The Pitch: How
many Oscar nominees can we fit in one modest drama?
This movie has been following me for a while. For
years, I really just knew it as that movie that got Nicole Kidman her Oscar.
Or, less generously, it was an example of "attractive actress gets ugly
and wins Oscar". Then, it turned into one of those crazy cast movies that
aged better and better over time. I mean, all three leads - Meryl, Nicole, Julianne
- have Lead Actress Oscars now and a collection of nominations. Miranda
Richardson, John C. Reilly, Ed Harris, and Toni Collette all have Oscar
nominations too. Allison Janney has a win. Margo Martindale, Jeff Daniels, and
Claire Danes all seem like they either should've had an Oscar nomination by now
or have one in their future. What finally pushed this to the top of my list is
that I can't get through an episode of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast
without hearing about it. For my own sanity, it became an imperative that I see
it.
It's a solid movie. I mean, the Ed Harris role is a
bust, but the three leads are quite good. I love the screenplay. It mirrors
events in the three timeliness without calling too much attention to itself.
They tell distinctly different stories but all coming from the same place. The
few moments when they tied together felt earned and added to the overall
narrative. And, it really does help to have three of our finest film actresses
carrying the load.
I feel like I should like the movie even more than I
do. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't watch it in the right circumstance or
the Focus Features milieu isn't on my wavelength, but I did feel some distance
for the movie as I watched it. Or maybe the Ed Harris storyline just annoyed me
that much. This movie definitely deserves a better legacy than "that movie
Nicole Kidman won her Oscar for".
Verdict: Weakly Recommend
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