Jan 27, 2011
If awards season in America proves anything year-in and year-out, it shows how a star of any age can be born any minute. It's a time of year when critics and industry professionals consider films from all around the globe, exposing audiences to performers they may not have seen otherwise.
Leading the stampede this year is Australian actress Jacki Weaver of the riveting crime drama "Animal Kingdom." And she's discovered in the past couple of months that the reaction to "Animal Kingdom" in the states has been, well, a different animal.
"It's an entirely different experience for me, especially at this stage of my career since I've been acting so long," said the 63-year-old Weaver in an @ The Movies interview Monday. "I have to say, success in America wasn't even on my agenda. I didn't even dream it was possible. Few people from my generation came to work in America -- not like they do now. Today an actor from Australia comes here for a pilot season of something and sees every casting director they can to try to make a go of it. Here is where the most plentiful and most interesting work happens. So for this to happen to me is quite unexpected -- it couldn't be more exciting."
New on DVD and Blu-ray (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Tuesday, "Animal Kingdom" tells the story of Joshua "J" Cody (James Frecheville), a timid, emotionless 17-year-old taken in by his seemingly sweet grandmother, Smurf (Weaver), after his mother dies of an overdose.
While J's mother didn't exactly live a clean life, up to the point of her death she enough sense to keep her son away from Smurf and his uncles, a family of ruthless criminals who live by the laws of animal kingdom, where you need to kill or be killed. But when the organization begins to spiral out of control and J is offered a chance to cut ties with family by a well-intended detective (Guy Pearce), Smurf steps up an rears an ugly head that could have never been imagined.
Weaver's week began in New York where she attended the awards ceremonies of the New York Film Critics Circle (which honored "Animal Kingdom" director David Michod for Best First Feature) and National Board of Review, which named hear Best Supporting Actress.
The actress arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday to prepare for what promises to be a busy weekend of more awards celebrations. Friday night Weaver will find out if she'll take the Best Supporting Actress Prize in the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics' Choice Awards, and in the category again at Sunday's Golden Globes. In between she'll accept her Best Supporting Actress trophy from the Los Angeles Film Critics' Association, which was announced in December.
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Weaver's role in "Animal Kingdom" is unique in that her actions are utterly unpredictable. At first, she appears to be this sweet matriarch whose affection comes close to crossing the line when showing her creepy adoration for her sons. We know something may be a bit off with Smurf, and like a slow burn, the character's true, menacing nature bubbles under the surface until she comes on full force in the film's riveting third act.
"I thought it excellent storytelling, to let the things gradually dawn on the audience instead of showing them right from the beginning what she's really like," Weaver said.
Effectively, Smurf isn't as warm, blue and fuzzy as her name implies, and she credits the complexity of the character to Michod, who also wrote the screenplay.
[Jacki Weaver and director David Michod at the National Board of Review awards Tuesday in New York City]
Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images
Jacki Weaver and director David Michod at the National Board of Review awards Tuesday in New York City
"I think David is exceptional. He's a very clever, deep-thinking young man. He understands human nature and knows how to tell a story." Weaver said. "He knew what he wanted to get out of that character, and he knew how to get it out of me. There was a lot of collaboration involved, though, because he was very open to my suggestions and input. Together we got a really good handle on the type of person she is and the contradictory nature of her psyche."
Weaver said she's glad that her performance is frightening people, mainly because she was frightened by the research she and Michod did to help shape her character.
"We did our homework to find out what sociopathic people are like, and in their matrix, how good they are at hiding their true nature," Weaver said. "They appear to be sweet, but instead are hiding cold, callous, calculating and murderous personalities."
There's no question that in real-life that Weaver quite the opposite: a lovely and kind person grateful for all the opportunities she's had in the past five decades in Australia. Whether or not she nabs an Oscar nomination at the end of the month remains to be seen, but either way, she's already a winner. "Animal Kingdom" has destined for many more opportunities both in her home country and, yes, finally, in America.
"It seems, in a way, 30 years too late to start here. Maybe 30 years ago there would have been more stuff for me to do," Weaver observed. "But on the other hand it's never too late, is it? It's never too late for me to become Debbie Reynolds, Doris Day or Esther Williams."
Tim Lammers
