What are the WORST Oscar winners, nominations, and snubs ever...

[battleknight24]

Since this year's Academy Award nominations have just come out, I thought we should have a little discussion about past Oscar shows.

In your opinion, what were the worst decisions ever made by the Academy as far as the winners, nominees, and snubs.

My picks:

Worst Original Screenplay Winner Ever:
2002: Gosford Park

Hold on one second before you flame away. I am not saying Gosford Park was a bad movie. I thought it was pretty good, but "Memento" was a far better, more original movie, thanks in large part to the imaginative screenplay. It was bad enough that Memento did not receive any nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, etc, etc. On top of all this, several voters said, anonymously, that they voted for Gosford Park for best original screenplay NOT because it was the best, but because they thought A Beautiful Mind would win Best Picture and Best Director (which is what happened) and they wanted to give Gosford Park a major award. In my book, this will always be the most criminal act the Academy has ever committed.

Close but no cigar-
Titanic winning best picture- 1997
I liked "Titanic," and I wasn't crazy about "L.A. Confidential," so I don't feel like the Academy made a bad decision here. "Titanic" is still a somewhat popular movie today; "L.A. Confidential" much less so.

Close but no exploding cigar-
Halle Berry winning best actress- 2002
A lot of people thought Halle Berry won because people wanted to see a black actress win Best Actress. I'm going to cut the Academy some slack here- while her performance in "Monster's Ball" was not earth shattering, neither was Sissy Spacek's role in "In the Bedroom," a role that many thought should have won the award over Berry. It was simply a weak year for lead female actresses.

No judgement:
Julia Roberts winning Best Actress- 2001
I've never seen "Erin Brockavich," and I can't remember who else was nominated that year, so I have no opinion on this decision, although MANY other movie fans do.


What do you all think?

[ronnykmarshall]

1. Snubs

Madonna: She should have been nominated for "Evita".

Cher snubbed for "Mask".

Judy Garland: She was ROBBED for "A Star is Born".

Alfred Hichcock: NEVER won a Oscar.

Richard Burton: Same as above.

[jberryhill]

14. Ron Jeremy

...should get a lifetime achievement award. He's been in more films than anyone.

[edbermac]

23. He's been in more women too...

;)

[mikeargo]

48. Dances With Wolves...

over Goodfellas

[ronnykmarshall]

81. I agree 100%.

I can't stand La Kevin.

[LostinVA]

88. I agree with Madonna for "Evita"

No, she is NOT a good actress, but she was very good in "Evita." She WAS Eva Peron.

[barb162]

105. yes

[terrya]

2. Julia Roberts for "Erin Brockavich"

I saw that movie, and for the life of me, I didn't see what was so special about her performance.

[eggman67]

31. This get's my vote too

Erin Crock-a-shit.

[Spirochete]

99. I agree

Ellen Burstyn should have won that, IMO.

[Wetzelbill]

112. add me to this list, Ellen Burstyn was by far the best

unbelievably great in "Requiem For A Dream."

[RubyDuby in GA]

138. I am glad someone else thinks this too

[Scout]

3. John Wayne NEVER should have gotten an oscar

for True Grit. (Was it True Grit or the sequel, Rooster Cogburn?)

I've never, ever, liked John Wayne. The only movies of his I tolerate are The War Wagon (for Kirk Douglas, Howard Keel and other cast) and The Cowboys for all the young actors.

[Bridget Burke]

4. John Wayne was good in Stagecoach.

Back when he was very young. That's the original version, directed by John Ford--I regard it as The Classic Western. Thomas Mitchell won an Oscar as The Doctor Who Drank. And the musical score won.

But there was lots of competition in 1940: Gone With The Wind, Wizard of Oz, Ninotchka, Mr Smith Goes to Washington & Love Affair (remade more schmoopily as An Affair to Remember & even more schmoopily as Sleepless in Seattle).

[Tyrone Slothrop]

5. He was good in The Searchers too n/t

[jobycom]

39. He was good in The Searchers. Very disturbing character. nt

[Faygo Kid]

57. Oscar for his last role was deserved: The Shootist.

He deserved it for The Searchers, but check out his performance in his last movie, The Shootist. Brilliant. Moving. I like to think (humor me) that he would have seen the fraud that is George W. Bush. But who cares; I loved him in The Shootist. W. would never understand it.

