Oscars – B+ Movie Blog

The Oscar Quest began in May of 2010. I finished about fifteen months later, and wrote it up for this site. That was essentially the first thing I did on here. Five years have passed since then. I’ve grown as a person. My tastes have changed, matured (or gotten more immature, in some cases). So it feels fitting, on the five year anniversary of the site and of the Oscar Quest, to revisit it.

I want to see just how my opinions about things have changed over the past five years. I didn’t do any particular work or catch-up for this. I didn’t go back and watch all the movies again. Some I went back to see naturally, others I haven’t watched in five years. I really just want to go back and rewrite the whole thing as a more mature person, less concerned with making points about certain categories and films than with just analyzing the whole thing as objectively as I can to give people who are interested as much information as possible.

This is the more mature version of the Oscar Quest. Updated, more in-depth, as objective as possible, less hostile. You can still read the old articles, but know that those are of a certain time, and these represent the present.

1995

Apollo 13

Babe

Braveheart

Il Postino

Sense and Sensibility

Analysis:

Apollo 13 is a self-explanatory film title.

Everyone hears this movie and immediately thinks of the famous line. “Houston, we have a problem.” Which is not spoken the way anyone thinks it was. Think about how you remember that line being spoken. It wasn’t.

This movie is great, by the way. It doesn’t feel like a Best Picture winner, but also… if it’s my favorite film in the category, and the film that I consider to be the best in the category, then who cares, right? That’s always the argument for me with this movie. I love it, it’s great. So why not take it?

Babe is a movie about a talking pig. And somehow good enough to prevent them from ever making a film about one of the three most famous baseball players ever and calling it this.

Babe is a pig who wants to herd sheep. He learns to do so. That’ll do, pig.

I feel like everyone knows this movie, but also, I grew up with it. I have no idea what you crazy post-millennials watch.

It’s great. I completely get why they nominated it. Wouldn’t take it at all. But it’s a solid third choice for me. If for some reason the main two films fell off the list entirely and were replaced with nothing, I’d be okay taking this. Otherwise, good film. Talking animals.

Braveheart is the movie with the kilts and the blue face paint. And the ‘Freedom!’ speech. Otherwise, most people couldn’t even tell you what this is about. Right? And this movie has a king named Longshanks in it. It’s fucking nuts. Yet no one remembers the specifics.

William Wallace is a Scottish dude who watches as Longshanks basically takes over Scotland and rapes his people (sometimes literally). His wife is murdered and he swears revenge. So (and by the way, they basically took this exact story and set it during the Revolutionary War and made The Patriot. Even Gangs of New York is the same story. Murder, revenge, killing) he starts a rebellion and it grows. It’s pretty awesome. Great battle scenes. A bit far-fetched (he fucks the king’s wife!), but still awesome.

A lot of people would take this, and I’m cool with that. I might even take it on the right day. But also… I love Apollo 13. They’re both good, but Apollo 13 is casually good. I’ll just put that shit on and watch it. This, not as much. Though this has disembowelment, which is a bonus.

Il Postino does not have disembowelment. So what’s the point, really?

That’s how I vote at the Oscars. Does it have disembowelment? Then I’m not interested!

That’s why Spotlight won.

This is about an illiterate postman who meets an exiled Pablo Neruda and befriends him. And Neruda teaches him how to read so he can woo a woman he likes and then the man becomes a poet. That’s it. That’s the film.

It’s a Harvey Weinstein special. Perfectly fine film, but I think his campaigning plus the death of the film’s lead actor and some well-placed critical love helped this get as far as it did. But it immediately became a fifth choice the minute it became nominated. No one honestly takes this in this category. Or, if you do, no one thinks this is the best choice in the category. It’s just — not a good choice. We’re already gonna have Roberto Benigni on our hands, do we need this too?

Sense and Sensibility is Ang Lee directing Emma Thompson’s script of a Jane Austen classic.

How this is different from any Merchant-Ivory film or any other costume drama version of these movies, I don’t know. But people fucking love this. I see this so often as the film people would take in this category, or the film that “should have” won, and I remain baffled. It’s fine. It’s perfectly fine, and a good film. I just don’t get it as a winner. I don’t know if I’m gonna go so far and to say people are wrong, but also I wonder how much of it is people going along with a narrative that’s been untested. Doesn’t really matter. I wouldn’t take it, and this would be a fifth choice for me if it wasn’t for Il Postino. I just don’t take these movies in this category unless I like it enough and absolutely have to. Neither is the case here, and all things being equal I’d rather take the talking pig over this.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: It’s Apollo 13 vs. Braveheart for me, and I imagine for a lot of people. You wanna do Sense and Sensibility, be my guest. I’m staying out of that. That’s not for me. And while I love both of these choices, Apollo 13, as I already said, is just so much more captivating for me, despite it not seeming like a Best Picture choice as much as Braveheart does. So I’ll take Apollo 13. Cool with which way they want (and they set themselves up for it with the lack of Director nomination for Ron Howard), but I’m taking the film I like better.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

Braveheart
Apollo 13
Babe
Sense and Sensibility
Il Postino

Rankings (films):

Apollo 13
Braveheart
Babe
Sense and Sensibility
Il Postino

My Vote: Apollo 13

Recommendations:

Braveheart is essential. What are you, nuts?

Apollo 13 is also essential. Did you not grow up with this movie on cable like I did? Do people just not watch this all the time? Because it’s watchable as hell and really good with really great actors in it. You don’t have to consider it a classic and a Best Picture choice, but you better see it as something you need to see based on just pulling up the goddamn IMDB page alone.

Babe is essential. It just is. Kids movies are very essential to all our lives, and this is one everyone needs to see. I don’t care if you’re an adult. See it. You see this right now. I’ll wait.

Sense and Sensibility –– ehh. Solid film. Not something I feel is essential. It’s on you. Probably worth seeing for the cast and director, but as a film, take it or leave it. It’s better than almost all the Merchant-Ivory stuff, but unless you’re really into the story or what not, I don’t feel — actually, scratch that. I say the best versions of very famous works are, in their own way, essential. And to this point, this is the best theatrical version of this story (unless English majors really prefer other versions that I don’t know about because they were only aired on the BBC), so that makes it worth seeing in a SparkNotes kind of way. Otherwise, it’s a costume drama and a really famous novel. You know what you’re getting.

Il Postino is a moderate or even light recommend. I don’t love it, but it’s fine. Some people will really like it. I say it’s up to you. It’s not required viewing at all unless you’re deep into the Oscars. Otherwise, use your own judgment on whether you think it’s worthwhile or not.

The Last Word: Braveheart seemingly has held up as the better choice, and I can’t really argue with that. Though I prefer Apollo 13. How that would have held up as a winner I can’t quite say. But I think they were both fine choices. Seemingly they went with the better one, but that’s only because we see how it’s held up and we can all live with that and accept that as a good choice.

– – – – – – – – – –

1996

The English Patient

Fargo

Jerry Maguire

Secrets & Lies

Shine

Analysis:

The English Patient.

Right though?

Ralph Fiennes crashes his plane in the desert and is badly burned. He’s cared for by Juliette Binoche and tells her his story, which involves an affair with a married woman. It’s From Here to Eternity meets Out of Africa. Big and epic and sweeping and romantic. It’s everything the Oscars salivate over.

I personally think the movie’s about thirty minutes too long and if they tightened it up without some of the subplots (Willem Dafoe losing his thumbs? The bomb defusing?) getting as much screen time as they do, this would be an incredible movie that I’d wholeheartedly support as the choice. Maybe not this year, but in general.

I’ve said for years, if they released this in the 50s, and it was a tight, 112 minute movie, this would have been a great winner. It’s got everything. But this — not something I take. I get it, and it makes sense as a winner, but who loves this to take it over Fargo? Let’s not pretend like this will be anything other than a third choice for me.

Fargo. I’m not gonna do the Minnesotan accent here. Nor will I say what I figured I’d say on the assumption that you’ve seen this.

But you have seen this, right?

I mean, it’s not as blatant as the next film, but you’ve seen this. You don’t get to me without having seen this. There’s a base level of giving a shit about movies before you get to me. You see this by the time you get to that level.

God this movie is so good.

Remember when they ignored the Coen brothers for years despite having at least four masterpieces up to and including this movie? The only movie they’ve made to this point that wasn’t 100% perfect is The Hudsucker Proxy, and it’s still THE HUDSUCKER PROXY.

This is the choice. I think history has shown us this is the choice. I’m going to take this. The next film I love dearly, but this is still the choice. The best (or worst, I guess, depending) part is that we’re not even gonna argue about this one. This is the choice.

Jerry Maguire. I refuse to believe you haven’t seen this or don’t know all about it.

What, was there a more famous moment I could have put here instead?

That’s the point. You can pick at least three really famous and iconic moments from this movie that everyone knows off the top of their head.

Somehow, this is not Cameron Crowe’s masterpiece. But it is an incredible movie that everyone loves. And as much as we’d all love to take it… it’s in the same category as Fargo. And Fargo actually has as many iconic moments as this has. Somehow. It’s a second choice no matter what I do. I can’t reason this over Fargo. I just can’t.

Secrets & Lies. I can’t really put a gif from this movie on here. Mike Leigh’s not really a “gif” friendly filmmaker.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste is a doctor who was adopted at birth. She tries to track down her birth mother. It’s Brenda Blethyn, a working class woman with a big family. And the film is about them meeting one another and entering each others’ lives.

I don’t love this movie. I generally have trouble with Mike Leigh in general, despite his films often having one or two brilliant moments in them. This movie has the cafe scene where the two meet for coffee, and it’s just one of the best acted scenes you’ve seen. Incredible. But the film — I thought it was boring. I couldn’t get into it. It’s certainly a good movie. That I can’t and won’t deny. I just can’t get into this movie or his movies in general, for the most part. This, to me, is an easy fifth choice and actually makes the category look weaker. Many people will disagree with me, and I understand that. That’s just how I feel. I would never take this. It’s just not for me.

Shine is a movie about a piano prodigy most people have never heard of. But that’s generally what good biopics do. Introduce you to people you don’t really know about and make you interested in their stories.

This is about David Helfgott, a child piano prodigy who is pushed hard by his father. So hard that he suffers a mental breakdown and is institutionalized. He’s played by three different actors, the two notable ones being Noah Taylor and Geoffrey Rush.

It’s a solid film. Though it’s one of those movies, that while generally liked, does make for a fairly weak Best Picture nominee. They do tend to be biopics. But they also are only really looked at as, “Yeah, that was fine.” Fourth choice for me, only because I would never vote for Secrets & Lies. In a category with Fargo and Jerry Maguire, I wouldn’t even glance at this movie.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: I’m taking Fargo. I’m always taking Fargo. I’d be taking Jerry Maguire if not for that. I just don’t like The English Patient enough to take it. Plus… fucking Fargo. That’s the choice.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

Fargo
The English Patient
Jerry Maguire
Shine
Secrets & Lies

Rankings (films):

Fargo
Jerry Maguire
The English Patient
Shine
Secrets & Lies

My Vote: Fargo

Recommendations:

Fargo. Jerry Maguire. Have you not seen these already? Because I’m pretty sure you don’t make it here without having seen those. Two of the most essential movies ever made.

The English Patient is essential as a Best Picture winner. It’s a good film too. But if you want to complain about it having won, you need to see it. Plus, it’s a Best Picture winner. You should see those. This is essential, just not as much as those first two.

Shine is a solid film. Essential for Oscar buffs, otherwise a solid recommend.

Secrets & Lies is Mike Leigh. People should see one or two of his films just to get an idea of how he works. They’re not all essential, but some people really like them. See enough to get an idea of if you’re in that category. Of all his film, this one might be the most well known. That coffee scene is great. Moderate recommend. Not my favorite movie, but great central performances in it.

The Last Word: The English Patient is the kind of movie that would win Best Picture, and it’s good enough that it’s not the worst choice. But does anyone really like this as a winner? Don’t we all agree that Fargo was a far superior choice? That seems to be the takeaway from this year. Fargo was the best choice and the choice they made fits what they do, so while nobody loves it, we understand it, even if nobody thinks it was all that great.

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(Read more Oscar Quest articles.)

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1997

As Good As It Gets

The Full Monty

Good Will Hunting

L.A. Confidential

Titanic

Analysis:

As Good As It Gets is James L. Brooks again. Though while his other ones were female-centric and about relationships — this one’s purely Jack Nicholson doing Jack Nicholson. And that’s not a bad thing.

Nicholson plays an OCD misanthropic author who is just an asshole to everyone around him. And, between his gay neighbor, the neighbor’s dog, and his favorite waitress at his local restaurant, he learns to open up to people.

It’s fucking wonderful. I love this movie. Shouldn’t have won at all and is a fourth choice in this category no matter how much I love it.

The Full Monty is another one of those charming British film phenomenons of the 90s.

A bunch of steel mill workers get laid off and can’t find work. After seeing a male strip show in town do crazy business, they decide to start one themselves. And of course they don’t know what they’re doing, and they’re all regular dudes — comedy ensues.

It’s a wonderfully entertaining movie that you can’t help but like. I really enjoyed this when I saw it, even though we can all agree that this wasn’t the right choice for the category. Fifth choice all around. Lovely film, but not the vote.

Good Will Hunting is not your fault.

Look, it was either that or apples.

We’ve all seen this movie. Somehow we all end up seeing this movie before college. And if not, there’s always that one friend in college who owns like five DVDs and this is one of them, and you see it with them at some point.

This movie is amazing. I love that it was nominated, and I can’t think of a reason to vote for it if you think it’s the right choice. It’s so good I want to look at taking it. But I’d never take it because of this next film and because between that and Titanic, I’d end up with one of those before I got to this. But it’s still great

L.A. Confidential is probably one of the top five neo noirs ever made. Chinatown will always be tops. But this is up there. This movie is incredible.

It’s about three cops. One is Guy Pearce, the son of a former star officer killed in duty, who is really ambitious and wants to make a name for himself and do his father proud. Another is Kevin Spacey, “Hollywood Jack,” the superstar cop who liaises with Hollywood and lives the glitz and glamour of the town without really getting deep into the police work. And then there’s Russell Crowe, the “blunt instrument,” who does all the dirty work and has a real desire for justice. He routinely beats up wife beaters off the books and is willing to bend the rules a bit to see the right thing be done. The three are soon involved in a major homicide, where someone shoots up a diner and a bunch of people are killed.

It’s GREAT. This movie is great. It shouldn’t have won and would never won, but this is my favorite movie in the category. This will be my vote, despite me knowing what the winner is and should be and knowing this film has no chance to win.

Titanic. You know this movie.

This is the choice this year. That doesn’t mean I’m voting for it, but anyone who was alive and cognizant in 1997 knows this was the only choice for this year. This was the biggest thing ever when it came out.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: There’s never any doubt about what should have won this. In 1997, there was no other choice but Titanic, and I understand that. Now, with three other great films in here that I like more than Titanic, I don’t feel the need to vote for the automatic winner. You know Titanic is going to win going in. There’s not even a question that it can lose. So at that point — why take it unless I truly loved it? Good Will Hunting is amazing. I want to vote for that. As Good as It Gets, I love. I want to vote for that. And L.A. Confidential — I’m going to vote for that. I really love that movie and think it actually could have been a decent winner on its own. Not that it would have won, but since it’s my favorite, that’s gonna be the vote.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

Titanic
L.A. Confidential
Good Will Hunting
As Good As It Gets
The Full Monty

Rankings (films):

L.A. Confidential
As Good As It Gets
Good Will Hunting
Titanic
The Full Monty

My Vote: L.A. Confidential

Recommendations:

Titanic. Really?

L.A. Confidential is essential. No self-respecting film buff gets this far without having seen this movie.

As Good As It Gets is essential. This movie is fucking wonderful. I’ve always assumed everyone saw this movie on their own, but now there’s like, young people around. People born after the millennium. People younger than The Matrix.

Good Will Hunting is a film you need to see. You don’t want to be goin’ around bahs and regurgigatin’ Gordon Wood all over the place, do ya?

The Full Monty is an awesome film. High recommend. One of those movies that charms everyone. Definitely worth seeing.

The Last Word: Titanic is the choice and objectively it’s one of the better, if not best, choices of all time. Sure, other films are good enough to be okay choices, but nothing would be as good as Titanic has been. To further prove my point, I’m going to provide you with a four minute sample what it was like to live in America between December 1997 and August 1998:

– – – – – – – – – –

1998

Elizabeth

Life Is Beautiful

Saving Private Ryan

Shakespeare in Love

The Thin Red Line

Analysis:

Elizabeth is a film about Elizabeth I, the “Virgin” Queen.

Cate Blanchett plays Elizabeth, and it’s a 90s version of those 60s costume dramas. That’s really all you need to know about it. Looks great, great performances, very much in that vein, making it easy to know what you’ll think about it.

The film’s fine. Mostly it’s about Blanchett’s performance. I wouldn’t even vote for this in the 60s unless I had to. Fifth choice all around for me. It’s solid, but it doesn’t make for a good Best Picture winner.

Life Is Beautiful is that movie that I hated with a passion for years just because… I don’t know, really. I hadn’t seen it for the longest time and it just had that element of — I think I felt it was overly cloying and it had that thing where everything feels it was a bad winner so you just take a disliking to it. I don’t know why I didn’t like it, because it’s a wonderful film. But, you know… youth.

It’s about Roberto Benigni and his family during the rise of World War II and the Nazis and all that. Eventually he and his family end up in a concentration camp, and, to shield his son from the horrors of it all, turns it into a game for him.

It’s one of those movies that just shouldn’t work at all. Somehow it does. One day it’ll make a great double feature with The Day the Clown Cried.

Anyway, this movie is fantastic. Easy nominee, solid film. But I’m not taking it. Fourth choice overall. I’d take three movies over this for sure. Maybe one day it becomes third, but I doubt it’ll ever go higher than that. It’s just not something I’d ever take. It also does fit right in with that run of foreign films that ended up on the Best Picture list throughout the 90s. Each decade has its own run of things that happened. I like that.

Saving Private Ryan is a war masterpiece. I know people have some issues with the third act, but that’s because the first act is so perfect.

Everyone should know the story, but it’s simple enough. A man’s brothers all die during the war, and as per policy, he is to be sent home. So Tom Hanks and a small squad is sent to find the guy and send him home.

It’s so good. The D-Day sequence alone practically won this award. And the rest of the film is so incredible. It’s always gonna be my choice. This is one of my favorite films of all time. We’ll get into how the category turned out, but for me, this is gonna be my choice every time.

Shakespeare in Love is a great film. You can’t really say it’s not. It’s incredible. Yeah, it’s fine to not like that it won, but it’s really entertaining.

It’s about Shakespeare writing Romeo and Juliet, and the woman who inspired him to turn it from some throwaway comedy into one of the greatest plays ever written.

The film is incredible. You put it on not knowing exactly what it is and you’re gonna love it. Honestly, take out the one film we think that should have beaten it and we’re all fine with this as a winner. But we’ll get to that in a minute. For now — love this movie, just wouldn’t take it over Saving Private Ryan. Most of us wouldn’t. Still great, just a second choice for me.

The Thin Red Line is Terrence Malick’s first film in twenty years.

It’s his version of the Battle of Guadalcanal. So it’s a war film shot like a Terrence Malick film. It’s really good.

I haven’t seen it in a while. I’m really due to watch it again. Though I do know, no matter how many times I watch it again, I’m not gonna take it over Saving Private Ryan. So it’s really the only difference of third vs. second place. I like this movie a lot, but it would never be my vote because I don’t think it’s the best war film in the category, let alone the best overall film.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration:

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category and films):

Saving Private Ryan
Shakespeare in Love
The Thin Red Line
Life Is Beautiful
Elizabeth

My Vote: Saving Private Ryan

Recommendations:

Saving Private Ryan. All-time classic. Must-see. All-around essential.

Shakespeare in Love is essential. It’s great and it won Best Picture. And, if you want to complain that it won, you need to have seen it. Must be seen by all.

The Thin Red Line is Terrence Malick. Everything he made up to Tree of Life is essential. The rest are negotiable.

Life Is Beautiful is essential. Because one, if you want to complain that Benigni won, you need to have seen it. Plus this movie is great. So must be seen.

Elizabeth is not essential, but solid. If you like these costume dramas like the ones from the 60s, then it’s worth a watch. If you want to discuss the Best Actress category from this year, you need to have seen it. Otherwise, you’re okay without it.

The Last Word: This is NOT one of the worst decisions of all time. Shakespeare in Love, on its own, is a great winner. Not like, top tier all time great. But a really solid choice. Against Saving Private Ryan, sure, it’s not the best choice. But it must be put into perspective that they didn’t just vote for a terrible film because they didn’t want to vote for the choice we all prefer and think is better.

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(Read more Oscar Quest articles.)

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1999

American Beauty

The Cider House Rules

The Green Mile

The Insider

The Sixth Sense

Analysis:

American Beauty is one of those movies that made me love film. It came out right during that magic age where you really start to take movies in and see real movies. I probably shouldn’t have seen it at age 11, but on the other hand, a good film is a good film, regardless of whether or not it has a scene of Kevin Spacey jerking off in the shower.

Hey, we’ve all been there.

Spacey is a middle-aged man whose life just has no spark anymore. His marriage is distant, his kid hates him, he hates his job, and he hates his life. And this is a movie about (and this is not a spoiler, because he says it right at the top) the year he has before he dies. Pretty sure most of you have seen this, but if not, just watch it. It’s awesome.

I love this movie. I’d vote for it every time. I mean, sure, put it in a stronger category and we can discuss it. But here, I don’t see anything that beats it. I could want to look at The Insider, but I wouldn’t take that over this. This movie is a classic. Nobody remembers specifics of The Insider as well as they remember specifics of this. This is the choice for me all around.

The Cider House Rules is the Weinstein nominee of the year. That by now is a thing that we all understand.

Tobey Maguire grew up at an orphanage run by Michael Caine, an ether-addicted doctor who performs abortions and cares for orphans. So pretty much what I’m aspiring to be. He decides he doesn’t really want to follow in Caine’s footsteps so he goes out on his own into the world. He ends up on an apple farm run by Charlize Theron’s family. She’s engaged to Paul Rudd, who’s going off to fight the war, and he’s living in their barn with the black family that picks the apples. It’s all dramatic and shit.

It’s a very solid movie and is well made and engaging, but — and I think most of you will know what this means — it’s a Weinstein special. A movie that’s solid and fine, but really only gets all the big nominations because Harvey campaigned for it like crazy. I’d love to read a book about his methods for doing this (because I’m sure not all of them are totally above board and are, in a way, similar to how elections are won). I like this movie, but also… the way these all got nominated is way more interesting to me. Because it’s designed to appeal to Oscar voters, and people like the films well enough. But also… are you really gonna vote for this? When you’re not in the year the films do sort themselves pretty easily, don’t they? This falls immediately to fifth for me. Maybe some people like it as high as third, but does anyone actually vote for this? Does anyone actually vote for any of the Weinstein Oscar specials?

The Green Mile is Frank Darabont directing a Stephen King short story set in prison. Sound familiar?

The only difference is, this one has a literal magical negro.

Tom Hanks is a prison guard on death row, and the film is about his time specifically during the years when Michael Clarke Duncan is there. He’s a large black man convicted of raping and murdering two little white girls. The guards pretty quickly realize he probably didn’t do it, but are unable to do anything about that. The film focuses on the day to day lives of these people, and how each of them are changed by Duncan.

It’s a very good movie. I haven’t seen it in years, but I remember thinking that, while I liked it, there’s concern that going back to it might elicit a lesser response than I originally had. I feel like I might see it as trying a bit too hard. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it holds up. I don’t know. It’ll never be Shawshank, and that’s not my concern.

The Insider is potentially Michael Mann’s best film. Yeah, yeah, I know, Heat, I know. I’m partial to Collateral myself. But this movie is great. It’s a straight drama, and it’s wonderful.

Russell Crowe is an executive for a tobacco company who knows they are lying about the dangers of their product. He ends up being fired and, despite having to sign a bunch of NDAs that prevent him from disclosing anything, he goes to CBS with his knowledge that they knew the dangers of cigarettes and deliberately lied to the public. And this causes a shit storm for both him and the network.

It’s great. It really is terrific. I would want to vote for this if not for American Beauty. Unfortunately it ends up a second choice for me, but goddamn, do I love this movie.

The Sixth Sense. We live in an era where kids don’t automatically know the twist to this movie. How fucked up is that? We’re all so old. But also, fuck those kids.

Bruce Willis is a child psychiatrist with a past who is tasked to work with Haley Joel Osment, a boy without friends. His secret?

It’s actually a really well put-together film. It might be M. Night’s best. People love Unbreakable. I’m indifferent toward that. Signs is my personal favorite. But this one seems to have it all put together in a nice way. It was a phenomenon when it came out, hence this nomination. It had no real shot at winning and falls right to the back of the pack for me. Pretty much three of these movies are ones I like well enough but would never take. Normally this would be a fifth but here it’s a fourth, just because — no on Cider House.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: American Beauty is, to me, the best film in the category. So that’s what I’m taking. I like The Insider a lot, but it’s not American Beauty. The others are nice, two of them are very well remembered, especially from their year, but none of them are American Beauty. That will always be the choice for me in this category.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (rankings and films):

American Beauty
The Insider
The Green Mile
The Sixth Sense
The Cider House Rules

My Vote: American Beauty

Recommendations:

American Beauty

The Insider

The Green Mile

The Sixth Sense

The Cider House Rules

The Last Word: Great choice. Nothing else holds up. Cider House Rules would have been one of the weaker winners of all time and forgotten almost immediately. Green Mile would have looked awful, winning while Shawshank lost. The Sixth Sense — well, how well does that film hold up after all the secrets are out? Fine, but… it’s not a proper winner. Wouldn’t have held up. The Insider — ehh. American Beauty’s the only choice here, and they made the right one.

– – – – – – – – – –

2000

Chocolat

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Erin Brockovich

Gladiator

Traffic

Analysis:

Chocolat is a pure Weinstein special. Though whereas The Cider House Rules actually felt light it might have some teeth in the way of winning awards, this one… wait for it… purely confectionary.

Juliette Binoche opens a chocolate shop.

That’s kind of it. But also, the town is run by the church, who thinks that’s bad, and then all the people in the town kinda like it. And it’s about all the stories of the townsfolk who come into the shop, and her being a single mother and all that.

It’s actually a good movie. The problem with it comes when it forces its way into the Best Picture list and you’re like, “Ehh, it’s not that good.” It’s the idea that it could have won that’s worrisome. That’s why these Weinstein movies are so dangerous. When they win, it can be a problem if the movie’s only there because of campaigning and not actual strength. Fifth choice all around, this one.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is one of those movies that I can’t believe got nominated. Yet, it was a phenomenon and is still thought of as a great film. So good on it.

I’ve seen this movie like five times and still can’t really explain the plot. People want a sword, and there’s a lot of fighting and stuff.

It’s good, and all the stunts have become iconic, but I couldn’t honestly tell you what it’s about. It looks great. It’s not my favorite film in the category, and I would never take it. It’s objectively probably a third choice based on how it’s held up next to the other choices. Still not something that’s for me.

Erin Brockovich is one of two Steven Soderbergh movies on this list. The lesser of the two, but still, an achievement.

Erin Brockovich is a single mother who needs a job. After a car accident and trial which gets her nothing (for which she blames her lawyer), she shows up at his office demanding a job. She browbeats him into hiring her. Eventually, she ends up helping him in a class action lawsuit where about 500 people are suing an energy company whose practices led to a much higher risk of cancer and other illnesses. Despite not having any legal background whatsoever, she proves vital to the case.

I assume this got on because Julia Roberts was at the height of her powers. It’s a good movie, but also a weak Best Picture nominee. It’s a very likable movie that moves and works because Soderbergh doesn’t overdo the elements you’d assume a Julia Roberts movie would overdo. Still a fourth choice here that would normally be a fifth choice. No way I take this. A solid nominee that I’d also consider a “filler” nominee.

Gladiator. You have to know this movie.

General is betrayed and sent to be murdered. He escapes, is captured and becomes a gladiator, and eventually returns to Rome as such. And he will have his revenge.

He also really likes touching wheat.

This movie is amazing. The effects are dated, the story is actually pretty simplistic. Very much in the realm of those 50s Roman epics. Still, I love it. This movie was great. One of those films that we all liked best even though it doesn’t necessarily fit the traditional mold of Best Picture winner. Though, also — yeah it does! That’s what’s so weird about it. I know certain people prefer the next film to this, but this is similar to a situation we’re gonna have in a few years — most of us liked this best, so what’s wrong with it as a winner?

Traffic is Steven Soderbergh’s bigger, more acclaimed film of 2000. The fact that he managed two Best Picture nominations and two Best Director nominations in a single year is truly impressive. Not even Francis Ford Coppola did that. Though… there’s no question whose two films are better.

This is about the war on drugs. Told in three distinct stories. One is Michael Douglas as a crusading judge whose daughter becomes an addict. One is Benicio Del Toro as a cop dealing with all the corruption in Mexico surrounding drugs. The third story is about a DEA investigation into a cartel lord. They have to protect a witness long enough to testify, while the drug lord’s wife is taking over affairs while he’s in prison and is trying to eliminate the witness.

It’s a great film. Based on a TV show. This is the film that a lot of people felt should have won. I’m not one of those people, though I wouldn’t have been upset had this won at all. It’s incredible.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: Gladiator is my choice. It’s my favorite film and there’s no clear choice above it. I think it’s a perfectly fine winner. Traffic would also be a fine winner, but this is about what I’m taking, and for me, that’s Gladiator.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (rankings and films):

Gladiator
Traffic
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Erin Brockovich
Chocolat

My Vote: Gladiator

Recommendations:

Gladiator. You haven’t seen this already?

Traffic is essential. For Oscar buffs, for film buffs, must see for all. It’s great.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is essential. Do you not know this already?

Erin Brockovich is essential for Oscar buffs. Essential for the turn of the century there. Probably. You kind of have to mention it. It’s a solid biopic, and one of those movies you can just put on and watch. I would see it. I think most people know the title because of how weirdly iconic it’s become. Just watch it. It’s Soderbergh. Don’t you know he makes great movies?

