Chronology: 1995
An old-fashioned love story: Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep score a Summer hit with “The Bridges of Madison County”. Streep is seen with her family at the film’s premiere in Burbank as well as in Prague, receiving a career achievement award at its Golden Golem Film Festival.
Meryl Streep’s career was revitalized in 1995 by a most unlikely leading man and director. Clint Eastwood – Western hero, movie star, director and America’s man’s man – turned Robert James Waller’s kitschy best-selling novel into a tender box office hit for grown ups. Fresh off his multiple Academy Awards wins for “Unforgiven”, Eastwood took over directing duties from Steven Spielberg after being cast in the male lead – and stood by his casting choice that was unheard of in Hollywood – casting a 45-year-old woman to play a 45-year-old woman. She received some of her career’s best reviews for the role, including ReelView’s James Berardinelli, who wrote: “After taking a break from drama with the popcorn-munching adventure thriller The River Wild, she returns to the kind of role that made her famous, and gives perhaps her best performance since Sophie’s Choice.” For the first time since 1991, Meryl Streep was nominated at the Acadmey Awards again, alongside nominations for the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award.
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