03/10/10 12:00, by Lorraine, Categories: Everybody , Tags: academy_award, community, history, show_biz, streep

I have been enchanted with some newly accessed genealogy data bases and been working to fill in some blanks in the ancestry. Of course that leads to the pleasure of finding many historical sources. Reason enough to encourage local histories as well as the family's history.

So I am just now sitting down to write about Sunday's Academy Awards. I watched them for the first time in some years, having ceased to find movies of interest. Maybe that gives me a fresh perspective.

I was struck with no matter how some things change the more they stay the same. This show, and it was self-consciously a show, reminded me of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney's "Let's put on a show!" And what a show! The most beautiful and the most talented people in the world were there.

I was in awe of the magical hold Meryl Streep had on the entire event. There she was in all her majesty, front row center right, aisle seat, Helen Mirren, in the background, sat behind her.

I wonder if any Hollywood historians more informed than I can think of anyone more dominating since Gloria Swanson. Perhaps Bergman. She dominated every venue, whether New York's fifth avenue or the beach in Barbados where I once saw her. There was a brief break in the thrall when Lauren Bacall took the stage, but then she spoke.

This was Streep's show and she presided admirably in celebration of just how much fun it is to get all the beauty and talent together and put on a show.

No better description of what a community enterprise it is than the actress who presented the cinematography award, describing it as the "make me beautiful" award.

2 comments »

2 comments

Comment from: silverseason [Member]

When both Meryl Streep and I were younger than we are now, I had a job in New York. Since I had to commute in every day, I sometimes made a point of staying after work for a cultural event. I especially enjoyed Shakespeare in the Park. I saw Meryl Streep there, live, at a time when no one had ever heard of her. She played the French princess wooed by King Henry V. She had just a few brief scenes in the play, but Streep owned those scenes and Henry and the entire audience. I knew then we would see more of her.

03/11/10 @ 18:55

Comment from: Lorraine [Member]

It's amazing how one can recognize those capacities immediately.

I had much the same experience. I had no idea of her identity as I watched Bergman, alone, walking toward us but it was as if she"owned" that beach. In fact her identity was almost incidental once I realizes who she was. Reminded me of a New Yorker article by someone observing her walking down 5th Avenue. Wish I could find it.

03/12/10 @ 08:49

Comment feed for this post