Chocolat is not essential. Worth watching. It’s very entertaining. One of those movies that satisfies your movie… sweet tooth.

The Last Word: Jury’s out on whether or not this was the right choice. I think it’s fine. Traffic would have also been good. That’s the on-paper classy choice. Gladiator’s the populist choice, the movie we all enjoy the shit out of. Both are in the same realm all-time in terms of where they’d be (or are, in the case of Gladiator) as winners. So both are good choices. I’m happy either way. Nothing else would have held up. It’s either Traffic or Gladiator. Those are the only films that work.

– – – – – – – – – –

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2001

A Beautiful Mind

Gosford Park

In the Bedroom

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Moulin Rouge!

Analysis:

A Beautiful Mind is a biopic of Charles Nash. You know… that guy.

He’s a mathematician who is brilliant but also… there’s mental illness involved.

It’s standard biopic fare. Bolstered by great central performances from Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly. A good film, but a fourth choice most years. Here, third for me, but still, I wouldn’t dream of taking it. The fact that it won… well, we’ll get to that.

Gosford Park is Robert Altman’s last foray at the Oscars.

This is a story about a weekend at a country manor, told from the perspective of the guests and the servants. It’s actually Downton Abbey before Downton Abbey. Written by the same guy.

It’s — the movie’s fine. Altman used his style on it, which is that casual style where some conversations are overlapping as some people enter and exit a room. Not every single line particularly matters here, and it offers a more relaxed, realistic experience. Which is nice. I can’t say that I love this film, but it is solid. It would fall to the back of the pack most years for me just because it’s not my cup of tea. The fact that three of them are in this year (at least) makes it a really tough category to have to get through for me.

In the Bedroom is a solid indie movie that would be a nice #5 most years. Here, I feel like it drags down the rest of the category. But a good film is a good film.

Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek are a New England couple. Their son, just entering college, has started dating a woman twice his age with kids. She’s separated from her husband. They don’t love the idea of this relationship, but the boy is happy so they let it go. One day, the woman’s husband comes by the house and, in a fit of rage, murders their son. And the rest of the film is about the grief these people feel and what they do about it.

It’s a really strong drama. Like I said, would make a solid #5 most years. Still a #5 here. I wouldn’t take it, but I like that it got recognized here because it’s really well done and well acted.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. There’s really no way you haven’t seen this movie before reading this. So here’s a very specific moment from this film that’s never not funny to me:

This movie is probably the best of the three. And this is the weakest category of the three the trilogy was in, so I’m surprised this didn’t win. I guess they needed three films to come around to it. Either way, this is gonna be my choice. This category doesn’t even give me the opportunity to even consider something else. The rest of these films are so weak compared to this. This is far and away the #1 for me.

And if you think otherwise, then we can discuss it over second breakfast.

Moulin Rouge!

All right! Stop shouting at me! I get it!

This is an insane ride of a film. Ewan McGregor is a writer who ends up at the famous cabaret and falls in love with its star prostitute. And they all sing and dance to pop songs.

It’s a really energetic film that’s a lot of fun to watch. Can’t say I love it nor that I’d vote for it. I prefer other Baz Luhrmann films to this one. Still, it’s very well made.

Never would take this, but in a category as weak as this, it probably ends up a second choice just because at least this is bursting with energy rather than the same old Oscar shit.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: It’s strange to me how this doesn’t go down as one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time. Everyone shits on Crash — and they’re right to shit on Crash — but this is equally as bad. The only thing that saves this from as much vitriol as Crash is that this category isn’t as strong as that one is. To me, the choice is worse here because here, they didn’t deliberately make a statement. Here, they actually thought this was the best film. Which is just… wow.

Not that it’s a bad movie, and I’m pretty much taking care of the Last Word portion of the article up front, but who the hell actually votes for A Beautiful Mind here? I guess you almost have to, given the rest of the category. But I feel like this is a category where — unless you’re taking the film that I assume is the consensus among most people — Fellowship — everyone has their own personal preference. I imagine Gosford Park has its share of voters, as does Moulin Rouge. Beautiful Mind I think has a couple of fans. In the Bedroom, less so, but I’m sure they’re there.

For my purposes, it’s Fellowship and then everything else. (Gangs of New York, by the way, could have won this had they released it when they originally intended to. Marty could have had his Oscars rather than going 0-fer the year after this against much stronger competition.) Fellowship is the only choice here and runs away with this. Easily the choice.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category and films):

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Moulin Rouge!
A Beautiful Mind
Gosford Park
In the Bedroom

My Vote: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Recommendations:

Me, when I find out you haven’t seen The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:

Moulin Rouge! is essential. At least for anyone within five to ten years of my age. Since this is a huge movie for us. If you didn’t see this, you were a piece of shit. Plus it’s Baz Luhrmann, and he makes great movies.

A Beautiful Mind is a Best Picture winner, thereby making it essential. Yes, one of the lesser essential winners, but it should be seen. It’s a solid movie with great lead performances, and Ron Howard is always good for a 4 star movie a lot of the time.

Gosford Park is Robert Altman and the film that gave us Downton Abbey. So if you like that show, you’ll like this. Otherwise, it’s solid. Worth a watch. I don’t consider it essential unless you’re getting into Altman.

In the Bedroom is a really good indie. Great performances, solid adult drama movie. Though not overly essential. Just very much worth seeing.

The Last Word: Legitimately one of the five or ten weakest decisions they’ve ever made. The only thing that redeems this slightly is the fact that they basically had no other choice to make. In the Bedroom or Gosford Park never stood a chance. Moulin Rouge is too polarizing a choice and wouldn’t have been that great a winner. (Look at Chicago. How’s that hold up, fifteen years later? And that’s the classier of the two.) The only other choice is Fellowship, and there’s that weird thing where you know two more are coming right along after it. Though theoretically you can vote the first one and not have to take the next two. I guess they decided to backload it. Either way, the choice they made is not a strong choice. It’s one of the weakest winners ever and only becomes slightly okay because the category is so bad.

– – – – – – – – – –

2002

Chicago

Gangs of New York

The Hours

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Pianist

Analysis:

Chicago is one of those stories that’s hung around Hollywood for years. It was made as Roxie Hart in 1942, then was turned into the stage musical with the iconic Bob Fosse choreography, and here’s the film version of the musical.

It’s about a showgirl who murders her lover and claims it was self-defense, and the circus of a trial that ensues.

It’s a great musical. Not sure it’s a great winner, but it’s a great musical and a really good film. It really doesn’t get anywhere above a fourth choice in the category for me. Even if I don’t take my favorite film, I still have two decidedly better choices than this to take. So, while I like it — no.

Gangs of New York is the beginning of new era Martin Scorsese.

Crazy story, this one. The sets burned down, Weinstein forced recuts, they released it a year later than expected. Yet… still holds up.

It’s a history of the gang violence in New York. Culminating in the Draft Riots of 1863. All centered around arevenge story.

I just watched this again recently. It holds up. Certain parts aren’t as good as others, and it’s definitely one of those movies that feels cut down from a four hour version. But I love it. I think it’s one of his better films. I might take this. We’ll see.

The Hours is our third Weinstein film in this category. How fucked up is that? He got three of the five nominees!

It’s a story about three women. One, Virginia Woolf. The other, a housewife in the 50s. Third, Meryl Streep. And they all deal with shit in their own individual times.

It’s a good film. Not gonna say it’s great, but it’s very good. This was (seemingly) the favorite to win this going in. Though I think we all figured that wasn’t gonna happen. This is right around the start of me paying attention to the Oscars, so my memory is fuzzy. Either way, fifth choice all around for me. Wouldn’t even think to take this, especially over the other four films, which to me are much stronger choices.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Yup.

Maybe it’s Maybelline.

This movie’s awesome and is easily my favorite in the category. But it’s arguably the weakest of the trilogy, being the one that bridges the gap between the other two. And if they didn’t take Fellowship, there’s no point in taking this, because they’re not gonna vote for it en masse. So while I would like to take this, I’m probably gonna go elsewhere, because at least here I have alternative choices.

The Pianist is Roman Polanski’s Holocaust epic.

Adrien Brody is a Jewish pianist who deals with the horrors of the Holocaust. That’s really all you need to know.

It’s an incredible film. A lot of people think this was the choice here, and I can’t really argue with that. It probably should have won, over Chicago. But, will I take it? I don’t know. It’s between this or Gangs, since I don’t think I’d feel okay taking Two Towers when Fellowship had already lost.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: This is a really tough category. They boxed me into a corner here, because Two Towers is my favorite film. But if they didn’t vote for Fellowship, and I know Return of the King is happening… do I take all three Rings movies? Technically I should be voting what I want to win. But in this one, knowing I’m literally between two other films, and knowing the first one lost, I don’t feel any real need to vote for that, despite liking it best. Plus, unlike 2001, this category is way stronger.

I’d never take The Hours. And Chicago, I’d still take Two Towers over that. But Gangs and The Pianist? Those are legitimate choices here. I think they’re not only both great but also they’d be solid winners.

The Pianist is a film I didn’t fully appreciate in 2002, and now each time I watch it, I’m more and more impressed by it. But, I don’t love it. I like it a lot, but it’s like Traffic. Sure it’s great and it would be a great winner. But do I love it enough to take it? Over Two Towers? Maybe. Quite probably. But over Gangs? That’s tough.

I rewatched Gangs recently because I went through a bit of a roller coaster history with that one. At first I loved it, thought it was awesome. But I never voted for it because I always had that feeling of it being overdone. Then as the years went on, I lost some respect for it, for whatever reason. Then I came way back around on it again five years ago, and somehow in the past five years again forgot about it during my increasing love for The Pianist. And then after watching it again within the past three months, I fell in love with it all over again. I love that movie. Yes, it’s overdone, but goddamn, is it good. That’s my choice. Things are made different because of the Lord of the Rings trilogy thing, but I fucking love Gangs, and I’m taking that.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

The Pianist
Gangs of New York
Chicago
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Hours

Rankings (films):

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Gangs of New York
The Pianist
Chicago
The Hours

My Vote: Gangs of New York

Recommendations:

So have you not seen The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers?

Gangs of New York is essential. Scorsese, DiCaprio, that fucking Daniel Day-Lewis performance? You need to see this. There’s only one response to not having seen this:

The Pianist is essential. Because it is. Roman Polanski, won Best Actor and Best Director. Great film. Everyone must see this. It’s fantastic.

Chicago is a Best Picture winner. That makes it essential. One of the lesser essential winners, but it’s a solid musical. The story is essential, so let’s call it straight up essential.

The Hours is a solid movie. Essential for Oscar buffs, but otherwise just a good drama with great actresses that’s worth seeing.

The Last Word: Well, Two Towers wouldn’t hold up, since how would it look with the second two thirds of a trilogy winning and not the first (especially when the first is considered to possibly be the best of the three)? The Hours would have been awful as a choice. Chicago isn’t great as a choice. Hasn’t held up at all. People have forgotten about it, and it hasn’t gained anything as a winner. Gangs would have held up well. Wouldn’t be an amazing winner, but it would be a solid one. The Pianist is the one that, had it won, would have held up and looked great and been in the top half of the winners of all time. That was probably the right choice. Chicago just seems below average for them.

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2003

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Lost in Translation

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Mystic River

Seabiscuit

Analysis:

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

This one wins. The trilogy as a whole — this wins.

Lost in Translation is such a great movie. But also, so hipster. (Right, though?)

Bill Murray is an aging actor whose career is floundering in the US. He’s in Tokyo to shoot a whiskey commercial, since it’s one of his only real sources of income. He’s alone, a stranger in a strange land, and miserable. Scarlett Johansson is in Tokyo with her husband, a photographer, in town for a shoot. She’s left alone most days, and is also miserable. The two meet by chance and find a connection.

It’s a great film. It really is. It’s got a lot of humor and is so utterly watchable. Would I take it? Not a chance. Maybe if Return of the King weren’t here, we could talk. But it is here and there’s no doubt that’s where the vote is going. This being nominated here is a triumph unto itself.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a really awesome movie that got completely buried by Return of the King.

Russell Crowe is a ship captain trying to track down a French war ship during the Napoleonic Wars. It’s ship vs. ship, and a bunch of cool naval stuff in between.

I really like this movie a lot. I might think to take it in another year. But it’s not another year. And Return of the King dominates this. But still — every time I go back and watch this movie, I realize again how great it is and wonder why they never made more of these.

Mystic River is Clint Eastwood’s return to the Oscars, where he’d stay for the next decade. Strange, given the film, but sure.

It’s about three Boston boys. One day, when they’re kids, a car stops and tells them to get in. One of them does. He’s abducted and raped and all that. Eventually he escapes. Cut to thirty years later. One of the three boys is a cop, one is a criminal, the other (the one who was abducted) is a construction worker. The criminal’s daughter goes missing and is found dead, and as they try to figure out who did it, a bunch of old stuff comes bubbling up to the surface.

It’s a decent film. Solid Dennis Lehane stuff. But it doesn’t feel like a Best Picture nominee, let alone a winner.

Seabiscuit is a biopic of the famous horse. Horse racing movies are an odd genre. They’re very niche and yet somehow always watchable.

The thing about the horse is that it was never thought of as any good, but then with the right owner, the right trainer and the right jockey, it became the most famous horse in America, overcoming tremendous adversity (including fractured legs!) and winning during an era where America needed something to root for.

I love that this was nominated. I love this movie. Shouldn’t have won at all, but I love that it got the nomination.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: It’s Return of the King. There’s not really a whole lot more to add there. It’s not even close.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lost in Translation
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Seabiscuit
Mystic River

Rankings (films):

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lost in Translation
Seabiscuit
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Mystic River

My Vote: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Recommendations:

If you haven’t seen, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, you’re gonna need some help.

Lost in Translation is essential. You should know it’s essential. If not, let me tell you a thing or two.

Seabiscuit is a very high recommend. I love horse movies and I think this might be the best. The book is incredible and the movie is very good. Definitely worth seeing, though you’re more than fine if you want to skip it.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is awesome. Not essential, but a very great action movie that is actually way better than you think it is, even if you’ve seen it. High to very high recommend. Not something all need to see, but it’s well worth seeing by all.

Mystic River is essential for Oscar buffs. Otherwise it’s a Clint Eastwood directed movie based on a novel by the guy who churns out paperbacks people read that have been turned into at least four movies (Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone, Live by Night), and it stars Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laura Linney, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden and Eli Wallach, for good measure. Probably essential all around for film buffs, I’d say.

The Last Word: Return of the King is the choice. They backloaded the franchise, and as such, it swept. This was a culmination of all three winning, and even without that, Return of the King was the best choice in the category. Sure, Lost in Translation is great, but it wouldn’t have been a great winner. Nor would anything else have been. They made the only choice they could have made, and it’s one of the best choices they’ve ever made. This so perfectly encapsulates 2003.

– – – – – – – – – –

2004

The Aviator

Finding Neverland

Million Dollar Baby

Ray

Sideways

Analysis:

The Aviator is Martin Scorsese’s biopic of Howard Hughes. It’s a real treat.

I love everything he does with this movie, from the two-strip Technicolor look for the first act, to the way he mixes Hughe’s public and private lives — this movie is incredible.

Not necessarily the best choice for Best Picture, but given the category, it’s pretty much this or Million Dollar baby, right? (Yeah, yeah, I know, you people and your Sideways. We’ll get to that.) And since this is easily my favorite film, I’m probably gonna be taking this again.

Finding Neverland is our second of three biopics in this category.

This one is about J.M. Barrie and the writing of Peter Pan. It came from his relationship to a woman and her son.

It’s a very solid film. Weinstein special, but a solid film. Everyone who watches this generally likes it, but I don’t think anyone actually votes for it. It falls immediately to the back of the pack in this category.

Million Dollar Baby is one of those movies you watch the first time and find yourself really affected by it. Now over a decade later… how’s it holding up?

Hilary Swank is a 30-year-old woman who wants to be a boxer. She goes to Clint Eastwood’s gym to train. He “don’t train girls.” Eventually she wears him down and he trains her. And she starts winning fights. The two grow close as she works her way up the ranks. And eventually, during her biggest fight… tragedy strikes. And the movie takes a completely different tone.

It’s good. I like it a lot. Just… I don’t like it as much as I like The Aviator. So I wouldn’t take it.

Ray is a biopic of Ray Charles. Jamie Foxx is Ray.

Not a whole lot more to add there.

I love the film. It’s great. Solid third choice for me in this one. Standard biopic stuff, so it would be a fourth or fifth choice other years. I just don’t happen to love most of the category, so it makes it to third here. Wouldn’t take it at all though.

Sideways is Alexander Payne, whose stuff I usually really like. For some reason I hated this movie for years. And now, each time I go over this Quest, I make sure to rewatch it to see if my feelings have changed.

Paul Giamatti is a wine enthusiast who is taking his friend up to wine country before his impending marriage. They get into some hijinks. Giamatti starts romancing his favorite waitress and his friend starts sleeping around despite his impending wedding.

I — here are my full thoughts on this one: this is my least favorite Alexander Payne film (I admittedly haven’t seen Citizen Ruth yet). I hated it for specific reasons mainly owing to having very strong reactions during these Oscar years both for and against films. Now, with over a decade having past and my rewatching it a bunch, I’ve made peace with this movie. I think it’s perfectly good. I just… it’s not my favorite. I think it’s just okay. People think it’s a masterpiece, that’s fine. I’m an About Schmidt man, myself. For some, they take this. That’s cool. For me, actual fifth in the category. Would never vote for this at all. Personal preference.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: Well it’s certainly not Finding Neverland. Nor is it Ray. Both are solid, but no. I don’t like Sideways, so we know that’s not happening. And as much as I like Million Dollar Baby — no. Can’t take that. Don’t love it that much. So it’s The Aviator. That’s the only choice here. I love The Aviator, and I take it because I have to. Put it a year in either direction and it’s not the choice. But here, it works. So it’s the choice.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

The Aviator
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways
Finding Neverland

Rankings (films):

The Aviator
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Finding Neverland
Sideways

My Vote: The Aviator

Recommendations:

There’s only one remedy if you haven’t seen The Aviator.

Million Dollar Baby is a Best Picture winner. So for that it’s essential. Plus it’s a great drama that a lot of people love. And a film most people will like a lot when they see it. Because it’s one of those emotional films that does work. It’s a tearjerker, but Eastwood never makes it overly cloying. Still, essential.

Ray is essential for Oscar buffs and a film all film buffs should see. Everyone loves Ray Charles and this is a great biopic with an Oscar-winning performance. Why would you skip it?

Finding Neverland is not essential but solid. A good biopic that does work very well and is worth seeing. High recommend.

Sideways is Alexander Payne. And his films are essential. End of story.

The Last Word: I don’t know what there is to say about this one. Million Dollar Baby might have been the choice. I can see it at least holding up decently as a winner. The Aviator wouldn’t have been a better choice. At best it’s the same level, which is — fine. The others don’t hold up at all. They just don’t. So maybe they made the best choice they could have for a subpar year. I prefer The Aviator, but I can’t say that was the best choice. I think this might be okay.

– – – – – – – – – –

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2005

Brokeback Mountain

Capote

Crash

Good Night, and Good Luck

Munich

Analysis:

Brokeback Mountain is one of those movies… it was such a big deal in 2005, but when time goes on, what’s it gonna look like?

Presumably we’ll reach a point where the subject matter is so normalized, people are gonna go, “I don’t get what the big deal is.” Which is kind of the way I watched this.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are two cowboys who take a job herding sheep for the summer. Over the course of the summer, they become intimate. And this relationship becomes an annual thing for them, even as they get married and raise families.

It’s a really great film and a wonderful romance. I think a lot of people went in on this because it was so progressive — a gay cowboy romance. And a lot of people turned on it for the same reason. If you view this from the perspective of just being a film — it’s great, but I don’t necessarily think it was the best film of this year. A second choice for me in this category, but not my favorite and not something I feel I need to vote for.

Though sure, going into the year specific, knowing how the voting was going, I may have thought to throw support behind this to prevent what happened from happening, but outside of that, I don’t see how I shouldn’t focus on what I think the best film in the category is. And for me, that’s not this.

Capote is a biopic of Truman Capote, focusing on the time where he went to research what became his novel In Cold Blood.

It’s a great movie, featuring sublime direction by Bennett Miller (who has made three incredible movies thus far, all of which were nominated for either Best Director or Best Picture), a tour de force performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman and just great storytelling all around.

I completely get why they nominated this. Extra solid biopics, particularly those with performances that get nominated and win, tend to sneak on as fifth choices. That’s what happened here. It unfortunately doesn’t help the category get any stronger (even though I think it’s a very solid category anyway), but it is well worth being nominated. A fourth choice for me and for history, but a solid nominee.

Crash is the greatest film that’s ever been made and the film that solved racism forever.

Which is good. One less thing.

I don’t know how to describe this except — a bunch of people deal with racism in its many forms.

You’ve either seen this movie or know all about it. So I’m not gonna waste my time getting into specifics.

Everyone knows where this stands historically (I hope), and I’m not gonna waste my time here — not voting for it. Would never vote for it. Not that great a movie. We’ll get into it more in a bit.

Good Night, and Good Luck is just a perfect movie. George Clooney made a real winner here.

It’s about Edward R. Murrow’s attempts to stand up against the bullying of Joseph McCarthy, in an era where everyone was terrified to speak up despite horrible scare tactics being put out there by the Communist witch hunters. He stands up to McCarthy and almost brings down his network. It’s GREAT.

I love this movie, and I unabashedly would take this over Brokeback Mountain. I said this at the time. This was, to me, the best film of that year. I don’t see why this didn’t have a stronger chance at winning. But, hey, it is what it is. I’m just gonna keep doing my thing.

Munich is Steven Spielberg’s film about the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympics of a bunch of Jewish athletes by Palestinian terrorists. And Mossad’s plan for revenge, sending assassins in to murder those responsible.

This movie — I remember when this all was going down. Spielberg only started shooting this movie in early 2005, and was racing to get it done in time for the Oscars. It was October and the film still wasn’t finished. And then it came out just under the wire, and people were wondering if it actually could be good despite being so rushed, and then it came out, was great, and got a bunch of nominations. Someone like me, who was like 17 at the time, who didn’t see it and had strong opinions about the Oscars, developed a ‘god, this movie’ feeling about it. Because at 17 it’s about “my film needs to win and fuck everything else.” This felt like the “obvious” Oscar film so I developed a dislike for it. Despite not having seen it. Then I saw it while doing the initial Quest in 2011, and I loved this. It’s an amazing film. It’s not something I love enough to take, especially in this category, but it’s a solid third choice for me in the category. Really well done, and a movie I want to go back and see in a few years to see how much it’s holding up. This might be one of Spielberg’s more underrated films.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: This category is the 2016 Presidential Election of Best Picture winners. How’s it looking, now that more time has past?

That’s what I thought.

The mistake people make with this category is thinking (and saying) that it’s simply a vote of Crash vs. Brokeback Mountain. Sure, that’s what it was in 2005. But now, you’re not beholden to that. The best film is the best film. Sure, Brokeback Mountain might be the best film here. But don’t just take it because that’s what you feel you need to do to fit in.

I don’t make these proclamations often, but if you vote for Crash here, you’re a garbage human being.

I know people like that movie. I think it’s fine. But don’t vote for Crash here. Not even as a joke.

Anyway, my vote is, and aways has been, Good Night and Good Luck. I think that’s the best film. The fact that the category boiled down to two other choices made that difficult at the time, but now, I think it’s perfectly okay to take it, because I think as time is going on, that and Brokeback are holding up as the two best films in the category. Munich’s good, but it’s not great like Spielberg has been, and Capote’s good, but it’s not something you vote for. It’s Brokeback and Good Night and Good Luck. I think both are great choices here. I’m taking the one I’ve always preferred.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

Brokeback Mountain
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich
Capote
Crash

Rankings (films):

Good Night, and Good Luck
Brokeback Mountain
Munich
Capote
Crash

My Vote: Good Night, and Good Luck

Recommendations:

Brokeback Mountain is essential. Don’t be a dick.

Good Night, and Good Luck is essential. This movie is fucking great. This is a masterpiece and I think everyone ought to see it just to be better people. Don’t not see this and come around here trying to talk about movies. That doesn’t work for me.

Munich is Spielberg, and it’s great. If that doesn’t say essential to you, then I can’t help you.

Capote is, if not essential, a very high recommend. At this point I think Bennett Miller has proven himself an essential filmmaker. So I’m calling it essential. It’s fucking great. If it’s not, see it for Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Crash is essential, because it’s the most notorious Best Picture winner of all time. More so than Shakespeare in Love. That means you need to see it so you can say whatever you want about it as a winner. At the time, we all liked it. That was the problem. It was a movie we liked. And then the reality set in when they voted for it, and we all went, “Oh shit.” But as a film, you gotta see it. The Academy has decided this was the best film of 2005.

The Last Word: I think “the 2016 Presidential Election of Best Picture winners” about covers it. This is the single worst Best Picture winner of all time. But you know what, sometimes you need to embarrass yourself on a massive level in order to change. Though millions of people aren’t gonna die from lack of healthcare and basic human rights aren’t being set back decades because Crash won. So at least there’s that, right?

– – – – – – – – – –

2006

Babel

The Departed

Letters from Iwo Jima

Little Miss Sunshine

The Queen

Analysis:

Babel. It’s that tower. You know, where I think God played Jenga or something, and then all the Dragonballs got scattered all over the place. How am I doing?

It’s three separate stories, set all around the globe. One is about an American couple on vacation in the Middle East. One is their nanny taking their children into Mexico for the wedding of her son. One is a deaf Japanese girl looking for a connection. It’s Traffic, but with existential human crises instead of drugs.

I like this movie a lot. I saw it in theaters at the time and thought it was quite good. Alejandro Inarritu is a master filmmaker. He’s topped himself twice over since this, but at the time, this was a big, classy film and this was a major threat to win Best Picture. I wouldn’t have taken it, nor would a lot of people, but this is a really solid nominee.

The Departed is just a fucking great movie. Clearly not one of Scorsese’s masterpieces, but if you watch a movie over and over and can constantly put it on and enjoy the shit out of it —

It’s a remake of Infernal Affairs, a great Hong Kong film. It’s about a cop undercover in the mob, and a mole for the mob undercover with the cops. It’s so fucking good.

This is one of those movies, we all loved it and Scorsese was so overdue, and the year shook out the way it did that this was the film that we all considered the one to take. How you gonna argue? It’s awesome, and the others don’t really fit the mold of a choice. This is an easy one for me. It was no shoo-in to win, but man, did they make a great choice.

Letters from Iwo Jima is Clint Eastwood doing a war film.

This was fantastic at the time because he made two war movies at the same time, both telling the story of the same battle from both angles. Flags of Our Fathers discussed it from the American end, mostly through the lens of that famous photo of the soldiers putting the flag back up. And we see what happened to them as they came back home and all that. This one is from the Japanese perspective, trying to hold this island from American forces.

It’s a great film. Great war scenes, well directed. Was it the best film of 2006? No. Would I take it? No. But it’s a second choice… well, historically it’s a second choice. For me it’s a third choice. Solid, but I wouldn’t go anywhere near voting for it. I’d make an awful choice historically over this. Because here, all bets are off and it’s all about what you like best.

Little Miss Sunshine is such a great comedy. No idea how this managed to get nominated (and get so close to winning. Since it won the PGA), but man, was this good. Still holds up, too.

Abigail Breslin is a little girl obsessed with beauty pageants. She wants to be in them, even though she doesn’t have the look or the… training, or whatever. She wins a local pageant which allows her to qualify for the regionals. Though that means her family must travel from Arizona to Los Angeles in the next three days to get her there. They do so, which means she’s in a van (that famous yellow VW bus) with Mom trying to keep everything together, Dad wrapped up in his own self-help shit that he can’t sell to anyone, her brother who has decided to stop speaking, Grandpa who’s taken to snorting heroin, and her uncle who recently attempted suicide and can’t be left alone.

It’s pure indie all the way, but goddamnit if it’s not one of, if not the most charming film of 2006. Love this movie. Wouldn’t take it, but almost would, given the category. The Departed’s always gonna be the choice over this, but after that, this is the film I like best, even though this wouldn’t have held up at all.

The Queen is a film about the royal family’s reaction to the death of Princess Diana.

That’s really it. Helen Mirren is Queen Elizabeth and she’s wonderful, and the film is very good.

Nominee but not the vote. All around, that’s what this is. No one actually votes for this. This makes it on the list, but after that — ehh. No one really likes it enough to take it. Which is fine. Fifth choice and a solid nominee, but not gonna get anywhere near the vote.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: It’s The Departed. That’s the film I considered to be the best of the year (that was nominated. I’m not gonna get into what the best film of the year was, and how they didn’t nominate it). Nothing else comes close to holding water. My second choice is a fourth choice most years. My third choice is usually a third choice. The other two are fine, but wouldn’t make good winners at all, really. The Departed wins because that’s what the category gave us.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

Rankings (films):

The Departed
Little Miss Sunshine
Letters from Iwo Jima
Babel
The Queen

My Vote: The Departed

Recommendations:

The Departed is essential. It’s Scorsese, it’s all these great actors, and it’s fucking awesome. Don’t be fahckin’ retahded. This movie’s fahckin’ great. Okay, Chahlene?

Letters from Iwo Jima is a very high recommend. Somehow not really essential, but also very much worth seeing. It’s essential for Eastwood. But otherwise is just something you should see. Don’t bother with American Sniper until you’ve seen this.

Babel is probably essential. Inarritu is pretty much all essential at this point, right? So see this. It’s awesome. It’s great stuff all around. No reason not to.

Little Miss Sunshine is essential because it’s amazing. Not essential because it’s an all-time masterpiece. But god, does this movie do everything right, and it makes you feel so happy by the end of it. I’d tell people to see this movie over like, 2/3 of that list of the 100 best movies ever made compiled by all those pretentious people.

The Queen is essential for only Oscar buffs. Otherwise just a high recommend and a very good movie with a great Helen Mirren performance. If the Oscars don’t matter to you, and the subject matter doesn’t matter to you, then you can probably skip it. But it’s good, so there’s that.

