Ann-Margret in "Tommy"

When I do my Oscar picks for 1975, I intend to give Best Actress to...

*don't hurt me*

Ann-Margret in Tommy.

I always have to explain to people why I think Ann-Margret is better than say- oh- Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Well, I probably should explain that here. While Fletcher is brilliant as Nurse Ratched, I think Ann-Margret's over-the-top performance is a perfect match for The Who's rock opera based on their 1969 album of the same name. Even in this gaudy excuse for a film, she shines through with an actual performance in a film so devoid of creativity from its ensemble of actors/singers.

Tommy tries SO hard (too hard) to have some sort of message. It fails to make the viewer think. It only affects the eyes and ears, but not the brain. It's fun, entertaining, but as far as substance goes, it is severely lacking. The absence of character development is really a testament to how poor the writing is. The story doesn't call for performances from the "actors" but only singing heads. The lack of depth is evident from the rest of the cast. Ann-Margret refuses to become a singing head. She carves out a character from a hunk of garbage and makes it beautiful. Without proper writing or direction she was forced to create an actual person all on her own. For that achievement alone Ann-Margret deserves all the praise in the world.

I want this chair

Her performance as the title character's mother Nora is incredible. Feverish intensity, wild vocals and insane dancing (complete with hair-flipping) collide to create something that is absolutely brilliant. Nora Walker-Hobbs completes many transformations throughout the film and Ann-Margret is right there with her. As a character, Nora must embody the desperation of a mother trying to help her son, the greed of a woman nearly poisoned by wealth, and the determination of a soldier of religion when her son is miraculously cured. A less capable actress would have gotten lost in the muddled storyline, but her ability to envelop the character keeps the whole piece together.
In the most memorable moment of the whole film, the actress is asked to swim in baked beans and chocolate. Though it may be hard to see in the middle of the thrashing and clawing and singing, her anguish over her son's condition is driving her. The heightened reality of it all only makes it more emotional. The energy almost comes right out of the screen. And, of course, it's one of the sexiest scenes in cinema history. I should know, as someone who despises baked beans, because I was ready to jump in and join her.

Whenever she is on the screen one cannot help but focus on her. She commands the story and only lets go when she is forced to near the film's conclusion. The last half hour of the film drags on...and on...and on...and on. There is a reason, it is that Ann-Margret is relegated to the background and Roger Daltrey's wide-eyed, uninteresting Tommy takes over the story. The effect she leaves on the viewer is still fresh when the film ends and, in some cases (like mine), for days after .