The Powerful Performance In Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Despite the fact that the year 2020 saw several major movies get postponed due to the pandemic, it was still a time for great movies. Due to that, the 2021 Academy Awards featured a handful of stellar nominees in the acting categories, from Viola Davis to Chadwick Boseman to Carey Mulligan to Best Actor winner Anthony Hopkins.

A wide array of films were honored, whether it was a drama like Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a thriller like Promising Young Woman, or a comedy like Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Even so, one smaller indie movie, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, was just as good as those, yet ended up grossly overlooked at the Oscars.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always Was One Of 2020’s Best Movies

To start, it’s important to understand what Never Rarely Sometimes Always is. Written and directed by Eliza Hittman, the film centers on Autumn Callahan, a 17-year-old who learns that she’s pregnant and travels from Pennsylvania to New York with her friend to get an abortion, since she can’t do that without parental consent in her home state.

This kind of premise has been at the center of several movies in the 2020s, including Plan B and Unpregnant. However, those go down comedic routes while Never Rarely Sometimes Always remains firmly entrenched in drama. Every scene is rife with tension as these girls look to overcome the various obstacles in their way.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always may not have received nods at the Oscars, but it ranks among the year’s best films. It was praised for the performances, directing, adn screenplay, while also sitting at an astounding 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sidney Flanigan Should’ve Been Nominated For Best Actress

Although arguments could’ve certainly been made for Eliza Hittman getting nominated for Best Original Screenplay or even Best Director, the Academy Award snub from Never Rarely Sometimes Always that stands out is Sidney Flanigan for Best Actress.

In Flanigan’s acting debut, she plays Autumn and delivers a powerful performance. While she shines in every scene, there’s one particular moment that should’ve landed her a nomination. Near the end of the film, Autumn goes in for the abortion and is asked a series of intrusive questions.

She’s tasked with responding, “never, rarely, sometimes, or always,” and the camera never leaves her face. We sit with Autumn and watch every kind of emotion come over her face through each question, which gets harder and harder as it goes on. Flanigan never lets up, making sure we feel just as uncomfortable watching this.

It’s hard to see which great nominee would get replaced by Flanigan as that year saw Frances McDormand win, while Andra Day, Viola Davis, Vanessa Kirby, and Carey Mulligan made for a strong lineup. Still, leaving Flanigan out is a missed opportunity because of how great she and Never Rarely Sometimes Always are.