This is not one of my favorite Oscar years. I think when I’m done with these blogs I’ll rank all the years by quality of nominees. This year will assuredly land near the bottom. Not only are the nominated films dull but they picked one of the duller ones for the win. When you see that montage of Best Picture winners you eventually get to the scene with the guys running on the beach, which is the only scene anyone remembers from Chariots Of Fire.
You can see my GABBY winners and nominees HERE
BEST PICTURE
You can see my GABBY winners and nominees HERE
BEST PICTURE
5. Reds - Ugh, the epic. There’s nothing worse than a film that takes a story that could easily be told in 90 minutes and stretches it out to over 3 hours. This is the story of John Reed, some dude that tried to introduce communism to America, or something. I watched this movie for the first time around a year ago and there was no way in hell I was gonna watch it again. It is very well made, i was a big fan of the editing (even though they could have easily edited out an hour and a half) and I liked the convention of having testimonials in the film so it seems like a documentary but this was hard to get through.
4. Chariots Of Fire - At only 2 hours in length, this is a little easier to get through than Reds but not by much and these were the two front runners this year. This is a dry slow moving film about a Jewish guy running despite anti Semitic prejudice and a Christian guy running in the name of the Lord. It’s a very stuffy movie that I didn’t like at all. It starts with that motivational scene of a bunch of guys running on the beach in slow motion and never picks up from there.
3. On Golden Pond - This is one of those movies where you come for the performances. Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn have perfect chemistry as a couple in their autumn years. They are vacationing at their summer home with their daughter, her new boyfriend and his son. The plot is very melodramatic but all the characters are fully realized. It wouldn’t hold up as a Best Picture winner at all but it’s a very sweet film and a fun watch.
2. Atlantic City - This is a great movie. Burt Lancaster stars as an aging hood who spends his days running numbers, reminiscing about his younger days and taking care of his elderly invalid neighbor who pays his bills. The best part of his day is when he looks at his neighbor through his window as she rubs lemons on her breasts. Susan Sarandon is the neighbor who is training to be a casino dealer so she can move to Monte Carlo. One day her ex-husband comes into town with a bunch of cocaine to sell. Mobsters end up involved and we get a romantic crime drama with an old hood and a younger woman. Lancaster and Sarandon are terrific and Louis Malle filmed this in Atlantic City so it looks dirty. It has the feel of a 70s movie like The French Connection. It’s also a tight story with great characters.
1. Raiders Of The Lost Ark - Steven Spielberg and George Lucas teamed up to make this action/adventure which is a callback to the serials of the 1930s and 1940s. If you haven’t seen Raiders Of The Lost Ark yet then you’re probably not a big film fan. Or you’re one of those film fans who refuses to watch the populist stuff. Harrison Ford plays Indiana Jones, he’s a professor and a whip wielding archaeologist who is on a quest for the ark containing the Ten Commandments. Nazis are also hunting the ark and there’s a huge climax with melting faces and one of the best opening scenes of any film.
I don’t really want to vote for anything. I did not like Reds or Chariots Of Fire, On Golden Pond is a nice nominee but missing that certain something that pushes it into Best Picture territory and the same can be said for Atlantic City. They’re both good films, but Best Picture? That leaves Raiders Of The Lost Ark which is unquestionably the best film here, but can the best movie of the year also be the coolest movie of the year? That’s just not how the Oscars work but on the other hand that’s also what I complain about with the Oscars. They award sentimental crap like Chariots Of Fire instead of movies that will stand the test of time. When I think of it that way the choice is easy.
Oscar Winner: Chariots Of Fire
My Vote: Raiders Of The Lost Ark
GABBY Winner: Raiders Of The Lost Ark
BEST ACTOR
4. Paul Newman - Absence Of Malice - Paul Newman is about 20 years overdue for an Oscar at this point in his career but this isn’t what he should have won for. This film is based on a true story about a newspaper that prints a story that implicates a man in mafia dealings. Newman is the guy accused and he goes to the reporter demanding a retraction. I found the movie pretty dull, Newman was good because he’s Paul Newman but if he didn’t win for Fast Eddie Felson or Cool Hand Luke then he shouldn’t win for this. He’ll get his makeup Oscar soon enough.