[jobycom]

68. That's who George W is pretending to be, you know.

In real life W doesn't have that swagger or that weird thing he does with his voice that some try to call a Texas accent. In real life he's a wimpy, insecure little frat boy (no offense to frat boys) from Yale. Back in the late 80s in Texas he wanted to run for governor, but polls showed that Texans did not consider him a Texan. So he started imitating John Wayne as best he could. He fails, but you can still see what he's trying, with his swagger that looks more like a drunken stagger and his drawl that sounds more like a drunken slur. They just told him to pretend he was John Wayne.

Wayne would hate him, methinks.

As for John Wayne, he wasn't that bad an actor. He was very good at what he did. People say he played the same in every movie, but all screen actors do that. Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Dustin Hoffman, Spencer Tracy, Dustin Hoffman, Liam Neeson, etc. There are very few film actors who act, and even those who do--like Johnny Depp, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino--still basically play themselves with some minor character affectation, most of the time. I'm not saying John Wayne was anywhere near their quality as an actor, just that he did what he did well. Oscars aren't really given for acting skill, they are given for the appeal of the character portrayed, and Wayne did that well enough. If he'd gotten more than one Oscar, I'd have thought that was too many. :-)

[barb162]

101. I liked him in "North to Alaska"

that movie still makes me laugh and I liked the dog in the movie a lot

[Skittles]

18. OMG SCOTT THANK YOU

I never could STAND John Wayne - a terrible, terrible actor

[GrumpyGreg]

33. John Wayne played the same character all through his career--

with a few changes of wardrobe.

[Scout]

117. exactly

and he didn't change the wardrobe all that much.

I wonder if they buried him with that big stick up his butt? you know, the one that made him walk funny...

[GrumpyGreg]

132. God,I needed that good laugh today---thanks !!!!

[Tyrone Slothrop]

6. I'm gonna disagree with part of your initial argument

I think that Gosford Park had a much more layered, involved and interesting screenplay than Memento did.

Memento worked primarily because Nolan did such a fantastic job of actually bringing his idea/screenplay (which was a little far-fetched) to life and making it seem real. I credit Nolan for this, as well as Guy Pearce and Joe Pantoliano.

Gosford Park's screenplay, however, is loaded with subtle nuance and details about classism in that period in history -- as well as telling a very engaging mystery/thriller story in which the victim is murdered twice.

To make a literary analogy here, I'd say that Memento was to Gosford Park as an Elmore Leonard work is to an F. Scott Fitzgerald work. That is, they're both great, but one is working on a much deeper level than the other.

[battleknight24]

106. We may disagree on whether Memento or Gosford Park was better...

... but many voters did in fact say they voted Gosford Park for Best Original screenplay because they wanted that film to win a major award, rather than voting for it because they thought it was the best.


Peace,


P.S. According to IMDb.com, Memento won 15 major screenplay awards, while Gosford Park won 4.

[Archae]

7. Worst "best picture" IMO...

"Rocky."

Nothing but boxing cliches.

[terrya]

9. I agree with you. "Network" should have won Best Picture that year.

"Rocky" was nothing more than audience pleasing pap. Just another boxing pic, as you said.

[LynneSin]

8. Ellen Burstyn was ROBBED in 2001 - she should have won

Just watch "Requeim for a Dream" and you'll understand why Julia Roberts did NOT deserve to win that Oscar.

[ghostsofgiants]

19. I'll second that.

[LostinVA]

89. Third

[Harrumph]

24. Exactly what I was going to say.

Ellen Burstyn was excellent in 'Requiem' but the academy voted for Roberts and her push-up bra and not for talent.

[Divameow77]

121. I thought Requiem was such a hard movie to watch

It was very good and Ellen Burstyn did a fantastic job but it was still hard.
I don't want to say I think Julia deserved it over Ellen but I think Julia did a good job in Erin Brockovich, I thought that movie was good.

[Divameow77]

122. Oops, dupe

nt

[bigwillq]

10. Forrest Gump winning best picture in 1994

Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption, Ed Wood, Bullets over Broadway were all better movies, imo.


As far as your picks battleknight24:

Memento should've won.
I can't see how Titanic did. Good Will Hunting was my fave movie of the year.
I thought Halle deserved it. I was blown away by her performance. Her drunken rant, which was so heartbreaking when she mentioned the loss of her child, sealed the win for me.
I thought Julia was good but again she didn't really have to play against type.

:hi:

[Rowdyboy]

12. I had a hard time with Forrest winning over Shawshank and Pulp Fiction

[maveric]

144. Samuel L. Jackson should have got it for "Pulp Fiction".

That film was too far over the edge for mainstream and an Oscar.

