Vintage Oscar Thoughts

[Raybee]

Unless Jonny or someone else has a better way of doing this topic, I thought I'd recreate it here, and since I'm completely obsessed with my own personal lists I was going to start by re-posting all of the ranked Oscar years we've looked at so far over at the old boards. Obviously, this thread is not just for lists but I'll start with them as a discussion starter. You can re-post your lists or continue discussing any of the years we've looked at so far!

[Raybee]

I'm going to begin by posting the major quarterly anniversary years in 2015:


So 75 years ago was the start of one of the best of movie years (at least for classic Hollywood), so I kind of wanted to start some discussion about that if anyone wanted to contribute. Here I’m going to rank the Oscar nominees in the top 6 (I've seen almost all the nominees except for 2 supporting noms), with a little commentary to boot.


The 1940 Academy Award Nominees Ranked

Best Picture
1. The Grapes of Wrath
2. The Great Dictator
3. Rebecca
4. The Long Voyage Home
5. Foreign Correspondent
6. The Philadelphia Story
7. The Letter
8. Our Town
9. Kitty Foyle
10. All This, And Heaven Too




What a Fantastic year! I personally think the surrounding years to 1939 (38 and 40, of course) were better than what is generally perceived as Hollywood’s golden year. I thought 1939 was overrated and, personally, didn’t think there were as many masterpieces. The top 4 here are also my top 4 overall. My 5th spot goes to the un-nominated, My Favorite Wife. Rounding out my personal top 10 were Pinocchio, The Shop Around the Corner, Northwest Passage, The Mark of Zorro and Foreign Correspondent (which was nominated). I rated the movies this year on a Netflix 5-star scale and my top 15 films are 4 stars or more this year, with my top 5 all 5 out of 5.


Best Director
1. John Ford - The Grapes of Wrath
2. Alfred Hitchcock - Rebecca
3. George Cukor - The Philadelphia Story
4. William Wyler - The Letter
5. Sam Wood - Kitty Foyle




Sorry Hitch, but Ford’s direction is one of the best ever in this film. Ford’s (along with Gregg Toland’s) journalistic, documentary-style direction and cinematography only helps to record, with astute realism, rural America in the 30s. I’d have double-nominated Ford this year to be honest. He also directed The Long Voyage Home which was also up for Best Picture and was in my top 5 that year as well. Toland also shot that film (and should’ve been a double-nominee), which was my overall choice for cinematography. Oscar’s cinematography winner went to Rebecca’s George Barnes. I’d have nominated him as well, but a win compared to Toland? No. Sam Wood was really the one glaring weak spot. Chaplin should've been a Best Director nominee.


Best Actor in a Leading Role
1. Henry Fonda - The Grapes of Wrath
2. Charlie Chaplin - The Great Dictator
3. Laurence Olivier - Rebecca
4. James Stewart - The Philadelphia Story
5. Raymond Massey - Abe Lincoln in Illinois




Fonda was my overall winners as well. His Tom Joad is one of the screen's most memorable characters. Fonda brought to the character a greater intensity than probably anyone expected. He is an everyman struggling to find a place in a world that doesn't seem to want him. It’s interesting that Chaplin’s first talking feature should be one of his greatest films considering he’s widely associated as a silent film performer.


Best Actress in a Leading Role
1. Joan Fontaine - Rebecca
2. Katharine Hepburn - The Philadelphia Story
3. Bette Davis - The Letter
4. Ginger Rogers - Kitty Foyle
5. Martha Scott - Our Town




Fontaine is also my overall choice that year. Not many people care for Fontaine, it seems, but I always loved her (and preferred her over de Havilland, who I never really cared for). Depending on your own feelings, you will find Fontaine either endearing or totally maddening. Whichever, she's right in the part; and Hitchcock's relentless camera seems to relish in her emotional masochism. Fontaine I felt gave the “Second Mrs. De Winter” just the right combination of sweetness and innocence on one side and insecurity and timidity on the other to make her infinitely compelling to watch. Even after all that, Rebecca wasn’t even her best performance (I’d say her un-nominated turn in “Letter from an Unknown Woman” in 1948 was her pinnacle). It’s really too bad she didn’t win here because she got her makeup Oscar the following year for the rather weak Suspicion. Hepburn and Davis were just as good as they usually were. Rogers and Scott were the weak links (especially Scott). I don't mind Ginger Rogers as an Oscar winner, in fact she'd win one of my personal awards for one of her musicals, probably Swing Time or Top Hat in '36 or '35, respectively. The Kitty Foyle win just seems like a, "way to go. you broke from your musical past and showed you were a serious actress."


Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Walter Brennan - The Westerner
2. Jack Oakie - The Great Dictator
3. James Stephenson - The Letter
4. Albert Bassermann - Foreign Correspondent

Did Not See: William Gargan - They Knew What They Wanted




Walter Brennan was really a co-lead, but based on merit he still wins. Gary Cooper may get top billing, but it is Walter Brennan’s movie through and through. He steals the picture, making Judge Roy Bean one of the most unforgettable characters ever seen in a western film. Jack Oakie was really good in a manic way (though I prefer Reginald Gardiner from the same film - and Gardiner is also my overall winner). Stephenson and Bassermann are perfectly fine. Ironically, for Stephenson’s film, I preferred Herbert Marshall over him as well. Seems Oscar had the right film twice, just the wrong performance.


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1. Judith Anderson - Rebecca
2. Jane Darwell - The Grapes of Wrath
3. Ruth Hussey - The Philadelphia Story
4. Barbara O’Neil - All This, and Heaven Too

Did Not See: Marjorie Rambeau - Primrose Path




Tough call between Darwell and Anderson. I’m leaning towards Anderson now (who would be my overall winner) but it could easily change to Darwell tomorrow. So I’m not complaining that the latter took it. Anderson as Mrs. Danvers gives one of the most chilling of movie performances. The scene where she walks Joan Fontaine through Rebecca's room is one of the very best. It has just the proper mix of chills, sadness, and beauty. Anderson isn’t on screen much, but her presence lingers throughout the film (think Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs). Darwell is marvelous as the strong center and backbone of the migratory Joad family. She’s a woman fighting to keep her family together even as everything else around them falls apart. She’s amazing in some of the best scenes in the film; the scene where she pauses to reflect over and then burn her letters and souvenirs in the stove before departing for California (including the famous image of her holding earrings to her ears and viewing herself in a mirror), her moving farewell conversation with Tom (Fonda), and her final speech that closes the film. Hussey provided great comic support. O’Neil is the weak spot. Never did catch The Primrose Path.

