{"id":6128,"date":"2019-04-09T22:54:56","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T22:54:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/?p=6128"},"modified":"2019-04-09T22:54:56","modified_gmt":"2019-04-09T22:54:56","slug":"7-essential-elle-fanning-performances-to-see-before-watching-teen-spirit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/best-elle-fanning-performances\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Essential Elle Fanning Performances To See Before Watching &#8216;Teen Spirit&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teen Spirit<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which arrives in theaters on April 12, will be Elle Fanning\u2019s 55th credited role since she began acting professionally in 2001. If you\u2019re a fan of crunching the numbers, then you\u2019ll probably love knowing that that means Fanning officially has more than double the amount of acting credits than she does years under her belt. At 21, Fanning has more than established herself, becoming an actor notable and appreciated for her nuanced performances. She is an actor gifted with playing the subtext, with conveying meaning without speaking, with the right instincts to elevate a performance into something memorable. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with her previous roles, there should be no doubts about Fanning doing this once again in actor Max Minghella\u2019s directorial debut, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/teen-spirit\/278309\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teen Spirit<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In the film, Fanning plays Violet, a young Englishwoman stuck in her small town, living out the doldrums as a waitress until she has the chance to audition for a singing competition reality show. Turns out, Violet actually has what it takes to go the distance. As Violet progresses in the competition, she not only has to grapple with the effects of instant fame, but she has to wrap her head around the possibility of taking her life in a direction she once could only dream of as a singer. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lRPUrnXzqZY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But before we rush to the theaters to see Fanning sing, dance, and act her way through <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teen Spirit<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, let\u2019s look back at seven essential performances from her <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that form the blueprint of Fanning as we know her today: an actor with an impressive and enviable range.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>1. Phoebe In Wonderland (2008)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fanning had already been acting for nine years when <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phoebe in Wonderland <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">came along. But this performance, along with performances turned in in earlier films like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Babel<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, arguably earned the attention of critics as performances worthy of getting Fanning out of the child actor ranks and into consideration for meatier roles in bigger films. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phoebe in Wonderland <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">follows an elementary-age girl, Phoebe, who is living with Tourette syndrome. While her parents attempt to help her through therapy and medication, her drama teacher at school sees a way to help Phoebe by casting her in the school play, which ultimately has a therapeutic effect on her. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asking a nine-year-old to depict life with a syndrome that is as tough and demanding as Tourette\u2019s is monumental, so it comes as no surprise that she got the world\u2019s attention through this performance. Watching Fanning perform a child living with this syndrome while still being reminded at every that she <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a child<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is astounding. But this performance also makes it clear that Fanning is capable of taking on so much more as an actor than you might have thought possible \u2014 a theme that runs through her career to this day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>2. Somewhere (2010)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In her first collaboration with Sofia Coppola, Fanning\u2019s performance in 2010\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Somewhere <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">makes clear that there is a joy, a lightness, and an inherent innocence to Fanning that captivates. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Somewhere <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">depicts the relationship between a handsome, aging actor and his tween daughter, played by Fanning, when she comes for an unexpected visit. Her arrival causes the actor to reassess his life, which he lives hard, fast, and in complete excess thanks to the nature of being famous.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fanning is still playing innocent, vulnerable young girl but we also get the sense that Fanning understands it\u2019s on her to play a young woman who knows and understands a lot more than she lets on. She navigates depicting a young woman forced, at times, to be more mature than she should be, making Fanning\u2019s performance both tender and stirring to watch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>3. Ginger &amp; Rosa (2012)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tFYeYKAGVek?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ginger &amp; Rosa <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">marks the first time Fanning has to go British for a role (this has become familiar territory for her in recent years) as she also takes on one of her first clearly adult roles, despite being 14 years old at the time. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ginger &amp; Rosa <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tells the story of two female friends growing up in England in the mid-\u201960s. As the friends explore new political ideologies, trade clothes as well as secrets and spend nearly every minute together, the strength of their friendship is thrown into question when one of them enters into a romantic relationship with the other\u2019s father. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the character of Ginger, Fanning shows the world she\u2019s ready to tackle thornier roles. There is an adaptability and capability shown in Fanning through this role which indicates she can rise to the demands of juggling adult situations with the innocence, candor, or fleeting toughness that is unique to teenage girls. Fanning\u2019s honesty in showing Ginger\u2019s pain at her friend\u2019s betrayal while also remaining so open and available when a scene demands it is, simply put, deft. