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The Oscar Quest: Best Supporting Actor – 1964

1964 is a year you can’t really argue with, because it’s a complete “Academy” decision. As much as I love Mary Poppins and especially Dr. Strangelove, My Fair Lady makes the most sense as an Oscar decision. It wins Best Picture, Best Director for George Cukor (which, good for him. He had to wait thirty years for it) and Best Actor for Rex Harrison. All of these are acceptable decisions. You may not have voted for them, but they are acceptable decisions.

Best Actress for this year was Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins, which is cool. Not a groundbreaking performance, but — it’s Mary Poppins. We’ll go with it. Best Supporting Actress for this year was Lila Kedrova for Zorba the Greek. I don’t particularly like it, but that’s because I think the Academy should vote for Agnes Moorehead every time she’s nominated and doesn’t have an Oscar (which, since she never won, is every time).

So that’s 1964. It has to be acceptable because of My Fair Lady. I’m cool with most of the decisions. Don’t particularly like two of them, which, ironically, are the supporting categories. But even so, they’re not very major, and the categories are weak as hell, so, meh.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – 1964

And the nominees were…

John Gielgud, Becket

Stanley Holloway, My Fair Lady

Edmond O’Brien, Seven Days in May

Lee Tracy, The Best Man

Peter Ustinov, Topkapi Read the rest of this page »

Posted by  |  October 4, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Oscars, The Oscar Quest | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pic of the Day: “Neighbors heard them screaming at each other, like for two hours, and it was nothing new. Then they heard the gun go off, both barrels. Crime of passion.” “Yeah, just look at all the passion on that wall.”

Posted by  |  October 4, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Pic of the Day | Tags: | Leave a comment

The Oscar Quest: Best Actress – 1978

Love me some 1978. The Deer Hunter is one of my favorite films. I think it’s a masterpiece. It wins Best Picture, Best Director for Michael Cimino (talked about here) and Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Walken (talked about here). All of them are fantastic decisions.

Then, Best Actor for this year was Jon Voight for Coming Home (talked about here). This is a decision that, while I wouldn’t have voted for it, is a great decision because it gave a deserving actor an Oscar. So I like it. And Best Supporting Actress was Maggie Smith for California Suite (talked about here), which, I like as a decision because — while sentimentally I like Meryl’s performance in Deer Hunter, she won the category the year after this, and Maggie Smith winning here gives both her and Meryl two Oscars (and you know Meryl’s gonna get a third one before all is said and done anyway). So I think it works out great. Plus Maggie Smith was amazing in the film.

Which leaves us with this category. The one category I don’t like at all from this year. I think this was a terrible, terrible decision. The only reason I don’t automatically proclaim this as one of the worst five Best Actress decisions of all time is because it’s Jane Fonda. And I love Jane Fonda. But she shouldn’t have won here, and this is definitely one of the ten worst Best Actress decisions of all time. Let me explain…

BEST ACTRESS – 1978

And the nominees were…

Ingrid Bergman, Autumn Sonata

Ellen Burstyn, Same Time, Next Year

Jill Clayburgh, An Unmarried Woman

Jane Fonda, Coming Home

Geraldine Page, Interiors Read the rest of this page »

Posted by  |  October 3, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Oscars, The Oscar Quest | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pic of the Day: “My name is Edward. I’m gonna save you.”

Posted by  |  October 3, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Pic of the Day | Tags: | Leave a comment

The Oscar Quest: Best Supporting Actress – 1949

I like 1949. I have some problems, but, when you look directly at it, based on the nominated films and performances, I think they made the right decisions most of the way. All the King’s Men wins Best Picture. And while it is a great film, it doesn’t really feel like a Best Picture winner. But, among the nominees, it’s between that and Battleground, which I like a lot. So, since those were my two choices, I think it’s a fine decision. Broderick Crawford also won Best Actor for the film (talked about here), which was a fantastic decision. He was incredible.

The Best Actress was Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (talked about here). Her second. And an absolute terrific decision. The performance alone is one of the top ten Best Actress decisions of all time, but, given the absolute weakness of the category (there’s no one else to vote for), this is a no-brainer all the way. Best Supporting Actor this year was Dean Jagger for Twelve O’Clock High, which I don’t like at all, since I think Ralph Richardson should have been a runaway winner in the category for his performances in The Heiress and The Fallen Idol. Oh, and Best Director — oh boy. This is the one I have big problems with. Joseph L. Mankiewicz wins for A Letter to Three Wives (talked about here). It’s just completely baffling that he wins here because — almost every other option in the category (specifically Carol Reed, Robert Rossen and William Wellman) was a better decision. A terrible, terrible choice, and one of the worst of all time in the category.