[cynatnite]

35. Good to know I'm not the only one who feels this way...

I don't think I ever got over that. Shawshank should have won. I remember how surprised I was.

[bigwillq]

40. Shawshank may be

my fave movie of all-time.

I was a bit pissed when Gump beat it.

[cynatnite]

41. It's in my top ten

but number one will always be 'Inherit the Wind'. Just love that movie like no other.

Anyway, this is a prime example of box office winning over quality...along with that horrid 'Titanic' win.

[bigwillq]

42. yeah, titanic didn't deserve to win.

I liked Good Will Hunting, Boogie Nights and LA Confidential better that year.

[LostinVA]

90. You're not -- I dislike that movie very much

[barb162]

103. I never understood how Gump won

[Rowdyboy]

11. IMHO "The Color Purple" was treated shamefully.....

11 nominations and not one single win. "Out of Africa" was a fine movie but, really, "CP" was a superior film in all respects. That Whoopie Goldberg lost Best Actress to Geraldine Page ("Trip to Bountiful") is unbelievable. "Bountiful" is a moving movie but nowhere in the league of TCP.

Then they compounded the insult by not nominating Spielberg for Best Director, but giving TCP itself a nomination for Best Picture.

Its still pisses me off to this day. Much the way I'll feel if "Brokeback Mountain" gets shut out of the major awards this year.

[bleedingheart]

78. Whoopie deserved the Oscar...

[ronnykmarshall]

82. I agree ....

Color Purple got screwed.

Whoopie should have won, but Miss Page was wonderful too.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

13. A few:

Titanic winning Best Picture over L.A. Confidential
Rocky winning Best Picture over Network (or Taxi Driver)
Forrest Gump winning Best Picture over Shawshank Redemption

The fact that Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman and Martin Scorsese have never won an Oscar for Best Director.

[djeseru]

15. Saving Private Ryan.

Still haven't figured why Shakespere in Love was considered "better."

[fishwax]

30. i didn't think either one deserved best picture that year

I'd've gone with Life is Beautiful ...

[smirkymonkey]

64. And how did Gwynneth Paltrow in "Shakespeare in Love"

beat out Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth" the same year - so wrong.

[LostinVA]

91. Because "Elizabeth" basically sucked

And, unfortunately for Cate Blanchett, that tar brushed here, too. If the movie had been better, she would have won hands down.

WTF did they change the facts of Elizabeth I's life? WHY? It's BETTER than fiction.

Cate Blanchett? The Oscar for "The Gift." I mean it.

[Divameow77]

124. I have always felt that way too

Cate Blanchett is awesome. She will snag an Oscar.

[RubyDuby in GA]

140. She did win last year for Supporting Actress, but she still beat

Paltrow that year - hands down. It is not for the Academy to decide if the movie was historically accurate - if that's the case Katherine Hepburn has to give back hers for The Lion in Winter because it is not.

CB did a better acting job than GP and that is what they should have judged them on. Only within the last 3 to 4 years have they really gotten back to merit based awardings, in my opinion at least.

[RubyDuby in GA]

139. There! That is it! I will hold this against the Academy until the day I

die! :wtf: were they thinking?

[CBHagman]

16. Don't forget Braveheart as Best Picture.

The pig wuz robbed! I would have been happy to see Babe win the Best Picture Oscar, or perhaps Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (a modern classic).

Also, what's with this business of waiting till the great directors are on their deathbeds (sometimes literally, as in the case of Satyajit Ray) before giving them their honorary Oscar? :shrug:

I've also noticed that the Academy loves actors-turned-directors. Kevin Costner, Ron Howard, Robert Redford, Mel Gibson, and Warren Beatty all have Dest Director Oscars, if I recall correctly.

And don't get me started on all those who either were never nominated or nominated without a win. For starters, consider Joan Allen, Judy Davis, Claude Rains, John Garfield, Peter Lorre, Jane Horrocks, Brenda Blethyn, Sigourney Weaver, Glenn Close, Miranda Richardson, et al.

Oh, and Forrest Whitaker ought to have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for The Crying Game.

[bigwillq]

20. I didn't get the hype over Braveheart

nor have I ever got the hype of Gibson. :puke:

[CBHagman]

27. I'm generally a sucker for historical dramas, too.

I mean, I'm the one with a videotape of Alfred the Great (Yes, the David Hemmings movie :blush:).

