"silkwood"

We decided to look at a few of the past winners (and losers) to try to discern what might have contributed to some of the more head-scratching wins.

What happens after an actor or actress wins an Academy Award?   The assumption is that the performer’s career skyrockets. Offers come pouring in. The thespian’s price tag certainly rises. What had been the usual “on-and-off” career of the struggling working actor suddenly gets a lot more hectic; members of the paparazzi who may not have known him or her from Adam (or Eve) are suddenly camped out on their doorstep.  This is what often occurs when one of these statuettes ends up in your hands. But not always. 

The passing of Mike Nichols yesterday at the age of 83 marks the end of an era in cinema. He was one of the last iconic directors left standing from a golden moment nearly half a century ago when American mainstream movies actually took risks. Most of his paid off.  

I can vividly recall the first moment I saw Meryl Streep on-screen. The film was “The Deer Hunter” (1978). Her part was relatively small — she played the stateside love interest of two men shipped off to Vietnam — but I was immediately struck by her presence.