How many Movie Greats were denied Oscars?
By umart13
@umart13 (841)
Ireland
July 6, 2008 8:59pm CST
How many great Hollywood actors never received an Oscar? How many great films did not not get an Oscar? Or were there actors, directors or composers, who should definitely have received an Oscar for a particular film? I have a number in my head, but I would like to find out what you think?
UMart
3 people like this
6 responses
@doubloonie (535)
• Canada
8 Jul 08
Though I do enjoy watching the Oscars (and the fashions associated with the big night), I have lost credibility for the event. In the last few years, I have noticed more often than not that the artsy, pretentious films are the ones that win in their category and, quite frequently, I won't even have heard of the movie before. I believe that the judges are pretentious themselves and will be apt to vote for winners that fulfil their artsy criteria. Like this last Oscar, for instance, No Country For Old Men received many nominations and won awards, some of which I don't think they deserved. The movie was good and interesting in some parts, but there were also a lot of boring parts and long shots of just scenery and silence. The same can be said of There Will Be Blood - boringest movie ever, but yet so many nominations and awards. But, I digress. This year, I thought Atonement was robbed for best movie and James McAvoy was robbed for best male performance. He was fantastic in the movie.
@doubloonie (535)
• Canada
8 Jul 08
Additionally, I thought that the movie "Chicago" was undeserving of the Oscar and that Renee Zelweggar shouldn't have won best actress that year either. I thought that movie was entirely overrated and I'm not against movie musicals or anything. I think a year before that Moulin Rouge was released and that was a fabulous movie musical with exceptionally better actors, storyline, music and directing. The use of revamping and splicing together older music was amazing. I thought Moulin was robbed that it didn't get the same recognition that Chicago got, which I believe they only had because Chicago is such a well-established musical on Broadway while Moulin Rouge was an original concept. And Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman totally outacted Renee Zelweggar.
@umart13 (841)
• Ireland
8 Jul 08
Hi doubloonie. Sounds very like Dublin!
Yep! No Country For Old Men was good, but it was not Oscar material. If that sort of violence is the new standard then Steven Segal and Arnie should have won loads of Oscars by now. It is a film that I would rent out and enjoy, but it is not a classic I would buy!
@umart13 (841)
• Ireland
8 Jul 08
Moulin Rouge was infinitely better in my opinion and showed just how really talented Nicole Kidman is. Renee Zellweger is another one of those actresses who has the onion in her pocket when she needs to cry (Hello Demi Moore and Julia Roberts!) - entertaining, but not much more.... In another discussion, I have asked people to compare the female stars of today with those of the past. One conclusion so far is that Nicole Kidman could hold her own with the cinema greats!
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
7 Jul 08
There are many actors and movies that should have gotten a Oscar but didn't.Back in 1939, all 5 movies nominated could have won. Peter O'Toole has been nominated but hasn't won yet.Neither has Glenn Close.It is just not fair.I believe if there were ties on certain years there would be more fair but the only year there was a tie was 1969 when Katherine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand both got best actress.In 2006, the movies 2005,when Philip Seymour Hoffman was up for Capote and Joaquin Phoenix for Walk The Line there could have been a tie. Both were great and it would have made sense.And there were and will be other years where a tie would work.
@umart13 (841)
• Ireland
7 Jul 08
Hello sarahruthbeth22. Thanks for a great answer.It certainly is true that certain years produce a batch of great films. Without looking at any reference book I believe that 1939 was "Gone With the Wind" versus "Goodbye Mr. Chips!" The former cleaned up many Oscars, but the latter had Robert Donat, who got the Best Male Oscar for his role as the aging teacher. What can I say? - It was one of those years. One of my favorites came up against my all-time favorite.
How can Peter O'Toole not have gotten an Oscar for Lawrence of Arabia? He is Lawrence! As you said. Create a tie, or find an extra statue somewhere!
Then Glenn Close - she was more than a match for John Malkovic in Dangerous Liaisons. A superb film!
"The Academy" is far from perfect and I find it terrible when they let politics interfere in their decisions or that they decide that a newcomer cannot win an oscar.
All the best.
UMart
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
9 Jul 08
I had to look it up. In 1962 Gregory Peck won for To Kill A Mockingbird! A tie Was needed.
@Angelwriter (1954)
• United States
7 Jul 08
I'm sure the number is much bigger, but right now I can think of three names. Cary Grant definitely should have gotten an Oscar for Best Actor. And, there are plenty of roles he could have won it for. Alfred Hitchcock should have won for Best Director. It's crazy that he never did. And, one of his actors should have won. Anthony Perkins should have gotten an Oscar for Psycho, and he wasn't even nominated for the part.
For a more modern actor (actress) that I hope wins one someday, Kate Winslet. But, she still has time.
@umart13 (841)
• Ireland
7 Jul 08
Hi Angelwriter. Thanks for your answer. Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock did not get Oscars for what they did best. Yes! Isn't that amazing! These are exactly the sort of examples I am thinking of. Charlie Chaplin did not receive an Oscar until he received an honorary Oscar in the 1970s. This was due to his socialist views. Burt Lancaster never received an Oscar, despite his breathtaking performance as Robert Stroud in "The Birdman of Alcatraz." Once again the film was judged to be too politically sensitive! There are certainly more: Stewart Grainger, Marlene Dietrich, Kirk Douglas, Errol Flynn, Rock Hudson and John Travolta.
The list goes on and on.
All the best.
UMart
@Xdrowninghavocx (3117)
• United States
7 Jul 08
Lots of people. The first ones that come to mind are John Cusack and Julianne Moore. Both are very different, but each one has a quality that seems to be ignored around Oscar time. And I don't understand why. It's really unfair how some people are pushed aside each year. And sometimes the ones that win don't really deserve it that year. Very upsetting.
@umart13 (841)
• Ireland
8 Jul 08
Hey! I like your South Park character. Mine has a tennis racquet :-)
I liked Cusack in Serendipity. I presume you are talking about "Grace is Gone". Julianne Moore will get an Oscar eventually.
However, I am disturbed how actors are given the Oscar for the wrong role. For example, Dame Judi Dench played Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown. She was nominated but did not win. Many felt it was her best onscreen performance. But she got the Oscar for a cameo appearance as Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love. It was embarrassing for her and she acknowledged during her acceptance speech that she had only acted onscreen for a few minutes.
@fmuldowney (139)
• Ireland
11 Jul 08
Well Mart, it is easier to find a film decent enough to be deserved this 'so called' important award. The Oscars, depends heavily on the box office, but very little to do with quality. There is a book, which my brother has, from 1927 to today, the films of the year, and only 3 were given by the academy, the best film award.
There are more Turkeys now receiving awards than ever.
@umart13 (841)
• Ireland
11 Jul 08
Yes Frank it does seem pretty bad at the moment, but let's face it, the Academy's poor record goes back for decades. I was writing above how Burt Lancaster never got any award. Then the academy tries to make up for past mistakes like the Charlie Chaplin award in the 1970s. But more often than not they are too late and people like Marlene Dietrich have passed on. I started one discussion on whether Bruce Lee should be honored for his contribution to cinema. I found the initial response to be quite positive.
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Feb 16
The movie hailed as the greatest movie ever made in the world history of cinema is Citizen Kane and it only won screenplay.