The Last Word: Historically, The Departed isn’t a great Best Picture winner. But it’s fine. It’s a good movie. We like it. In context, it’s a good winner. I don’t see anything that’s markedly better than it. We’re not that far removed, but I really don’t think anything else here is gonna look like it would have been a much better choice. So I think they made the right choice and the best one they could have made.

– – – – – – – – – –

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2007

Atonement

Juno

Michael Clayton

No Country for Old Men

There Will Be Blood

Analysis:

Atonement is such a great film. It’s weird that it sort of flatlined early and never stood a chance.

I remember this one so clearly. It came out early and was the “obvious” Oscar choice of the year. Immediately it was the classical choice. And when it came out, I never really had any expectations for it except a bunch of my friends were excited because they loved the book. And then I saw it on Christmas Day and loved it. Like, out and out loved it. And I remember seeing it again in January with a bunch of friends (on the day Heath Ledger died, which is just a random fact I always remember. Because I got a text midway through the movie about it happening), and still loving it. And it won the Golden Globe that year too. Though no one took that seriously because it was in the middle of the strike and the show wasn’t even televised. But then, after the nominations, it just kind of went nowhere.

It’s about a little girl who is the center of the world, in her eyes. She’s writing a play and she’s getting her cousins to act in it, and that’s how things are going. And her sister meanwhile has a weird forbidden attraction to the family gardener, which she’s unable to really do anything about, because of social stature. And we watch over the course of the day as a series of miscommunications and misinterpretations lead to something very bad happening. And we watch the reverberations of that action over other periods of these characters’ lives.

It’s a great movie. And it holds up. It’s terrific. This could have won in another year. It probably wouldn’t have been a great winner, but it’s well worth the nomination it got. I love this movie and it unfortunately happened in one of the strongest overall years in a while. Imagine there were ten nominees here. Man, would they have had some great choices. This is kind of a fourth choice here, maybe a third, and it would have been a #2 or a #1 in other years. That’s how strong this category is.

Juno is a phenomenon of a film. I remember this hitting festivals and getting a lot of buzz, and I managed to see it the weekend it came out in super limited release, and I loved it. Because it’s wonderful. And then it started growing and growing and getting bigger and people kept talking it up. And then the backlash happened, and by the time the Oscars came around, people fucking hated this movie. Which is a shame.

Ellen Page is a wise-cracking teenager who gets pregnant. And the film is about her decision to give up the baby to a couple looking to adopt, and about her pregnancy. Its’ wickedly funny, even if the dialogue is very… not everyone’s gonna like the dialogue. It’s almost a perfect nominee for 2007 because it represents a film that really was huge at the time that is really what a film ought to aspire to. A nice little movie with no real aspirations that people latch onto and really like. It had no chance here, but as a nominee, I love it.

Sure, it’s a fifth choice, but the fact that it’s even here is awesome.

Michael Clayton is such a perfect movie. This movie is getting better with age. I almost wish this happened in another year, because this could have won. It’s that good.

George Clooney is a lawyer who is a “fixer.” He makes problems go away. And the film, told non-chronologically, is about him dealing with his mentor, a lawyer on a major case for a pesticide company who cause a lot of problems for people’s health and has been tying the case up in court for years rather than pay these people, going seemingly nuts. So the company is wondering what the hell the mentor is doing, and Clooney is there to help fix the problem. And this embroils him into a whole bunch of other stuff.

It’s so good. This movie is actually perfect. This one’s gonna hold up. And it’s only because the next two films are also perfect that I can’t take it. Fucking hell, this category is so good that the third choice might win the previous three years.

No Country for Old Men is the Coens finally breaking through the Oscar barrier. For a film you wouldn’t think would strike that chord, too. But hey, whatever works, right?

Josh Brolin is a guy who happens upon a drug deal gone wrong and makes off with a suitcase full of $2 million. After a moment of compassion (or stupidity), he finds himself being trailed by a sociopathic hitman, Javier Bardem. Meanwhile, Tommy Lee Jones is a sheriff tasked with solving the murders committed in the drug deal.

This movie is so good. When I saw this for the first time — first, I applauded at the ending, knowing that everyone around me hated it. And second, I said, “That was the best movie of the year.” Which was great, because you’d think that was a wrap. And then…

There Will Be Blood is one of the greatest films ever made. I will stand by that, and I think time is working in my favor on that one.

My god, what a masterpiece this is. This movie blew me away when I saw it. I remember at the time not having real access to transportation and taking a trip over a bridge to see this in a theater. Basically, my mother and sister went shopping, and I went to the theater to see this because the mall theater that was playing it was the only one playing it near me. And I was so awestruck by it that I ended up going back to see it twice more in theaters within the next month. And that was 2007, where no one went back to see things in theaters more than once.

Daniel Day-Lewis is an unscrupulous oil man trying to build a well in a town. That’s all you need to know, and if you haven’t already seen this, then you gotta get up on films more. Because goddamn, man.

This movie is perfect all the way through, and legitimately — I’d vote for Atonement. But then Michael Clayton I’d probably take (now, anyway) slightly more. And then No Country for Old Men shows up and that’s the automatic winner. And then this shows up and it’s like, “Holy fuck, man.” How much more of an embarrassment can these riches be?

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: The real marvel of this category is how it can be automatic and cut-and-dry and still have four films that would have made great winners in their own right.

There Will Be Blood is the choice. That movie is just too perfect for words.

No Country for Old Men is amazing. Michael Clayton is incredible. Atonement — fantastic. But they’re not There Will Be Blood.

There’s perfect and then there’s all-time. And There Will Be Blood is all-time. I can’t ignore that.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category and films):

There Will Be Blood
No Country for Old Men
Michael Clayton
Atonement
Juno

My Vote: There Will Be Blood

Recommendations:

There Will Be Blood is full on essential, and it’s gonna go down as one of the most essential American films ever made.

No Country for Old Men is essential. It won Best Picture and it’s the Coen brothers. That’s entry level stuff.

Michael Clayton is essential. This is gonna hold up so well over time, and it’s just a wonderful piece of cinema. All film buffs need to see this movie.

Atonement is maybe essential? It was when it came out, now it might not be. I can’t tell. It’s a very high recommend at worst, and for me, I call it essential, so take that for what you will.

Juno is culturally essential. This was a phenomenon. The more time goes by, the more it’s probably not essential, but it’s still a very high recommend and a terrific movie. Just consider the entire category essential. That’s easy.

The Last Word: No Country for Old Men is a great choice. I cannot argue with it whatsoever. That said, time is gonna show that the best choice in this category would have been There Will Be Blood. It’s really only the difference of a very good choice for Best Picture versus a great choice for Best Picture. They did nothing wrong or worthy of fault, but time is gonna show that there was a better decision to be had.

– – – – – – – – – –

2008

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Analysis:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a wonderful film. The one that finally put David Fincher on the Oscar map. It might have won too, were it not for the… sl-underdog.

It’s about a man who ages in reverse. He is born an old man, and as he grows up, he gets younger. And the film is about his extraordinary life.

This is a great movie. I haven’t watched it as much as I probably should have, but each time I go back to it, I like it a lot. The problem though is that it’ll never be my favorite in the category. Maybe it’s Fincher’s directorial style, but it’s just a bit too cold for me. Whereas the film I’m going to take is just full of life and of energy. And I think that’s what people responded to.

Plus… this.

Frost/Nixon is one of those quintessential #4 choices. I’ve always used this as my go-to example.

It’s about David Frost, a TV interviewer who scores the interview of a lifetime — the first interview Nixon gave after his resignation. Frost wasn’t known for giving hard questions, and it was thought of as Nixon deliberately going for someone who wouldn’t challenge him with the hard questions. And the film is about Frost preparing for this interview, knowing the stakes, and the eventual “battle” between the two men, as Frost tries to get Nixon to answer the tough questions and Nixon evades him over the series of interviews.

It’s a really good movie. Ron Howard knows how to make a really solid movie. He also hasn’t really made a great movie either. They’re all in that four-star, really solid range. And his movies almost always feel like they’re fine, and worthy of a Best Picture nomination, but rarely do you like them enough to take them. That’s why I feel this is the perfect #4. You look at this category — Slumdog, Milk and Benjamin Button are the top three for most people, no matter how you rank them. And then this is below that. The first three you’d think about taking, but this one — “Yeah, I like it, but no.” That’s what #4 is all about.

Milk is a biopic of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the United States.

Sean Penn plays Milk, and the movie is great.

It’s another example of a top tier leading performance putting a biopic into the Best Picture conversation. Ray, Capote — these get on when the performance is there. And this movie is legitimately very good. It’s a third choice all around for me. I love it, but I wouldn’t vote for it. Not over the other two. You could make an argument this is the second choice, but I still wouldn’t take it over Slumdog. I get people who would, I just wouldn’t.

The Reader is the film that everyone hated on when it came out. Because one, no one saw it, and two, The Dark Knight wasn’t nominated, and this got on instead. And you look at it and go, “What?”

It’s a good movie. Let me start with that. Clearly a fifth choice and clearly forgotten already. But it’s a good movie. This movie was part of the reason why they expanded the Best Picture field.

It’s about a young boy who, on his way home from school one day, comes upon Kate Winslet. The two begin a sexual relationship. And over time, he teaches her how to read. Eventually she leaves suddenly without a word. Years later, as an adult, the man sees a trial and recognizes Winslet as one of the defendants. Turns out, she was a concentration camp guard, and because she couldn’t read, had no idea what any of the papers were and was the one they made to sign them. He knows she’s keeping quiet because she’s embarrassed about the truth, and he struggles with the idea of coming forward to say it.

It’s a good drama. Not sure I’d have nominated it, but it’s not the biggest disgrace to the Best Picture field that some might think. It just — didn’t need to be here. It’s good enough on its own. But, it is what it is. Fifth choice.

Slumdog Millionaire is one of those movies… no idea how this has held up as a winner, but at the time, this was the ultimate charmer of 2008. I will say that.

It’s about a kid who ends up on Indian Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He’s from the slums, not educated, and yet he’s one question away from winning a million dollars. The authorities think he’s cheating, but as they question him, they see that, somehow, his entire life has built to this one moment, and we begin to see why he’s on the show to begin with. And it’s just wonderful.

It’s hard not to love this movie. Maybe you don’t vote for it, but it’s hard not to fall for this one. It’s so charming and so well done. Were other films in this category, perhaps this wouldn’t be the choice for me. But the way it is now, this has to be the choice. It’s top two no matter how you slice it, but there’s really nothing else that feels like a better choice than this.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: It’s Slumdog. The Reader and Frost/Nixon aren’t happening. Milk I like but wouldn’t take. And between Slumdog and Benjamin Button, I just find Button too cold to really go for. Slumdog just speaks to me more, so that’s what I’m voting for.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category and films):

Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Reader

My Vote: Slumdog Millionaire

Recommendations:

Slumdog Millionaire is essential. Best Picture winner, great film, and culturally it gets referenced a lot. All around gotta see.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is David Fincher. His films are essential by now, are they not?

Milk is a very high recommend at worst. Not sure if it’s full on essential, but I’d consider it essential. So just see it. It’s wonderful.

Frost/Nixon is Ron Howard, making it very solid and worthy of a watch. Not essential, but a high recommend. You’ll like this.

The Reader is solid. Moderate recommend. Only essential for Oscar buffs because of the win, otherwise it can be skipped. Though it is good enough to be worth seeing. It’s better than you think it is.

The Last Word: Slumdog is a good choice. I can’t see anything better. Benjamin Button is the only other choice they really could have made, and that wouldn’t have held up any better. So it’s fine. A solid choice that ends up around middle of the pack, historically. Solid, but not amazing, but still worthy of having won.

– – – – – – – – – –

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2009

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up in the Air

Analysis:

Avatar was the biggest film of all time for about six years. Not quite the same as Titanic, but still.

Quite incredible how quickly this film’s been forgotten.

How does one even describe this movie? A marine in space on a mission on a futuristic planet is sent to go undercover and befriend the indigenous people so the army can steal the natural resources that rest underneath their homeland. This involves him going into a mentally linked body that allows him to look like one of them while also still being himself. Naturally, he falls in love with the chief’s daughter, and wants to become one of them and his loyalties change, yada yada yada.

This was huge in terms of creating an entire CGI world and being in 3D and using that 3D to create a visual environment rather than just being a gimmick.

The film — the filmmaking is good, but the storytelling is pretty generic. Cameron pieced together bits of famous stories to create a narrative that would be passable enough to fit with what he was trying to do with the rest of it. (I think he learned his lesson, since now he has teams of writers to create the stories for his sequels.)

The film was huge and was almost big enough to win all these awards. But in the end, I think we all felt it wasn’t really good enough to have done so. And the more time goes on, the more this seems like a “whatever” kind of nominee.

The Blind Side is the one surprise nominee of the bunch. They had to vote ten movies, and this was the one nobody was expecting. There’s always one. This was widely derided upon nomination and was thought of as only being nominated because it went from a small indie movie to one that somehow ended up $200 million at the box office.

It’s based on a true story, but just ask the guy it’s about… he’s not a fan. (Mostly because they treat him like a dude who couldn’t read or do much of anything without white people taking him in.)

It’s about Michael Oher, current NFL tackle, who was taken in by a white family and eventually became a great football player. And the film is mostly about Sandra Bullock as the mother. Which — that’s a whole other conversation.

The movie is perfectly bland and broadly likable, the way all these movies are. John Lee Hancock has become the bland, broad filmmaker who makes these “yeah, that was pretty good” movies that don’t really contain a whole lot of substance. (He also made Saving Mr. Banks and The Founder.)

This is the bottom choice all around in this category and is a film that wouldn’t make it on now. Because they had two years of a rigid set of ten nominees, something like this ended up making it.

District 9 is a sci fi film that went from a little indie that was a nice calling card for a director to one that made a bunch of money and was one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of the years. (A lot of people are still waiting for Neil Blomkamp to fulfill the promise he showed with this one.)

An alien ship shows up in South Africa and the government basically dumps them in a slum and treats them like poor people. They leave them to live in crime-infested fenced-off area. During the forced relocation into the slum, Sharlto Copley, a diplomat, gets infected by one of the aliens and begins turning into one.

It’s a solid movie. Not something I think needed to be nominated, but here it is. It’s saved from being #10 simply because The Blind Side inexplicably made it on. I would never take this in a million years. Even if you really like this movie, there’s no way you vote for it. There are way better choices here.

An Education is a small little film that I think only made it on because they picked ten set nominees this year. (Plus 2009 wasn’t the strongest of years. But I’m not complaining.)

Carey Mulligan is a girl about to go to college who begins a relationship with an older man. It’s a coming-of-age story set during the 60s in London.

This movie is really good. Carey Mulligan is amazing in this, and I think she should have won Best Actress for it. The movie is terrific and I love that they nominated it. That said, not a chance this is the vote. The nomination is the reward all around.

The Hurt Locker is Kathryn Bigelow’s war film.

I have to say this every time — I didn’t like this movie at all when it came out. I saw it before it got huge and thought, “Yeah, that was serviceable.” And then it started getting the Best Picture buzz, and for whatever reason, I turned on it. Probably because of the specific people I was hearing praise it. You know what happens when people you don’t like talk up a movie like it’s the greatest thing ever. You start to hate the movie. That’s what happened.

It took me three years to come around on this. And now, five years after that, I’m fully turned around on it.

It’s about Jeremy Renner, a professional bomb defuser in Iraq who is pretty cavalier about his job. That’s really all you need.

It’s a terrific war movie. Incredibly well made. A very solid Best Picture winner that deserved to win. Would I take it? No. But it’s not the film’s fault. But it did go from a middle tier film to a second choice. So there is that. I’m all on board with this having won, I just wouldn’t take it.

Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino’s World War II epic.

This was a return to form. After Kill Bill, he really only did Grindhouse, which almost doesn’t count. This is the one where he came back and blew everyone away. I remember seeing this at the end of August, having read the script and being stupidly excited for it. And it did not disappoint.

Do you need a synopsis for this? You have to have seen it, right?

This movie introduced Christoph Waltz to the world.

It’s fucking amazing. Objectively it probably shouldn’t have won Best Picture. But it’s my favorite film in the category, so I’m probably gonna vote for it anyway. Because what the hell.

Precious is based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire.

Never gets old.

Precious is a high school girl who is illiterate and has been pregnant twice by her father. Her mother abuses her and she lives a really terrible life. And she gets a chance to start a new life and actually have a chance at a normal one.

It’s a solid film. I think it was a bit overrated by some, but it’s a good movie. Mo’Nique in this movie is incredible. The movie itself is good. I wouldn’t take it. Fine with it being nominated, but it’s bottom of the category for me.

A Serious Man is one of the weirder Coen brothers movies. It’s very specific, and it’s not gonna be for everyone.

Michael Stuhlbarg is a midwestern professor whose life starts falling apart. And it’s very much a comedy and very much in the vein of the Coen brothers liking to torture their protagonists.

It’s wickedly funny. It’s not something that should have won, when you factor in all the Coen brothers movies that didn’t win, but it ranks right up there with all their other stuff. It’s eighth for me. Maybe seventh, just because I like it a bit more than Precious in the way of a vote. But I’d never take it. When you have a category with The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds, everything else is disposable.

Up is Pixar. And only the second animated film to be nominated for Best Picture. Once they went to these years of ten nominees, you knew Pixar was getting on. Though that trend didn’t last very long.

It’s about an old man whose wife dies and, realizing he may have wasted his life and not accomplished all he thought he would and facing a foreclosure on his house, he ties a bunch of balloons to his house and flies it to South America. As you do.

The first ten minutes of this movie are perfect. I think we all know that. That kind of distracts from how crazy the rest of it is. But that’s Pixar for you — if they can keep you from realizing how insane their third acts are, they did their job. And here, you don’t really remember that this movie ends on a blimp with hundreds of talking dogs. And it’s because those first ten minutes are so good.

I love this movie, but it would have made a horrible winner. Fortunately I don’t love it enough to vote for it here. But it ranks well because I like it.

Up in the Air is the peak of Jason Reitman. He had Thank You for Smoking, which was awesome, then Juno, which got a bunch of nominations but for which he never got the proper credit, and then this, which he deservedly got the credit for. And it was kind of downhill from there. He’s gotten no recognition whatsoever since this movie.

George Clooney is a guy who travels around the country, firing people. He brings on a new hire, a twenty-something who created a digital way of firing people, and also has to deal with a woman he sleeps with occasionally potentially becoming something more, both of which threaten his simple, isolated lifestyle.

It’s a great film. I really, really, really like this movie. I would want to vote for it, but I just can’t get it any higher than third. Third is solid, especially out of ten.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: It’s Inglourious Basterds for me. That’s my favorite film and that’s the one I’d take. The Hurt Locker is the best choice and the film that should have won, but because I love Basterds so much, that’s always gonna be my choice.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Avatar
Up in the Air
Precious
Up
An Education
A Serious Man
District 9
The Blind Side

Rankings (films):

Inglourious Basterds
Up
Up in the Air
The Hurt Locker
Avatar
An Education
A Serious Man
District 9
Precious
The Blind Side

My Vote: Inglourious Basterds

Recommendations:

The Hurt Locker is essential. One of the great war films of the past 20 years, and a Best Picture winner, and a great film all around. Should be seen by all.

You haven’t seen Inglourious Basterds?

Avatar is essential. You can be that person that spitefully says you’re not gonna see it, but that’s just stupid. You can’t talk about the history of cinema without this movie being part of it. You just can’t. For better or worse, this movie is essential.

Up in the Air is a high recommend. Maybe a very high recommend. I like this movie a lot. And Jason Reitman had an amazing first three films, all of which should be seen. I don’t know if I can fully call this essential yet, but I’d say you need to see this, because it’s so good.

Precious is essential for Oscar buffs. As time goes on, I’m not sure this is gonna end up as much more than a good movie that is worth seeing, but not an all-time essential film. We’re almost a decade in. We’ll see. I’d give it a thumbs up.

Up is Pixar. Even when Pixar’s bad, they’re still essential. Well… Cars 2… but otherwise, they’re… oh yeah. The Good Dinosaur. Whatever. This movie is essential. Those first ten minutes alone…

An Education is really great. Worth seeing for the Carey Mulligan performance. Solid recommend.

A Serious Man is the Coen brothers. We’re 25 years in on them. I think you know everything they make is essential by now. Don’t you?

District 9 is a solid film. I enjoyed it. Worth seeing. I don’t love it the way others do, so I can’t give it the highest recommend, but it’s solid. It’s enjoyable.

The Blind Side is fine. You gotta see it if you’re an Oscar buff, because this, to me and to a lot of people, features one of the worst winners in the history of the acting categories (as much as we all like Sandra Bullock). So you gotta see it if you care about the Oscars so you can weigh in on that. Otherwise, it’s a fine film. It’s enjoyable. Catch it on cable and you can watch it and be fine with it. Just don’t give it expectations. You can enjoy it well enough.

he Last Word: The Hurt Locker was the best choice and really has held up as the only choice in this category. Avatar was the biggest film of all time when the awards happened, but not even a decade later and that film’s just gone. The Hurt Locker holds up as one of the solid winners in history and a good choice all around. They made the right one here, which was not a guarantee. So good for them.

– – – – – – – – – –

2010

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King’s Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter’s Bone

Analysis:

Black Swan is perhaps Darren Aronofsky’s best film. Coming off The Wrestler, where he stripped away everything and told a story about a person, he made another one of those… only he made it weirder. And it worked really well.

Natalie Portman is a girl who wants to be the best ballerina. All she does is train and work toward that goal. She lands the lead role in the company’s production of Swan Lake, but in preparing for the show, she starts to lose grip on her sanity.

This movie is GREAT. One of the masterpieces of 2010. This year is so front-loaded with great films, it’s hard to discount anything. I’m likely to not take this, since I can think of at least two films in this category that I’d take over this. But fuck, man, throw this in another year and it’s in contention for a vote. I mean, it’s always in contention for a vote, regardless of year, because it’s that good.

The Fighter is David O. Russell’s rise to prominence. After years of being an indie darling, he disappeared into relative obscurity after a flop (I Heart Huckabees, which is wonderful. Though those set videos didn’t help) and the disaster that was Nailed, which didn’t get finished with him. And then he also, like Darren Aronofsky, went away and came back with a stripped down version of storytelling that focused on character. And people responded to it.

The film is about Mark Ward, a Boston boxer and his early years, overcoming his dysfunctional family to become a champion.

This movie is great. It’s the structure David O. Russell has repeated with his last couple of films — dysfunctional family, colorful characters, and a kick-ass soundtrack. It was more novel at the time than it is now. Now it’s just a solid film that’s worthy of a nomination but not so much a win. It’s great, but I think he’s eclipsed it since then. Not that that should matter. But I also wouldn’t take it anyway. It’s a fourth/fifth type of choice.

Inception is Christopher Nolan. And — I’m not sure what to say about it. I think this is a movie we’ve all seen.

How do you explain this? It’s a heist film where the heist is about implanting an idea in a person’s mind, which involves a whole bunch of crazy shit.

It’s a great action movie, and in a way, this was bound to be nominated, since The Dark Knight is the reason they expanded the Best Picture field. But it’s just a really solid action movie with a big concept behind it. It shouldn’t have won Best Picture. Go ahead and vote for it if you want, but the year’s not weak enough to hold up with this as a winner. There are at least three better choices than this in the category. It’s a solid nominee but nothing more.

The Kids Are All Right is a movie that’s a solid indie, but one I always felt was overrated because of the subject matter. Which is nothing against the film, I just have a problem with people who try to make films about more than they are because of their subject matter. But that’s what you deal with.

It’s about a lesbian couple whose children decide they want to find out who their birth father is. So they track him down, despite one of their mothers’ disapproval of their doing so. They bring him back into their lives, and… well, shit happens.

It’s a nice indie. To me it’s tenth in the category. I just don’t like it above a passing, “Yeah, that was good.” Never would take this. The nomination is the reward.

The King’s Speech is a really solid film. And one that I’d be okay as a Best Picture winner. Most years. This year happens to be really competitive, and that makes it questionable. Still, it’s a terrific film.

It’s about King George VI, who ascends to the throne despite a seemingly incurable stutter. He’s gone to every doctor there is and finally finds a good one in Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist whose unconventional methods help him make his disorder functional, culminating in his famous speech in which he declared war on Germany in September 1939.

The film is great. There’s no denying that it’s great. The only question is do I vote for it and did it need to win? I can only deal with the first one at the moment, and, in this category, I don’t think I take it. Third choice, maybe? Fourth probably. You know what this reminds me of? Spotlight. Solid film that I like a lot. But I’d take other movies over it and I think it’s a fine, though unspectacular, choice as a winner.

127 Hours is exactly how long it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.

Or…cut off your own arm.

I always forget which it is.

This is about a mountain climber who literally gets stuck between a rock and a hard place. And in order to get out of it, he has to cut off his own arm.

Shit happens, man.

It’s a decent enough movie. The nomination feels like a product of the rigid ten nominee structure and the Danny Boyle love hangover. You know how I say actors have that three or four year window to get extra nominations? It applies to directors to, to an extent. Though they obviously have larger gaps between movies.

It’s bottom two or three in the category. No one takes this. It’s fine, but in every category with ten there are always at least four movies that just have no shot at all that no one would vote for. This just so happens to be one of those.

The Social Network is a film about the founding of Facebook. Written by Aaron Sorkin. Directed by David Fincher.

Not much needs to be said about this except — it’s amazing.

Top two in the category almost any way you slice it. This film is incredible, and was almost the benchmark film of 2010. I originally took this, but that was because it was a clear, this vs. The King’s Speech vote. In an open category, I might not actually take this, despite my love for it. Either way, it’s very much in the conversation.

Toy Story 3 is the end of the trilogy.

Everyone around my age grew up with these movies, and this one was just so bittersweet and emotional.

I mean —

This is incredible, and is one of the best films Pixar’s ever made. Sure, it has the benefit of fifteen years and three films’ worth of nostalgia, but if it works, it works. Wonderful film, and one that theoretically could have been okay as a winner. But not in this year. This year is crazy strong at the top of the category. At best it’s a fifth choice. And that’s being lucky. It’s more like a sixth or seventh choice.

True Grit is the Coen brothers’ remake of the John Wayne film. And, usually a remake of a well known movie almost never turns out good, this one is actually better.

A young girl’s father is killed, and she sets out to hunt down and murder the man responsible. She enlists the help of a one-eyed, drunk federal marshal and goes on her way.

This movie is amazing and it looks gorgeous.

I love this movie. I might not have taken it at the time — because at the time, it was clearly a race between The Social Network and The King’s Speech. And I put my support between the one that I preferred among those two. But I was always very clear that this was my favorite film in the category. And were this at all in contention, this would have been my vote at the time.

Now that it’s not about the year specific, I can vote with my heart. And this has always been my favorite.

Winter’s Bone is the indie film of the list. Each of the rigid ten lists has the one indie film they let on because they had the extra space for it. This was the 10th nominee this year. There’s no doubt about that.

Jennifer Lawrence is a woman living in the Ozarks whose father, a criminal, disappears. She’s tasked with finding him before the family’s house is foreclosed upon. And the film is about her trying to do that and keep her family together.

It’s a solid indie. Nothing incredible, but solid. Tenth choice all around here. Maybe I put it ninth, but I’d never take it. To me, it’s a filler nominee. Nothing more.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: I love being able to go back to this category. Because at the time, I was focused on The Social Network vs. The King’s Speech, which is what the category was in 2010. Only those two were the contenders and nothing else had a shot. And it was, at least it seemed like it was, a 51/49 proposition. Maybe more like 55/45, but still, it was close. And at the time, I tried to throw my energy toward the one that I’d rather see win. Though I was very clear at the time that my favorite film in the category was True Grit. And now that time has past, I’m not beholden to anything but my preference. So my choice is now True Grit, and that will probably be my choice going forward. Because that’s held up as my favorite film in the category.

Though I’ll also say — The Social Network, The King’s Speech, Black Swan — there are legitimate choices here. The King’s Speech, in a weak year, I’d take that without hesitation. Black Swan, maybe a second choice most years, but I could see taking it in the right situation. The Social Network, most other years this would be the choice. Good year.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

The Social Network
The King’s Speech
True Grit
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
Toy Story 3
127 Hours
Winter’s Bone
The Kids Are All Right

Rankings (films):

True Grit
Toy Story 3
The Social Network
Black Swan
The King’s Speech
Inception
The Fighter
127 Hours
Winter’s Bone
The Kids Are All Right

My Vote: True Grit

Recommendations:

The Social Network is essential. As of now, it’s essential, and you’ve probably seen it

The King’s Speech is essential as a Best Picture winner and a great film. As much as I and others hated on this at the time, the worst part about it was that we all loved the film and knew it was great. Now, I can take solace in that. Because it is great. You need to see it.

True Grit is the Coen brothers, thereby making it essential. It’s also an incredible film.

Black Swan is is essential. I’m over a decade removed from getting into film, but I imagine you don’t get too far without this one coming on your radar. If it hasn’t, you need to see it.

The Fighter is David O. Russell. Pretty sure his stuff is essential now. If not, consider it essential because it’s great, the stars that are in it, and because it won Oscars for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.

Inception is not only essential, but it’s Christopher Nolan and you’ll have gotten to this without my help. Just use me as a refresher for something we already know.

Toy Story 3. Don’t be an idiot.

127 Hours is good. Danny Boyle. Good film. Solid recommend. Not essential, just good.

Winter’s Bone is a solid indie. Sure, go ahead. See it. It’s gonna be less essential over time. At best it’s a nice little gem of a movie that started Jennifer Lawrence’s career.

The Kids Are All Right is fine. I like it well enough. Moderate recommend. Not really for me. But it’s good. People will really like it. I’m just not one to recommend it past a “yeah, it’s fine.”

The Last Word: The King’s Speech is a solid winner. Might not look great against some of the competition, but it’ll hold up over time as a fine winner. I still need more time to see if The Social Network holds up. I’m not 100% on that. That’ll decide whether or not it was the best choice they could have made. Otherwise, it’s fine, as much as a lot of us hated it at the time.

– – – – – – – – – –

(Read more Oscar Quest articles.)

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2011

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

Analysis:

The Artist is a silent movie. And man, does that make me happy.

