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Post by SeanJoyce on Apr 9, 2019 14:43:24 GMT
Always fascinated by talented actors who had their 15 minutes and then, for whatever reason (untimely death, difficult reputation), faded just as quickly as they burst onto the scene.
Winger's a perfect example of the latter. Haven't seen Cannery Row, but Urban Cowboy, An Officer and a Gentleman and Terms of Endearment was a nice little streak of movies that solidified Winger as a legit talent and has made me a huge fan.
Supposedly, like Rourke and Norton, she was incredibly difficult on set, famously clashing with directors and MacLaine on the set of Endearment that saw plum roles quickly dry up for her. She'd pop up occasionally, notably in a nominated role in Shadowlands and a standout in Rachel Getting Married.
I'm happy to see she's still working, but she could have really played a more prominent role in "Actress of her generation" talk if she hadn't acquired the reputation she did.
Anybody care to share their thoughts?
Cheers
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Post by pacinoyes on Apr 9, 2019 14:56:05 GMT
Love her and she's an example of what Hollywood often tries to do with actresses - ie find the "natural" and push her to be a cookie-cutter star. It's like Jennifer Lawrence who everybody know is a natural talent but who then gets pushed into roles that require training/technique/development that she can't possibly think she could "fully" play (and I love J-Law and even think she finds ways to swerve the material to her advantage like in Joy). Winger is like that - in her early roles you are like who IS this - she is utterly unique from any in her generation so what does Hollywood and she herself do? - they behave in a strange way that allows them to be replaced and undercut what's special about her.  By the time of Legal Eagles you could sense something had gone off the rails but I'm happy she popped up afterwards to some success. Fascinating actress to dissect and assess...... |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2019 15:04:19 GMT
I love her too. I don't have much to add beyond what's already been said - I'll point out that though the 80s produced some of the greatest American actresses of all time, it's incredible to think how many of them remain Oscar-less:
Glenn Close
Michelle Pfeiffer
Kathleen Turner
Sigourney Weaver
Debra Winger
I mean, compare this era to the 70s - barring only Gena Rowlands and Jill Clayburgh (and I suppose Marsha Mason...), the actresses who clearly defined that era all have Oscars... Dunaway, Burstyn, Fonda, Keaton, Glenda Jackson...
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Post by SeanJoyce on Apr 9, 2019 15:11:19 GMT
I agree that her raw, utter naturalism set her apart in a huge way...it's a big reason why I find her so endearing (pun only slightly intended.)
Not mentioned is Black Widow, which had serious potential to be a notable modern noir but misses because they only go halfway with the sexuality of the Winger/Russell dynamic.
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cherry68
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Man is unhappy because he doesn't know he's happy. It's only that.
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Post by cherry68 on Apr 9, 2019 15:33:48 GMT
I agree that her raw, utter naturalism set her apart in a huge way...it's a big reason why I find her so endearing (pun only slightly intended.) Not mentioned is Black Widow, which had serious potential to be a notable modern noir but misses because they only go halfway with the sexuality of the Winger/Russell dynamic. Russell is another actress who disappeared fast. She had looks and talent, but probably didn't pick the right projects. I remember she was in Whore in the role of a prostitute that she wanted to play in opposition to Pretty woman - she declared she wanted to portrait a real situation instead of the vanilla one played by Roberts because she didn't want girls to think, being a prostitute is great, you'll end up meeting charming prince. |
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Post by pupdurcs on Apr 9, 2019 15:43:17 GMT
Always fascinated by talented actors who had their 15 minutes and then, for whatever reason (untimely death, difficult reputation), faded just as quickly as they burst onto the scene. Winger's a perfect example of the latter. Haven't seen Cannery Row, but Urban Cowboy, An Officer and a Gentleman and Terms of Endearment was a nice little streak of movies that solidified Winger as a legit talent and has made me a huge fan. Supposedly, like Rourke and Norton, she was incredibly difficult on set, famously clashing with directors and MacLaine on the set of Endearment that saw plum roles quickly dry up for her. She'd pop up occasionally, notably in a nominated role in Shadowlands and a standout in Rachel Getting Married. I'm happy to see she's still working, but she could have really played a more prominent role in "Actress of her generation" talk if she hadn't acquired the reputation she did. Anybody care to share their thoughts? Cheers I dont think a "difficult reputation" curtailed Winter's career. She was no wallflower, but she wasn't Sean Young or Linda Fiorentino either, whom people simply hated. Winger neglected her career at an age that's often lethal for a woman. She was still a top shelf leading lady in the early to mid nineties (as you said, opposite Hopkins in Shadowlands and in 1995, opposite Billy Crystal in Forget Paris, at the height of Crystal's popularity). Then she took a deliberate 6 year break from movies, and by the time she came back in 2001, it turns out her rep as an actress was not big enough to get her the choice roles in the best projects. Winger just aged out of hot leading lady castability (fine actress, but her looks and cuteness played a big part in her success) and it turns out she wasnt the female Daniel Day-Lewis. Norton and Rourke just self-destructed. |
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Post by pupdurcs on Apr 9, 2019 16:27:31 GMT
I agree that her raw, utter naturalism set her apart in a huge way...it's a big reason why I find her so endearing (pun only slightly intended.) Not mentioned is Black Widow, which had serious potential to be a notable modern noir but misses because they only go halfway with the sexuality of the Winger/Russell dynamic. Russell is another actress who disappeared fast. She had looks and talent, but probably didn't pick the right projects. I remember she was in Whore in the role of a prostitute that she wanted to play in opposition to Pretty woman - she declared she wanted to portrait a real situation instead of the vanilla one played by Roberts because she didn't want girls to think, being a prostitute is great, you'll end up meeting charming prince. Russell blew Winger off the screen in Black Widow, imho. I mean the nature of the role clearly gave Russell a big advantadge, but I felt like any actress could have played Winger's part. Russell was mesmerising. |
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Post by bob-coppola on Apr 9, 2019 23:14:56 GMT
I watched some interviews with her and she seemed really, really insufferable. One of those people who use "a strong personality" as an excuse to be gratuitously rude. That said, she's a good actress and her career shouldn't suffer that much from it when men can be just as much insufferable and get away with it. She was the only good thing about Terms of Endearment, a movie I completely loathe, so I guess that it shows how good she is.
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By the time of Legal Eagles you could sense something had gone off the rails but I'm happy she popped up afterwards to some success.
