In light of last night's big winner at the Academy Awards, The Artist, I thought it might be time to take a look at Oscar winner's from the past. Bill Simmons has talked about the idea of looking back at the Best Picture award every ten years and re-vote to see if the win holds up. I couldn't help but think of this theory as the Academy handed out the best picture to The Artist. Is anyone going to still be talking about this movie in ten years? It feels so much like a movie of the moment. If you were going to watch a silent movie ten years from now is it going to be the artist or something with Charlie Chaplin? Hugo on the other hand has that feeling of timelessness, a movie that could be watched for years to come.
With all that in mind, let's look back on some past Oscar winners and see it they still stand up...
2006 (5 years ago)
Best Picture: The Departed
Other nominations: Babel, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen
Best Actor: Forrest Whitaker-Last Kind Of Scotland
Other nominations: Leonardo DiCaprio-Blood Diamond, Ryan Gosling-Half Nelson, Peter O'Toole-Venus, Will Smith-Pursuit Of Happiness
Best Actress: Helen Mirren-The Queen
Other nominations: Penelope Cruz-Volver, Judi Dench-Notes on a Scandal, Meryl Streep-Devil Wears Prada, Kate Winslet-Little Children
Pretty underwhelming year for the movies. The Departed still holds up and didn't really have much challenging it. Little Miss Sunshine is probably the most memorable movie on the list. Notice both actor winners were imitations. I'm telling you, the easiest way to get an Oscar is get a role mimicking someone. Looking back, Gosling should have won best actor and Steep or Winslet best actress.
2001 (10 years ago)
Best Picture: A Beautiful Mind
Other nominations: Gosford Park, In The Bedroom, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings, Moulin Rouge
Best Actor: Denzel Washington-Training Day
Other nominations: Russel Crow-A Beautiful Mind, Will Smith-Ali, Sean Penn-I Am Sam, Tom Wilkinson-In the Bedroom
Best Actress: Halle Berry-Mosnster's Ball
Other nominations: Renee Zellweger-Bridget Jones's Diary, Sissy Spacek-In the Bedroom, Judi Dench-Iris, Nicole Kidman-Mulin Rouge
Holly cow, this year was even more underwhelming! In the Bedroom was my favorite that year, but looking back Fellowship of the Rings was the best of the three Lord of the Rings movies and probably should have gotten the award over A Beautiful Mind. It certainly deserved an award over Return of the King, which was the worst of the three, yet the only one to win. It seems like the Academy got both acting awards right this year. Denzel Washington has to be the biggest upset of all time; he beat two imitations and a handicap. That is totally amazing and unheard of.
1991 (20 years ago)
Best Picture: Silence of the Lambs
Other nominations: Beauty and the Beast, Bugsy, JFK, The Prince of Tides
Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins-Silence of the Lambs
Other nominations: Warren Beatty-Bugsy, Robert De Niro-Cape Fear, Robin Williams-Fisher King, Nick Nolte-Prince of Tides
Best Actress: Jodie Foster-Silence of the Lambs
Other nominations: Geena Davis-Thelma and Louise, Susan Sarandon-Thelma and Louise, Bette Midler-For the Boys, Laura Dern-Rambling Rose
Finally a powerhouse year. Even with the category loaded with big pictures of the day, the Academy got this one right. JFK was a buzz worthy film at the time that has not held up. The Prince of Tides was super popular but hasn't lasted. Beauty and the Beast is an all time classic, but is it better then Silence of the Lambs? Silence of the Lambs is one of those movies that created a whole new genre and certainly deserved the Oscar. Can't say anything bad about the actor awards either. Two all time classic roles that will never be forgotten. It is interesting how main stream the nominations were in '94. These were all movies that everyone saw, as apposed to the more art house type films and roles that get nominated today.
1981 (30 years ago)
Best Picture: Chariots of Fire
Other nominations: Atlantic City, On Golden Pond, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Reds
Best Actor: Henry Fonda-On Golden Pond
Other nominations: Warren Beatty-Reds, Burt Lancaster-Atlantic City, Dudley Moore-Arthur, Paul Newman-Absence of Malice
Best Actress: Kathrine Hepburn-On Golden Pond
Other nominations: Diane Keaton-Reds, Marsha Mason-Only When I Laugh, Susan Sarandon-Atlantic City, Meryl Streep-The French Lieutenant's Woman
One of the biggest mistakes in Oscar history. Chariots of Fire was a big deal when it came out and certainly has one of the most famous scores of all time, but ask someone under 30 what Chariots of Fire is and they won't know. It was a boring film that just hasn't lasted the test of time. Raiders of the Lost Ark on the other hand is one of the most famous movies of all time. Hands down, if re-voted today, Raiders would win. I can't really comment on the acting awards. It seems to me that both were pretty much life time achievement nods to two great actors. We've reached a point where I'm not familiar with all the films and roles. What's Atlantic City? I've never heard of it.
