This is quite an unusual move, I’d say. The AMPAS just sent out a release that it plans to honor Vanessa Redgrave in London:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will celebrate the career of Oscar®-winner Vanessa Redgrave with its first-ever European tribute to an actor, on Sunday, November 13, in London. The event, hosted by David Hare, will include special guests Meryl Streep, Ralph Fiennes, Joely Richardson, James Earl Jones and Eileen Atkins. Past Academy President Sid Ganis will introduce the evening.
The salute will explore Redgrave’s dramatic range and exquisite skill. Hare has created three film sequences, each with its own narrative, showing the depth and array of characters that Redgrave has inhabited.
A member of the distinguished Redgrave acting family, Vanessa rose to prominence in 1961, playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Since then, she has made dozens of stage appearances and has appeared in more than 70 films. In addition to the Oscar she received for her supporting performance in “Julia” (1977), and her nominations for “Morgan!” (1966), “Isadora” (1968), “Mary, Queen of Scots” (1971), “The Bostonians” (1984) and “Howards End” (1992), Redgrave’s honors include Olivier, Tony®, Emmy®, Screen Actors Guild and Cannes Film Festival awards. She stars in “Anonymous,” now in release, and the upcoming “Coriolanus.” Redgrave is also appearing in the West End stage production of Driving Miss Daisy.
“An Academy Salute to Vanessa Redgrave” is an invitation-only event.
This is a Whoa, Dude moment because Redgrave is up for not one but two Oscars this year. The first is for her spectacular performance in the badly reviewed Anonymous: it isn’t Redgrave’s fault that the movie had its problems – she was phenomenal in the role. And also, for Coriolanus — the supporting nod many are expecting. This tribute, though, makes Redgrave suddenly a major force in this year’s Oscar race, wouldn’t you say?
Fantastic blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own blog soon but
I’m a little lost on everything. Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid
option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally
overwhelmed .. Any ideas? Kudos!
One of the greatest living actors and well deserved. She has a kind of gravity on screen that few possess.
A Best Sup. Actress nom for The Weinstein’s “Coriolanus” is a sure thing. A win, I don’t think so.
Is it possible she could cancel herself out of the nominations if the Academy splits its votes between “Anonymous” and “Coriolanus”? I guess it depends on which campaign will be more convincing. I loved Redgrave’s performance as Elizabeth I in “Anonymous”. And actresses playing Liz I always end up getting nominated (or nearly so) . . . Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett . . . and on television Glenda Jackson and Helen Mirren. Redgrave was great in a less-than-well-received “Anonymous”.
With Harvey Weinstein behind the “Coriolanus” film, my hunch is that she will be nominated for that movie. Can’t wait to see it! Volumnia is a great Shakespearean role . . . perhaps his greatest female role (after Juliet, that is).
But I’m wondering if AMPAS will say “enough is enough” – given her Honorary tribute – and pass her by altogether in the nominations.
The only time I can recall an actor receiving an honorary tribute and also a nomination was the year Laurence Olivier got it in 1978 (and the corresponding Best Actor nomination for . . . “The Boys from Brazil”)? Is that right?
Can anyone confirm this for me?
Thanks
As a college theatre major in the early 70s, I read a number of Shakespeare’s plays, one of which was Coriolanus. In truth I recall little of the play itself but I VIVIDLY remember the role of Volumnia IN that play, recall thinking it a fantastic role! When I first heard last year that Vanessa Redgrave, long my favorite actress, was cast in this, the first filmed version of Coriolanus, I KNEW she’d knock it out of the park. I KNEW she’d be nominated (oh, and she will), and I pray to a god whose existence or non-existence matters nada to me that she WILL win. NOBODY deserves it more, not this year, or perhaps ANY year. I’m sure Meryl Streep (who will also be nominated and win in the Best Actress category) would agree.
@phantom…I haven’t seen Chastain in “Coriolanus” yet, but I thought that she did her best acting in “Take Shelter.” I would think that there’s where she might get her nomination.
ryan
“the proof will show when she either a. isn’t even nominated or b. loses.”
So you are basically saying that if for some reason – ANY REASON – Vanessa Redgrave doesn’t win/receive a nomination this year, it will be 100% because of the speech she made 30 years ago ? Yep…that theory won’t fly…ESPECIALLY considering that the Academy had already nominated her since her controversial acceptance speech…twice.
