MovieChat Forums > The Wings of the Dove (1998) Discussion > ALISON ELLIOTT

ALISON ELLIOTT

posted 20 years ago by twm-2
27 replies | jump to latest

I thought all three of the leads were quite good, but I was amazed by Alison Elliott. I had never seen her before but thought her performance at least the equal of the other two more well known players. There was one unregretable drawback to her performance--her luminous preternatural beauty made it difficult to believe she was really near death. As I watched her, in some scenes I felt that no actress has ever been more radient, more lovely. Maybe some small part of my admiration of her physical qualities was fueled by the personality of the character she was playing--she was, of course, extraorinarily lovable--so much so it's hard to believe Kate would ever have suggested the "arrangement" she does. So--WHY haven't we seen much much more of her???????????????????????????????????????!! Are all the casting directors out there idiots?! Anyone else out there agree?

"THE SPOTS!!!"

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] twm-2 18 years ago

Again, I would hazard that the differences in perceived "strength" between Ms. Elliott and her co-stars had less to do with acting chops and more to do with the characters each played and how the parts were written. It's got to be exTREMEly difficult to play women whose only flaw is that she happens to be dying. Why is it that Han Solo leaves a more indelible impression than Luke Skywalker? Luke is courageous, truthful, self-sacrificing, unwaveringly loyal and pure of heart, with his only flaw being an impatience born of youthful exuberance. Han, on the other hand, is a reluctant hero, a guy who has no qualms about bending the rules to the point of breaking, a guy whose first inclination is to desert his friends in favor of saving his own neck. Perfection, or near perfection, just isn't very interesting and is harder to relate to than someone whose motivations are clouded by self-interest. If Helena Bonham Carter had had Millie’s role, you might be talking about how unusually flat her performance was. STILL, in spite of the handicap of being cast in the role of dying saint, for me, somehow, Ms. Elliott managed to imbue her character with some interest. Clearly, this was not the case for you, and no doubt for many others, but surely we can agree that this may not have been entirely a result of inferior acting skills, that Alison Elliott was encumbered with an inherently less interesting role?

"Nothing in this world is more surprising than the attack without mercy!"--Little Big Man

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] twm-2 18 years ago

Who knows, indeed!

Cheers!

PS. Funny, I'd forgotten you'd written that, though I recalled it instantly upon reading it in your most recent post.

"Nothing in this world is more surprising than the attack without mercy!"--Little Big Man

[–] Mixalidis 16 years ago

Yes, I'm so glad about these comments. She was fantastic! Really sweet, vivacious performance. During the movie I was thinking that she should've been nominated instead of Helena, although Helena was good too. And also how these light performances are rarely Oscar material, but then I remembered Winona Ryder who I admire, and how she played this kind of role in Age Of Innocence, and got nominated. She was so getting on my nerves in that movie and it was lame performance.

The whole movie reminded me of Age of Innocence, which I find better movie altogether.

Such a shame she hasn't made successful career...

[–] twm-2 16 years ago

I think that Winona may have gotten on your nerves because, underneath the "sweetness and light," she was an extremely manipulative scheming so and so.

It was never explicitly stated, but was left as a subtext, and so that was the probably the reason it rubbed you the wrong way.

Millie, however, did not possess this trait. She was capable of manipulation, but it was more of a selfless kind, trying to do best by her friends.

I'd agree that it's a darn shame Alison Elliott hasn't gone on to star in more films. The only two movies I've seen her in of late are Birth and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford--both good films, but her part was miniscule and could have been played by anyone. Sigh.

Fighting for Truth, Justice, and making it the American way.

[–] lizzylee 14 years ago

Winona Ryder's character in "The Age of Innocence" is described specifically as lacking in imagination. She'd bore the heck out of anybody, long-term. We were not supposed to be enchanted with her; we were supposed to feel Newland Archer's dissatisfaction with her and identify with his pull toward the smarter and more sophisticated Michelle Pfeiffer.

Allison Elliott's Milly Theale, however, is both funny and imaginative. Though naive, she doesn't lack intelligence. She is genuinely charming. It's nice, for once, to see the charm in genuine goodness. Not many actresses can pull this off, but a good part of the credit must go to the screenwriter as well.

[–] twm-2 14 years ago

I cannot disagree. I would add that part of the reason we, as well as Newland, are so disenchanted with May is not merely her lack of imagination, but many other things as well, not least of which would be her seeming complete acceptance of the strictures/repressions of their society (Newland and Olenska are trapped by these strictures as well, but at least they are straining at the bonds). Of course, we can attribute this to this "lack of imagination," but in part it is because she is so skilled in the art of maneuvering within these constraints. If she isn't as intelligent as Olenska, she is nonetheless exceptionally shrewd. That she uses this shrewdness in such an indirect fashion to achieve her ends we viewers of today find off-putting, but for a woman trapped in the era explicated in the film, she was simply doing what she had been bred and trained to do.

And I'm willing to give part of the credit of Alison Elliott's successful portrayal to the screenwriters. As you note, not many actresses could have pulled that part off, but no actor can turn junk into poetry.

Fighting for Truth, Justice, and making it the American way.

[–] Stirchley 13 years ago

Completely agree with the OP. I had never heard of Alison Elliott or seen her in a movie. She reminds me of another actress, but I can't think who at the moment. She was excellent in this movie.

[–] sstavsky 9 years ago

She reminded me somewhat of Amy Irving, and that's who you may be thinking of.

[–] feehan-4 9 years ago

I just saw this movie again for at least the 4th time. Been awhile.

I've always thought Alison was extraordinary in this film, and I think she deserved at least an Academy nomination. What a shame.

I'd actually say her and Helena deserve the Oscars. Poor Helena had to have been nominated in a year with 3 other British stars. Helen Hunt won by default. All of the British actresses deserved it more. And I'm an American who usually hates that sort of argument, but this year? Yeah, definitely that's the case.

[–] twm-2 9 years ago

Yes, the Academy gets it wrong more often than they get it right, I'm afraid. Carter had the showier performance which caught the voters' eye, while Ms. Elliott's was subtler in a role that a lesser actress would have made boring.

And I don't know why Hunt won. She was good, perhaps even very good, but you should give out Oscars for greatness, not for merely being "good."

Fighting for Truth, Justice, and making it the American way. 

[–] Maddyclassicfilms 9 years ago

Agreed. I wasn't familiar with her before seeing this but I was very impressed with her performance.

Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .

[–] twm-2 9 years ago

yes, I don't know why she hasn't become a bigger star.

Fighting for Truth, Justice, and making it the American way. 