Best Actress 1988: Meryl Streep in A Cry In The Dark

Meryl Streep received her eighth Oscar nomination for playing Lindy Chamberlain in A Cry In The Dark. Lindy and her husband are accused of killing their baby at a campsite, but they both say that it was eaten and carried off by a dingo. Lindy is put on trial, and a whole media frenzy is put upon her and her husband. Streep is exceptional in this. It's a fascinating, beautifully controlled performance. Streep makes us see why someone would think she's guilty and why someone would think that she was innocent. Her scenes in the courtroom are so well played. It's just fantastic. I thought she and Sam Neil were a little unbelievable at first, but by the end I thought they both worked very well together. Her earlier scenes are also great, even though her accent wanders a little. We feel the pain and guilt she is feeling and it's executed perfectly. The ending is a little abrupt, but that is not her fault and to me, both the movie and her performance left me contemplating if she was guilty or not. A great, subtle performance that draws you in which gets