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>4. The Neon Demon (2016)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nicolas Winding Refn\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Neon Demon <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is tough to watch, not only because it risks veering into exploitation from minute one, but because it gives its lead, Jesse (played by Fanning) simultaneously so much to do and so little to say, begging the question of whether we should like, loathe, or just plain worry about Jesse at every turn; who is she, really? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But even with a performance so heavily reliant on showing, not telling, Fanning rises to the challenge easily. Playing a beautiful young woman with a deceptive streak looking to break into the world of modeling in Los Angeles might feel like a thankless role, but Fanning gets to deploy one of her best tools as an actor: her face and her body. That\u2019s not meant to be gross, either, but is instead evidence that even when Fanning isn\u2019t monologuing (not like she gets that chance here), she can deliver a look or move through the frame in a way that makes you want to watch or know more to see if you can understand her intentions and, by turns, Jesse\u2019s intentions, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>5. 20th Century Women (2016)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6JnFaltqnAY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mike Mills\u2019 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20th Century Women <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">follows a teenage boy, Jamie, coming of age in 1979 California, guided by his liberal mother and two young women. As the film unpacks issues around women\u2019s sexual health, mental health, relationships with men, and their relationships to themselves and the world around them, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20th Century Women <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">becomes less about a teen boy\u2019s need to grow up and more about these women undergoing an immense transformation at different stages in their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fanning portrays Julie, the teenage friend of Jamie who is simultaneously dealing with the highs and lows of discovering her sexuality, navigating a complex friendship with Jamie, discovering her own boundaries, and trying to decide what kind of woman she wants to be. Considering Fanning is around the same age in real life that Julie is, Fanning gives the impression of deep investment in conveying the hormonal turbulence Julie is experiencing. Whether it\u2019s agonizing over the results of a home pregnancy test or telling a table full of strangers about the first time she had sex, there is a rawness and honesty that emanates from Julie that it seems only Fanning is properly equipped to depict. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>6. The Beguiled<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sofia Coppola\u2019s 2017 remake of 1971\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Beguiled<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, starring Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page, sought to amplify the tension and sexual repression that arises when a Union soldier finds safe haven at a Southern boarding school for young girls during the Civil War. As every woman finds themselves in some way attracted to the soldier, alliances shift amongst the women and complications arise as the soldier begins to exploit their feelings for his own gain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fanning gets to stretch her legs a little in Coppola\u2019s version playing older teen Alicia, tapping into a mischevious, more sexually empowered and confident young woman than we\u2019ve seen her in roles past. She is mostly seen in the background, as part of the group rather than getting the spotlight. But make no mistake: Fanning is exercising a control and command of the screen that makes her the instant focus of any scene she is in. She sinks her teeth into playing a young woman in charge of her self, assured in her allure, and it translates brilliantly onto the screen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>7. Mary Shelley<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XMX6G9bI9Q8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In many ways, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mary Shelley <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">plays as a fairly straightforward, focused, biopic-lite that tracks <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frankenstein <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">author Mary Shelley\u2019s transition from being the rebellious, outspoken bookworm daughter of feminist and author Mary Wollstonecraft and philosopher William Godwin to a young woman who comes into her own power through the creation of a massively popular novel and the complications that arise when you happen to become more famous than your rockstar poet of a husband (in Shelley\u2019s case, that was poet Percy Bysshe Shelley). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Shelley, Fanning taps into a soulful quality that is part of her essence as an actor, conveying so much in the way of vulnerability as well as a strong sense of self. She is able to portray Mary\u2019s coming-of-age journey as well as Mary\u2019s intelligence and desire for a life that extends beyond rigid 19th-century rules in such a way that it makes you want to keep watching.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get your tickets for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teen Spirit <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/teen-spirit\/278309\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and watch it when it arrives in theaters on April 12.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Teen Spirit, which arrives in theaters on April 12, will be Elle Fanning\u2019s 55th credited role since she began acting professionally in 2001. If you\u2019re a fan of crunching the numbers, then you\u2019ll probably love knowing that that means Fanning officially has more than double the amount of acting credits than she does years under [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":4382,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-6128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6128"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6133,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6128\/revisions\/6133"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}