Time for my annual day after the Oscars journey back through time to revisit past ceremonies to see if they got it right. Every year I take ten year leaps back to look at what the Academy thought then and if time has changed how we look at those movies.
2010 (5 years ago)
Best Picture: The King’s Speech
Other Nominations: 127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter’s Bone
Best Actor: Colin Firth- The King’s Speech
Other Nominations: Javier Bardem-Biutuful, Jeff Bridges-True Grit, Jesse Eisenberg-The Social Network, James Franco-127 Hours
Best Actress: Natalie Portman- Black Swan
Other Nominations: Annette Bening- The Kids Are All Right, Nicole Kidman- Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrence- WInter’s Bone, Michelle Williams- Blue Valentine
We’ve reached the point where I have actually written about these ceremonies. Here’s what I thought 5 years ago…
Yes, I know The King’s Speech is everyone’s favorite movie this year and I like it as well, but one can’t deny that there is nothing different about the film. It uses the same old formula and adds in some great acting to make it award worthy. I can’t imagine it not winning Best Picture; it has everything the Academy seems to vote for and a ton of press behind it. My pick is 127 Hours for many of the reasons I’ve already talked about. I am extremely impressed by any movie that can keep me entertained for hours with limited setting and limited cast. One of my all time favorite movies is Lifeboat, a little known Hitchcock film that takes place solely on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. Add themes like the triumph of the human spirit and the overcoming of one’s ego to a great acting performance and wonderful directing and you have a fantastic movie worthy of a Best Picture nod.
I’m kind of amazed at this list of movies. This is a pretty great bunch of films and it doesn’t even include Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and Animal Kingdom, two of my favorites from 2010. The funny thing is, I never hear anyone talk about these films anymore. Does anyone even remember The King’s Speech? Granted, I don’t think anyone remembers 127 Hours either. Funny how strongly I wrote about 127 Hours because the movie that stayed with me the most was Winter’s Bone. If someone asked me right now what the best movie on this list was, Winter’s Bone would be my answer. The only other ones that appear to have any staying power are Social Network and Toy Story 3. Anyway you dice it up, the Academy got this one wrong.
Here’s what I wrote about the Best Actor…
To me, the hands down winner in this category is James Franco. Yes, I know he was playing a real person, but he did something else that doesn’t seem to get enough credit with the Academy, he kept an audience entertained for an hour and a half with no one else to play off of. The majority of 127 Hours is Franco trapped in a canyon all alone and the movie is not dull for one second. That is a great performance. The only performance I can think of that compares was Tom Hanks in Castaway, another one that was not celebrated by the Academy.
I stand by all of that. Colin Firth isn’t an award winning actor in my eyes. Franco should have gotten the award, but once again, I don’t think anyone remembers anyway. I said this about the actress race…
Both Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Portman were fantastic in their roles and both are worthy of an award. Because Portman has been around longer and is more familiar with the voters, I give her the edge.
Natalie Portman deserved the award but looking back, I think people would vote Jennifer Lawrence due to how much they love her now.
2005 (10 years ago)
Best Picture: Crash
Other Nominations: Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Good Night, and Good Luck, Munich
Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman-Capote
Other Nominations: Terrence Howard- Hustle & Flow, Heath Ledger- Brokeback Mountain, Joaquin Pheonix- Walk the Line, David Strathairn- Good Night, and Good Luck
Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon- Walk the Line
Other Nominations: Judi Dench-Mrs. Henderson Presents, Felicity Huffman- Transamerica, Keira Knightly- Pride & Prejudice, Charlize Theron-North Country
2005 has historically gone down as one of the biggest injustices of the Oscars. Crash is a terrible movie. Brokeback Mountain should have won. But really, this was a terrible year for movies. The best I can say is that some of these movies are okay. Nothing really worth arguing about.
Heath Ledger got robbed here as well. I don’t know how many times I should write about it but I remain unimpressed with actors that ape real people, which is all but two of the roles nominated this year.
As far as the women go, I don’t even know half of these movies. I honestly don’t remember Transamerica, Mrs. Henderson Presents, and North Country. I find it interesting that the Academy nominated and then ignored gay and transgendered roles. I hate Reese WItherspoon and it pains me that she won this award.
1995 (20 years ago)
Best Picture: Braveheart
Other Nominations: Apollo 13, Babe, Il Postino, Sense and Sensibility
Best Actor: Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
Other Nominations: Richard Dreyfuss- Mr. Holland’s Opus, Anthony Hopkins- Nixon, Sean Penn- Dead Man Walking, Massimo Troisi- Il Postino
Best Actress: Susan Sarandon- Dead Man Walking
Other Nominations: Elisabeth Shue- Leaving Las Vegas, Sharon Stone- Casino, Meryl Streep- The Bridges of Madison County, Emma Thompson- Sense and Sensibility
This is one of those great years for movies. It still amazes me how much great filmmaking comes in bunches. Each year seems to be feast or famine for quality films. I still think the Academy got this one right. Braveheart is an amazing film that still stands up today. That being said, so does Apollo 13, Il Postino, Leaving Las Vegas and Dead Man Walking. I can’t argue with Nicholas Cage, although Sean Penn was great in Dead Man Walking. You can say the reverse about Susan Sarandon and Elisabeth Shue. So, not only was this a big year for film but, it seems that the Academy got it right as well.