[Raybee]

Moving on from the films celebrating their 75th anniversary in 2015 to the films celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2015?

Any rankings, comments, or discussions on nominees work this year, or career as a whole, is welcome!

To begin:


The 1965 Academy Award Nominees Ranked

Best Picture
1. The Sound of Music
2. Doctor Zhivago
3. Ship of Fools
4. A Thousand Clowns
5. Darling




I guess? I mean this has got to be one of the most uninspiring Best Picture lineups in Oscar history. The 1950s and 1960s had some really bad lineups occasionally. I didn’t really love any of these. I guess The Sound of Music? It’s iconic and the songs are classic and it was enjoyable enough, but I don't have any real connection to it like others might. Doctor Zhivago is a misstep for Lean and pales in comparison to Lean’s masterpieces like Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Great Expectations, etc. The score is classic, especially "Lara’s Theme". Ship of Fools is overlong and drags out to a 2.5 hour runtime. It is saved, somewhat, by the Werner/Signoret storyline. I can see why they were singled out, they were usually great in everything they did anyway. I found Darling absolutely maddening and Christie’s Diana Scott one of the most annoying movie heroines. I might be alone in that thought, though, but eh.


Best Director
1. Hiroshi Teshigahara - Woman in the Dunes
2. William Wyler - The Collector
3. Robert Wise - The Sound of Music
4. David Lean - Doctor Zhivago
5. John Schlesinger - Darling




Better than the Best Picture lineup because Wyler and Teshigahara’s films are better than any of the nominees in Best Picture. It’s too bad if Woman in the Dunes was on Oscar radar that Kyoko Kishida couldn’t get into Best Actress (another long shot would’ve been Eiji Okada in Best Actor, but that was already crowded). The director’s branch has always taken more risks. It’s also interesting that The Collector and Woman in the Dunes are both, more or less, horror movies dealing with abduction. The Collector about a woman kidnapped and held captive by a deranged man and Woman in the Dunes about a man tricked into being trapped in, basically, a sand prison. What makes Woman in the Dunes so scary for me is that I hate sand. Like I never go to the beach.


Best Actor in a Leading Role
1. Richard Burton - The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
2. Rod Steiger - The Pawnbroker
3. Oskar Werner - Ship of Fools
4. Laurence Olivier - Othello
5. Lee Marvin - Cat Ballou




This is actually a very good lineup. None of these are actually bad. However, Oscar going for Marvin when Burton and Steiger are giving near career best is crazy! Even Werner would’ve been a good choice as well! Okay, so Olivier was in blackface, but that aside, it is still a good performance. Marvin had a big year since he was also in Best Picture nominee Ship of Fools, so that had to have helped.


Best Actress in a Leading Role
1. Samantha Eggar - The Collector
2. Simone Signoret - Ship of Fools
3. Julie Andrews - The Sound of Music
4. Julie Christie - Darling
5. Elizabeth Hartman - A Patch of Blue




Best Actor was good, but this category not so much. Eggar is the only one that makes my personal lineup, so she definitely gets my vote here. Even though Andrews won the year before, I wonder how she felt for a split second hearing “Julie” before “Christie”? I’ve always been a fan of Signoret, especially her pre-Hollywood career in such films as Diabolique, Casque d’Or, and La Ronde. In Ship of Fools, her performance has to be one of the shortest to get nominated in a lead category. She can’t have been on screen for more than 20 minutes. Like Marvin, Christie was also in two big films this year; both were up for Best Picture, so it certainly helped having a banner year (well, for Oscar as I didn’t really care for either film).


Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Frank Finlay - Othello
2. Tom Courteney - Doctor Zhivago
3. Martin Balsam - A Thousand Clowns
4. Michael Dunn - Ship of Fools
5. Ian Bannen - The Flight of the Phoenix




Finlay for sure. In fact, he may be my overall winner that year. Courteney, Balsam and Dunn were perfectly "fine", but nothing too noteworthy. With Bannen, I’m not sure how he got in. I mean, if the phrase “doesn’t really do much” ever meant anything, it would here. There were better supporting turns in The Flight of the Phoenix if they were going for that film (I wouldn't).


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1. Maggie Smith - Othello
2. Joyce Redman - Othello
3. Ruth Gordon - Inside Daisy Clover
4. Peggy Wood - The Sound of Music
5. Shelley Winters - A Patch of Blue




Ah, Dame Maggie, she could win any year with any performance. Okay, well, having said that, she’s not my overall choice, but she’s best here. A Patch of Blue is Winter’s at her worst scenery chewing. Her first win was less insulting, so to give a second for this performance is just odd at best.

[Raybee]

Okay, so there are the films celebrating their 75th (1940) and 50th (1965) anniversary this year; so might as well do the films that reached their 25th anniversary this year (1990).

Any rankings, comments, or discussions on nominees work this year, or career as a whole, are welcome!


To begin:

The 1990 Academy Award Nominees Ranked


Best Picture
1. Goodfellas
2. Dances with Wolves
3. The Godfather Part III
4. Awakenings
5. Ghost




I hate to be cliché, but they happen, and Goodfellas is my choice. To me it’s the only truly great film in the lineup and it lives up to its reputation. It’s definitely one of those movies that I can go back and watch again and again. The rest are “good” at best. Dances with Wolves has issues but it is well made, feels important, and is epic in size, so it’s no surprise it took Best Picture (plus it killed at the box office back then). Although The Godfather Part III is not bad, we all know it got in out of respect for the first two. On a side note, I’m kind of thinking it would be interesting to marathon the saga again sometime soon.


