This is not a rhetorical question. And I’m not being coy. I don’t have an answer to this question—but if there’s nothing the matter with Meryl Streep, then something is the matter with that. Seriously. Could anyone be this magical?
It’s Hollywood awards season. AKA Streep season. Time for Meryl to scoop up statues.
When she won the Golden Globes for best actress, the only big news is that her stiffest competition was herself. She came in first, and probably she also came in second.
She accepted her award seeming honored and humbled, all at once. She’s such an authentic actress that somehow we believe she’s really surprised—as if she hasn’t already won a gazillion awards and more Oscars and Golden Globes than anyone else in history.
When she speaks onstage, she always seems spontaneous, almost struggling for words—and then she finds words not only articulate, but always an absolutely perfect fit for the moment—in this case, appreciation for the honor mixed with the horror of Haiti.
As good as she is with a script, she’s almost better without one.
This while managing to strike the right balance not only in her affect and acceptance speech but also her appearance—glamorous enough to belong in Hollywood—but normal enough to belong to the human race like the rest of us.
You never read about her in tabloids. No messy divorce. No loud public fights with her husband. No arrest for shoplifting. Or drunk driving. Not even even bailing out her kids for drunk driving.
What kind of Hollywood star doesn’t make headlines? Who has no addictions and vices and skeletons in the closet? No one complains she’s demanding; no one disses her diva behavior behind her back. Her producers and directors and costars LIKE her, they really really like her.
So what’s the matter?
I can accept the long stable marriage, the normal children, the lack of controversy or conflict. I could even accept her being that kind of rare beautiful woman who sincerely seems unaware that she’s beautiful.
I could accept the brilliance. That back in the day, before Jodie Foster went to Yale and Natalie Portman went to Harvard, when hopeful actresses went straight to Hollywood, Meryl went to Vassar and then to Yale Drama school where I first saw her onstage–even then and there she was a star.
In all the years since, she hasn’t made a major professional or personal misstep.
She always stood for quality and sensibility and sense. And now the woman who recently morphed from the fashion-forward editor of Vogue to the fashion-less Julia Child has morphed again—she stands as what’s possible not only for actresses but for all women.
At an age when actresses are retired—or surgically altered and unrecognizable; when women her age are either ignored or invisible, Meryl Streep emerges as a bankable and popular movie star.
So now she’s not only playing the part but she’s also writing the script— and not just in Hollywood. In the home and heart of every woman of a certain age.
She gets to fulfill all of our fantasies—both on and offscreen. And unless she’s even better an actress than we thought, she’s enjoying every minute. And who wouldn’t want to spend your working hours with every attractive and appealing man anywhere near our age group.
It’s all part of the magic of Meryl. The mystery is how women like me like a woman like her.
She spends an entire movie in bed with Alec Baldwin and I can’t even hate her. I wish I could— but I’d rather just be her friend and have a cup of coffee in her kitchen.
Which is where I’m drawing the line.
After her last two films making it look easy and effortless playing women who were accomplished cooks, I need to believe she was acting. Seriously. I’m hoping this is something Meryl can’t do—I’m hoping she can’t cook.
Or I really might have to hate her.
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Meryl Streep is my hero.
obviously mine too. she’s amazing.
… back in the day, before Jodie Foster went to Yale and Natalie Portman went to Harvard, when hopeful actresses went straight to Hollywood, Meryl went to Vassar and then to Yale Drama school
—————————————————————————————————————–
Remember, too, that before Jodie and Natalie came along I graduated from both Yale undergrad and Yale Drama School.
Kiss Kiss, Angela Bassett
Great blog. I love her natural being. Meryl is an awesome actress..and to me not a bad singer after Mama Mia, which I think was just a good a role as the Devil wore Prada. I would love to just sit chat with her as a person. I respect her totally and admire the fact no one can drag her into the rag mags!!
I fell in love with Meryl when she starred with Clint Eastwood in “Bridges of Madison County” .. it is my absolute fav movie for all times.. and of course I see any others that she does.. very funny in Its Complicated.. and once again,, she did the right thing!!
You are so right about Meryl. I still remember things she said in acceptance speeches. In one award program she’d won Entertainer of the Year. She was giggling when she got up to accept the award and said when the category was announced, he husband leaned over and whispered, “Entertainer of the Year? You don’t even have anyone over for coffee.” I loved that she shared that with us.
Love her! I cracked up at the Golden Globes – she wants to change her name to T-Bone!!
Judging by the comments she made in her acceptance speech re her mother it sounds like she had a good role model.
You’re right. She is one amazing lady! And she is truly a lady! I would love to have her as a friend. I have alot of wonderful women friends, and she would be a welcome addition.
