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Jeff Wells, high on Anne Hathaway’s work in “Love and Other Drugs,” recently wrote a piece bemoaning the lack of awards consideration usually granted to romantic comedy performances: “[There is a] belief,” he complains, “that to qualify for an acting award you have to solemnly suffer and pour your heart out in a somewhat doleful and non-pizazzy way.”
Of course, this is a casual generalization. In the past decade, several women have broken through in the Best Actress for broad comedy (romantic and otherwise) vehicles, including Ellen Page, Diane Keaton, Judi Dench and Meryl Streep — twice. (Or more, depending on your take on “Doubt.”) Should “Love and Other Drugs,” with its big-name pedigree and dramatic overtones, take off with the smart adult audiences it’s being pitched to, a nomination for Hathaway is perfectly feasible.
Unadulterated comic fluff, however, is another matter. While veterans like Streep and Keaton are given passes for lightweight fare, you have to go back to Renée Zellweger (“Bridget Jones Diary,” 2001) to find an example of a younger actress earning a nod for a purely comic film without Best Picture clout. In 2007, Amy Adams rode a wave of early buzz for “Enchanted,” but fell victim to the Academy’s faulty sense of humor. Still, she got further than, say, Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blonde” or Jennifer Garner in “13 Going on 30″ – both performances worthy of consideration that never got off the starting blocks due to their flighty commercial vehicles.
On that basis — and others, including her youth and (despite bright appearances in “Superbad” and “Zombieland”) her comparatively unfamiliar name — the odds are against up-and-comer Emma Stone getting into an already competitive Best Actress race for the bubbly teen comedy “Easy A.” And that’s a shame, because Stone’s frisky, funny and stealthily wise performance as a star student playing playground games with her reputation is not only as impressive an arrival as Jennifer Lawrence’s nomination-bound turn in “Winter’s Bone,” but one of the year’s most complex and questioning female leads, period. Indeed, as I mentally compile my current personal ballot for 2010 this, I myself am surprised to find this girl jostling with Juliette Binoche for pole position. If you know me, you’ll know that’s some deep praise.
Stone’s achievement is all the more remarkable for the comparative lack of assistance she is given by her vehicle. I took time out from more taxing filmgoing duties at the London Film Festival to see “Easy A,” mainly as preparation for an upcoming interview with another of the film’s stars, and was unexpectedly charmed by its wonky moral logic and jagged sense of high school politics. But there were as many moments where I wanted to take a whetstone to its thoughtful script, to sharpen some of its one-liners and refine some of its more obliviously iffy ethical calls.
In scene after scene, however, Stone is that (ahem) whetstone, projecting an innate, consistent intelligence that never descends into smartass precocity, yet remaining palpably aware of when her character is wrong. Which is often: her Olive is an unusual high school heroine in that she doesn’t walk the good girl-bad girl line to impress anyone but herself. As the arch performance-within-a-performance slips out of Olive’s control, however, Stone’s own performance takes on conflicting registers of panic, resignation and unadmitted delight: the quick transitions between which remind us that she’s very much a teenager after all.
All that, plus she spits out wisecracks with fizzy aplomb, and socks a knockout song-and-dance number. There may be any number of fine performances in the running for the Best Actress statuette this year — from Natalie Portman to Lesley Manville to Michelle Williams — but I can’t think of any that are doing more than Stone’s, while making it look quite so simple. That, of course, is why actors so rarely get awards credit for soufflé pieces like “Easy A”: when the dish goes down that easily, one can forget how much expertise goes into making it rise.
[Photo: Screen Gems]
48 responses so far
1 10-25-2010 at 4:30 pm
Square Eyes said...
I think the same thing goes for Michael Cera in Scott Pilgrim. I might be alone on that one but I really did think he was brilliant in a brilliant film.
2 10-25-2010 at 4:58 pm
James D. said...
These sort of discussions really make me sad. I know they are longshots, but why not talk for Katie Jarvis/Tilda Swinton/Kim Hye-ja/Greta Gerwig? Every one of them did much more than Stone did in her film.
3 10-25-2010 at 5:05 pm
Guy Lodge said...
As much as I like (and in some cases even love) all of those performances, I disagree. I can’t help fearing you’re letting the vehicle obstruct your view of the performance here, James — which is exactly what this whole piece is about.
Jarvis would be in my Best Actress five right alongside Stone. Standout work in arthouse and broadly commercial cinema should both have a place at the table.