But after reading about William Wallace (and actually visiting Stirling), I was disappointed to have the story boiled down to hair extensions, mooning, and the resurrection of the droit de seigneur as a plot point. I guess they never got enough of The Warlord, huh?

Give me Kenneth Branagh's version of Henry V, snubbed except for the Best Costume Design Oscar. Blood, guts, Ian Holm, and a better screenwriter. ;-)

[LostinVA]

93. And, the battle of Stirling Bridge without the bridge

The historical inaccuracies in this movie, from that, to the fake great kilt, to Wallace's real well-to-do history... OMG. I majored in European History, and about died...

[CBHagman]

96. Glad you're still with us!

:hi:

It must be pure torture to watch this stuff!

Then there's the squirming done by people watching the screen adaptation of a favorite novel, or even one they've just read. Ouch!

[cynatnite]

43. Ron Howard is a good director, IMO.

Robert Redford's good, too.

Mel Gibson...nope, not a good one. Costner...he's okay. Neither of them should get anything for their body of work.

[jobycom]

45. Probably the weakest Best Picture ever, but it was a bad year for film.

I think Braveheart won because of the work that went into it more than the movie that came out of it. It was a decent film, and it had its clever moments (as long as you don't care about historical accuracy), but it never lived up to its promise. And it's competition was weak. Babe was cute, but not any better, and certainly not as great an undertaking. The Academy seems to reward achievements in fx and cinematography and sheer management skill on some large projects, and I think that's how Braveheart won. I remember watching the Oscars that year (rare for me), and thinking I didn't like the choice but I couldn't see what else they could have done.

I agree on Forrest Whitaker. I wish his career had played out better. Damn good actor.

[bigwillq]

47. My two faves

from the Braveheart year were:

Leaving Las Vegas
Dead Man Walking

[jobycom]

60. Eh, not bad. Not great though.

I guess I wouldn't have complained about either of them beating Braveheart. I was a medieval history student at the time, so Braveheart offended my puritanical side (a side I've tried hard to squash--there's a reason puritanical rhymes with tyranical). So I would have probably preferred to see the other two win. But I didn't feel like either was robbed. I mean, none of the three are movies I really want to watch again.

[bigwillq]

65. I've watched Leaving Las Vegas

like 30 times. It's a tragic love story.

[jobycom]

80. Well, then, for you

I'll declare that it should have won the Oscar instead of Braveheart! :-) I don't see it, but I can't imagine anyone watching Braveheart 30 times! :rofl: And I like Nicholas Cage better than Mel Gibson, anyway.

[ronnykmarshall]

85. Several of the actor you mentioned

will probably still win Oscars in the futher. Judy Davis and Joan Allen still get nominated and I'll cross my fingers for Sigourney and Glenn as well.

[barb162]

104. I agree, I though Sense and Sensibility was way better

[Skittles]

17. George Burns winning over Brad Douriff as Billy in Cuckoo's Nest

un-frigging believable

I agree with you about Ms. Berry - she is one of the most overrated actresses EVER

[MissMillie]

21. Snub: Do the Right Thing

big time

[edbermac]

22. Russ Meyer was never nominated...

For the Breast...er, Best Director category...just look at his talent...

[begin_within]

62. ..but John Waters did mention "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill" on the Oscars

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

25. "All the President's Men" losing to ROCKY!!!

:eyes:

[HEyHEY]

26. I've been snubbed once too often by the academy

It hurts so much :-(

[begin_within]

63. I thought "The English Patient" was a thoroughly boring film, yet it won.

[Faygo Kid]

141. Boring?!? A horrendous bad dream. Elaine (Seinfeld) was right.

It was horrible. Worse than "Titanic." Maybe the worst movie I ever saw. And I am a film buff. Geez. Give me a real movie with real talent.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

28. Titanic....UGh!

not an oscar worthy nomination let alone win.

[GrumpyGreg]

32. You beat me to it--what an awful movie---I laughed when I

wasn't supposed to laugh.

[bettyellen]

108. you mean the steamy windows?

[GrumpyGreg]

131. Yep and the time the girl went down to rescue the young guy

who was chained or handcuffed to something as the Titanic was sinking.

It was so ludicrous I laughed theoughout the entire scene.

[cynatnite]

37. I'm still surprised it was nominated...

It winning was just too much to take. I went to the basement and banged my head against the wall for an hour.

