The Oscar Quest: Best Picture – 1986
1986 is a breath of fresh air in the hell hole that is the 80s. Platoon is one of the sole good decisions the Academy made in the 80s.
Oliver Stone won Best Director for the film (talked about here), which was a great decision. Best Actor was Paul Newman for The Color of Money (talked about here), which was twenty-five years overdue. Best Actress was Marlee Matlin for Children of a Lesser God (talked about here), which was really the only decision in the category (no, not Sigourney Weaver). Good choice. Best Supporting Actor was Michael Caine in Hannah and Her Sisters (talked about here), and Dianne Wiest also won Best Supporting Actress for the film (talked about here). I don’t particularly like either decision. The Wiest one — okay, category was weak, so it’s okay. The Caine one — sure he deserved one, but Tom Berenger and Dennis Hopper were so damn good this year. So — don’t like it.
But, overall — good year. I like it a lot. Amazing what a good decision can do to a category (because this one is not good).
BEST PICTURE – 1986
And the nominees were…
Children of a Lesser God (Paramount)
Hannah and Her Sisters (Orion)
The Mission (Warner Bros.)
Platoon (Orion)
A Room With a View (Cinecom) (more…)
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