Tuesday, July 1, 2014

In Character: Olivia Thirlby

Olivia Thirlby is one of the best, most natural actresses of her generation. Since landing the role of a lifetime as a mortified, doomed passenger in United 93, Thirlby has become an indie darling, appearing in a number of smaller, memorable films. There are a few trademark qualities to an Olivia Thirlby performance that make her work so captivating, namely her innocence and unique, effortless charm. She’s the kind of actress who can make a decent film better, and a good film great. She’s the highlight of nearly everything she’s in, and I can’t wait to see how her career develops from here.

Five Essential Roles
United 93 (2006)
Nicole Carol Miller
Olivia Thirlby doesn’t have a very big part in United 93, but really, none of the actors do. The ordeal is the part. The day, the terror, the hell. In truth, Thirlby’s performance as United 93 passenger Nicole Carol Miller is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role. But that matters little. The moments she is on screen, Thirlby, like everyone else in the cast, sells the horror of the day with stark authenticity. There’s virtually no acting in this picture, only panic and pain. If I cover other actors from this film for In Character posts, their role in United 93 will get listed as one of their best, based on principle alone.

Juno (2007)
Leah
Audiences and critics had a lot to say about Juno when it first came out: the stylized script, the star-making lead performance, the jamin’ soundtrack. But the entire time I watched the movie, the one character I couldn’t take my eyes off of was Juno’s sarcastic and reliable best friend, Leah. Not only did Thirlby have many of the best lines of Diablo Cody’s snappy script, but she delivered them with a refreshing sincerity that outshined every other performer in the film.

Thirlby auditioned for the role of Juno, but when director Jason Reitman cast Ellen Page, he immediately offered Thirlby the Leah role instead. And while I would love to see a version of this film in which Thirlby plays the titular character, I have no problem enjoying her work in the film as is.

The Wackness (2008)
Stephanie
One of my favorite scenes of Olivia Thirlby’s career is when she and Josh Peck spend a weekend alone in The Wackness. They go to the beach, get drunk, smoke weed and try to have sex. Peck’s character, Luke, is a virgin, so Stephanie offers to teach him some things. After a few lessons, the two make passionate love in an outdoor shower, which results in Josh whispering to Stephanie that he loves her.

“Whoa dude,” she coldly says before walking off. They head back home, silent for most of the trip. When Stephanie returns to her house, her mother asks her how her weekend was.

“Uneventful,” Stephanie apathetically replies.

Pretty much says everything about Stephanie that you need to know.

Nobody Walks (2012)
Martine
Martine is a young woman with a distinct brand of naïveté, as if she’s unaware of her effect on men. But as we get to know her, we realize she is keenly mindful of what her sexuality affords her. Take, for example, an early scene in which Martine makes out with her boyfriend in an airport parking garage. He wants to hookup, but she instead thanks him for the ride he’s about to give her. Come to learn that this isn’t her boyfriend, it’s just some random dude she flirted with on her flight, all in an effort to get a free ride home from the airport.

Nobody Walks is full of Martine’s subtle deceptions, but what makes the character interesting is that Thirlby never plays her as a floozy or a sociopath. She’s just an immature girl who has not yet learned that actions have consequences. Or, has she?

Dredd (2012)
Judge Anderson
Pete Travis’ Dredd is not my kind of flick. At least that’s what I thought before watching it for this post. In fact, I was thrilled to learn that the film is completely aware of what it is, and never dares to be something more profound. In addition, Dredd is shot gorgeously by Oscar winner Anthony Dod Mantle, and boasts a fantastic supporting performance from Olivia Thirlby. Thirlby has a unique dignity that separates rookie Judge Anderson from the other characters in the film. The actress uses innocence to evoke humanity, while also, in the film’s best moment, embraces the command of her sexuality. Thirlby’s performance as Judge Anderson is the type of role that makes a movie worth it.

The Best of the Best
Snow Angels (2007)
Lila
David Gordon Green’s Snow Angels is a simple story about a simple place. For every marriage failed, there is a young love born. For every act of pain, there is an act of adoration. One of the core romances of the film is the teenage love that blossoms between Arthur (Michael Angarano) and Lila. Arthur is the kind of kid who blends in – never causing trouble, never standing out. A few people do notice him though, including a geeky and unapologetically sweet girl named Lila. We meet Lila in the halls, putting her hand in wet paint because she can, smiling at Arthur while he’s in band practice, and so on.

