The buzz about nominations, designer gowns, and red
carpets can mean only one thing; Oscar season is upon us once again. Yet again
the gold statuette is the subject of controversy as an ‘Oscar’s boycott’ has
been formed in protest of the lack of nominations for actors of color.
Regardless of where you stand on the 2016 Academy Awards divide, controversy is
almost as much a tradition of the awards ceremony as over-long speeches with
scandalous after-parties, politically charged acceptance speeches, and feuds
between stars becoming ceremony staples. One of the most frustrating and
controversial aspects of the competition is the prevalence of exemplary work
passed over in favor of popular but lackluster efforts in blatant ‘Oscar
snubs’. Here are four notorious snubs from the Academy’s history.
Zero wins...Oh Hell No! |
1.
The
Color Purple comes in with eleven nominations and leaves with zero wins: Viewers
tuned in to the 1986 Academy awards with two productions racing to the finish
line with eleven nominations each; The
Color Purple and Out of Africa.
Both films contain themes of female empowerment and the interaction between
European and African cultures, albeit from very different perspectives. Meryl
Streep’s Karen and Whoopie Goldberg’s Celie both face oppression from the men
in their lives, eventually finding salvation in living independently. Despite
its promising premise, however, Out of
Africa is largely predictable, with Karen’s journey following a traditional
trajectory of spurning a toxic relationship with one man only to find herself through her
relationship with another man. In The
Color Purple, Celie faces a plethora of obstacles including sexual
abuse at the hands of her stepfather, physical abuse from her controlling
husband, poverty, sexism, and prejudice, which she escapes from not through a
romantic relationship but instead through developing a healthy relationship with herself. The film’s gritty
portrayal of violence against women is powerfully shown but the film is saved from becoming bleak through its ultimately
hopeful message of resilience and self-acceptance. Despite the film’s
compelling story and superb performances by Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover,
and Margaret Avery, however, the Academy Awards ended with the film empty-handed
and tying with 1977’s The Turning Point
for ‘biggest Oscar loser’. Viewer theories explaining the baffling snub range
from the Academy’s dislike of Steven Speilberg, then largely known for
directing action films and thrillers, to voter preference for screen veterans
Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, to racism. Ironically, The Color Purple remains a fan favorite and has since been adapted
into a Broadway musical with Out of
Africa becoming synonymous with pretension and Oscar hype.
2.
Grace
Kelly beats Judy Garland in “the worst robbery since Brinks”: Judy
Garland’s performance as small-time singer turned Hollywood sensation Esther
Blodgett in A Star is Born is nothing
short of dynamite, even by Garland’s exemplary standards. The film chronicles
Garland’s character’s meteoric rise and the devastating effect of her success
upon her alcoholic matinee idol husband (James Mason). That same year, Grace
Kelly played another woman struggling with an alcoholic husband unable to cope
with his fading show-business career in The
Country Girl. When the envelope was opened, viewers across the nation were
convinced that they already knew what the announcement would be until the Oscar
went to…Grace Kelly. Still a relative newcomer to the industry, viewers were
shocked that Kelly was given precedence over the veteran talent of Garland, and
after viewing A Star is Born most
viewers today are still stunned by Kelly’s win. While the high price of fame is
a common theme in cinema which both films share, few films capture the full complexity
and scope of life in the limelight in the way that A Star is Born does. The story holds particular poignancy when
viewed within the greater context of Garland’s own struggle with substance
abuse, which began during her years as a child-star at MGM. Prior to the film’s
release, Garland had endured one of her darkest periods both professionally and
personally, leaving audiences skeptical that she could carry off a role as demanding
as Esther. Upon the film’s release however, they were treated to a performance
that was the definition of a comeback as Garland owned each second of screen
time through her combined musical talent and raw emotion as she painfully displayed
the ways in which a career in the spotlight and all its temptations can destroy
even the most talented of artists. A Garland win was so certain in fact that
NBC even sent film crews to interview the actress in her hospital room where
she was recovering from childbirth the night of the ceremony, only to be caught
even more by surprise than the actress herself. Groucho Marx famously remarked
that Kelly’s win was, “the worst robbery since Brinks”, just a few notes of
Garland’s signature performance and you too might be crying ‘highway robbery’.