I was happy that they made a silent movie. I was destined to love this. I was not expecting it to get as far as Best Picture. Which is exactly what happened with La La Land this year. Once it oversteps its bounds, people start to hate on it. Not that it’s undeserving, but people are gonna shit on movies like this because they consider them gimmicks. It sucks.

George Valentin is a silent film star. But now, sound is coming, and he doesn’t fit anymore. He finds his star fading, due to his inability to change.

It’s incredible. I love this movie. It’s everything I want out of cinema, and was my favorite film of the year. I’ll see if I end up taking it still. I suspect I will. But it’s not as much of a guarantee as it was five years ago.

The Descendants is Alexander Payne again. The man just makes good movies that the Academy responds to.

George Clooney is a man living in Hawaii whose wife gets into a jetski accident and is left in a coma. He struggles to take care of his two daughters while dealing with his wife’s impending death, some land owned by his family that they’re deciding whether to keep or sell, and some details that come to light that show that things regarding his marriage were not as they seemed.

It’s typical Alexander Payne. Very funny, with great dramatic moments. He seems to just get people.

This movie is a clear nominee and a film I like a lot. But it’s not hitting top three at all in this one. I like it, but I wouldn’t take it. Fourth choice all around.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is the film that no one thought would get here. And then when it did, it got ridiculed. Which is unfair.

A kid with Asperger’s loses his dad in 9/11. He searches for meaning, and discovers a key his father left him, which he thinks is part of a mystery that will reveal something his father meant to tell him. He goes around the city, meeting various people and getting into adventures. I’m not gonna spoil it, but it’s one of those movies that ends on an emotional note.

Some might see it as manipulative, which can be true. I think it works. It’s a solid movie. Did it deserve to be nominated? That’s not really something I need to decide. Sure, I wouldn’t have nominated it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthy. It’s a solid movie. It’s the bottom of the category all around, but it’s still a solid movie.

The Help is one of those movies that came out quietly at the end of the summer and slowly grew until it became one of the most acclaimed films of the year.

It’s about an aspiring novelist who decides to write a book from the perspective of (insert title here). She interviews all the black housekeepers in the city (at least the ones who will talk to her), and they dish all the dirt on all the white people. And the film is about the two main housekeepers, as well as racism (naturally).

It’s not the most complex movie in the world, and it doesn’t dig particularly deep. But it’s likable. It works, and there are good moments in it. It made so much money and was such a hit that they almost had to nominate it. There was no way this was gonna win at all. The nomination is the reward here. I don’t much care for this movie once you put it in that Best Picture conversation. It would be the bottom of the category for me if it weren’t for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

Hugo is Martin Scorsese’s love letter to silent cinema. Couched in a 3D children’s movie. It’s a very canny move on his part. I like how he chose this one.

Hugo Cabret is an orphan who lives in the walls of a Paris train station. He fixes the clocks. He’s constantly sneaking around and being chased by the station manager. He ends up meeting a toymaker and getting into a mystery regarding his dead father and an automaton he needs to fix.

The film is wonderful. This was the first 3D movie that truly used 3D to its full advantage. It was absolutely gorgeous to look at, and it’s a wonderful film. Not the film you’d associate with Martin Scorsese, but a true wonder nevertheless. It might have won this category if not for The Artist.

For me, this and The Artist were the two best movies of that year, so my choice will always be between those two. And it’s not always cut and dry. There’s a legitimate conversation to be had between the two. So we’ll see which way I go.

Midnight in Paris is Woody Allen’s best movie in a while. Since Match Point, anyway. Which, for him, is a while.

Owen Wilson is an American in Paris with his fiancée. He’s trying to finish a novel, and finds himself stuck. He discovers a mysterious form of time travel, where every night at midnight, a car pulls up, and when he gets inside, it transports him to 1920s Paris, where he gets to hang out with Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald and all the authors he so greatly admires. And it’s your typical time travel kind of movie, where he struggles with wanting to stay in that time period or return to the present.

It’s a very lovely movie. Woody Allen’s good movies get nominated, especially when there’s more than five nominees. This was bound to be on the list, but there was no chance it was gonna get past the nomination stage. It’s solid, but at best this was a fifth choice this year. Seventh for me. But that’s just because I really like 1-6. This movie is solid, but I just like other movies more than it.

Moneyball is a film that almost didn’t deserve to be as good as it was. It had such a troubled production. Steven Soderbergh walked like a month before shooting. They had both Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin working on the script. Bennett Miller came on at the last minute and started shooting it. It should have not worked. But it does.

It’s about Billy Beane, the manager of the Oakland A’s, whose sabermetrics approach to baseball led to him putting together a winning team on a fraction of the budget of the bigger market clubs. It’s an approach that revolutionized baseball, but of course was met with skepticism and disdain while it was happening.

It’s a sports movie, but like all the great sports films, it’s about more than that. And that’s what makes it so good. This movie is utterly watchable. You can put it on at any point and you’ll just stay there until the end. It’s really great. This’ll hold up.

I like the film a lot, but it’s no more than a third choice for me. It somehow never crossed that threshold where I’d legitimately put it in conversation with Hugo and The Artist. But I love it, though. I love that this got as many nominations as it did.

The Tree of Life is Terrence Malick’s late career masterpiece. I don’t think he’s gonna top this one.

It’s a film told in two parts — half is about the creation of the Earth, and the other is about, essentially, his childhood. It’s shot in his usual style, and it creates this beautiful, impressionistic portrait that just works.

This movie was the critical darling of 2011, and a lot of people think it should have won Best Picture. I’m not one of those people, even though I do love it. It’s a sixth choice for me, even though the film is very good and deserves to be in the conversation for winning this award. I just — it’s not entirely for me. Nomination, yes, but past that, no.

War Horse is Steven Spielberg. And man, did people hate this one when it came out. The best is that a lot of the people who hated on it never even saw it.

It’s about a horse, who starts as a plow horse in the fields of England, who goes through various owners over the course of World War II. And we follow the horse, and by extension, the people whose lives he crosses, and it’s just a wonderful piece of cinema.

Yes, it’s sentimental, and yes it’s something that shouldn’t have won Best Picture. But come on, it’s Spielberg! It’s a good movie! I like it a lot. You might not, and that’s fine. But I like it. Sure as shit wouldn’t take it, but it’s a great movie.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: Yeah…this is one of those… I like what I like. And I love The Artist. I’m aware not everyone shares my opinion. But that’s why it’s my opinion. My favorite film of 2011 was The Artist, and that’s what I’d vote for. Hugo was #2. I’m not taking #2 when #1 is nominated just because I care about what other people think. The Artist is the choice. There are great other choices here. But I’m taking the one I like best.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

The Artist
Hugo
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Moneyball
War Horse
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Rankings (films):

The Artist
Hugo
Moneyball
The Descendants
War Horse
The Tree of Life
The Help
Midnight in Paris
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

My Vote: The Artist

Recommendations:

The Artist is a Best Picture winner, so for now, it’s essential. Time will tell further on this one, but for now, you need to see it.

Hugo is Scorsese, therefore essential.

The Descendants is Alexander Payne, and essential.

The Tree of Life is Terrence Malick and essential. And may end up as one of the more essential ones in this entire category over time.

Moneyball is currently essential. I consider Bennett Miller essential, so let’s just say it is. It’s incredible, so at worst it’s a very high recommend.

War Horse is Spielberg. It may end up being a lesser Spielberg, but I consider all his stuff essential.

Midnight in Paris is gonna go down as one of Woody Allen’s better films, which makes it essential.

The Help is essential for Oscar buffs because of the win. Otherwise it’s a solid film with good actors in it. Worth a watch.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is solid. enjoyable, moderate recommend. Otherwise, you’re fine without it.

The Last Word: I like it. I think it’s a good winner. Time’s gonna do what time does. We’re not that far removed to where can say anything definitively. I don’t really see anything here that’s already a better choice. They’d be fine. But nothing that’s better. Hugo? I feel like people have already forgotten Scorsese even made that. Tree of Life? That’s not a Best Picture winner. The Descendants? Maybe? The rest wouldn’t have made great winners. So for now, I think they did just fine. But time’s gonna be the decider on this one. That’s not a cop out as much as it’s a legitimate “I don’t know.” Because I honestly can’t tell with this one.

– – – – – – – – – –

2012

Amour

Argo

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Django Unchained

Les Misérables

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

Analysis:

Amour is Michael Haneke. The man makes those movies that Cannes loves. Admittedly, the stuff I’ve seen of his, I’ve also really liked. This is one of those films that actually did deserve a Best Picture spot. It’ll hold up.

An elderly couple who’s been together for years and years have some struggles when the wife has a stroke and the husband is forced to care for her.

It’s a beautiful film. Very hard to watch in some ways, but also very well done and an incredible story. This is a film that I think I will appreciate more with age. Now, I like it a lot, but don’t really see it as anything more than a bottom choice in the category. I just wouldn’t take it at this moment in time. That’s why I keep redoing the Quest. Maybe one of these years I will.

Argo is a story about how Hollywood saved hostages.

That’s the takeaway from this, isn’t it?

During the Iran hostage crisis, a CIA operative, while trying to figure out how to get some people out who are trapped in the Canadian Ambassador’s house, decides the best way to do so is to pretend to be a Hollywood film crew on a scout. They create an entire fake film, hire real producers and buy a real script, and they go into Iran and work to get these people out safely.

It’s a great story, and a really good film. Was it the best film of 2012? Probably not. But it was a film everyone agreed upon liking, and in a way, that’s what Best Picture is now. I like this a lot. Probably like fourth choice for me, and that seems to be what wins now. Fourth choices. Wouldn’t take it, but like it a lot.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is just a great film. So wonderfully made and really representative of what the artistry of filmmaking can be. (And I’m not just saying that because I went to school with some of the people who made it.)

It’s about a little girl growing up in a place called The Bathtub, which is a place in Louisiana on a levee, which, due to rising water levels, will eventually be flooded out. But she, and everyone else there, refuses to leave. And the film is about her growing up in this place, with her wild fantasies and learning a unique way to live.

It’s a wonderful film. I was anti this film at first, I don’t really know why. But it’s so wonderful. It’s an incredible piece of filmmaking and is one of the absolute best films of 2012. I love that this was nominated and it deserved every piece of acclaim it got. I would not take this, but I wish there was a way in which I could. That is to say, I wish I loved this rather than really, really liked it. And I just don’t love it enough to vote for it. It sucks.

Django Unchained is Quentin Tarantino’s revenge western.

A freed slave teams up with a bounty hunter to free his wife from Leonardo DiCaprio. (I’m not sure how best to describe the Candie character.)

It’s fucking awesome. And it’s something you’ve seen if you made it here. It’s unfathomable to me that someone gets to me without having seen this movie.

I’m not gonna pretend like I wouldn’t vote for this. I am. It’s a tough year, so I feel conflicted about automatically taking this. But it’s my favorite film of 2012, so that’s the choice.

Les Misérables is the film adaptation of one of the greatest stage musicals of all time, adapted from one of the greatest novels of all time.

The music in Les Mis is perfect, and it was only a matter of time before they turned it into a film. Not everyone may have loved the track they took with this one, but I did.

It’s about Jean Valjean, a man thrown in prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. He gets out on parole and realizes the stamp of an ex-con prevents him from ever reintegrating into society. So he skips out on parole, changes his identity and is hunted down for years by a relentless policeman, Javert.

It’s a perfect story and I loved this film. It was my second favorite film of 2012. Did it need to win? No. Would I take it? Almost. Just so happens my favorite film of the year is also in this category. So that prevents me from taking it. Probably wouldn’t have been that great had it won, so that’s good. Still, I love this movie and I would have taken it if the situation called for it.

Life of Pi is a story about a boy that gets stranded in a lifeboat with a tiger, a monkey and a zebra. Somehow that’s not a joke.

It’s about an Indian boy who gets shipwrecked and ends up on a lifeboat with (eventually just) a tiger. And it’s about their journey and this weird bond that forms between them.

The film is a visual feast, but I was never crazy about the story. Looks great, but I never thought it amounted to much more than that. It’s my least favorite film in the category, and I was surprised it got so many nominations. But hey, they liked what they liked. So good for them. But it’s the last thing I’d take in this category.

Lincoln is Steven Spielberg’s film about the passing of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. And how Abraham Lincoln did everything he could to make sure it had enough votes to pass.

I think this vote sums it up: “The greatest measure of the 19th century. Passed by corruption, aided and abetted by the purest man in America.”

This movie is loaded with talent, and led by a remarkable Daniel Day-Lewis performance. The man outdid himself with this one. Holy shit.

This movie is amazing and it’s only growing in stature with each passing year. I might be convinced that this was the proper choice for the win. But we’ll get to that. It’s probably a fourth or fifth choice for me in the category, even though I do think it might end up closer to the top, voting-wise. We’ll see.

Silver Linings Playbook is David O. Russell taking what he learned on The Fighter and repeating it. Somehow he takes a movie with an utterly ridiculous premise and makes it charming and turns it into something really good.

Bradley Cooper is a teacher who’s just out of a stint at a mental institution after a nervous breakdown following the dissolution of his marriage. He is back living with his parents, trying to get his life back in order. He strikes up a friendship with a local widow, whose husband died suddenly at a very young age. To cope, she’s started sleeping with just about anyone who moves. The two train to enter a local dance competition together.

I don’t know how that plot manages to work, but fuck if this movie isn’t entertaining as shit. I love it. Wouldn’t take it at all, since I could never get this past one of those third choice spots, where I like it a lot, but there’s always stuff I’d vote for over it.

Zero Dark Thirty is Kathryn Bigelow’s movie about the search for Osama bin Laden.

It focuses on Jessica Chastain, a CIA agent whose sole purpose is to find and kill bin Laden. She hunts him down over several years, eventually tracking him down and leading to that famous Seal Team 6 raid.

The movie itself is very good. I have issues with some elements of the first two-thirds (and not even the glorification of the torture that people had issues with. Mine’s mostly story related), but the raid itself is fantastic. It’s a really terrific movie and well worth a nomination. Especially in an expanded category. Though it’s a lower tier nominee for me. Wouldn’t take it, but love that it’s here.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: I haven’t done one of those things in a while where I reason my way through a Best Picture category, and it’s because most of these years I know what I’d vote for off the top. So the rest doesn’t really matter. I mean, here — no to Life of Pi, no to Amour. No to Zero Dark Thirty. Beasts of the Southern Wild I’d think about, but not over the other choices. Argo — ehh. It’s hanging around that “solid but no vote” range. Silver Linings, wouldn’t actually vote for it even though I’d delude myself into thinking I might some day. It’s really Django and Les Mis as my favorites, and Lincoln is in the conversation, but ultimately my love for Django would beat it out. Tarantino probably shouldn’t have won for this, but it’s my favorite film of 2012, so why wouldn’t I take it?

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

Lincoln
Argo
Django Unchained
Zero Dark Thirty
Silver Linings Playbook
Les Misérables
Amour
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Life of Pi

Rankings (films):

Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Silver Linings Playbook
Argo
Lincoln
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Zero Dark Thirty
Amour
Life of Pi

My Vote: Django Unchained

Recommendations:

Lincoln. Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis. Absolute must see all around essential.

Argo is a Best Picture winner and an awesome movie that’ll rate high on the IMDB scale. Essential.

Django Unchained is Tarantino. I think you know what that means.

Zero Dark Thirty is gonna probably go down as an essential movie. At worst a very high recommend. Now, it’s essential.

Silver Linings Playbook is David O. Russell, and his stuff, especially from this era, is essential. Plus, with a Best Actress win, it’s essential for Oscar buffs.

Les Misérables is essential for Oscar buffs, essential as a story, and as far as musicals go, people should hear these songs because this is one of the greatest musicals ever written. Film-wise, maybe they’ll make a better version of this. For now, very high recommend out of me, and we’ll see what time does to this.

Amour is essential at the moment. Over time, maybe not. But I think it’s just so good and so underseen that you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a very high recommend and one of the gems of the Oscars. Not essential as of now, though I think it should be. This and Amour are the two that are just so good and deserve to be seen, so for now I’m calling them essential.

Life of Pi is essential for Oscar buffs, high recommend otherwise. It’s Ang Lee so most people will probably want to see it. Time’s gotta tell, but for now it’s essential

The Last Word: I think we all saw this as a bit of a compromise choice at the time. Not compromise so much as, “Yeah… I guess.” A ‘settle for,’ I guess is the proper term. There was a weird momentum shift toward this, but, over time, will this end up being the best choice. It’s a fun movie and a likable movie, but was it the best choice. I don’t know. Five years later, I’m starting to think Lincoln actually was the best choice. That’s where I’m at now. I don’t know if there’s much else that’s overtaken Argo, but I think Lincoln might have. It’s a decent choice. Not amazing historically, doubt it ever will be. But for now, it’s okay. Pretty much anything after 2010 is hard to gauge because it’s so recent.

– – – – – – – – – –

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2013

12 Years a Slave

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

Her

Nebraska

Philomena

The Wolf of Wall Street

Analysis:

12 Years a Slave is a movie about how a white dude helped out a black man. (That’s the message here, right?)

Chiwetel Ejiofor is a musician in Boston who is captured and sold into slavery down south. And we follow him during the twelve years hence until he is freed. It’s… harrowing.

The movie is absolutely incredible and there’s no denying this was by far the best choice in the category for Best Picture. My whole thing was — as great as it is, it’s not my favorite film in the category. Though, I’m sure that’s one of those situations that will be remedied in time. We’re only really four years removed from this one, so it feels too recent to really have a different opinion. But that’s the beautiful thing about time — things change.

American Hustle is David O. Russell doing his thing again. This one’s the most overtly Scorsese.

It’s about ABSCAM. A bunch of con artists help the FBI perform a sting operation and entrap some corrupt politicians.

People forget this movie has a plot. Mostly everyone remembers the cast and the music and all the fun scenes. But there is actually a story here.

The movie’s great, everyone likes it. But this, more than the other David O. Russell movies of this ilk, feels hollow. The Fighter felt big on energy and substance and depth. Silver Linings felt big on energy and was fine on the other two. This is big on energy and has little of the other two. I like it a lot, but seriously — there’s not much here beneath the surface. I wouldn’t take it at all, as much as I enjoy it. Wolf of Wall Street is gonna be Scorsese doing Scorsese. This is David O. Russell doing Scorsese. Solid film, but not something you vote for.

Captain Phillips is gonna devolve into some form of an “I am the captain now” joke. It’s almost impossible to not bring up that phrase when talking about this movie.

This continues Tom Hanks’ cinematic bad luck with transportation. First, he can’t get on a spaceship without some shit going down. Now he can’t go on a boat. After this — plane.

It’s about a hijacking of a cargo ship by Somali pirates, and the standoff that ensued.

This would be a decent movie on its own, but directed by Paul Greengrass — he makes it work. I had zero expectations for this movie going in, and was shocked by how much I liked it coming out. It’s really good. It’s tense, it’s well acted, and it’s anchored by a great performance from Tom Hanks, who continues to be one of the most underrated great actors in cinema.

I like this film a lot. But at best it’s a fifth choice. One of those films you love to see nominated but would never take. Those happen. The joy comes from knowing it at least got the chance to compete.

Dallas Buyers Club is an okay movie that seems better than it is because the two lead performances are astounding.

It’s about Ron Woodruff, a Texas man diagnosed with AIDS and given months to live. Refusing conventional treatment, he goes to Mexico and gets a bunch of non-FDA approved medication, which helps prolong his life several years. And he manages to illegally import the drugs and help out a bunch of other people also suffering with AIDS.

The film is all about the McConaughey and Leto performances. Outside of that, it’s just fine. Fairly by the numbers. If you look at it as just a film — it’s just fine. The weakest in the category. It may not be the least favorite of many in the category, but it’s not something that should have won. The nomination is actually the reward.

Gravity is Alfonso Cuaron’s space movie. It’s weird how simple it is and of the moment it is. This is one of those where, even at the time I was conscious that it was one of those movies that only really works right in that moment you see it in theaters and isn’t the kind of movie that holds up over time.

Sandra Bullock is in space to fix a telescope. Some accident happens with a satellite and debris starts flying into orbit. The debris flies right at her and her team and she winds up in space, alone and untethered. And the rest of the film is about her trying to get her way back to safety and, ultimately, to Earth.

It’s only 90 minutes but it’s a hell of a ride. It’s an amazing film. I know that people thirty years from now might look back and go,” What the hell? This won all these awards?” But this was quite the experience at the time and was a hell of a film. It was my favorite film of 2013, and I’ll probably continue voting for it here, even though I was well aware that this wasn’t the best choice in the category and that over time, they will have made the right decision. But now, I think I need to stick with my original decision, because it’s not like time has really passed on this one.

Her is Spike Jonze, who just makes great movies. Here’s what he’s got so far: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Where the Wild Things Are, and this.

Joaquin Phoenix is a lonely greeting card writer who buys a new operating system that is designed to do just about everything you could possibly need it to do. And he ends up falling in love with it.

That’s it, really. That’s the film. It’s fucking fantastic and there’s really no other way to put it. This film will hold up. It might end up top three or even top two in this category. Don’t think it’ll ever be the choice, but it’s definitely a film you can consider taking. It’s top three for me.

Nebraska is Alexander Payne. And he makes good movies.

It’s a father-son story. Bruce Dern is an old man who thinks he’s won the Publisher’s Clearinghouse sweepstakes. So he sets off to (insert title here) to pick up his check. His son thinks he’s nuts, but to prevent him from walking there by himself, he agrees to drive with him. And the film becomes a sweet road trip between the two, getting to know more about them and their family history. It’s really touching.

It’s a very good film. I don’t love it, but I like it a lot. There are definitely other Alexander Payne films I’d look to vote for over this. This… probably my least favorite film in the category, but even so it’s great. I’d maybe say it ends up like seventh in the end for voting. But still, not something I’d ever take. It’s good, but it’s just not on my radar when it comes to a vote.

Philomena is a film I like a lot. Stephen Frears, written by Steve Coogan, too.

Judi Dench is an Irish woman who got pregnant and gave birth to the child in a nunnery. The nuns forced her to give up the child and live in the convent. And eventually the son was sold off to an American couple. (Because people do fucked up shit in the name of religion.) Dench, years later, tries to find her son, and gets the help of a disgraced journalist in order to find the man. And it’s this beautiful and touching portrait of this woman, and it’s based on a true story. It’s absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. One of the real hidden gems of this decade and I’m so glad it ended up being nominated.

The film is quite good, but it falls to the back of the pack, voting-wise. The nomination is the reward. At best it’s an eighth choice for me. I like it, but I just wouldn’t go near it over my other choices. Too strong a category. Sometimes a film is just a “fourth” choice.

The Wolf of Wall Street. Scorsese. DiCaprio. Wall Street.

Jordan Belfort is a stockbroker who quickly learns the less legal ways of doing business and very quickly becomes very rich and lives a decadent lifestyle full of drugs and sex.

This movie is great. It’s Scorsese doing Scorsese, but no one ever said that’s a bad thing. I love this movie a lot. Would I vote for it? Not a chance. Love it, but not gonna take it in this category. At least three films I’d take over this one. This is like Casino. I like it a lot, but it’s not something that needs to be near the Oscars. Let’s just let it be awesome on its own terms.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: We can all agree that 12 Years a Slave is the right choice and the film that will hold up best over time. Not gonna argue that whatsoever. Gravity was my favorite film of 2013, and I’m in that weird gray area where it’s not quite time to really reconsider anything from the year. So I’m just gonna stick with Gravity for the time being and let the next go-around be the one where I really start to rethink everything and watch the films again with fresh eyes. You need time more than anything to reconsider, and I really haven’t had time. This, to me, feels like it just happened. And in a way, it has. So let’s keep the vote the way it was at the time and see what happens next time.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

12 Years a Slave
Gravity
Her
The Wolf of Wall Street
American Hustle
Nebraska
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Philomena

Rankings (films):

Gravity
12 Years a Slave
Her
The Wolf of Wall Street
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Philomena
Dallas Buyers Club
Nebraska

My Vote: Gravity

Recommendations:

12 Years a Slave is essential and is gonna go down as possibly all-time essential. As a Best Picture winner, there’s no excuse. Especially not now.

Gravity is essential for the Oscar wins. Time may lessen that, but for now, it’s must-see.

Her is essential and it’s only gonna get more essential as time goes on.

The Wolf of Wall Street is essential as a Scorsese film.

American Hustle is essential as a David O. Russell film.

Nebraska is essential as an Alexander Payne film.

That’s the great thing about doing these so soon after. I can call them essential and then wait another 5, 10 years and see what time actually does to them.

Captain Phillips is currently essential. Time will probably lessen this to a high recommend, but now, I think people ought to have seen this movie.

Dallas Buyers Club is essential for Oscar buffs and a high recommend for the performances.

Philomena is a high recommend and very much worth seeing though not, as of yet, remotely essential. I still think it’s really good and a hidden gem from this year, though.

The Last Word: 12 Years a Slave is the choice and it’s one of the more solid choices of all time. No questions about that. I doubt anything else here comes close to holding up as well as this one’s going to. Amazing all around.

– – – – – – – – – –

2014

American Sniper

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Selma

The Theory of Everything

Whiplash

Analysis:

American Sniper is a Clint Eastwood film that started his trend of “hero” films.

It’s about Chris Kyle, an army sniper who has the most confirmed kills of any sniper in US history.

It’s — there’s a lot we can say about it, but let’s leave it at — it made a shit ton of money, and it’s a solid film. It’s not without its problems, but it’s enjoyable enough. Mostly it got on here because it made so much damn money at the box office out of nowhere. It never stood a shot at winning, though there were definitely people who thought it did. It’s bottom two for me in the category. Definitely wouldn’t think about voting for it.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is my favorite film of 2014. I fucking loved this.

It’s about Michael Keaton, as a washed-up actor who used to be a superhero, who has now put all his money into a stage version of a Raymond Carver play and is counting on it to be his ticket back. Only he can’t shake his past, the play is beset with problems, and there’s the small issue of Keaton possibly losing his sanity.

It’s kind of a Black Swan but for actors instead of ballet. Told entirely to look as though the film was shot in a single take.

It’s so good. I get that people might think it’s Hollywood glorifying actors and think it’s pretentious. I don’t give a fuck about any of that. I loved this movie and it was my favorite film of 2014. And I’m gonna vote for it because of that.

Boyhood is Richard Linklater’s (possibly) magnum opus.

He shot this film over the course of 12 years, with the same cast. It’s about a boy growing up. And every 15 minutes covers a different year in the boy’s life.

It’s a very good movie. I think the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and the film was somewhat overrated at the time. Though you can’t deny the ambition of a project like this and you can’t deny that it’s an incredible achievement.

Should it have won Best Picture? I don’t know. Time will well on that. But I can say that I did like the film a lot. Though it is only my fourth favorite film in the category, so I won’t be taking it. (Again, though, with that #4 film. That seems to be a thing now, in these expanded categories.)

The Grand Budapest Hotel is Wes Anderson’s slow drive to the perfection of his aesthetic style. Every time, he adds a few more actors to his stable, he adds a few new wrinkles to the visuals, and seemingly gets closer to the film he wants to make.

The film’s a weird story within a story within a story, which tells of a young lobby boy working at the finest hotel in Europe, for Ralph Fiennes, known as the best hotel concierge in the world. And Fiennes gets mixed up in the murder of a wealthy woman, who mysteriously has left all her possessions to him.

It’s — the plot doesn’t matter. It’s awesome. This movie is so good. All Wes Anderson movies are good. This was my third favorite film of 2014. Somehow 1, 2 and 3 for me all made it onto this list. So I’ve got an abundance of choices. This also did feel like the third choice in the category, too. It had no shot at winning, but it definitely was right up there among the choices. After years of being ignored by the Academy, here’s him being wholly embraced by them. Which is a weird thing to see. I wonder if this’ll happen again or was a one-off.

The Imitation Game is a biopic of Alan Turing, who helped create a machine that cracked the German’s Enigma machine and essentially helped win World War II.

The film focused both on the creation of the machine and the cracking of the code as well as Turing’s private life, as an antisocial, homosexual man in a society that did not want him. It’s both uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time.

The film is very good. It’s one of those that hasn’t really held up all that well so far, and I feel like this is gonna be doomed to the ranks of forgotten nominees before long. As a film, I like it a lot, but I also don’t think it’s anything more than a solid nominee. I wouldn’t take it, nor would most people. Middle of the pack.

Selma is a film about Martin Luther King’s march from Selma, Alabama in a fight for Civil Rights.

It’s a solid film. I don’t love it, but it’s well made and well-acted. My least favorite film in the category, though I’d probably take it over one or two of the other nominees. Still, it wouldn’t get very far in the voting for me, just because I think a better film could have been made about the subject matter. It just feels okay and not great.

The Theory of Everything is a biopic of Stephen Hawking and his fight with ALS while also… you know, doing all that smart stuff he did.

The film also deals with the romance between him and his wife, because all these biopics need that romance angle. It’s a pretty by the numbers biopic, but ultimately turns out to be a pretty solid film. Overall, good but not great, and bolstered by two great lead performances. Bottom of the pack, and bottom two or three for the category. Not something I vote for, but the kind of film that populates these extended categories.

Whiplash is a film that came on quietly throughout 2014 and by the time it came out, was perhaps the most acclaimed film of the year. Or at least the one that most people were excited and passionate about.

Miles Teller is a jazz drummer who joins an elite conservatory group and a famous teacher, who is notorious for his… methods.

This film is definitely my tempo. It’s so fucking good. It was my second favorite film of 2014 and were it not for Birdman, I’d have voted for this without hesitation. This movie’s so fucking good.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Reconsideration: It’s Birdman for me. My favorite film of 2014 was nominated, and I’m taking it. That’s been the case for pretty much every year going back to 2009, save one. When your favorite film of the year is nominated, you take it. This category has the added bonus of having #2 and #3 nominated too. Which is nice. It’s too recent to really reconsider anything, but even so, this one has four top ten films for me. Still taking Birdman, though.

– – – – – – – – – –

Rankings (category):

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
Whiplash
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
American Sniper
Selma
The Theory of Everything

Rankings (films):

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Whiplash
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
American Sniper
Selma

My Vote: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Recommendations:

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a Best Picture winner and is currently essential.

Whiplash is essential. For Oscar buffs, and for all film fans.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is Wes Anderson, and therefore essential.

