The “staggering” movie Emily Blunt thinks will last forever
Robert Downey Jr couldn’t believe that Oppenheimer co-star Emily Blunt securing a nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ was her first time being recognised by the Academy Awards, but a relative lack of trophies has done nothing to prevent her from becoming a respected, popular, and in-demand talent.
Having virtually swept the board at every ceremony so far, The Holdovers‘ Da’Vine Joy Randolph was the hot favourite to win the Oscar for ‘Best Supporting Actress’, continuing Blunt’s unfortunate streak of losing out on the majority of statues for which she’s been nominated. But it really hasn’t affected Blunt becoming one of the most beloved actors of her generation.
A Golden Globe gong for ‘Best Supporting Actress – Television’ came her way in 2007 thanks to an incredible turn in Gideon’s Daughter, but that was her only success from seven nods in total, while she’s also zero-for-four at the Baftas. Of course, accolades aren’t the be-all and end-all for measuring the strength of anyone’s career, and Blunt has been doing just fine without a bulging trophy cabinet.
The Devil Wears Prada, Sunshine Cleaning, The Young Victoria, Looper, Edge of Tomorrow, Into the Woods, Sicario, The Girl on the Train, A Quiet Place, and Mary Poppins Returns, The Smashing Machine are just some of the movies to land Blunt significant critical and/or commercial acclaim, which also highlights her versatility.
She’s equally comfortable in action, sci-fi, romance, period pieces, drama, comedy, fantasy, horror, and musicals, making her one of the most well-rounded and effortlessly adaptable performers of her generation. An Oscar may come eventually, but the lack of one has hardly hampered what’s been a stellar career so far.
Getting lost in the world of accolades is a dangerous game for any actor, but it would seem like Blunt has managed to skirt the idea with her natural effervescence. Rarely being drawn into scandal or mystique, Blunt looks set to continue her position as a cinematic chameleon. It’s the kind of standing that could see her becoming a timeless figure.
In fact, Oppenheimer is the first one of her film credits that’s ever been nominated for ‘Best Picture’, while one of her personal favourites didn’t just win the biggest prize the industry has to offer but set a rare distinction in doing so.
Miloš Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest became only the second feature in history – and first in over 40 years – to win the ‘Big Five’ at the Oscars after its ‘Best Picture’ win was joined by further victories in the ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Actor’, ‘Best Actress’, and ‘Best Screenplay’ categories, with The Silence of the Lambs the third and so far final title to achieve that feat.
Describing it as “a timeless movie” to Rotten Tomatoes, Blunt reflected on how “you can watch it now and it hasn’t dated one inch”.
Lauded as one of the greatest films of all time, those 13 years it spent lodged in the depths of development hell turned out to be worth it and then some when Forman, Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, and the rest of the cast and crew conspired to deliver an instant classic that continues to endure.
“It’s just staggering, and it’s so moving,” Blunt continued, “That’s a really brilliantly directed movie”. She’s not wrong, either, with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest standing the test of time as a titan of modern cinema almost 50 years on from its initial release.
