I love this year because there are really only 4 good movies but they also happen to be 4 of the greatest movies. What more do you need when you have Network, Rocky, All The President's Men and Taxi Driver? You can't lose.
You can see my GABBY winners and nominees HERE
BEST PICTURE
You can see my GABBY winners and nominees HERE
BEST PICTURE
5. Bound For Glory - Well I guess it can’t be perfect. There always has to be a 5th place finisher but this is ridiculous. We were so close to an absolutely perfect lineup and it’s not that this biopic about Woody Guthrie is terrible but it’s nowhere near the same level as anything else nominated. I can see any of the other 4 films being your favorite film of all time but if you told me that Bound For Glory places in your top 100 then I question your taste. The movie does have gorgeous cinematography but that’s about all it has going for it. It's also a biopic that is entirely fictional. I don't usually care about historical accuracy in films but when it's a biopic you probably shouldn't just make everything up.
4. Taxi Driver - It's a testament to the strength of this year that Martin Scorsese's violent and disturbing saga about and unhinged man in a world he doesn't understand lands in 4th place. Robert De Niro plays mentally unstable cabbie Travis Bickle who only sees the dark in the world. He drives his taxi at night and sees the pimps and prostitutes and degenerates and hopes for a flood to come and wash them all away. He eventually sees himself as the flood and takes it upon himself to assassinate a presidential candidate. What Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader and De Niro do here is something astonishing. They never paint Bickle as a hero or a villain. He represents the voice inside all of our heads that can only see the dark instead of the light. It also leaves us with an ending that has us questioning what the right decision truly is.
3. All The President's Men - This is a movie about Woodward and Bernstein and how they broke the story that brought down Richard Nixon. We already know the ending (spoiler: Nixon resigns) so the movie is about their investigative journalism. It’s really hard to make gathering information interesting but here we see Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman cold calling people and taking notes and it’s as dramatic as a car chase. It’s filmed like a documentary which puts you right in the newsroom.
2. Rocky - It’s easy to forget just how great the original Rocky is because the sequels got so silly. This is the story of a boxer who nobody takes seriously that randomly and unexpectedly gets his shot at the title. Art imitates life here, just as nobody saw the potential in Rocky nobody saw the potential in Sylvester Stallone. Nobody gives him the time of day until he’s in the spotlight and when that time comes Rocky needs to prove himself. This is the ultimate crowd pleasing underdog sports movie and you can’t let the over the top nature of some of the later movies taint the near perfect original.
1. Network - This movie is just perfect. It is one of the most brilliant satires ever made and becomes more and more eerily prescient every year. Howard Beale hosts the nightly news and when they fire him he goes out live on air and says he’s gonna kill himself. Instead of anyone trying to help him they all look for ways to sensationalize him. He’s obviously having a mental breakdown but they give him his own show where he can ramble incoherently. And oh how the masses eat it up. People start to realize how powerful he is and now he needs to be stopped. From start to finish, this movie is just fucking brilliant. The best part about it is how serious they take the absurdity. The actions of the characters is supposed to be ridiculous and over the top but the movie grounds itself in reality so it feels real. And it very well could be real, we just elected a man president who went on TV and started spouting nonsense.
This is both an easy decision and a hard decision at the same time. It’s easy because if you just asked me what my favorite film of the year is I will automatically say Network but when you’re asking what should have won the Oscar the question gets harder. Really if anything were to beat Network I’m glad it was Rocky. If you’re not gonna go with the best movie you might as well go for the most fun movie. I think if Taxi Driver or All The Presidents’s Men won I would feel that Network got snubbed. Rocky wins and it seems okay. It’s not as good as Network but it doesn’t seem out of place as a Best Picture winner
Oscar Winner: Rocky
My Vote: Network
GABBY Winner: Network
BEST ACTOR
5. Giancarlo Giannini - Seven Beauties - So my rule is usually that foreign performances land in the 5th spot but this year Giannini lands in the 5th spot just because the year is so good. I would consider voting for him in a weaker year. Seven Beauties is a movie that I really enjoyed. He plays a man with seven sisters, all prostitutes, he is sent to jail for killing a pimp who corrupted his sister. He is able to get transferred to a psychiatric prison, joins the army and is caught and sent to a concentration camp. While in the camp he ... just watch the film, it's really good and one of the few foreign films I discovered through my Oscar watch that I can unabashedly recommend.