4 10-25-2010 at 5:12 pm
Chad Hartigan said...
I’m all for Stone getting some attention. She gives much more than Easy A deserves. But then, Anna Faris in Smiley Face is in my top 10 female performances of the last decade and that movie is horrible!
5 10-25-2010 at 5:13 pm
amanda said...
I’ve seen Blue Valentine and to say that Williams doesn’t make it look effortless is ridiculous.
6 10-25-2010 at 5:13 pm
Danny King said...
“There may be a number of fine performances in the running for the Best Actress statuette this year — from Natalie Portman to Lesley Manville to Michelle Williams — but I can’t think of any that are doing quite as much as Stone’s…”
Wouldn’t Portman’s work easily qualify her as “doing “more than Stone? The physical aspects of her performance far outweigh the requirements of Stone’s role; even comparing Stone’s song-and-dance number to the amount of “doing” that Portman does in her role is pretty out there.
That being said, I do agree that Stone’s performance is unique and worthy of discussion. Perhaps it is my dislike for the film as a whole that makes me reluctant to jump on to your bandwagon, but I really just can’t see how Stone’s work could have more “doing” than the physical and emotional demands of Portman’s work. Just to reinforce, since Aronofsky’s camera is so darn close, Portman is almost always forced to achieve physical and emotional balance simultaneously, which I think is quite a feat.
7 10-25-2010 at 5:15 pm
Guy Lodge said...
“I’ve seen Blue Valentine and to say that Williams doesn’t make it look effortless is ridiculous.”
Who’s saying that? Williams is superb in Blue Valentine.
You guys need to relax: I’m merely naming some of the buzz-heavy performances by way of example, not directly comparing them. Praise for one performance isn’t an automatic slight on another.
8 10-25-2010 at 5:21 pm
Michael said...
I saw Easy A in theaters twice and I liked the film a lot but I LOVED Emma Stone in it. If she doesn’t at least get nominated for a Golden Globe for that role then there will be hell to pay. If the film had been finessed a little bit more (as you mentioned in your article) then I think her chances would be a lot more likely, even if it was still a commercial comedy film. Her performance is definitely on my top 10 favorite performances I have seen so far this year, and I have a feeling that she will be the opposite of Lindsay Lohan and actually make a name for herself as an actress in the coming years. I would love for her to be nominated, but I can’t help but feel b/c she is so young and just getting started that the best is yet to come from her, and I don’t doubt that we will see her get a nomination some time soon.
9 10-25-2010 at 5:33 pm
BK said...
I definitely agree that Emma deserves some recognition, but I don’t think the Academy will see it that way. Perhaps a Golden Globe?
10 10-25-2010 at 5:36 pm
Danny King said...
“I can’t think of any that are doing more than Stone’s.”
In my opinion, this is where you delve into comparing Stone’s performances to the other ones you mentioned, rather than just using them by way of example. I’m not trying to be critical, I’d just be interested to see you defend your position against Portman’s work.
11 10-25-2010 at 6:13 pm
Tab said...
I’m still pissed about the Academy ignoring Laura Dern (CITIZEN RUTH), Reese Witherspoon (ELECTION) and Renee Zellweger (NURSE BETTY) in great comedic roles.
12 10-25-2010 at 6:25 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Danny: You’re being awfully literal-minded. “[None are doing] more than” implies kinship, equality, a shared league — you’re reading it as “Stone is doing more than,” which is a different statement. Explaining these semantics is tedious, but apparently necessary.
And you’re completely imagining any “position against Portman’s work” on my part. I love her in the film. Go back and read my review.
But yeah, if you want to get down to brass tacks and ask if I’d vote for Stone over Portman in a final ballot, the answer is yes.
13 10-25-2010 at 6:50 pm
Danny King said...
When I said “position against Portman’s work,” I meant your preference of Stone over Portman. I’ve long been aware of how much you admire Black Swan and the performance.
Anyway, I appreciate the elaboration.
14 10-25-2010 at 7:00 pm
m1 said...