Boyhood is gonna go down as an essential movie (most likely), and currently, it’s very essential.

The Imitation Game is already almost forgotten. It’s a very solid film and I recommend it highly, but it’s not essential nor do I think it’ll ever be essential.

The Theory of Everything is essential for Oscar buffs, otherwise a high recommend with a good lead performance.

American Sniper is Clint Eastwood, making it worth seeing. It’s a solid film that made a shit ton of money. Currently close to essential, but over time it’ll probably just become a solid to high recommend at best.

Selma is a solid film. I don’t love it, but it’s good. I’d say solid to high recommend, and we’ll see what happens to this over time.

The Last Word: Too soon to call. But Birdman, I think, was a good choice. I want to see what time does to this. Boyhood may turn out to be the best choice here, it may not. I don’t know. Let’s see how it goes. For now, I think they made a fine choice. Maybe there will have been other fine choices as well.

– – – – – – – – – –

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Well, we’ve gone through all the categories again, so it’s time to wrap everything up. I did something sort of different last time, mostly talking about what I thought the best and worst decisions are. I definitely don’t want to do that again, since that’s not what my goal is here.

I also haven’t given much thought as to what these articles should be. So I’ve landed on doing it this way — I’m gonna go through each of the six major categories of the Quest and look at how I voted both times. That seems to be the way to do this. Where have my tastes changed over the past five years? That’s what this whole thing was about this time anyway.

So we’ll start with Best Supporting Actress. Here’s a table of what I voted for the first time versus what I voted for this time. I’ll color code the ones that are different for easy skimming purposes. Then we’ll discuss the ones that changed and try to figure out why they changed. Hopefully there’s nothing too embarrassing.

Year	The 2011/2012 Vote	The 2016/2017 Vote
1936	Alice Brady, My Man Godfrey	Bonita Granville, These Three
1937	Andrea Leeds, Stage Door	Andrea Leeds, Stage Door
1938	Beulah Bondi, Of Human Hearts	Beulah Bondi, Of Human Hearts
1939	Hattie McDaniel, Gone With the Wind	Hattie McDaniel, Gone With the Wind
1940	Judith Anderson, Rebecca	Jane Darwell, The Grapes of Wrath
1941	Mary Astor, The Great Lie	Patricia Collinge, The Little Foxes
1942	Agnes Moorehead, The Magnificent Ambersons	Agnes Moorehead, The Magnificent Ambersons
1943	Paulette Goddard, So Proudly We Hail!	Katina Paxinou, For Whom the Bell Tolls
1944	Agnes Moorehead, Mrs. Parkington	Agnes Moorehead, Mrs. Parkington
1945	Anne Revere, National Velvet	Ann Blyth, Mildred Pierce
1946	Anne Baxter, The Razor’s Edge	Anne Baxter, The Razor’s Edge
1947	Celeste Holm, Gentleman’s Agreement	Celeste Holm, Gentleman’s Agreement
1948	Agnes Moorehead, Johnny Belinda	Claire Trevor, Key Largo
1949	Mercedes McCambridge, All the King’s Men	Mercedes McCambridge, All the King’s Men
1950	Josephine Hull, Harvey	Hope Emerson, Caged
1951	Kim Hunter, A Streetcar Named Desire	Kim Hunter, A Streetcar Named Desire
1952	Jean Hagen, Singin’ in the Rain	Colette Marchand, Moulin Rouge
1953	Donna Reed, From Here to Eternity	Thelma Ritter, Pickup on South Street
1954	Eva Marie Saint, On the Waterfront	Eva Marie Saint, On the Waterfront
1955	Betsy Blair, Marty	Betsy Blair, Marty
1956	Dorothy Malone, Written on the Wind	Eileen Heckart, The Bad Seed
1957	Hope Lange, Peyton Place	Carolyn Jones, The Bachelor Party
1958	Wendy Hiller, Separate Tables	Wendy Hiller, Separate Tables
1959	Susan Kohner, Imitation of Life	Juanita Moore, Imitation of Life
1960	Janet Leigh, Psycho	Shirley Jones, Elmer Gantry
1961	Rita Moreno, West Side Story	Rita Moreno, West Side Story
1962	Mary Badham, To Kill a Mockingbird	Patty Duke, The Miracle Worker
1963	Margaret Rutherford, The VIPs	Joyce Redman, Tom Jones
1964	Agnes Moorehead, Hush… Hush Sweet Charlotte	Lila Kedrova, Zorba the Greek
1965	Shelley Winters, A Patch of Blue	Shelley Winters, A Patch of Blue
1966	Sandy Dennis, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	Sandy Dennis, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1967	Estelle Parsons, Bonnie and Clyde	Estelle Parsons, Bonnie and Clyde
1968	Sondra Locke, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter	Ruth Gordon, Rosemary’s Baby
1969	Goldie Hawn, Cactus Flower	Catherine Burns, Last Summer
1970	Helen Hayes, Airport	Karen Black, Five Easy Pieces
1971	Ann-Margret, Carnal Knowledge	Barbara Harris, Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?
1972	Jeannie Berlin, The Heartbreak Kid	Susan Tyrrell, Fat City
1973	Tatum O’Neal, Paper Moon	Tatum O’Neal, Paper Moon
1974	Talia Shire, The Godfather Part II	Diane Ladd, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
1975	Lee Grant, Shampoo	Ronee Blakley, Nashville
1976	Jodie Foster, Taxi Driver	Beatrice Straight, Network
1977	Quinn Cummings, The Goodbye Girl	Vanessa Redgrave, Julia
1978	Maggie Smith, California Suite	Maggie Smith, California Suite
1979	Meryl Streep, Kramer vs. Kramer	Meryl Streep, Kramer vs. Kramer
1980	Cathy Moriarty, Raging Bull	Mary Steenburgen, Melvin and Howard
1981	Jane Fonda, On Golden Pond	Maureen Stapleton, Reds
1982	Glenn Close, The World According to Garp	Terri Garr, Tootsie
1983	Linda Hunt, The Year of Living Dangerously	Linda Hunt, The Year of Living Dangerously
1984	Glenn Close, The Natural	Peggy Ashcroft, A Passage to India
1985	Meg Tilly, Agnes of God	Meg Tilly, Agnes of God
1986	Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, the Color of Money	Dianne Wiest, Hannah and Her Sisters
1987	Anne Ramsey, Throw Momma from the Train	Anne Ramsey, Throw Momma from the Train
1988	Michelle Pfeiffer, Dangerous Liaisons	Geena Davis, The Accidental Tourist
1989	Brenda Fricker, My Left Foot	Brenda Fricker, My Left Foot
1990	Lorraine Bracco, Goodfellas	Lorraine Bracco, Goodfellas
1991	Mercedes Ruehl, The Fisher King	Mercedes Ruehl, The Fisher King
1992	Marisa Tomei, My Cousin Vinny	Marisa Tomei, My Cousin Vinny
1993	Winona Ryder, The Age of Innocence	Rosie Perez, Fearless
1994	Jennifer Tilly, Bullets Over Broadway	Jennifer Tilly, Bullets Over Broadway
1995	Mira Sorvino, Mighty Aphrodite	Mira Sorvino, Mighty Aphrodite
1996	Juliette Binoche, The English Patient	Juliette Binoche, The English Patient
1997	Joan Cusack, In & Out	Joan Cusack, In & Out
1998	Judi Dench, Shakespeare in Love	Brenda Blethyn, Little Voice
1999	Samantha Morton, Sweet and Lowdown	Chloe Sevigny, Boys Don’t Cry
2000	Kate Hudson, Almost Famous	Frances McDormand, Almost Famous
2001	Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind	Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind
2002	Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago	Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago
2003	Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog	Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog
2004	Cate Blanchett, The Aviator	Cate Blanchett, The Aviator
2005	Amy Adams, Junebug	Amy Adams, Junebug
2006	Adraiana Barraza, Babel	Adraiana Barraza, Babel
2007	Saoirse Ronan, Atonement	Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
2008	Amy Adams, Doubt	Viola Davis, Doubt
2009	Mo’Nique, Precious	Mo’Nique, Precious
2010	N/A	Melissa Leo, The Fighter
2011	N/A	Jessica Chastain, The Help
2012	N/A	Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
2013	N/A	Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
2014	N/A	Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
2015	N/A	Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
2016	N/A	Viola Davis, Fences

Of 81 Best Supporting Actress categories, I’ve changed my opinion on 36 of them. Which is about 45%. That feels like a lot, especially when you factor in that I didn’t really write up seven of them for the purposes of this Quest. So that’s actually close to half the categories I’ve changed my opinion on. And curiously enough, three of the times I changed my opinion to a nominee from the same film.

I’m not concerning myself with the ones I voted the same on, since that’s my opinion. Ideally we get to the truest sense of my feelings the more my opinions stay the same over time. Plus, it’s also well documented why that’s my vote, with two go-arounds on the Quest now, so I don’t need to retread over that territory.

Anyway, here are the changes:

1936, Bonita Granville for These Three over Alice Brady for My Man Godfrey

We begin with the very first Best Supporting Actress category. I understand why I went the way I did the first time out. This being the first category, I felt it deserved a respected actress winning to help legitimize the category. Plus Alice Brady won the second category, and I love My Man Godfrey a lot… it makes sense why I chose her in 2011. But this time, for me it was all about what I thought the best performance was. And this time, I thought Bonita Granville gave the best performance. I suspect that in five years, this category will largely come down to these two yet again. I know Ouspenskaya will never be my vote, and I doubt Gale Sondergaard raises that highly in my eyes to actually take her. Beulah Bondi is an interesting wild card. She could maybe jump up and take it, but something tells me there’s not enough moments for her to shine in the film to take her. So I suspect Granville will stick as my preferred performance in this one.

1940, Jane Darwell for The Grapes of Wrath over Judith Anderson for Rebecca

You have two really great choices here. Both are amazing performances and both will always be 1-2 for me. This time, I was feeling much more sentimental, with early cinemas “Ma” giving a commanding performance and playing the quintessential film “Ma.” Makes sense that I changed it. This will continue to be a 50/50 for me every time I go back to it, and I suspect that Darwell will win more times than not over Anderson.

1941, Patricia Collinge for The Little Foxes over Mary Astor for The Great Lie

This was a category I never particularly liked. I know I voted for Astor the first time because I like Astor a lot and I was factoring in her un-nominated work in The Maltese Falcon when I made my decision. This time out I decided I would only take into account the best performance in the category. If a better performance wasn’t nominated, that’s on them. So while I love Mary Astor, the performance isn’t enough for me to want to take it. Collinge, on the other hand, is so wonderful in that movie that she jumped up hardcore for me. Last time, I saw the category and wanted to take Teresa Wright over her because I knew who Teresa Wright was. Why would I vote for an actress I’ve never heard of? So by focusing on the performances alone, Collinge rose to the top. I suspect she’ll continue to do well in this category over time, without much true competition for her in the category (two mother roles, an ingenue part and Mary Astor doing solid, but overly melodramatic work).

1943, Katina Paxinou for For Whom the Bell Tolls over Paulette Goddard for So Proudly We Hail!

This was a simple case of ‘I hated this category, so fuck it, Paulette Goddard’. Pretty sure I openly voted for her because, “Hey, you were in Chaplin movies, so that earns you something.” Definitely wasn’t the best performance, and I (hope) I acknowledged that at the time. This time, focusing on the best performance, I was able to eliminate any biases I may have had and simply went for what is the only interesting performance in the category. Goddard is charming, Watson has little to do, Revere plays one of her patented mother roles (which we’ll talk about again in a second) and Gladys Cooper is fine, but no. She was better the year before this in Now, Voyager. Paxinou was the only character that had a real spark when she was on screen. And she’s the performance that always should have won this. So this is an example of me switching over to the proper nominee. This go-around was a lot about course correction, and you’ll see a lot less of stuff like this in the future. She’ll stick as the winner in future Quest updates.

1945, Ann Blyth for Mildred Pierce over Anne Revere for National Velvet

I love National Velvet a lot. I love Anne Revere’s part in that movie a lot. Most of me taking her had to do with knowing she won and voting for a movie I loved a lot. That’s how a lot of people vote at the Oscars and I’m retroactively guilty of that. This time, voting for purely the best performance, I had to switch my vote over to Blyth, because Revere plays variations on a character she was nominated three times for. Blyth is just so wonderfully layered and awful as a character and I loved what she did. I almost took her the first time. This time was all about acknowledging what the best performance in the category is. I suspect my heart will continue to lead to me wanting to take Anne Revere, but Blyth should continue to be the performance I recognize as best in the future.

1948, Claire Trevor for Key Largo over Agnes Moorehead for Johnny Belinda

I never fully appreciated the Claire Trevor performance until this time around. I minimized her into a drunk side character who had little to do. This time around I saw how great her character is and had to switch over to her. I love Agnes Moorehead and I want to vote for her every time out because she’s so good, but while she’s very good in Johnny Belinda and has a role good enough to have won the Oscar, Claire Trevor is great in Key Largo. This will continue to be a discussion each time I go back to the category, but I suspect Trevor will win out most of the time from here on out.

1950, Hope Emerson for Caged over Josephine Hull for Harvey

Yeah — I took Hull because she’s fun, she’s kooky, and Harvey is a great film I love. Going back and having to actually look critically at all the performances, I came out with Emerson being the best. You have a category with two All About Eve performances — both of which are fine, but don’t really move the needle for me. One is out of the film before it can even get going and the other doesn’t really have any great moments. Nancy Olson is nice, but doesn’t quite register in Sunset Boulevard over the main three leads. And Hull ends up as a compromise choice. But going back and rewatching Caged — Emerson stands out as the far more memorable performance in the category. She’s positively imposing and evil. And I’m probably gonna continue taking her in the future, because she’s really good here. I know this is just a noir that might not have been taken seriously, but going back and watching all these performances, I feel like hers is the one that would make the largest impression on the most people.

1952, Colette Marchand for Moulin Rouge over Jean Hagen for Singin’ in the Rain

I took Jean Hagen for three reasons. 1) She’s hilarious in the film 2) Singin’ in the Rain is a masterpiece 3) While I love The Bad and the Beautiful, Gloria Grahame literally has nothing to do in that movie. On paper, she’s the choice, but every time I watch that performance, I keep waiting and hoping for her to have more to do. So I can never take the person who won the category. Leaving me to seek an alternative. Hagen isn’t really the choice, but at least I enjoyed her a lot, so she’s the standby in case there’s no one else. I’m also left with Thelma Ritter (in what is more of a standard nomination her her. Definitely not something I’d want to vote for) and Marisa Pavan, who’s good, but not a vote. Colette Marchand, meanwhile, did make an impression on me the first time I saw Moulin Rouge, but I avoided her because I was hung up on who I was voting for. There’s a great performance by an actress I don’t know, or a so-so performance that needed more screen time by Gloria Grahame in a film that I LOVE. So I get why I avoided her last time. But looking back — she’s wonderful. I’m not 100% sure I take her in the future, but I can’t see why I wouldn’t, especially if I’m looking solely at the performances and nothing else. Hagen is more of a one-note comic character. Marchand has depth to hers. Unless Pavan makes a jump out of nowhere, I suspect Marchand will be the vote going forward.

1953, Thema Ritter for Pickup on South Street over Donna Reed for From Here to Eternity

I took Donna Reed because she won and because, “Well, I’d like her to have an Oscar.” I don’t love the performance and never really did. I’ve seen that movie a bunch and always felt like her character never quite landed for me. I never felt about that character the way I think I was supposed to. Then there are two complete blanks for me in this category (Rambeau and Page). I like Grace Kelly in Mogambo a lot. And I considered hers the best performance the first time, and only took Reed because Kelly would later win an Oscar. But this time, I made it as though I were voting without knowing the future and only knowing what happened up until that point. So with that in mind, I may possibly take Kelly in the future. But Thelma Ritter — when I first saw this movie and had no real idea who she was, I loved her character. And I’m not sure why I didn’t vote for her here the first time. She feels like someone I’d wholeheartedly take in this one. I think in the future my vote will either be Ritter or Kelly, skewing heavily toward Ritter most of the time.

1956, Eileen Heckart for The Bad Seed over Dorothy Malone for Written on the Wind

This one I didn’t expect to happen. I knew that I enjoyed the Malone performance a lot. I love Written on the Wind, and I was happy to take Malone the first time. I think knowing she won helped me in taking it. I didn’t feel as bad about it. But I always thought the performance was a bit too over the top for me, and this time that prevented me from taking it. Mercedes McCambridge is great in Giant and had she a little bit more screen time and overall impact on the film, I might have taken her. I honestly thought my choice was gonna be Patty McCormack, who is positively evil in The Bad Seed and was barely not the vote the first time. But going back, I went specifically to look at her performance with an eye on voting for it. And I saw the limitations there and saw how it wasn’t as great as I remembered it as being. And then I found myself gravitating toward Eileen Heckart’s performance, which I dismissed entirely the first time, since it wasn’t as essential to the movie. But man, did she make an impact. I truly thought this was the best performance in the category this time out. I have no idea what I’ll think in five years, but for now, I’m pleased with how this turned out.

1957, Carolyn Jones for The Bachelor Party over Hope Lange for Peyton Place

This was one of those instances where I found myself sticking to my guns and taking what I felt was the best and most memorable performance over an ‘on paper’ decision. I don’t think I’ll ever like the Miyoshi Umeki performance enough to take it, and I also don’t think I’ll ever consider the Diane Varsi performance worth voting for over the Hope Lange performance, so that leaves me with only three to work with off the top. Lange has the most character to work with. Lanchester has a nice part and I might convince myself, with another watch of the performance, she’s someone I could take. But Carolyn Jones is so memorable in her limited screen time that I gave up on the notion that 6 minutes isn’t enough to vote for and went all in on “the best performance is the best performance.” So that’s where we’re at this time.

1959, Juanita Moore for Imitation of Life over Susan Kohner for Imitation of Life

1959 will likely always be between these two for me. Shelley Winters is absolutely wonderful in The Diary of Anne Frank and is also someone I could take. But given my love of Imitation of Life, I suspect I’ll be flip flopping between these two every time. I honestly don’t remember what led to me taking Moore over Kohner this time. Maybe the amount of screen time she has. Though that could easily backfire in the future, with me considering her a lead more than supporting. But the scene the two of them have at the end of the film is one of my favorite scenes all time. So I’ll probably choose one of them in this.

1960, Shirley Jones for Elmer Gantry over Janet Leigh for Psycho

The Janet Leigh performance is a staple. I don’t need to rewatch it to know what it is. It’ll always be top two for me in this one just because of how well it works within the context of the film. But I did rewatch Shirley Jones this time around and saw just how great that performance is. So I’m pleased that I went to her this time around. She feels like the more deserving performance. Maybe I switch back at some point, but I think I went over to the right choice.

1962, Patty Duke for The Miracle Worker over Mary Badham for To Kill a Mockingbird

This one… yeah. It’s because Patty Duke gives the best performance in the category and Mary Badham gives the performance I love the most. This time I was all about the performance and last time I was about what I wanted to take. Depending on how I decide to vote in the future, it’ll be one of these two. Badham will always be my preferred performance while Duke will always be the best. This one’s gonna depend on what my priority is upon voting.

1963, Joyce Redman for Tom Jones over Margaret Rutherford for The VIPs

I don’t like this category. I don’t particularly want to take anyone. Rutheford is nice and kooky, and with three Tom Jones nominees I usually want to wash my hands of all of them and go elsewhere. And I definitely can’t take Lilia Skala. So I’m usually left with wanting to take Rutherford by default. But if we’re actually looking at performance, Redman seems like the one for me. Cilento is nice and feisty early in the film, but she has little to do. Redman has the meatiest (and that’s literal at a certain point) role and makes the most of it. No idea what I’ll do in the future, but this does make sense for me now.

1964, Lila Kedrova for Zorba the Greek over Agnes Moorehead for Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Yeah…. last time I voted for Agnes because she hasn’t won. I still might do that in the future. But Kedrova gives the best performance, so she was the vote this time. Simple as that. Doubt anyone but these two becomes the vote, though I’ll give another look to Grayson Hall each time I go back to this one. This will be one I’ll be interested to see about in five years. It feels like one potentially open to change.

1968, Ruth Gordon for Rosemary’s Baby over Sondra Locke for The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

Yeah… this was the choice I almost went with last time. I think I was feeling contrarian and wanted to throw a vote to a performance no one knew about. Since so many people would automatically take Gordon here. And with good reason. Locke is great, but she’s the lead of the film. And she’s not so great that she should have won here. The real alternate for me this time was Lynn Carlin in Faces. If I don’t vote for Ruth Gordon in the future, it’s because I took Lynn Carlin. Those are the two major choices in this one.

1969, Catherine Burns for Last Summer over Goldie Hawn for Cactus Flower

I almost took Burns last time. I was so blown away by what she did in that movie. The only reason I took Goldie Hawn was because it’s Goldie Hawn. She’s had a career. But she’s the lead of her movie and Burns is just so much better on pure performance. And voting for the best performance was the mantra this time. So Burns became an easy choice. Susannah York barely missed here. She’s a solid contender for the future, if I ever go off Burns.

1970, Karen Black for Five Easy Pieces over Helen Hayes for Airport

Helen Hayes is nice and it was a good veteran win, but she didn’t give the best performance in the category. She gave the most likable performance in the category. She stole scenes. That’s different. Karen Black gave the best performance in the category. She’s the best choice here, and will likely continue to be my choice in the future. Doubt I take Lee Grant or Sally Kellerman despite liking their performances a lot. Black has the total package. That should be the vote going forward.

1971, Barbara Harris for Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? over Ann-Margret for Carnal Knowledge

Yeah, those are the two. I like those a lot. Cloris Leachman is also terrific in The Last picture Show. So really it’s those three. Last time I was feeling anti-Last Picture Show. I tossed off Leachman because I liked Burstyn’s performance better (even though now I think Leachman is clearly the one to vote for), so that paved the way to me taking Ann-Margret on the ‘I like her best, and I didn’t get to vote for her for Tommy, so sure’ vote. Harris never registered for me until this time. Her performance really moved the needle for me. Who knows how I feel in five years. This will be one I put a mental asterisk toward to see how it ends up, with Harris, Ann-Margret and Cloris Leachman as legitimate choices that I’d easily go for.

1972, Susan Tyrrell for Fat City over Jeannie Berlin for The Heartbreak Kid

I didn’t like Fat City at all the first time I saw it so I tossed Tyrrell off immediately. Shelley Winters is wonderful, but I didn’t take her either time because, while you love her character in the film, what does she really have to do? Geraldine Page is barely in her movie. Eileen Heckart is nice, but no. And Jeannie Berlin is very funny and memorable. So I get why I took her. This time, though, it was all about rewatching the Tyrrell performance and realizing that while I don’t particularly care for the film (I like it better, but it’s not like I love it now or anything), she’s fucking wonderful in it. So the “best performance gets the vote” edict allowed me to clear my head of all the bullshit and take Tyrrell. I suspect I continue taking her, but I could go back to Berlin if I’m feeling jaunty. If I get overly sentimental maybe Shelley Winters could sneak in. But I feel like the ‘she doesn’t need three’ argument will always hold her back. I’m always gonna dread this one, but hopefully the Tyrrell performance reminds me there’s a solid winner here I can take and feel okay about. The minute this category ceases to make me tense up is the minute I’m satisfied in a clear winner.

1974, Diane Ladd for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore over Talia Shire for The Godfather Part II

This category I hate for two reasons. First — Ingrid Bergman. What? For five minutes of babbling? And second, everyone says Valentina Cortese should have won instead. Which I also don’t get. So that limits my choices. Madeline Kahn is absolutely amazing in Blazing Saddles, and I’m surprised I haven’t given up and said fuck it and gone with her yet. Still could, I guess. Last time I took Shire because I was essentially voting for her performance in the first Godfather (and I guess her lack of a win for Rocky too). I don’t think she has as much to do here. I really only took it because it worked enough for me to feel okay about it. I don’t think she gives the best performance in the category. Ladd, meanwhile, steals her film. She’s wonderful. So she became a nice choice for me this time. Does she hold up in five years? I don’t know. I feel good about it now. I don’t see why she couldn’t.

1975, Ronee Blakley for Nashville over Lee Grant for Shampoo

Lee Grant was me not knowing what to do and going with the winner. I like her, I like the film, plus she was blacklisted, so give her an award to make up for that. I don’t think she gives the best performance, though she is very good. Sylvia Miles is nice, but I doubt I ever like her enough to take her. Lily Tomlin might catch another look in five years. But this time, Blakley really blew me away with her performance. This one was all about the performance and nothing else. I suspect it’ll be wide open again in five years, but you never know. Blakley has the character arc to make me take her again without much fanfare.

1976, Beatrice Straight for Network over Jodie Foster for Taxi Driver

I took Jodie Foster because it’s Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver. It’s a remarkable performance, but I’m not gonna say it’s great enough to necessarily deserve an Oscar. Foster would give two of those performances later (maybe three, depending on who you ask). I take her because I don’t know what else to go with. Piper Laurie’s too much for me, Lee Grant is a blank, and Jane Alexander doesn’t have enough to do. Beatrice Straight, meanwhile, is electric for five minutes. And since there’s no one here that moves the needle for me enough to take, Straight becomes the choice. I get it. I think she’s gonna hold up for me because she makes such an impression in her screen time. And, as I’m showing from this time out, I’ve gotten over that compulsion of “but they’re not in the movie enough to take!” After Hell or High Water last year, and that waitress stealing the movie with two whole minutes of screen time, I’ve come to understand — good performance is good performance.

1977, Vanessa Redgrave for Julia over Quinn Cummings for The Goodbye Girl

It’s great looking at these and seeing all the compromise choices from the first time out. A lot of choices, this one included, were me not liking the category and going, “Fuck it, I’m taking my favorite!” This favorite happened to be the precocious child role, which I think we all know by now is something I love. Clearly not the best performance in the category, and that decision was remedied this time out. I think what I’m learning is that last time was purely one extreme, and I forced myself into the other extreme (for the most part. There are exceptions) this time. So I think there will be more of a happy medium next time. Where I understand what’s best, but generally go with my heart when it feels applicable if I can find a strong enough reason to do so outside of “I just like this movie better.” We’ll see. But yeah, that’s why I took Cummings. This category isn’t great. Leslie Browne isn’t the choice, Tuesday Weld is fine, but hasn’t shown me enough after two watches to be the vote. Melinda Dillon is fine, but I doubt she becomes the vote. Vanessa Redgrave is really good and has a character I like — one talked about for much of the film and then a big punch of screen time. I get it. I don’t know where I’ll be in five years, but I think Redgrave is certainly the right way to go now.

1980, Mary Steenburgen for Melvin and Howard over Cathy Moriarty for Raging Bull

Moriarty is a rookie vote. She’s good in Raging Bull, but more mature me understands that she’s not the proper choice. This isn’t a great category. Steenburgen stands out by having the most energy and being the most endearing of the characters. I feel like she’ll end up continuing to be my choice here. I’ll look to get Scarwid a vote, just because it feels like she could be someone I could vote for, but I doubt I end up doing that in the end.

1981, Maureen Stapleton for Reds over Jane Fonda for On Golden Pond

Looking at this now, it’s so clear why I didn’t vote for certain people. I loved On Golden Pond, I saw Reds. I said, “What? She’s barely in the movie. Fuck that!” And then deliberately didn’t vote for Stapleton. Fonda is fine, but On Golden Pond, admittedly, is almost a Lifetime movie the way it’s made. I can’t truly justify her as the vote. Joan Hackett is quite good in this one, as is Elizabeth McGovern. I suspect they will factor in heavily each time I go back to this. Melinda Dillon probably deserves another look too. This one for me was more about going back and learning to appreciate the Stapleton performance, which I didn’t quite pay enough attention to last time. I think it’ll be an open competition next time, and one of those categories I’ll eagerly watch all five nominees for, because I do remember them all as doing good work.

1982, Terri Garr for Tootsie over Glenn Close for The World According to Garp

This is tough for me. Because they’re both great and both worthy of the vote. Notice how I didn’t take the actual winner either time. Because I feel Jessica Lange did better work in hear lead nomination this year than this one. But she was up against Meryl for Sophie’s Choice, so I get why they voted her here. That said, I doubt I’d ever actually vote for her. Glenn Close is wonderful in Garp and can easily become the vote again in five years. This time, I was surprised by how great Teri Garr is in Tootsie. She really evokes a lot of sympathy and laughs at the same time, and I really responded to that. I feel like I’ll give another look to Lesley Ann Warren and Kim Stanley, but in the end I suspect it’ll be between these two going forward.

1984, Peggy Ashcroft for A Passage to India over Glenn Close for The Natural

I know for a fact I voted for Glenn Close the first time because she never won an Oscar and this was the weakest category to try to get her one. I also don’t love A Passage to India as a film very much so I was deliberately not taking that out of dismissal. Ashcroft seems to be the best of a bad situation, and I suspect going forward she’s really the only person I can take. Maybe I can convince myself to take Geraldine Page, or somehow Christine Lahti or Lindsay Crouse become illuminated for me in further watches.

1986, Dianne Wiest for Hannah and Her Sisters over Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio for The Color of Money

Mastrantonio was another one. I deliberately didn’t want to vote for Hannah and Her Sisters, and in the absence of that, there’s not a whole lot else to go to. So since I love The Color of Money and love Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, she was an easy choice. Objectively not the best choice in the category, but I theoretically could be persuaded to vote for her again. Wiest gives the best performance in the category. The others — Piper Laurie is nice, but doubtful I go there. Maggie Smith is doing a version of the same character she always plays now. She’s good, but the time to actually vote for that was in 1986 and not now. And I can’t magically make myself vote in the year it happened no matter how much I want to. And Tess Harper is a hard pass. I’ve moved onto the right choice and will probably stay there going forward.