By the way, I really hope Jessica Chastain will get a nomination, after a year like hers, she REALLY deserves it. I think her best shot at this is ‘The Help’ : she is campaigned in the lead category for ‘The Debt’ but that’s not going to happen, she will be probably campaigned in the supporting category for Coriolanus and The Tree of Life, but former already has a remarkably strong contender in the category (Vanessa Redgrave) and the film doesn’t seem like the type that could get TWO acting nominations in the same category; and the latter, though a masterpiece in my opinion and critically acclaimed, could be a tough sell when it will come to the Academy…and her role might not be flashy enough, either. Her Take Shelter-campaign could go either way, but I think she wouldn’t stand a chance in lead, and she has more viable shots at the supporting category.
And that leaves us ‘The Help’ which surely has an awful lot of internal competition, BUT considering it features a pitch-perfect female ensemble, it IS exactly the kind of film that could (easily) score two nominations in the supporting actress category, and if that happens – I hope it will, the film was flawed…but the performances were flawless – Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain are in…and considering the relationship of their characters, it would be nice to see them up there together.
Jessica Chastain had limited screentime, but what was completely amazing in her performance, that even with limited screentime, she showed such REMARKABLE range in her performance, that I left the cinema thinking, “damn, this lady could play a chair and make us laugh/ cry ” (by that time I had already seen The Tree of Life, The Debt, Take Shelter and Coriolanus). She really reminded me of a young Meryl Streep who started out in features in her late twenties after receiving a classical training and bumm, she had been considered an acting giant ever since.
One thing is for sure : the range Jessica Chastain showed in her 5 prominent 2011-performances is a range a lot of good actresses failed to show us in decades-long careers. And THAT should not go unnoticed by the Academy.
She should have been nominated for Atonement ! I adore her and if Judi Dench can get an Oscar for 5 minutes in a movie, Redgrave should already have a couple more at her place.
It’s a VERY open category at this point and always is. Parts for women. Still. In 2011. Even in Supporting.
And Jessica Chastain has had sooo many roles this year, and though she’s made a name for herself, for sure, she doesn’t even know which to campaign for. Nor do the people who are backing her. Strange situation. But there it is.
And BOTH Viola Davis and Octavia Spenser won’t win for “The Help.” One, maybe. And until the help Octavia was completely unknown. As was Jessica Chastain, as a matter of fact. Although I knew this would happen to her, since I knew her since Juilliard. And saw her be amaaaaazing there in every role she played. Exhibiting the chops and the variety of roles that she’s also showing this year. I wonder, though, if they’ll all cancel each other out. Or if BOTH she and Octavia are nominated for “The Help” THEY’LL cancel each other out.
And then there’s Octavia’s problem with, er, cooking, or rather baking…
Which leaves us with the Big Van as she’s sometimes called. Yes, Vanessa’s speech does haunt her. It haunts me still. But she meant it. And…well, the Actor’s Branch has continued to nominate her over and over again.
And this time at her advanced age and STILL doing great work, I think that this is the Academy’s way of saying VOTE FOR HER. IT’S OK TO VOTE FOR HER!
And the tragedy of Lynn Redgrave’s passing. She was nominated by never won. And add to that the terrible shock of her beautiful young daughter’s untimely death two years ago, while she was making “Coriolanus” btw, which I’ve seen and yes, she totally deserves to awarded for that role, which, also is really the lead in Ralph Fiennes’ version of it.
And, who’s producing “Coriolanus”? Oh. Harvey Weinstein. Case closed. Vanessa’s got it. And she’ll look like a spring chicken next to 81 year old Christopher Plummer when he gets HIS first Oscar for “Beginners.” And now Leo for J. Edgar has become the Best Actor front runner. It’s going to be a very gay year at the Oscars. AGAIN.
But still no Best Picture. Ah well…someday…
Wait. No. The proof won’t be when she’s not nominated. She could not be nominated for a lot of reasons, one of them being that the Academy thought the other five were better than her. If she doesn’t win? Now you are just shifting the goal posts.
We can agree to disagree, the proof will show when she either a. isn’t even nominated or b. loses.