Best Director
1. Martin Scorsese - Goodfellas
2. Barbet Schroeder - Reversal of Fortune
3. Stephen Frears - The Grifters
4. Kevin Costner - Dances with Wolves
5. Francis Ford Coppola - The Godfather Part III




Once again, the director’s line up is better than the Best Picture lineup. I’d have been happier if these were the BP nominees as well. At least the top three directors and their films are better than some that did get nominated for Best Picture. It’s a shame that, although both The Grifters and Reversal of Fortune received nominations in acting, writing and directing, they were both snubbed in Best Picture. Sigh. C’est la vie. While I choose Scorsese and Goodfellas, I won’t bash Dances with Wolves for taking the Oscar over it. It’s not a bad movie by any means (but it’s also definitely not better either). It’s like how I also choose Citizen Kane over How Green was My Valley, but the latter is still an excellent movie and in no way should be considered one of the worst winners just because it beat a better movie. I don’t get people who determine a film’s worth based on an award it’s won. It’s the machismo straight movie geeks with the biggest mouths.


Best Actor in a Leading Role
1. Jeremy Irons - Reversal of Fortune
2. Richard Harris - The Field
3. Gerard Depardieu - Cyrano de Bergerac
4. Kevin Costner - Dances with Wolves
5. Robert De Niro - Awakenings




Jeremy Irons in Reversal of Fortune is one of those “cosmic alignments” of an actor and part coming together so perfectly. Irons is von Bulow. Richard Harris is also quite good as the man-of-the-land Bull McCabe in the little seen The Field (on a side note it, I wish it had been up for cinematography as well--some amazing shots of the Irish countryside). Depardieu is actually not too bad. It’s certainly a better portrayal than Jose Ferrar’s 1950 Oscar-winning turn. Depardieu was terrible in English language films and usually over the top, but he wasn’t bad in his native French. Costner has done decent work in the past and since Dances with Wolves but nothing really Oscar-worthy, though. I hated his narration in this film. It was bland and took me out of the movie.


Best Actress in a Leading Role
1. Anjelica Huston - The Grifters
2. Kathy Bates - Misery
3. Joanne Woodward - Mr. and Mrs. Bridge
4. Meryl Streep - Postcards from the Edge
5. Julia Roberts - Pretty Woman




This is actually a very good lineup for once and probably our best acting lineup this year. Even though Roberts is last, she is still good and Pretty Woman is an entertaining movie (mostly due to her). What I also liked is that we saw a Streep performance get nominated that doesn’t require a gimmick (sorry, but Streep is pretty gimmicky and she only had a few non-gimmicky roles out of her 19 nominations). Okay, she is a recovering drug addict here but it’s not like The Iron Lady which relied on makeup and the accent. Same goes for Julie and Julia or even, say, The Bridges of Madison County, where she also had to perfect an accent again. I’d have loved to see Huston take it for this instead of Prizzi’s Honor, to be honest. Of course, as Culturegeek said before, this is all hindsight, and sometimes it’s hard to judge the past knowing what the future brought. Huston is pretty spectacular, though. She’s complex, haunting, calculating. Her Lily is a sly, unpleasant woman, always out for the big score, and Huston finds the unhappiness within her that ultimately makes it a tragedy by the end.


Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Bruce Davison - Longtime Companion
2. Joe Pesci - Goodfellas
3. Andy Garcia - The Godfather Part III
4. Graham Greene - Dances with Wolves
5. Al Pacino - Dick Tracy




Can we just take a moment to consider the fact that there were three performances nominated for playing gangsters in this category this year? The first Godfather took up three slots for “gangster” performances (although Duvall in the consigliere role may have an asterisk), but these are all different movies. Anyway, it’s really all about Davison and Pesci. I prefer the nuance that Davison brought to the part (and the famous “let go” scene is pretty powerful-but not manipulating). What I like is that Davison is a normal every man who just happens to be gay. He does not play into any gay stereotypes that you do see at times on film and TV (he’s no Jack McFarland), especially for such an early wide release film with major gay characters. At the time, Pesci scared me (in a good way). It’s just a shame it became sort of a caricature and has been parodied so much that it lost a lot of its potency. Garcia and Grahame are fine, but fairly forgettable. I don’t know what Pacino is doing here. It’s a bad performance in a bad film. You want to see the Pacino caricature in its full loud glory, watch Dick Tracy (or don’t, it’s terrible). I would have supported a Pacino nod for The Godfather Part III over this.


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1. Annette Bening - The Grifters
2. Lorraine Bracco - Goodfellas
3. Whoopi Goldberg - Ghost
4. Diane Ladd - Wild at Heart
5. Mary McDonnell - Dances with Wolves




The big debate (or not, we'll see)! The top 3 here all have fans that rally behind them and it definitely seems to be split (although here it may not be). I know Brad is a big Bracco detractor, but I like her a lot here. I can see why some might not like her, there are a few scenes of hers that I think ring false, like when she yells at Henry for standing her up on their date (it just seemed like she was “acting” there). But then there are other scenes that are brilliant (such as when she’s holding the gun on Henry in bed). I also bought Karen's transformation from fiercely self-possessed early in the film, to cowed and exhausted by the movie's hellish climax. I have no real qualms about Goldberg winning. It’s a funny, scene-stealing turn (well, to be fair, the movie isn’t as good as she is). What puts Bening first is her effortless ability to switch from glazed-over sex kitten to steel-edged liar in the blink of an eye. She nails it the entire way. I couldn’t get passed Mary McDonnell’s hair in Dances with Wolves. Although her character isn’t Sioux by blood, at least all the other women had their hair did.

[Raybee]

So there are all the quarterly anniversary years in 2015, so now I’m just going to hop around and pick other anniversary milestones (which may or may not be in chronological order). One of those would be the films from the 1955 Academy Awards, which are celebrating their “diamond jubilee” this year. In other words, they were released 60 years ago this year.

As always, any rankings, comments, or discussions on any of the nominees this year, whether you’ve seen one or all, are welcome!