A black-hearted varmit who deserved that gold statue |
3. The Academy doesn’t give a damn about
Rhett Butler: 1939 is often cited as “the greatest year
in cinema’, and one reason is the groundbreaking release of the classic Gone With the Wind. The film has since
become a cinematic standard with Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara remaining one of, if not the most, beloved pair in modern film and literature. Rhett in
particular has won over audiences with his roguish charm and cynical outlook, as
well as his ability to ground Scarlett’s selfishness and vanity. Without Rhett,
Gone With the Wind would still be a
fascinating tale of resilience in the face of adversity, but would be sorely lacking
without the sly wit, passion, and tenderness that make up the heart of Rhett
and Scarlett’s relationship. The role became the most famous of Gable’s lengthy
career and is nothing short of iconic today with the line, “Frankly my dear, I
don’t give a damn” remaining one of the most instantly recognizable lines in
cinema history. While Rhett was already a well-written character in Margaret
Mitchell’s novel, the complexity of the rebel with a heart of gold could have
easily been lost in translation had the role not gone to an actor who lacked
the nuance and charisma of Gable. Despite Gable’s swoon-worthy performance,
however, the Academy shocked viewers by choosing Robert Donat for his role as
the stiff but lovable school teacher in Goodbye
Mr. Chips for Best Actor. Adding insult to injury, Gable’s strong
performance was treated as the weak link in the cast, with the film earning
Best Picture and co-stars Vivien Leigh and Hattie McDaniel earning awards for Best
Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Even more shocking, Donat did not even
attend the event, and when the votes were tallied Gable actually came in third
place with James Stewart earning runner-up for his portrayal of a disillusioned
senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
Such a blatant oversight is enough to make viewers question whether the Oscar’s
are worth giving a damn about.
4.
Citizen
Kane; best movie in history, but not Best Picture of 1941: Today, Citizen Kane is synonymous with
excellence in film-making. The influence of the film’s innovative story and
camera techniques is daunting enough, but the fact that the film was co-written
by, directed by, and starred a then twenty-six year old first-time film-maker is
an accomplishment so astounding that it remains the gold standard of cinematic
innovation. The story is a deceivingly simple tale of a man who possesses all
of the ability and resources to succeed, but is ultimately corrupted and
destroyed by his own power. The film was written as a thinly veiled portrayal
of the life and career of media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who established
his career through sensationalized yellow journalism and was renowned
for his ruthlessness as much as for his political and media influence. Although
Hearst was furious at the film’s unflattering portrayal of him, he became determined
to destroy the film when he learned of the vulgar way that his mistress, famed
silent film star Marion Davies, was portrayed. He quickly set about a campaign
to bury the film, libeling Orson Welles in his publications, banning showings of the
film, and banning even mention of the film in his many publications. Given
Hearst’s pull in the entertainment industry, the film’s loss at the Oscar’s is
not so shocking, but the loss to the now largely forgotten family drama How Green Was My Valley remains a timeless example
of the ways in which the Academy all too often is a symbol of temporary
popularity, but not necessarily lasting impact.
I can't go through another Season hearing about Oscar, hype and Buzz. Let's just get this over with, and so we can go back to watching and reporting on good films :)
ReplyDeleteYou have to admit these were some pretty serious oversights though...
ReplyDeleteI dont know which is the greater robbery? The Color of Purple not winning one single Oscar or the academy giving John Ford the Award for Best Picture in 1941 because he was a Popular Well Established Director, and Citizen Kane was Orson Welles big debut?
ReplyDeleteTough call...I'm pretty torn myself, but I think Welles' loss had more to do with Hearst than his age. Good food for thought!
ReplyDelete