Santa Barbara fest to honor Viola Davis as 'Outstanding Performer of the Year'
The actress's turn in 'The Help' gets another significant awards season boost
Viola Davis in "The Help"
The tribute announcements for the upcoming Santa Barbara International Film Festival have started coming in, and the first is a shot across the bow for anyone thinking Viola Davis's performance in "The Help" is waning as a contender int he face of recently revealed, excellent portrayals by Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron and Michelle Williams.
Davis will be honored with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award on Friday, January 27, right at the start of the festival. The tribute will celebrate her performance in Tate Taylor's film and will be an opportunity to celebrate the career of an actress who has been on the verge of exploding onto the scene as a leading lady for some time.
"It's hard to imagine another performance this year that pierces your heart the way Viola does as Abileen," SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling said via press release.
Davis joins former winners including James Franco ("127 Hours"), Colin Firth ("A Single Man"), Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), Angelina Jolie ("A Mighty Heart"), Helen Mirren ("The Queen"), Heath Ledger ("Brokeback Mountain"), Kate Winslet ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") and Charlize Theron ("Monster").
The Santa Barbara fest competes with the Palm Springs festival for some of these fetes in some way. The latter will be honoring Michelle Williams's "My Week with Marilyn" performance, for instance.
The 27th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs January 26 - February 5, 2012. Once again, I'll be on hand covering the fetes and tributes on what has become a crucial step on the march to the Academy Awards.
For year-round entertainment news and awards season commentary follow @kristapley on Twitter.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupJoe7827
November 30, 2011 at 6:01PM EST Reply to CommentYou know what Viola Davis needs? Her own action franchise. No, not playing Detective Thisnthat in someone else's movie. Her own movie. She would totally be great.
pitypie YES. (Maybe a Princess Valhalla Hawkwind feature?)
November 30, 2011 at 6:54PM ESTTrex
November 30, 2011 at 6:47PM EST Reply to CommentSo, Michelle got the Palm Springs Fest, Viola has Santa Barbara, Charlize was honored at the Gotham Awards, Glenn Close got something that I can't remember, and Meryl Streep has the world at her feet. Davis: 1, Streep: 1230984093284092384
palcinema
November 30, 2011 at 8:53PM EST Reply to CommentI'm not getting all of the love for Viola Davis this year. She's good but her performance wasn't particularly memorable in The Help. She seemed to be doing what she did in Doubt. From what I've seen, Close and Williams give much more original (albeit bigger) performances. What am I missing?!
Shawn
November 30, 2011 at 10:39PM EST Reply to CommentI didn't find Davis's performance to be piercing, though I'll admit to being spoiled by Regina Taylor, who played a woman in a similar predicament much more touchingly. Davis has done more memorable work than this. That said, Davis isn't bad in the Help. Without her performance the film would probably be remembered as the mediocre dramedy from the year of Chastain that featured the ubiquitous newcomer as a blonde.
utahprime
November 30, 2011 at 11:23PM EST Reply to CommentI didn't like The Help at all and think Viola is losing steam while Streep picks up stream with critics and then comes the big Kennedy Center honor.
SJG
December 1, 2011 at 12:40AM EST Reply to CommentI loved Viola Davis and I can't help that think that part of the reason people aren't responding to her is that her performances are never showy but they have a deep undercurrent of emotional weight. Meryl Streep's performances tend to be kind of "right there" which makes it easy to appreciate and identify with her performances (and I'm not saying that as a criticism, it's just her style). Viola Davis is a very reserved performer who conveys just as much with greater subtlety, but it makes it harder for people to respond. I see where people are coming from when they say Davis didn't wow them in The Help, but I always feel a little down when I realize that her acting style is kind of an acquired taste and not something everyone appreciates.
Dalurae Totally agree. She channels her characters with such understated but powerful conviction that I find every single character she plays emotionally authentic and believable.
December 1, 2011 at 9:09AM ESTImnothehelp
December 4, 2011 at 11:00AM EST Reply to CommentViola is brilliant! Her performance is Oscar worthy, and he buzz has not waivered. She's heavily in this race, and rightfully so.