Actor Spotlight: Out of Africa

Just to give you, the reader, a frame of reference, Out of Africa was Oscar’s sweetheart in 1986.  The film won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Music Score, and Best Sound.   No Best Actress you say.  Why was this month’s spotlight focus not awarded the highest honor for her performance in Out of Africa?  Meryl Streep lost that year to veteran actress Geraldine Page, who had starred in the film The Trip to Bountiful.   Film historians and other people in the field, much smarter than I, all seem to  agree that Page was awarded Best Actress as a sort of  “lifetime achievement award”, otherwise Streep very well could have won.  In fact, Streep would have walked away with the award no doubt.  While Page’s performance was certainly award worthy, nothing came close to topping Streep’s portrayal of Karen Blixen on the big screen.