4. William Holden - Network - Holden represents the old dinosaur in television, specifically the news department. He still has ideals and thinks that the news should be about information and not about ratings and sensationalism. He seems to be the only person with a shred of decency but he's a crap human being too, he's cheating on his wife. Holden probably had the hardest part in the movie because he has the least flashy role but he's able to make him one of the more interesting parts of the film.
3. Sylvester Stallone - Rocky - Stallone doesn't just play Rocky Balboa, he is Rocky Balboa. Nobody else could have played this part and Stallone famously held on to his screenplay until he could find a studio that would agree to let him star in it as well. It's the best thing that could have happened to both him and the film. The studio originally wanted someone like Ryan O'Neal or Burt Reynolds to play that part but Rocky only works because he's a loser that nobody takes seriously. If Burt Reynolds played him you would expect to win at the end. Stallone never seems like he should succeed, that's why you cheer when he is able to go the distance.
2. Robert De Niro - Taxi Driver - This is one of the finest performances ever captured on film. De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a mentally unstable cab driver. The whole movie you can't help but feel that there is something off about this guy but neither the film nor De Niro ever paints him as a villain. De Niro is able to make an insane lunatic weirdly relatable. We're able to see a part of ourselves in Travis Bickle, a part we don't talk about and can control, but still somewhere deep down we all have a Travis Bickle inside us. When you're standing in a long line and you secretly wish everyone in front of you would disappear, that's Travis Bickle and De Niro is perfect at bringing all those thoughts to the surface. The only reason he doesn't win this category easily is because Peter Finch died and De Niro just won 2 years ago.
1. Peter Finch - Network - "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore!". Re-watching Network I couldn't quite figure out which category Finch belongs in. He's certainly the most important character in the film, the entire plot hinges on his actions, but he's not the central focus. He's kind of a supporting character but his performance is so big that he would look completely out of place in that category. Finch is captivating in every moment he's on screen and nails both his huge manic moments but also his more quiet moments. He also died shortly after the film's release so he has sentimentality on his side.
This is a hard decision between Finch and De Niro that is made easier knowing that De Niro won 2 years ago and is going to win again in 4 years. This is probably his greatest performance but there's no urgency for him to win this year. This is literally Peter Finch's last chance to win and seeing as how Network lost Best Picture and Best Director it almost makes up for that by winning in 3 out od 4 of the acting categories. Finch was incredible and deserved the Oscar. For my awards I gave it to De Niro but that's because I didn't even nominate him for The Godfather Part II.
Oscar Winner: Peter Finch
3. Sylvester Stallone - Rocky - Stallone doesn't just play Rocky Balboa, he is Rocky Balboa. Nobody else could have played this part and Stallone famously held on to his screenplay until he could find a studio that would agree to let him star in it as well. It's the best thing that could have happened to both him and the film. The studio originally wanted someone like Ryan O'Neal or Burt Reynolds to play that part but Rocky only works because he's a loser that nobody takes seriously. If Burt Reynolds played him you would expect to win at the end. Stallone never seems like he should succeed, that's why you cheer when he is able to go the distance.
2. Robert De Niro - Taxi Driver - This is one of the finest performances ever captured on film. De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a mentally unstable cab driver. The whole movie you can't help but feel that there is something off about this guy but neither the film nor De Niro ever paints him as a villain. De Niro is able to make an insane lunatic weirdly relatable. We're able to see a part of ourselves in Travis Bickle, a part we don't talk about and can control, but still somewhere deep down we all have a Travis Bickle inside us. When you're standing in a long line and you secretly wish everyone in front of you would disappear, that's Travis Bickle and De Niro is perfect at bringing all those thoughts to the surface. The only reason he doesn't win this category easily is because Peter Finch died and De Niro just won 2 years ago.