3. Dudley Moore - Arthur - Here’s a romantic comedy about a millionaire drunken playboy who finds love and gets to stay a millionaire drunken playboy at the end. On the one hand I liked how it defied conventions and doesn’t give you the cliche ending where he puts down the bottle but at the same time I was missing a redemptive arch for the character. He’s a guy who is constantly rewarded for his bad behavior. The movie is charming though because of Moore’s performance. He’s charismatic and funny but I wouldn’t consider voting for him because the character is basically just one level the whole film.
2. Burt Lancaster - Atlantic City - So often when a great actor gets an Oscar nomination in their twilight years it’s for a performance that is just okay. It’s like they’re giving an old timer one last party before they go. Of all the films on Lancaster’s lengthy resume, this is the one I want to remember him for. He’s terrific here and the only reason I’m not voting for him is because he won in 1960 and Fonda hasn’t won yet. This is a performance that I wouldn’t think twice about giving a 2nd Oscar to. Lancaster plays Lou, an old hood in Atlantic City who brags that he shared a cell with Bugsy Siegel. He spends his time now taking small bets and occasionally having sex with the old lady who buys his clothes. When a bunch of cocaine falls into his lap he feels alive for the first time in years. It’s possibly Burt’s best performance, which is saying something, this guy was Elmer Gantry and J.J. Hunsecker.
1. Henry Fonda - On Golden Pond - If Paul Newman is 20 years overdue, Henry Fonda is 40 years overdue. He should have won for The Grapes Of Wrath or 12 Angry Men or Mister Roberts but instead they overlook him until about a month before his death. As final performances go, it is a doozy to go out on. Fonda is sweet, heartfelt but with a slight edge (he doesn’t have a great relationship with his daughter and doesn’t seem to care). Nobody else comes close to winning this one against him.
You gotta go with Henry Fonda here, there’s nobody else. Beatty isn’t very good, Newman’s okay but he’s been much better, Moore is funny but one note, Lancaster is great but he’s won before, Fonda is terrific and never won in a career that’s spanned 6 decades. He’s one of the best performances in the group and he’s got sentimentality on his side. It’s a win/win. I’ll go out on a limb and say that if anyone other than Fonda won here it would be an unforgivable Oscar offense. I already gave him a win for my awards which is why I went with Lancaster, who had yet to win.
Oscar Winner: Henry Fonda
BEST ACTOR
5. Warren Beatty - Reds - Of all the performances in Reds I think Beatty’s is the worst. I never believed his character or found him charismatic at all. It’s been a year since I’ve seen the film but I’m pretty sure if I watched it again I would want to see anyone else in the lead role other than Beatty.
4. Paul Newman - Absence Of Malice - Paul Newman is about 20 years overdue for an Oscar at this point in his career but this isn’t what he should have won for. This film is based on a true story about a newspaper that prints a story that implicates a man in mafia dealings. Newman is the guy accused and he goes to the reporter demanding a retraction. I found the movie pretty dull, Newman was good because he’s Paul Newman but if he didn’t win for Fast Eddie Felson or Cool Hand Luke then he shouldn’t win for this. He’ll get his makeup Oscar soon enough.
3. Dudley Moore - Arthur - Here’s a romantic comedy about a millionaire drunken playboy who finds love and gets to stay a millionaire drunken playboy at the end. On the one hand I liked how it defied conventions and doesn’t give you the cliche ending where he puts down the bottle but at the same time I was missing a redemptive arch for the character. He’s a guy who is constantly rewarded for his bad behavior. The movie is charming though because of Moore’s performance. He’s charismatic and funny but I wouldn’t consider voting for him because the character is basically just one level the whole film.
