Vintage Fashion countdown to the Academy Awards Part 8 2004-2009 - Having it all! The blonde, the Queens, and the 2 Roses
These women are quiet rebels. Preferring to be known for their work, refusing to allow stereotypes and titles define them, these Academy award winners have chosen to reject all of the world's imposed labels and overcome traditional barriers.
| YEAR | BEST PICTURE | BEST ACTRESS | FOR HER ROLE IN |
| 2005 | CRASH | REESE WITHERSPOON | WALK THE LINE |
| 2006 | THE DEPARTED | HELEN MIRREN | THE QUEEN |
| 2007 | NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN | MARION COTILLARD | LA VIE EN ROSE |
| 2008 | SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE | KATE WINSLET | THE READER |
| 2009 | ? | ? | ? |
REESE
WITHERSPOON
"Being a Southern person and a blonde,
it's not a good combination.
Immediately, when people meet you,
they think of you as not being smart."
I know, she's perfect, so why should we give her credit for overcoming anything? Ask any beautiful girl
with a brain how difficult it can be to be taken seriously and you'll get the same answer. Compound that
by the fact that Reese is blonde, was a cheerleader, started acting at 15, and her name was synonymous with the "Legally Blonde" films, and maybe you'll see what she had to overcome to even be considered
for the role of June Carter Cash. She is a former Stanford student with impeccable taste and a strong work ethic. I admire her for refusing to be defined by the color of her hair or the last role she accepted. She has been a fashion muse for magazines and adored on the red carpet for her sophisticated style (and I have to add, she wears vintage every now and then)!.
To ultimately be acknowledged by her peers as an actress worth noting with an Oscar,
well, in my book, that's an accomplishment! Confused as to whether she is an actress, a producer, a mom, or a model? The answer is - yes.
As Dani Trant in Man in the Moon in 1991
As Tracy Flick in Election and as Annette Hargrove in Cruel Intentions in 1999
As June Carter Cash in Walk The Line 2005
In Vintage Christian Dior 1955
HELEN
MIRREN
"It's great to be the Queen!"
You probably won't recognize Helen Mirren from her film Age of Consent 1969, below, or from any of the other earlier
photos you might see. I thought the first time I saw her was in 1991 when she played British detective chief inspector Jane Tennison on the British television series, Prime Suspect. She was 46 years old and I was sure I'd never heard of her before that, though she'd been on screen since the 1960's. When I reviewed her film history for this article, I realized that I actually had seen some of her earlier films but hadn't remembered her. Once I saw Prime Suspect, I started to notice whenever she appeared in a movie. She was a perfect Queen Charlotte in The Madness of King George in 1994, and a manipulative Snow Queen in The Snow Queen in 1995, but I would still call her "that woman from Prime Suspect" for much too long. In 1999 I saw her play Eve Tingle in Teaching Mrs. Tingle, and I started to refer to her as Helen Mirren. She went on to play memorable characters in every film she was cast, and she has the honor of being the only actress to have ever played both Queens Elizabeth on the screen!
As Elizabeth In The Queen, 2006 and Elizabeth in Elizabeth I (television) 2005
So what has she done that makes her a rebel?
She's refused to let a line in her face or another digit added to her age limit her beauty, talent, sensuality, or style. She has a better body than many women who are half her age and a timeless presence that makes us all forget how old she is. She stays fashionably current, without looking silly, and keeps her look youthful without becoming a caricature of her younger self, which in Hollywood, is an accomplishment in itself! Helen Mirren has proved that embracing your age doesn't mean letting yourself go or losing your zest for life, it's just loving who you are whenever you are. Oh.... and did I forget to mention, she's also a brilliant actress?
MARION
COTILLARD
"The first thing I have to do to erase my French accent is think that it is actually possible,
whereas for the moment, I think it's not. I have a lot of work to do."