This is awesome news! She is one of my favorites and one of our best living actresses for sure. I’m delighted to hear this.
Isn’t she actually eligible for three, with The Whistleblower, as well?
I cannot say that she’s the favorite to win if nominated, but the fact that she was nominated twice after that 1978 speech means people are not stupid, hence all comments about Academy voters harboring ill sentiments toward her make no sense, if they did they would not have nominated her for “The Bostonians” a mere 7 years later and in a LEAD role too! She’ll get nominated for sure this year, and once she does, nobody can tell whether she will or won’t win.
BUT! think about the following:
1) the Academy is honoring her (as posted above);
2) she’s quite old and at the same time a big big name: that’s a HUGE plus;
3) she’s had tons of personal troubles in her life these past couple of years, with both her sister and daughter tragically passing away.
@ unlikelyhood
I know that Redgrave wasn’t favoured to win in 1993, but she was one of the favourites. After Judy Davis, she was the most likely to win.
Vanessa Redgrave totally deserves this. I was rooting for her in ‘Coriolanus’ since the buzz started. She is truly one of the greatest actress.
I’ve seen her in ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ and she was fantastic. Truly one of the best actresses today. I hope she gets a nomination for Coriolanus, as great as she was in ‘Anonymous’, I really don’t think that film will even register with voters, let alone receive an acting nomination…especially if they can vote for the same legend in the same category for a considerably BETTER film. It’s funny, though…it’s Shakespeare (?) vs. Shakespeare (!) when it comes to her 2011 Oscar Campaign.
The speech didnt haunt her forever, its just a tabloid trivia. Very classy of the academy to see past it and honor her, she is great.
This is awesome news! There isn’t another actor who deserves this honor more than she.
I don’t think this gives her a leg up on the regular award, though. As with O’Toole, they know she’ll never be the flavor of the month with oscar voters. This special tribute is great, though, and it means she doesn’t have to get down into the trough with the rest of the livestock to campaign or get attention.
@unlikelyhood GOOD POINT!! Her being honored now, could be to make everyone happy because they dont want to give her another Oscar…..just a thought. But I really dont care.
Paddy – I wish you were right, but I think Ryan has a point. AMPAS doesn’t exactly serve catered food in London too often, so why for her and not for, I dunno, Laurence Olivier (or anyone else, ever)? In case you haven’t noticed, the feelings against Palestinians have only intensified since Redgrave made that 1978 speech. If AMPAS threw Redgrave a big “do” (in British terms) on this side of the Atlantic, you can bet there’d be all kinds of protestors and Eric Cantor-led hysteria against “an enemy of Israel.”
Frankly I could see some of that anyway, so look out if the Oscars do nominate her.
Also she wasn’t favored to win in 1993. That Oscar belonged to Judy Davis. I know Marisa Tomei won it, but it belonged to Judy Davis.
Anyway between this news and the animated noms, it’s a good day. Huzzah Academy.
Vanessa Redgrave is heads above any of the contending actresses this year in the supporting race. Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain? Please no. Vanessa Redgrave is one of the finest actors and truly deserves any tribute she gets. She has been wonderful year after year and most recently with even little screen time in Atonement.
@ ryan
Redgrave’s speech was almost 34 years ago. People had already gotten over it by 1993, when she was one of the favourites to win, for her performance in Howards End. By now, this event itself is confirmation that she is now better known for her acting ability than for her political beliefs which, themselves, have also come to be rather well-respected by many.
I would say that this is certainly affirmation that she is a strong contender. I haven’t seen either Anonymous or Coriolanus, but the buzz for her performances in both is good. Also, they’re two fantastic roles: Elizabeth I and Volumnia. She’s a great actress, receiving great reviews for her performances in great roles, and who would argue with giving Vanessa Redgrave a second Oscar?
Well deserved! Loved Redgrave’s work in Anonymous, can’t wait to see her in Coriolanus.And I disagree with the previous comment that her 1977 speech will work against her. I think an honorary award is a pretty good sign that the Academy has moved on.
Nope, sorry it don’t make her a lead candidate to win at all because people will always remember her famous speech she made when she did win. Nobody wants a repeat of that and this will keep her from ever winning again. One word of advice for future winners, don’t take your speech time when you win to make some big proclamation because it will end up haunting you forever.