The 1955 Academy Award Nominees Ranked


Best Picture
1. Marty
2. The Rose Tattoo
3. Mister Roberts
4. Picnic
5. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing




Meh... it was not a good year at the Oscars. It’s a shame because the overall year was actually really good. As was the case with 1965, I don’t think any of these movies are “great” either, but just “good” at best. I will give Marty credit, though, it’s a very unpretentious, anti-Hollywood type of film. It’s small and character-driven, about a homely butcher who falls in love. This is especially of note since TV had just exploded on the scene a few years prior and Hollywood moved to big, color, wide-screen blockbusters to compete with falling ticket sales. I went back and forth between Marty and The Rose Tattoo, with Anna Magnani’s intense performance at its center, but ultimately went with the former. The other three are pretty forgettable. Mister Roberts is saved, somewhat, by Jack Lemmon’s Oscar-winning turn.


Best Director
1. John Sturges - Bad Day at Black Rock
2. Elia Kazan - East of Eden
3. David Lean - Summertime
4. Delbert Mann - Marty
5. Joshua Logan - Picnic




This was one of those weird years where Best Picture and Best Director only matched 2 for 5. That happened several times in the 50s and 60s (such a strange era for the Oscars). Sturges’ Bad Day at Black Rock (lightning fast and superbly timed) and Kazan’s East of Eden (masterfully directed and whose influence can be seen in subsequent films like Hud and other anti-hero films) were my #2 and #3 films of the year, respectively (Jules Dasin’s Rififi was my #1, for what it’s worth). So those two directors were no-brainers for the top spots. I just wish the films themselves had made it into Best Picture.


Best Actor in a Leading Role
1. Spencer Tracy - Bad Day at Black Rock
2. James Dean - East of Eden
3. Frank Sinatra - The Man with the Golden Arm
4. Ernest Borgnine - Marty
5. James Cagney - Love Me or Leave Me




This was a tough choice between Tracy and Dean. I’m not a big Spencer Tracy fan, but in Bad Day at Black Rock he is at his subdued, thoughtful best. And man, I really wish Robert Ryan had gotten into supporting actor for this movie as well. He perfectly conveys the ignorance behind racial prejudice. He’s my overall winner there and the MVP of a truly great film.


Best Actress in a Leading Role
1. Katharine Hepburn - Summertime
2. Anna Magnani - The Rose Tattoo
3. Susan Hayward - I’ll Cry Tomorrow
4. Eleanor Parker - Interrupted Melody
5. Jennifer Jones - Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing




Funny how I pick both Hepburn and Tracy. Anyway, like Tracy, I’m not the biggest Kate Hepburn fan either, but this is one of her best performances as well (if not her best). Perhaps it’s because it’s her least “Hepburn” type of performance. She’s delicate and subtle. It’s really just a lovely performance through and through. This might be in part due to David Lean’s understated direction. Susan Hayward is usually a love her or hate her kind of actress. They loved her at the time. When she finally did win for I Want to Live in 1958 on her 5th nomination, cohost Jerry Lewis brought her back out for a second "curtain call" which is something I’ve never heard of aside from that one time. A lot of people now feel she was over-the-top. I fall in the middle; she’s done some good work and she’s done shitty work. I give Hayward credit though; she usually threw herself into her roles/performances. I might be the only one who thinks this, but I feel a good contemporary to Hayward would be Charlize Theron. Like Hayward, I feel like Theron will throw herself into a part, and you can tell she has a passion for the work, but also like Hayward, she’s had mixed results no matter how hard she tries. Jennifer Jones is ranked last for every one of her performances. I just don’t like her at all in anything I’ve seen her in. She’s one of the worst actors from Hollywood's "golden age" to ever gain any sort of recognition.


Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Jack Lemmon - Mister Roberts
2. Arthur Kennedy - Trial
3. Arthur O’Connell - Picnic
4. Sal Mineo - Rebel without a Cause
5. Joe Mantell - Marty




I agree with Oscar here, but it’s by no means Lemmon’s best. It’s a fine comic portrayal of an amiable navy officer. Lemmon is another one of those actors that never won for their best work, but he’s best here so you can’t blame Oscar for choosing this win (although they did choose the nominees, hmm). This is probably the weakest acting category this year. I like Arthur Kennedy, but this is not one of his more memorable performances (and he’s still ranked second). Congrats to Joe Mantell for getting in for constantly repeating the same line (“What do you feel like doing tonight?”). It’s an amusing scene, but an Oscar nomination for it? He totes coat-tailed.


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1. Jo Van Fleet - East of Eden
2. Betsy Blair - Marty
3. Natalie Wood - Rebel Without a Cause
4. Marisa Pavan - The Rose Tattoo
5. Peggy Lee - Pete Kelly’s Blues




Van Fleet was like the Jim Broadbent of her time that year. She had supporting turns in three movies up for multiple Oscars, and like Broadbent, supported all three leads to nominations as well (she was also in I’ll Cry Tomorrow and The Rose Tattoo). Her performance here is one of my favorites to win in the supporting actress category. She more than holds her own against James Dean as his hard-bitten, pained mother. Interesting bit of trivia: all of these actresses were on their first nomination, with Natalie Wood the only one to be nominated again (but never win).

[Raybee]

And now on to 1995 (celebrating it's 20th in 2015) which will bring us up to date with what was looked at so far.

It was a good year, but I do think the Best Picture lineup wasn’t as strong as some of the acting categories were or how strong the year was overall when taking into account non-nominated films (which is usually the case). A little bit of trivia: at the time, 15 of the acting nominees received their first nomination with all 10 in supporting being first-timers.

As always, any rankings, comments, or discussions on any of the nominees this year, whether you’ve seen one or all, are welcome!


