I already showed in my Best Actress Ranking that some performances, no matter how iconic they are, simply don’t do it for me. In the Supporting Actress category, there is probably hardly another performance more iconic than Ruth Gordon’s next-door-witch but as you can see from this ranking, I am not a real admirer. Compared to my old ranking, she got a higher position, but only a few spots…
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Ruth Gordon is certainly another member of the ‘I’m glad this actress has an Oscar but why did it have to be for this movie?’ club. First, what bugs me is that her performance and her character are so one-dimensional…I mean, apart from playing an annoying neighbor, what else does she do? There is no depth, no emotion, nothing. At least I would have expected some hidden signs of evil in her character, but not even that (except for her conversation on the phone when she talks to the doctor about Rosemary’s pregnancy and the look on her face when Rosemary tells her that she’s going out can can’t have her drink, but that’s not enough). Ruth Gordon’s own personality and screen-presence make sure that Minnie is as eccentric and weird as possible but underneath all this lays a sadly very empty and unremarkable performance.
It’s mostly the combination of Ruth Gordon’s unusual voice and her costumes that creates Minnie as the well-known character she is. With these assets, she is able to leave an impression and becomes strangely entertaining but, ultimately, her role is really nothing more than an underwritten comic relief since her chances to portray a more sinister side in her character are so limited. It’s really frustrating to watch her, like Lee Grant in
Shampoo, give everything for a part that isn’t worth it. I think that the actor who played Minnie’s husband was more successful in creating a character that is both the stereotypical annoying neighbor but also evokes a feeling of insecurity, of danger. It’s a combination that Ruth Gordon missed unfortunately.
It’s certainly an interesting performance and I won’t deny that Ruth Gordon is amusing to watch but there is too much missing in this part for me to give her a better position.
Title:
Number 65: Ruth Gordon as Minnie Castevet in "Rosemary's Baby" (Best Supporting Actress Ranking)
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