MovieChat Forums > Katharine Ross Discussion > I wonder if she missed any roles that co...

I wonder if she missed any roles that could've won her an Oscar

posted 10 years ago by NotSlowScott
9 replies | jump to latest

She is so good in the Graduate and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, that it begs that age old movie buff question: Why didn't she get better roles in the 1970s? If you look at her biography during that time period you will see a lot of obscure movies, star studded potboilers, television movies, etc. Except for The Stepford Wives, a lot of those films are forgotten. I am not saying they aren't any good, though. I just think they aren't in the caliber as her two classic films from the 1960s.

Was she even offered memorable classic 1970s roles in these following movies:

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
The Remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Goodbye Girl
An Unmarried Woman
Chinatown

Or any film that starred Jane Fonda? I feel like she might've turned down some things that she might, in retrospect, wished that she had accepted.

[–] cookiela2001 10 years ago

Having recently rewatched The Stepford Wives, I was wondering that, too. That film was a huge hit and she looks fantastic in it (which is primarily what Hollywood wants from actresses) and I wondered why she followed it up with slightly cheesy thrillers and TV movies.

But as to a few of the titles you mention:

ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANY MORE: This was developed with Ellen Burstyn in mind, after the studio that made The Exorcist was pleased with her work in that. She even had her choice of director, and chose Scorsese.

THE GOODBYE GIRL: Written by Marsha Mason's husband, playwright Neil Simon, specifically with her in mind.

CHINATOWN: Was originally to star producer Robert Evan's wife Ali MacGraw. When she left him, the only two real contenders for the part were Jane Fonda and Faye Dunaway.

[–] NotSlowScott 10 years ago

Thanks for the information. From what I am gathering from your astute post, the actresses in the movies that you commented upon had those movie roles developed for them.

Again, in her prime, and with the little power that she had, I just wish she was a little more selective in her roles.

[–] SimplemindedSociety 10 years ago

she could be only as selective as the roles she was offered. Too much competition. I thought she was good,not great.

[–] jardevas 9 years ago

I love "The Stepford Wives," too, but calling it "a huge hit" is really stretching it. It gained its reputation through the years (and drew a large audience when it debuted on ABC), but it wasn't one of the year's 10 highest-grossing films. I'm not even among sure it was among the Top 20 hits of the year.

[–] kurt-2000 8 years ago

I love "The Stepford Wives," too, but calling it "a huge hit" is really stretching it.

Thank you and amen.

The only reason to watch any Stepford film from the '70's would be to see Tina Louise, who was load for bear.

[–] Theman (1064) 2 years ago

I think she was in Donnie Darko.

[–] bjensen4 (1281) 2 years ago

She was, she was Donnie’s shrink.

[–] Theman (1064) a year ago

She was great in the Final Countdown which featured the same aircraft as the first Top Gun.

[–] Otter (24464) 2 years ago

She was never considered to be the kind of dramatic actress who gets taken seriously by the critics and who gets nominated for big awards, perhaps because she came across as a calm and stable person onscreen. Or perhaps she just wasn't the highest level of actor, she was always good, but I've never seen her be great.

She was always tremendously appealing, though, and beautiful without being ostentatious about it.