Best Actress at the 1997 Oscars - who was most unlucky to miss out on a nomintion?

Madonna deserved a nomination. She was pretty amazing in Evita

No she wasn’t.

Debbie was hilarious in Mother and it would have been nice to see her nominated.

I think Courtney's performance at "The People vs Larry Flint" was more supporting than leading.

Madonna was great in Evita. Her dying scenes were acted superbly.

Let’s not pretend the acting noms go to the absolute best top 5. If they did, 90% of those nominated wouldn’t be nominated.

It’s a game.

Madonna did deserve a nomination. She was flawless. Any other actress would have been given a nomination for Evita even if they’d given a lesser performance. Apparently, Madonna did not campaign much for a nomination. She had just had Lourdes and was apparently having some postpartum issues from the biography I read.

It’s an excellent line-up as is, though I would have voted for Brenda Blethyn or Emily Watson to win over Frances McDormand, whose first two Oscars came over more deserving nominees unlikely to get another chance at Best Actress.

Damn none of those have stood the test of time. Proves how pointless award shows are.

Agree with r3

[quote]Damn none of those have stood the test of time. Proves how pointless award shows are.

Never mind movies from almost 30 years ago. Would anyone care to revisit "CODA" (2021), "Nomadland" (2020), "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (2014), "Argo" (2012), or "The Artist" (2011)?

Sharon Stone should have emerged victorious the year before. That liberal disaster Susan Sarandon stole Sharon’s Oscar away from her. Sharon has been proven the victor in the years since as Susan is despised as a nutcase and an anti-Semitic hag.

Sharon married two Jews which makes her ostracization from Hollywood all the more peculiar.

Stone had any number of "issues" that might have contributed to her ostracization.

Sharon is the epitome of beauty and a talent rarely encountered in Hollywood. Sharon’s eroticism and indescribable beauty has been unmatched for decades and she remains Tinseltowns most electric and standout star.

Sharon wasn't even likely 2nd in the the vote totals.

R1 has a warped view. R1 thinks that asphalt is a rectal disorder.

Unfortunately for Elizabeth, she’s been demoted to guest appearances on Karate Kid spinoffs as her lack of charisma and nonexistent sexual energy has proven she’s not a true movie star like Sharon. She’s a streaming supporting player at best. Sharon continues to regale Hollywood with her breathless beauty and dynamic talent. While show business continues to evolve, one stalwart is the stardom and explosive charisma that is exclusive to Sharon Stone.

Courtney was nominated for a Golden Globe, but she didn’t bag the Oscar nom that year

97’ Oscars - the beginning of Frances McDormand’s three (four if you count the producer credit on Nomadland) undeserving Oscar wins.

Frances is unfortunately one of the homeliest creatures in cinema. People crave true movie stars with glamour and beauty like Sharon Stone.

Frances is a sad secretary with halitosis who will never captivate the public with the charisma and sensuality of a marquee idol like Sharon Stone.

But Frances gets that sweet Coen cock every night

I suspect Madonna came in 6th in the voting. I think Alan Parker's direction made the film look too much like an MTV video, so voters felt like they had already seen Madonna give this performance.

Not on OP's list who I would have loved to see nominated: Laura Dern for Citizen Ruth.

A very underrated movie and a truly sublime performance.

I remember adult dramas..

Madonna’s several crying scenes were not sung and were done very well. She likewise nailed the rest of the movie. She carried the entire movie. No one would sit through 2 1/2 hours of mostly singing if she didn’t have the charisma to pull it off.

I do think she came in 6th in voting.

Neat.

Courtney Love was stupid. She won the New York Film Critics Award for Supporting Actress but then insisted on being campaigned for lead actress at other awards. She probably would have got a supporting nod.

[quote] I do think she came in 6th in voting.

Madonna never came in anything for an Oscar.

She can’t act. She spends her life acting as the malignant narcissist she is. There’s nothing left for film.

She’s a horrific monster and will never be acknowledged for any contribution to cinema. Just like that fat cunt Oprah.

R26 Absolutely. Her and Madonna were destined for nominations but both fucked it up.

You know Madonna was great when she was a favorite for a nomination after coming off Body Of Evidence. I think her fantastic performance in Dangerous Game is what put her in contention.

R27 You poor thing. Like it or not, Madonna can act. And she can act very well when she wants. Apparently she was so good in Goose and Tom Tom on Broadway the entire theater community was in awe. David Mamet was so in awe he wanted her for Speed The Plow which notorious theater critic snob Frank Rich said she was fucking excellent. Yes, she did get some bad reviews but his was very important because of his notorious and withering criticisms. She was great in DSS, Who’s That Girl (yes she was), Dick Tracy, A League, Dangerous Game, and Evita. She as also good in that Woody Allen movie and that other movie in the late 80s where the director fell ill during it (and later died) and said the movie being shit was his fault for not turning it over to someone else.

Madonna had won the Golden Globe that year, and should have received an Oscar nom. Brenda Blethyn should have been the winner over McDormand.

[quote]Courtney Love was stupid. She won the New York Film Critics Award for Supporting Actress but then insisted on being campaigned for lead actress at other awards. She probably would have got a supporting nod.

Supporting was also pretty packed that year. Performances that missed out were Kate Winslet for Hamlet, Lynn Redgrave for Shine (BAFTA nom), Marion Ross for The Evening Star (GG nom), Marisa Tomei for Unhook The Stars (SAG), Renee Zellweger for Jerry Maguire (SAG), Gwen Verdon for Marvin's Room (SAG), Queen Latifah for Set It Off (Ind Spirit) and Elizabeth Pena for Lone Star (won Ind Spirit).

Juliette Binoche was going to be the Supporting winner regardless.

I was sixth and you two-faced bitches all know it!

1997 Best Actress contenders was an embarrassment of riches.

[quote]Sharon Stone should have emerged victorious the year before. That liberal disaster Susan Sarandon stole Sharon’s Oscar away from her

I agree. 30 years later no one remembers Sarandon's brave NO MAKE UP AND COVER UP THE TITS creative choices but they do remember Stone's performance that elevated an otherwise fairly standard crime movie. But this was Sarandon's 5th and final nom and she never did anything of interest again, other than getting run over by a bus in The Big C.

We could discuss this for HOURS* but more deserving of nominations were Nicole Kidman for To Die For, Toni Collette for Muriel's Wedding and Julianne Moore - seriously - for Safe.

*See what I did there?

Shut up Sharon Stone’s PR/agent/stan

Neither Madonna or Sharon Stone are comparable to Streep, Keaton, McDormand, Kidman, Close etc with their range and longevity.

But Kidman and Stone's performances in Evita and Casino were absolutely brilliant and worthy of praise. 30 years later their performances have held up.

Can anyone explain Brenda Blethyn’s breakdown when Marianne Jean Baptiste asks who her father was?