Best Actress 1993

The next year I'll be doing a profile/ranking on is 1993 and the nominees were:


Angela Bassett in What's Love Got To Do With it?

Stockard Channing in Six Degrees Of Separation

Holly Hunter In The Piano

Emma Thompson in The Remains Of The Day

Debra Winger in Shadowlands





















So, who do you think will win? Who are you rooting for?

Ranking of the nominees and years so far

1. 1969

2. 1974

3. 2006

4. 1976

5. 1988

6. 2002


1. Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven (2002)

2. Judi Dench in Notes On A Scandal (2006)

3. Maggie Smith in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

4. Kate Winslet in Little Children (2006)

5. Liv Ullman in Face To Face (1976)

6. Sissy Spacek in Carrie (1976)

7. Faye Dunaway in Network (1976 )

8. Liza Minnelli in The Sterile Cuckoo (1969)

9. Gena Rowlands in A Woman Under The Influence (1974)

10. Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1976)

11. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liasions (1988)

12. Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

13. Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)

14. Valerie Perrine in Lenny (1974)

15. Jane Fonda in They Shoot Horses Don't They (1969)

16. Genevieve Ann Bujold in Anne Of The Thousand Days (1969)

17. Meryl Streep in A Cry In The Dark (1988)

18. Diahaan Carol in Claudine (1974)

19. Jodie Foster in The Accused (1988)

20. Jean Simmons in The Happy Ending (1969)

21. Diane Lane in Unfaithful (2002)

22. Renee Zellweger in Chicago (2002)

23. Penelope Cruz in Volver (2006)

24. Marie Christine Barrault in Cousin, Cousin (1976)

25. Signourney Weaver in Gorillas In The Mist (1988)

26. Helen Mirren in The Queen (2006)

27. Nicole Kidman in The Hours (2002)

28. Melanie Griffith in Working Girl (1988)

29. Talia Shire in Rocky (1976)

30. Salma Hayek in Frida (2002)


And now we're at 30 nominees. It's been very interesting and very fun to see and rewatch all of these performances and I will continue it all thorough the year. Julianne Moore's amazing performance in Far From Heaven is still at the top of my ranking, while Salma Hayek's dreadful work in Frida is still at the bottom. The strongest years I've done so far are obviously 69 and 74. Both were incredibly strong years, but I would say 69 was a little stronger, even though I think that the films from 74 were more interesting. The weakest year so far has been 2002, although by default, since I don't really think it was very weak.

Best Actress 1976: Final thoughts

This was a very strong year. Not as strong as 74 and 69, but still very strong anyway. The fifth and the fourth nominee were easy to rank, but I had a very hard time deciding between Ullman, Spacek, and Dunaway. All of three them gave fantastic performances that are all unique and exceptional . I'm not even 100 % sure that this will be my final ranking, but if I change my mind I will change it.


My ranking of the films:

1. Network

2. Carrie

3. Cousin, Cousine

4. Face To Face

5. Rocky

Best Actress 1976: The Resolution!

5. Talia Shire in Rocky:


Talia Shire gives a bland, nothing performance in which she never tried to expand her character, but instead gave in to the limits of the script.






4. Marie -Chrisine Barrault in Cousin, Cousine:


Although her character is a little too simple, Barrault still gives a subtle, wonderful portrayal that is very enjoyable.






3. Faye Dunaway in Network:

Faye Dunaway is superb as Diana, making her a fascinating, exciting character that never becomes a stereotype.





2. Sissy Spacek in Carrie:


Sissy Spacek gives a low key, beautifully portrayed performance that is simply a marvel. Brilliant work!






1. Liv Ullman in Face To Face:


Although it's never fully explained why Jenny becomes crazy, Liv Ullman doesn't let that bring her down. She gives a devastating, amazingly convincing and realistic performance that never goes over the top.

Best Actress 1976: Sissy Spacek in Carrie

Sissy Spacek received her first Oscar nomination for playing Carrie White in Carrie. Carrie is an outcast at school, bullied by both the students and the teachers alike. At home, she is harassed and tortured by her fantatically religous mother (Piper Laurie). But soon she discovers that she has special powers and that she can control them and she decides that she wants to fit in with everyone else. When a boy asks her to the prom because his girlfriend asked him too, Carrie is at first skeptical, but then she is very happy about it, but things go horribly wrong at the prom and even worse consequenses are to come. Sissy Spacek delivers a beautifully executed performance in Carrie. She doesn't have a lot of show moments, but instead, subtly makes her character work. She is completely believable as a teenager and the eyes and facial expressions are a big asset, as we see what she is thinking and how she must feel being teased by everyone all the time. Her scenes with Piper Laurie are great as well, even though Laurie gets the showier part, Spacek holds her own against her. She is also entertaining in some scenes, handling the black humor very well. When Carrie starts opening up and being herself, Spacek is truly radiant. Of course I'm talking about the prom scene (Which I watched a little on Youtube before I saw the whole film), and Spacek wonderfully shows Carrie's joy at finally being popular and being happy. I won't spoil what happens afterwards for those who haven't seen it, but Spacek is scary and very convincing towards the end. Sissy Spacek took a simple, real approach to Carrie and the result is an outstanding performance that gets

Best Actress 1976: Talia Shire in Rocky

Talia Shire received her second Oscar nomination for playing Adrian in Rocky. Adrian is a shy woman who lives with her brother and works in a pet store. She goes on a date with Rocky Balboa (Syllvester Stalone) and she falls in love with him and when he decides to fight in a boxing match that he is sure to lose, she helps and supports him during his training. Rocky is an uninspired, boring film which isn't very special, and the same goes for Talia Shire. First of all, her role is a Supporting one, not a Leading one, since Adrian isn't really that much of an important part and she doesn''t lead Rocky anywhere. Her role is very underwritten, and she's given pretty much nothing to do in this movie, except support Rocky through all of his troubles and to love him no matter what. She has one great , if short, scene when she confronts her brother when he is yelling at her and Rocky, but this isn't anything incredibly impressive. Talia Shire gives a dull, nothing Oscar-worthy performance which gets

Best Actress 1976: Marie- Christine Barrault in Cousin, Cousine

Marie-Christine Barrault received her first Oscar nomination for playing Marthe, an unhappily married woman, in Cousin, Cousine. Martha meets a man (Victor Lannox) whom she starts to have a relationship with, but they decide to keep it as friends, but they eventually end up together. This isn't a showy, Oscar-like performance at all, but is instead a subtle, engaging one. Barrault uses her charm and personality a lot in this performance and she shows her characters sadness and her longing to have someone to talk to. Her scenes with Victor Lanoux are beautiful and the two really make their relationship completely natural and real. She is luminous and I enjoyed her when ever she was on screen. There were some scenes though(Especially towards the end) where I wasn't paying attention and I finished it a long time after I started watching it, so I might have missed something, but I wanted more out of her performance. I had no problem that her performance was quite and charming, but I wish more had happened with her character and that the story hadn't been so simple. But still, a radiant, beautiful performance that gets