The Best of Meryl Streep

-Its hard to know what to say about Meryl Streep; the woman most consider to be one of the greatest screen actresses of all time. Any one of her impressive performances would be enough to sustain most actresses for the length of an entire career. By now Streep has proven that she can tackle virtually any genre, character, nationality, or time period to the point that when an actor, director, writer or audience member is presented with Meryl Streep in a role, they know they can rest easy. This year Streep reinvented herself yet again as the iconic chef Julia Child in Julie & Julia; a performance which earned her, among various other accolades, her 16th Oscar nomination. While she is near the top of the pack to win what would be her third Oscar, Streep still remains down to earth about her success and continued longevity with regards to film roles. I remember watching her be interviewed about this very subject to which she simply responded with a slight chuckle: "oh, I usually find something to do." In celebration of one of the greats, here are five classic Streep performances.

1. Postcards From the Edge (1990)
-Based on Carrie Fisher's novel/autobiography, Streep plays Suzanne Vale; a Hollywood actress just out of rehab who is trying to rebuild her life and career while coming to terms with her former movie star mother (Maclaine). The film itself is a brilliant take on Hollywood's attitude toward the fallen and its comedy and message are anchored brilliantly by Streep in a role which required her to be both frenzy and funny. Her Oscar nomination for Best Actress solidified the notion that Streep is a true chameleon evidenced from the opening scene to the musical performance which closes the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBWNFobsfVs&feature=related

2. The River Wild (1993)
-Streep proved an unlikely, yet winning choice for this action film directed by Curtis Hanson in which the actress plays a former rapids guide taking her family on a white water vacation when they run into some criminals. The film itself provides some excellent action sequences in the water especially when the characters are faced with trying to survive the river's most gigantic drop. Yet its Streep's manic performance as a wife and mother going up against one of nature's strongest forces in a bid to keep her family alive that proves to be the highlight.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38afo_the-river-wild-1994_shortfilms

3. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
-Its incredibly touchy territory to try and remake a classic like John Frankenhiemer's The Manchurian Candidate, yet Jonathan Demme's version succeeds mostly due to the performances of Washington and Streep. As a senator who is hell bent on making sure her congressman son gets elected as the next vice president, Streep is all fire in a role that is truly once again, like nothing she has ever done. Her portrayal of Eleanor Shaw is so cold and horrifying in even the smallest of scenes. Perhaps Voight's character says it best when he tells her: "when I think of you, I fear for this country."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xL6q94CFd4

4. Prime (2005)
-Its a shame this little-seen comedy didn't receive much fanfare since it is one of the only truly romantic comedies to be made in recent years that is actually grounded in reality. Streep plays a therapist treating a woman (Thurman) who, unbeknownst to anyone, also happens to be dating her much younger son. Streep is perfectly cast as the quintessential Jewish New York mother who takes an active interest in her children's lives. When her character becomes the only one who is aware of the three characters' connections, the actress proves once agian that she is comic gold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPzIvgs9iLo

5. Lions for Lambs (2007)
-This telling and insightful politcal drama which tracks three different storylines including a meeting between a professor and his student, two soldiers on a mission in Iraq, and a journalist's interview with a republican senator was considered too "talky" by some. Yet each character represents an aspect of America since the war in Iraq first began. The most potent of all these characters is Streep who plays a Washington journalist given an excluisve interview by a republican senator (Cruise) concerning a questionable new plan of attack. Her character questions, perhaps too late, her profession's impact on the war, the damage it has caused and her own morality and beliefs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGYEGWx4lAI

Congratulations once again Meryl Streep!!