Streep's Coming Blitzkreig

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In yesterday's "Ladykillers" piece I bypassed Meryl Streep/Julia Roberts as potential Best Actress contenders in John Wells' film version of August: Osage County. That's due to the strong likelihood of this Harvey Weinstein/Jean Doumanian co-production being a 2012 release. But what would happen if the Osage County team got the lead out and opened their film 11 months hence?

Meryl Streep vs. Julia Roberts in August: Osage County could become one of the greatest within-the-same-film female acting battles of all time.

I'll tell you what happens: Streep wins the 2011 Best Actress Oscar in a walk. But the more likely finale is that she wins a year later, or when they hand out the 2012 Oscars in February 2013.

Osage County will reportedly begin filming next summer (presumably between May and August), or a month or two after Streep finishes portraying conservative British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in Phyllida Lloyd's The Iron Lady.

An extremely rushed post-production schedule would be required for August: Osage County to be released by next December, and urgency has never been an issue in preparing the screen version of Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play to begin with. If anything, the watchword has been "drag-ass" -- the original Steppenwolf production opened three and half years ago and the film adaptation was decided upon in '08. Letts, I'm told, has taken his sweet time writing the screenplay version, presumably due to pressures to translate his 210-minute play down to a more butt-friendly 150 or 160 minutes.

One further assumes that Streep wouldn't want to be competing against herself with two Best Actress performances -- Margaret Thatcher (which you know she'll kill with, even if the film isn't absolutely top-grade) vs. Violet Weston. And I can't imagine that the producers of Iron Lady and August: Osage County would want an awards-season showdown.

But perhaps Meryl wouldn't mind. If both films were to open this year there would be almost no choice but to hand her a second Best Actress Oscar (the first won in '84 for Sophie's Choice) and her third overall. The double-barrelled blitzkreig would be all but unstoppable.

(l. to r.) Amy Morton, Rondi Reed and Deanna Dunagan in the original B'way production of Tracy Letts' August: Osage County.

The more likely scenario is that Streep gets nominated for The Iron Lady but doesn't win, but returns with guns blazing in August: Osage County. Given the snail's pace so far, I'm expecting to see Wells' film open sometime between September and December of 2012. If you know Violet Weston you know Streep will be nominated, trust me. And so will Roberts, I'm guessing, due to her having one hell of an angry, intestinal-fortitude, emotional-river role as Streep's daughter, Barbara Fordham. But Streep wins, in part due to a 2011 overlap sentiment with voters thinking "well, she was so great as Thatcher and now she's excellent again," etc.

So Streep either picks up her Oscar in February 2012 (if both films open this year) or, more likely, February 2013. But one way or the other, she's in. The perennial "Meryl again?" whine won't make a dent.

The only possibly troublesome issue facing The Iron Lady and August: Osage County is whether their directors are up to snuff. Never forget that Lloyd, a theatre and opera director, made Mamma Mia! into a hugely successful but agonizingly awful film to sit through. And the fact is that Wells did such a fine job of conveying unemployment angst in Company Men that he made me feel like I was stuck in a minimum-security prison.

Iron Lady costar Jim Broadbent told Vulture's Kyle Buchanan in a 12.29.10 posting that the film will start shooting in London at the end of this month.

A further concern (or suspicion, if you will) about The Iron Lady is a decision by Lloyd and producer Damian Jones (The History Boys) to have female screenwriter Abi Morgan rewrite Brian Fillis's screenplay, which dates back to '07. I haven't the first clue about the quality of anyone's screenplay or writing, but hiring a screenwriter who's described herself as an example of "Thatcher youth" suggests that Lloyd and Jones are looking to soften or at least emotionalize the portrayal.

Morgan (who also wrote the screenplay for Steve McQueen's forthcoming Shame) told a Scottish interviewer earlier this year that "I need to be in charge and that comes from when I was growing up and money was always an issue...I didn't want to feel the fear of poverty again and I suppose in that way I qualify as Thatcher Youth."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 2, 2011 at 5:25 AM

comment #1

Movie Watcher says ...

Here we go again with Streep.