The 1995 Academy Award Nominees Ranked


Best Picture
1. Sense and Sensibility
2. Apollo 13
3. Babe
4. Braveheart
5. The Postman (Il Postino)




With this lineup, I’m a Sense and Sensibility fan. It’s not my overall favorite film of the year, though, but I do like this movie a lot. It’s one of those movies I can’t help but watch over and over again, and with a dumb smile on my face by the end of it. It’s such a lovely movie; it’s romantic and comical (Imelda Staunton’s small pre-Vera Drake and Harry Potter role in particular!) This was Ang Lee’s first English language film. At the time he was fairly unknown to American audiences, outside of the art-house crowds, and was snubbed for a non-showy directorial effort. Now that he has two Oscars under his belt, and if he had made this film nowadays, there’s no doubt he’d have been nominated, now that he’s “in the club.” This was one of those strange years where the early frontrunners (Sense and Sensibility and Apollo 13) lost steam when their directors were snubbed, leading to a Braveheart victory. It’s definitely one of those “in hindsight” cases for me. At the time I loved Braveheart. My dad used to watch it all the time and he still does from time to time. It’s one of his favorites. But to me, time has not been so good to it. I still like it enough, even though its flaws are pretty glaring (wild inaccuracies, homophobia). I know Babe has strong supporters, but it’s “cute” and not much more. I definitely give it props though, because it’s one of those films you can’t imagine getting into Best Picture these days (well maybe with the expanded lineup, but with 5 nominees? no way). I feel the same about The Postman as I did Babe. It’s a cute movie too, but nothing more, except the ending is pretty depressing though if you’re at all familiar with it.


Best Director
1. Tim Robbins - Dead Man Walking
2. Mike Figgis - Leaving Las Vegas
3. Chris Noonan - Babe
4. Michael Radford - Il Postino
5. Mel Gibson - Braveheart




I kept going back and forth between Figgis and Robbins before ultimately deciding on the latter. Dead Man Walking is one of my favorite movies, despite the difficult subject matter. Robbins here is an excellent example of an actor-turned-director who knows what he’s doing. We all know Sarandon and Robbins are bleeding heart liberals, and while their stance is against the death penalty (as was Helen Prejean’s in the movie and real life), it’s not manipulative and it’s not presented so cut and dry. The way Robbins intercuts the scenes of the crime in with the present is brilliant (snubbed for an editing nom!). He knows that just as you’re starting to feel sorry for Penn’s Matthew Poncelet, he cuts to a scene of the crime to remind you that he’s still a rapist-murderer. I think he leaves it up to the audience to decide their stance on the death penalty and how they feel about Poncelet.


Best Actor in a Leading Role
1. Sean Penn - Dead Man Walking
2. Anthony Hopkins - Nixon
3. Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
4. Massimo Troisi - Il Postino
5. Richard Dreyfuss - Mr. Holland’s Opus




The top three make this a pretty strong category. While Cage is third, I’m not complaining that he took the award. I’m probably biased towards Dead Man Walking, though, but whatevs, Penn is my choice. He is in top form here. While Troisi was a veteran stage and TV actor, his performance felt a little amateurish, like he was a non-actor they chose off the street to play the part (reminiscent of Lamberto Maggiorani in Bicycle Thieves--although I liked him a lot, so what do I know?) Dreyfuss seems like one of those throwaway filler nods like Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness or Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give. Meh.


Best Actress in a Leading Role
1. Susan Sarandon - Dead Man Walking
2. Elisabeth Shue - Leaving Las Vegas
3. Emma Thompson - Sense & Sensibility
4. Meryl Streep - The Bridges of Madison County
5. Sharon Stone - Casino




This was a no brainer for me and should be no surprise to anyone if they read my posts from time to time. Sarandon’s win may have been somewhat of a career/makeup award after 4 nominations in 5 years (plus one in the 80s) but little did they know they were honoring one of the greatest screen performances. It’s up there with other great female turns like Liv Ullmann in Face to Face, Ingrid Bergman in Notorious, and Maria Falconetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc. This lineup has a reputation for being one of the best the category saw, and it was. Stone is clearly the weak link, but she’s not too bad. I don’t know if I completely buy her here. The character of Ginger is an over-the-top mess, but something just doesn’t click with Stone’s portrayal. Shue gives a clean, subtle performance and Thompson, whether she was too old for the part or not, is wonderful as well. The Bridges of Madison County was one of Streep’s last truly good performances. I liked her in 2002’s Adaptation, but not much else since this film.


Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects
2. Tim Roth - Rob Roy
3. Ed Harris - Apollo 13
4. James Cromwell - Babe
5. Brad Pitt - 12 Monkeys




I agree with Oscar, although it would’ve been so much cooler had Spacey gotten in for “Seven” instead. This was definitely a banner year for him. I’d say none of these performances are bad either, for a change, in this category. I love 12 Monkey’s but I didn’t really care too much for Pitt’s ticks and all. Again, I was not the biggest Babe cheerleader, but I think it’s pretty cool that Cromwell managed to get in as well. I’m not sure he could nowadays. And Tim Roth was at his evil best in Rob Roy. He was a really close second for me.


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1. Joan Allen - Nixon
2. Kate Winslet - Sense and Sensibility
3. Mare Winningham - Georgia
4. Kathleen Quinlan - Apollo 13
5. Mira Sorvino - Mighty Aphrodite




I may have loved Sense and Sensibility and will always be a fan of Kate Winslet (haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate) but I cannot deny Allen here. I miss Joan Allen in meaty roles because she always brought subtlety, nuance and class to her performances (and in Nixon she’s no different). I just can’t with Sorvino. The ditzy female has been done better before as far back as Alice Brady in My Man Godfrey and even recent (at the time) Allen movies like Jennifer Tilly in Bullets Over Broadway.

[Raybee]

It totally feels weird to already be doing a retrospective for this Oscar race since it does not even seem like 10 years have passed. Munich was released on Blu-ray today, actually, so it seems fitting to talk about it considering...

As always, any rankings, comments, or discussions on any of the nominees this year, whether you’ve seen one or all, are welcome!



The 2005 Academy Award Nominees Ranked

Best Picture
1. Munich
2. Capote
3. Brokeback Mountain
4. Good Night, and Good Luck
5. Crash




It may have been Brokeback Mountain vs. Crash, but for me I’ve always rooted for Spielberg’s Munich. Honestly, I think it’s one of his best movies and should be considered up there with Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. I think what I appreciate most is how Spielberg and screenwriters Eric Roth and Tony Kushner mute the superspy machinations in favor of examining the mission's personal and political ramifications. Capote is brilliantly realized as well, thanks to Miller’s direction, Futterman’s screenplay (which I prefer to Brokeback Mountain’s) and Hoffman’s amazingly accurate portrayal of Capote. Crash is, of course, the weak link. I didn’t hate it as much as most, but it has serious issues.