2. Burt Lancaster - Atlantic City - So often when a great actor gets an Oscar nomination in their twilight years it’s for a performance that is just okay. It’s like they’re giving an old timer one last party before they go. Of all the films on Lancaster’s lengthy resume, this is the one I want to remember him for. He’s terrific here and the only reason I’m not voting for him is because he won in 1960 and Fonda hasn’t won yet. This is a performance that I wouldn’t think twice about giving a 2nd Oscar to. Lancaster plays Lou, an old hood in Atlantic City who brags that he shared a cell with Bugsy Siegel. He spends his time now taking small bets and occasionally having sex with the old lady who buys his clothes. When a bunch of cocaine falls into his lap he feels alive for the first time in years. It’s possibly Burt’s best performance, which is saying something, this guy was Elmer Gantry and J.J. Hunsecker.
1. Henry Fonda - On Golden Pond - If Paul Newman is 20 years overdue, Henry Fonda is 40 years overdue. He should have won for The Grapes Of Wrath or 12 Angry Men or Mister Roberts but instead they overlook him until about a month before his death. As final performances go, it is a doozy to go out on. Fonda is sweet, heartfelt but with a slight edge (he doesn’t have a great relationship with his daughter and doesn’t seem to care). Nobody else comes close to winning this one against him.
You gotta go with Henry Fonda here, there’s nobody else. Beatty isn’t very good, Newman’s okay but he’s been much better, Moore is funny but one note, Lancaster is great but he’s won before, Fonda is terrific and never won in a career that’s spanned 6 decades. He’s one of the best performances in the group and he’s got sentimentality on his side. It’s a win/win. I’ll go out on a limb and say that if anyone other than Fonda won here it would be an unforgivable Oscar offense. I already gave him a win for my awards which is why I went with Lancaster, who had yet to win.
Oscar Winner: Henry Fonda
My Vote: Henry Fonda
GABBY Winner: Burt Lancaster
BEST ACTRESS
4. Meryl Streep - The French Lieutenant's Woman - Streep won in 1979 and is going to win for Sophie's Choice next year so it's better that she doesn't win here. This movie tells the story of two affairs, one in the real world the other in the fictional universe of the movie they are making. Streep and Jeremy Irons play actors who are having affairs with each other and they are also starring in a movie where they are playing characters who are having an affair with each other. It's a well made film that I didn't get into. Streep is good as usual but she's better in Kramer Vs. Kramer and Sophie's Choice, those are the movies she should have won for.
3. Susan Sarandon - Atlantic City - Sarandon excels at playing frail but tough women and that’s just what she does in Atlantic City. She is introduced as a damsel in distress, she can’t get her career together, she has a drug dealing ex-husband who refuses to leave her alone and she seems like someone who needs protected. When things get really hairy she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself and ends up being the winner of the film as she gets all the money and leaves to pursue her dreams. Sarandon is incredibly beautiful in the film and creates a sympathetic character that you can’t help but root for.
2. Katharine Hepburn - On Golden Pond - What a damn delight Katharine Hepburn was. She was so good in so many movies. This was her final nomination and 4th win. It may seem like overkill but she’s Katharine Hepburn so it’s kind of all right. In On Golden Pond she is wonderful she matches Henry Fonda beat for beat and if it weren’t for her support his performance may not have come off as good as it did. You’re only as good as the people around you and Hepburn makes everyone look better.
1. Diane Keaton - Reds - It’s been a year since I’ve seen Reds so I don’t quite remember anything specific that Diane Keaton did in the film but I remember thinking she was spellbinding. She’s one of the most beautiful and talented actresses ever on film and I’ll explain below but I’d rather her have 2 before Hepburn gets 4.
