Last week, I suggested that I would be fine with Michelle Yeoh winning Best Actress, if only TAR wins Best Picture. At the Critics Choice, the opposite happened – Cate Blanchett took the Best Actress award, while Everything Everywhere All At Once took Best Picture, Best Director and the awards for screenplay, editing and best supporting actor. I’ve halfway believed that Cate was kind of clearing the path for Michelle to eventually win the Oscar. When Cate got on stage at the Critics Choice, she actually made an argument that all of the nominees should be on stage because awards races are really dumb:
Blanchett began her speech by joking, “I’ve got gum in my mouth. I really didn’t expect to be standing here,” and, “This is actually the second award of the evening: Julia Roberts, earlier, presented me with a bottle of mouthwash. So thank you, Julia. This is a poor second.”
Blanchett continued by saying “best actress” is an “arbitrary” term “considering how many extraordinary performances” were done by women last year. The other nominees were Viola Davis (The Woman King), Danielle Deadwyler (Till), Margot Robbie (Babylon), Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once).
“I can’t believe I’m up here. This is ridiculous,” Blanchett, 53, said in her speech with a laugh. “I’m so old!” The actress then suggested awards season overall get a makeover: “I would love it if we would just change this whole f—ing structure. It’s like what is this patriarchal pyramid where someone stands up here. Why don’t we just say there was a whole raft of female performances that are in concert and in dialogue with one another?”
“And stop the televised horse race of it all,” continued Blanchett. “Because, can I tell you, every single woman with a television, film, advertising, tampon commercials — whatever — you’re all out there doing amazing work that is inspiring me continually. So thank you. I share this with you all.”
I felt that. I don’t know why – someone always makes this point in every awards season, but this year… it just feels like the actress categories are so stacked and it’s not fair to choose between wildly diverse performances anymore.
Fashion notes: Cate Blanchett kind of phoned it in this Max Mara. Michelle Yeoh wore Carolina Herrera. I hope someone does a deep dive in how much fun Michelle is having as she gets all dressed up for this awards season.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Cate Blanchett attends the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California,Image: 749942420, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Cate Blanchett, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- Cate Blanchett attends the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California,Image: 749942444, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Cate Blanchett, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- Michelle Yeoh attends the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California,Image: 749950327, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Michelle Yeoh, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- Michelle Yeoh attends the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California,Image: 749950338, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Michelle Yeoh, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
A good speech and I agree…maybe the first step would be to not attend award shows and accept awards? The system won’t change until people at the top make it so, and someone like Cate has a lot of influence. Though I’m also curious about the viewing figures. If there’s no audience they may well stop televising?
Just keep the red carpet bc I do love seeing the outfits 🙂
Ugh, well meant, I suppose, but this is something that only someone with a cabinet full of silverware would say. If Cate Blanchett doesn’t appreciate winning awards, having won so many, she could remove herself from consideration and give all the other women who gave brilliant performances a chance to win one and become as famous and respected as her. Because no one is giving an actress in a tampon commercial any respect whatsoever, and even fantastic actresses like Angela Bassett and Viola David struggle for recognition – does anyone seriously believe they get anywhere near the money and scripts that she does?
That was my first thought: why allow yourself to be considered for awards and show up for the ceremonies if you think they should be abolished?
I think Cate is a brilliant actress but I’ve never warmed up to her as a person (not that I need to, obvi). Also, did she ever express regret for working with Woody and signing the petition to free Polanski? Because if she didn’t then her feminist speech seems a bit hollow.
There was also the thing of Cate getting called out in Australia for publicly supporting her agent Robyn Gardiner whose husband rape a child. Robyn was calling the victim all kinds of horrible names and supporting, her husband while blaming the child for being sexually assaulted by her husband.
Cate also named her son after Roman Polanski.
Yeah, those are just meaningless words. If she really meant that, she wouldn’t keep submitting her name in these contests for consideration.
And now it seems the white Hollywood is trying very, very hard to get Andrea Risebourgh a nomination for Best Actress for some movie called “To Leslie.” A bunch of actresses and actors suddenly started tweeting about her a few days ago. Clearly a coordinated PR move. And there are folks wondering if its a coincidence that this happens in a year where there are multiple WOC being nominated in other contests.
I just google Andrea Risebourg and wow everything about it smells fishy .
Cate looks like she’s off on safari in the 1920s. Nice speech, actions speak louder.
Came to say exactly that! LOL, this looks like something to wear for an evening during a safari trip.
Those photos don’t do Michelle’s dress Justice. She looks flat here but in movement, she looked regal and stunning last night.
I like both luxe, even if Cate’s is a bit informal.