[jobycom]

46. When did all the Titanic bashing begin?

When it was released it was hailed by many critics as the best movie ever. It won awards in just about every country it was shown and by just about every awards group in the world. It was voted by British moviegoers as the best movie ever. If there has ever been a film that widely regarded as one of the greatest ever, I don't know of it. And it set all kinds of box office records and DVD sales records. It's still the number one grossing film in America.

Suddenly it's chic to hate it. I mean, it's not my favorite, but I think they'd have had to disband the Oscars if it hadn't won that year.

[bigwillq]

49. Disband the Oscars????

:shrug:


It was another Oscar love-fest for that overblown, over-hyped mess of a movie, that's all.

[cynatnite]

50. I hated Titanic before it was cool to hate it

It was an over the top, over-acted, overdressed and over everything else crap of a movie.

Just because it made a lot of money don't make it great and I don't care who loved it. It completely sucked! I told my daughter that while she drooled over Leonardo after she saw it five or six times.

[elehhhhna]

52. NO joke! It stunk out loud & was the end of Leo's career, imo.

boo hiss

[bigwillq]

67. Leo was good in

The Aviator, imo.

[jobycom]

79. End of Leo's career?

DiCaprio has made several big budget films since then, working with Scorcese three times and Spielberg once. He got an Oscar nomination for The Aviator--most actors would kill for that type of an ended career.

[elehhhhna]

114. I know. He has, however, failed to fulfill his promise as an actor.

imho

[ronnykmarshall]

84. I like it ...

:hide:

[jobycom]

123. Me, too, but it could have been better

With Tom Cruise in it!!!

:yoiks:

(Just kidding! Just happy to see we agree on something! :hi: )

[uppityperson]

142. Worst movie: Titanic

predictable, poorly acted, the boat sinks. So?

[bettyellen]

109. while i was watching it, god the whole audience heckled.....

we were the best part.

[fishwax]

29. Kramer vs. Kramer getting Best Picture over Apocalypse Now

[cynatnite]

34. Worst snub of all time: The Color Purple n/t

[GalleryGod]

36. Got Shutout 0-11..the NEXT year Spielberg

received the Irving Thalberg Award at age 36:wtf:

[GalleryGod]

38. Oh and BTW...any other nominee for Best Picture was more worthy

than that awful Made for TV movie: Terms of Endearment.

[u4ic]

44. Zentropa not even being nominated

:wtf:

[Arkham House]

51. Orson Welles--

--he never won for director or actor...split an award for the screenplay for "Citizen kaine", still a controversial point--did he write any of it...? And of course, "Kaine" didn't win best picture, believe it or not, it was "How Green Was My Valley"...barf, gag...at least losing to "The maltese falcon" would have been kind of cool...but "Citizen Kaine" losing to "HOW FUCKING GREEN WAS MY FUCKING VALLEWY"...???...

[begin_within]

53. Worst editing job ever to win the "Best editing" Oscar: "The Last Emperor"

[begin_within]

54. Worst sound quality ever to win the "Best Sound" Oscar: "Seabiscuit"

[begin_within]

55. .

[begin_within]

56. "Contact" was a far superior film to "Titanic" but wasn't even nominated.

(except for one nomination for Best Sound, but it didn't win that. That was the year of the "Titanic" mind-warp of the Academy.

[begin_within]

58. Biggest acting snub: Brenda Blethyn not winning for "Secrets and Lies"

[PassingFair]

92. "Shwweeeeet'eart!

She NAILED that role.
I can still picture her and hear her.
What a brave performance.

[begin_within]

59. Most deserving winner of the past 20 years: Martin Landau in "Ed Wood"

[jobycom]

69. "Most deserving" is an awfully bold claim

Not one I would want to dispute, though. :-) He was brilliant. That whole film was brilliant. I still think that was Depp's best performance, too.

[begin_within]

74. I actually was hoping Alec Baldwin would play the part of Ed Wood, because

of Baldwin's strong physical resemblance to the real Ed Wood. And I think he would have done a good job at it. Johnny Depp did get the mannerisms and personality right, at least from my understanding of Wood's personality. But I will always be disappointed that they didn't test Alec Baldwin for that part because he looks so much like Ed Wood (see below). Martin Landau simply disappeared into the character, there was no trace of Landau - he simply became Bela Lugosi. So him winning the Oscar for it was a good consolation.

[calico1]

61. Beatrice Straight for best

supporting actress in"Network." She was in the movie for about 10 minutes total and didn't do much of anything. I never got that one. I don't put too much stock in the Oscars because so many of the awards are based on Hollywood politics. Both Henry Fonda and Paul Newman won best actor awards but not for their best performances. It was more because they were getting up there in years and the Academy felt they were due something. So much stuff like that goes on. And if you are brilliant but "different" from what Hollywood wants then forget it. You won't be given recognition.