1988, Geena Davis for The Accidental Tourist over Michelle Pfeiffer for Dangerous Liaisons

Even looking at this now, I’m surprised. I did a double take. “What? I did?” I wrote this category up a year ago and honestly can’t remember why I took Geena Davis. I can tell you why I didn’t take anyone else, so that’s probably how that went down. Michelle Pfeiffer was the vote originally because she never won and I figured, “Hey, let’s vote for her.” But upon watching that performance again, something about it just felt wrong. She felt miscast. Maybe that’ll change in five years, but that’s how it felt for me this time around. Sigourney Weaver I wouldn’t take, Frances McDormand I almost took but ultimately she never feels like she has enough to do to actually get the vote. Joan Cusack actually doesn’t have anything to do in her movie despite making an impression. Geena Davis is at least cute and quirky and somewhat memorable. So I get why I went there. No idea what the hell I do in this category in five years. Might have to wipe the slate clean and watch all five again with a specific eye toward performance. I’d be surprised if this one stays consistent for multiple run throughs.

1993, Rosie Perez for Fearless over Winona Ryder for The Age of Innocence

This is a strong category. Strong actresses. Two of the nominees also were nominated in lead. The Holly Hunter nomination is a bonus that no one would or should take. Emma Thompson actually has a strong enough character to consider. Though I was much more into voting for her the first time than I was this time. I think because I voted her Best Actress this year and didn’t want to vote for her in both. But still, she’ll contend in the future. Anna Paquin — I like the performance, but I doubt I switch over to that in the future. But you never know. I might hit that age where it does blow me away and I go all in on it. You never know. Winona I know I took because I love The Age of Innocence and I figured, “Why not?” I think it was also me being really impressed by her work in Little Women too and figuring, “Fuck it, give her an Oscar.” Definitely one of those choices I only could have made in 2011 and not 2016. This time, going back to look at the major performances, I found myself really responding to Rosie Perez, who hits all the right notes with her character and actually delivers a fantastic performance. If I watch all the performances again, I suspect she’ll be the vote on more than a few occasions. Though the category is strong, so that doesn’t lend itself to a particular consistency.

1998, Brenda Blethyn for Little Voice over Judi Dench for Shakespeare in Love

Yeah, I love Judi, and I took her because the category isn’t great and she deserves an Oscar, is wonderful in the part and stands out. But she’s only got about eight minutes of screen time, and Brenda Blethyn truly gives the best performance in the category. That’s the vote. That should continue to be the vote. She’s absolutely tops here.

1999, Chloe Sevigny for Boys Don’t Cry over Samantha Morton for Sweet and Lowdown

Funny how twice now I haven’t taken Angelina Jolie. I think it’s because I understand the win but it doesn’t really do anything for me outside of intellectually. She’s nice and it’s a starmaking kind of performance, but it just feels too… obvious. I run up against that every time. Last time that led me to take Samantha Morton, who gives a wonderful, silent performance and channels her inner Harpo Marx. There’s not a whole lot of performance there, but it’s charming enough for me to take if I want to. So she’ll continue to factor in there for me. Catherine Keener has never done it for me, so I don’t think I’d go there. Sevigny is the one who truly surprised me. I’m usually against this movie because I always think Swank shouldn’t have won for it (performance-wise. Everything else works great for me as a choice). But her performance — Sevigny’s — is really terrific. And I think if I keep up the “best performance” thing, she’ll continue being my vote in this one. Though I could conceivably see myself going back to Morton if I decide I’m over it. Wouldn’t be the best decision, but at least I’d find myself happy with my choice. Which is really what matters.

2000, Frances McDormand for Almost Famous over Kate Hudson for Almost Famous

Kate Hudson is the easy choice when you’re starting out. She’s the character you want to vote for. But the performance… the more I go back and watch that movie purely for performance, she’s not anything overly outstanding. She’s great, but she didn’t need the win. So seeing that opened this category up for me. Judi Dench does her usual thing. There’s a version where she gets the vote, but I think it’s just a bit too on the nose for her to get it. Plus, she’d won, so I feel no real urgency to give her that extra look. Marcia Gay Harden — I don’t get it. I wouldn’t take her at all and probably would put her fifth. I don’t think I’d ever go there. Julie Walters is very nice, but I’d never vote for her. That leaves Frances McDormand, who is the true best performance in the category and the one who steals her film and has the most emotional weight to her scenes. How she didn’t win this, I have no idea. She’ll be my vote in the future. I think I’ve wised up for good.

2008, Viola Davis for Doubt over Amy Adams for Doubt

This category was always fucked because I never liked the winner. Penelope Cruz is nice, but I’d never want to take her. I appreciate the performance more, but — ehh. Amy Adams got the vote because I felt she always gets overlooked for Oscars. Cut to now and she still hasn’t won one and there you have it. She’s wonderful in Doubt, but going back — Viola Davis has the most powerful scene in the movie and makes the biggest impression. That’s the best performance. You can’t deny it. Single scene or no — she stops that movie for 12 minutes while she’s on screen. That’s the choice.

– – – – – – – – – –

I like this. I’m gonna leave this here. Doubt I go back and read it but I’m interested in seeing how many I can call now. Because I am gonna do this again and I am gonna update the votes in five years. And I want to see how well I know myself to see if I can guess how I’ll vote in some of these at the time.

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We’ve gone through all the categories again and now it’s wrap-up time. I’ve decided that the proper way to wrap things up is to look at each of the six (original) Oscar Quest categories and compare how I voted the first time versus how I voted this time. The idea being to gauge where my tastes have changed over the past five years, as that was the purpose of going through and doing it again anyway.

Today is Best Supporting Actor. I’ve included a table of how I voted both times and color-coded the ones that are different so you can skim through easily. Then I’ll work my way through each of the categories where I changed votes, figure out why they changed and try to predict how it’s gonna go in another five years.

Year	The 2011/2012 Vote	The 2016/2017 Vote
1936	Walter Brennan, Come and Get It	Walter Brennan, Come and Get It
1937	Ralph Bellamy, The Awful Truth	Joseph Schildkraut, The Life of Emile Zola
1938	Basil Rathbone, If I Were King	Basil Rathbone, If I Were King
1939	Thomas Mitchell, Stagecoach	Thomas Mitchell, Stagecoach
1940	Walter Brennan, The Westerner	Walter Brennan, The Westerner
1941	Sydney Greenstreet, The Maltese Falcon	Donald Crisp, How Green Was My Valley
1942	Frank Morgan, Tortilla Flat	Van Heflin, Johnny Eager
1943	Claude Rains, Casablanca	Claude Rains, Casablanca
1944	Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way	Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way
1945	James Dunn, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn	James Dunn, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1946	Claude Rains, Notorious	Charles Coburn, The Green Years
1947	Richard Widmark, Kiss of Death	Richard Widmark, Kiss of Death
1948	Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre	Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1949	Ralph Richardson, The Heiress	Ralph Richardson, The Heiress
1950	George Sanders, All About Eve	George Sanders, All About Eve
1951	Karl Malden, A Streetcar Named Desire	Karl Malden, A Streetcar Named Desire
1952	Victor McLaglen, The Quiet Man	Anthony Quinn, Lust for Life
1953	Robert Strauss, Stalag 17	Frank Sinatra, From Here to Eternity
1954	Rod Steiger, On the Waterfront	Karl Malden, On the Waterfront
1955	Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts	Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts
1956	Robert Stack, Written on the Wind	Anthony Quinn, Lust for Life
1957	Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai	Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958	Burl Ives, The Big Country	Burl Ives, The Big Country
1959	Arthur O’Connell, Anatomy of a Murder	George C. Scott, Anatomy of a Murder
1960	Peter Ustinov, Spartacus	Peter Falk, Murder, Inc.
1961	Jackie Gleason, The Hustler	Jackie Gleason, The Hustler
1962	Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia	Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia
1963	Melvyn Douglas, Hud	Melvyn Douglas, Hud
1964	Peter Ustinov, Topkapi	Lee Tracy, The Best Man
1965	Martin Balsam, A Thousand Clowns	Tom Courtenay, Doctor Zhivago
1966	Walter Matthau, The Fortune Cookie	Walter Matthau, The Fortune Cookie
1967	George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke	George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke
1968	Gene Wilder, The Producers	Gene Wilder, The Producers
1969	Gig Young, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?	Gig Young, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
1970	Chief Dan George, Little Big Man	Chief Dan George, Little Big Man
1971	Roy Scheider, The French Connection	Ben Johnson, The Last Picture Show
1972	James Caan, The Godfather	Al Pacino, The Godfather
1973	Jason Miller, The Exorcist	Jason Miller, The Exorcist
1974	Robert De Niro, The Godfather Part II	Robert De Niro, The Godfather Part II
1975	George Burns, The Sunshine Boys	George Burns, The Sunshine Boys
1976	Jason Robards, All the President’s Men	Jason Robards, All the President’s Men
1977	Alec Guinness, Star Wars	Alec Guinness, Star Wars
1978	Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter	Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter
1979	Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now	Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now
1980	Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People	Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People
1981	John Gielgud, Arthur	John Gielgud, Arthur
1982	James Mason, The Verdict	Lou Gossett Jr., An Officer and a Gentleman
1983	Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff	Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff
1984	Adolph Caesar, A Soldier’s Story	Haing S. Ngor, The Killing Fields
1985	Eric Roberts, Runaway Train	Klaus Maria Brandauer, Out of Africa
1986	Tom Berenger, Platoon	Tom Berenger, Platoon
1987	Sean Connery, The Untouchables	Sean Connery, The Untouchables
1988	Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda	Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda
1989	Danny Aiello, Do the Right Thing	Danny Aiello, Do the Right Thing
1990	Joe Pesci, Goodfellas	Joe Pesci, Goodfellas
1991	Michael Lerner, Barton Fink	Michael Lerner, Barton Fink
1992	Gene Hackman, Unforgiven	Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men
1993	Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List	Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List
1994	Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction	Martin Landau, Ed Wood
1995	Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects	Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects
1996	William H. Macy, Fargo	Edward Norton, Primal Fear
1997	Robert Forster, Jackie Brown	Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting
1998	Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan	Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan
1999	Tom Cruise, Magnolia	Tom Cruise, Magnolia
2000	Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire	Benicio Del Toro, Traffic
2001	Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast	Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast
2002	Chris Cooper, Adaptation	Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You Can
2003	Alec Baldwin, The Cooler	Alec Baldwin, The Cooler
2004	Clive Owen, Closer	Clive Owen, Closer
2005	William Hurt, A History of Violence	William Hurt, A History of Violence
2006	Mark Wahlberg, The Departed	Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
2007	Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men	Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
2008	Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight	Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
2009	Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds	Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
2010	N/A	Christian Bale, The Fighter
2011	N/A	Nick Nolte, Warrior
2012	N/A	Christophe Waltz, Django Unchained
2013	N/A	Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
2014	N/A	J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
2015	N/A	Sylvester Stallone, Creed
2016	N/A	Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Of 81 categories I’ve changed my opinion on 24 of them. Just about 30%. Or 32% if we’re only counting the categories I actually cast votes for twice. Since technically the original Quest ended at 2009.

One thing you’re gonna notice here is that I’ve switched my vote over to the actual winner in a lot of cases. Half of them, to be exact. And five of them I went off the actual winner to someone else. And then three times I did the thing where I voted for another nominee from the same film as the person I originally voted for.

1937, Joseph Schildkraut in The Life of Emile Zola over Ralph Bellamy in The Awful Truth

Yeah, this one was bound to change. I knew I only voted for Ralph Bellamy because I like Ralph Bellamy. It’s not a great category. Roland Young is a lead, I don’t love The Hurricane even though I like Thomas Mitchell. Bellamy isn’t really good enough to take. H.B. Warner remains a possibility and could be a contender in the future. And Schildkraut I deliberately didn’t take because I felt the film sidelines him for too much of it to really matter. But the role is the thing, and his role is the one that looks the best on paper. I can’t really parse performance between any of these, and since it’s the second category ever, I can see why Schildkraut is the choice. No idea where I go in five years, but I get the change now.

1941, Donald Crisp in How Green Was My Valley over Sydney Greenstreet in The Maltese Falcon

Another one that’s clear all around. Donald Crisp is the proper choice, but I love Sydney Greenstreet in The Maltese Falcon. So I took my favorite the first time and the second time I went with the best performance (as was my edict for myself for the second go around). It’ll always be one or the other for me, and depending on how I’m feeling, I could see the vote going either way in the future.

1942, Van Heflin in Johnny Eager over Frank Morgan in Tortilla Flat

This one is interesting to me. I really don’t like this category, even though I think all the performances are pretty good and I like all the actors a lot. I know I took Frank Morgan the first time because I love Frank Morgan. I disliked his film most of all of them, so it was an actor choice over a performance choice. I earmarked this as one I had to watch all five again closely because I knew I didn’t make a choice that would necessarily work for me this time around. I ended up going with Van Heflin because his performance is one that’s totally on a different wavelength from his film. His film wants to be a moving gangster picture with definitive beats, and he’s just sort of laid back, doing his own thing. And I liked that. I could see myself potentially going wildly different next time, as Walter Huston is always a contender when nominated and I’ve always really liked the Bendix performance. This one will never be cut and dry ever

1946, Charles Coburn in The Green Years over Claude Rains in Notorious

Twice now I haven’t taken Harold Russell. I get the importance of the role, but I just can’t ever bring myself to take it. I distinctly took Claude Rains the first time because in 1943, Claude Rains should have won for Casablanca and Charles Coburn won for The More the Merrier. Which I’m fine with, but Rains should have won. So this time (meaning 1946), despite liking the Coburn performance better, I took Rains because he should have had an Oscar. Now, this time (meaning the Quest, version 2), I was all about the best performance, and I’ve always felt Coburn gave the best performance, so that was who I voted for. Maybe my priorities next time out shift and I go back to Rains, but I never much cared for that performance as a winner. Maybe I will next time. Maybe I’ll shift over to Russell. No idea. Coburn’s been my preferred performance two times out now, so that’s probably what’ll stick next time.

1952, Anthony Quinn in Viva Zapata! over Victor McLaglen in The Quiet Man

Weak category. I took McLaglen last time because I like him, I love The Quiet Man, I thought he was great in it, and because why not. My love for Anthony Quinn (which was always there) has grown exponentially in the past five years, and while I liked his performance last time, I really liked it this time. So he was the obvious choice. I get why he won, and it was the choice I probably should have made the first time. Given the rest of the category — Burton’s a lead, Hunnicutt is just fine, and Jack Palance… ehh — I’ll probably continue taking Quinn in the future, with a possible occasional slip back to McLaglen.

1953, Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity over Robert Strauss in Stalag 17

I made a “choice” the first time. I felt like I should deliberately vote against the big classy film. Plus I think it was a mix of not wanting to take Sinatra twice? I forget. But Strauss was my favorite performance in the sense that I love his character. He absolutely did not need to win at all. This is a strong category in terms of memorable performances. But Sinatra does it all for me. It might be a bit on the nose, but I think he’s worthy of the vote in this one. I doubt I’d ever take Eddie Albert (but given my love for Roman Holiday, don’t rule it out), and would never take either of the Shane nominees. I suspect it’ll be mostly Sinatra from here on out, with occasional, “Fuck it, I love the Strauss performance too much” votes here or there. This is that classic deliberation where you have the solid, steady performance that has the arc of a winner versus the complete scene stealer who just lights up their movie. Those will always be a discussion.

1954, Karl Malden in On the Waterfront over Rod Steiger in On the Waterfront

Ah, the Waterfront year. I love Edmond O’Brien, but no matter how much I love him, I could never take him over Waterfront. And between the three Waterfront nominees, Steiger I took for two reasons the first time: he’s half of one of the greatest acted scenes of all time, and I knew I wasn’t gonna take him in Best Actor 1967, and I was focused on logistics that first time way more than I should have been. This time, it was all about the performance. I thought I was gonna go to Lee J. Cobb, to be honest. But I felt him a bit too one-note thuggish for my taste and surprisingly found myself way more drawn to Karl Malden. I always like Karl Malden, even though I think some people can see him as a bit too overbearing at times and prone to overacting. But I was quite taken with the performance, and he felt like the proper vote this time out. Theoretically I could switch to any of the three Waterfront nominees at any given time, though I suspect I’ll always be taking one of those three each time I go back to this one.

1956, Anthony Quinn in Lust for Life over Robert Stack in Written on the Wind

The Stack vote was a clear vote for the film and not much else. Plus Anthony Quinn is notably the shortest performance to win a Supporting Actor Oscar, so I bet that weighed in as well. This time out, I made sure to rewatch Quinn, and also looked over some of the other performances. Don Murray is a lead and I found him too annoying to take. Perkins I never much cared for as an actor and didn’t do much for me. Mickey Rooney is nice, and maybe there’s a scenario where he becomes the vote. But Anthony Quinn is the kind of guy who is very electric but for a limited amount of time. Sure, I wish there were more, but the best performance is the best performance. Don’t know if he sticks, but he feels like the right choice.

1959, George C. Scott in Anatomy of a Murder over Arthur O’Connell in Anatomy of a Murder

Instance #2 of picking a winner from the same film. Hugh Griffith is always gonna be a no-go for me as a winner. He’s great and fun, but it’s basically a comic relief role. And a white guy playing Arab. That, plus Ben-Hur not really needing another Oscar doesn’t make me inclined to take him. Ed Wynn was not the best choice from his film (had Joseph Schildkraut been the nominee, that would have made this a really interesting discussion) and only ever gets a look because he’s Ed Wynn. Robert Vaughn is almost the same — only because he’s Robert Vaughn would I consider him. I took Arthur O’Connell the first time because I loved his character arc — old drunk who has to get his shit together and redeem himself in one last case. Going back and rewatching, I still really like his performance, but George C. Scott… holy shit. He’s so fucking good in this movie! He’s like that in everything. I could honestly vote for him in three of his four nominations. (The Hospital is the only one where I could honestly say, “Nah, wouldn’t take him.” The other three — he’s either a legitimate choice or the vote.) So that’s why the swap. Going forward, I imagine if I were to watch the performances again, Scott will continue to come out as the choice. But we’ll see. I’ll usually never definitively say anything in a category where I’m not taking the person who won.

1960, Peter Falk in Murder, Inc. over Peter Ustinov in Spartacus

Sorry Ustinov. He’s awesome in Spartacus, and I took him last time because he’s Peter Ustinov, but through no fault of his, this time around I really fell in love with Peter Falk’s performance. That’s the reason for the swap. Ustinov was 1, then he fell to 2. No one else here will ever get my vote, so this will always be between those two. I’d love it if I consistently took Peter Falk in the future, because man, do I love me some Peter Falk.

1964, Lee Tracy in The Best Man over Peter Ustinov in Topkapi

I switched into taking Anthony Quinn for both of his wins, and now I’ve switched away from Peter Ustinov in both of his wins. Go figure. This one, though, was five years in the making. Lee Tracy’s performance was my favorite even last time. I just took Ustinov because Tracy didn’t have much of a career that anyone remembers. He was in a bunch of early 30s movies, but that’s about it. So I took Ustinov because I was way more interested in getting people I liked awards than voting for what was the best. Making it all about the performance this time straightened me out. It cut the bullshit and made me vote for what I thought was best. It’s possible I go back to Ustinov, but I’ve always loved the Tracy performance in that film, so I suspect he’ll keep being the vote in future redo’s. (I’m also surprised I didn’t take John Gielgud last time. I remember really liking his performance, though it’s also very limited in screen time. That’s probably what’ll keep eliminating him in the future.)

1965, Tom Courtenay in Doctor Zhivago over Martin Balsam in A Thousand Clowns

Yeah. This… I hated this category. There was no one to take, so I basically just said “I like A Thousand Clowns best, and Balsam won, so Balsam’s the vote.” There was no real conviction in that one at all. Even glancing at this category — I’d never take Dunn, that’s stunt casting. I’d never take Finlay because I refuse to take Shakespeare performances this deep into the Oscars. That’s a personal thing that would take something extraordinary to overcome. And Ian Bannen, I barely register in that movie among others. Balsam has two good scenes, but not overly memorable scenes. Courtenay almost wins by default. But he does have a good performance. A great arc. A revolutionary radical who ends up becoming the enemy. Which is great. He’ll likely continue being the vote just because he’s the best option in one of the weakest categories of all time.

1971, Ben Johnson in The Last Picture Show over Roy Scheider in The French Connection

Yeah, this was a deliberate non-vote for the winner the first time. I just thought Ben Johnson had nothing to do in that movie and had way too little screen time to vote for. And since I love Roy Scheider, love The French Connection and knew I probably wasn’t gonna be able to take him for Best Actor in 1979, he became the vote. Going back this time, I put extra circles around this one and made sure to rewatch the Johnson performance specifically. Leonard Frey would never be the choice. I like Jeff Bridges, but wouldn’t take him. Richard Jaeckel… maybe he can jump up and be the vote? I suspect that I’ll either continue taking Johnson or go back to Roy Scheider because I love him. The important takeaway here is that I now fully appreciate the Ben Johnson performance, which I had not in years previous.

1972, Al Pacino in The Godfather over James Caan in The Godfather

Not a whole lot to add to this one. I took Caan the first time because he was the true supporting performance from the film, but despite the category fraud (Pacino is clearly a lead), Pacino gives the best performance. Gotta take that. Joel Grey is also amazing, and I will always consider him as the choice, but something tells me it’ll pretty much be Pacino (with maybe a chaser on Caan once in a while) from here on out.

1982, Lou Gossett Jr. in An Officer and a Gentleman over James Mason in The Verdict

Switched over to the winner again. I took James Mason because he’s good and because he’s James Mason. Gossett is good, but I get why I didn’t want to vote for him. I’m still not 100% sold on him as the choice. I like him a lot and think he’s a fine choice, but it’s not the slam dunk I was hoping for. Even the second time around, I like the performance a lot and would take him over the rest of the field, but I’m not sure this is something that automatically sticks for me. Doubtful the other three jump up to be the vote though. (Durning just has one five minute musical number, which is admittedly awesome. Lithgow is good, but ehh. And Robert Preston… well, maybe. We’ll see where I’m at with that performance in five years.) Gossett seems like he’ll come out on top more often than not for me.

1984, Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields over Adolph Caesar in A Soldier’s Story

This one was all about appreciating the winner. I had this thing where I diminished the performances just because the people were essentially non-actors who lived what they were portraying. (Him and Harold Russell were the two.) But going back and making sure to actively look at the performance, he’s the vote. I love Adolph Caesar and I still could go back to him in the future, but the important thing this time was appreciating a performance that I previously denied for whatever stupid reason at the time. There’s also absolutely no one else to take in this category, all due apologies to Pat Morita.

1985, Klaus Maria Brandauer in Out of Africa over Eric Roberts in Runaway Train

Do not like this category. Don Ameche is a veteran win and nothing more. I don’t like the performance enough to take it, so I’d basically be voting for the actor if I went for him. That said — Robert Loggia’s just okay in the movie, and that would be an actor vote too. Eric Roberts, I have no idea why I took him the first time, but sure. Definitely not the best performance in the category, but he’s good. Brandauer is very good and I suspect if he isn’t the vote going forward the person most likely to get the vote is William Hickey, just because he’s so memorable in that movie.

1992, Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men over Gene Hackman in Unforgiven

These two are the timeless performances, and while I went with Hackman originally (I’m thinking because I crunched numbers. This gave him two overall while Nicholson already had two overall and would win a third in lead), what’s more iconic than the “You can’t handle the truth” speech? Nicholson’s so good even though it’s so iconic it borders on parody now. It’ll be one or the other for me, but I suspect more times than not it’ll be Nicholson.

1994, Martin Landau in Ed Wood over Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction

Yeah, this… is always gonna be tough. Samuel L. Jackson is so fucking good in that movie. But what Martin Landau accomplishes in that movie… he’s gotta be the choice. He’s so good I can’t really be upset at this. Landau’s truly the best performance. Sam Jackson’s just the most awesome performance. It’s also tough for me to not even be able to think about taking Lieutenant Dan or Paul Scofield or Chazz Palminteri. All of them would be serious contenders in any other year. But yeah, Landau’s the vote. He’s the true vote. I might slip back to Jackson but I went the right way this time.

1996, Edward Norton in Primal Fear over William H. Macy in Fargo

Glad I took William H. Macy the first time. Thought I’d taken Cuba Gooding Jr. Who was very worth for the performance. I think my tiebreaker was the career Macy had after that. I didn’t think I’d end up with Norton this time out. But he’s incredible in that movie. And he had The People vs. Larry Flynt going for him this year! Which he was a scene stealer in. So I get it. It’ll always be a three-way race going forward. I doubt I’ll ever lock into any of them. They’re all gonna move into first place at times and it’ll only finalize when I actually have to make a decision.

1997, Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting over Robert Forster in Jackie Brown

Because Robin Williams gives the best performance. I only took Robert Forster because I love Jackie Brown. This will stick as Williams from here on out. This was an example of getting me off my bullshit and going with the right choice.

2000, Benicio Del Toro in Traffic over Willem Dafoe in Shadow of the Vampire

Love Dafoe, love the performance. Benicio Del Toro should have won. Same thing as 1997. I moved onto the right choice and it’ll probably stay that way from here on out.

2002, Christopher Walken in Catch Me If You Can over Chris Cooper in Adaptation

This surprised me. I was the biggest Chris Cooper supporter in 2002. I was so happy when he won, especially since he was up against way bigger actors and didn’t really have the precursors to seem like a favorite. It was one of the earliest moments where I “called” a winner. I always really liked that performance, but I also acknowledged that he was in a very strong category. The fact that we’re two votes in and Paul Newman is nowhere to be found surprises the hell out of me. I thought for sure he’d be the one I went to this time, if I didn’t take Cooper, and was really shocked to find myself going with Walken. But he’s so good in that movie. He won SAG for it! It must have been a real tight race. This is always gonna be a three-way race for me no matter how many times I go over it. It’s possible the winner for me is whichever performance I’ve seen most recently.

2006, Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls over Mark Wahlberg in The Departed

Yeah… Eddie Murphy was always the right choice in this one. I took Wahlberg because he stole scenes in The Departed and because I didn’t love the other performances enough to take them. And I think there was some residual dislike of Dreamgirls from 2006 when I formed arbitrary opinions on Oscar movies based on what I preferred to win instead. The Alan Arkin performance is very likable but I think we all understand it’s a veteran win and not a performance win. I can accept that, but no matter how enjoyable he is, I wouldn’t vote for it. Eddie Murphy gives the best performance in the category, so I took him this time. No guarantee that I switch over to someone else next time (Jackie Earle Haley seems the likely choice), but he’s the one I probably should have taken all along.

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Today is Best Actress. I’ve included a table of how I voted both times and color-coded the ones that are different so you can skim through easily. Then I’ll work my way through each of the categories where I changed votes, figure out why they changed and try to predict how it’s gonna go in another five years.

Year	The 2011/2012 Vote	The 2016/2017 Vote
1927-1928	Janet Gaynor, Seventh Heaven & Street Angel & Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans	Janet Gaynor, Seventh Heaven & Street Angel & Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
1928-1929	Mary Pickford, Coquette	Corinne Griffith, The Divine Lady
1929-1930	Norma Shearer, The Divorcee	Norma Shearer, The Divorcee
1930-1931	Irene Dunne, Cimarron	Ann Harding, Holiday
1931-1932	Helen Hayes, The Sin of Madelon Claudet	Helen Hayes, The Sin of Madelon Claudet
1932-1933	Katharine Hepburn, Morning Glory	Katharine Hepburn, Morning Glory
1934	Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night	Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night
1935	Katharine Hepburn, Alice Adams	Katharine Hepburn, Alice Adams
1936	Carole Lombard, My Man Godfrey	Carole Lombard, My Man Godfrey
1937	Irene Dunne, The Awful Truth	Irene Dunne, The Awful Truth
1938	Wendy Hiller, Pygmalion	Wendy Hiller, Pygmalion
1939	Vivien Leigh, Gone With the Wind	Vivien Leigh, Gone With the Wind
1940	Ginger Rogers, Kitty Foyle	Joan Fontaine, Rebecca
1941	Greer Garson, Blossoms in the Dust	Greer Garson, Blossoms in the Dust
1942	Teresa Wright, The Pride of the Yankees	Teresa Wright, The Pride of the Yankees
1943	Jean Arthur, The More the Merrier	Jennifer Jones, The Song of Bernadette
1944	Barbara Stanwyck, Double Indemnity	Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight
1945	Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce	Gene Tierney, Leave Her to Heaven
1946	Celia Johnson, Brief Encounter	Olivia de Havilland, To Each His Own
1947	Rosalind Russell, Mourning Becomes Electra	Rosalind Russell, Mourning Becomes Electra
1948	Jane Wyman, Johnny Belinda	Jane Wyman, Johnny Belinda
1949	Olivia de Havilland, The Heiress	Olivia de Havilland, The Heiress
1950	Gloria Swanson, Sunset Boulevard	Judy Holliday, Born Yesterday
1951	Vivien Leigh, A Streetcar Named Desire	Vivien Leigh, A Streetcar Named Desire
1952	Julie Harris, The Member of the Wedding	Julie Harris, The Member of the Wedding
1953	Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday	Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday
1954	Grace Kelly, The Country Girl	Judy Garland, A Star Is Born
1955	Susan Hayward, I’ll Cry Tomorrow	Susan Hayward, I’ll Cry Tomorrow
1956	Carroll Baker, Baby Doll	Carroll Baker, Baby Doll
1957	Joanne Woodward, The Three Faces of Eve	Joanne Woodward, The Three Faces of Eve
1958	Susan Hayward, I Want to Live!	Susan Hayward, I Want to Live!
1959	Audrey Hepburn, The Nun’s Story	Simone Signoret, Room at the Top
1960	Shirley MacLaine, The Apartment	Shirley MacLaine, The Apartment
1961	Natalie Wood, Splendor in the Grass	Natalie Wood, Splendor in the Grass
1962	Anne Bancroft, The Miracle Worker	Lee Remick, Days of Wine and Roses
1963	Leslie Caron, The L-Shaped Room	Leslie Caron, The L-Shaped Room
1964	Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins	Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins
1965	Julie Christie, Darling	Julie Christie, Darling
1966	Elizabeth Taylor, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	Elizabeth Taylor, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1967	Faye Dunaway, Bonnie and Clyde	Katharine Hepburn, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
1968	Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl	Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl
1969	Genevieve Bujold, Anne of the Thousand Days	Liza Minnelli, The Sterile Cuckoo
1970	Ali MacGraw, Love Story	Ali MacGraw, Love Story
1971	Jane Fonda, Klute	Jane Fonda, Klute
1972	Liza Minnelli, Cabaret	Liza Minnelli, Cabaret
1973	Ellen Burstyn, The Exorcist	Marsha Mason, Cinderella Liberty
1974	Gena Rowlands, A Woman Under the Influence	Gena Rowlands, A Woman Under the Influence
1975	Louise Fletcher, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest	Louise Fletcher, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
1976	Talia Shire, Rocky	Faye Dunaway, Network
1977	Diane Keaton, Annie Hall	Diane Keaton, Annie Hall
1978	Jill Clayburgh, An Unmarried Woman	Jill Clayburgh, An Unmarried Woman
1979	Sally Field, Norma Rae	Sally Field, Norma Rae
1980	Sissy Spacek, Coal Miner’s Daughter	Sissy Spacek, Coal Miner’s Daughter
1981	Marsha Mason, Only When I Laugh	Diane Keaton, Reds
1982	Meryl Streep, Sophie’s Choice	Meryl Streep, Sophie’s Choice
1983	Shirley MacLaine, Terms of Endearment	Shirley MacLaine, Terms of Endearment
1984	Sally Field, Places in the Heart	Sally Field, Places in the Heart
1985	Whoopi Goldberg, The Color Purple	Whoopi Goldberg, The Color Purple
1986	Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God	Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God
1987	Holly Hunter, Broadcast News	Holly Hunter, Broadcast News
1988	Jodie Foster, The Accused	Jodie Foster, The Accused
1989	Jessica Tandy, Driving Miss Daisy	Jessica Tandy, Driving Miss Daisy
1990	Kathy Bates, Misery	Kathy Bates, Misery
1991	Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs	Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs
1992	Mary McDonnell, Passion Fish	Mary McDonnell, Passion Fish
1993	Holly Hunter, The Piano	Holly Hunter, The Piano
1994	Jodie Foster, Nell	Jodie Foster, Nell
1995	Elisabeth Shue, Leaving Las Vegas	Elisabeth Shue, Leaving Las Vegas
1996	Emily Watson, Breaking the Waves	Frances McDormand, Fargo
1997	Helen Hunt, As Good as It Gets	Helen Hunt, As Good as It Gets
1998	Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare in Love	Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth
1999	Annette Bening, American Beauty	Annette Bening, American Beauty
2000	Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream	Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich
2001	Judi Dench, Iris	Judi Dench, Iris
2002	Julianne Moore, Far from Heaven	Julianne Moore, Far from Heaven
2003	Charlize Theron Monster	Charlize Theron Monster
2004	Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind	Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2005	Felicity Huffman, Transamerica	Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
2006	Kate Winslet, Little Children	Helen Mirren, The Queen
2007	Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose	Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
2008	Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married	Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
2009	Carey Mulligan, An Education	Carey Mulligan, An Education
2010	N/A	Natalie Portman, Black Swan
2011	N/A	Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2012	N/A	Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings PLaybook
2013	N/A	Judi Dench, Philomena
2014	N/A	Julianne Moore, Still Alice
2015	N/A	Brie Larson, Room
2016	N/A	Natalie Portman, Jackie

Out of 89 Best Actress categories, I’ve changed my opinion on 20 of them. 22% of the overall, 24% of the amount of categories I have to compare.

