And the Oscar Should go to…….

This past weekend, the 95th Academy Awards ceremony took place. For me, it was one of the best in years! Considering the shit show (sorry, but that term is the only appropriate one for the lack of decorum at last years ceremony) that was last years Oscars, it was so refreshing to see such happy, excited nominees and winners. Between Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Yeoh, and Ke Huy Quan, I was in tears half the show. The show also got my mind moving, thinking about the movies that never got nominated, and certainly should have. After I sat down to brainstorm a list of movies or actors that should have been nominated, I was surprised at how many I came up with. I lumped the films or performances into categories with others, depending on how many I came up with for each. So, without further ado, the nominees are……..

Best Picture

There are so many films from the Golden age of Hollywood, that the Academy didn’t give the love to that they deserved. Films that have held up over the test of time, films that influenced movie making for decades, and films that were simply overlooked, it’s a sin they dismissed them. Alfred Hitchcock came to mind in every category, but especially the Best Picture one. He was grossly looked over numerous times. The Academy simply couldn’t or wouldn’t acknowledge his genius. Films that should have been nominated for Best Picture of his include, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Notorious, and Vertigo. Val Lewton horror films like The Cat People, and I Walk with a Zombie, truly deserved nominations. They are creative, and diverse films that we’re all still talking about, and watching today. Horror is certainly not a genre looked at fondly by the Academy though. In the vein of Lewton, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Thing from Another World should have been nominated. They are probably the 2 most influential sci-fi films ever. Film Noir classics Laura, and Out of the Past are phenomenal films, even by modern standards. How were they passed over?!? I also feel that Meet Me in St. Louis, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s are absolute gems, classics that will never go out of style, and certainly deserved nods for the greats they are. I round out my list with classics like Some Came Running, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and Key Largo, all films that are dramatic, have a lot of star power, and a lot of heart to them. Reading this list back, it’s stunning a lot of these films didn’t even get 1 nomination! They’re the cream of the crop! Classics are like that sometimes; they aren’t appreciated or seen for what they are at the time. It takes years to reach the status of classic.

Best Director

All of the films I felt deserved a Best Picture nomination for, I also felt deserved a best director nom too. Hitchcock for Notorious and Vertigo. Both are 2 of his best films, where he’s on his A game. They’re intriguing, and layered films that are superbly well done in terms of not just directing, but everything else needed to make a film great. I Walked with a Zombie was a fantastic and complected film that only the right director couldn’t have done. Jacques Tourneur did a masterful job in creating an atmosphere and a film all it’s own. A pair of Vincente Minelli films should have made the cut too; Meet Me in St. Louis, and Some Came Running. I will admit my bias to Some Came Running is deep. It was made in my county! How could I not love it? But in all honesty, it’s a fantastic film with great performances, and a moving story. And Meet Me in St. Louis speaks for itself. Everything about this film is near perfection, so how could Minelli not be nominated?

Best Actress

This category I had to trim down because I had SO many performances that I felt deserved to be nominated. I just kept thinking of one and then another and another. Barbara Stanwyck or Bette Davis could have been nominated for nearly every film they made, they were just that good. But there are two in particular that I just can’t wrap my head around not being nominated. They are Maureen O’Hara for The Quiet Man, and Ingrid Bergman for Notorious. I mean, what gives?!? These are riveting performances with grit and layers, you can tell they dug deep inside to bring out the best for these characters. On the flip side, two performances that were more subtle and reserved that deserved nods are Barbara Stanwyck in My Reputation, and Alida Valli in The Paradine Case. Both performances are layered, but both actress’s play them in an understated way, almost as if they aren’t even acting. They come off real and most performances like these aren’t as appreciated as ones where the parts pull a lot of acting out. Other performances that deserved nominations are Dorothy McGuire in The Spiral Staircase, Gene Tierney in Laura, and Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot. The last one being a given, am I right?

Best Actor

From a pair of John Wayne performances, to a pair of Jimmy Stewart’s, this category had me scratching my head on why some of these were shut out. I think we’re all in agreement that John Wayne as John Thornton in The Quiet Man is one of not just his best performances, but one of the best actor performances of all time. And Jimmy Stewart’s crazed Scottie in Vertigo is as good as any performance gets. Truly a stunning piece of acting. These two stars also deserved nods for their performances in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Joseph Cotten should have been nominated for his dark portrayal of Uncle Charlie in Shadow of a Doubt. Cary Grant and Robert Mitchum both had dark portrayals deserving of nods for Notirous, and Out of the Past. Lastly, it’s a crime Frank Sinatra didn’t get recognized for his role in Some Came Running. It stands as one of his best.

Best Supporting Actor/Actress

Crazy, in your face, over the top. I’m talking about Jack Carson, Burl Ives, Judith Anderson, and Madeleine Sherwood in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. 4 of the best supporting roles you’re ever going to see. They’re always coming in hot with something nasty, or passionate, or crazed. And I’m here for every minute. Let’s not forget Barbara Bel Geddes in Vertigo, as the smart Midge, Ava Gardner as the Femme Fatale in East Side, West Side, or Kirk Douglas as the deranged Whit in Out of the Past. All help to carry their respective movies into the classic realm they’re in today.

More Hitchcock

So, basically, Hitchcock just didn’t get the recognition he deserved. I’m saying he was robbed. Over, and over, and over. Bernard Herrmann’s scores for The Trouble with Harry, Vertigo, I, Confess, Psycho, and North by Northwest all deserved nominations. Most of these should have won. They’re simply fantastic, and still listened to by audiences today. Whats more iconic than the score from Psycho?!? It’s such a shame they weren’t even nominated. I, Confess and Vertigo both should have been nominated for Cinematography. They’re ethereal, beautiful photography is something special that’s all their own. It’s difficult to achieve the beauty that both these films contain. Lastly, Rear Window, and Vertigo deserved nominations in costume category. Rear Window and Vertigo had really special costumes made by the legendary, Edith Head. The gowns, coats, and other accessories she created for Grace Kelly, and Kim Novak are unmatched. Nothing’s more iconic than Edith Head, and her talents are on full display in these two films.

It was fun thinking of all the films the Academy looked over. It was also crazy to see the amazing classics that didn’t get proper recognition. I hope you’ll connect with me here in the comments, or on Instagram. I would love to hear any movies or performances you think were looked over.

Slow down and enjoy a Tuesday Matinee.

Megan