As a hardcore movie-goer, I have severely slacked on my civic duty to the movie industry by not partaking in the gems that have come out in the past year. Earlier this week we were told of the Oscar nominations, and while I have not viewed a lot of the nominees’ work, there is one movie that I will vouch for — and that is Gone Girl.
Unfortunately, there was only one nomination for Gone Girl, which I feel is a major misstep on the part of the Academy. However, the nomination for Best Actress for Rosamund Pike was well deserved. If you have yet to read the novel or see the movie, then you are missing out!
The movie starts out with a semi-Lifetime TV movie plot: Beautiful man and woman enjoy life together, moving from dating to marriage, painting a portrait of perfection. Nick Dunne, a charming, handsome, all-American guy from a small town, courts Amy Elliott, the well-bred Harvard grad who is the subject of the Amazing Amy books, loosely based on her life written by her parents.Their lives seemed perfect but of course there are the events that cause the marriage to unravel, leading to the very mysterious disappearance of Amy Elliott Dunne. Given the culture of most crime shows, it was automatically assumed that Nick Dunne, unsung golden boy of North Carthage, Missouri, was the main person in her disappearance.
Thus, a can of worms is open and this small town crime becomes of national interest. I won’t spoil too much, but this is definitely not your typical Lifetime story. Now here is where the Academy faltered. Their lone nomination for Gone Girl was for Rosamund Pike’s incredibly layered and flawless portrayal of Amy Elliott Dunne. Having read the book before watching the movie, I felt that the character could have easily gone into caricature zone, but Rosamund gave Amy likeability despite the crazy happenings that went on with her character. While Ben Affleck gave off a cocky, dopey husband vibe that embodied Nick Dunne, Rosamund Pike believably played the doting wife to only completely change by the end of the movie. The transition did not seem forced, and I feel like that is a hard character to portray, to which she did effortlessly.
I believe that the author Gillian Flynn should have gotten an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay of her New York Best Seller, but alas the movie was shut out. Despite this, I believe that Gone Girl has made an impact to both readers and movie-goers everywhere. It is hard for book adaptations to work well on screen, but this is one of the few combos that work well together. Rosamund Pike’s portrayal of Amazing Amy provides a different kind of female lead for movie audiences; one that is multifaceted, strong, and determined. When the Oscars air, you know who I’ll be rooting for.
What did you think about the Oscar nominations? What are your thoughts on Gone Girl?