11-25-2002, 11:04 AM
Every one loves a good debate, I know I do. Everyone loves top 10 lists and award ceremonies but why? Not because we enjoy reading opinions or seeing some rich snobs collect awards. The simple fact is that we love to be shocked by the amazingly bad choices, we love that moment when we hear the winner and our response is “what the fuck?”. We love to read a top 10 list and then debate for hours on how stupid people are. Well that is why I am doing a top 10 list now. Unlike other lists this is strictly my opinion and open to debate.
This list has to do with a ceremony that brings up the most horrible choices every year, yes none other than the Academy Awards. I am going to choose my 10 biggest Oscar mistakes. Now I may leave your choice off but remember I had to take into consideration a few things:
- Did the runner up really lose to someone that bad? While their performances were worthy of a win, they may have just lost to someone who was a wee bit better.
- Mainly I went by the significance of the loss, while I may think Milos Forman should have beat out Anthony Minghella for best director in 1996. I have to Take into consideration that I have only 10 choices and the Director snub in 1941 was much worse.
So here goes nothing.
1 – Winner: John Ford – Best Director (How Green Was My Valley) - 1941
Ford had won the year before in the same category for a movie that he trully deserved it for. How Green Was My Valley is an excellent motion picture, it also won best picture. It does not hold up well today though and the movie is not honestly deserving of an oscar. This is my #1 choice because of the attrocity that took place this year.
- My Choice: Orsen Welles – (Citizen Kane)
Do I even have to explain why? Kane may be a dated movie by todays standards but Welles vision is still crisp and crystal clear. His ingenuity is as evident today as it was 61 years ago. The direction set into action techniques that are still in use today. This was the biggest travesty in oscar history.
2 – Winner: Art Carney – Best Actor (Harry & Tonto) – 1974
This was a good movie, once again far from great. Carney who is one of my favorite actors gave a spirited performance. Carney had better performances that he never got nominated for i.e. “The Late Show”. It’s a fun movie to watch cause of Carney but like many older winners this was nothing more than a sympathy Oscar.
- My Choice: Al Pacino – (Godfather Part II)
In my opinion the character of ‘Michael Corleone’ is the greatest study of the deterioration of a human being ever portrayed in film. Pacino was excellent in GF Part I but in Part II he gives a tour de force performance that even tops the prior.
3 – Winner: David Niven – Best Actor (Separate Tables) – 1958
1958 was one of the weakest years in Oscar history. The Best Actor category saw two men nominated for the same film. The most noticible Movies on 1958 were Cat On A Hot Tin Roof & The Defiant Ones. Or atleast the academy saw it that way because one movie was not nominated for either best picture, director, or actor…
- My Choice: James Stewart – (Vertigo)
Not only did neither Stewart or Alfred Hitchcock win (Hitchcock never won a Director award). Neither man was even nominated in 1958. I would have picked Hitchcock but he was snubbed so many times, he could dominate the top 5 all by himself along with many others who never won, like Martin Scorsese…. Speaking of which.
4 – Winner: John G. Avildsen – Best Director (Rocky) – 1976
1976 was a great year for movies, as were most of the 70’s. Rocky is one of my most favorite movies more for the story than its direction though. Stallone was still poor and hungry and had not yet grown an ego and gave an amazing performance. The movie was great and while Avildsen did an admirable job, he beat out someone who was and is heads above him and most everyone.
- My Choice: Martin Scorsese – (Taxi Driver)
Now I could have easily chosen the fact that DeNiro didn’t win best actor this year but Deniro had already won an Oscar for Godfather Part II (he would also win 4 years later for ‘Raging Bull’). The other problem is while DeNiro got a nomination, Scorsese didn’t even get that. Taxi Driver is a visually stuning movie, ofcourse DeNiros performance should have netter him the actor award with eyes closed but it didn’t. Scorsese got snubbed and to this day he has yet to win an award.
5 – Winner: William Holden – Best Actor (Stalag 17) – 1953
I know you people are gonna say “who cares it’s from the 50’s, what about Brad Pitt getting snubbed for 12 Monkeys?” But I have to take all decades into consideration and I know many of you never heard of these movies or these actors but this for me personally is a #1 snub. Holden gave a good performance in the film but he did this on the stage for years and his performance was too monotone and like he was just following a routine, which he probably was.
- My Choice: Montgomery Clift – (From Here To Eternity)
Many of you are gonna say “who?”, that saddens me. Monty Clift was one of the greatest actors to ever grace the screen, period! Montgomery Clift was an Idol to Brando, James Dean and Paul Newman. He was the original “Rebel” his only downfall was he didn’t die young like Dean or live a long life like Brando. He died in his mid 40’s in 1966 and has almost faded away. His performance in FHTE was breath taking, he said more with his silence than he could with 3 pages of dialouge, just his facial expressions, his body movement. When he did have lines to speak he delivered them like none other. It is sad but Clift was another great actor whom never won an award.
6 – Winner: George Burns – Best Supporting Actor (The Sunshine Boys) 1975
- My Choice: Robert Shaw (Jaws)
7 – Winner: Maximilian Schell – Best Actor (Judgement At Nuremberg) 1961
- My Choice: Paul Newman (The Hustler)
8 – Winner: Daniel Day Lewis – Best Actor (My Left Foot) 1989
- My Choice: Morgan Freeman (Glory/Driving Miss Daisy)
9 – Winner: Paul Lukas – Best Actor – (Watch On The Rhine) 1943
- My Choice: Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca)
10 – Winner: Roberto Begnini (Life Is Beautiful) – 1998
- My Choice: Edward Norton (American History X)
I know there are so many more, I tried to keep some choices more current and had to ignore older choices which some of you might not have known. But The list could be endless, I am sure some of you will add a few that shoulda won.