1. Peter Finch - Network - "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore!". Re-watching Network I couldn't quite figure out which category Finch belongs in. He's certainly the most important character in the film, the entire plot hinges on his actions, but he's not the central focus. He's kind of a supporting character but his performance is so big that he would look completely out of place in that category. Finch is captivating in every moment he's on screen and nails both his huge manic moments but also his more quiet moments. He also died shortly after the film's release so he has sentimentality on his side.
This is a hard decision between Finch and De Niro that is made easier knowing that De Niro won 2 years ago and is going to win again in 4 years. This is probably his greatest performance but there's no urgency for him to win this year. This is literally Peter Finch's last chance to win and seeing as how Network lost Best Picture and Best Director it almost makes up for that by winning in 3 out od 4 of the acting categories. Finch was incredible and deserved the Oscar. For my awards I gave it to De Niro but that's because I didn't even nominate him for The Godfather Part II.
Oscar Winner: Peter Finch
My Vote: Peter Finch
GABBY Winner: Robert De Niro
BEST ACTRESS
BEST ACTRESS
5. Marie-Christine Barrault - Cousin Cousine - Foreign performance, and this year we have two in this category. You ever watch Arrested Development? Remember the movie that George Michael and Maeby sneak into about the cousins having sex? That's basically this movie. The cousins aren't blood related, they are related by marriage. Both of their spouses are unfaithful and they seek comfort in each other. It starts out platonic but eventually transforms into a sexual relationship. It's an okay movie if you like French movies about cousins having sex.
4. Liv Ullmann - Face To Face - I don't like Ingmar Bergman films so I skipped this one. The plot description I got says it is about a therapist having a breakdown. Liv Ullmann was a tremendous actress so I'm ranking her higher than the girl in the cousin banging movie but I have no interest in seeking this one out.
3. Talia Shire - Rocky - It's kind of hard to call Talia Shire the lead in Rocky but it's one of those performances that rides the line between lead and supporting. She would look even more out of place in the supporting actress category. I'm glad she got nominated though, her awkward chemistry with Sylvester Stallone gives the movie its charm.
2. Sissy Spacek - Carrie - I'm not a fan of horror movies in general and this movie is pretty silly. This is a Stephen King adaptation about a high school girl who discovers her telekinetic powers. I've read many reviews from people who love this movie but I was not a fan of how it was shot. The opening scene is slow motion of naked girls in the locker room and then it pans over to Sissy Spacek almost lovingly scrubbing her naked body. I don't have any issues with Spacek's performance though. She is appropriately off-putting as a young girl with a crazy mother who lashes out at her school bullies. She's sympathetic in the moments when she is powerless and truly scary when she uses her powers.
1. Faye Dunaway - Network - So Howard Beale goes on the air and says he's going to blow his brains out on live television. Everybody wants him fired, except Dunaway. She looks at the numbers and sees the ratings potential of putting this crazy guy on TV. She's also developing a show about a terrorist group that would include actual footage of terrorist acts and robberies. She is a despicable and uncaring person but she realizes this about herself. She openly says that all she wants out of life is a 30 share and a 20 rating. My favorite scene in the film is when she delivers a monologue while she disrobes, has sex and climaxes. She never stops talking about business to actually enjoy the sex she's having.
This is a pretty weak category but Faye Dunaway is one of the best winners ever. I would hold her performance up with Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind and Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice. It's is one of those indisputable decisions where no matter what her competition is, I'm almost always gonna vote for Faye Dunaway in Network. She's that damn good.
2. Sissy Spacek - Carrie - I'm not a fan of horror movies in general and this movie is pretty silly. This is a Stephen King adaptation about a high school girl who discovers her telekinetic powers. I've read many reviews from people who love this movie but I was not a fan of how it was shot. The opening scene is slow motion of naked girls in the locker room and then it pans over to Sissy Spacek almost lovingly scrubbing her naked body. I don't have any issues with Spacek's performance though. She is appropriately off-putting as a young girl with a crazy mother who lashes out at her school bullies. She's sympathetic in the moments when she is powerless and truly scary when she uses her powers.