Best Director
1. Steven Spielberg - Munich
2. Bennett Miller - Capote
3. Ang Lee - Brokeback Mountain
4. George Clooney - Good Night, and Good Luck
5. Paul Haggis - Crash




Remember this rare instance in the five-nominee era where Best Picture and Best Director matched five for five? To me I think they deserve to be ranked the same as Best Picture. Spielberg had a great year this year. Hate all you want, but I’ve always liked War of the Worlds as well. It wasn’t the only time Spielberg did blockbuster and more “Academy-friendly” fare in the same year. He had a similar year in 1993 with Schindler’s List and Jurassic Park or even in 2002 with Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can.


Best Actor in a Leading Role
1. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
2. Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
3. David Strathairn - Good Night, and Good Luck
4. Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line
5. Terrence Howard - Hustle and Flow




Strong category, even for just Hoffman and Ledger alone, but Strathairn and Phoenix are excellent as well. Howard is the weakest one but he’s not terrible. I just didn’t care for him or that movie.


Best Actress in a Leading Role
1. Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
2. Kiera Knightley - Pride & Prejudice
3. Felicity Huffman - Transamerica
4. Judi Dench - Mrs. Henderson Presents
5. Charlize Theron - North Country




Kind of a weak category. It was between Witherspoon and Knightly for me. I love Pride and Prejudice as the better movie but Witherspoon edges out Knightley. She looks nothing like June Carter, but that’s okay because she nails her captivating mix of girlishness, determination, uncertainty and mega-watt charisma.


Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1. William Hurt - A History of Violence
2. Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
3. George Clooney - Syriana
4. Paul Giamatti - Cinderella Man
5. Matt Dillon - Crash




Yet another weak lineup and probably the weakest this year. I can’t say that I was very enthusiastic about any of the nominees here, but I choose Hurt. His performance is brief, but memorable enough as the creepy volatile mobster Richie Cusask. Clooney’s consolation prize certainly doesn’t make him the worst winner the category has ever seen, especially when you consider the competition here. Dillon wasn’t even the best in his film and Giamatti got a throwaway nomination for being snubbed the previous two years. I loved him in Sideways, though.


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1. Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener
2. Amy Adams - Junebug
3. Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain
4. Catherine Keener - Capote
5. Frances McDormand - North Country




I feel like I’m copying Oscar too much because 3/4 of my acting choices matched theirs, but it happens. I was rooting for Weisz then and I am still so glad she picked up the award. She is one of my favorite winners in the supporting actress category. This is such a strong category, too. I could see a case for voting for any of them... except for, maybe, McDormand. It’s crazy to think Amy Adams first nomination was 10 years ago and I’m sure a lot of people thought she was just a one off. Who knew she’d be another Streep-like perennial nominee with 5 nominations now under her belt and sure to win one someday? I’d say the same for Michelle Williams, who seemed like a one off as well but she’s actually a great actress and really should’ve won in 2010 for Blue Valentine. I also really liked Williams in My Week with Marilyn as well, even though most saw it as filler.

[tonygoldenemmy]

1940

Best Picture
1. Rebecca - A
2. The Grapes of Wrath - A
3. The Great Dictator - A
4. Foreign Correspondent - B+
5. The Philadelphia Story - B+
6. Our Town - B
7. Kitty Foyle - B

Not seen: All This, and Heaven Too, The Letter, The Long Voyage Home

Tough call among the Top 3, though Rebecca's always been a personal favorite of mine. I think Foreign Correspondent is a tad underrated and The Philadelphia Story a little overrated. The other two, just fine.

Best Director
1. Alfred Hitchcock, Rebecca
2. John Ford, The Grapes of Wrath
3. George Kukor, The Philadelphia Story
4. Sam Wood, Kitty Foyle

Not seen: William Wyler, The Letter

Would be fine with Hitch or Ford. Not sure why Wood was nominated.

Best Leading Actor
1. Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath
2. Laurence Olivier, Rebecca
3. Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator
4. James Stewart, The Philadelphia Story
5. Raymond Massey, Abe Lincoln in Illinois

I have solid respect for all five of these turns, but aren't exactly head-over-heels for any of them.

Best Leading Actress
1. Joan Fontaine, Rebecca
2. Martha Scott, Our Town
3. Ginger Rogers, Kitty Foyle
4. Katharine Hepburn, The Philadelphia Story

Not seen: Bette Davis, The Letter

Love, love, love Fontaine and Scott's solid, too. Contrary to some sentiment out there, I don't think Rogers is among the worst Best Actress winners, but she's not amazing, either.

Best Supporting Actor
1. William Gargan, They Knew What They Wanted
2. Jack Oakie, The Great Dictator
3. Walter Brennan, The Westerner
4. Albert Basserman, Foreign Correspondent

Not seen: James Stephenson, The Letter

Gargan and Oakie are both terrific. I recall Brennan being awfully hammy, but I haven't seen that film in ages. I can barely recall Basserman.

Best Supporting Actress
1. Judith Anderson, Rebecca
2. Jane Darwell, The Grapes of Wrath
3. Ruth Hussey, The Philadelphia Story

Not seen: Barbara O'Neill, All This, and Heaven Too, Marjorie Rambeau, Primrose Path

Anderson and Darwell are both aces, but the former's turn is just so iconic. Hussey, bleh.

1955

Best Picture
1. Marty
2. Picnic
3. The Rose Tattoo
4. Love is a Many-Splendored Thing
5. Mister Roberts

Marty's among my all-time faves. The middle three, on the other hand, couldn't be more overbaked, but they're certainly entertaining enough (and what a year for William Holden). Mister Roberts is alright, but nothing I can get too excited about.