[ronnykmarshall]

86. I have to disagree.

I think she was what "Best Supporting Actress/Actor" is really about.

Her brief time on the screen was fantastic. She tore your heart out in that 10 minutes.

[begin_within]

66. Brad Pitt gave a superb performance in "Seven Years in Tibet" but he was..

...snubbed by the Academy because the CHARACTER he played was a member of the Nazi party for a while. They punished the actor because the character was a Nazi. Yet they didn't hold it against Ralph Fiennes, who played a member of the Nazi party in "Schindler's List," in fact they gave him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for it! The dumb shits.

[Montauk6]

70. Ralph Fiennes losing out to Tommy Lee Jones

Then, to make matters worse, Fiennes who excellently played about 3 or 4 roles in Sunshine didn't even get a nomination!

But Schindler's List should have been his for the taking; sympathy awards, you're-old-and/or-dying awards, please-forgive-the-oversight awards should be banned, IMHO.

[sundog]

71. Marisa Tomei for "My Cousin Vinny"

:wtf:

Judy Davis should have won for "Husbands & Wives"

oh yeah, and Michelle Pfeiffer should have won for "Fabulous Baker Boys" - that role was classic... she lost to Jessica Tandy, which in a way was an award to honor her before she passed on... so somewhat understandable... all of MP's flicks have pretty much sucked since then anyway

[bigwillq]

72. I thought Tomei was great

And it was a pleasant surprise that Oscar honored a comedy. Not sure if it was Oscar worthy but it was cool that she won.

[jobycom]

75. I thought it was Oscar worthy.

Kind of like when Kevin Klein won for A Fish Called Wanda. The role was lighter than Judy Davis's, but Tomei's character required more skill, I thought. I wouldn't have resented someone else winning. I thought Miranda Richardson in "Damage" was more deserving than Judy Davis, for what it's worth.

My own pet theory is that most years the best acting is done in the Best Supporting Actress category.

[sundog]

98. this is often true

supporting roles frequently carry the weight of a film

[sundog]

77. she should have won for "In the Bedroom" instead

that was a fucking great movie... she was amazing in it

[ronnykmarshall]

87. Marisa took a lot of shit for that.

I fucking LOVED her in that role. BUT this is my take on it. The other nominees were ALL heavy weight "serious" performances. I think the vote was split. So poor Marisa won the oscar took a load of shit for it ever since. She HAS redeemed herself by getting a second nomination. So she's not a flash in the pan.

I also think that Jessica Tandy's oscar was well deserved.

I think Michelle Pfeiffer should have won for "Love Field".

[sundog]

97. i think i think she should have won for "In the Bedroom" because

that is when she showed she wasn't a flash in the pan

i was blown away by that performance

[jobycom]

73. Going by taste alone, The Return of the King was the worst Oscar ever.

I can step back and see that it was a big, bold film, had good acting, and that it must have taken a lot of skill to pull it all together.

But damn, how anyone can stomach that film, or any of the three, i don't know. The whole damn thing was like a big budget made for Nickelodean film. Jackson used every first year film student device in the book, and never seems to have made it past chapter one. The computer graphics were horrific, the costumes and makeup were expensive mock-ups of something Ed Wood would have used, the script writing was random and sloppy and had no consistent narrative--he seemed to just pick whatever scenes he liked from the book without caring whether it told an actual story on the screen--the music was grating and intrusive.

I mean, really, how many times did we need to zoom in on a character's furrowed brow just as he whipped his head around to look over his shoulder? How many times did some magical being have to go dark and shake the heavens with their suddenly otherwordly voice? How damn many times do we have to see an Orc foot stepping in a puddle or on a log in the forest to know that there were Orcs running through the forest? Even the filmmakers on the Sci-Fi channel would have avoided those devices at least now and then. Not one original effect, not one original shot.

Good acting is the only thing that made that film watchable. I could almost enjoy it when Ian McKlellan was on screen. But not for long, because Jackson couldn't go two minutes wihout doing a rush zoom on Legolas as he whipped his head around to look concerned at something behind him. I felt like screaming "It's just the camera, quit turning around!"

Oh well. No one agrees with me. I'm used to it. I might as well go eat some worms.

[cynatnite]

76. Well, I love the movies, but...

I certainly didn't think it was Oscar worthy. The entire Oscar presentation was nothing more than one giant promo of the LOTR trilogy.