1. Faye Dunaway - Network - So Howard Beale goes on the air and says he's going to blow his brains out on live television. Everybody wants him fired, except Dunaway. She looks at the numbers and sees the ratings potential of putting this crazy guy on TV. She's also developing a show about a terrorist group that would include actual footage of terrorist acts and robberies. She is a despicable and uncaring person but she realizes this about herself. She openly says that all she wants out of life is a 30 share and a 20 rating. My favorite scene in the film is when she delivers a monologue while she disrobes, has sex and climaxes. She never stops talking about business to actually enjoy the sex she's having.
This is a pretty weak category but Faye Dunaway is one of the best winners ever. I would hold her performance up with Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind and Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice. It's is one of those indisputable decisions where no matter what her competition is, I'm almost always gonna vote for Faye Dunaway in Network. She's that damn good.
Oscar Winner: Faye Dunaway
My Vote: Faye Dunaway
GABBY Winner: Faye Dunaway
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
5. Ned Beatty - Network - First off, where's Robert Duvall? Of all the actors in Network they picked the guy who's only in one scene. I can't really argue with the results though, Ned Beatty was a great character actor and this was his only Oscar nomination so it's good that he got one in his career. He's only in one scene and he plays the head of the network and he almost out crazies Peter Finch in his monologue. It's odd how he is able to steal the movie and command attention in that one scene and then he's gone and you kind of forget about him. During that scene though you think the movie is about him. Beatty was also in Silver Streak and All The President's Men this year so I think this was more a nomination for a good and busy year.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
5. Ned Beatty - Network - First off, where's Robert Duvall? Of all the actors in Network they picked the guy who's only in one scene. I can't really argue with the results though, Ned Beatty was a great character actor and this was his only Oscar nomination so it's good that he got one in his career. He's only in one scene and he plays the head of the network and he almost out crazies Peter Finch in his monologue. It's odd how he is able to steal the movie and command attention in that one scene and then he's gone and you kind of forget about him. During that scene though you think the movie is about him. Beatty was also in Silver Streak and All The President's Men this year so I think this was more a nomination for a good and busy year.
4. Burt Young - Rocky - Young plays Adrian's sister Paulie and he is a drunk and a slob. He's one of the long list of people who never sees the potential in Rocky. He's very authentic in the part, as is the whole cast, I completely believed that he was a fat, drunken slob. He has a few moments but if I was picking my favorite supporting performance from the film it would go to Burgess Meredith or Carl Weathers first.
3. Laurence Olivier - Marathon Man - This is a political thriller starring Dustin Hoffman as a guy who gets mixed up in some stuff because his brother is a government agent. Olivier plays a Nazi dentist who tortures people by drilling their teeth. Olivier makes the character much more than a stock villain, he brings a quiet menace to Dr. Christian Szell that makes him more interesting. The torture scene is more chilling because Olivier doesn't play the part as evil, he barely raises his voice as he repeatedly asks, "Is it safe?". He's not playing the character as an evil man but rather a man going about his day, his day involving painful dentistry without consent.
2. Jason Robards - All The President's Men - Robards plays Ben Bradlee, editor of The Washington Post. He plays the part as a guy who likes to put his feet up on his desk, never jumping to conclusions, just taking all the information given to him, processing it and making a sound and rational decision. Robards definitely sticks out from the incredible ensemble in many moments but for a lot of the film he blends into the background. His biggest scene is when Woodward and Bernstein ask him whether they should go ahead with publishing their story and he gives a speech about when he was a young reporter before telling them to "run that baby". The performance itself isn't really an Oscar winning one but Robards makes it what it is.
1. Burgess Meredith - Rocky - Mickey, the owner of a boxing gym who becomes Rocky's manager, has one of the greatest introductions ever. Rocky sees that his stuff has been thrown out of his locker so he goes up to Mickey to ask him about it and he turns to Rocky with his wonderfully grizzled voice and yells, "Shut up!" and then tells him he's a bum. Mickey kicks Rocky out because he isn't applying himself only to come back with his tail between his legs when Rocky gets his shot at the title. Meredith nails the tough sides to his character and the sweet side because you can always tell that Mickey cares for Rocky even when he's screaming and telling him he's worthless.
