Beatrice Straight as Louise Schumacher in Network

Best Supporting Actress at the 49th Annual Oscars (1976)

Notable Quote:

“I'm your wife, damn it!”

Synopsis:

Looking for a domestic drama of a scorned wife dealing with her husband’s infidelity? If so … find another movie honestly.

The character:

Ummm … so … poor Louise essentially isn’t in this movie? She’s the wife of Max, who cheats on her with Diana, and there’s a scene where he reveals his cheating, and she yells at him. That’s it, that’s the character. I’m wracking my brain trying to think of something else to say … the Academy is testing me today. I guess maybe she’s one of the only people in this movie who doesn’t see things in terms of scripts and ratings: she’s a real person, who gets hurt when people behave badly. But even calling her a character is a real stretch. I do hope she at least dumped her husband and took half his money when he tried to come crawling back after he left her for an unrepentant psychopath who isn’t even a good lay.

The performance:

Well, this will be one of the weirder performances that I write about. Beatrice Straight’s performance in Network holds the record for the shortest award-winning performance, at just five minutes and two seconds. Honestly, it feels like less? That’s not a compliment. Now, I’m not against giving an award for a five minute performance: but I better be riveted for every second of that scene. And I just … wasn’t. It’s especially egregious given that this movie actually features such a performance, by Ned Beatty as Arthur Jensen (more on that in a moment) and it won nothing!

On top of my issues with the length, I found her performance to be kind of over-the-top, acting 101. She’s yelling, she’s crying, she’s really doing a lot, and if I wasn’t doing write-ups on the acting award winners, I honestly would’ve forgotten this performance the second it was over.

The movie:

As noted earlier, I want to give a special shoutout to Ned Beatty, who truly does give a scene-stealing performance as a raving businessman shouting shit like, “you have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I won’t have it!” I love that even Howard comes up against his intensity and is thrown off, like, woah, now this guy is crazy!

Was the Oscar deserved?

Oh my god, absolutely not. She beat Jodi Foster for Taxi Driver and Piper Laurie for Carrie!?!?