Eternal Satisfaction of the Solipsistic List. Never gets old, does it? Unlike more than half of the Best Actress performances of the past 20 years which, in my view, have not aged well at all. Here’s a list of my personal favorite Oscar-nominated performances of the past 20 years.
- 2007 – Marion Cotillard – La Vie en Rose
- 1996 – Frances McDormand – Fargo
- 1998 – Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth
- 2002 – Julianne Moore – Far from Heaven
- 2004 – Kate Winslet – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- 2008 – Meryl Streep – Doubt
- 1991 – Jodie Foster – The Silence of the Lambs
- 1999 – Hilary Swank – Boys Don’t Cry
- 2008 РKate Winslet – The Reader
- 1995 – Susan Sarandon – Dead Man Walking
- 1993 – Holly Hunter – The Piano
- 1998 – Meryl Streep – One True Thing
- 2006 – Helen Mirren – The Queen
- 2000 – Ellen Burstyn – Requiem for a Dream
- 2003 – Charlize Theron – Monster
- 2002 – Salma Hayek – Frida
- 1995 – Sharon Stone – Casino
- 2005 – Keira Knightley – Pride & Prejudice
- 2006 – Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada
- 2006 РPenélope Cruz РVolver
- 1990 – Anjelica Huston – The Grifters
- 1993 – Emma Thompson – The Remains of the Day
- 2008 – Melissa Leo – Frozen River
- 1994 – Jodie Foster – Nell
- 1997 – Kate Winslet – Titanic
I could’ve easily added another 10 great performances by actresses who sadly never even got nominated, but that’s not the game we’re playing today. Sadder still, take a look at the actual Best Actress winners of the past 2 decades, after the cut. Ranked again, according to my own personal preference.
20 years of Oscar-winning actresses, from best to… huh?
- 2007 РMarion Cotillard – La Vie en Rose
- 1996 – Frances McDormand – Fargo
- 1991 – Jodie Foster – The Silence of the Lambs
- 1999 – Hilary Swank – Boys Don’t Cry
- 1995 – Susan Sarandon – Dead Man Walking
- 2008 РKate Winslet – The Reader
- 1993 – Holly Hunter – The Piano
- 2006 – Helen Mirren – The Queen
- 2003 – Charlize Theron – Monster
- 1998 – Gwyneth Paltrow – Shakespeare in Love
- 1994 – Jessica Lange – Blue Sky
- 1989 – Jessica Tandy – Driving Miss Daisy
- 1990 – Kathy Bates – Misery
- 1992 – Emma Thompson – Howards End
- 2001 – Halle Berry – Monster’s Ball
- 2002 – Nicole Kidman – The Hours
- 2000 – Julia Roberts – Erin Brockovich
- 2004 – Hilary Swank – Million Dollar Baby
- 2005 – Reese Witherspoon – Walk the Line
- 1997 – Helen Hunt – As Good as It Gets
You’ll each have your own ideas about these rankings, so please chime in.
It might be an interesting exercise to weigh the value of this year’s Best Actress frontrunners against 20 years of recent nominees, to decide where you’d insert An Education, Bright Star, Precious, Julie & Julia… and the other Julia. (Or any other titles that have slipped my mind).
