Ruth Gordon won the Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby, directed by Roman Polanski. She played Minnie Castevet, the busybody/devil worshiper next door. It was her first (and only) win after four previous nominations, including three for screenwriting.
One of the older winners at 72, Gordon gave a performance that at first glance seems typical, a comical archetype. By the film's end, and on repeated viewings, there is a sinister, manipulative layer just underneath the surface. Whether offering the pregnant Rosemary her homemade chocolate mousse, or nosily inquiring "what do you pay for a chair like that," Minnie's brand of evil is at once banal and insidious.
I remember my mother not allowing me to see the film when it came on television because it had been condemned by the Catholic church. She finally relented when I was about 12, mostly, I think, because she wanted to see it herself. Strange as it sounds, Rosemary's Baby is one of the things that made me want to move to New York. From the beautiful, spacious apartments, to the sweltering heat of the summer dripping down Mia Farrow's neck, and the comforting hum of the Woodhouse's air conditioner, New York seemed to me like a grittier, more vibrant Emerald City. Add in the meddlesome satanist next door and I was hooked. After all, who wouldn't give their soul for an apartment in the Dakota and a nice chocolate mousse now and then?
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