1928-1929, Corinne Griffith in The Divine Lady over Mary Pickford for Coquette

I’m not gonna pretend like anyone even knows what the hell I’m talking about here. But Mary Pickford — makes sense she won. I took her last time for that reason, since no one really has an opinion on the second Best Actress category ever. On pure performance, I took Griffith. But she’s a silent performance. So it’s questionable as to whether that is the best choice if we’re looking historically. I have no clue what the hell I’m gonna take in five years. I mean… sure.

1930-1931, Ann Harding in Holiday over Irene Dunne in Cimarron

It’s always worth mentioning when the actual winner doesn’t factor into my decision-making whatsoever. Both times, didn’t go anywhere near Marie Dressler. Doubt I will in the future. Dietrich never did it for me, doubt she ever will. Norma Shearer — ehh. Dunne makes sense on a base level. I took her originally because she never won and this was the best chance to giver her an Oscar. Harding was my favorite performance this time. These early categories, unless there’s one performance that’s a clear winner or one I latch onto, they’re always wide open.

1940, Joan Fontaine in Rebecca over Ginger Rogers in Kitty Foyle

I took Ginger because it’s Ginger and this was her only shot at an Oscar. I always thought Joan Fontaine gave the best performance, so that was a pretty easy switch this time out. This year… it is very liable for change in the future. Maybe I decide to go back to Rogers. Sticking with Fontains seems likely. I wouldn’t rule out a possible switch to Katharine Hepburn. Anything’s possible.

1943, Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette over Jean Arthur in The More the Merrier

Another one. I took Jean Arthur because I could take Jean Arthur. And because I love The More the Merrier. Even at the time I acknowledged that Jennifer Jones gave the better performance, so that was remedied this time. 1943 is really weak, so Jones will almost certainly continue being the vote for the future.

1944, Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight over Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity

Rookie move. The Stanwyck performance is iconic, but I’m not sure it’s actually a great performance. I mean, yes, it’s great, but like… is it great acting? Or great work? You know what I mean? I think Bergman gives the better performance, so that’s why I changed the vote. These two will be the choices going forward. It’ll always be one or the other.

1945, Gene Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven over Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce

A complete 50/50 choice. Almost flipped these two last time. Could have gone either way either time. Crawford might be the better performance, but I think we’ll see a rubber match between these two in five years to decide my real feelings on which is better.

1946, Olivia de Havilland in To Each His Own over Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter

Yeah, another one of those. I could theoretically take either of these every time. Celia Johnson makes sense as the one I took the first time. This time, I was more taken with de Havilland’s performance. Most people would take Johnson because Brief Encounter is the better known film, and I suspect that might have had a bit to do with why I took de Havilland this time. Since while I am trying to pick what I think are the best performances I also am trying to give people things they didn’t necessarily know about beforehand. So maybe like 5-10% of the decision was due to that. Either way, these are the two, so it’ll be one or the other next time I look at this.

1950, Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday over Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard

This category will always be a discussion. There are four potential choices in it. I never know what to do with the All About Eve nominees. I don’t know if I love either of them enough to actually take them. That is over one another and over these other two great performances. Everyone will take the Gloria Swanson performance at some point, because it’s so famous and because Sunset Boulevard is so great. But this time I went with what I kinda felt all along, which is that the Judy Holliday performance is astounding. This is a situation where she bursts onto the scene with something no one ever saw in a quintessentially memorable and perfectly cast performance. Sure, she’d pretty much do variations on it for the rest of her career, but this one is quite, quite good. It’s tough. This will always be a competition. I suspect I’ll keep flip-flopping all the way through. It’s weird how this go through of the categories were meant to make it so I pic what I actually feel, but they’re also making me seem like the horrible, middle-aged white Oscar voter that everyone (and even I!) hate. Go figure.

1954, Judy Garland in A Star Is Born over Grace Kelly in The Country Girl

This is one of the biggest 50/50 choices in all the Oscars. It’s a really tough choice. It was 51/49 Kelly last time just because she also had three or four other performances on top of this one. This time, Garland got the vote because she was the best performance. It’ll always be between these two, and I suspect I’ll stick with Garland more times than not, just because that performances is undeniable. It’s so strong.

1959, Simone Signoret in Room at the Top over Audrey Hepburn in The Nun’s Story

I didn’t fully appreciate Room at the Top last time. It took the five years to come around to it, and I moved over to the right choice. Signoret will continue being the choice from here on out. This one was a course correction.

1962, Lee Remick in Days of Wine and Roses over Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker

This is a tough one. The instinct is that Anne Bancroft should have won, hence the vote for her the first time. But I went back and watched it again — it’s a great performance, but I feel like I put more into it than was there. And since I’ve always really loved the Lee Remick performance, I found myself much more emotionally invested in that one this time, so I switched my vote over. It’ll always be one or the other going forward. I have no idea how I’ll vote next time. But with two good choices, it doesn’t really matter.

1967, Katharine Hepburn in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner over Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde

This being one of the strongest years in Oscar history, it’ll always be prone to vote changes. Between Dunaway, Hepburn and Anne Bancroft, you have three solid choices. I might even put Edith Evans in there in a good year. Audrey Hepburn was nominated for the wrong film, so I doubt I take her. But the others — all solid. Dunaway I think I took mostly for logistics reasons. Bancroft had one, Hepburn had one and would get three (including this one), and I didn’t take Dunaway in her win. That mattered to me at the time. Now, looking purely at the performances, I was most moved by the Hepburn one, so I took her. This will change. I know this will change. They’re all great.

1969, Liza Minnelli in The Sterile Cuckoo over Genevieve Bujold in Anne of the Thousand Days

Love the 1969 category. Maggie Smith as the winner is amazing, and I’m surprised I didn’t take her either time. Jean Simmons is great, Jane Fonda is fantastic! Bujold I like a lot, but I probably shouldn’t have taken her. I think I wanted to show my support for Anne of the Thousand Days. Liza Minnelli was always the performance I liked the best, so I switched my vote over to her. That’s all it was. I feel like I’ll keep taking Minnelli just because I really like that performance a lot.

1973, Marsha Mason in Cinderella Liberty over Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist

I’m not a huge fan of this category. You’d think Streisand was a classic performance, based on the movie. Ehh. Burstyn sounds like she’s fantastic because it’s The Exorcist, but mostly all she has to do is scream and be scared for most of the movie. She’d be better the year after this when she won. Glenda Jackson is very good in A Touch of Class, and I suspect her having won in 1970 and me hating that decision factors into my not taking her. But Marsha Mason is very good and I do like that performance. Not sure I take her all the time, but she’s as good a choice as any in this category. It’s probably Jackson or Mason for me going forward. No idea which way I go until I have to vote.

1976, Faye Dunaway in Network over Talia Shire in Rocky

Dunaway was always the choice. I took Shire last time because I love Rocky and figured Dunaway would win anyway. This second go around was about fixing the choices like that, and forcing myself to be honest about what the best performances are. So another course correction. It’s always Dunaway in this one.

1981, Diane Keaton in Reds over Marsha Mason in Only When I Laugh

Mason delivered a lot of performances I liked a lot, and this was my chance to take her. The first time, anyway. That movie didn’t hold up as well as I’d hoped in the five years between watches. And the rest of the 1981 category isn’t so great. Hepburn won on nostalgia. She doesn’t have a whole lot of heavy lifting to do in On Golden Pond. Susan Sarandon is good in Atlantic City, but I wouldn’t take her. I’ve still yet to get into The French Lieutenant’s Woman, so I can’t bring myself to vote for Meryl, even though a lot of people would go there. That basically leaves Diane Keaton by default. And since she does give a really great performance, she became the strongest performance by default and became the vote. It is what it is. I figure unless I get really into the Meryl performance, I’ll keep taking Keaton as the best of a bad situation.

1996, Frances McDormand in Fargo over Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves

Tough call. There’s also Brenda Blethyn here. But the problem with her is that I don’t like her film all that much. So she’ll always end up a step behind McDormand and Watson. Watson I took the first time because I felt she gave the best performance. But fuck it if Marge Gunderson isn’t so goddamn memorable and well done. I’ll probably take McDormand over Watson more times than not because of that, but this is always gonna be an interesting discussion because of the three great choices in the category.

1998, Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth over Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love

Let’s face it, we know who the best performance in the category is. I took Paltrow because I didn’t want to vote for that type of movie in Best Actress. And Paltrow’s in a movie I love and is charming. But you know what? When it’s the best, it’s the best. So Blanchett is now the vote. There’s not a whole lot else here, so unless I become enlightened toward Fernanda Montenegro, Blanchett’s gonna keep being my winner here.

2000, Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich over Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream

I’m surprised I even took Burstyn. One of my big things was always not particularly loving the performance as an Oscar winner even though a lot of people felt she should have won. If I knew I took her, I could have told you automatically the vote would be switched. Roberts makes sense, as a star turn. She’s good. Joan Allen’s also a contender here. Laura Linney. Doubtful I take Binoche. I’m curious how this will go in five years. I can be pretty sure I won’t take Burstyn but I can’t guarantee it’ll be Roberts. It could end up being Allen or Linney quite easily.

2006, Helen Mirren in The Queen over Kate Winslet in Little Children

I took Winslet because she hadn’t won and because I didn’t want to vote for Mirren. It seemed too easy. Well, it’s too easy because she’s the best performance in the category. Mirren is the choice, and Mirren will continue to be the choice because there aren’t a whole lot of alternatives here. Unless I go all in on Judi Dench, Mirren should always be the choice in this one.

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Year	The 2011/2012 Vote	The 2016/2017 Vote
1927-1928	Emil Jannings, The Lost Command & The Way of All Flesh	Emil Jannings, The Lost Command & The Way of All Flesh
1928-1929	Warner Baxter, In Old Arizona	Warner Baxter, In Old Arizona
1929-1930	George Arliss, Disraeli	Wallace Beery, The Big House
1930-1931	Jackie Cooper, Skippy	Jackie Cooper, Skippy
1931-1932	Wallace Beery, The Champ	Wallace Beery, The Champ
1932-1933	Paul Muni, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang	Paul Muni, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
1934	William Powell, The Thin Man	William Powell, The Thin Man
1935	Victor McLaglen, The Informer	Charles Laughton, Mutiny on the Bounty
1936	William Powell, My Man Godfrey	Walter Huston, Dodsworth
1937	Fredric March, A Star Is Born	Spencer Tracy, Captains Courageous
1938	Leslie Howard, Pygmalion	Leslie Howard, Pygmalion
1939	James Stewart, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington	James Stewart, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1940	Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath	Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath
1941	Orson Welles, Citizen Kane	Orson Welles, Citizen Kane
1942	James Cagney, Yankee Doodle Dandy	James Cagney, Yankee Doodle Dandy
1943	Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca	Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca
1944	Bing Crosby, Going My Way	Cary Grant, None But the Lonely Heart
1945	Ray Milland, The Lost Weekend	Ray Milland, The Lost Weekend
1946	Fredric March, It’s a Wonderful Life	James Stewart, It’s a Wonderful Life
1947	Gregory Peck, Gentleman’s Agreement	Gregory Peck, Gentleman’s Agreement
1948	Laurence Olivier, Hamlet	Laurence Olivier, Hamlet
1949	Broderick Crawford, All the King’s Men	Broderick Crawford, All the King’s Men
1950	William Holden, Sunset Boulevard	William Holden, Sunset Boulevard
1951	Marlon Brando, A Streetcar Named Desire	Marlon Brando, A Streetcar Named Desire
1952	Kirk Douglas, The Bad and the Beautiful	Gary Cooper, High Noon
1953	Montgomery Clift, From Here to Eternity	William Holden, Stalag 17
1954	Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront	Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront
1955	Frank Sinatra, The Man with the Golden Arm	Frank Sinatra, The Man with the Golden Arm
1956	Rock Hudson, Giant	Rock Hudson, Giant
1957	Alec Guinness, The Bridge on the River Kwai	Alec Guinness, The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958	Paul Newman, Cat on a Hot Tin Rooff	Paul Newman, Cat on a Hot Tin Rooff
1959	James Stewart, Anatomy of a Murder	James Stewart, Anatomy of a Murder
1960	Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry	Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry
1961	Paul Newman, The Hustler	Maximilian Schell, Judgment at Nuremberg
1962	Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird	Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird
1963	Richard Harris, This Sporting Life	Paul Newman, Hud
1964	Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb	Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1965	Richard Burton, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold	Richard Burton, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
1966	Paul Scofield, A Man for All Seasons	Paul Scofield, A Man for All Seasons
1967	Paul Newman, Cool Hand Luke	Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate
1968	Peter O’Toole, The Lion in Winter	Peter O’Toole, The Lion in Winter
1969	John Wayne, True Grit	Dustin Hoffman, Midnight Cowboy
1970	George C. Scott, Patton	George C. Scott, Patton
1971	Gene Hackman, The French Connection	Gene Hackman, The French Connection
1972	Marlon Brando, The Godfather	Marlon Brando, The Godfather
1973	Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger	Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger
1974	Al Pacino, The Godfather Part II	Al Pacino, The Godfather Part II
1975	Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest	Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon
1976	William Holden, Network	Peter Finch, Network
1977	Richard Dreyfuss, The Goodbye Girl	Richard Dreyfuss, The Goodbye Girl
1978	Robert De Niro, The Deer Hunter	Jon Voight, Coming Home
1979	Dustin Hoffman, Kramer vs. Kramer	Dustin Hoffman, Kramer vs. Kramer
1980	Robert De Niro, Raging Bull	Robert De Niro, Raging Bull
1981	Dudley Moore, Arthur	Dudley Moore, Arthur
1982	Paul Newman, The Verdict	Paul Newman, The Verdict
1983	Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies	Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies
1984	F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus	F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus
1985	William Hurt, Kiss of the Spider Woman	William Hurt, Kiss of the Spider Woman
1986	Paul Newman, The Color of Money	Paul Newman, The Color of Money
1987	Michael Douglas, Wall Street	Michael Douglas, Wall Street
1988	Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man	Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man
1989	Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot	Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot
1990	Richard Harris, The Field	Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune
1991	Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs	Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs
1992	Robert Downey Jr., Chaplin	Denzel Washington, Malcolm X
1993	Liam Neeson, Schindler’s List	Liam Neeson, Schindler’s List
1994	Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump	Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump
1995	Nicholas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas	Nicholas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas
1996	Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade	Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade
1997	Jack Nicholson, As Good as It Gets	Jack Nicholson, As Good as It Gets
1998	Ian McKellen, Gods and Monsters	Ian McKellen, Gods and Monsters
1999	Kevin Spacey, American Beauty	Kevin Spacey, American Beauty
2000	Russell Crowe, Gladiator	Tom Hanks, Cast Away
2001	Denzel Washington, Training Day	Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind
2002	Nicolas Cage, Adaptation	Adrien Brody, The Pianist
2003	Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl	Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
2004	Jamie Foxx, Ray	Jamie Foxx, Ray
2005	David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck	Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
2006	Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond	Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
2007	Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood	Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
2008	Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler	Sean Penn, Milk
2009	George Clooney, Up in the Air	Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
2010	N/A	Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
2011	N/A	Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
2012	N/A	Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
2013	N/A	Mathew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
2014	N/A	Michael Keaton, Birdman
2015	N/A	Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
2016	N/A	Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Out of 89 Best Actor categories, I’ve changed my opinion on 25 of them. Which is a cool 28% overall and 30% of the ones I have to compare.

1929-1930, Wallace Beery in The Big House over George Arliss in Disraeli

Arliss makes the most sense on paper. I just have become bored with those stagey, theatrical early stuff. Wallace Beery at least was in an interesting movie and had a cool role. So I switched the vote over there. Arliss is probably the better choice, but that doesn’t mean I need to vote for him.

1935, Charles Laughton in Mutiny on the Bounty over Victor McLaglen in The Informer

I love the McLaglen performance, but Laughton’s is so iconic and so good, he’s the right choice. Not sure where I go with this next time, since it’s basically a 50/50. Both are great. I’ll probably keep flipping back and forth between them.

1936, Walter Huston in Dodsworth over William Powell in My Man Godfrey

I took Powell originally because between Ziegfeld and My Man Godfrey, and my love of Powell for The Thin Man, I felt he deserved it. But the actual best performance in the category was Walter Huston. So he became the vote, and will likely continue being the vote. Because that performance is just so good.

1937, Spencer Tracy in Captains Courageous over Fredric March in A Star Is Born

I like the March performance, but as the years go on, I’m starting to think of him more as a good actor with a knack for overdoing it at times. I was also against the Tracy performance because I hated that he won two in a row. So I deliberately shied away from taking him. Now, I’m much more okay with this performance. The other one he won for — no. But this one is good. And March — that performance is good, but not something I feel I needed to take. Maybe I’ll go back to it. That’s entirely possible.

1944, Cary Grant in None But the Lonely Heart over Bing Crosby in Going My Way

Crosby felt like a compromise in a weak category. You gotta take Crosby over Fitzgerald. Knox is a ho hum nominee. Boyer is fine but I never loved that performance, and five years ago I didn’t quite love the Cary Grant performance. Now, on my reconsideration tour, I made sure to give None But the Lonely Heart another shot. And I loved it this time around and Cary Grant became the clear choice. I think I’ll stick with him, since Crosby is just amiable in his film and doesn’t really have any sort of heavy lifting to do. But it’s a weak category. For all I know I could completely change course at some point.

1946, James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life over Fredric March in The Best Years of Our Lives

This is a tough one. I love both these performances. March may have a slight edge on better acting, but Stewart wins on how iconic his performance is. I’ll be torn between these two every time I go through this category. No surprise at the switch, especially given my swing over to It’s a Wonderful Life this go round. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see me switch again going forward.

1952, Gary Cooper in High Noon over Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful

I love The Bad and the Beautiful. That, Kirk Douglas not having an Oscar and Gary Cooper already having one is what led to this vote. But if I’m being honest, I think the Cooper performance is better. So I went over to him this time. And I think I’ll probably continue with him, unless someone else in the category jumps up (which can happen. Jose Ferrer is very good in Moulin Rouge).

1953, William Holden in Stalag 17 over Montgomery Clift in From Here to Eternity

I didn’t take Holden the first time because I knew I’d take him later and I wanted to get someone else who hadn’t won a vote. This time, not having to deal with all that, I took Holden, since he gave the best performance. Simple as that. He’ll be the vote going forward.

1961, Maximilian Schell in Judgment at Nuremberg over Paul Newman in The Hustler

Newman being the vote for The Hustler any time is no surprise to anyone. This time, though, I made sure to specifically rewatch the Schell performance because I so derided it last time (mostly because I was in that mode of — only one performance can be good and had already sided with Newman), I had to really see what I thought about it. And I came away truly, truly impressed. I can’t guarantee he’ll continue being the vote, but it’ll be between him and Newman every time I look at it.

1963, Paul Newman in Hud over Richard Harris in This Sporting Life

I think I took Harris because I probably voted for Newman like four times that first time and felt I should spread the wealth to an actor I like a lot who never got any other chances to get voted for. But if I’m being honest — Newman gave the best performance, so he’s the vote. Never gonna take the winner here, so it’ll likely be these two going forward.

1967, Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate over Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke

This is a hell of a category. I could have taken anyone last time and I could take anyone in the future. Legit five possible choices here. Hoffman, Newman and Tracy are the most likely contenders, but honestly this could go any which way. Its one of the strongest, if not the strongest Best Actor category of all time.

1969, Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy over John Wayne in True Grit

I took Wayne the first time because it was my only opportunity to vote for him. It’s clear he didn’t give the best performance in the category. I’m cool with him winning, but if I’m being honest and taking what the best performance is, it’s someone else. I love the Burton performance, but the Hoffman one is so iconic, that puts him over the top. I’ll probably need to look at this category more specifically next time to see who I think is best. But I suspect it’ll be Hoffman.

1975, Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon over Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Nicholson, Pacino, they’re both worth taking, and I’ll always be voting between these two. Honestly it’s 50/50 every time, so it’s not even that there was a change so much as the vote swung Pacino’s way this time.

1976, Peter Finch in Network over William Holden in Network

For some reason, I didn’t fully like the Finch performance last time. I did originally prefer the Holden performance. And he is great. I know De Niro is iconic and so is Stallone, but I always did love the Holden performance. This time — Finch all the way. He’s so fucking good in Network, and he’ll keep being the choice going forward, I imagine.

1978, Jon Voight in Coming Home over Robert De Niro in The Deer Hunter

Voight’s better. I just love Deer Hunter. That’s why I took De Niro the first time. His character is more passive than I considered the first time. Voight, I think, was better, and was the proper choice. I think I’ll continue taking him in future votes.

1990, Jeremy Irons in Reversal of Fortune over Richard Harris in The Field

One of the weakest categories of all time. I took Richard Harris because I love him and I thought he was awesome in The Field. Irons probably gives the best performance, but it’s not really a category that matters so much. Otherwise — never gonna take Costner, never gonna take Depardieu. De Niro — ehh. So it’s pretty much either of these two in the future. I suspect I’ll stick with Irons, but who knows.

1992, Denzel Washington in Malcolm X over Robert Downey Jr. in Chaplin

Denzel gave the best performance. That much I think we can all agree on. I just love the Downey performance as Chaplin, and that’s why I took it. Pacino is great but it’s clear why he won in this specific category. Other years, he could win and it would be fine. And then there’s Eastwood, who’s great in Unforgiven. But Denzel is best and Denzel was the vote this time. I could go off him in the future, but it will always be made clear who the best performance was.

2000, Tom Hanks in Cast Away over Russell Crowe in Gladiator

I took Crowe because the first time was all about logistics for me. Crowe deserved one, between 1999-2001, and this one made the most sense for him to win. Plus Hanks already had two. But, when you cut all that shit out and vote the best performance, Hanks gets my vote. I love what he does in Cast Away. I’m cool with Crowe winning, and theoretically could switch my vote back over to him, but my heart’s always been with Hans.

2001, Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind over Denzel Washington in Training Day

I took Denzel last time to get Denzel an Oscar. I never truly thought he gave the best performance in the category. As such, my vote this time shifted to the person who did: Russell Crowe. Not an overall great category. Either I’ll be taking Crowe on the best performance or Denzel because he’s awesome in Training Day. Not very many surprises here.

2002, Adrien Brody in The Pianist over Nicolas Cage in Adaptation

2002 is an incredible category. You can take Cage, you can take Daniel Day-Lewis, you can take Jack Nicholson, you can take Brody. Some, I guess, could even take Michael Caine. It’s a hell of a category. I figured my opinion would change, especially since I completely changed course on my opinion of The Pianist. Taking Brody was a direct result of that. Going forward — I feel like it’ll be either Adrien Brody or Daniel Day-Lewis. Because every time I go back and watch Gangs, I love that performance even more. This will be a fun one, because it’s so strong you can legitimately take the entire category.

2003, Bill Murray in Lost in Translation over Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

I took Depp the first time because I love the Sparrow character. We all knew Murray delivered the goods and should have won. He did the best work. And since this go around was about who did the best work, Murray became the vote. I can’t guarantee I won’t go in for Depp again, since I consider him as good a choice as Sean Penn for Mystic River was.

2005, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote over David Strathairn in Good Night, and Good Luck

Hoffman gives the best performance. Love Strathairn, but Hoffman gave the best performance. He’s the vote this time. Maybe I go to Strathairn in the future, given my love of his film, but Hoffman’s clearly tops in this category.

2006, Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland over Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond

Whitaker’s the only one you could vote for in this category. At the time, I took DiCaprio because I was really voting for him in The Departed, for which he wasn’t nominated. But there’s no way I can stomach actually voting for Blood Diamond now. Fuck that. Whitaker, despite not really being a performance I love, becomes the best choice in one of the weakest categories of all time.

2008, Sean Penn in Milk over Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler

Love the Rourke performance, but even at the time I quietly knew the Penn performance deserved to win more. He’s absolutely incredible here. I could definitely see myself going back and forth on them in future installments, since they’re both completely worthy of the votes.

2009, Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart over George Clooney in Up in the Air

Bridges gave the best performance and was the best choice. I took Clooney originally out of liking that film and performance best and partly because we knew Bridges would win so I felt no compulsion to take him. But he was the right choice. Maybe I’ll see Up in the Air again and swing back to Clooney, but I doubt it.