Katharine Hepburn is my favorite of the bunch but when giving someone a 2nd Oscar I need to way a lot of pros and cons. Mainly, is this person winning another Oscar getting in the way of someone winning their first? Now consider that Hepburn has already won 3 times, 2 of which we’re back to back. Her winning here doesn’t take an Oscar away from anyone, Streep and Keaton had already won, Sarandon will win eventually, the only Oscar virgin here is Marsha Mason but this isn’t an Academy Award winning performance in the slightest. So with Mason out of the running, who do I want to win multiple Oscars? The answer is Diane Keaton, she is one of my favorite actresses of all time and even though I didn’t like Reds I couldn’t take my eyes off her when she was on screen. She already won for Annie Hall which is a better performance than this but that was the same year as Looking For Mr. Goodbar which she could have also won for. She should have won 2 Oscars in 1977 so by that logic I’m giving her the win here.
BEST ACTRESS
5. Marsha Mason - Only When I Laugh - This is a Neil Simon dramedy about a recovering alcoholic actress. She’s fresh out of rehab and her daughter is moving in with her. She’s stressed out and may turn back to the bottle. I’m usually a fan of Neil Simon but I didn’t really care for this film. I think my problem with it was that everybody was a quip machine. None of the characters seemed real, they all seemed like bodies to hang jokes on. Mason is perfectly fine in the role, I would just never vote for her.
4. Meryl Streep - The French Lieutenant's Woman - Streep won in 1979 and is going to win for Sophie's Choice next year so it's better that she doesn't win here. This movie tells the story of two affairs, one in the real world the other in the fictional universe of the movie they are making. Streep and Jeremy Irons play actors who are having affairs with each other and they are also starring in a movie where they are playing characters who are having an affair with each other. It's a well made film that I didn't get into. Streep is good as usual but she's better in Kramer Vs. Kramer and Sophie's Choice, those are the movies she should have won for.
3. Susan Sarandon - Atlantic City - Sarandon excels at playing frail but tough women and that’s just what she does in Atlantic City. She is introduced as a damsel in distress, she can’t get her career together, she has a drug dealing ex-husband who refuses to leave her alone and she seems like someone who needs protected. When things get really hairy she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself and ends up being the winner of the film as she gets all the money and leaves to pursue her dreams. Sarandon is incredibly beautiful in the film and creates a sympathetic character that you can’t help but root for.
2. Katharine Hepburn - On Golden Pond - What a damn delight Katharine Hepburn was. She was so good in so many movies. This was her final nomination and 4th win. It may seem like overkill but she’s Katharine Hepburn so it’s kind of all right. In On Golden Pond she is wonderful she matches Henry Fonda beat for beat and if it weren’t for her support his performance may not have come off as good as it did. You’re only as good as the people around you and Hepburn makes everyone look better.
1. Diane Keaton - Reds - It’s been a year since I’ve seen Reds so I don’t quite remember anything specific that Diane Keaton did in the film but I remember thinking she was spellbinding. She’s one of the most beautiful and talented actresses ever on film and I’ll explain below but I’d rather her have 2 before Hepburn gets 4.
Katharine Hepburn is my favorite of the bunch but when giving someone a 2nd Oscar I need to way a lot of pros and cons. Mainly, is this person winning another Oscar getting in the way of someone winning their first? Now consider that Hepburn has already won 3 times, 2 of which we’re back to back. Her winning here doesn’t take an Oscar away from anyone, Streep and Keaton had already won, Sarandon will win eventually, the only Oscar virgin here is Marsha Mason but this isn’t an Academy Award winning performance in the slightest. So with Mason out of the running, who do I want to win multiple Oscars? The answer is Diane Keaton, she is one of my favorite actresses of all time and even though I didn’t like Reds I couldn’t take my eyes off her when she was on screen. She already won for Annie Hall which is a better performance than this but that was the same year as Looking For Mr. Goodbar which she could have also won for. She should have won 2 Oscars in 1977 so by that logic I’m giving her the win here.
