The Golden Bin Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role

April 9, 2021 0 By Jeff Bulmer

Heartbreaking depictions of pregnancy

In this series based on the Oscars Deathrace series of articles I wrote for The Phoenix News over the last few years, I spotlight my personal picks for this year’s Oscars, as well as some notable snubs.

Winner: Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman

After Martha Weiss’ (Vanessa Kirby) water breaks early, everything that can go wrong does. Weiss insists on a homebirth, but the chosen midwife can’t make it. As the stand-in, Eva Woodward (Molly Parker), directs her through the pregnancy, Weiss moves through the house, struggling through the labour. Finally, Woodward discovers a heart arrhythmia and recommends Weiss give birth in a hospital. Just before the ambulance arrives, Weiss gives birth. As Weiss holds her newborn in her arms, she and her partner radiate joy and relief…
Only to have it ripped away from them when the baby stops breathing.

Pieces of a Woman follows Weiss’ through the next year of her life, exploring the fallout of her miscarriage, and the effect it has on her relationships with those around her. Her mother, sister, and partner sue the stand-in midwife, blaming her negligence for the death of Weiss’ daughter. But Weiss’, devastated and detached after her difficult pregnancy, wants no part in it, trying instead to move on in other – admittedly not healthier – ways.
Weiss retreats into her job and relationships with people outside her family. She grows distant from her partner, who quickly finds himself relapsing, and seeking out other partners. The very mention of parenthood becomes a trigger for Weiss, sending her into fits of ruthless, judgemental anger.

Kirby’s performance as Weiss is multifaceted. The first 30 minutes are raw and intensely physical as Weiss gives birth and goes through what must be the greatest pain she’s ever felt. The scenes that follow are emotional, as Weiss experiences even greater emotional pain, but suppresses it for the sake of appearances. She gains a hair-trigger temper as everything around her reminds her of the worst moment of her life. A horrible day becomes a horrible year, as Weiss is roped into planning a funeral for her newborn, then asked to visit retribution upon a midwife, and all the while expected to continue working and interacting with family as usual. When Weiss’ character arc finally concludes, it feels as if an enormous burden has been lifted, as the film triumphantly glides to a halt. Kirby’s performance concludes with a series of scenes that play out like a great sigh of relief, and the audience feels every moment.

Runner-Up: Sidney Flanigan – Never Rarely Sometimes Always

In Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Sidney Flanigan makes her screen debut as Autumn, a teenager who discovers she’s pregnant.
It does not take long for Autumn to decide to terminate the pregnancy, but she just as quickly finds out that her options are very limited. Her first encounter with a crisis centre has the doctor doing everything in her power to dissuade abortion. Her home state, Pennsylvania, requires parental consent for a minor to terminate a pregnancy. If the father is even depicted in the film, he certainly doesn’t interact with Autumn over the course of the runtime.

Never Rarely is a character study of Autumn. As options fade and time begins to run out, Autumn grows increasingly desperate until her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) finally agrees to help her. Once the two reach New York – where Autumn can get an abortion – she again faces obstacle after obstacle.
Autumn is a young woman with little control over her own life. When she needs to deal with an unwanted pregnancy, her options are nearly nonexistent. When she finally gets to New York, she only manages in the city thanks to Skylar. Even when she’s helped by Planned Parenthood, she can’t pay for the procedure without giving up her ability to get back home. And of course, she didn’t have much say in the pregnancy that started the whole thing either.

Flanigan’s portrayal of Autumn is subdued, emotional, and most of all realistic. The opening scene of the movie has her performing at a high school talent show. Later, she gives herself a nose piercing just because and sings an indie song at karaoke. Autumn is basically just an uncomfortable teenager trying to find herself. It’s not hard to sympathize with her, even if it is hard to watch a high school talent show.