A small, independent film often has to choose what bait is best to dangle in front of Academy voters. Time and resources are slim and must be employed as efficiently as possible. Oscar campaigning is a reality—a reprehensible one sometimes, yes—but, as my preferred Oscar blogger Sasha Stone points out fairly often, winning an Oscar is “all about the story”. And there is no story without a campaign.
The Messenger, a quietly powerful but equally lost home-based Iraq war drama, did fairly well this Oscar season, but its strongest aspect went sorely overlooked. Samantha Morton plays Olivia Pitterson, a widowed, single mother who becomes romantically linked to the soldier who broke the news of her husband’s death. Morton can recite poetry with her eyes, emote heartbreak with a mere glance. When Olivia first hears the news of her husband’s death, she is uncannily calm and receptive. In a mostly silent scene in her kitchen, as Ben Foster’s Will does his best to woo her, Olivia heartbreakingly straddles her own emotional wall. Morton expresses the pain of this temptation perfectly, all while maintaing the scene’s palpable eroticism.
Morton, at least, has been nominated before, in 2000 for Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown and in 2004 for Jim Sheridan’s magical, unforgettable In America. Perhaps her past success propelled the producers to put Woody Harrelson at the forefront of their campaign for his role as Captain Tony Stone. And they succeeded for Harrelson, and even picked up an Original Screenplay nod to boot.
At least Morton has deserving companions. A Single Man‘s breathtaking and boozy Julianne Moore, as well as the ravishing women of Inglourious Basterds Melanie Laurent and Diane Kruger, all went nominee-less.
That’s not to say that the nominees weren’t well deserved. Up in the Air‘s Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick played two of the most realistic, nuanced female roles of recently memory; Maggie Gyllenhaal more than held her own against Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart; and Mo’Nique gave the most shell-shocking performance of the year, one destined for Oscar history. (OK, fine Penelope Cruz’s fiery turn in Nine wasn’t all that necessary).
But don’t fret, Morton. No one realized it would be such a year for the supporting ladies.
