Nancy Kelly: Most Undeserved Oscar Nomination Ever
A deeply horrible performance.
shareI totally agree! Chew scenery much?
shareI think she played this role on the stage. Her gestures and delivery seem as if they have been performed a thousand times before.
She is way too old to be the mother of an eight-year-old, at least, she looks way too old to me. She is supposed to appear haggard and at least the casting director got that part right.
Her performance has always irritated me especially when put up against the performances of Henry Jones and Eileen Heckert who are both great. Now, after so many years have passed, her overwrought performance just adds to the high camp.
"I think she played this role on the stage. Her gestures and delivery seem as if they have been performed a thousand times before."
Only several hundred, actually (the original Broadway run was 334 performances - Kelly and McCormack apparently stayed for the duration, but Eileen Heckart found the play very depressing and left after only a few months). Yes, it is a highly 'theatrical' performance, as were Heckart's, Jones's, McCormack's and Varden's, but the fault may lie less with them than with director Mervyn LeRoy, who, as McCormack tells it, basically planted Hal Rossen's camera and told them to just do what they'd done on Broadway. However, performances on Broadway are 'pitched' to the balcony! My biggest disappointment has always been that the Christine and Rhoda of the film and play are simply not the Christine and Rhoda of the William March novel - Kelly, in particular, seems to be playing at a highly nervous, anxious level right from the start, for no reason at all.
"In my case, self-absorption is completely justified."
During the commentary with Patty Mcormick on the DVD I believe she said Nancy Kelly was actually younger than what she looked liked. She may have appeared much older because of the wardrobe and hair etc.
The scary clown doll is hiding under my bed.
Kelly, in particular, seems to be playing at a highly nervous, anxious level right from the start, for no reason at all.
I'm glad to know i wasn't the only one who noticed! This was my biggest problem with the film. She was overwrought and too dramatic ALL THE TIME! Every word she spoke and move she made was overly done. She even pushes the chair in and adjust the curtian dramatcally! Funny thing is every actor and acting coach will tell you the best tool you can use is to really "listen" to the other actors. Her delivery seems by rote, without true thought. I know many blame the director. and i agree to an extent. But there are others from the play and thier performances didn't suffer from this case of the over dramatics. I thought McCormack, Eileen Hackert and Henry Jones were outstanding. But, unfortunately, the mother is the key to the story.
I did think she was good in spots, and not horrible as the OP suggests. She was better in the later half of the film because i think the pace of the story began to finally catch up to her.
I finally saw it tonight for the first time, and it was very good. But it's not the book. share
She doesn't look "too old" to be the mother of an eight year old. My God, 50 year old women are mothers to 8 year olds, and the actress looks way younger!
share[deleted]
Way too old to be the girl's mother...
How old was she supposed to be (look)?
I am also surprised that people think she was over-doing it. As if any of us would understand what her character is going through.
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