"I am living my own life, not some man's life I'm helping him out with."
-Ellen Burstyn
To commemorate actress Ellen Burstyn's 80th birthday, here are eight of her finest roles on the silver screen and on television. (Plus a bonus section at the end, which features the future ex-Mrs. Ron Swanson.) Born Edna Rae Gillooly on December 7, 1932 in Detroit, she worked as a short-order cook before she became a model and TV actor in the early 1950s in New York. One of the shows she appeared in was "The Jackie Gleason Show." She received the name Burstyn from her third husband, Neil, who was also an actor, though she didn't use that name professionally until shortly before they divorced in 1972.
The Last Picture Show (1971)
Her first major on-screen role as the mother of the town beauty (Cybil Shepherd), she reveals to Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) about her long-time affair with Sam The Lion (Ben Johnson), the owner of the town's sole movie theatre. "Oh, Sam the Lion...I gave him that name," she admits, on the verge of tears. "He was so pleased." She earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. (Co-star Cloris Leachman, who portrayed Sonny's much-older lover won the trophy.)
The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
While this little-known gem focuses on the estrangement of brothers radio DJ David (Jack Nicholson) and con-man Jason (Bruce Dern), Burstyn stands out as Jason's girlfriend, a faded beauty queen who can't quite admit to herself that her best days are behind her. The film was shot on location in Altantic City, shortly before it was given a major makeover as the East Coast's flashy and eye-catching answer to Vegas.
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
After her husband dies in an accident, Alice sells his belongings and the house, and gets in the car with her son Tommy to California in search of a better life. She wishes to be a singer, even getting a decent gig as a lounge singer in Phoenix. After a couple of mishaps, they head to Tucson, Arizona. She gets work at Mel's Diner and Tommy befriends a child tomboy version of Jodie Foster, where she teaches him how to steal guitar strings at a music store. It is at the diner where she encounters David (Kris Kristofferson, who is a musician in real-life), a ranch owner who has fallen head over heels for this widowed singer who is quite not ready for another relationship. The film was directed by an up-and-comer named Martin Scorsese, who impressed Burstyn with "Mean Streets."
After two nominations (Supporting Actress, The Last Picture Show and Actress, The Exorcist), Burstyn did not attend the Academy Awards to accept her Best Actress Oscar. It seemed logical, since she was a dark horse candidate that year (Faye Dunaway and Gena Rowlands were nominated for their signature powerhouse roles for "Chinatown" and "A Woman Under the Influence", respectively) "I won't win. I never do. I just get nominated." Scorsese accepted the trophy on her behalf.
Same Time, Next Year (1978)
Originally a play by Bernard Slade, Burstyn won the Tony for her portrayal of Doris, a married housewife who spends a weekend every year (for 26 years altogether) at a charming, coastal inn in northern California, with George (Alan Alda), an accountant who is also married. The film adaptation received mixed reviews but Burstyn and Alda's performances were praised. Burstyn won the Golden Globe for Best Actress also well as an Oscar nomination.
Resurrection (1980)
This religious-themed drama earned Burstyn a nomination for Best Actress for her performance as a woman who through some sort of divine intervention (despite not being a religious herself) gains healing powers. After healing several people, she attracts the attention of the medical and religious communities, which either are in awe or are skeptical.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Darren Aronofsky wrote and directed what is possibly the scariest non-horror movie in history. "Requiem for a Dream" focuses on four people whose lives are connected with the big, bad world of addiction. Burstyn is Ella Goldfarb, a lonely, elderly woman who spends her time watching informericals and eating. She wants to lose weight and appear on TV. When she receives a phone call that she is going to appear on TV, she begins taking diet pills and sedatives. As the dosage increases, she becomes erratic. At one point, she believes her refrigerator is going to eat her. This is a movie that you only need to watch once, especially since the last few scenes are very frightening. Co-stars Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans.
The Stone Angel (2007)
This Canadian drama features Burstyn as a old woman reflecting on the many mistakes and events that shaped her unconventional yet exciting life while dying at a nursery home. Co-stars Ellen Page, Dylan Baker, Kevin Zegers, and Cole Hauser.
Political Animals (2012)
Often the best part of this uneven soap opera, Burstyn was the no-nonsense mother of Hillary Clinton stand-in Elaine Barrish (Sigourney Weaver) and the family's often stable rock. She attempted to support her daughter despite disagreeing with her, helped his drug-addicted and suicidal grandson (Sebastian Stan) by nursing him back to health, and gave trophy fiancée/wife Anne (Brittany Ishibashi) something to do besides throw up in the bathroom or stand by her man (James Wolk) when they raided the liquor cabinet, ate junk food, smoked pot, and laughed the evening away.
Bonus
The Ellen Burstyn Show (1986)
For some reason, she headlined an NBC sitcom in 1986, which lasted a single season before being cancelled. Her character was a college professor who attempts to juggle her work and family. Elaine Stritch (who would later become Jack Donaughy's mother on "30 Rock") appeared as her mother and Megan Mullally as her grown-up daughter.
No comments:
Post a Comment