# Has Meryl Streep ever given a bad performance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994 "2011-01-09T17:28:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994/41 "2011-01-13T00:54:01Z")
> [@Weedy](#): > > A lot of people at the time were irritated that the producers went overseas to get a big Hollywood star to play the main role. Her Aussie accent is not convincing, and sounds a bit ridiculous. I think it is more that people were prejudiced against her in the role, more than that her performance is actually bad. I haven’t seen it though, so I can’t judge. If you haven’t seen it, how do you know her accent is bad? In any case, the movie may have a bad reputation in Australia, but in America it was one of the movies that gave Streep an Oscar nomination. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994/42 "2011-01-13T01:04:11Z")
Sheesh. I thought The River Wild was nearly unwatchable. I just wanted her to drown and get the flick over. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994/43 "2011-01-13T01:05:12Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > The River Wild was not her typical role, she plays a mother on a family whitewater river rafting trip. They end up kidnapped by a couple of bank robbers. It was a crime/thriller movie and I don’t think she has done any other movie of that type. She did a good job with that role. They weren’t bank robbers, actually - they robbed a cattle auction. That was a great premise for a movie and had some really promising elements that should have developed further: the dom/sub relationship between Wade (Kevin Bacon) and Terry (John C. Reilly in an early role,) and Gail’s obvious attraction to Wade, but instead they went for the typical, black and white, good guys win/bad guys lose Hollywood ending. Still, it was a good movie. ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994/44 "2011-01-13T03:48:16Z")
This theory may be fanwank, but the story I have heard about Streep’s accent in Cry in the Dark (“Evil Angels” here) was that she was aiming for an undernote of Kiwi in it, because Lindy Chamberlain was born in New Zealand. Problem was, Lindy left NZ with her parents when she was 1, so there is unlikely to be any real remnant of that in Lindy’s speech (except to the extent that her parents and later husband were Kiwis). When you listen to it with that thought, Streep’s effort is not so bad, but if you expect pure Oz, it will grate badly to an Australian ear. She is reputed to be a master of accents, but this one did not hit the mark (unless you accept the above theory). Does anyone know firsthand whether her much-vaunted accent in Sophie’s choice (her accented German was supposed to have a hint of Polish in it, or something) was as good as they say? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994/45 "2011-01-13T14:38:28Z")
No votes for It’s Complicated yet? Maybe it’s because she wasn’t given a great script, but I thought she put in a journeyman performance at best. ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994/46 "2011-01-13T17:41:39Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Yeah, The River Wild was really great. Way better than it could have been with a lesser cast (which also includes Kevin Bacon, John C Reilly, David Strathairn and Benjamin Bratt). I remember not liking this movie (not really hating it, just kinda meh about it), but I might have to check it out again based on some of the comments here. Before I read this thread, I would have nominated _The River Wild_. Haven’t seen many of the ones featuring prominently in this discussion, though. Also, I really liked _Death Becomes Her_, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen it that I want to see it again too, to form a better opinion of it. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994/47 "2011-01-13T17:49:35Z")
> [@BomTek](#): > > Also, I really liked _Death Becomes Her_, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen it that I want to see it again too, to form a better opinion of it. I really despised Death Becomes Her, but it’s possible I was too young to get it, Although I caught part of it on TV a few years ago and the few minutes I watched were just as shitty as I remembered. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994/48 "2011-01-13T18:52:11Z")
I’m clearly in a minority, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Streep movie in which she wasn’t playing the Streep persona. She’s always playing the same role; it’s no wonder she’s got it down pat. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994/49 "2011-01-13T19:32:07Z")
If nothing else the scenery in The River Wild was great. For those that have not seen it, they go through some very big rapids on their raft. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-meryl-streep-ever-given-a-bad-performance/566994.md?page=2)