Last week. I too wrote a love letter to and about her on my website http://www.FiftyandFurthermore.com. For a few years I had the opportunity to live in the same upstate country neighborhood tat she did. My daughter helped take care of Meryl’s nursery age kids. All I know is that in my experience she was no different there than she was on stage–sans make up and in blue jeans. I don’t care if she wears stilettos in bed (I hope she does.) or has some dark secret that we may or may never know. She stands with grace as the leader of the pack and she’s sexy from the inside out
But then, love is a psychotic state. Since I’m in love with her, she can do no wrong. Now, for the Alec Baldwin part. If I were to go for a guy, in this case it would be a younger man. John Krasinski as Harley in Its Complicated might well be my pick. Perhaps that makes me polymorphous perverse, appreciative, horney? Or, just filled with love? Doesn’t matter. It all keeps those sexy healthy hormones flowing. Gotta’ love those hormones.
Enjoyed your post on meryl. Re: sex with John Krasinski—though I adore him, I’d rather adopt him.
Alec Baldwin IS a younger man…10 years Streep’s junior. That’s the thing I find curious about her current work – she’s generally playing substantially younger characters than her chronological age. Do the math on the 20-year old daughter in Mama Mia – Streep’s character would have been a 30-something single mom when the baby was born. Julia Child was in her early 40s when she and the hubby ventured off to France. I haven’t seen It’s Complicated so I don’t know whether the age difference between her and Baldwin was addressed, but that much age gap on the female-male side would have caused quite a stir at the time when they were supposed to be married.
I think Streep is fabulous. Her work is always stellar. I do however find it unfortunate that Hollywood cannot embrace ’women of a certain age’ at their actual age.
I am a big fan of hers too. Just don’t think film means there is not ” photoshop” type work done because it is. Think Avatar. I have freinds that do this for a living.
interesting that you would have to throw a negative on this. So what if she is “photoshopped”. To have someone who is so real and wholesome is so inspiring. She is such a role model for all the young starlets.
I too am in awe of Meryl Streep. She can play any role, any character. It is amazing. I would love to know the real Meryl and what she is like at home.I would love to have her as a friend.
Sounds as if she did have a great role model and whether or not she’s photoshopped she’s a walking poster girl for all of us. What’s still amazing to me, and clear by the comments—she inspires everything positive. Impossible not to like her.
For a few years, I lived across the hall from Meryl Streep at Vassar. She was kind enough then as a Junior and Senior to pay attention to a lowly Freshman and Sophomore so for me she was quite a woman. Then, one summer, I was at Harvard and she recognized me from across the street, and called me by name. You have to be pretty real to do those kinds of things.
I have loved her in all of her movies, and have been impressed with her ability to play a wide range of characters. She is believable no matter whether drama, comedy or musical.
I would like to think that her basic character has remained the same since her college days, and that she is simply a remarkable woman. She is as beautiful now as she was then, and I just don’t think it is possible to hate someone who strives for excellence in all that she does but, at the same time, doesn’t rub it in your face. She inspires me to be better at what I do.
Rose Marie, thanks for sharing this and DarryleP — you hit all the right notes. Meryl Streep is a real lady and a great actress, first and foremost.
She has thrived because she has never bought into the Hollywood hype. She is grounded and classy without being pretentious and snobbish, and keeps it real.
She becomes the character in every movie role that she has played so that we momentarily forget that we are watching Meryl Streep. The younger Hollywood actresses will do well to study and learn from her and other older actreses like Sophia Loren. They exude sensuality and class!
THANK GOD for women’s liberation. There are more women for Meryl Streep to play because we have taught society to recognize the accomplishments of women. As for Meryl, personally, good for her that the roles are there, and she is able to fill them. I am wondering when we will get the Rosa Parks, Mary McCleod Bethune, Madame CJ Walker and all the other unsung heroines out there whose lives and courage over the years have brought us where to we are today.
rafn
rafn said to DarryleP just now new! Edit for another 15 minutes
THANK GOD for women’s liberation. There are more women for Meryl Streep to play because we have taught society to recognize the accomplishments of women. As for Meryl, personally, good for her that the roles are there, and she is able to fill them. I am wondering when we will get the Rosa Parks, Mary McCleod Bethunes, Madame CJ Walkers, and all the other unsung heroines out there whose lives and courage over the years have brought us to where we are today.
Meryl Streep is the epitome of the term Star. Not all actors are great. The ones who made it to Graumans were not in large numbers. Today there are so many who are treated lke stars when in reality they just got lucky and got a meaty part. Meryl prooves it in every role she plays. Great, good or fair script, her acting lends itself to every part; she’ becomes’ the character with an accent or red hair, or donning a habit. She can be funny and evil and sexy and fuzzy and she sings too.(Mama Mia) I adore her.