Jennifer Jason Leigh was robbed of an Oscar nomination
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Rush
Aquileia — 18 years ago(April 28, 2007 07:34 AM)
I was just reading reviews of Rush and it really strikes me how Jennifer Jason Leigh was robbed of a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her powerful work. The reason I stress Leigh over Jason Patric is that, while he was brilliant too, 1991 was seen as a very strong year for Best Actor so he wouldn't have had as much chance of a nomination. But there wasn't much competition for Best Actress at all that year they even nominated Bette Midler for that horrendous hogwash For The Boys! As you can see below, Leigh got rave reviews for Rush and a lot of them mentioned the O word. Obviously there's nothing we can do about it now 15 years later but I just think it's a real shame she wasn't recognised for Rush.
"A monolithic achievement Jason Patric's performance is the stuff of which legends are made. Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance is the stuff of which Oscars are made." Rod Lurie,
Los Angeles Magazine
"Leigh's Kristen is the Alice in Junkieland character; she follows Raynor down a rabbit hole and is then abandoned when her mentor passes through the drug looking glass to join the crazies on the other side. She almost joins them too, but at the last moment, catches a glimpse of her bruised, drug-abused body in the mirror. The sight horrifies her and brings her back to earth; she kicks, but not before falling so low that she is on her hands and knees, picking through the shag carpet for a pill, a snowflake of powder, anything that will get her off Leigh has been a stunning presence in smaller films and supporting roles for years, but "Rush" gives this gifted young actress her first real showcase, and she goes all the way with it. As worldly as they might seem, Leigh's on-screen women have a lot of little girl left in them; there's a fragile quality just below the confidence and self-possession. The performance that Leigh gives here seems almost as risky as the one Kristen has to give; it's a role that takes her to the edge, and the sense that, like Kristen, she's working without a net makes us all the more frightened for her. Because Kristen is undercover, Leigh is an actress playing an actress, and this double-tracking gives Leigh's work more so than Patric's a dizzying, puzzle-box feel. It's a resonant, multilayered performance real Oscar stuff." Hal Hinson,
Washington Post
"Leigh's character is not unusual in the genre - the naive character who wants to make a difference but doesn't know how far she'll have to go (including doing the drugs she and Patric's character are trying to take off the streets) - but her portrayal of the character's life spinning out of control is remarkably powerful."
Current Film
"Leigh of course is a veteran by now of grubby characters in sleazy films; she has become one of the best young actresses by accepting roles some of her contemporaries would not even consider. After her extraordinary work as a doomed prostitute in "Last Exit to Brooklyn," here she is again, looking sweet and wholesome, and descending into a world of people who have forgotten their better natures. She and Patric work well together here, in the story of two cops who buy into the logic of the drug world and may not be able to get out again." Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times
"Under the brilliant and nuanced performances of Patric and Leigh and a terrific supporting cast that includes Sam Elliott, Gregg Allman, and Max Perlich, each character is fleshed out and fully realized in a way that gives them a high degree of humanity"
Movie Eye
"First-time director Lili Fini Zanuck (a longtime producer, whose hits include "Driving Miss Daisy" and "Cocoon") pulls terrific performances from her cast (especially Leigh) Leigh is something to see."
Deseret News, Salt Like City
"Rush benefits from outstanding lead performances and an uncannily accurate picture of its time and place."
Variety -
Cherry_Blossom_Tree — 18 years ago(May 05, 2007 04:33 PM)
I totally agree with all those reviews you posted. Jennifer Jason Leigh is always a great actress, and Rush was no exception. She gives a very raw and powerful performance, perfectly showing first of all Kristen's slow descent into hell and then how she gradually finds the strength to pick herself up and nurse Jason Patric through his cold turkey. The scene where she catches sight of herself in the bathroom mirror and gets a shock at all the bruises and needle scars on her body is powerful stuff. Bette Midler in For the Boys? The Academy must have been dropping more funny little pills than Leigh did herself in this movie!
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Aquileia — 18 years ago(May 12, 2007 09:59 AM)
Glad you appreciated Leigh's performance too, Cherry Blossom Tree. I mean, even if she didn't get an Oscar nomination she should have at least gotten a Golden Globe nomination or an Independent Spirit Award or some recognition for her excellent work in Rush. And yeah I didn't mean to suggest that Rush was the only standout performance of her career because she has been brilliant in a lot of other films and a wide range of roles (Georgia, Dolores Claiborne, Single White Female, Miami Blues, Washington Square etc). She's one of my favorite actresses, and very underrated.
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Irving-Joey — 18 years ago(June 02, 2007 06:53 AM)
Yeah, Jennifer has long been one of my favorite actresses too, and her intense and committed performance in Rush is no exception. Not only is she cute as a button, she can also act the socks off most of her contemporaries. She may have gotten some of that talent from her dad, the late great Vic Morrow a fine underappreciated actor you can catch in films like The Blackboard Jungle, The Bad News Bears or reruns of TV's Combat.
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cowy4 — 18 years ago(March 10, 2008 09:40 PM)
I remember when they over looked both of them for Oscars, and it was noted back then. It just seems like for some reason the Academy does not like drug roles, or Jennifer. She has deserved to have been nominated and won at leat a dozen times, but she is overlooked. She is a great actress and I dont think getting an Oscar is needed for people to know that.
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thepartydjz — 15 years ago(June 03, 2010 11:51 PM)
Wow, I expected a ton of hate posts regarding her performance, not a mention of an Oscar of all things, lol. Her fake accent was horrible, she made faces the whole time, that's acting? She's completely unbelievable in this flick in my opinion, they might as well have cast Molly Ringwald, it couldn't have been worse.
This entire film was a joke imo, all this smug tough guy stuff, too much emphisis on the music, and just unrealistic scenes and acting, bad writing, I could go on and on, lol, stay away from this hollywood garbage, sheez. -
Goranjake — 10 years ago(March 29, 2016 02:07 PM)
I actually asked a few southern folks to judge her accent and they say it was spot on.
I might understand you not liking her in this film but have you seen Hateful Eight? Now that performance was amazing and Oscar worthy. -
whocares007 — 10 years ago(May 08, 2015 09:31 PM)
"Leigh of course is a veteran by now of grubby characters in sleazy films; she has become one of the best young actresses by accepting roles some of her contemporaries would not even consider.
don't worry she is gonna win this coming year -
Goranjake — 10 years ago(March 29, 2016 02:05 PM)
I swear, thought she had it bagged. Then Winslet (who I like) wins the Globe for such a dull character and decent performance and then Vikander (who I also like) wins the Oscar for a generic wife role and a just alright performance.
Hopefully Leigh will get her due in the coming years since it looks like she has a revival going on. -
polarispill — 10 years ago(June 13, 2015 02:31 AM)
I never saw For the boys, but I feel comfortable saying Leigh probably deserved a nomination over Midler. I don't think the other nominees were weak though. Davis and Sarandon for Thelma and Louise, Laura Dern and Jodie Foster. No one had a chance over Foster for her performance in The Silence of the Lambs.
Don't play leapfrog with a Unicorn -
The Kraken — 2 years ago(July 27, 2023 09:41 PM)
Yeah a lot of people thought that way.
That year's nominations were…
JODIE FOSTER
The Silence of the Lambs
NOMINEES
GEENA DAVIS
Thelma & Louise
LAURA DERN
Rambling Rose
BETTE MIDLER
For the Boys
SUSAN SARANDON
Thelma & Louise
Jodie Foster won. But I think Jennifer's performance in this film was stronger than Jodie in The Silence of the Lambs.