Meryl Streep is arguably our best living actress, and she’s by all accounts awesome and interesting and smart, etc. Read the full post.
Aug 28
2009
10:42 AM ET
Meryl Streep: Has she ever starred in a masterpiece?
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The French Lieutenant’s Woman?
I think many (most) of Meryl’s performances have been masterpieces. She’s an actor, that’s all she can control. Shouldn’t that be enough? (Side note: when we think of masterpieces, how often do we think of the actors in them? Don’t we normally attribute their masterpiece-ness to the director?) But if I must, I’m throwing in a vote for Angels in America. Not technically a film I suppose, but absolutely a masterpiece.
I would consider The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Out of Africa, and Silkwood all well in the realm of masterpieces.
I like the fact the article & the interview is all fake – lets the real writer say what he/she wants without being held responsible — brilliant idea. As for the question of a Meryl “Materpiece” – I would certainly consider “The Deer Hunter” “Kramer Vs Kramer” & “Out of Africa”
I disagree as I think Sophie’s Choice is a masterpiece.
SnsetBlaze and Streep Fan are right on the nose with their comments. The whole idea of ‘cinematic masterpiece’ is tied to the concept of the auteur i.e. a great director. Criticism of Streep’s choices fail to mention that fact that the movie indusry remain male-dominated. These male auteurs are not interested in crafting great roles for women. I believe that actors should be considered creators and auteurs much as directors are. Besides, it is misleading to dismiss ‘fluffy’ and entertaining movies because only time will tell which movies will be remembered and which forgotten. Do not forget that Shakespeare did not set up to craft masterpieces but merely to entertain the masses.
Of course I would have to say Bridges of Madison County
I think they’ve given up on making masterpieces these days; most movies are total garbage. Personally, most of the movies Streep has starred in are the best of the bunch.
The first movie I thought of when I read this was Sophie’s Choice, which I think is a brilliant movie, and Streep is brilliant in it, as is Kevin Kline. I also loved Out of Africa, The Hours, and The French Lieutenant’s Woman. (I definitely didn’t love The Deer Hunter, but that had nothing to do with Streep’s performance, or any of the other performances. I just hated the story – a lot.) Are any of these movies masterpieces? I don’t think we can say whether they are or not until we see if they pass the test of time. Her first movie role was in 1977′s Julia – how many movies made since then can we yet say are masterpieces? Or, to look at it another way, how many masterpieces were two of America’s finest movie actresses – Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn – in? But we can certainly point to individual performances in which both were incredible. And since the only thing any actor or actress can control in a movie is their own performance (and even that is at the mercy of the editor), how can we possibly use this as a gauge of a career?
Bette Davis – “All About Eve” and “Now, Voyager”.
Katherine Hepburn – “Philadelphia Story”, “Bringing Up Baby”, “The Lion in Winter”, “The African Queen”
Each of those are 5 star movies.
The French Lieutenant’s Woman
What defines a masterpiece on film and how often has there been one with a big leading female role in it? Especially in modern times, we don’t really see “masterpieces” being achieved. Vivian Leigh in Gone with the Wind comes to mind. Most starring roles in masterpieces seem to be related to the male characters. Brando starred in On the Waterfront as did Eva Marie Saint but her performance was nothing compared to Streep in several of her roles.
Maybe not a masterpiece,(except to me) but Bridges of Madison County, IS my all time favorite, having watched it 100′s of times,(wore out the vcr tape,now on dvd) LOL Meryl, in my opinion, is awesome, and I like every movie, she has ever made.Course starring with Clint Eastwood was a double bonus for me, having grown up watching his movies as well. I loved them together!
(Just a personal opinion)
“Adaptation” not a masterpiece? Watch it again.
Adaptation was horrible, and Streep was self-conscious and uncomfortable in it. The saving grace was Cage’s interesting double performance
How many ACTRESSES have been in masterpieces? The great films all star guys. Hepburn’s films were a joke–and yet she has won 4 times. Name the world’s 10 finest actresses. How many masterpieces did they star in? I think of one: Jodie Foster, “Silence of the Lambs.” Actresses have been shafted, in this regard.
Stars
You are out of your mind regarding KAtharine Hepburn. Here are a few of her masterpieces:
The Lion in Winter
Bringing Up Baby
The Philadelphia Story
The African Queen
Other actresses’ masterpieces:
Bette Davis – All About Eve
Barbara Stanwyck – Double Indemnity/The LAdy Eve
Ingrid Bergman – Casablanca/ Notorious
Elizabeth Taylor – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Joan Crawford – Mildred Pierce
Greta Garbo – Ninotchka
Marilyn Monroe – Some Like it Hot
Olivia de Havilland – The Heiress
Faye Dunaway – Chinatown/Bonnie and Clyde/Network
Ellen Burstyn – Requiem for a Dream
Sissy Spacek – In the Bedroom/ Badlands
Jane Fonda – They Shoot Horses, Don’t They
Jessica LAnge – Tootsie
Vivien Leigh – Gone with Wind/ A Streetcar Named Desire
Anne BAncroft – The Graduate
Glenn Close – Dangerous Liaisons
Michelle Pfeiffer – Dangerous Liaisons
Susan Sarandon – Thelma and Louise
Natalie Wood – West SIde Story/ Rebel Without a Cause
Gena ROwlands – A woman Under the Influence
Audrey Hepburn – Roman Holiday
Judy GArland – The Wizard of Oz
Diane Keaton – ANnie Hall
Shirley MAclaine – The Apartment
Holly Hunter – The Piano/Broadcast News
Rossalind Russell – His Girl Friday
Lilian Gish – Night of the Hunter
Grace Kelly – Rear Window
Carole Lombard – My Man Godrey
With Streep, I consider The Deer Hunter a masterpeice. Manhattan also, but she’s barely in it.
Glad to see you mention Dangerous Liaisons, which I think is a terribly underrated movie. Both Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer are incredible in it, and I could make a case for the performances of John Malkovich and Keanu Reeves, who have both been savaged by critics for that movie. But I really liked both of them in the roles they played.
I like Thayer! Great list of movies! “The Heiress” rocks and de Havilland was also in “Gone With The Wind” and “The Adventures of Robin Hood”. She is still alive, too!!!!!!
Please, Katheryn Hepburn must be Tivoing Meryl Streep’s movie up there!
as i poste earlier, diane keaton
Agree. Jodie Foster was brilliant in Silence of the Lambs. Hepburn was vastly overated and still is.
People should just accept that about Hepburn but they keep comparing her to real actresses.
Can’t fly anymore. Her ability has begun to wear thin. We’re now seeing through the fluff.
I think it’s way too early to make the call on Adaptation. I loved it – it’s a weird, quirky, movie with real flashes of brilliance, and when you compare it to the book, the genius of the screenplay is evident. As in “How in the world can they turn this book into a screenplay?” But I also know intelligent, well-rounded movie buffs who find it unwatchable. I’m looking forward to revisiting it in about ten years and seeing how it holds up. Is there real substance, or just flashy trappings?
I agree. It needs time to stew.