MovieChat Forums > Sophie's Choice (1983) Discussion > What's the SECOND best female performanc...

What's the SECOND best female performance?

posted 17 years ago by SheniquaFurr
137 replies | jump to latest

The general consensus, and rightly so, is that this is the finest performance by a film actress ever. I have watched this movie many times, with many different goals (one included evaluating the movie without considering Streep's performance), and yes, it is almost certainly the best performance by a female actor ever filmed.

So my thread is this: Let's assume that this is the best performance. What's your pick for the second best performance by a female in film? Please include reasons. Being a fan is a reason but not a good enough one. Explain why you're a fan then.

I am thinking, my personal candidates would be:

Helen Mirren in The Queen, since she really did nail it and walked a very delicate tightrope. When you think about it, any decent actress would consider this to be one of the most terrifying roles she could take. Especially if she were a British actress. Mirren was both fearless and flawless.

Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream. Once again, another horrifying descent into a different type of abyss for an actress. Her unquenchable rage just barely beneath the surface of what could have been a two dimensional portrait of a rich junkie girl is what did it for me. The scene where she stands completely nude in the mirror and examines herself -- What happened to my life, how did I get here? That was heartbreaking. Her sex scene for drugs made me feel filthy and horrible and violated.

Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine. I am going to be biased and pick this as my second best female performance ever. I am a huge fan of the Great (younger) Kate, because all of her characters have some unknowable and slightly dangerous trait of unpredicatability. No matter what her character is, there is always the chance that things could turn dark and dangerous, and quickly. In Eternal Sunshine, her character knows this. Clem knows she is a crazy girl and she probably knows exactly why and how and when and where. She has all the answers but not the solution. She still doesn't have access to peace and joy and security. She knows she just might run even if she doesn't want to. What was amazing to me was that most of our exposure to Clem happens in Joel's head. We get to know Clem through Joel's eyes and memories. It was amazing for Kate to add that extra layer on top of this unstable and unpredictable character, to make her not just Clementine, but Joel's (mostly accurate) version of Clementine. And we fall for her as we go back in time, and we discover along with Joel just what it was about her that made him and us fall for this kooky girl to begin with.

Those are my three ideas, with Kate in Eternal Sunshine being my official second best female acting performance in film. It is just my opinion, and I am sure there might be demonstrably better choices that I simply haven't seen yet.

Come on, this would be a good discussion point. I want to hear what others think and why.

[–] Liquid_Ozymandias 8 years ago

Bates in Misery or Swanson in Sunset Boulevard.

Come at the king, you best not miss.

[–] the-miz20106 8 years ago

I'd go with Marion Cotillard in La vie en rose , in fact it is my favorite female performance of all time, Meryl Streep in Sophie's choice comes the second for me, Elizabeth Taylor in who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? , Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream Mo'Nique in precious was incredible also

[–] bingoboss 8 years ago

Emily Watson in "Breaking the Waves." For me, that was the outstanding female performance of the 90s.

Reasons?
- The whole movie rests on her character. She's in almost every scene of a 3 hour movie.
- Several scenes would have been ridiculous if they hadn't been played just right.
- She's 100% entirely convincing as this character. (It kind of helped that she was a largely unknown actress at the time.) Felt like watching a documentary.
- Lars Von Trier is a legendary ***hole, yet she still gave the performance of a lifetime.
- The grief and joy I felt at the end of the movie was almost overwhelming - and the feeling stayed with me for weeks afterwards (like Sophie's Choice.)

My #3 would be Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine.

[–] powermandan 8 years ago

Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard.

[–] eduardoescofet 8 years ago

Not the first one for me. I think the first one is for Marion Cotillard in La vie in rose. Not an English speaking role.

[–] guyforyou95 8 years ago

Vivien Leigh brought Scarlet O'hara from the pages of book to life and she transformed totally in Street car named desire, one of the best actress to live.

Charlize theron is amazing in Monster and def best performance ever done by female or actor in history, however, she is not doing oscar worthy movie lately.

Lupita was also great in 12 years a slave.

[–] idiotcamp 7 years ago

Gena Rowlands' performance in A Woman Under the Influence is the best, in my opinion. However, I would agree that Streep's performance in Sophie's Choice is certainly up there.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Not sure would I hold Streep's performance in this in that high of a regard. She was certainly very good, but I think there are tons of female performances out there that are just as good, if not better.

A few that come to mind include Tippi Hedren in Marnie (underrated film), Essie Davis in The Babadook, Brie Larson in Room, and Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (this one I would say is definitively better).