There’s a scene midway through the film where Lila nearly gives up on her potential love with Arthur. She’s admitted that she likes him, but he’s too shy to reciprocate the feeling. Fed up, she demands to know why he’s resisting. “I’m nice. And I like you,” she says. There’s something about that moment that has always felt so real to me. It’s a conversation hundreds of girls have had with hundreds of boys, yet here, it feels oddly new. Green has said that much of the dialogue in this film was improvised, including in this scene. Knowing this, it’s clear to me that every time I watch Thirlby in Snow Angels, I’m literally watching a star being born.

Other Notable Roles
As Denise in Being Flynn, Thirlby has the best line of the film: “We’re done. You look really fucked up, by the way.”
Kidnapped (2006-2007)
Love Comes Lately (2007)
The Secret (2007)
New York, I Love You (2008)
Solitary Man (2009)
Bored to Death (2009)
Uncertainty (2009)
The Answer Man (2009)
Margaret (2011)
The Darkest Hour (2011)
Good Vibes (2011)
No Strings Attached (2011)
Being Flynn (2012)

26 comments:

  1. I haven't seen Snow Angels or The Wackness. Technically, I would have first seen her in United 93, but the camera was bouncing around so much in that that I couldn't tell you a single person that was in the movie or much of what happened on screen. I really saw her for the first time in Juno and I completely agree with you. I was wishing the movie had more of her. I also agree on Nobody Walks and Dredd. In the former her character wasn't very likable, but she was real.

    One film I saw her in was an "are they going to go there?" kind of film early in her career titled The Secret. Unfortunately the film plays it safe and lost an opportunity to REALLY generate lots of discussion and strong feelings. Thirlby does a good job in it, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fully agree on your thoughts about The Secret. Movie could've really pushed things, but it sadly held back. I did like Thirlby in it though. And yeah, her Nobody Walks character isn't likable, but that girl is wholly authentic.

      Delete
  2. Certainly one of the most underrated actresses right now. Snow Angels is definitely her best role to date as I also love her in Juno, United 93, The Wackness, and the role she did in New York, I Love You. There's even a short film that she did with Lauren Bacall and Ben Gazarra that I have called Eve that is directed by Natalie Portman as it is a wonderful gem.

    I have an idea for a script with a key role for her but it's been shelved as it's part of a very nihilistic ensemble film where... well... if you've seen Sucker Punch, Sin City, Charlie's Angels or any film with ladies that kicks ass. My idea will makes these ladies look like school girls. Hell, Thirlby is just part of a dream line-up for this project with these six actresses: Natalie Portman, Jena Malone, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, Evan Rachel Wood, & Ellen Page. What's been holding me from continuing forward with this as well as other projects is.... writer's block.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love that you think Snow Angels is her best work as well. Ohh I really want to see this Eve short now. I've never even heard of it. Damn.

      Writer's block is such a killer. The worst. Your idea sounds really interesting. Hope inspiration strikes you soon.

      Delete
  3. I must check out Snow Angels and The Wackness, they sound great. Thirlby is definitely one of the most underrated actresses right now, and I'm hoping she gets more roles in the future because she deserves it! Maybe in a Soderbergh flick, that is if he decides to come back out of his retirement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh wow, Thirlby in a Soderbergh flick is a GREAT call. I'm fully on board for that.

      Snow Angels is a great and criminally undervalued little film. It's always spoken to me. I adore it. Sadly, outside of Thirlby's performance, The Wackness is not a very good movie. I struggled to get through it again for this post. But Thirlby is great in it.

      Delete
  4. Definitely a very talented and underrated actress for sure. I loved her in Nobody Walks (before I even knew who this girl was), I just thought she was perfectly cast. She did exactly what you said in your description, playing up that naïveté while being in full effect of her sexuality. I still need to track down Snow Angels though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nobody Walks is such an odd little film. It has two stellar performances (Thirlby and Rosemarie DeWitt), but the movie ultimately falls flat. That's a flick I really wanted to like more, but just couldn't fully get into.