Oscar Winner: Katharine Hepburn
My Vote: Diane Keaton
GABBY Winner: Katharine Hepburn
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
4. Jack Nicholson - Reds - At this point in his career Jack only had 1 Oscar so I could see him winning for this if there was a Reds sweep. He’s a big name actor who took a nice supporting part in an epic film. He brings some much needed star power into the middle of the film as Eugene O’Neill, if only to give me something else to look at other than Warren Beatty. Historically, there’s no way he should win here. He won for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Terms Of Endearment and As Good As It Gets, 3 great movies and 3 great performances. His Oscar history is damn near perfect, don’t ruin it with an undeserved win.
3. Howard Rollins Jr. - Ragtime - I was not a fan of this film at all. It's one of those movies where there are a bunch of stories all happening simultaneously and I'm never sure which one is the central focus. The most interesting part of the film follows Rollins as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.. He is a black man in the 1900s, he's a pianist with a son. He gets stopped by a bunch of racists in the south who are angry that he's driving a nice car. They put horse shit in the front seat, Walker insists that they clean it up and when they refuse he causes a scene and gets arrested. He tries to take legal action against the men but is met with more racism so he goes vigilante. Rollins is very good in the role, to the point where I wish the movie focused only on him.
2. Ian Holm - Chariots Of Fire - I guess you could call Holm the Mickey of this movie. He’s the trainer who takes one of the runners under his wing. He doesn’t do a whole lot in the film but his character is the most fun and that’s solely due to Holm’s performance. He creates a fun supporting part that could have been really dull in the hands of another actor. I wouldn’t really vote for him because I don’t like the film but I’m ranking him high because I like Holm in this and films like Alien, Brazil, The Sweet Hereafter and The Lord Of The Rings.
1. John Gielgud - Arthur - Arthur is a drunk, entitled, unrepentant piece of shit. The best part of the film is when his butler played by John Gielgud slaps him in the face. This character needed someone to follow him around and tell him he sucks and that’s what Gielgud does in this movie. He’s dryly hilarious and also sweet and heartfelt, plus he’s been in movies for a million years so this was a deserved veteran win.
This is a pretty weak category but luckily the winner holds up. Not only was John Gielgud a respected actor who deserved a career achievement Oscar he gave a memorable performance that stands up as an Oscar winner. There’s really nobody else to vote for. If you’re gonna give Chariots Of Fire or Reds everything I could see going with Nicholson or Holm, Rollins is in his first film up against Gielgud in his 50th so he’s out. The only way Coco works as a winner is if he also won the Razzie, then you could have one hell of a trivia moment.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
5. James Coco - Only When I Laugh - Coco is an exclusive club. He is one of 2 people who earned Oscar and Razzie nominations for the same film. I had never seen the film until recently and maybe it was helped by low expectations but I thought he was fine. All I knew about the part was that he played a gay man so I was expecting him to be flamingly and offensively effeminate but I thought he was sweet and believable. It’s not much of a part, he’s the gay best friend who has a sassy quip for every situation but he’s perfectly acceptable in the part. I wouldn’t have nominated him but I certainly don’t think he deserved a Razzie nod either.
4. Jack Nicholson - Reds - At this point in his career Jack only had 1 Oscar so I could see him winning for this if there was a Reds sweep. He’s a big name actor who took a nice supporting part in an epic film. He brings some much needed star power into the middle of the film as Eugene O’Neill, if only to give me something else to look at other than Warren Beatty. Historically, there’s no way he should win here. He won for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Terms Of Endearment and As Good As It Gets, 3 great movies and 3 great performances. His Oscar history is damn near perfect, don’t ruin it with an undeserved win.
3. Howard Rollins Jr. - Ragtime - I was not a fan of this film at all. It's one of those movies where there are a bunch of stories all happening simultaneously and I'm never sure which one is the central focus. The most interesting part of the film follows Rollins as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.. He is a black man in the 1900s, he's a pianist with a son. He gets stopped by a bunch of racists in the south who are angry that he's driving a nice car. They put horse shit in the front seat, Walker insists that they clean it up and when they refuse he causes a scene and gets arrested. He tries to take legal action against the men but is met with more racism so he goes vigilante. Rollins is very good in the role, to the point where I wish the movie focused only on him.
