3. Linda Blair – The Exorcist
Much has been written about the perceived or actual impact on Linda Blair of performing in the sort of distressing sequences featured in Friedkin’s horror masterpiece. Undoubtedly, even with body doubles, dubbing and prosthetic make-up, there is much here that an actor in their young teens should not be put through, no matter how much you explain to them what is going on.
Although the film eventually ramps up the more extreme elements of Regan’s possession, with levitation, green vomit, a revolving head and lots of unpleasantness with a crucifix, it is arguably in the film’s earlier, more measured sequences that Linda Blair delivers the more impactful work. As she becomes buried beneath make-up, it feels like there is less and less of her, whereas earlier moments of anguish and her coming downstairs and wetting herself really cut through, as the horror of such torment being inflicted on one so young and fragile hits home with us.
One can argue the toss ad nauseum about whether it was irresponsible to cast someone so young in such distressing scenes, though it is undoubtedly central to the film’s impact that the possession and its associated carnage be visited on a sweet-face little girl. Regardless of your position on tha debate, Blair delivers a performance that stays with you forever.
I think she was vastly overrated in this. She got the words out nice but I never got the sense that the emotions of the character seeped beneath her skin. Chloe Moretz gave two better performances that same year in “Kick Ass” and “Let Me In” but they simply weren’t Oscar bait movies with Oscar bait directors. Hailee gave a good performance in True Grit, but I’m still not convinced she’s a great actress. I suppose people are just going to pretend her Juliet in the recent “Romeo and Juliet” never happened? She was horrible in that.
In my opinion, Natalie Portman (Leon the professional), Dakota Fanning (War of the worlds), Anna Paquin (The Piano), Jodie Foster (Taxi Driver), are better than anything on this list, with the exception of Hailee Steinfeld.