I thought Easy A was one of the best films of 2010. It was sharp, hilarious, creative, well-acted, and discussion-worthy. If it does not get a Best Comedy nomination at the Golden Globes, I will be done with loving them forever. Of course, I should have stopped loving them after The Hurt Locker and (500) Days of Summer went home empty-handed from them…
15 10-25-2010 at 7:15 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Danny: Aha. Sorry if I sounded tetchy. It’s hard to give scientific reasons for choosing between two performances one likes, but my hypothetical vote for Stone comes down to the way she leads and enlivens an occasionally awkward script, without nearly as much help from the filmmaking as many of the likelier nominees have. And the performance itself balances multiple levels of awareness and irony, while maintaining an airy, offhand sense of fun — it’s really deft work.
16 10-25-2010 at 7:24 pm
Matthew said...
Here’s my thoughts- One person wins the Oscar out of an incalculable number of performances (I guess you could literally calculate every female role in every movie, but that’s beside the point). Only five get nominated. You have to have the total package, meaning you have to show a depth of range, and you have to make it looks easy. I haven’t seen this particular film, but from what I can tell from the article that’s what Guy is praising Stone for- she makes it look easy.
That being said, only one person walks home with the prize and to me, that performance needs to be stellar, like knock your socks off good. I’m not saying Easy A doesn’t deliver that kind of performance, but to me an Oscar winning performance needs to be a powerful one. One where the actor or actress imbues the craft with something no one else can bring to the table. That doesn’t mean the performance is loud or filled with pain. I think Ellen Page gives a powerful performance in Juno, with only a scene or two of “suffering.”
Oscar isn’t just good work. Oscar is extraordinary work. Work that moves the mind and the heart. Maybe Stone gives that performance, I don’t know, haven’t seen it. When in doubt, look at Streep. “Doubt” was a powerful performance. Say what you will about the Blind Side, but Bullock gave a powerful performance, but not a lot of suffering going on for Mrs. Tuohy. Kate Winslet in “Eternal Sunshine” also comes to mind.
I think this article really gets at an issue amongst the industry. What is or is not Oscar? What is or is not powerful? In the end, subjectivity is I guess the root problem. But to me, a performance featuring the darker sides of what it means to be human and to live in this world, a performance in which the performer “went there” to dark places we don’t like to think about, are easily some of the best because the actor or actress is fearless enough to encounter that truth. Maybe they’re not the most fun or the ones that make you feel the best, but they sure are, well, powerful.
17 10-25-2010 at 7:26 pm
Joe said...
Yeah, Guy, but did Emma set the screen ablaze? I don’t think so.
I didn’t much like the movie. I can imagine those that did enjoy it crediting Stone. But what you call “unexpectedly charming wonky moral logic” I call… something else entirely.
18 10-25-2010 at 7:29 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Only Jacki Weaver sets the screen ablaze. I think we’ve established that by now.
19 10-25-2010 at 7:39 pm
MovieMan said...
It’s probably the best female lead performance in an American film so far this year (that I’ve seen, at least). Stone is truly stunning.
And the film, I think, matches her gift to it. It’s probably my fourth or fifth favorite film of the year, which is saying something. I actually think its writing is smarter than that of “The Social Network.” Sue me.
20 10-25-2010 at 7:51 pm
Sarah El said...
It’s weird to count on the Golden Globes to give recognition where it’s due, but so long as Emma Stone gets a nod and hopefully a win there, I’ll be pleased. I look forward to more of her work and maybe consistent excellence in comedy will wear the Academy down into recognizing comic genius.
21 10-25-2010 at 8:04 pm
patrick c said...
YES ! I don’t remember who mentioned it but, ANNA FARRIS IN “SMILEY FACE” (and to a lesser extent, “The House Bunny”) is definitely one of the best comedic performances of the decade. Haha sorry i’m really excited, I didnt know anyone else had even seen that film :)
22 10-25-2010 at 8:05 pm
Lovely1 said...
There’s no way that Emma Stone is or should get an Oscar nom for this. Rachel McAdams was better, much better in Mean Girls than Stone in Easy A and Lohan was better in Freaky Friday. Neither of those actresses got awards recogniton and both of their films made way more money than Easy A (which will be lucky to even reach 60 million). Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give andRenee in Bridget Jones Diary were much bigger films with a lot more buzz than Easy A ever had.
If I have a say so and I’m being honest with myself, Golden Globes comedy should look like this:
Bening, The Kids Are Alright
Moore, The Kids Are Alright
Hawkins, Made In Dagenham
Roberts, Eat Pray Love
Hathaway, Paltrow or Witherspoon
Bening wins the category no contest.