2. Ian Holm - Chariots Of Fire - I guess you could call Holm the Mickey of this movie. He’s the trainer who takes one of the runners under his wing. He doesn’t do a whole lot in the film but his character is the most fun and that’s solely due to Holm’s performance. He creates a fun supporting part that could have been really dull in the hands of another actor. I wouldn’t really vote for him because I don’t like the film but I’m ranking him high because I like Holm in this and films like Alien, Brazil, The Sweet Hereafter and The Lord Of The Rings.
1. John Gielgud - Arthur - Arthur is a drunk, entitled, unrepentant piece of shit. The best part of the film is when his butler played by John Gielgud slaps him in the face. This character needed someone to follow him around and tell him he sucks and that’s what Gielgud does in this movie. He’s dryly hilarious and also sweet and heartfelt, plus he’s been in movies for a million years so this was a deserved veteran win.
This is a pretty weak category but luckily the winner holds up. Not only was John Gielgud a respected actor who deserved a career achievement Oscar he gave a memorable performance that stands up as an Oscar winner. There’s really nobody else to vote for. If you’re gonna give Chariots Of Fire or Reds everything I could see going with Nicholson or Holm, Rollins is in his first film up against Gielgud in his 50th so he’s out. The only way Coco works as a winner is if he also won the Razzie, then you could have one hell of a trivia moment.
Oscar Winner: John Gielgud
My Vote: John Gielgud
GABBY Winner: John Gielgud
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
4. Elizabeth McGovern - Ragtime - This is McGovern's 2nd film after her breakout role in Ordinary People the year before this. She plays Evelyn Nesbit a chorus girl who is the model for a nude statue on the roof of Madison Square Garden. The movie starts with her and then quickly changes focus. Ragtime is an ensemble drama with a lot of stories and she is one of them. She's really good in the film but the movie loses focus of her character. Her husband is upset about the statue so he kills a guy, goes to jail, she thinks she is going to get a million dollars but ends up settling for a couple of thousand. She has one scene where she talks to the lawyers drunk and completely naked. She's good in the film but is just one cog in the machine.
3. Jane Fonda - On Golden Pond - This is my favorite performance of the lot but I can’t vote for it because she already won twice. Fonda plays the daughter of Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn and she has a very distant relationship with her father. She doesn’t feel good enough for him but during the course of their stay at the summer house, they bond. Seeing her in scenes with her real life father gives the movie an authenticity it otherwise may not have had.
2. Maureen Stapleton - Reds - I love Maureen Stapleton and when I watched Reds I paid specific attention to her performance here because I knew she won an Oscar. If memory serves me correctly, she’s barely in the movie. She shows up about 2 hours into the film, talks to Warren Beatty and then comes back in another scene to talk to him again. I can’t think of any reason why she would win here, except for the fact that she’s Maureen Stapleton and this category is pretty weak, which is why I have her ranked so high.
1. Melinda Dillon - Absence Of Malice - I was not a fan of this film and honestly Melinda Dillon has that kind of part that you could probably cut out of the film and nothing would change. But if the Oscars can vote for the person and not the performance, so can I. Paul Newman is a guy outed in the newspaper as a person of interest in a mafia case. Dillon is his ex-girlfriend who is worried that she will be questioned about his whereabouts. She lives in a convent but chain smokes and then it’s revealed that she got an abortion and she eventually kills herself. Dillon delivers with what she is given but the part isn’t that substantial to the film.
I think the Academy just voted for the oldest person in every category. The average age for the winners was 70.75, Stapleton at age 56 must have looked like she was sitting at the kiddie table. This is also a weak category, Hackett and McGovern are out immediately, Fonda is my favorite but she’s out because she’s won twice before, which leaves Stapleton and Dillon. Neither performance strikes me as Academy Award worthy so you have to vote for the actor instead. Stapleton obviously had the longer and more respected career but I always loved Melinda Dillon and this is my only chance to vote for her. I grew up with her in A Christmas Story and Harry And The Henderson but then came to respect her in films like this and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
5. Joan Hackett - Only When I Laugh - If I was going to pick someone from this film to put on this category I would go with Kristy McNicol who plays Mason’s estranged daughter. The Academy went in a different direction and picked Joan Hackett who plays Mason’s supportive friend. She’s fine in the film but the part isn’t anything special and she’s not the best supporting performance in the film.