I'll admit it, more than any actress in this article, I was always most intimidated
by Marion Cotillard. Maybe jealous is a more accurate word. This modern film noir-ish actress always seemed so mysteriously beautiful both by nature and in the clothing she chose to wear, and to top it off, she was overloaded with talent. Since she was also French, and yes I was guilty of turning to that old stereotype, I naturally assumed she would be aloof and somewhat affected by it all. Then, I saw her on Jimmy Fallon one night and couldn't believe it was the same person I'd seen on the screen! She came across as relaxed, comfortable, a little goofy and completely accessible. It was so refreshing to see such a powerhouse of talent with striking good looks be so unassuming and, well, nice. She didn't fit the mold of the snobby French girl/actress/Dior model ... and that was a very nice surprise!
So French...
As Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose
With the cast of Nine
Overcoming Rose DeWitt Bukater
KATE
WINSLET
"There's more to life than cheekbones."
Kate Winslet started her film career by co-staring in a movie based on the true story of two teenage girls in Christchurch, New Zealand who committed a horrific murder. I accidentally stumbled on it one day and had no idea of what it was about - big mistake, it starts out like a pretty little film and with the title Heavenly Creatures, it seemed harmless. Needless to say, it absolutely terrified me! Kate's performance was superb, however, and the character quite a contrast to the Princess she played in her next film, A kid in King Arthur's Court. She then played Marianne Dashwood in the movie version of Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility. But it was her role as Rose DeWitt Bukater in James Cameron's Titanic that sky rocketed this talented actress into super stardom. So, cry me a river, you say? Why should we think that Kate Winslet overcame anything to become a star? Well, it's not the role in Titanic that makes her so extraordinary, but the fact that she didn't stay in that role or rest on its success forever. If you look back at film history and see how many young actresses have a difficult time recovering from their earlier blockbusters, it is pretty impressive that Kate Winslet accepted roles that were not only challenging, but reflective of her own maturation. She was very quickly accepted as Kate Winslet, the actress instead of always being "the girl who played Rose in Titanic." That's a lot harder to do than one would think. Which is why, in some ways, it's pretty amazing that when she played April Wheeler in Revolutionary Road, or the aging Hanna Schmidt in The Reader, the viewers had no trouble accepting her as a mature character.
In Sense and Sensibility 1995 and Heavenly Creatures 1994
in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004
In Finding Neverland 2004
In Little Children 2006
In The Reader 2008
In Revolutionary Road 2008
Finally.. my personal favorite actress of the decade
Overcoming Traditional Beauty
CATE
BLANCHETT
"I'm one of those strange beasts who really likes a corset."
I was a quarter of the way through "Bandits" until I realized that the actress on the screen was Cate Blanchett. She's done that to me a couple of times as she transforms herself into characters that are unexpected. Any actress who can play Queen Elizabeth convincingly, play Bob Dylan better than any male actor, and fall in love with Claire McCardell's clothing when introduced to her designs in a movie, is pretty phenomenal. Cate Blanchett is one of those actresses who comes along once in every decade and, like Meryl Streep, is destined to have a lifelong career in the film industry. Though she's never won in the Best Actress category, (there was one year when she definitely should have won - I'm still a little mad at the academy for that one..) she is one of the most talented actresses to come along in quite a long time. Her looks are chameleon like, refreshingly non-traditional and as a result, they set her apart from the Hollywood stereotype of what is pretty. She's my pick for best actress just about every year!
As Elizabeth
In The Talented Mr. Ripley 1999
In Lord of The Rings
In Notes on A Scandal 2006
as Bob Dylan in I'm not There 2007
Wearing vintage Claire McCardell in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2008
Read my story about growing up with movies here.
Posted by DRESS at 3/4/2010 4:35 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: carey mulligan helen mirren Gabourey Sidibe meryl streep kate winslet reese witherspoon sandra bullock
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: carey mulligan helen mirren Gabourey Sidibe meryl streep kate winslet reese witherspoon sandra bullock
I hope you are referring to the year that Gwyneth Paltrow won for best actress, if so I TOTALLY agree with you. That was a case of Hollywood politics at its best (or worst). Loved your insight-
I follow you on twitter and love your fashion comments. Cate Blanchett is one of my all time faves too.
Great blog! I love all 5 of these actresses. I thought that Cate Blanchett should have won the best actress oscar for Elizabeth..I think that Sandra Bullock will win tomorrow although my vote would be for Gabourey.
Beautiful dresses on gorgeous ladies !! I love it