Posted by Movie Watcher at January 2, 2011 9:07 AM

comment #2

Indelicate says ...

Oscar nominations for this awards season are yet unannounced and you're prognosticating about contenders in 2012 and 2013? Christ in hell. CHRIST IN HELL.

Posted by Indelicate at January 2, 2011 9:13 AM

comment #3

Millstream Pigworker says ...

2010 nods have yet to be announced and you're making predictions about two pics that have yet to begin shooting? Seems a tad ridiculous, does it not?

Posted by Millstream Pigworker at January 2, 2011 9:14 AM

comment #4

bmcintire says ...

Tracy Letts and Amy Morton are starring in WHO'S AFARID IF VIRGINIA WOOLF? at the Steppenwolf in Chicago through February (and continuing on in D.C. through April).
http://www.steppenwolf.org/boxoffice/productions/index.aspx?id=504

Posted by bmcintire at January 2, 2011 9:33 AM

comment #5

Noiresque says ...

Directly after watching A:OC, I groaned at the idea that of Meryl Streep would undoubtedly and inevitably play the matriarch. I am frankly sick of her nabbing every prestige Oscar-bait role, whether she is suitable or not. I can think of 5 film actresses who are just as talented and probably more suitable.

She was Shanley-certified in Doubt, but the actress I saw on stage here in Sydney gave a far more complex and nuanced reading of the role, if less flashy. I found Meryl quite mannered and fussy. For what it is worth given my 13 years as a Catholic schoolgirl, she neither convinced me either as a nun, nor a school principal. She lacked the cool, effortless, self-possession these women have. In order to shame an underling, a nun wouldn't need to purse her lips, look down her nose and glower - simple, bullshit-free, direct eye contact was far more expressive of her power and far more effective. Meryl was jittery, and almost 'acting' as a dragon lady, when the authoritarianism should have come far more naturally.

As for Julia Roberts, she's not a favourite of mine, but I think she'll be fine.

Posted by Noiresque at January 2, 2011 10:05 AM

comment #6

Ray DeRousse says ...

It's really hard to believe that Streep has only one win. She should've at least won one more, for A Cry In The Dark.

Posted by Ray DeRousse at January 2, 2011 10:38 AM

comment #7

Ray DeRousse says ...

@ Noiresque - I agree about her performance in Doubt. I think it's her worst performance. I guess she was trying to convey the character's inner doubts throughout, but she pitched it too high. Definitely showy.

Posted by Ray DeRousse at January 2, 2011 10:42 AM

comment #8

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

Loved the play when I saw it 3 years ago, and my first thought was: what a superb return-to-real-acting opportunity it would be for Jane Fonda. I love Streep but agree that she's been suggested for every Oscar-bait role that's come along except the girl in True Grit.

Posted by MikeSchaeferSF at January 2, 2011 10:44 AM

comment #9

DiscoNap says ...

They're both epically mis-cast.

Posted by DiscoNap at January 2, 2011 10:46 AM

comment #10

DiscoNap says ...

and yeah if Thatcher isn't presented as the fascist cow she was I have zero interest.

Posted by DiscoNap at January 2, 2011 10:50 AM

comment #11

tate4 says ...

I can't even remember who won last year.

Posted by tate4 at January 2, 2011 12:22 PM

comment #12

bogiesghost says ...

You are all on crack and not telling anybody of your usage if you think Streep isn't going to get a Oscar nomination for playing Thatcher, regardless of how the charcter is written. If there is one lock in the crystal ball for Oscar next year, it's that she will be on the ballot no matter how you feel about it personally. This is a movie site, you come to it because you like movies, so you should be educated enough to know how things work, again whether WE all like it or not. Plus if she pulls it off the accent and BECOMES Thatcher ( transforms ), the critics are going to induce drooling ga-ga over it. It's a done deal, come back to me when the reviews come out for it. I won't have to tell you I told you so, you can just tell me. :)
And one more thing...speaking of Tracy Letts, I'm really looking forward to the stage play turned into film adaptation called Killer Joe, that is directed by William Friedkin and starring Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Thomas Haden Church, Gina Gershon and Juno Temple. It's supposed to be some extremely gritty stuff. If you want to know more about Killer Joe, Wiki or Google it. Sounds like an interesting project.