I was sad 'Mystic River' didn't win. I loved that movie.

[jobycom]

83. I would have put several films over it.

Seabiscuit, Pirates of the Carribean, Finding Nemo, Master and Commander, Whale Rider, The Last Samurai, most episodes of Bob the Builder...

I've never seen Mystic River. I don't know why, but it never appealed to me. Looking at the list of big movies that year, I didn't see a lot of them, so I guess it wasn't much of a movie year for me.

[Puglover]

120. Well, your last sentence is spot on anyway!

:toast:

[jobycom]

127. HEY!!!!!

:rofl:

(so was the rest of it!)

[Lilith Velkor]

145. Thank you!

:applause:

I LOATHED that film.

[BlueIris]

94. Worst snub ever? Few noms, no awards for "25th Hour."

ASSHOLES. That's...one of the best American films ever made. And--no recognition. No respect. No love. Terrible.

Other snubs that still hurt: last year. NO BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR "THE VILLAGE." Broke my heart. That's one of the best scores I've ever heard, and I love, love, love my copy of it. AGH. Painful memory.

The snub of Kevin Bacon's performance in "Mystic River" still hurts a lot. If there's any line more movingly delivered in that one than "Is that my daughter in there????!!!!" it's: "Hey, kid. You wanna point that toward the floor." Grrrr.

Okay, one more Oscar decision that bugs--one from the winning category this time: while she gave a gracious and moving acceptance speech, I'm still kinda bitter about ultra-mean and not-so-talented Helen Hunt winning for "As Good As it Gets," which...yeah. Bitter.

[Merrick]

95. Hands Down: Julia Roberts Over Ellen Burstyn in 2001

Everyone knew Ellen deserved it for Requiem for a Dream, but apparently the fix was in. Julia's awful psychotically narcisistic, awful performance acting humble in accepting only underscored things.

[calico1]

115. ....

And she totally forgot to mention Erin Brocovich!

[barb162]

100. Edward Norton not getting nominated this year for

Kingdom of Heaven; one of the best acting jobs I have ever seen

[barb162]

102. Charlton Heston in Ben Hur

the guy can't act, never could and beside that he likes his guns too much for my taste

[6000eliot]

107. I'm not sure

but I think Gosford Park was an original screenplay, while Memento was an adaptation. They wouldn't have been competing in the same category.

[battleknight24]

134. Memento was nominated for best original screenplay because...

... the short story was not published at the time the script was written and the movie was made. It was published after the movie was made, so it was eligible for it to be in the Best Original Screenplay category.

[6000eliot]

137. I bow to your superior knowledge

Memento was the better movie.

[Bombtrack]

110. I disliked Gosford park AND Memento

in 2000 there were plenty of better screenplays than either. Superficial originality alone does not the best screenplay or movie make. Memento amounted to one big waste of time and attention.

[battleknight24]

135. Memento won 15 major awards for best original screenplay...

... Gosford Park won 4, including the Academy Award.

[XemaSab]

111. This may sound odd

but it bugs me that they seperate out male and female actors.

:shrug:

[Wetzelbill]

113. Adrien Brody should have never beat out Daniel Day-Lewis

a few years ago. DDL as Bill The Butcher is one of the greatest performances ever. The movie had flaws, but DDL has a performance for the ages.

[CBGLuthier]

116. Greatest Show on Earth beat High Noon for best picture

Outside of totally ignoring great directors as mentioned above, honoring this film as best picture has to be one of the worst outcomes in Oscar history, particularly when contrasted with what a great and important film that High Noon is.

Oh and add Peter O'Toole to the list of the greats who were snubbed. Honorary oscars are better than nothing but he should have one at least once. I can see Peck beating Lawrence with his performance in To Kill a Mockingbird and also Cliff Robertson's Charly beating The Lion in Winter's King Henry, Robertson was brilliant.

But Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady beating O'Toole in Becket?

Can't accept that one.

[DelawareValleyDem]

118. Geena Davis over Joan Cusack (Working Girl) for Supporting Actress

A complicated year, as both Joan and Sigourney Weaver were nominated for the same award in the same film, and Sigourney was further nominated for Best Actress that year. Joan deserved a nomination for My Blue Heaven, too.

Steve Buscemi and Donald Sutherland never being nominated is absurd, and Maria Bello has unfortunately been snubbed twice in recent times, this year and when she did The Cooler a few years back.