Best Director
1. David Lean, Summertime
2. Elia Kazan, East of Eden
3. Delbert Mann, Marty
4. John Sturges, Bad Day at Black Rock
5. Joshua Logan, Picnic

Sans Logan, who's not bad but just not in the same league, I'd be fine giving the prize to any of these men. They operated at the top of their game here.

Best Leading Actor
1. Ernest Borgnine, Marty
2. Spencer Tracy, Bad Day at Black Rock
3. James Dean, East of Eden
4. Frank Sinatra, The Man with the Golden Arm[
5. James Cagney, Love Me or Leave Me

Brilliant turns by the first three. Sinatra's in solid form too, but there are some moments in Golden Arm where his acting feels a tad forced. Cagney's got to be one of the worst Best Actor nominees from the '50s.

Best Leading Actress
1. Katharine Hepburn, Summertime
2. Eleanor Parker, Interrupted Melody
3. Anna Magnani, The Rose Tattoo
4. Jennifer Jones, Love is a Many-Splendored Thing
5. Susan Hayward, I'll Cry Tomorrow

Summertime marks my all-time favorite Hepburn turn, so this one's a slam dunk, though I really like Parker too. Magnani's memorable-enough and Jones, while completely miscast, at least isn't offensively bad like Hayward.

Best Supporting Actor
1. Sal Mineo, Rebel Without a Cause
2. Arthur Kennedy, Trial
3. Arthur O'Connell, Picnic
4. Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts
5. Joe Mantell, Marty

A pretty ho-hum line-up here. Mineo takes the cake by simply being the only remotely memorable of the five. The other four, while not bad by any means, don't really even come to mind when I think of their films.

Best Supporting Actress
1. Betsy Blair, Marty
2. Jo Van Fleet, East of Eden
3. Natalie Wood, Rebel Without a Cause
4. Marisa Pavan, The Rose Tattoo
5. Peggy Lee, Pete Kelly's Blues

Love Blair and really like Van Fleet and Wood too. Pavan was a nice find, though the film doesn't do her any favors and Lee (her acting at least) was bad in a wretched film.

1965

This definitely isn't among my favorite years in cinema.

Best Picture
1. The Sound of Music
2. A Thousand Clowns
3. Ship of Fools
4. Doctor Zhivago
5. Darling

I'm not a huge Sound of Music fan but it's practically a cinematic masterpiece compared to the competition. A Thousand Clowns is decent but works better onstage, while Ship and Zhivago are the kind of bloated star-studded blockbusters that were already going out of fashion by this point. Darling may have been a hip selection at the time but it's not a great film by any stretch.

Best Director
1. Hiroshi Teshigahara, Woman in the Dunes
2. William Wyler, The Collector
3. Robert Wise, The Sound of Music
4. David Lean, Doctor Zhivago
5. John Schlesinger, Darling

A tough call between the top two - both fascinating, idiosyncratic, indeed kind of scary films - and Wise is no slouch either. Lean's at his bombastic worst and the Schlesinger nod is just a waste.

Best Leading Actor
1. Rod Steiger, The Pawnbroker
2. Richard Burton, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
3. Laurence Olivier, Othello
4. Oskar Werner, Ship of Fools
5. Lee Marvin, Cat Ballou

Steiger and Burton here are among my all-time favorite leading male performances. Olivier's in pretty good form though I wouldn't say it's among his best turns, while Werner's one of the best parts of Ship (not saying much). Marvin's totes among the worst Best Actor winners, particularly given the competition.

Best Leading Actress
1. Samatha Eggar, The Collector
2. Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music
3. Julie Christie, Darling
4. Elizabeth Hartman, A Patch of Blue
5. Simone Signoret, Ship of Fools

Eggar and Andrews are both terrific and Christie pretty much carries her picture on her shoulders. A Patch of Blue is pretty bad and kind of unintentionally funny in parts but Hartman's competent in a tough role. Signoret doesn't leave much of an impression for me.

Best Supporting Actor
1. Martin Balsam, A Thousand Clowns
2. Frank Finlay, Othello
3. Tom Courtenay, Doctor Zhivago
4. Michael Dunn, Ship of Fools

Not seen: Ian Bannen, The Flight of the Phoenix

Balsam's terrific and I like Finlay and Courtenay, too. I honestly had to look up Dunn to even remember who he played.

Best Supporting Actress
1. Maggie Smith, Othello
2. Shelley Winters, A Patch of Blue
3. Joyce Redman, Othello
4. Ruth Gordon, Inside Daisy Clover
5. Peggy Wood, The Sound of Music

I have no shame in admitting I kind of love Winters' absurdly over-the-top, trashy, devour-all-the-scenery turn, so it's a little bit of a close call for me between her and Smith, who's in truly wonderful form. Redman's good but doesn't leave a significant impression for me and Gordon tries her best but that's such a wretched film. Wood, whatever.

1990

Best Picture
1. Goodfellas
2. Awakenings
3. The Godfather Part III
4. Dances with Wolves
5. Ghost

Best Director
1. Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas
2. Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather Part III
3. Stephen Frears, The Grifters
4. Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves
5. Barbet Schroeder, Reversal of Fortune

Best Leading Actor
1. Richard Harris, The Field
2. Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune
3. Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves
4. Robert De Niro, Awakenings
5. Gerard Depardieu, Cyrano de Bergarac

Best Leading Actress
1. Kathy Bates, Misery
2. Joanne Woodward, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge
3. Meryl Streep, Postcards from the Edge
4. Anjelica Huston, The Grifters
5. Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman

Best Supporting Actor
1. Bruce Davison, Longtime Companion
2. Andy Garcia, The Godfather Part III
3. Graham Greene, Dances with Wolves
4. Joe Pesci, Goodfellas
5. Al Pacino, Dick Tracy

Best Supporting Actress
1. Lorraine Bracco, Goodfellas
2. Diane Ladd, Wild at Heart
3. Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost
4. Annette Bening, The Grifters
5. Mary McDonnell, Dances with Wolves

1995

Best Picture
1. Babe
2. Apollo 13
3. Il Postino
4. Sense and Sensibility
5. Braveheart

With the exception of Babe, which I completely adore, I can't get too excited about this line-up. Apollo 13 is solid, though surely could've been more compelling with a different director, and Il Postino is charming, albeit very slight. I think Sense and Sensibility is an awfully sleepy adaptation and Braveheart is a chest-thumping mess that totally lacks the grace of say, Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves.