Posted by bogiesghost at January 2, 2011 2:31 PM

comment #13

adorian says ...

Ever since I first heard about this play, I hoped that Streep would get to play the lead character. But I figured she wouldn't get it. My second choice was Shirley MacLaine.

Posted by adorian at January 2, 2011 4:40 PM

comment #14

raquelswell says ...

She lacked the cool, effortless, self-possession these women have.

The nuns weren't that way in my school. Self-possession? More like possessed.

Posted by raquelswell at January 2, 2011 11:15 PM

comment #15

Steven Kar says ...

For the past decade, maybe even more, I've thought that it was becoming more and more difficult for Streep to just be natural, or act natural. And then over the weekend, I read some glib insults about the celebrities by David Thomson and for Streep, he pretty much has the same feelings about her that I do.

Posted by Steven Kar at January 3, 2011 3:48 AM

comment #16

Kevin Daly says ...

As much as I don't want Streep to play Violet Weston on film, I'm not going to be surprised if and when she is nominated/wins the Oscar for the part, given the caliber of the role (Even though in terms of the play, Barbara is really the lead). My Violet wish-list included: Lily Tomlin, Dianne Wiest, Jane Fonda, Judy Davis, Helen Mirren and a slew of others.

I do wish Amy Morton could repeat her Barbara on screen, one of the greatest performances I have ever seen. (I saw her six of the seven times I saw the play in NY). I would have gone with Laura Linney before Julia Roberts.

Posted by Kevin Daly at January 3, 2011 9:07 AM

comment #17

markus says ...

Perhaps AMPAS can do the right thing and pull a Kate Hepburn and award Streep 2 back to back Oscars (1 for The Iron Lady 2012 and 1 for August Osage County 2013).

That makes the most sense to me....

Posted by markus at January 3, 2011 5:29 PM

comment #18

CMAC says ...

This is 2 days late but fuck it. Meryl Streep and Julia fucking Roberts (christ the mind boggles) should no more play Violet and Barbara in AOC than Goldie Hawn and Cameron Diaz play the roles.

It's a sad state when these two woman are the only choices...Ol'Meryls' getting a tad too predictible in her "actin'" nowadays. I can see what's coming miles away.

And Julia Roberts..? (I just threwup in my mouth a bit) Pretty much the worst not to mention overrated actor in film today..or any day for that matter. Megan Fox has more going on.

If they aren't going with the original women, Deanna Dunagan and Amy Morton who PS were abso-fuckin-lutely brilliant, I would dearly love to see Judy Davis as Violet and Francis McDormand as Barbara.

Then at least the non initiated audience would see/hear the story with potentially brilliant performances and not 2 actresses doing their gettin' ready to git their Oscar style actin' which in turn will inevitably fuck up the balance of the film.

There. I said it. And I don't care who knows it.
The end

Posted by CMAC at January 4, 2011 5:21 PM

comment #19

Kevin Daly says ...

Funny you should mention Goldie Hawn. I've heard she's the front-runner to play Mattie Fae.

Posted by Kevin Daly at January 4, 2011 6:34 PM

comment #20

Rosemary's baby says ...

Meryl's first best actress Oscar was actually won in 1983 for 1982's Sophie Choice. Julia Roberts will be terrible in this film, but it will be fun to watch Meryl wipe the floor with her.

Posted by Rosemary's baby at January 4, 2011 9:24 PM

comment #21

clementine says ...

Rosemary's baby how do you know i'm not big fan her but some of her performances are fine such as closer...
anyway where is mike nichols ?

Posted by clementine at January 5, 2011 12:00 PM

comment #22

MechanicalShark says ...

The one thing I don't like about Streep is that she doesn't usually like working with auteurs or even semi-competent directors. She doesn't want the film getting in the way of her performance. Or she prefers working with nice guys/girls as opposed to the kind of director who actually, I don't know, directs?

Posted by MechanicalShark at January 5, 2011 12:21 PM

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