As a follow up to the 'Streep at 60' posts I thought I'd leave an open discussion thread for each Streep nomination's competition through the years. Her first came for 1978's The Deer Hunter (my take on her role). The nominees were:
Dyan Cannon, Heaven Can Wait
Penelope Milford, Coming Home
Maggie Smith, California Suite
Maureen Stapleton, Interiors
Meryl Streep, The Deer Hunter
The only nomination I've never understood from that shortlist is Milford's in Coming Home (a film I otherwise love). The Golden Globes differed slightly, skipping Smith and Milford to honor Carol Burnett in A Wedding and Mona Washbourne in Stevie. I know there was never a chance that Stockard Channing's classic rendition of "Rizzo" in Grease was going to be shortlisted but it's such a film stealing enduring delight I like to pretend that she was.
My vote would go to Maureen Stapleton, who served Woody Allen's Interiors perfectly, breathing unruly uncouth life into the staid emotional terrain. Shealso won the StinkyLulu Smackdown for 1978 a couple years back. But in truth none of these films are anything like "fresh" in my memory. What's your take on that '78 Oscars... how would you rearrange the nominees?