4. Elizabeth McGovern - Ragtime - This is McGovern's 2nd film after her breakout role in Ordinary People the year before this. She plays Evelyn Nesbit a chorus girl who is the model for a nude statue on the roof of Madison Square Garden. The movie starts with her and then quickly changes focus. Ragtime is an ensemble drama with a lot of stories and she is one of them. She's really good in the film but the movie loses focus of her character. Her husband is upset about the statue so he kills a guy, goes to jail, she thinks she is going to get a million dollars but ends up settling for a couple of thousand. She has one scene where she talks to the lawyers drunk and completely naked. She's good in the film but is just one cog in the machine.
3. Jane Fonda - On Golden Pond - This is my favorite performance of the lot but I can’t vote for it because she already won twice. Fonda plays the daughter of Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn and she has a very distant relationship with her father. She doesn’t feel good enough for him but during the course of their stay at the summer house, they bond. Seeing her in scenes with her real life father gives the movie an authenticity it otherwise may not have had.
2. Maureen Stapleton - Reds - I love Maureen Stapleton and when I watched Reds I paid specific attention to her performance here because I knew she won an Oscar. If memory serves me correctly, she’s barely in the movie. She shows up about 2 hours into the film, talks to Warren Beatty and then comes back in another scene to talk to him again. I can’t think of any reason why she would win here, except for the fact that she’s Maureen Stapleton and this category is pretty weak, which is why I have her ranked so high.
1. Melinda Dillon - Absence Of Malice - I was not a fan of this film and honestly Melinda Dillon has that kind of part that you could probably cut out of the film and nothing would change. But if the Oscars can vote for the person and not the performance, so can I. Paul Newman is a guy outed in the newspaper as a person of interest in a mafia case. Dillon is his ex-girlfriend who is worried that she will be questioned about his whereabouts. She lives in a convent but chain smokes and then it’s revealed that she got an abortion and she eventually kills herself. Dillon delivers with what she is given but the part isn’t that substantial to the film.
I think the Academy just voted for the oldest person in every category. The average age for the winners was 70.75, Stapleton at age 56 must have looked like she was sitting at the kiddie table. This is also a weak category, Hackett and McGovern are out immediately, Fonda is my favorite but she’s out because she’s won twice before, which leaves Stapleton and Dillon. Neither performance strikes me as Academy Award worthy so you have to vote for the actor instead. Stapleton obviously had the longer and more respected career but I always loved Melinda Dillon and this is my only chance to vote for her. I grew up with her in A Christmas Story and Harry And The Henderson but then came to respect her in films like this and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
Oscar Winner: Maureen Stapleton
My Vote: Melinda Dillon
GABBY Winner: Kate Reid for Atlantic City
Best Director
This is one of those rare years where the Best Picture nominees lineup perfectly with the Best Director nominees which makes it even weirder that they went with a split. Instead of Hugh Hudson for Chariots Of Fire they went with Warren Beatty for Reds. The Academy loves actors turned directors, they gave this award to Robert Redford last year. I wouldn’t have picked Hudson either. I would have voted for Spielberg or even Louis Malle who not only had Atlantic City but also did My Dinner With Andre this year.
Best Original Screenplay/Adapted Screenplay
Chariots Of Fire wins Original in a completely “whatever” decision. Atlantic City is the best in the category but it’s. Or like I’m bent out of shape about it. It’s hard to be mad that a boring film won this category when it also won Best Picture, like, that’s the real offense. On Golden Pond wins Adapted which was a fair decision, the only other nominee I really liked was Pennies From Heaven but the script wasn’t the strongest part of that film.