23 10-25-2010 at 8:31 pm
/3rtfu11 said...
Emma Stone would be a lock for Oscar if her role wasn’t a leading one. Funny women win in supporting.
Whoopi – 90
Mercedes – 91
Marisa – 92
Dianne – 94
Mira – 95
Judi – 98
Catherine – 02
24 10-25-2010 at 8:53 pm
Danny King said...
No worries. I think we just misunderstood each other for a bit there. In terms of elevating herself above her material and the filmmakers, it’s very tough to argue against Stone.
25 10-25-2010 at 9:36 pm
A said...
I love Rachel McAdams in “Mean Girls,” but Stone’s performance has a lot more depth. I was completely moved several times by Stone in “Easy A” – a true lead actress performance. McAdams does a fantastic job with Regina George, but you never really get an opportunity to feel for her or empathize with her (in my opinion).
But we could compare Stone’s performance to similar never-nominated comedic performances forever, that doesn’t mean Stone won’t receive awards attention. This isn’t a science, and not everything is “fair.”
That being said, I doubt AMPAS will take notice, but I hope she gets a Golden Globe nod. Definitely one of my favorite performances of the year.
26 10-25-2010 at 10:52 pm
Kristopher Tapley said...
I guess I wasn’t crazy.
27 10-25-2010 at 11:21 pm
Alex L. said...
This was one of the first things that popped into my mind after seeing it but then I remembered that not even Sally Hawkins was nominated for an oscar in 2009 and she was the odds on favorite to win. In a way, these two performances can be compared. Both comedic but still with their tinges of emotionalism and hurt. But, I think Emma Stone will have her time. I mean she “is the next Sandra Bullock.”
28 10-26-2010 at 1:57 am
Guy Lodge said...
“I remembered that not even Sally Hawkins was nominated for an oscar in 2009 and she was the odds on favorite to win.”
You’re imagining things, Alex.
29 10-26-2010 at 2:06 am
Robert Hamer said...
“I remembered that not even Sally Hawkins was nominated for an oscar in 2009 and she was the odds on favorite to win.”
*sigh* If only…
30 10-26-2010 at 2:23 am
Jeremy said...
I enjoyed Stone’s performance, but if I’m picking a young up-and-comer who shined in an unheralded comedy this year, I’m backing Mary Elizabeth Winstead in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”.
31 10-26-2010 at 4:21 am
JTag said...
Right now, Easy A is my favorite film this year. I LOVE a great comedy and this film was so consistent all the way through. My one big scream moment during nominations this year will be if it’s in the Best Pic nominees.
“I think the same thing goes for Michael Cera in Scott Pilgrim. I might be alone on that one but I really did think he was brilliant in a brilliant film.”
Unfortunately for Cera there are too many people like me who think he played the same role he always plays, much as I liked him in the film.
32 10-26-2010 at 6:09 am
Brad said...
Yea I really don’t see her at the Oscars unfortunately. Hopefully they ask her to present though.
But the Golden Globes; I think she could win (unless Bening is nominated but I don’t really see The Kids are Alright purely in the Musical/Comedy category; maybe)
It’s gonna be a fun awards season.
33 10-26-2010 at 6:48 am
Gonobab said...
Why wouldn’t The Kids Are Alright be in the musical/comedy category? It’s a comedy first and foremost! Bening is winning that and even if she wasn’t, Stone wouldn’t win it either.
The only thing I disagree on is Julia Roberts, I think she’s in, but EPL isn’t going in musical/comedy.
34 10-26-2010 at 9:49 am
Joey said...
I still think that Jamie Lee Curtis’s performance in Freaky Friday was one of the best female comedic performances that went unnoticed.
35 10-26-2010 at 10:02 am
billybil said...
Oh dear God – just when I’m thinking Mr. Lodge is getting too high brow for me he comes along and writes an insightful, provocative piece that matches my perspective exactly (that’s the key point here, of course). :-) Gosh darn I do love it when anyone takes the time out to talk about something that is right in front of people’s faces but they can’t see it because of conditioning. Stone is a wonder in EASY A – certainly as fetching and charming as some more famous ingenue breakout roles – A. Hepburn in Roman Holiday or J. Roberts in Pretty Woman. Stone has got charm and command of the screen to die for. And she has, indeed, been getting a lot of attention for what is basically a teen romance movie. But thanks, Guy, for asking people to really consider her as an actress as well as a personality.
