Sandy Dennis

Amen.

I totally had a friend like Marion when i was younger. Claire really said it all. Sandy Dennis perfectly captured the bitterness of being in somebody's shadow, and the frustration of being helpless to convey what is happening.

I could not take my eyes off of her during her scene in the bar. I know it was a very small part; but she did SO much with what she was given. She was such a phenomenal actress.

No, no..."cruelty." I always think that has a nobler ring to it.

She finally kept (thanks to Woody?) her neurotic mannerisms in check, for the most part (they're still here to a much less degree). Yes, she was terrific - finally.

The whole movie is vastly underrated.

I couldn't agree more with you. Sandy was excellent! Actually, the entire cast is amazing!!!!Don't you think that a remarkable actress/actor could show their skills, probably much more efficiently in small parts? Like Vannessa Redgrave in "Julia", or Tony Collet in "The hours"?

The role of 'Claire' was key to the theme of this movie, and Sandy Dennis nailed it. Thank goodness she underplayed (for once). She was a brilliant performer.

"What do you want me to do, draw a picture? Spell it out!"

Just echoing the Sandy Dennis praise. In that sequence at the bar (http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index/?cid=253693), Marion and Jack along with their conversation just seem to fade away as it becomes a scene all about Claire's silent reaction. I agree that she deserved a BSA nod, just as I feel she did for The Four Seasons. I enjoy her in every film she ever made, but yes, she certainly handled her smaller scene-stealing roles particularly well.

I remember being a fan of Sandy Dennis from a really young age from when my parents showed me The Out Of Towners. Then when I was a teenager and discovered this film I was so excited to find out she was in one of my favourite director's films. A truly great performance.

Yes, and she died way too young. I would have liked to see her play roles into her 80s. The bar scene was fabulous.