Should've been nominated: Before Sunrise, The Bridges of Madison County, Casino

Best Director
1. Tim Robbins, Dead Man Walking
2. Chris Noonan, Babe
3. Mike Figgis, Leaving Las Vegas
4. Michael Radford, Il Postino
5. Mel Gibson, Braveheart

Robbins' direction is pretty incredible - not only is it a gutwrenching film, but he also managed to get career-best turns out of Sarandon and Penn, no easy feat - and I have loads of respect for Noonan's work too. Much as I love Cage and Shue, I don't think Leaving Las Vegas is a great picture beyond them.

Should've been nominated: Clint Eastwood, Richard Linklater, Martin Scorsese

Best Leading Actor
1. Anthony Hopkins, Nixon
2. Sean Penn, Dead Man Walking
3. Nicolas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas
4. Richard Dreyfuss, Mr. Holland's Opus
5. Massimo Troisi, Il Postino

Not a rotten apple here, though I do think Hopkins' powerhouse, supremely underrated turn towers over the others. Penn and Cage are in top form though too, while Dreyfuss gives it his all in a really cheesy and underwhelming film. Like his film, Troisi's fine and charming but can't remotely compete with the top tier.

Should've been nominated: Clint Eastwood, Patrick Swayze

Best Leading Actress
1. Meryl Streep, The Bridges of Madison County
2. Elisabeth Shue, Leaving Las Vegas
3. Susan Sarandon, Dead Man Walking
4. Sharon Stone, Casino
5. Emma Thompson, Sense and Sensibility

This, for my money, is one of the all-time great Best Actress line-ups, even though I think Thompson could do that role in her sleep. I almost hate to rank Streep first when I could rank her tops on many other occasions too, unlike Shue and Stone, but I really do consider Bridges her finest work to date. But Shue and Sarandon are terrific too, giving beautifully nuanced performances, and Stone grabs her role by the throat and gives it her all. I'd argue Stone might well have won in Supporting this year.

Should've been nominated: Kathy Bates, Julie Delpy

Best Supporting Actor
1. James Cromwell, Babe
2. Tim Roth, Rob Roy
3. Ed Harris, Apollo 13
4. Brad Pitt, 12 Monkeys
5. Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects

What a clunker of a category, sans the wonderful Cromwell. Roth's in good form too and Harris is fine, but Pitt and Spacey are at their showy, calculated worst here. The latter's among my all-time least favorite winners in this category.

Should've been nominated: John Leguizamo, Joe Pesci, Christopher Plummer, David Strathairn

Best Supporting Actress
1. Joan Allen, Nixon
2. Mare Winningham Georgia
3. Kathleen Quinlan, Apollo 13
4. Mira Sorvino, Mighty Aphrodite
5. Kate Winslet, Sense and Sensibility

Thinking about it, Allen really is among my all-time favorite actresses and she's almost in peak form here (I think Pleasantville just edges it out). Winningham's wonderful too though. The other three? Bleh. Like Harris, Quinlan's okay, Sorvino brings nothing new to her stock character and honestly, there's just nothing that excites me about Sense and Sensibility.

Should've been nominated: Jennifer Elise Cox, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judy Parfitt

[Raybee]

Good deal!

[tonygoldenemmy]

2005

Best Picture
1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Good Night, and Good Luck
3. Capote
4. Munich
5. Crash

Should've been nominated: Broken Flowers, Match Point

A pretty easy call for me in favor of the heartbreaking and probably timeless Brokeback, though I also like Good Night and Capote. Munich is one of Spielberg's more idiosyncratic efforts for sure, but I don't think it's among his more satisfying films in the end. Crash is a trainwreck.

Best Director
1. Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
2. Bennett Miller, Capote
3. Steven Spielberg, Munich
4. George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
5. Paul Haggis, Crash

Should've been nominated: Woody Allen, Neil Marshall

Best Leading Actor
1. Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
2. Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
4. David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck
5. Terrence Howard, Hustle and Flow

Should've been nominated: Pierce Brosnan, Bill Murray

Howard kinda sticks out like a sore thumb...he isn't bad, but the other four are just so infinitely better. I think Ledger is one of the all-time great leading male performances here and Phoenix is flat-out brilliant too. Hoffman and Strathairn are also at the top of their game here.

Best Leading Actress
1. Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents...
2. Charlize Theron, North Country
3. Felicity Huffman, TransAmerica
4. Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice
5. Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line

Should've been nominated: Joan Allen, Maria Bello, Claire Danes

Bleh. Dench and Theron are solid, but have certainly been better, while Huffman struggles hard to make something of a wretched screenplay. Knightley's fine, but I've never understood the praise for Witherspoon here. I think it's a supremely by-the-numbers portrayal and she fades into the wallpaper anytime Phoenix is onscreen with her.

Best Supporting Actor
1. Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
2. Matt Dillon, Crash
3. William Hurt, A History of Violence
4. Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
5. George Clooney, Syriana

Should've been nominated: Tom Arnold, Kevin Costner, Ashton Holmes, Bob Hoskins

Super bleh. I think Gyllenhaal's really the only remotely note-worthy turn here (and he's excellent). Dillon's decent and one of only a few actors who emerge from Crash unscathed. Hurt's unsettling but not in the film enough to make a real impression. Giamatti and Clooney go through the motions.

Best Supporting Actress
1. Catherine Keener, Capote
2. Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
3. Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain
4. Frances McDormand, North Country
5. Amy Adams, Junebug

Should've been nominated: Kathy Baker, Brenda Blethyn, Shirley MacLaine, Sharon Stone

I'd give it to Keener, but that's admittedly more for her body of work this year than the one performance alone. Weisz is strong too, but truly Lead. Like Williams and McDormand too, but aren't crazy head-over-heels for them. And I actually think Adams is obnoxious as hell in Junebug.