Which leaves us with this category. Which I love. Because — just looking at it, you go, “There’s only one choice.” And, she was clearly the best performance in the category. But, it’s like doing a polynomial fraction. Cross off everything on the top and on the bottom, and then you’re left with the one number. I love it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – 1949

And the nominees were…

Ethel Barrymore, Pinky

Celeste Holm, Come to the Stable

Elsa Lanchester, Come to the Stable

Mercedes McCambridge, All the King’s Men

Ethel Waters, Pinky Read the rest of this page »

Posted by  |  October 2, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Oscars, The Oscar Quest | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pic of the Day: “You’re a fucking ugly bitch. I want to stab you to death, and then play around with your blood.”

Posted by  |  October 2, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Pic of the Day | Tags: | Leave a comment

The Oscar Quest: Best Actor – 1994

These were my magic shoes. Mama said they’d take me anywhere.

1994 is a tough year. Because it’s one where, three major films were up for Best Picture: Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction. And, say what you will about this year, but, they made the right decision. It’s an Academy decision. Because, no matter which way they went here, it would be criticized. At least, with this decision, it’s the most consistent with who they are. No matter what you say about Forrest Gump winning Best Picture and Best Director for Robert Zemeckis — it makes sense. And you can’t criticize that (too much).

Best Actress for this year was Jessica Lange for Blue Sky (talked about here), which was kind of a Kate Winslet Oscar in a weak category. Lange had one of these coming for a long time, and the category was such that she became the best choice (because they didn’t want to give Jodie Foster a third one, which, I understand). Best Supporting Actor was Martin Landau for Ed Wood, which you can’t really argue with, no matter how much you loved Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan or Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield. And Best Supporting Actress was Dianne Wiest in Bullets over Broadway (talked about here), which — I don’t like. But I understand. Given the weakness of the category.

Now, as for this one, I feel like this is a category where — while the performance isn’t exactly groundbreaking, the characterization is such that the character has become so iconic and memorable that you have to give it to Hanks here. I know I talk shit about the 1993 decision, but this is one where I actually agree. (Also, just to point out: Tom Hanks made history here. He became the second actor to win back-to-back Best Actor Oscars, after Spencer Tracy, in 1937 & 1938. The kicker? Both actors did it at the same ages. Crazy, right?)

BEST ACTOR – 1994

And the nominees were…

Morgan Freeman, The Shawshank Redemption

Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump

Nigel Hawthorne, The Madness of King George

Paul Newman, Nobody’s Fool

John Travolta, Pulp Fiction Read the rest of this page »

Posted by  |  October 1, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Oscars, The Oscar Quest | Tags: , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pic of the Day: “Hello Danny. Come and play with us. Come and play with us, Danny. Forever… and ever… and ever.”

Posted by  |  October 1, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Pic of the Day | Tags: | Leave a comment

The Oscar Quest: Best Director – 1976

I love me some 1976. How can you not? Rocky, Taxi Driver, All the President’s Men, Network… and those were just the films nominated for Best Picture. How stacked a list is that? It’s probably the strongest Best Picture year of all time. And Rocky winning Best Picture, to me, was the best decision, mostly because it’s my favorite film of the bunch. Though I get people feeling otherwise (as long as they aren’t dicks about it).

Peter Finch wins Best Actor for Network (talked about here), which, while it wouldn’t have been my personal choice in the category, is totally acceptable as a result. I explained why in the article. Then Best Actress was Faye Dunaway, also for Network, which had to happen. She earned a statue twice over by this point and gave arguably the best performance of her career. Great call. (Shame about Talia Shire, though. Sentimental favorite.) Then Best Supporting Actress was Beatrice Straight, also from Network (talked about here), which I’m okay with (I think), though I’d have voted for Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver. And Best Supporting Actor was Jason Robards for All the President’s Men (talked about here), which I’m okay with, but I, personally would have gone with Burt Young or Burgess Meredith (not even sentimentally, I thought they legit gave better performances).

So that’s 1976. Awesome, in all, and it ends with this category, which, given the Best Picture choice, was pretty much a foregone conclusion.

BEST DIRECTOR – 1976

And the nominees were…

John G. Avildsen, Rocky

Ingmar Bergman, Face to Face

Sidney Lumet, Network

Alan J. Pakula, All the President’s Men

Lina Wertmüller, Seven Beauties Read the rest of this page »

Posted by  |  September 30, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Oscars, The Oscar Quest | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pic of the Day: “Loneliness has followed me my whole life, everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There’s no escape. I’m God’s lonely man.”

Posted by  |  September 30, 2011 | Categories: Movies, Pic of the Day | Tags: | Leave a comment