Sophie’s Choice is primarily known for Meryl Streep’s Oscar-winning performance, deemed by many to be one of the best performances by any actor (male or female) of all time. I believed critics and viewers, but I was skeptical that it could top who I’d currently ranked as my #1 Best Actress Oscar winner of all time (that I’d seen): Charlize Theron in Monster. I was wrong, and after finishing Sophie’s Choice, I immediately knew that I’d just witnessed one of the best acting performances of all time.
meryl streep
Review: Julia (1977)
Julia is a movie about which I knew very little, aside from the fact that it had won Oscars — and, being that I’m a movie snob who wants/needs to see as many Oscar-winning (and nominated) films as possible, this was on my seemingly never-ending queue. Also, I’d seen very little of Jane Fonda’s earlier, more dramatic work, and had only seen her in things like Grace and Frankie (a few episodes here and there) and the disappointing Book Club.
Review: Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Kramer vs. Kramer is, in a way, the spiritual and thematic successor to Marriage Story. Yet, while the newer film focuses on the rift between the soon-to-be-divorced couple, the former focuses on the impact of the divorce and separation on the couple’s young son.