1971 (40 years ago)
Best Picture: The French Connection
Other nominations: A Clockwork Orange, Fiddler on the Roof, The Last Picture Show, Nicholas and Alexandra
Best Actor: Gene Hackman-The French Connection
Other nominations: Peter Finch-Sunday Bloody Sunday, Walter Matthau-Kotch, George C. Scott-The Hospital, Topol-Fiddler on the Roof
Best Actress: Jane Fonda-Klute
Other nominations: Julie Christie-McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Glenda Jackson-Sunday Bloody Sunday, Vanessa Redgrave-Mary, Queen of Scots, Janet Suzman-Nicholas and Alexandra
It's interesting how good films all seem to fall in the same year instead of spreading out. This is another loaded year. It's hard to argue with The French Connection for best picture, it's one of those movies that created a genre of film, but more importantly it created the idea of the anti-hero. I think if we re-vote, Clockwork Orange comes out as best picture and Hackman still gets best actor. Maybe the Academy rewarding imitations is a more recent thing, because Jane Fonda beat out two imitations with a role I've never heard of.
1961 (50 years ago)
Best Picture: West Side Story
Other nominations: Fanny, Judgement at Nuremberg, The Hustler, The Guns of Navarone
Best Actor: Maximilian Schell-Judgement at Nuremberg
Other nominations- Paul Newman-The Hustler, Spencer Tracy-Judgement at Nuremberg, Charles Boyer-Fanny, Stuart Whitman-The Mark
Best Actress: Sophia Loren-Two Women
Other nominations: Piper Laurie-The Hustler, Audrey Hepburn-Breakfast at Tiffany's, Natalie Wood-Splendor in the Grass, Geraldine Page-Summer and Smoke
We're in the territory where I am either a better judge of who should have won because if I've seen or heard of the movie it lasted the test of time or a worse judge because I've only seen a few of the nominees. I think it's pretty safe to say if we re-voted this year there would be changes. West Side Story has no chance of winning best picture because a) musicals are not as popular as they were in 1961 and b) if you watch that movie today it is horribly dated. The Hustler would get my vote for best picture and Paul Newman would get my vote for best actor. It's astonishing to see that Audrey Hepburn did not get the Oscar for her role in Breakfast at Tiffany's. I've never heard of Two Women, so it makes me wonder if Sophia Loren was just an Academy favorite at the time. Hepburn would win hands down in a re-vote, that role being one of the most iconic in film history.
1951 (60 years ago)
Best Picture: An American in Paris
Other nominations: Decision Before Dawn, A Place in the Sun, Quo Vadis, A Street Car Named Desire
Best Actor: Humphrey Bogart-African Queen
Other nominations: Marlon Brando-A Street Car Named Desire, Montgomery Clift-A Place in the Sun, Arthur Kennedy-Bright Victory, Fredric March-Death of a Salesman
Best Actress: Vivien Leigh-A Streetcar Named Desire
Other nominations: Katharine Hepburn-African Queen, Eleanor Parker-Detective Story, Shelly Winters-A Place in the Sun, Jane Wyman-The Blue Veil
Another loaded year. Again, I'm not sure that An American in Paris would play the same in this day and age as it did in 1951. I think this would become a race between A Place in the Sun and A Street Car Named Desire and I see it as a toss up. I am surprised to see that African Queen didn't get a best picture nod. It talks to how stacked the year was. Bogart winning best actor feels like a life time achievement award, it being the only Oscar he won. Brando seemed more deserving.
1941 (70 years ago)
Best Picture: How Green Was My Valley
Other nominations: Blossoms in the Dust, Citizen Kane, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Hold Back the Dawn, The Little Foxes, The Maltese Falcon, One Foot in Heaven, Sergent York, Suspicion
Best Actor: Gary Cooper-Sergent York
Other nominations: Walter Huston-All That Money Can Buy, Robert Montgomery-Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Cary Grant-Penny Serenade, Orson Welles-Citizen Kane
Best Actress: Joan Fontaine-Suspicion
Other nominations: Barbara Stanwyck-Ball of Fire, Olivia de Havilland-Hold Back the Dawn, Greer Garson-Blossoms in the Dust, Bette Davis-The Little Foxes
This has to be the biggest travesty in Oscar history and the only proof of the need for a re-vote every ten years. I've never heard of How Green Was My Valley yet it won over what is without much argument considered the greatest movie ever made, Citizen Kane. Welles also got snubbed for best actor. Kind of crazy to believe this happened.
1931 (80 years ago)
Best Picture: Cimarron
Other nominations: East Lynne, The Front Page, Skippy, Trade Horn
Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore-A Free Soul
Other nominations: Jackie Cooper-Skippy, Richard Dix-Cimarron, Fredric March-The Royal Family of Broadway, Adolphe Menjou-The Front Page
Best Actress: Marie Dressler-Min and Bill
Other nominations: Marlene Dietrich-Morocco, Irene Dunne-Cimarron, Ann Harding-Holiday, Norma Shearer-A Free Soul
I got nothing.
What do you guys think?
No comments:
Post a Comment