HOORAY 4 JACKI!!
SHE’S DONE some good things – as Smurf would say – but possibly none better, on screen at least, than her leading role in Animal Kingdom. It’s the grown-ups’ film of the year and JACKI WEAVER was the only choice for the grown-ups’ award when the AFI made its decisions on best Australian work for 2010.
“Grown-ups” as opposed to the IF awards which gave best actress to the bub who did a very nice job in Tomorrow When the World Began. A performance, frankly, that couldn’t be judged in the same category as Weaver’s sustained, subtle, powerful work as the Machiavellian matriarch of a family of grim crims. Two weeks ago the US National Board of Review named Weaver best supporting actress in what’s considered to be the first major indicator for possible Oscar nominations (to be announced in January).
Weaver couldn’t be in Melbourne to pick up her doorstop; she’s currently in the STC’s Uncle Vanya (see the review here). So there was a videolink mini-ceremony and her award was handed over by Vanya co-star Cate Blanchett. And Jacki (wryly humorous) Weaver said, “When I was young and green I used to think that awards didn't mean that much. But now I'm not young and green but quite ripe it's wonderful to be reassured you haven't been barking up the wrong tree for 48 years inmy choice of career.”
It’s her third AFI award: she got Best Actress in 1972 for Stork and Best Support in 1976 for Caddie, but although she’s been working constantly ever since, the great roles for women notoriously disappear when “maturity” comes knocking. The role of Smurf, written and directed by David Michod (Best Original Screenplay, Best Direction and Best Picture) was a gift she grabbed with both hands and made her own, without vanity and with total conviction. Hooray for Jacki!
Main photo: Jacki and Joel Edgerton in a scene from Animal Kingdom. Edgerton and Ben Mendelsohn won AFIs for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor respectively. Full list of nominations and winners: www.afi.org.au.
