Today edition of "Recall the Gold" finds us revisiting the 1983 race for Best Supporting Actress. The somewhat controversial winner was Linda Hunt (pictured), who might just as easily have entered the Best Supporting Actor race. In The Year of Living Dangerously, she played a man, photographer Billy Kwan, and played the role straight, without any hint of camp or gender-bending. Not only was it a great performance, but as a stunt, it was hard to top, even for Glenn Close in the popular The Big Chill (she played Kevin Kline’s wife and the hostess for the weekend-long wake/college reunion). Then there was Cher in Silkwood, a revelation as an actress who could stand toe to toe with Meryl Streep and play a blue-collar lesbian without a hint of the showbiz glamour she was then best known for. (She was still four years away from her eventual Oscar win for Moonstruck.) Unfortunately overlooked were Amy Irving in Yentl (shimmering as the Nice Jewish Girl who gets engaged to Barbra Streisand, unaware that her fiancé is a fiancée) and Alfre Woodard in Cross Creek (as a woman named Geechee who helps The Yearling author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, played by Mary Steenburgen, find herself. It’s a role so overlooked, in fact, that we couldn’t find a clip of it anywhere on the Internet.)
Looking back from today’s perspective, which of these performances do you think is the best? Vote in our poll, and list your comments below. (For a refresher, watch the clips embedded after the jump, which contain some NSFW language.) Remember, we’ll be running the Recall the Gold surveys every Tuesday and Thursday until January, so you may go back at any time and vote in the other polls (click here to see them all), reexamining the Oscar races of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years ago. On Tuesday, October 14, we’ll look at the 2003 Best Actor competition. Watch also for commentary and context throughout EW.com, including on Dave Karger’s new Oscar Watch blog.
Cher in Silkwood
Glenn Close in The Big Chill
Linda Hunt in The Year of Living Dangerously
Amy Irving in Yentl
Comments (1-30) of 50 Add your comment
I can’t say for sure that she was the best because I haven’t seen all the nominated performances (I don’t even know what a “Cross Creek” is), but I’d probably give the trophy to Close.
I think her work in “Big Chill” is a little underrated given that famous ensemble cast and I also feel like Oscar may have passed her over since they figured she’d have many more chances down the line to win. Well, they were half right – she’s had more nominations, but still hasn’t won.
I’m kinda struggling with the point of ‘Recall the Gold.’ It’s all subject to interpretation. I love Woodard, but I’m sure Hunt was worthy as you say in the article. Okay, now what?
Junior-
If I understand correctly, EW is sending out anonymous ballots to industry insiders and asking them to vote on the Oscar races from 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years ago and pick winners again.
When you say “what’s the point?” I’m assuming you’re alluding to the fact that no one is going to take Hunt’s Oscar away and give it to whomever wins the poll. Personally, I see it as a way to see which films and performances (whether they won or lost) have stood the test of time in the best way or maybe which were ahead of their time with some perspective and without the deafening hype of Oscar season.
I know the Oscars have done things in recent years to kill their credibility and by no means do they reward all the best movies every year, but the fact remains that it’s still the biggest prize in the business and it’s just a subject I find fascinating.
This seems a little unfair though. I would venture to guess that, 25 years later, a lot of people have not seen The Year of Living Dangerously (or Cross Creek, for that matter). And Linda Hunt did not go on to attain the level of celebrity that Glenn Close or Cher did–she hasn’t even matched the level of Alfre Woodard or Amy Irving. So I think it stands to reason that this kind of a poll would greatly favor the bigger names in the bigger movies that people today are more familiar with. This was Linda Hunt’s big moment; let her have it.
The point is to give the reader something interesting to think about, and to possibly go back and watch these movies. I’m entertained.
I loved Cross Creek and Alfre Woodard was stunning in what I believe was one of her very first roles.
Not a showy role but definitely one that called for solid acting chops.
Let’s be honest. Most people haven’t seen the majority of those movies . . . so, I mean, why?
Still Linda Hunt, then Cher.
I still have to go with Linda Hunt. Amazing performance. Cher and Meryl were pretty cool, too.
