pretty good chance at slipping into that fifth slot, but those chances may become increasingly more dismal over the coming months.  The news of Lawrence also bodes poorly for Meryl's chances at the Golden Globe in musical/comedy, as Silver Linings Playbook will likely be included in the same category.  Acknowledging that it's only September (for crying out loud), here are what seem to be the top five chances at Oscar nominations:

1. Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
2. Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)
3. Maggie Smith (Quartet)  
4. Marion Cotillard (Rust & Bone)
5. Keira Knightley (Anna Karenina)

Knightley could fall by the wayside pretty quickly if reviews for her turn out to be lack-luster.   Streep, based on this list, would probably fall between sixth and eighth.   Of course, as fickle as these things can be, we may be saying something completely different in a week.   But I wager the top five will include at least three of the names in the above list.   I'm not too bummed about Meryl's buzz dropping considerably.  I really can't be, considering before Hope Springs came out I had zero expectation of anything more than a Globe nomination.  And even if somehow Meryl does get an Oscar nod, in a year as weak as this, it'll be more of a filler.   If she doesn't get any love from the Academy this year, all the more chance that she'll be recognized next year for you-know-what (wink).
 

"August: Osage County" filming blurb

There was an article online last night that describes a few details about the upcoming shoot for August: Osage County.   Location manager Joe Guest spoke at a Bartlesville financial forum where they discussed the helpful impact that filming will have on the respective local economies.  From what they were describing it sounds like the film is going to be a rather large production.  We already know that the budget (at least according to imdb) is a cool $50,000,000.  I imagine that includes the considerable costs of paying very big-name actors.  I gather that most of the filming will be done in the home they've chosen in Pawhuska, with a bit done in Bartlesville as well.

It's been reiterated from this article that shooting indeed begins on Monday, September 24, and is evidently scheduled to go about three months.  The estimated shooting schedule length surprised me a little.  I assumed they'd have this wrapped up in about six weeks.  However, this was a very long play, and my guess is that they're going to do a ton of filming and pare it down in post.   Maybe that way Tracy Letts didn't have to make too many cuts to his script.  I really don't have much idea on how these things work, I'm just creating a scenario in my mind because I so badly want the film to include all the best parts (yes, I need to get a major grip).

So, we're only about two weeks out from shooting and I'm very excited to see updates over the coming months.  Including a finalized cast, perhaps...?  Ugh.

Meryl up to #5 on Gold Derby Oscar predictions

I happened to check out the latest Gold Derby rankings last night and was pleasantly surprised to see that Meryl has moved up to #5 on their best actress predictions list.  Helen Hunt has been removed from the list entirely.  It was a bit confusing because I thought maybe they were going to push back the release of The Sessions, similar to The Great Gatsby, but John Hawkes is still among the best actors at #2.  I didn't see it last night, but today I noticed that Helen Hunt is now listed at #6(!) on the supporting actress list.

This is good news for Meryl's chances at an Oscar nomination for Hope Springs.  I don't know if Hunt is officially going to be campaigned in supporting, but Regina at FYC Meryl Streep and I both agree that it's a stupid idea moving her to that category.  That coupled with the underwhelming reception of Laura Linney's performance in Hyde Park on Hudson at this weekend's Telluride Film Festival signals an uptick in buzz for Meryl.  We'll have to wait and see if more sites begin to push Hunt over to the supporting category. 

Film review: "Plenty" (1985)

I thought I'd take a break from my compulsive August: Osage County updates and take a look at a film that I feel I've watched twice without really remembering what happens.  In addition to enjoying Meryl's several lines delivered in French, after viewing it again I realized it's actually a really good character story.   Plenty was adapted from David Hare's 1978 play about Susan Traherne, a British former agent for the French Resistance during World War II.   The crux of the story is the internal and eventually external battle Susan (Meryl) goes through as she attempts to adjust to post-war life.

Around this self-destruction revolve various stories in a non-chronological timeline.  After the fighting and a brief tryst with a fellow agent (played by Sam Neill) end, Susan takes a series of unfulfilling jobs, hoping to find something even remotely resembling the excitement and drive of purpose she felt during war time.  She is unsuccessful in this endeavor, as she is in trying to fill the void by conceiving a child with an almost-stranger, Mick, played by Sting.  Yes, Sting.  During this time we see her befriend the young Alice Park, played by Tracey Ullman.  Alice becomes a sort of background partner in Susan's eccentricities and ultimate catalyst in squabbles with her diplomat husband, Raymond (Charles Dance).

I was intrigued in learning about the general sense of disillusionment that was apparently felt among many Europeans after the war, particularly English high society.  Susan finds the day to day pleasantries and unquestioned existence too much.  She slowly self destructs, illustrated by a series of progressively selfish, uncontrolled diatribes against her husband and his colleagues.  One of Meryl's best scenes is with Sir John Gielgud, who plays an English diplomat whom Susan considers, along with many others, to be a stuffy, out of date blunderer.



We don't see it in this clip, but my favorite line from the movie comes earlier in this scene, when the Burmese ambassador, struggling with his word choice remarks "The English language, she is a demanding mistress...you beat her and the bitch obeys."  A tad disturbing and misogynistic perhaps, but I thought it funny nonetheless.  Anyway,  I think Meryl does a great job here of portraying someone's who just seems bored.  The decorum of the dinner party gathering is something against which she is trying to rail.  How best to shake things up?  Susan's way is to become rude, and to belittle and attempt to embarrass her husband.  She succeeds.

After essentially ruining her husband's prospects of advancement, Susan decides to go behind his back and insist on a promotion within his office.  Here Susan finds her intellectual match in Sir Andrew Charleson (played by Ian McKellen).  When she learns that her efforts will not result in an advancement in her husband's weakened career, we see her damaged psyche in full effect as she threatens to kill herself.  The destruction is complete when her last desperate and delusional attempt at finding purpose (converting her home into a house for battered wives) is stopped short by Raymond trying to finally get through to her.    It doesn't work.

Roger Ebert had a good quote about Meryl in this film saying she gives "a performance of great subtlety; it is hard to play an unbalanced, neurotic, self-destructive woman, and do it with such gentleness and charm...Streep creates a whole character around a woman who could have simply been a catalogue of symptoms."  It makes one question why Meryl wasn't really recognized for awards in this film.  Well, I'm not saying it absolutely warranted an Oscar nom (which it did), but she had another little film released in 1985 called Out of Africa.   We'll leave that discussion for a future post in "Snubs."