I once told one of my best girlfriends that she looked like Joan Allen. I meant this as a high compliment, but my friend didn't see it this way, and I was shocked that she was offended. I do think this was around the time Joan had wizened herself down for The Crucible and was known more for playing down-trodden and frail than for being beautiful and strong, though, to my friend's defense. Thankfully Joan showed up to the Oscars looking like this soon thereafter and I felt justified. I've loved Joan ever since she first came onto my radar way back in Searching For Bobby Fischer, and she's only gotten better with age. Today's her 51st birthday - and she's still looking stunning - so in her honor here are five of my favorite performances of hers. Keep in mind this list could be twice as long - I love her Terry Ann Wolfmeyer and Senator Laine Hanson and Pat Nixon as much as the rest of us - and I haven't seen a single Bourne film yet so I can't comment of her therein. Happy birthday, Joan!
Elena Hood, The Ice Storm
"Thanks for the diagnosis, Ben. Thank you.
So let's just go to this fiasco if that's what you want to do.
Let's just go on in. I'd rather talk to anyone else but you."
She, Yes
Elizabeth Proctor, The Crucible
"It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery."
"Nobody warned me, nobody said
that losing love is like being dead...
of deaf and dumb and blind and strangled...
How could you? In our house?"
Elizabeth Proctor, The Crucible
"It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery."
"He knows you disapprove of him..
He knows you think he's weak. But he is not weak. He's decent.
And if you, or Bruce, or anyone else tries to beat that out of him,
I swear to God, I'll take him away."
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Why in the hell have you not seen any of the Bourne films - they are excellent. I love action films. They are so much fun with their spy vs spys, cat and mouse games. Go rent the first two and see the third in the theater. Saw it last Friday night - go go go!
She's super amazing in the Bourne movies too..
I think her two best performances are two of the most maddening and frustrating Oscar snubs - Upside of Anger and Pleasantville. I still don't understand how she didn't get nominated for them, really. It baffles me.
I love Joan though. Like, a whole freakin' lot
oh...The Upside of Anger. I love her so much in that I forgave the movie for casting Evan Rachel Wood.
I love Joan Allen...
"Off the Map" is a great film to see just how effortlessly beautiful she is.
I know it's horrible I haven't seen the Bourne movies yet... I just missed the first one, and then the second one came out and I told myself I needd to see the first one first, and it kept being pushed down my list somehow, and now the third one's out and I told myself I'm just waiting til they're all on DVD and I'll have a marathon.
Pleasantville is my favorite perf. of hers, hands down; it's probably my fave movie of hers hands down, too, I LOVE Pleasantville, so yeah, how she didn't win the Oscar for it I don't know. She's so heart-breaking in that scene where she covers her face with make-up...
Man...
Upside of Anger needs to be here. She is fantastic in it. And it rekindled my like of Kevin Costner as well.
THANK YOU for citing "Yes." (Allen's silent acting during her aunt's monologue is transcendent.)
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