No, it isn’t about Imelda Marcos, although we did end up calling her that as well. But the title belongs to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. And Meryl Streep fans and watchers have been looking for that elusive but inevitable “3rd Oscar” for the woman generally accepted as the most critically acclaimed actress of the modern era. She had been nominated for the Academy Award a staggering and unprecedented 16 times:
1978 – The Deer Hunter
1979 – Kramer Vs. Kramer
1981 – The French Lieutenant’s Woman
1982 – Sophie’s Choice
1983 – Silkwood
1985 – Out Of Africa
1987 – Ironweed
1988 – A Cry In The Dark
1990 – Postcard From The Edge
1995 – The Bridges Of Madison County
1998 – One True Thing
1999 – Music Of The Heart
2002 – Adaptation
2006 – The Devil Wears Prada
2008 – Doubt
2009 – Julie & Julia
She won only for Kramer Vs. Kramer and Sophie’s Choice. Since then, Hollywood felt she had been awarded enough. They would nominate her, but they’d never give her the Oscar. Personally, I felt she should have won for The Bridges Of Madison County. But the closest she ever came to a third Oscar was for Adaptation, since she won many critics awards that year, not to mention the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Plus, she should have 17 nominations by now: she was a shoo-in for a Best Actress nomination for The Hours, but as legend goes, an assistant who was supposed to submit her nomination, botched something and missed the deadline. She holds the record for the most Oscar nominations (Jack Nicholson is a far second with 12), as well as the most nominations (25) and wins (7) at the Golden Globes. But many experts agree that eventually Hollywood would reward this acting royalty with her 3rd trophy, and given that the academy is obsessed with biopics (for the last 30 years, 17 of the Best Actor/Actress Oscars went to people portraying real individuals), the buzz is, this is the year for Streep. Of course the race is still long, and the year is but halfway through, and there is plenty of time for someone else to come up with a last-minute home run, but for now, La Streep is in the lead. That teaser trailer alone has the internet abuzz with Oscar talk in July!