Subscribe42 years after 'Darling': Eerie Oscar parallels for Julie Christie
Forgive Julie Christie for thinking it is deja vu all over again when she arrives at the Oscar ceremony this year. Sure to be a fourth-time nominee for best actress for her touching portrayal of an Alzheimer's patient in "Away From Her," this veteran British star must have haunting memories now of her first Oscar outing — back in 1965 when she won for "Darling." The parallels are striking.
Both then and now, she had already won both the New York Film Critics and National Board of Review awards for best actress. This race, like that one, is sure to be dominated by foreign-born actresses, too, and each of today's frontrunners bears a striking similarity to one from yesteryear.
Back then Christie was widely hailed for her role as a bed-hopping celebrant of the sexual revolution in John Schelsinger's dark comedy. In and out of her trendsetting Mary Quant minis, she seduced Laurence Harvey and Dirk Bogarde before realizing the errors of her ways. Today one of her chief rivals is newcomer Ellen Page, who portrays a sexually liberated teen in "Juno," who realizes the consequences of her actions when she gets pregnant.
In 1965, Christie's competition included fellow Brit Julie Andrews, the previous year's winner who was starred in box-office blockbuster "The Sound of Music," which would win best picture on Oscar night. In "Music," Andrews recreated a role that had earned Mary Martin her third Tony Award on Broadway. This year British-born Helena Bonham Carter could get her second nod for donning the apron of another stage legend — Angela Lansbury, who won her fourth Tony for portraying the baker of London's worst pies in "Sweeney Todd" in 1979.
Another two-time Oscar nominee could well be American Amy Adams as a cartoon princess come to real life in "Enchanted." (This Disney delight is narrated by Andrews who won her Oscar in 1964 as another practically perfect nanny in "Mary Poppins.") Playing an innocent abroad got screen newcomer Elizabeth Hartman noticed in 1965: she was the sole Yankee in the race with her nod as the blind girl who falls for Sidney Poitier in "A Patch of Blue."
While Carter and Adams do all their own singing, Marion Cotillard only lip syncs to original recordings made by Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose." This biopic traces the troubled life of the chanteuse from her humble beginnings to her harrowing end.
While much was made of Cotillard's interpretation of the 'Little Sparrow,' Oscar winner Angelina Jolie also won plaudits, if not prizes, for playing a real-life Frenchwoman in "A Mighty Heart." As Mariane Pearl, Jolie captured the heart and soul of a woman who loses her husband in the war on terror but continues the fight for freedom of the press.
Back in 1965, Simone Signoret flew the French flag in Hollywood. Already an Oscar winner for "Room at the Top" in 1959, she got her second nod for her work as a world-weary traveler in "Ship of Fools."
Rounding out the race back then was another Brit, Samantha Eggar, who won the Golden Globe for her role as the unwitting victim of "The Collector." This taut tale, deftly directed by William Wyler, was adapted from an acclaimed novel by English author John Fowles. This year's English rose could be Keira Knightley who could get her second nod for starring in another Brit lit adaptation — "Atonement."
Curiously, one of Knightley's first parts was as Lara in a 2002 TV version of "Doctor Zhivago," a role originally played by Christie in 1965. The latter feature film came out the same year as "Darling" and swept the early awards derby, including the Golden Globes where it set a new record for most wins ever (five). Christie won best actress for both "Zhivago" and "Darling" from the National Board of Review. After winning best actress from the New York critics for "Darling," Oscar pundits wondered which of the two roles might be recognized by the academy — or if both would be ignored if Christie spit her votes. She ended up being nominated for "Darling" and winning, of course, but "Zhivago" did well, too. It won 5 of its 10 Oscar bids, losing best picture to "The Sound of Music." Afterward, Christie was an official Hollywood superstar, but a reluctant one, often retreating home to England.
Christie has received two more Oscar nods — in 1971 for "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" and in 1997 for "Afterglow" — but she still remains wary of public attention. When recently asked by the London Daily Express about attending the Academy Awards, she admitted, "I get deep anxiety about it. It’s like you have to go to Mars and pretend to be a Martian."
Should she triumph on Oscar night, she will join the elite double-winner club and hold the record for longest break between wins (42 years). This bests the mark set by Helen Hayes when she won supporting actress for "Airport" in 1970, 38 years after taking home the best actress award for "The Sin of Madelon Claudet." By the way, back in 1970, the first lady of the American theater was appearing onstage in her native Washington, D.C., and four-time Oscar loser Rosalind Russell accepted on her behalf.
I don't see how these "parallels" are eerie? It's a reach to see them at all.
Posted by: i,claudius | January 06, 2008 at 06:07 PM
Julie Christie deserved her 1965 Oscar, though I wouldn't have minded a Samantha Eggar win either, and she deserves to win this year even more. However, what is all of this talk about her attending this year? No one will be attending if the Writers Guild is still on strike. With no actors going and the use of film clips not allowed, I'm not sure there will be a show and if there is one, what on earth would make it more than an hour long??
Posted by: Bill B. | January 06, 2008 at 05:04 PM
She is a LEGEND!!
She deserves to win!
A luminous,heartbreaking performance in the intense AWAY FROM HER!
And what an amazing,classy career JULI CHRISTIE has!
Unlike many other actresses she always looked at her ideals and personal and political choices before taking on a part!
I strongly admire her! She is every artist inspiration!
Posted by: Domi Arcangeli | January 05, 2008 at 07:02 PM
I adore Julie Christie and loved her in Away from Her. Great performance in a wonderful film. I hope she wins on Oscar night.
Posted by: mark | January 05, 2008 at 03:21 PM