Best Original Score/Song
Vangelis wins for the score to Chariots Of Fire and now every time someone runs in slow motion they hum this to themselves. As iconic and memorable as the score is (it’s the only thing about the movie people remember) you gotta admit that Raiders Of The Lost Ark should have won this. There’s a lot of soft and weak crap in the Best Song category including Endless Love and For Your Eyes Only and they gave the win to Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) from Arthur. I have a soft spot for this Christopher Cross tune and it usually brings a smile to my face when I hear it.
Best Sound/Art Direction/Film Editing/Visual Effects
At least they gave Raiders Of The Lost Ark the technical categories as it wins all 4 of these awards.
Best Costume Design
Okay, I just looked the other way when you gave it Best Picture and Best Screenplay but how the hell does Chariots Of Fire win Best Costumes over Pennies From Heaven and Ragtime? For the running shorts?
Best Makeup
You gotta love the Best Makeup category, some truly horrendous films get nominated for Oscars because of it. Heartbeeps, The Andy Kaufman/Bernadette Peters romantic comedy where they play robots gets an Oscar nod. This is one of the worst films I have ever seen. It does have Stan Winston makeup though but that’s not a reason to watch. This is the first competitive makeup category and they pitted Stan Winston vs. Rick Baker. They made the right decision by going with Baker and An American Werewolf In London. I would have loved to see an Academy Award label on my VHS copy of Heartbeeps though.
Best Cinematography
Reds wins its only technical award here, probably because Chariots Of Fire wasn’t nominated.
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Best Director
This is one of those rare years where the Best Picture nominees lineup perfectly with the Best Director nominees which makes it even weirder that they went with a split. Instead of Hugh Hudson for Chariots Of Fire they went with Warren Beatty for Reds. The Academy loves actors turned directors, they gave this award to Robert Redford last year. I wouldn’t have picked Hudson either. I would have voted for Spielberg or even Louis Malle who not only had Atlantic City but also did My Dinner With Andre this year.
Best Original Screenplay/Adapted Screenplay
Chariots Of Fire wins Original in a completely “whatever” decision. Atlantic City is the best in the category but it’s. Or like I’m bent out of shape about it. It’s hard to be mad that a boring film won this category when it also won Best Picture, like, that’s the real offense. On Golden Pond wins Adapted which was a fair decision, the only other nominee I really liked was Pennies From Heaven but the script wasn’t the strongest part of that film.
Best Original Score/Song
Vangelis wins for the score to Chariots Of Fire and now every time someone runs in slow motion they hum this to themselves. As iconic and memorable as the score is (it’s the only thing about the movie people remember) you gotta admit that Raiders Of The Lost Ark should have won this. There’s a lot of soft and weak crap in the Best Song category including Endless Love and For Your Eyes Only and they gave the win to Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) from Arthur. I have a soft spot for this Christopher Cross tune and it usually brings a smile to my face when I hear it.
Best Sound/Art Direction/Film Editing/Visual Effects
At least they gave Raiders Of The Lost Ark the technical categories as it wins all 4 of these awards.
Best Costume Design
Okay, I just looked the other way when you gave it Best Picture and Best Screenplay but how the hell does Chariots Of Fire win Best Costumes over Pennies From Heaven and Ragtime? For the running shorts?
Best Makeup
You gotta love the Best Makeup category, some truly horrendous films get nominated for Oscars because of it. Heartbeeps, The Andy Kaufman/Bernadette Peters romantic comedy where they play robots gets an Oscar nod. This is one of the worst films I have ever seen. It does have Stan Winston makeup though but that’s not a reason to watch. This is the first competitive makeup category and they pitted Stan Winston vs. Rick Baker. They made the right decision by going with Baker and An American Werewolf In London. I would have loved to see an Academy Award label on my VHS copy of Heartbeeps though.
Best Cinematography
Reds wins its only technical award here, probably because Chariots Of Fire wasn’t nominated.
Up Next
1975
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