      Snow Angels is good if you're a fan of Green's earlier films. I've always really liked it. Be curious to hear your thoughts.

      Delete
    2. I totally agree with you about Nobody Walks. Actually I thought all of the main women in that movie were pretty damn solid but the guys just couldn't reach the same peaks. I will move Snow Angels to the top of my Netflix list sir!

      Delete
  5. I love that you picked Olivia Thirlby for this! She's great, and I've seen every single one of these films you spotlighted. I definitely agree with Snow Angels being her best, and even though I wasn't crazy about Nobody Walks, she was the best part of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you're a fan! I didn't really like Nobody Walks either, but I did love her and DeWitt in it. An odd little film there. Could've been so much more.

      Delete
  6. Wow, I think I need to see almost every film mentioned in this post. Hate to say this, man, but with the exception of "Juno" and "No strings attached", I've never seen Olivia Thirlby in anything. I remember her in "Juno" and I really liked her, but that's it. Unfortunately, I've never seen a film where she's in. But that's ok, because I definitely will now. She does seem to be a really natural actress indeed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awesome man, glad you're going to track some more of her stuff down! She's definitely one of the most natural actresses of her generation. I love her in everything, even if I don't always love the film.

      Delete
  7. She's a good actress. I didn't really like Snow Angels, but she does great in it. However, my favorite of hers may be the Wackness. I like the movie more, but her role is good because she's never unlikable for not taking up Peck's character offer of falling in love and getting in a relationship with. She's just a young gal who wants to have some fun, smoke weed, and sex-around. That's it. She's the perfect teenage-girl.

    Great list, as usual, Alex!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dan! She really did play that Stephanie part to perfection. You don't love or hate her, you just believe that she is real. And hell, is there anything more we can ask of an actor?

      Delete
  8. Alex, Olivia Thirlby is a great pick and one of the most interesting young actresses. I was surprised by how well she did in Judge Dredd. Good call on Snow Angels as the top pick. The young relationship is the best part of that film, and I often forget it when thinking about Green's career. She was also very good in Being Flynn, though the movie was just okay.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dan, really happy you enjoy her work as well. I hadn't seen Being Flynn before this post, and I was so happy I watched it. She was great, but I do agree that the movie was something really special. That quote of hers I highlighted had me rolling. Loved it.

      Delete
  9. You know I didn't even REALIZE that was Thirlby in "United 93" for the longest time? I don't think I did until I read it somewhere and then was like, "Oh yeah."

    But I'm totally with you. She's so, so good. "The Wackness" was really imperfect but it still really got me, and a lot of that had to do with that primary romantic relationship. And Leah. Well, what can you say? Thilby's reaction shot when Juno says our parents don't know we're sexually active.....priceless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I didn't either. I think I saw her doing press for The Wackness and she mentioned United 93. So I went back and rewatched it and sure enough, there she is.

      The Wackness is such a good example of her making an entire film better. Not sure that movie would really be worth it were it not for her performance.

      Delete
  10. I have only seen her in Nobody Walks which I hated and also Dredd which I surprisingly like! So I guess I don't have an opinion about her yet. As always, great post Alex!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ruth! I really liked her in both of those movies, even if the movies weren't really for me. Funny how that works.

      Delete
  11. Oh, GREAT choice for this series! I forgot she was in United 93. I guess I really *did* blink and miss her. I'd probably put her performance in The Wackness just ahead of Snow Angels, but my 6 picks would be the same.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks man! It definitely came down to The Wackness and Snow Angels, but I suppose in the end, my love for Snow Angels was what won out. Tough call though, she's so good in both.

      Delete
  12. Thirlby surprised the hell out of me in Dredd. I didn't think she was going to be a good fit for that role, but she nailed it. And you're right, she always delivers, even in bad films (I'm looking at you, Nobody Walks). Sadly, I haven't seen Snow Angels, but you have me really interested in checking that out. Great work here, Alex!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Eric! Exactly how I felt about her in Dredd as well. She really made that one worth it to me. I love this gal in everything.

      Delete