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.
addCredit(“Everett Collection”)
Cher in Silkwood
Glenn Close in The Big Chill
Linda Hunt in The Year of Living Dangerously
Amy Irving in Yentl
Comments (1-15) 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.