1985 (30 years ago)
Best Picture: Out Of Africa
Other Nominations: The Color Purple, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Prizzi’s Honor, WItness
Best Actor: William Hurt - Kiss of the Spider Woman
Other Nominations: Harrison Ford- Witness, James Garner- Murphy’s Romance, Jack Nicholson- Prizzi’s Honor, Jon Voight- Runaway Train
Best Actress: Geraldine Page- The Trip to Bountiful
Other Nominations: Anne Bancroft- Agnes of God, Whoopi Goldberg- The Color Purple, Jessica Lange- Sweet Dreams, Meryl Streep- Out of Africa
Interesting collection of films. I remember there being a lot of buzz around Kiss of the Spider Woman when it came out, but I’ve never seen it and it isn’t a film anyone talks about anymore. Witness is an all time classic. Prizzi’s Honor is a forgotten mob film. The Color Purple is an important story with a lot of amazing performances that seems to have been forgotten with time. Out of Africa is widely considered one of the worst Oscar winners ever. I haven’t seen it, so I can’t really say, but I am pretty sure if this race was voted on today Witness would win. Maybe there is still some support for The Color Purple around, but I think Witness would win.
Give the Oscar to Harrison Ford too! I’m not sure it was the best performance but it is certainly the only one people still talk about. I have no idea what The Trip to Bountiful is, so I guess the award should have gone to either Meryl Streep (which is always the safest bet) or Whoopi Goldberg.
1975 (40 years ago)
Best Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Other Nominations: Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, Nashville
Best Actor: Jack Nicholson- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Other Nominations: Walter Matthau- The Sunshine Boys, Al Pacino- Dog Day Afternoon, Maximilian Schell- The Man in the Glass Booth, James Whitmore- Give ‘em Hell, Harry!
Best Actress: Louise Fletcher- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Other Nominations: Isabelle Adjani- The Story of Adele H., Ann-Margret- Tommy, Glenda Jackson- Hedda, Carol Kane- Hester Street
Could this be the best year for film ever? Three movies on AFI’s Top 100 of all time, plus a Kubrick film and one of Pacino’s best. I don’t think there are many people that would argue that One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is deserving of an Oscar but I’m sure there are plenty of people who would say Jaws or Nashville should have won. And I don’t know how much I could argue with them over it. This is just an amazing year. I think the acting awards were right too. Both of those performances were incredible.
1965 (50 years ago)
Best Picture: The Sound of Music
Other Nominations: Darling, Doctor Zhivago, Ship of Fools, A Thousand Clowns
Best Actor: Lee Marvin- Cat Ballou
Other Nominations:Richard Burton- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Laurence Olivier- Othello, Rod Steiger- The Pawnbroker, Oskar Werner- Ship of Fools
Best Actress: Julie Christie-Darling
Other Nominations: Julie Andrews- The Sound of Music, Samantha Eggar- The Collector, Elizabeth Hartman- A Patch of Blue, Simone Signoret- Ship of Fools
Some people might say Doctor Zhivago should have won, but they are fools. The Sound of Music is the only pick here. I can’t really speak to the acting awards other than it seems odd that Julie Andrews didn’t win. Re-vote now and it’s her award.
1955 (60 years ago)
Best Picture: Marty
Other Nominations: Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, Mister Roberts, Picnic, The Rose Tattoo
Best Actor: Ernest Borgnine- Marty
Other Nominations: James Cagney- Love Me or Leave Me, James Dean- East of Eden, Frank Sinatra- The Man with the Golden Arm, Spencer Tracy- Bad Day at Black Rock
Best Actress: Anna Magnani- The Rose Tattoo
Other Nominations: Susan Hayward- I’ll Cry Tomorrow, Katharine Hepburn- Summertime, Jennifer Jones- Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, Eleanor Parker- Interrupted Melody
I honestly have nothing. I didn’t do enough research this year!
1945 (70 years ago)
Best Picture: The Lost Weekend
Other Nominations: Anchors Away, The Bells of St. Mary’s, Mildred Pierce, Spellbound
Best Actor: Ray Milland- The Lost Weekend
Other Nominations: Bing Crosby- The Bells Of St. Mary, Gene Kelly- Anchors Away, Gregory Peck- The Keys of the Kingdom, Cornel WIlde- A Song to Remember
Best Actress: Joan Crawford- Mildred Pierce
Other Nominations: Ingrid Bergman- The Bells of St. Mary’s, Greer Garson- The Valley of Decision, Jennifer Jones- Love Letters, Gene Tierney- Leave Her to Heaven
I’m familiar with The Bells of St. Mary’s, Mildred Pierce and Spellbound, so I guess one of them should have won. The Bells of St. Mary used to be shown every Christmas when I was growing up on WPIX. So let’s say the Academy got this one wrong and Bing Crosby should have won.
1935 (80 years ago)
Best Picture:Mutiny on the Bounty
Other Nominations: Alice Adams, Broadway Melody of 1936, Captain Blood, David Copperfield, The Informer, Les Miserables, The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Naughty Marietta, Ruggles of Red Gap, Top Hat
Best Actor: Victor McLaglen- The Informer
Other Nominations: Charles Laughton- Mutiny on the Bounty, Paul Muni- Black Fury, Franchot Tone- Mutiny on the Bounty
Best Actress: Bette Davis- Dangerous
Other Nominations: Elisabeth Bergner- Escape Me Never, Claudette Colbert- Private Worlds, Katharine Hepburn- Alice Adams, Miriam Hopkins- Becky Sharp, Merle Oberon- The Dark Angel
