Oprah Winfrey has long talked about what it would mean to her to win an Oscar. She got close with The Color Purple, but as we know, that movie was nominated for ten Oscars, missed the director nod, and went home empty handed. It was one of the last films with an all black cast to make it to the Oscars until Lee Daniels’ Precious. Now, both Lee Daniels and Oprah Winfrey are back with a film that has a mixed cast. The way I figure it, Oprah isn’t going to have to do much to win as long as there isn’t too much competition. Then again, we can’t put anything past an Academy that loves to see powerful people lose. Still, early word is that Winfrey is the standout. This, from an early, private screening in New York.
Two sources — neither one affiliated with Harvey Weinstein or his film company, which is behind “The Butler” — told me Wednesday that the television mogul is outstanding playing the wife of Forest Whitaker’s title character.
Both Harvey and Oprah are wise players, so she’ll go supporting. Meryl and Julia in lead, Oprah and Margo Martindale in supporting. And I believe Harvey will push for Meryl’s finally achieving the tie with Hepburn and Oprah winning supporting.
Oprah has been a giant success in television but I don’t think she is owed anything by Academy voters. She rarely works in film.
Beloved was very underrated. The book by Toni Morrison is a national treasure and to bring that book to life is very difficult. The whole cast gave beautiful performances. Oprah was great but I think the standouts in that movie were Beah Richards (Rest her Soul) and Kimberly Elise.
In reference to “Beloved”, Beah Richards performance in that film is mesmerizing , and ignored by the Academy. I find that movie timeless.
She’s been the frontrunner since the cast was announced. If the film and her performance don’t disappoint, Supporting Actress could be one of those “mortal lock” categories.
Julia Roberts character in “August: Osage County” is definitely not supporting. Actually, let me rephrase that, that character in the play was not a supporting character. I don’t know if they’ve changed it for the film adaptation. If it’s as great as people are expecting, Roberts may be up against Streep for lead.
As for Oprah, I think she’s too big. She’s too much of a public figure/personality that while watching the trailer, I never forgot for a second that I was watching Oprah. I didn’t see a character, and that might hurt her.
I would seriously hate if they strategically did that. If Dunnigan could win the Tony going directly up against Amy Morton in the same category of Lead Actress, Weinstein can run both Streep and Roberts against each other.
Oprah better stay away from Cate Blanchett and Blue Jasmine!
That being said, I can totally see a Sandra Bullock-type of win
“she’s paid her dues, blah blah blah”
it would be dreadful, horrendous and bad, too 😀
And everybody gave standing ovations after the Les Miz screening.
Listen, I already made it known that I think Oprah as an actress more than has the ability to disappear into a character and should have had an Oscar by now (never mind an additional nomination for Beloved). That said, there is a difference between working with Jonathan Demme and Steven Spielberg and working with Lee Daniels (yeah, I know he has happened to capture good performances but he also makes schlocky camp).
It’s gonna be shit and she’s gonna win.
Les Mis?
Case closed, bitches!
interesting that the trailer and the film make so much of the butler’s background. I have to say that I think of jobs like that as being somewhat hereditary – that was the case with the black domestics I grew up around – and bound up with the class system in the black community. It’s the thing we did not see in The Help – domestic service was a great job compared to field work and handed down from mother to daughter.
I know successful black professionals who do not want to even see a picture of a cotton boll. cotton = hell.
looks like the real deal to me. epic.
the last three BP’s have been so narcissistic I wonder whether Hollywood will be able to tear their eyes away from the mirror and vote for something not about them.
it will be weird to be on Harvey’s side, which makes me think he will find a project more flattering to his steak-eaters.
I was really looking forward to this film but sadly it looks terrible.
Wow Aragorn maybe a lot of people would vote for Oprah because she gives a great performance not just “every black actor/actress would vote for their beloved Oprah”. Maybe even a few white people and the odd hispanic would vote for her. IMAGINE?
The race card is so tired.
“The academy loves to see powerful people lose”… looks like Sasha is still upset Oscar Bait, I’m sorry: Lincoln, lost best pic, best director, best adapted screenplay, cinematography, etc. The last thing in this world Oprah needs is an Oscar.
Weinstein may have Sophie’s Choice: supporting Julia Roberts or Oprah for Supporting Actress (assuming they both go supporting)???…Probably he may choose Oprah as her win would bring more publicity…and of course every black actor/actress would vote for their beloved Oprah and plus votes from her “friends”, whom she supported over the years by inviting to her show whenever they needed it…If she is really good in that movie, then no problem, but we all know that “being good” is not good enough to win an Oscar.
of course if she goes lead, then it gets more complicated: Oprah vs. Meryl…A possible 4th time win may steal Oprah’s publicity thunder.
Sasha,
Colour Purple was nominated for 11 oscars (nitpickers annonymous I know!!)
Btw = the Oscar countdown years podcasts are brilliant – addictive listening.
Wish they went on for longer – a great listen!
Oprah already received an Oscar for her humanitarian work which she said was even more meaningful to her than any prize she could get for acting.
If she were to be in the race, would she be lead or supporting?
yes, how nice for Oprah…
still not a word on this site about the passing of Ray Harryhausen?
We’ll see. I remember the same being said for her work in Beloved and that ended up not getting her any big award. I came away from the trailer not that impressed…almost hokey in a way. Hopefully I’m wrong…can’t wait to see it regardless of the trailer.
But Beloved was actually good. I cannot really express how good it is but look up Ebert’s review of it. He really gets what Demme and the actors were doing. However, Beloved was a financial disaster of a passion project that really hurt her. Demme remains very proud of the film and really expressed dissatisfaction in the Disney corporation supposedly rolled out the movie (it was in and out and back in theaters between 1998 and 1999).
And speaking of Jonathan Demme, I was saddened to hear from Jennifer Ehle that the movie he was working on with her, Bryan Cranston, and Jason Segal got postponed for lack of funding.