This list has to do with a ceremony that brings up the most horrible choices every year, yes none other than the Academy Awards. I am going to choose my 10 biggest Oscar mistakes. Now I may leave your choice off but remember I had to take into consideration a few things:
- Did the runner up really lose to someone that bad? While their performances were worthy of a win, they may have just lost to someone who was a wee bit better.
- Mainly I went by the significance of the loss, while I may think Milos Forman should have beat out Anthony Minghella for best director in 1996. I have to Take into consideration that I have only 10 choices and the Director snub in 1941 was much worse.
So here goes nothing.
1 – Winner: John Ford – Best Director (How Green Was My Valley) - 1941
Ford had won the year before in the same category for a movie that he trully deserved it for. How Green Was My Valley is an excellent motion picture, it also won best picture. It does not hold up well today though and the movie is not honestly deserving of an oscar. This is my #1 choice because of the attrocity that took place this year.
- My Choice: Orsen Welles – (Citizen Kane)
Do I even have to explain why? Kane may be a dated movie by todays standards but Welles vision is still crisp and crystal clear. His ingenuity is as evident today as it was 61 years ago. The direction set into action techniques that are still in use today. This was the biggest travesty in oscar history.
2 – Winner: Art Carney – Best Actor (Harry & Tonto) – 1974
This was a good movie, once again far from great. Carney who is one of my favorite actors gave a spirited performance. Carney had better performances that he never got nominated for i.e. “The Late Show”. It’s a fun movie to watch cause of Carney but like many older winners this was nothing more than a sympathy Oscar.
- My Choice: Al Pacino – (Godfather Part II)
In my opinion the character of ‘Michael Corleone’ is the greatest study of the deterioration of a human being ever portrayed in film. Pacino was excellent in GF Part I but in Part II he gives a tour de force performance that even tops the prior.
3 – Winner: David Niven – Best Actor (Separate Tables) – 1958
1958 was one of the weakest years in Oscar history. The Best Actor category saw two men nominated for the same film. The most noticible Movies on 1958 were Cat On A Hot Tin Roof & The Defiant Ones. Or atleast the academy saw it that way because one movie was not nominated for either best picture, director, or actor…
- My Choice: James Stewart – (Vertigo)
Not only did neither Stewart or Alfred Hitchcock win (Hitchcock never won a Director award). Neither man was even nominated in 1958. I would have picked Hitchcock but he was snubbed so many times, he could dominate the top 5 all by himself along with many others who never won, like Martin Scorsese…. Speaking of which.
4 – Winner: John G. Avildsen – Best Director (Rocky) – 1976
1976 was a great year for movies, as were most of the 70’s. Rocky is one of my most favorite movies more for the story than its direction though. Stallone was still poor and hungry and had not yet grown an ego and gave an amazing performance. The movie was great and while Avildsen did an admirable job, he beat out someone who was and is heads above him and most everyone.
- My Choice: Martin Scorsese – (Taxi Driver)
Now I could have easily chosen the fact that DeNiro didn’t win best actor this year but Deniro had already won an Oscar for Godfather Part II (he would also win 4 years later for ‘Raging Bull’). The other problem is while DeNiro got a nomination, Scorsese didn’t even get that. Taxi Driver is a visually stuning movie, ofcourse DeNiros performance should have netter him the actor award with eyes closed but it didn’t. Scorsese got snubbed and to this day he has yet to win an award.
5 – Winner: William Holden – Best Actor (Stalag 17) – 1953
I know you people are gonna say “who cares it’s from the 50’s, what about Brad Pitt getting snubbed for 12 Monkeys?” But I have to take all decades into consideration and I know many of you never heard of these movies or these actors but this for me personally is a #1 snub. Holden gave a good performance in the film but he did this on the stage for years and his performance was too monotone and like he was just following a routine, which he probably was.
- My Choice: Montgomery Clift – (From Here To Eternity)
Many of you are gonna say “who?”, that saddens me. Monty Clift was one of the greatest actors to ever grace the screen, period! Montgomery Clift was an Idol to Brando, James Dean and Paul Newman. He was the original “Rebel” his only downfall was he didn’t die young like Dean or live a long life like Brando. He died in his mid 40’s in 1966 and has almost faded away. His performance in FHTE was breath taking, he said more with his silence than he could with 3 pages of dialouge, just his facial expressions, his body movement. When he did have lines to speak he delivered them like none other. It is sad but Clift was another great actor whom never won an award.
6 – Winner: George Burns – Best Supporting Actor (The Sunshine Boys) 1975
- My Choice: Robert Shaw (Jaws)
7 – Winner: Maximilian Schell – Best Actor (Judgement At Nuremberg) 1961
- My Choice: Paul Newman (The Hustler)
8 – Winner: Daniel Day Lewis – Best Actor (My Left Foot) 1989
- My Choice: Morgan Freeman (Glory/Driving Miss Daisy)
9 – Winner: Paul Lukas – Best Actor – (Watch On The Rhine) 1943
- My Choice: Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca)
10 – Winner: Roberto Begnini (Life Is Beautiful) – 1998
- My Choice: Edward Norton (American History X)
I know there are so many more, I tried to keep some choices more current and had to ignore older choices which some of you might not have known. But The list could be endless, I am sure some of you will add a few that shoulda won.
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