2. Jason Robards - All The President's Men - Robards plays Ben Bradlee, editor of The Washington Post. He plays the part as a guy who likes to put his feet up on his desk, never jumping to conclusions, just taking all the information given to him, processing it and making a sound and rational decision. Robards definitely sticks out from the incredible ensemble in many moments but for a lot of the film he blends into the background. His biggest scene is when Woodward and Bernstein ask him whether they should go ahead with publishing their story and he gives a speech about when he was a young reporter before telling them to "run that baby". The performance itself isn't really an Oscar winning one but Robards makes it what it is.
1. Burgess Meredith - Rocky - Mickey, the owner of a boxing gym who becomes Rocky's manager, has one of the greatest introductions ever. Rocky sees that his stuff has been thrown out of his locker so he goes up to Mickey to ask him about it and he turns to Rocky with his wonderfully grizzled voice and yells, "Shut up!" and then tells him he's a bum. Mickey kicks Rocky out because he isn't applying himself only to come back with his tail between his legs when Rocky gets his shot at the title. Meredith nails the tough sides to his character and the sweet side because you can always tell that Mickey cares for Rocky even when he's screaming and telling him he's worthless.
Ned Beatty is out because he's only in one scene, Burt Young is out because he's not the best supporting actor nominated from his film, Laurence Olivier is out because he won before. The vote is between Robards and Meredith. In 1976 I would almost definitely vote for Jason Robards. He had the better career and deserved an Oscar more. He should have won for A Thousand Clowns but that's a different argument. Knowing that he's gonna win next year makes me vote for Meredith. Mickey is also just a more memorable character than Ben Bradlee. How many times have you seen the gruff but sweet manager or trainer in a sports movie? It all started with Mickey.
Oscar Winner: Jason Robards
My Vote: Burgess Meredith
GABBY Winner: Burgess Meredith
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
5. Lee Grant - Voyage Of The Damned - I saw this movie when I was in high school and couldn't track it down for this post so I have to go by my, assuredly, hazy memory. This film is about a ship filled with Jews. They are seeking refuge from the rise of Nazism and set off for America. While they are in the ocean they find that nobody wants to accept them and they are all pretty hopeless. I don't remember who Lee Grant played or what she did but I also don't remember anyone specifically sticking out in the ensemble. She just won last year for a performance I don't think she should have won for so she ends up in last place.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
5. Lee Grant - Voyage Of The Damned - I saw this movie when I was in high school and couldn't track it down for this post so I have to go by my, assuredly, hazy memory. This film is about a ship filled with Jews. They are seeking refuge from the rise of Nazism and set off for America. While they are in the ocean they find that nobody wants to accept them and they are all pretty hopeless. I don't remember who Lee Grant played or what she did but I also don't remember anyone specifically sticking out in the ensemble. She just won last year for a performance I don't think she should have won for so she ends up in last place.
4. Jane Alexander - All The President's Men - Jane Alexander plays a woman who used to work for the committee to reelect the president, the guys responsible for the Watergate break-in. Woodward and Bernstein come to her looking for information but she is scared to name anybody for fear of repercussion. She eventually does lead them in the right direction. Her character is more important to the plot than her performance is. She's only in a handful of scenes and doesn't do that much but if hadn't been for her then Nixon probably wouldn't have gotten caught.
3. Beatrice Straight - Network - Speaking of people not important to the story. Beatrice Straight is only in about 6 minutes of Network. She plays William Holden's wife. He is having an affair with Faye Dunaway and when he tells his wife about it she tells him off but at the same time kind of wishes him well. She makes the most out of her only scene, delivering the hell out of her monologue, but it's still only one scene. I would much rather award someone who had a bigger impact on their film. If they cut that scene out of the film, not much would change.
2. Jodie Foster - Taxi Driver - Jodie Foster starred in 3 movies in 1976, Bugsy Malone, a movie with an all child cast playing gangsters, Freaky Friday, where she plays a young girl who swaps bodies with her mom and Taxi Driver, where she plays a child prostitute. She definitely showed her range this year. In Taxi Driver she gives a performance that is wise beyond her years. She's only 14 years old but she plays Iris, a 12 year old whore, with the acting ability of someone who has lived an entire hard life. At some points she is hardened and completely knowledgeable of her surroundings and at other points you see the scared little girl trapped in a world she doesn't belong.