[Divameow77]

126. I think Working Girl

is probably on my most hated movies, although I am a big Joan Cusack fan.

[Puglover]

119. Jessica Tandy scolded the Academy ONSTAGE

for snubbing "The Price of Tides". If I remember correctly she said something like "Shame on you for ignoring this womens beautiful work. Shame"

[Initech]

125. How about this year? No "Walk The Line" best picture nom!

:grr: :argh:

[Divameow77]

128. I can't believe that!

I haven't seen all of the nominated movies, but I think Walk the Line is the best movie I saw last year.

[Initech]

136. Yup, I dont even know why I bother with the Oscars sometimes.

Good movies like "Walk The Line" or "The Truman Show" get snubbed in favor of some overly pretentious movies that only appeal to the Sundance crowd.

[jrandom421]

129. Worst Choices in my opinion

1941-"How Green was My Valley" over "The Maltese Falcon" AND "Citizen Kane"
No comment needed

1946-"The Best Years of our Lives" over "Henry V"
Just my opinion, I've always been a Laurence Olivier fan, and this is the role and performance that catapulted his career.

1948-"Hamlet" over "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre"
Really torn, because of my intense fanship for both Humphrey Bogart and Laurence Olivier. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" gets the nod because of the most unforgettable line, "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges!"

1949-"All the King's Men" over "Twelve O'Clock High"
Again, my own personal preference. First real war flick I saw as a kid, and first performance by Gregory Peck I ever saw.

1964-"My Fair Lady" over "Dr Strangelove"
Wouldn't that have been a real hoot?

1968-"Oliver!" over "A Lion in Winter"
Talk about a mismatch! Kate and Peter made the Plantegent Christmas perhaps the nastiest ever! Oliver would have been mincemeat before lunch.

1970-"Patton" over "M*A*S*H"
Wouldn't that have been a hoot at the time?

1976-"Rocky" over "Network"
"Rocky" was a modern fairy-tale, while "Network" was a sharp, biting satire.

1979-"Kramer vs Kramer" over "Apocalypse Now"
While "Kramer vs Kramer" was very good, "Apocalypse Now" was an epic.

1980-"Ordinary People" winning and "The Great Santini" not even getting nominated.
Never related to "Ordinary People". The mushroom soup scene in the beginning of "The Great Santini" was worth at least a nomination. My wife grew up in a military family in the 50s, 60s and 70s and she said "The Great Santini" could have been her father.

1984-"Amadeus" over "The Killing Fields"
I liked "Amadeus" but it wasn't even half the story of "The Killing Fields".

1990-"Dances with Wolves" over "Goodfellas"
No Comment

1994-"Forrest Gump" over "The Shawshank Redemption"
As good as Tom Hanks was, "Forrest Gump" left me gritting my teeth the whole time. The story of "The Shawshank Redemption" was classic, and the wife and I just loved the ending.

1995-"Braveheart" over "Apollo 13"
Maybe I'm just a NASA junkie and a Tom Hanks Fan, but there seems to be no comparison between the two.

1997-"Titanic" over "Good Will Hunting"
Makes me want to strangle all the Academy voters.

1998-"Shakespeare in Love" over "Saving Private Ryan"
I liked "Shakespeare in Love", but it wasn't even a tenth the film "Saving Private Ryan" was.

2004-"Million Dollar Baby" over "The Aviator"
As good as "Million Dollar Baby" was, and I enjoyed it thoroughly, "The Aviator" seemed to capture the power, genius, and madness of Howard Hughes and distill it into a compelling and (mostly) true story.

[CBHagman]

130. 1995 was actually a good year for movies

Someone on this thread said that it was a bad year, but I very strongly and emphatically disagree. Look at some of the films were out that year: The Usual Suspects, Dead Man Walking, Babe, Sense and Sensibility, Il Postino, Apollo 13.

[jrandom421]

133. I agree, but...

"BraveHeart" over "Apollo 13", "Dead Man Walking", and "Sense and Sensibility"? Get real....:rofl:

[maveric]

143. Russell Crowe for "Gladiator" and not for "A Beautiful Mind"

Marisa Tomei for "My Cousin Vinny".
Denzel Washington winning it for "Training Day" and not for "Malcolm X".
John Wayne for "True Grit".
And Richard Burton NEVER winning an Oscar.

[dysfunctional press]

146. Peter O'Toole never won.

Lawrence of Arabia to Goodbye Mr. Chips to The Stunt Man, to My Favorite Year...

and nothing