Let’s talk about recalling the 1974 Best Supporting Actress from Tatum O’Neil
Ugh. Tatum wasn’t even the Best Supporting Actress in her movie. She was fine and all, but Madeline Kahn and the actress who played her maid were absolutely hilarious. And don’t get me started on how the star of Paper Moon ended up competing in the Supporting category anyway.
remember this girl of americas next top model they should rcall her for ever being on the show
just forget it make fun of this girl her life is awful itll make u feel better
http://www.yournobody.com/2008/10/09/danielle-sullivan-myspace-model-extraordinaire/
WTF?
Let’s see, if we recall and give Cher the statue here … then we can recall Cher’s Moonstruck Oscar and give it to the person who should have won — Holly Hunter for Broadcast News! Deal.
I say Cher, Close, and Hunt in that order.
Linda Hunt all the way, she was amazing and deservedly won. One of the finest overlooked films, I was turned onto it by my high school english teacher. Great performances all around from Gibson and Weaver as well.
Hands down the 1983 Best Supporting Actress Oscar goes to the winner who has it – Linda
Hunt. Even though Ms. Hunt played a man, she was a female actress playing a man. Thus, the 1983 Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Remember, Jaye Davidson was in the
Best Supporting Actor Oscar category for playing a not complete female in “The Crying
Game.” So…Linda Hunt DOES deserve her
Best Supporting Actress Oscar Award. No
“Recall The Gold” on this. That Oscar is deservingly (such a word?) hers.
Linda Hunt was the haunting heart and soul of THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY. This one was hers.
Linda Hunt wins this award for any year or decade. I’m only sorry that she never won an Emmy for her performances as Judge Hiller on “The Practice.”
This whole contest is so completely stupid AND unnecessary. Awards are just awards for crying out loud. Why not celebrate celebrities that are philanthropists, activists, anything than whining about who didn’t win some award from a movie most barely remember.
I agree — Hunt was the clear winner — even though I love Alfre Woodward who def deserves recognization
I thought that Linda Hunt’s performance still stands up today as a great piece of acting. Does anyone really remember the other roles 25 years on??? They all had better roles in the future.
I give it to the chick playing a guy. Although i believe no women should be in front of a camera.
I think this would be more interesting if EW recreated the entire Academy ballot for each category and had the “panel of industry insiders” go through both the nomination process and the final voting process as a more accurate measure of what films and performances have held up and which haven’t.
I must agree with everyone that just seeing the topic name of these rather disagrees with me. No Oscar (theoretically or not) should be recalled. It is what it is.
BTW, YOLD is the only movie I’ve seen on this list and Hunt gets this one no doubt.
I must agree with everyone that just seeing the topic name of these rather disagrees with me. No Oscar (theoretically or not) should be recalled. It is what it is.
BTW, YOLD is the only movie I’ve seen on this list and Hunt gets this one no doubt.
Lets talk about the 1991 Oscars Best Actress that shouldn’t have gone to Kathy Bates for Misery, but to Anjelica Huston for The Grifters.Out and out mistake
No one is going to be able to go our and try to find videos for a lot of the older titles. If you aren’t going to be able to show clips to represent all the work for that year, then you shouldn’t run the contest for that particular year.
Linda Hunt all the way. I don’t think Glenn Close’s role was “showy” enough in that movie – and I’ve seen it enough times. Amy Irving was overshadowed by Babs to have made enough of a dent in viewers’ memories, & Cher was still too well-known as a singer and untried – acting-wise – for Oscar consideration. Like many of you, I haven’t seen Alfre Woodard.
Thanks Ceballos, but I may not have worded that best. I get the point of ‘Recall the Gold’ I just don’t understand why EW is doing it this way. ‘Recall the Gold’ makes it sound like the winner wasn’t deserving, when the article clearly states that Hunt was. And of course people are going to pick the actors who are more known now, and if the industry people pick Hunt or another winner who won in another category, you get to say, the performance held up over time. Great. It did win an Oscar after all. I think talking about people who weren’t even nominated would be more interesting. Like who would have been added if there were a sixth nomination slot?