The Six Greatest Performances In Mike Nichols’ Films
RIP Mike Nichols. From Dustin Hoffman to Robin Williams, this is where to start your retrospectives.
Meryl Streep
Heartburn (1986)
Adapted from Nora Ephron’s mildly fictional divorce memoir, Meryl Streep stars in the kind of role that only exists on indie television these days – a realistic woman dealing with life’s hurdles (a cheating spouse, a reduced salary, a subway mugging) with humour, grace, and occasional crying jags.
If Streep’s career has soured for you at all as she ratchets up the big performances and outlandish accents, it’s worth going back to her collaborations with Nichols to see the kind of calm, emotional work that grounds her most diverse and affecting roles. Jack Nicholson, as her charmingly adulterous partner, matches her note for note, and it’s incredible to see two of cinema’s greatest titans simply acting out real people going through real situations.