Great Performances #4

Caught the last half of The Witches of Eastwick this morning on the boob tube. All of the leads are great and the film is a lot of fun, but special mention must be given to Veronica Cartwright. She's one of those actresses that can always make me very happy. When I see that she's in something, it immediately gets me on board. Everything she does is fabulous; Alien, The Birds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and even Flight of the Navigator. She's just plain good. But how can anyone not take notice of her in the role of Felicia, the sixth sense using, uber-Christian small town goody two-shoes in The Witches of Eastwick? She gives it her all, and is able to frighten as well as make us sympathize with her wacko character. What made me want to comment on this performance, were her final moments before being killed by her long-suffering husband. Just the ferocity of her committal to the physical side of the character, is enough to warrant a second look. It's the moment when she pulls her skirt up and starts rubbing her thighs and crotch, saying over and over, "He's inside of me." It's a marvel. Her buggy eyes tell so very much, the loss of control and that fact that she knows she being attacked. And quite honestly, aside from the obvious sound effects, it is her performance that completely sells the cherry pit-vomiting. Finally, her delivery of the line "Oh honey, I think I broke my leg", after plummetting down the stairs, is definitely a highlight. "Whores, dildos, incest"...etc. What a fun part to get to play. Love you, Veronica. Love you in everything.