4. June Squibb - Nebraska
I have already extolled the virtues of one of the stars of Alexander Payne's Nebraska, and given how strong the cast is on the whole (props must also go to SNL vets Will Forte and Bob Odenkirk) it's hard to resist the urge not to stuff this list with them. But one name that could not be left off is June Squibb, who plays Kate Grant, long-suffering wife of Woody, the film's leading man. She is introduced as the typical downtrodden wife, annoyed at the frivolous idiocy of her husband, and his repeated attempts to escape the family home to get to Nebraska to claim his million dollars, but as the film unveils and Kate becomes more of a key player, she unveils a side that would give Kristen Scott Thomas a run in the profanity stakes. Kate is obnoxious and outrageous, protected by her age and her faith, and happy to rip everyone she ever knew to catty shreds, liberally doling out insults in a cemetery towards the gravestones, and gleefully showing a former suitor what he missed out on with hilarious disregard. She is the perfect balance to both Woody, who is vulnerable and broken, and Will Forte's David, who is sensible and sensitive, seguing from outrageous tinker to doting mother/wife in a split second. She is the most joyous part of a very, very good film.
Read the full Nebraska review here.