I get her point, but at the same time she still submitting herself for these awards, showing up, and collecting them when she wins.
I like Blanchett’s dress it looks comfy.
I love Cate and I think she’s got the Oscar in the bag, but I’m not a fan of this false humility thing. It just doesn’t read as genuine. And it’s a little condescending to say something like that after other actors had the night of their lives winning their first award and Brendan Fraser broke down in tears over his.
If you don’t like the televised horse race, don’t submit your work and don’t show up.
I think she’s the front runner ahead of Michelle Yeoh and acting like it’s no big deal when Michelle could be making history with Cate out of the way, it’s not a good look.
As a musician (albeit amateur) I have serious issues with Tar, as do most professional musicians I know (that conducting!) Cate’s acting is impeccable as always, but I much preferred Michelle Yeoh’s overall performance.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if two women of color, Michelle and Angela got best actress and best supporting actress at the Oscar’s.
I disagree with what she said and I’m upset by it. Now that minorities are starting to get a shot at being recognized and celebrated, here we have white queen here mocking the events and all similar events and belittling what others have been dreaming about. And there she is, saying that the mouthwash bottle from Julia Roberts meant more, that hahaha im so old for this, we should all get this, we’re all good, bla bla bla. Coming from someone who’s been getting all the awards and all the greatest opportunities from all the hotshots of the industry, she is not in a place to critize the people who aim for this. Very very arrogant. I dont have a good feeeling about this.
She is right that some peple, like me, are tired of always seeing the same faces over and over again. Directors should try new talents, and actors loke her who feel too old for this shit should stop acting or begin directing ao they can get off the screen and give a chance to the actira they feel have talent!
I have always felt like the best actress category is stacked, meanwhile the men are just there. I loved Brendan in The Whale and Colin in Banshees, respectively, but usually their category isn’t on the same level as women.
Cate looks lovely, but this dress (top and skirt?) looks like it’s for a fancy lunch, not a formal event.
I thought Cate was brilliant in TAR. I’ve been rooting for her to win. But I *hated* this speech and it really soured me to her. It is so disingenuous to campaign so hard and then say “oh gosh, who really needs these awards anyway? So silly.” Then don’t spend hours traveling to ceremonies, getting ready, and turning up to accept them only to make such a distasteful speech. Thank your cast and crew, acknowledge your peers, and leave. There are so many actors who would love to be in her position.
It’s fine if she feels that way privately; most actors act because they love it and whether they win awards for it is not the priority. But don’t go stand in a room full of people who were genuinely overcome with emotion at winning (many of whom were people of color!) and be like “lol this doesn’t matter anyway.” How belittling, two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett. I’d take Austin Butler’s open thirstiest over this fake humility and condescension any day.
Agreed. Well said. I love Cate but this was all kinds of ick.
Cate pulls stunts like this every time she is nominated. If it isn’t the fake feminism while supporting Men like Woody Allen, Roman Polanski ( naming her child after him) Robert Hughes another famous person who was a convicted child molester. So now these awards mean nothing, but her actions are to continue submitting herself for these awards.
There should be an asterisk next to the name of every actor and director who signed that repulsive Polanski letter any time they’re mentioned in print. I’m still shocked by the people who signed that hideous thing.
I may be totally alone in this opinion, but Cate Blanchett is such a blank to me, in both looks and acting. She never leaves any impact. I know she’s meant to be this great beauty and avant garde fashion muse, but I find her oddly lacking. I’m going to get shouted down, so while I’m awaiting the fight back I’ll add in that she reminds me of Gillian Anderson as an actor, ie totally overrated. Standing back!
I like Cate’s acting. To me, my blank is margot robbie: same vibe in all roles, in any outfit outside work has no punch, no oumpf, i dunno, i guess it’s just like that
I get it. I think for some people there’s a “someone” who doesn’t work for them. It’s really personal and subjective, and something that never changes. I’ve seen C Blanchett in loads of stuff and feel the same every time, ditto her Armani campaign photos.
Cate made that really awkward comment to Sandra Bullock at the 2014 Oscars and it never sat well with me. It’s like she’s trying to be something she’s not. Cate does want these awards and they do mean a lot to her and they should. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be recognized for doing something you love by your peers and appreciating it. I probably won’t watch Tar even when it comes to streaming but I’m sure she did a good job. I do hope Michelle Yeoh and Angela Bassett win the Oscar.
Both women look great! Michelle’s cape is gorgeous & Cate’s look is elegant – love trumpet skirts.
Since when was Critics’ Choice supposed to be formal? Oscars & BAFTAs yes, Globes & CCs, not so much.
And mini-skirts, even with trains are never “formal.”