Best Actress 1995: The Face of Love

In 1995, Meryl Streep made another strong case for Oscar by starring in the Clint Eastwood film based on a national bestseller and put on an Italian accent.  I love her quote about her opinion of the source material: "I was blind to the book's power."  The film was a financial success, but her turn as Francesca in The Bridges of Madison County just didn't top her Sophie.  Elisabeth Shue, who, up until that point, was known for her girlfriend roles (especially in The Karate Kid series), as well as leading Adventures in Babysitting, impressed just about everyone as prostitute Sera, who literally was a hooker with a heart of gold.  She didn't win, but was able to parlay her nomination into years of offers, even producing her own movie, Gracie, later down the line.  While Shue doesn't have the most range, she has a raw talent and I absolutely adore her (and had a huge crush on her younger brother Andrew who played Billy on Melrose Place).  Recent winner Emma Thompson was on her third lead acting nomination, but she would be celebrated more for adapting the screenplay that gave her one of those nominations: the only Best Picture nominee that year with a Best Actress nod, Sense & Sensibility.

Sharon Stone, having had the privilege of working with Martin Scorsese as prostitute Ginger who marries into the mob, as well as delusions of grandeur (culminating with Joe Pesci sex), got a makeup nomination for being overlooked for her devilish Catherine Trammell in Basic Instinct.  The HFPA would up the ante by handed her the Drama Golden Globe.  Now, when an actress wins the Drama Golden Globe, she goes on to get nominated for Oscar, as a general rule.  The majority of the time, she wins, if she doesn't get defeated by the Comedy/Musical winner (or Chief Marge Gunderson).  Stone lost the Oscar to another Drama nominee, Susan Sarandon, which has only happened once since (Halle Berry over Globe winner Sissy Spacek and Nicole Kidman), if you disregard Kate Winslet winning the Drama Globe for one movie and the Oscar for another.  (This phenomenon was only slightly more common in the 70s and 80s with this category; and, in the 60s, Globe wins were virtually the kiss of death for Oscar.)  But, what Stone didn't have was a backstory and good standing with The Academy; additionally, the character she portrayed wasn't very sympathetic.  Sarandon was on her fifth nomination (the last four of which were almost sequential) with over twenty-five years in the industry.  She played real-life nun Sister Prejean in a film based on a true story, directed by her then common law husband Tim Robbins.  The chances of her losing were pretty slim.

It's hard to say who was the last to actually get into the category as a nominee, but I would place my bets on Stone.  Casino, directed by awards magnet Scorsese, was one of his weaker films and hadn't collected any other awards or even nominations the entire awards season.  Waiting eagerly in the wings was Nicole Kidman in To Die For.  It was a breakout role for Ms. Tom Cruise, who had done a few supporting roles here and there after making a stunning debut in Australian thriller Dead Calm.  Marrying Cruise raised her profile, but it also set the bar higher for her to prove herself.  As the AMPAS demonstrated, they weren't going to welcome Kidman in unless they had to.  She would gradually gain the respect of talented directors and finally take her career to the next level in 2001, fresh from divorcing Cruise after a decade marriage.  Jennifer Jason Leigh was also in contention for a second year in a row, as it's not coincidence that her costar Mare Winningham received her first nomination.  The two played sisters, with the latter having the advantage of being the more likable character.

poll by twiigs.com

The Nominated:
-Susan Sarandon, Dead Man Walking: SAG, Kansas City, Palm Springs, Chlotrudis winner; GG Drama nominee ($39.4M; 93%)

-Elisabeth Shue, Leaving Las Vegas: LA, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, National Society, ISA winner; SAG, GG Drama, BAFTA, Chlotrudis nominee ($32M, Fall release; 89%)

-Meryl Streep, The Bridges of Madison County: SAG, GG Drama, Chicago, National Society nominee ($24M / $71.5M / $182M, Summer release; 90%)

-Emma Thompson, Sense & Sensibility: Texas, NBR, BAFTA winner; SAG, GG Drama, Chlotrudis nominee ($43.2M / $134.6M; 98%)

-Sharon Stone, Casino: GG Drama winner; Chicago nominee ($42.5M / $116.1M; 80%)

The Also-Rans:
-Nicole Kidman, To Die For: GG Comedy, Boston, Broadcast, Seattle, Southeastern, London, Empire winner; BAFTA, Chlotrudis nominee ($21.3M, Fall release; 87%)

-Jennifer Jason Leigh, Georgia: New York winner; National Society, ISA nominee ($1.1M; 78%)

The Also Nominated (for supporting): 
-Joan Allen, Nixon: SAG (lead) nominee; LA, Boston (supporting), Chicago, Kansas City, Texas, National Society winner; New York (2nd), BAFTA (supporting) nominee ($44M / $13.7M; 75%)

The Rest of the Competition:
-Annette Bening, The American President: GG Comedy nominee ($60M / $107.9M; 90%)
-Rena Owen, Once Were Warriors: San Diego winner; Chicago nominee ($1.6M, Spring; 94%)
-Julianne Moore, Safe: ISA, Chlotrudis nominee ($0.5M, Summer; 57%)
-Toni Collette, Muriel's Wedding: GG Comedy nominee ($9M / $15.1M / $15.5M, Spring; 78%)
-Kathy Bates, Dolores Claiborne: Chicago, Chlotrudis nominee ($24.4M, Spring; 82%)
-Vanessa Redgrave, A Month by the Lake: GG Comedy nominee ($2.1M, Fall; 71%)
-Sandra Bullock, While You Were Sleeping: GG Comedy nominee ($17M / $81.1M / $182.1M, Spring;  86%)