Nada Mucho

Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl: Golden Globe-Worthy, But Oscar-Ready?

Posted by January 20th, 2025 No Comments »

The Last Showgirl (2024) 
Directed by Gia Coppala 
Starring Pamela Anderson , Jamie Lee Curtis, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Dave Bautista 

Oscar buzz. Is it organic, manufactured, or a bit of both? After Pamela Anderson snagged a Best Actress nomination for a Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes, followed by a nod at the SAG Awards, I’m still not convinced. Both awards are solid indicators of Oscar contention, but we’ll have to wait until January 23 to know for sure. Here’s my take on why Anderson doesn’t deserve a spot for her role as Shelly Gardner in Gia Coppola’s third film, The Last Showgirl.

The Lead Actress category at the Oscars has only five spots, and this year, the competition is stacked. Demi Moore is a shoo-in for her transformative performance in The Substance. The film tackles themes similar to The Last Showgirl but in a far more engaging way. Just a few years ago, the idea of a body-horror gorefest earning Oscar recognition would have been laughable. But groundwork has been laid over the decades: Ruth Gordon (Rosemary’s Baby, 1969) and Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense, 1999) were honored in supporting roles, while Kathy Bates (Misery, 1990) and Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991) secured wins in the Lead Actress category. This path paved the way for The Substance to not only contend for acting categories but also for screenplay, directing, and even Best Picture. Add in the “box checking” aspect of a bold female director’s second film coupled with an aging star that really never got her due, and you have a genre film inserting itself strongly not only into lead and supporting actress categories but possibly earning nominations for best screenplay, director and picture as well. 

On the flip side, you have Mikey Madison, 36 years Moore’s junior, who’s also checking boxes. Her titular role as Anora in Sean Baker’s latest opus was showered with praise from the start. Anora won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and Madison’s performance is the glue that holds the film together. Hollywood loves a breakthrough, and many of the same people voting for her will pretend they knew her name long before Cannes 2024.

Karla Sofia Gascón checks a different kind of box. She’s a trans actress—am I phrasing this correctly? If not, let me know so I can learn. Gascón’s role in Emilia Perez showcases not only her dramatic chops but also her impressive singing voice. While the musical received mixed reviews, I gave it an 8/10 and loved it. Zoe Saldaña arguably carries the film and is featured more prominently, but this shouldn’t diminish Gascón’s historic and deeply moving performance. She’s a lock for a nomination.

Meanwhile, Cynthia Erivo dazzles as Elphaba Thropp in Wicked, the more traditional of this year’s musicals. While Ariana Grande brings sharp humor to Glinda, this is Elphaba’s story, and Erivo carries it with unmatched vocal power and emotional depth. Not nominating Erivo for Wicked while recognizing Gascón for Emilia Perez would be a disservice to musical films as a genre. 

So, why not give the final nomination to Pamela Anderson? Her role is undeniably heartbreaking, and Gia Coppola’s gritty realism out-Sean Bakers Sean Baker, capturing the grime and fading glitz of a Las Vegas in transition. Anderson’s Shelly Gardner is a 57-year-old showgirl clinging to illusions of grandeur and self-importance during her revue’s swan song. Her unraveling is palpable, her hubris laid bare in every interaction.

Anderson holds her own alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, who arguably deserves more recognition here than she did for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Dave Bautista shines as Eddie, Shelly’s former lover and the revue’s producer. Their emotional showdown—one particularly poignant meltdown—hits hard, especially for anyone who’s ever deluded themselves about their artistic legacy.

But here’s the rub: Anderson’s performance is good, not great. It’s a significant step up from her roles in Barb Wire (1996) or as herself in Borat (2006), and I hope this marks the beginning of a second act in her career. However, her turn as Shelly isn’t enough to crack this year’s brutally competitive Oscar lineup.

The final nomination will likely go to Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, Nicole Kidman for A24’s Babygirl, or Fernanda Torres for the Brazilian film I’m Still Here. I haven’t seen these films yet, but I have a hunch they’d score higher than the 5.5/10 I’m giving The Last Showgirl.

So, while the Oscars might flirt with rewarding Anderson, this isn’t her time. Not yet.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2025 Nada Mucho