MovieChat Forums > Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) Discussion > Glenda Jackson

Glenda Jackson

posted 19 years ago by DC1977
13 replies | jump to latest

I'm not a huge fan of Glenda Jackson. Film awards often recognise actresses who play cold, unfeeling characters as they are so often misinterpreted as being 'strong women'.

Perhaps this is why Jackson has won two Oscars and Katherine Hepburn has won 4.

Jackson was good in Women in Love but it was hardly Oscar worthy and A Touch of Class was simply an amusing romantic comedy. Again she was good in it but she should never have won the Oscar for it.

Can anyone seriously claim that Hepburn deserved Oscars for Guess Whose Coming to Dinner and On Golden Pond? Seriously?
She was very good in The Lion in Winter but how could she win and Peter O'Toole (who was even better) miss out?

Its because she plays 'strong women'.

In Sunday Bloody Sunday, Glenda Jackson for once plays a character who shows her vulnerability and this is the definitely best performance I've seen from her.

She didn't win the Oscar for this one; it went to Jane Fonda instead.

How on earth can such a dull actress as Jane Fonda win an Oscar? (or two for that matter)

The answer is because that year she won for her performance in Klute where she played another 'strong woman'

[–] Oliver-50 19 years ago

I completely agree; Glenda Jackson was robbed of an Oscar. The fact that Jane Fonda won 2 Oscars makes me even more furious. I still haven't seen Women in Love, but I did hear that Jackson was excellent in it.

[–] Harold_Robbins 18 years ago

If you go down the list of Best Actress Oscar-winning roles, you'll find that most of them were "strong women" - let's face it: who'd want to play the weak ones? Even Olivia de Havilland's shy and meek Catherine Sloper of THE HEIRESS turned out to be a "strong woman" at the end. Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joan Crawford, Greer Garson, to name but a few, were all strong actresses who played strong women.

I'm still mystified about Hepburn's 4 Oscars - there's no denying that the woman had tremendous screen presence, but somehow she managed to convince others that this was actually acting. She wasn't a big fan of Meryl Streep because she said she "could see the wheels turning" in a Streep performance. Streep, however, can vary voice and accent from role to role, whereas Hepburn's voice remained virtually unchanged from one role to the next, regardless of the character's background or the film's setting.

Jackson, by the way, also had great screen presence - how sad that she's given up acting for politics!

"...don't let's ask for the moon - we have the stars!"

[–] SincerelyJane 17 years ago

Glenda's performance in "Women in Love" is better than in "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", I have to say. "Women in Love" is literally in my Top 3 films of all time - remarkable adaptation of the Lawrence novel. Everyone should see it!

As for Hepburn? She is my great, great hero and I will defend her 'til I die, but the Oscar wins are worthy of analysis. I think the only Oscar she truly deserved was the one for "The Lion in Winter" - one of the greatest screen performances of all time in another one of my all time favourites. She's simply unbeatable in that role.

[–] Crawfordfan 17 years ago

I know this is being petty and picky, but the Oscar that Jackson was nominated for for SBS actually went to Liza Minnelli for Cabaret instead, I believe! But she did win the BAFTA for her performance, deservedly so!

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Crawfordfan 17 years ago

Thanks for the correction gmjambear: I confess I was wrong!

[–] killacam-2 17 years ago

It's so sad that political activism completely overshadowed Fonda's acting. IMO she totally deserved to win over Jackson. Yes, she played strong woman, but Bree Daniels is three-dimensional character whose strength in only virtual. Check those inredible scenes of psychological sessions and final scene when killer reveals tapes of her friend's death. Fonda shows there the weaker ,filled with confusion and despair side of this great character and she does it with calm but huge intensity and control.
It's not even close - Fonda is amazing actress and she most definitely deserved her trophy that year.

[–] zachlen48 16 years ago

Fonda has always been and always will be a lousy actress.As for Glenda Jackson, her greatest performance in film was without question The Music Lovers.The bravest performance ever by a woman.

[–] mac_alain 14 years ago

The bravest performance ever by a woman.

How can a performance by an actor be "brave"? A fire fighter risking his/her life to rescue someone from a burning building is brave, but a brave performance? Great film and great performance though.

[–] Helena727 9 years ago

Artists who are willing to expose the darkest parts of themselves / of human nature are extremely brave.

"All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people."

[–] IForgotMyMantra 15 years ago

Fonda and Jackson were both remarkable.

[–] DLD2cool-1 15 years ago

Both Fonda and Jackson were brilliant in their roles and Fonda deserved the award.

[–] gnolti 15 years ago

Hepburn was a famously overrated actress; I've never understood the Hepburn cult. She played the same character over and over, and the character she played wasn't particularly likeable or sympathetic.

I agree Jackson was superb in this, for the reasons you cite. But come on, Fonda's Bree was the competition that year, and it was no contest.

There, daddy, do I get a gold star?