1. Piper Laurie - Carrie - No Stephen King story would be complete without a character with mommy or daddy issues. Carrie discovers her telekinetic powers and uses them to not only get revenge on her bullies but also her batshit crazy mother. As scary as Sissy Spacek is in the film, Laurie goes way beyond in creating a character that you are never quite sure what their motivations are. This all accumulates into a finale for her character that probably the creepiest thing in an already creepy film.
Beatrice Straight holds the record for shortest Oscar winning performance. She's only on screen for 5 minutes and 2 seconds. She's terrific in those 5 minutes but I could never vote for a performance so small. I'm all in favor for Network getting another Oscar but this was a very undeserved Oscar. Jodie Foster definitely gave my favorite performance of the bunch but she's 14 years old and is going to win 2 Oscars so for this category I'm gonna vote for Piper Laurie. This was her first movie since she last got nominated for an Oscar in 1961. So it's one heck of a comeback story.
Oscar Winner: Beatrice Straight
My Vote: Piper Laurie
GABBY Winner: Jodie Foster
Best Director
Best Director
John G. Avildsen wins for Rocky. While I don't have a problem with Rocky winning Best Picture over Network, this is a category that should have gone to Sidney Lumet. He's never won and he crafted one of the most brilliant satires ever. Paddy Chayefsky's script does a lot of the heavy lifting but a lot of the reason why Network works is because Lumet grounds the absurdity in reality. Alan J. Pakula would have been a decent winner for All The President's Men. This year also marked the first time a woman was nominated with Lina Wertmuller scoring a nod for Seven Beauties. Ingmar Bergman got the 5th slot, and you know how I feel about that.
Best Original Screenplay/Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay/Adapted Screenplay
Network is a clear winner in the Original Screenplay category. It's only real competition would be Sylvester Stallone's Rocky or The Front, a very insightful movie about the Hollywood blacklist. No doubt that Paddy Chayefsky deserved this though as Network is one of my favorite screenplays ever. All The President's Men is an equally deserving winner in the Adapted Screenplay category and had little competition.
Best Original Score/Song Score or Adaptation Score/Original Song
Bernard Herrmann scored not 1 but 2 posthumous nominations in the Original Score category for Obsession and Taxi Driver but he must have also posthumously cancelled himself out because they gave it to The Omen instead. Maybe they just didn't want to give 2 dead guys Oscars in the same year. In the now defunct Song Score or Adaptation Score category the win goes to Bound For Glory. It was up against A Star Is Born and Bugsy Malone. Any of the 3 would be extremely "whatever" decisions. Bill Conti didn't get an Original Score nomination for Rocky but did get a nomination for Best Song and the iconic Gonna Fly Now. He lost to Barbra Striesand and the forgettable Evergreen from A Star Is Born.
Best Sound
The strokes of a typewriter in All The President's Men bested King Kong's roar, Rocky's punches, Silver Streak's train whistles and A Star Is Born's Striesand warbling. Thus disproving my theory that musicals always win this category.
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Sound
The strokes of a typewriter in All The President's Men bested King Kong's roar, Rocky's punches, Silver Streak's train whistles and A Star Is Born's Striesand warbling. Thus disproving my theory that musicals always win this category.
Best Foreign Language Film
Cousin Cousine and Seven Beauties managed to get nominated for several awards including this one but must have split the vote as the winner is a movie called Black And White In Color, which I have never heard of.
Best Costume Design
Best Costume Design
I've never seen Fellini's Casanova nor do I have any interest in doing so. The only movies I've seen from this category are Bound For Glory and The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, neither of which impressed me with the costumes.
Best Art Direction
All The President's Men rightfully wins. Sometimes when I'm watching a movie I can't separate fantasy from reality. I'm looking at the set dressing and imaging the production design team carefully placing things in the background. With this film I completely believed that this was a real newsroom and these were real reporters.
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Bound For Glory wins. Whatever, it does look good but I want to talk about what wasn't nominated as opposed to what was. Missing are Taxi Driver, The Outlaw Josey Wales and All The President's Men and instead they nominated Logan's Run and King Kong. Huh?
Best Film Editing
Best Film Editing
Rocky wins a category that could just have easily gone to All The President's Men or Network. Again, how great are these movies?
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