NOW – how about discussing some of the amazing performances coming out of India these days? I mean, I’ve been watching a bunch of these (my wife has developed quite a crush on Hrithik Roshan) and I am really impressed with some of the work these actors do. This year we should probably be touting Shahrukh Kahn for his work in MY NAME IS KAHN (which played in the US earlier this year). If Tom Hanks had done this role as well as Mr. Kahn does, we’d be talking Oscar for sure.
And speaking of Mr. Roshan – clips from his upcoming movie, Guzaarish, make me think he might be worthy of a nomination this year as well. It’s interesting to me that European actors get nominated from time to time – especially Italian ones – but almost never Asian ones – and certainly never East Indian ones. This is a shame.
36 10-26-2010 at 10:28 am
James said...
Well the question is how does she compare to the other nominated comedic performances like RDJ in Tropic Thunder, RZ in Bridget Jones’ Diary, Streep in every comedy she does? Is she good enough to be nominated? How does Screen Gems promote her for the awards season?
37 10-26-2010 at 11:20 am
Naysayer said...
BillyBil,
The problem is that while people on this site can claim that Stone is just as commanding and charming as Hepburn or Roberts were in their star-making roles – audiences didn’t agree. Easy A didn’t do terrible, but it certainly didn’t do anything close to spectacular at the box office. The fact that it didn’t beat Mean Girls, Freaky Friday, or Clueless, despite great reviews and raves for Stone don’t even put it in the top 3 teen comedies of the last 20 years. I mean, people can say “Emma Stone, Emma Stone” but if audiences are more like “Eh”, what are you going to do? There’s this disconnect between film boards and what audiences respond to and they certainly didn’t respond to Easy A the way they did Pretty Woman, Roman Holiday, Bridget Jones’s Diary, or It’s Complicated.
38 10-26-2010 at 11:21 am
Chad Hartigan said...
Oh yeah. I forgot Robert Downey Jr. was nominated for Tropic Thunder. That’s a completely one note, lifeless performance compared to what Emma Stone does here.
39 10-26-2010 at 11:54 am
Benito Delicias said...
You have officially gone insane…I assume this is the worst thing I’ll ever read on this site…
Jennifer Garner deserved consideration for 13 Going on 30…???
I’ll support Legally Blonde any day, but there’s seriously nothing good to say about Garner in that movie.
40 10-26-2010 at 12:23 pm
A.J said...
All the major contenders for Best Actress are from dramas (The Kids Are Alright’s ‘comedy’ classification notwithstanding) so there could be split votes among the drama contenders leading the best comedic contender, Emma Stone, to slip in and get a nomination.
41 10-26-2010 at 3:20 pm
m1 said...
37-The movie made $54 million on a budget of $8 million. Its holds have been mentioned in several box office reports in the past few weeks. Don’t tell me that’s not impressive.
42 10-26-2010 at 7:05 pm
billybil said...
But Naysayer you’re talking about movies and I’m talking about star turns in movies – entirely different thing. No way will EASY A do the same business as those other films for numerous reasons – most of them having nothing to do with Emma Stone. I’m not sure how ROMAN HOLIDAY did at the box office but I certainly know how well PRETTY WOMAN did. Both those films had strong leading men who had already established a fan base – particularly Gregory Peck. I still claim that Emma showed just as much spark as either of those amazing women. Now, if she gets the roles and the same “breaks” that those 2 women got, then we may be seeing a future superstar.
43 10-26-2010 at 9:03 pm
Sam said...
I love seeing you say you would vote Stone over Portman. I wholeheartedly agree. Stone is such a natural vs. Portman who is all work. It’s really difficult for me to watch Portman because you can see her acting at every turn. It distracts from what’s going on around her. It’s difficult because she was so graceful and natural in the Professional and Beautiful Girls – now every performance seems like such an effort.
44 10-26-2010 at 9:47 pm
SJG said...
Sam’s right about Portman’s very, eh, intellectualized approach to acting. It’s like she’s thought every line and facial expression and gesture over until it comes out like it was programmed by a computer. Very robotic.
But I have to add her performance in “Cold Mountain” to his list of her best work.
45 10-27-2010 at 3:16 am
Guy Lodge said...
Since Sam and SJG are using my earlier comment as a trigger to criticise Portman, I just want to underline the fact that I think she’s great in Black Swan.