Leading Lady Week 7: The 1990s

Only two weeks left in the Leading Lady tournament, and we’re entering into the newest crop of ladies.  The ladies presented here have had enduring careers, and are all in the high levels of the A-list; one of them is even ingrained heavily into the TCM world.  As with all past polls, voting runs from Monday to Monday and clickable links will take you to any written material I’ve composed.

JULIA ROBERTS

Films That Secured Her Nomination: Pretty Woman, Sleeping With the Enemy, Hook, Notting Hill, My Best Friend’s Wedding

My Thoughts on the Nominee: Right up there with Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts is about as A-list as they come.  I think Julia is the one to beat, just because she’s the queen of romantic comedies.  Right behind her though is Sandra Bullock who might give Roberts a run for her money.

DREW BARRYMORE

Films That Secured Her Nomination: Poison Ivy, Bad Girls, The Wedding Singer, Ever After: A Cinderella Story, Never Been Kissed

My Thoughts on the Nominee: Those who read my blog, and are classic film fans, see Drew Barrymore every week hosting TCM’s The Essentials.  I’m not a fan of her hosting duties on that, but in the 1990s I saw all Barrymore’s movies.  It’s interesting that out of the bunch, Barrymore has two distinct film periods.  Her early 90s output was dramatic, somewhat exploitative work before she moved into comedy and romance in the late 1990s.  Since Barrymore has played in all genre this decade voters might feel she’s encompassed more of the decade.

SHARON STONE

Films That Secured Her Nomination: Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Casino

My Thoughts on the Nominee: Sharon Stone made two of my favorite movies of the 1990s (Total Recall, Casino), but I’m not sure if that will translate into votes.  Stone’s career peaked in the 1990s and she hasn’t had nearly the iconic roles of the other actresses in this category.

NICOLE KIDMAN

Films That Secured Her Nomination: Malice, To Die For, Batman Forever, Practical Magic, Eyes Wide Shut

My Thoughts on the Nominee: Kidman gets a bum rap today, but in the 1990s she had old-school glamour that I’d never seen before.  Her movies weren’t big blockbusters but  she did do one of the least worst (I’m coining that term) in the Batman franchise.  I don’t see her being a serious contender, but she encompassed the nineties to me.

SANDRA BULLOCK

Films That Secured Her Nomination: Speed, While You Were Sleeping, The Net, A Time to Kill, Practical Magic

My Thoughts on the Nominee: I have a love/hate relationship with Sandra Bullock.  In the nineties, she made some of my favorite movies, and some of the worst movies ever made.  She’s certainly becoming a celebrated, Academy Award winning actress now, but the rapid swinging in movie quality could hurt her chances.

Good luck to all our nominees!