Bless her heart I thought she looked rather frail.    Was this made close to her illness??

No.   This was likely filmed in 1981 which was a year or so after she fell and broke her hip though. 

She did not start showing signs of her final illness until January 1985.

Unlike this one, the bra commercial is seared into my memory. I can still see Grayson snapping the elastic of the bra on the mannequin. 

YES!  wearing a borrowed Dr. Hoffman white lab coat . . .

oh they could've had ONE great sex scene a la Moonlighting where Julia finally slapped HIM and then furniture got thrown, broken and trampled upon amidst clothing being torn.. and then to follow my Maddie & David comparison--it all went downhill. . .

If Barnabas decides to be sensible, what does he do about this?  Is love a decision you consciously make based on sense?

I think many a Julia-Barnabas fan would argue he did love her (and give examples particularly in the last one to two years of the show) but she didn't fit into his 'ideal' woman, being independent, bossy, argumentative not compliant, shy and retiring or 22. . .so when it is said "come to his senses" it is meant that he has a moment of self-realization about that aspect not about how he feels but his own acceptance of it--  IMO 

Maybe the unique MoJo Julia had to keep the Leviathan curse at bay kept Angelique's curse from afflicting her. . .in fanfiction there have been some intriguing ideas regarding Julia's family history tied to others who'd lived at Collinwood.. .you know maybe a connection to Magda or others--

Anyway the writers didn't worry about it. .why do we?

It's actually interesting that the play and screenplay for NOTI are so different.  Judith is a minor minor character in the stageplay.  Her time taken up by German Nazis or something. 

Huston wanted Judith's part beefed up and in many letters I reviewed from his papers--he gave specific directions at to what was his vision.  The many different writers plus Huston and Williams himself (who joined the crew in Mexico) went back and forth about how Judith would realize her situation . .would it be a violent realization or subtle. . .??  I liked Grayson's very subtle take on it--that moment and perhaps the bedroom apology rather than the histrionic beach scene is what I think clinched her nomination.

I agree with MB the plays are brilliant-, characters meaty for actors -but like August:Osage County--these are people I'd watch on stage or screen but didn't want to live with--

My old SF apartment used to sit above the neighborhood and you could see the Castro Theatre signing shining brightly from my living and dining room.  It recently had a renovation I understand.

http://www.thecastrotheatre.com/index.html

I was not there this year but I saw the video clip of the Q/A.  Grayson is tough enough to take it no worries.  There is plenty of evidence, Oscar nom not withstanding, that she was capable of subtle, quiet performances as well as Absolute OVER THE TOP and that versatility is why many love her.

a video clip of the moment:
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=J3-DKotcayA