346 – Madame Sousatzka (w/ Taylor Cole!)

What this episode covers

Our friend and theme music composer Taylor Cole returns to us this week to talk about one of our most beloved stars on This Had Oscar Buzz, Shirley MacLaine. After finally winning her Oscar for Terms of Endearment, MacLaine took a few well-earned years off. Her return was this tale of a hardened piano teacher and the young Indian student, Manek (Navin Chowdhry), that she takes on. But even with a showcase for MacLaine at the head of an ensemble that also included Dame Peggy Ashcroft, this chamber drama didn’t garner enough attention to land in the Academy’s graces. This week, we talk about director John Schlesinger and MacLaine’s late 1980s run of iconic roles. We also discuss music teacher philosophies, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala working outside of Merchant/Ivory, and the 1988 Best Actress race including the famous three-way tie at the Golden Globes. Topics also include Twiggy, MacLaine sparring with Letterman, and other awards show ties.

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