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Year	The 2011/2012 Vote	The 2016/2017 Vote
1927-1928	Drama: Frank Borzage, Seventh Heaven Comedy: Lewis Milestone, Two Arabian Knights	Drama: Frank Borzage, Seventh Heaven Comedy: Lewis Milestone, Two Arabian Knights
1928-1929	Frank Lloyd, Weary River	Frank Lloyd, Weary River
1929-1930	Lewis Milestone, All Quiet on the Western Front	Lewis Milestone, All Quiet on the Western Front
1930-1931	Norman Taurog, Skippy	Norman Taurog, Skippy
1931-1932	Frank Borzage, Bad Girl	Frank Borzage, Bad Girl
1932-1933	Frank Lloyd, Cavalcade	Frank Lloyd, Cavalcade
1934	W.S. Van Dyke, The Thin Man	Frank Capra, It Happened One Night
1935	John Ford, The Informer	John Ford, The Informer
1936	W.S. Van Dyke, San Francisco	Robert Z. Leonard, The Great Ziegfeld
1937	Leo McCarey, The Awful Truth	Leo McCarey, The Awful Truth
1938	Michael Curtiz, Angels with Dirty Faces	Frank Capra, You Can’t Take It With You
1939	Victor Fleming, Gone With the Wind	Victor Fleming, Gone With the Wind
1940	John Ford, The Grapes of Wrath	John Ford, The Grapes of Wrath
1941	Orson Welles, Citizen Kane	Orson Welles, Citizen Kane
1942	William Wyler, Mrs. Miniver	Mervyn LeRoy, Random Harvest
1943	Michael Curtiz, Casablanca	Michael Curtiz, Casablanca
1944	Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity	Alfred Hitchcock, Lifeboat
1945	Billy Wilder, The Lost Weekend	Billy Wilder, The Lost Weekend
1946	David Lean, Brief Encounter	Frank Capra, It’s a Wonderful Life
1947	Elia Kazan, Gentleman’s Agreement	Elia Kazan, Gentleman’s Agreement
1948	John Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre	John Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1949	William Wellman, Battleground	Carol Reed, The Fallen Idol
1950	Carol Reed, The Third Man	Carol Reed, The Third Man
1951	John Huston, The African Queen	George Stevens, A Place in the Sun
1952	Fred Zinnemann, High Noon	John Ford, The Quiet Man
1953	Fred Zinnemann, From Here to Eternity	William Wyler, Roman Holiday
1954	Elia Kazan, On the Waterfront	Elia Kazan, On the Waterfront
1955	John Sturges, Bad Day at Black Rock	John Sturges, Bad Day at Black Rock
1956	George Stevens, Giant	George Stevens, Giant
1957	David Lean, The Bridge on the River Kwai	David Lean, The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958	Vincente Minnelli, Gigi	Stanley Kramer, The Defiant Ones
1959	William Wyler, Ben-Hur	William Wyler, Ben-Hur
1960	Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho	Billy Wilder, The Apartment
1961	Robert Rossen, The Hustler	Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins, West Side Story
1962	David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia	David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia
1963	Federico Fellini, 8½	Federico Fellini, 8½
1964	Stanley Kubrick, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb	Stanley Kubrick, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1965	John Schlesinger, Darling	Hiroshi Teshigahara, Woman in the Dunes
1966	Mike Nichols, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	Mike Nichols, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1967	Mike Nichols, The Graduate	Mike Nichols, The Graduate
1968	Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey	Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey
1969	George Roy Hill, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid	George Roy Hill, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1970	Franklin Schaffner, Patton	Franklin Schaffner, Patton
1971	William Friedkin, The French Connection	William Friedkin, The French Connection
1972	Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather	Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather
1973	George Roy Hill, The Sting	George Roy Hill, The Sting
1974	Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather Part II	Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather Part II
1975	Sidney Lumet, Dog Day Afternoon	Sidney Lumet, Dog Day Afternoon
1976	Sidney Lumet, Network	John G. Avildsen, Rocky
1977	George Lucas, Star Wars	George Lucas, Star Wars
1978	Michael Cimino, The Deer Hunter	Michael Cimino, The Deer Hunter
1979	Francis Ford Coppola, Apocalypse Now	Francis Ford Coppola, Apocalypse Now
1980	Martin Scorsese, Raging Bull	Martin Scorsese, Raging Bull
1981	Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark	Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982	Wolfgang Petersen, Das Boot	Wolfgang Petersen, Das Boot
1983	James L. Brooks, Terms of Endearment	James L. Brooks, Terms of Endearment
1984	Milos Forman, Amadeus	Milos Forman, Amadeus
1985	Akira Kurosawa, Ran	Sydney Pollack, Out of Africa
1986	Oliver Stone, Platoon	Oliver Stone, Platoon
1987	John Boorman, Hope and Glory	Bernardo Bertolucci, The Last Emperor
1988	Martin Scorsese, The Last Temptation of Christ	Barry Levinson, Rain Man
1989	Jim Sheridan, My Left Foot	Oliver Stone, Born on the Fourth of July
1990	Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas	Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas
1991	Jonathan Demme, The Silence of the Lambs	Jonathan Demme, The Silence of the Lambs
1992	Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven	Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven
1993	Steven Spielberg, Schindler’s List	Steven Spielberg, Schindler’s List
1994	Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction	Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump
1995	Mel Gibson, Braveheart	Mel Gibson, Braveheart
1996	Joel & Ethan Coen, Fargo	Joel & Ethan Coen, Fargo
1997	James Cameron, Titanic	James Cameron, Titanic
1998	Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan	Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan
1999	Sam Mendes, American Beauty	Sam Mendes, American Beauty
2000	Ridley Scott, Gladiator	Ridley Scott, Gladiator
2001	Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring	Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2002	Martin Scorsese, Gangs of New York	Roman Polanski, The Pianist
2003	Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004	Martin Scorsese, The Aviator	Martin Scorsese, The Aviator
2005	Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain	George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
2006	Martin Scorsese, The Departed	Martin Scorsese, The Departed
2007	Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood	Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
2008	Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire	Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
2009	Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds	Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
2010	N/A	Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
2011	N/A	Martin Scorsese, Hugo
2012	N/A	Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
2013	N/A	Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
2014	N/A	Alejandro G. Inarritu, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
2015	N/A	Alejandro G. Inarritu, The Revenant
2016	N/A	Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Out of 89 Best Actor categories, I’ve changed my opinion on 26 of them. Which is a 29% overall and 31% of the ones I have to compare.

1934, Frank Capra for It Happened One Night over W.S. Van Dyke for The Thin Man

The Thin Man may be my favorite movie of all time, but Capra deserved this. He should be the vote, and that’s why I took him this time. No guarantee I keep taking him, but I probably will. I’m impartial enough to admit that.

1936, Robert Z. Leonard for The Great Ziegfeld over W.S. Van Dyke for San Francisco

I took San Francisco because of the special effects of the disaster sequence. Other than that, it didn’t really need the vote. Plus, Van Dyke didn’t win for The Thin Man, so I’m sure that had something to do with it last time. This time, Leonard is really the choice. Ziegfeld has the grandest direction, so that’s the choice. Wouldn’t take Capra at all this time, so the choice will always have to be elsewhere.

1938, Frank Capra for You Can’t Take It With You over Michael Curtiz for Angels with Dirty Faces

I took Capra only because there was no one else to take. Curtiz last time was the vote because I didn’t get to take him for Adventures of Robin Hood, for which he was inexplicably not nominated. But I can’t really take him for a different film when I don’t really love the effort for that film. Maybe next time I will, but this time, Capra was the choice.

1942, Mervyn LeRoy for Random Harvest over William Wyler for Mrs. Miniver

Wyler deserved to win and I switched over to LeRoy because I love Random Harvest. But Wyler should have been the vote this time. And I think I’ll go back to him in the future, as much as I love Random Harvest.

1944, Alfred Hitchcock for Lifeboat over Billy Wilder for Double Indemnity

Wilder does a great job, but Hitchcock shooting an entire movie in a lifeboat… had to switch over to that this time. They’re both worth taking. So I’d suspect a lot of back and forth in future votes.

1946, Frank Capra for It’s a Wonderful Life over David Lean for Brief Encounter

This category is insane. Capra, Wyler and Lean. They’re all great and all worth taking. So this is gonna be a contentious one every time I look at it. Capra makes sense this time around. No idea where I’m at in five years.

1949, Carol Reed for The Fallen Idol over William Wellman for Battleground

One of those years where I’m never gonna take the person who won, so the vote will always go elsewhere. The Heiress and All the King’s Men are fine, not something I’d particularly take. So it’s pretty much either Battleground or The Fallen Idol. I always felt The Fallen Idol was the best effort, and I took Battleground last time because I voted for Reed in 1950 and it was my only chance to take Wellman. This time was about the best effort, so I went to Reed. It’ll be one or the other in the future. I can see myself going back and forth in the future. They’re both great.

1951, George Stevens for A Place in the Sun over John Huston for The African Queen

I had a weird dislike of A Place in the Sun the first time, leading to my going elsewhere. Minnelli could have been the vote, but I doubt I’d have gone there. I’m surprised I didn’t go Kazan either time, given my love for Streetcar. I think I took Huston because I figured he was worth two wins. But the real win should have gone to Stevens. I love Kazan and I love Streetcar, but Stevens wins this category. He’s the vote here. I moved over to the right choice.

1952, John Ford for The Quiet Man over Fred Zinnemann for High Noon

My love for The Quiet Man has overtaken my love for High Noon. They’re both worth voting for, but I think I’m now firmly in the Quiet Man camp and will continue to be going forward.

1953, William Wyler for Roman Holiday over Fred Zinnemann for From Here to Eternity

I took Zinnemann the first time because he lost for High Noon and deserved to win something and directed a big, iconic film that won Best Picture. But my heart was always with Roman Holiday, and I’m not gonna ignore that anymore. Pretty sure that love will keep me voting for Wyler.

1958, Stanley Kramer for The Defiant Ones over Vincente Minnelli for Gigi

I took Minnelli because he hadn’t won and deserved to. I felt Kramer gave the best effort so he became the vote this time. I could actually end up going anywhere with this next time and I’ll be curious to see how that goes. It’ll pretty much be one or the other. Not a whole lot else I’d really take here.

1960, Billy Wilder for The Apartment over Alfred Hitchcock for Psycho

Really would have thought this vote would have gone the other way. Psycho is an immaculately directed film, but I don’t think it’s so automatic a winner that I need to take it. Plus, The Apartment is one of my five favorite films of all time, so I don’t feel so bad about the vote going that way. Sure, I guess I could switch back to Hitchcock, but I am very fine with the way I voted this time.

1961, Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins for West Side Story over Robert Rossen for The Hustler

I took Rossen because of my love for The Hustler. West Side Story is the film that should have won this category. That is the vote and will be the vote going forward.

1965, Hiroshi Teshigahara for Woman in the Dunes over John Schlesinger for Darling

This is one of those categories where I like taking the alternative nominees. Wise is great and worth taking, and Lean is great and worth taking. But both those films are so big in size that I prefer the smaller films with the more intimate direction. That went to Schlesinger last time, and now Teshigahara this time. Could be any one of the four next time and I’ll be very curious what happens when I watch all of them again for the next go around.

1976, John G. Avildsen for Rocky over Sidney Lumet for Network

I stopped voting for what director I wanted to win and voted for what the best effort was. And I thought Avildsen had the best and most iconic effort. Lumet always feels like he’s just right there for the vote, but never quite delivers the goods enough to win. The films are there, but his efforts never quite feel up there. No idea why. I guess I could end up potentially switching over to Alan Pakula in the future, but I think I made the right choice with Avildsen, and given my love for Rocky I’ll probably keep voting for him.

1985, Sydney Pollack for Out of Africa over Akira Kurosawa for Ran

Yeah.. I don’t know. I don’t like this category. Kurosawa has the body of work to win this, but Pollack also has it as well (in a different way). It’s a very weak year, so it could be either one going forward. Let me just leave it as — no fucking clue what I’m gonna do in the future. I still can’t believe I took Pollack this time. Makes sense, given where my head is at, but still…pretty much anything I take here feels like a weird choice.

1987, Bernardo Bertolucci for The Last Emperor over John Boorman for Hope and Glory

Bertolucci deserved it, and he became the vote because I cut out all the bullshit and voted for what was best. I prefer Boorman’s film, but Bertolucci deserved this award.

1988, Barry Levinson for Rain Man over Martin Scorsese for The Last Temptation of Christ

I took Scorsese because he hadn’t won and I felt he’d been robbed. If I’m being honest, I prefer Levinson’s direction. Scorsese did a better pure directing job, but I think all the ancillary stuff added up for Levinson, and I felt okay making him the vote this time. No idea what I do in the future with this.

1989, Oliver Stone for Born on the Fourth of July over Jim Sheridan for My Left Foot

Because Sheridan wasn’t really the best effort in the category. I just preferred his film best in a year without a real “choice.” But when you look at what was nominated, Stone’s effort was the best and he deserved to win. It is what it is. He’ll continue being the vote in the future.

1994, Robert Zemeckis for Forrest Gump over Quentin Tarantino for Pulp Fiction

Because I was being honest with myself in saying how much I truly love Forrest Gump. I might go back to Quentin in the future. The category is clearly one or the other. I just felt I needed to take Zemeckis at this point in time.

2002, Roman Polanski for The Pianist over Martin Scorsese for Gangs of New York

Owing to my 180 on The Pianist. For some reason I didn’t care for it when I first saw it. That’s why we do this. I could still go back to Scorsese, since I do really love Gangs. But I would suspect a lot of Polanski votes more than others in the future.

2005, George Clooney for Good Night, and Good Luck over Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain

Ang Lee did a great job, but I wasn’t fooling anyone. I always thought Good Night and Good Luck was the better movie, so I swapped my vote from what I felt I should take to what I actually would take. I could go back to Lee in the future, but I did ultimately correct the vote to what I felt was my actual choice this time around.

2009, Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker over Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

Because Bigelow deserved it. I went Picture/Director on Tarantino, and part of that was not truly really liking The Hurt Locker at the time. Now, she and the film both deserved to win, and the vote has been corrected. The vote will be Bigelow going forward.

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We’ve finally hit the bit one. Best Picture. I’ve included a table of how I voted both times and color-coded the ones that are different so you can skim through easily. Then I’ll work my way through each of the categories where I changed votes, figure out why they changed and try to predict how it’s gonna go in another five years.

Year	The 2011/2012 Vote	The 2016/2017 Vote
1927-1928	Outstanding Production: Seventh Heaven Unique or Artistic Production: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans	Outstanding Production: Seventh Heaven Unique or Artistic Production: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
1928-1929	The Broadway Melody	The Broadway Melody
1929-1930	All Quiet on the Western Front	All Quiet on the Western Front
1930-1931	Skippy	Skippy
1931-1932	Bad Girl	Bad Girl
1932-1933	I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang	I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
1934	The Thin Man	The Thin Man
1935	Top Hat	Top Hat
1936	The Great Ziegfeld	Dodsworth
1937	A Star Is Born	A Star Is Born
1938	Grand Illusion	Grand Illusion
1939	Gone With the Wind	Gone With the Wind
1940	The Grapes of Wrath	The Grapes of Wrath
1941	Citizen Kane	Citizen Kane
1942	The Pride of the Yankees	Random Harvest
1943	Casablanca	Casablanca
1944	Double Indemnity	Double Indemnity
1945	The Lost Weekend	The Lost Weekend
1946	The Best Years of Our Lives	It’s a Wonderful Life
1947	Gentleman’s Agreement	Gentleman’s Agreement
1948	The Treasure of the Sierra Madre	The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1949	Battleground	Battleground
1950	Sunset Boulevard	Sunset Boulevard
1951	A Streetcar Named Desire	A Streetcar Named Desire
1952	High Noon	The Quiet Man
1953	Roman Holiday	Roman Holiday
1954	On the Waterfront	On the Waterfront
1955	Marty	Marty
1956	Giant	Giant
1957	The Bridge on the River Kwai	The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958	The Defiant Ones	The Defiant Ones
1959	Anatomy of a Murder	Anatomy of a Murder
1960	The Apartment	The Apartment
1961	West Side Story	West Side Story
1962	To Kill a Mockingbird	Lawrence of Arabia
1963	Cleopatra	How the West Was Won
1964	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1965	Darling	The Sound of Music
1966	Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1967	Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner	The Graduate
1968	Oliver!	The Lion in Winter
1969	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1970	Love Story	Love Story
1971	The French Connection	The French Connection
1972	The Godfather	The Godfather
1973	The Sting	The Sting
1974	The Godfather Part II	The Godfather Part II
1975	One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest	Dog Day Afternoon
1976	Rocky	Rocky
1977	Star Wars	Star Wars
1978	The Deer Hunter	The Deer Hunter
1979	Apocalypse Now	Apocalypse Now
1980	Raging Bull	Raging Bull
1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982	The Verdict	The Verdict
1983	The Right Stuff	The Right Stuff
1984	Amadeus	Amadeus
1985	The Color Purple	The Color Purple
1986	Platoon	Platoon
1987	Hope and Glory	The Last Emperor
1988	Rain Man	Rain Man
1989	Field of Dreams	Field of Dreams
1990	Goodfellas	Goodfellas
1991	The Silence of the Lambs	The Silence of the Lambs
1992	Unforgiven	Unforgiven
1993	Schindler’s List	Schindler’s List
1994	Pulp Fiction	Forrest Gump
1995	Apollo 13	Apollo 13
1996	Fargo	Fargo
1997	L.A. Confidential	L.A. Confidential
1998	Saving Private Ryan	Saving Private Ryan
1999	American Beauty	American Beauty
2000	Gladiator	Gladiator
2001	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2002	Gangs of New York	Gangs of New York
2003	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004	The Aviator	The Aviator
2005	Good Night, and Good Luck	Good Night, and Good Luck
2006	The Departed	The Departed
2007	There Will Be Blood	There Will Be Blood
2008	Slumdog Millionaire	Slumdog Millionaire
2009	Inglourious Basterds	Inglourious Basterds
2010	N/A	True Grit
2011	N/A	The Artist
2012	N/A	Django Unchained
2013	N/A	Gravity
2014	N/A	Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
2015	N/A	The Revenant
2016	N/A	La La Land

Not a whole lot here. Of 89 Best Picture categories, I’ve changed my opinion on 11 of them. Less than 15%. That’s… well that makes sense. Picture is easy to stick to over an acting performance.

What I find interesting is that I’ve switched over to four winners and switched off of four winners. Leaving three categories in history where, in two go arounds now, despite changing my opinion, the actual Best Picture winner didn’t factor into my decision-making at all. Those are the ones I want to see about most.

1936, Dodsworth over The Great Ziegfeld

Yeah, this is one where I know The Great Ziegfeld should have won, but I love Dodsworth so much I had to take it. I’m okay with this. I’ll probably keep taking Dodsworth a bunch because of that, but I’ll always be aware that The Great Ziegfeld is the choice in that one.

1942, Random Harvest over The Pride of the Yankees

Mrs. Miniver is never my choice, and that’s because while it is a great film and a solid film, there are at least three other choices in that category I truly love. Yankee Doodle Dandy isn’t even there yet. Random Harvest, though, is my favorite and will probably keep being my vote because I like it so much. Kind of like Dodsworth. It’s personal choice over what I understand as the film that probably should have won.

1946, It’s a Wonderful Life over The Best Years of Our Lives

This one’s always a 50/50. This time I was feeling sentimental. It’ll come down to whichever film I lean toward more when I go over the category. The Best Years of Our Lives is the best choice here and that can’t really be disputed. Though It’s a Wonderful Life is such a classic, it becomes a legitimate conversation. I’ll be going back and forth between these two forever. No surprise here.

1962, Lawrence of Arabia over To Kill a Mockingbird

Because Lawrence of Arabia is one of the two or three best winners ever and it’s entered my five favorite films of all time in the past five years. I always knew it was better, but I do love Mockingbird a lot, so I get why I took it last time. But from here on our, Lawrence of Arabia will be the choice. This was just a course correction. That movie is perfect.

1963, How the West Was Won over Cleopatra

Oh, I saw this one coming. This is one where I’ll never take the actual winner. I don’t love Tom Jones enough to take it and I think it’s one of the weakest winners ever. So it then becomes about which film I prefer. And between Cleopatra, America America and How the West Was Won, I have choices to alternate between forever. Though How the West Was Won is my favorite here and is probably the film I’ll take, though I’m thinking I might end up on Kazan a bunch too. I’d expect lots of fluctuations in this one over the years.

1965, The Sound of Music over Darling

I couldn’t deny it any longer. I love Darling, but I always knew it wasn’t really a proper winner. And Doctor Zhivago… I could just never love that movie enough to vote for it. The Sound of Music, I really love. And it probably should have won. So I went in and took it. We’ll see how things go in five years, but to me I went to where I should have been originally.

1967, The Graduate over Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

There’s your third one where I didn’t take the winner. In the Heat of the Night is actually a good winner. I like that in the three here, one has a definitive winner, one has what I consider a terrible winner, and this one is just a category so strong where you could take anything and be justified in taking it. (Except Doctor Doolittle, because none of us are fucking monsters.) I get why I took Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner last time, and while I love that movie, I doubt I’d go back there in the future. This one for me seems more about The Graduate vs. Bonnie and Clyde. And I feel like I’d be more Graduate most times, but I honestly don’t know. I’d expect a lot of changes in this one in the future, and none of the choices to actually be in the winner in the category.

1968, The Lion in Winter over Oliver!

1968 is a weird year because the film I’d take isn’t there. So I’m left with choices I don’t love. Wouldn’t take Rachel Rachel or Funny Girl at all. Oliver! is nice, but ehh. It feels like a cop out to take a musical I don’t really love. Leaving me with only The Lion in Winter or Romeo and Juliet. And the fact that I almost have to take Shakespeare should make me cringe. So at least The Lion in Winter, while stagey, is a movie I really like. And great actors are in it, and I can feel okay taking it because hey — they took A Man for All Seasons two years prior. So this is my slip up. At least I had to go here. I have no idea how I continue to vote here in the future, but this is definitely a category I dislike having to pick.

1975, Dog Day Afternoon over One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

I think I felt fatigue toward Cuckoo’s Nest this time. Last time, it was a clear winner for me. This time, it felt like a tired choice. I felt more energy toward Dog Day so that’s why I went there. No idea what happens in the future, because Jaws is also in this category, and Barry Lyndon and Nashville are also nearly perfect films. So this could go anywhere

1987, The Last Emperor over Hope and Glory

Went onto the winner, because it was the best choice. I love Hope and Glory a lot, but I went to the film that should have won. Maybe I go back to personal preference in five years, maybe not. But this was the film that should have won so this choice reflects that.

1994, Forrest Gump over Pulp Fiction

Yeah, I think I wanted to do this one on purpose. I get that Pulp Fiction is what it is and love that movie a lot. It probably, for cinema’s sake, was the choice there, but maybe it’s just my age… I fucking love Forrest Gump. I grew up with that movie and I can watch that any time and watch it all the way through. I’m just gonna take the film I love more. That was how I did this. We’ll see where I’m at in five years. Let’s also not forget that this category also has Shawshank in it. So it’s not like it’s one for definitive choices. You can fluctuate on this one all the time.

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Each time I write up Oscar categories for the Quest, I put rankings at the bottom. I can say what I want, but it really only gains perspective when I show you how I feel about each of the films or performances in relation to the others in the category. Plus, lists are easy to read.

They tend to be slightly different each time. The actual rankings are of course different, but also my methodology behind how I ranked them is different. Each time I do it, I seem to be getting closer to a consensus, so hopefully this one sticks.

The way I’m ranking these performance, as least in this current iteration: for each of the performance-related categories, the rankings are about quality of performance. I’ll vote for what I vote for, but the rankings are meant to reflect what I believe to be the best performances of the category, in order. Now, there may be some slight skewing on a few categories where my personal preference outweighs what may be objective criticism, but I promise those are limited.

Hopefully I can continue updating this as we go, and whenever I watch another movie again and shift my opinion, I’ll go back and reorganize these lists as I see fit. So that means, if this page is different than the actual category I wrote up, that’s the reason. Ideally one day I’ll have set pages for each of the categories and can just have one master location. I think we’re moving closer to that. I just need to get to a place where I feel my opinions have leveled out. We’re not there yet, but I’m working on it.

Anyway, this is a compilation of my rankings for the Best Supporting Actress categories:

(NOTE: A * means that was my vote. If a nominee is underlined, that means it was the winner in the category.)

2016

Viola Davis, Fences *
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures

2015

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs *
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Rooney Mara, Carol
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight

2014

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood *
Emma Stone, Birdman
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Laura Dern, Wild

2013

Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave *
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
June Squibb, Nebraska
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine

2012

Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables *
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Hunt, The Sessions

2011

Jessica Chastain, The Help *
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

2010

Melissa Leo, The Fighter *
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

2009

Mo’Nique, Precious *
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

2008

Viola Davis, Doubt *
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Amy Adams, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2007

Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement *
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster

2006

Adriana Barraza, Babel *
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal

2005

Amy Adams, Junebug *
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain
Catherine Keener, Capote
Frances McDormand, North Country

2004

Cate Blanchett, The Aviator *
Natalie Portman, Closer
Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda
Laura Linney, Kinsey
Virginia Madsen, Sideways

2003

Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog *
Holly Hunter, Thirteen
Renée Zellweger, Cold Mountain
Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River
Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April

2002

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago *
Julianne Moore, The Hours
Kathy Bates, About Schmidt
Meryl Streep, Adaptation
Queen Latifah, Chicago

2001

Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind *
Helen Mirren, Gosford Park
Marisa Tomei, In the Bedroom
Maggie Smith, Gosford Park
Kate Winslet, Iris

2000

Frances McDormand, Almost Famous *
Kate Hudson, Almost Famous
Marcia Gay Harden, Pollock
Julie Walters, Billy Elliot
Judi Dench, Chocolat

1999

Chloe Sevigny, Boys Don’t Cry *
Angelina Jolie, Girl, Interrupted
Samantha Morton, Sweet and Lowdown
Toni Collette, The Sixth Sense
Catherine Keener, Being John Malkovich

1998

Brenda Blethyn, Little Voice *
Kathy Bates, Primary Colors
Judi Dench, Shakespeare in Love
Lynn Redgrave, Gods and Monsters
Rachel Griffiths, Hilary & Jackie

1997

Joan Cusack, In & Out *
Julianne Moore, Boogie Nights
Minnie Driver, Good Will Hunting
Kim Basinger, L.A. Confidential
Gloria Stuart, Titanic

1996

Barbara Hershey, The Portrait of a Lady
Juliette Binoche, The English Patient *
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Secrets & Lies
Joan Allen, The Crucible
Lauren Bacall, The Mirror Has Two Faces

1995

Mira Sorvino, Mighty Aphrodite *
Kate Winslet, Sense and Sensibility
Joan Allen, Nixon
Mare Winningham, Georgia
Kathleen Quinlan, Apollo 13

1994

Jennifer Tilly, Bullets Over Broadway *
Dianne Wiest, Bullets Over Broadway
Uma Thurman, Pulp Fiction
Helen Mirren, The Madness of King George
Rosemary Harris, Tom & Viv

1993

Rosie Perez, Fearless *
Anna Paquin, The Piano
Winona Ryder, The Age of Innocence
Emma Thompson, In the Name of the Father
Holly Hunter, The Firm

1992

Judy Davis, Husbands and Wives
Marisa Tomei, My Cousin Vinny *
Vanessa Redgrave, Howards End
Miranda Richardson, Damage
Joan Plowright, Enchanted April

1991

Mercedes Ruehl, The Fisher King *
Juliette Lewis, Cape Fear
Diane Ladd, Rambling Rose
Kate Nelligan, The Prince of Tides
Jessica Tandy, Fried Green Tomatoes

1990

Lorraine Bracco, Goodfellas *
Diane Ladd, Wild at Heart
Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost
Annette Bening, The Grifters
Mary McDonnell, Dances with Wolves

1989

Brenda Fricker, My Left Foot *
Dianne Wiest, Parenthood
Julia Roberts, Steel Magnolias
Lena Olin, Enemies, A Love Story
Angelica Huston, Enemies, A Love Story

1988

Geena Davis, The Accidental Tourist *
Frances McDormand, Mississippi Burning
Michelle Pfeiffer, Dangerous Liaisons
Sigourney Weaver, Working Girl
Joan Cusack, Working Girl

1987

Anne Ramsey, Throw Momma from the Train *
Olympia Dukakis, Moonstruck
Norma Aleandro, Gaby: A True Story
Anne Archer, Fatal Attraction
Ann Sothern, The Whales of August

1986

Dianne Wiest, Hannah and Her Sisters *
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, The Color of Money
Maggie Smith, A Room with a View
Piper Laurie, Children of a Lesser God
Tess Harper, Crimes of the Heart

1985

Meg Tilly, Agnes of God *
Oprah Winfrey, The Color Purple
Anjelica Huston, Prizzi’s Honor
Amy Madigan, Twice in a Lifetime
Margaret Avery, The Color Purple

1984

Peggy Ashcroft, A Passage to India *
Geraldine Page, The Pope of Greenwich Village
Christine Lahti, Swing Shift
Lindsay Crouse, Places in the Heart
Glenn Close, The Natural

1983

Linda Hunt, The Year of Living Dangerously *
Cher, Silkwood
Glenn Close, The Big Chill
Alfre Woodard, Cross Creek
Amy Irving, Yentl

1982

Terri Garr, Tootsie *
Glenn Close, The World According to Garp
Jessica Lange, Tootsie
Lesley Ann Warren, Victor/Victoria
Kim Stanley, Frances

1981

Maureen Stapleton, Reds *
Joan Hackett, Only When I Laugh
Elizabeth McGovern, Ragtime
Melinda Dillon, Absence of Malice
Jane Fonda, On Golden Pond

1980

Mary Steenburgen, Melvin and Howard *
Cathy Moriarty, Raging Bull
Eileen Brennan, Private Benjamin
Diana Scarwid, Inside Moves
Eva La Gallienne, Resurrection

1979

Meryl Streep, Kramer vs. Kramer *
Jane Alexander, Kramer vs. Kramer
Barbara Barrie, Breaking Away
Candice Bergen, Starting Over
Mariel Hemingway, Manhattan

1978

Maggie Smith, California Suite *
Meryl Streep, The Deer Hunter
Penelope Milford, Coming Home
Dyan Cannon, Heaven Can Wait
Maureen Stapleton, Interiors

1977

Vanessa Redgrave, Julia *
Leslie Browne, The Turning Point
Quinn Cummings, The Goodbye Girl
Tuesday Weld, Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Melinda Dillon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind

1976

Beatrice Straight, Network *
Jodie Foster, Taxi Driver
Piper Laurie, Carrie
Lee Grant, Voyage of the Damned
Jane Alexander, All the President’s Men

1975

Ronee Blakley, Nashville *
Lee Grant, Shampoo
Lily Tomlin, Nashville
Sylvia Miles, Farewell, My Lovely
Brenda Vaccaro, Once Is Not Enough

1974

Diane Ladd, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore *
Madeline Kahn, Blazing Saddles
Talia Shire, The Godfather Part II
Valentina Cortese, Day for Night
Ingrid Bergman, Murder on the Orient Express

1973

Tatum O’Neal, Paper Moon *
Madeline Kahn, Paper Moon
Linda Blair, The Exorcist
Candy Clark, American Graffiti
Sylvia Sidney, Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams

1972

Susan Tyrrell, Fat City *
Shelley Winters, The Poseidon Adventure
Eileen Heckart, Butterflies Are Free
Jeannie Berlin, The Heartbreak Kid
Geraldine Page, Pete ‘n’ Tillie

1971

Barbara Harris, Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? *
Cloris Leachman, The Last Picture Show
Ann-Margret, Carnal Knowledge
Ellen Burstyn, The Last Picture Show
Margaret Leighton, The Go-Between

1970

Karen Black, Five Easy Pieces *
Helen Hayes, Airport
Lee Grant, The Landlord
Sally Kellerman, MASH
Maureen Stapleton, Airport

1969

Catherine Burns, Last Summer *
Susannah York, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
Goldie Hawn, Cactus Flower
Dyan Cannon, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
Sylvia Miles, Midnight Cowboy

1968

Ruth Gordon, Rosemary’s Baby *
Lynn Carlin, Faces
Sondra Locke, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Estelle Parsons, Rachel, Rachel
Kay Medford, Funny Girl

1967

Estelle Parsons, Bonnie and Clyde *
Katharine Ross, The Graduate
Beah Richards, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Charol Channing, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Mildred Natwick, Barefoot in the Park

1966

Sandy Dennis, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? *
Vivien Merchant, Alfie
Wendy Hiller, A Man for All Seasons
Jocelyne LaGarde, Hawaii
Geraldine Page, You’re a Big Boy Now

1965

Shelley Winters, A Patch of Blue *
Ruth Gordon, Inside Daisy Clover
Maggie Smith, Othello
Joyce Redman, Othello
Peggy Wood, The Sound of Music

1964

Lila Kedrova, Zorba the Greek *
Agnes Moorehead, Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Grayson Hall, The Night of the Iguana
Edith Evans, The Chalk Garden
Gladys Cooper, My Fair Lady

1963

Joyce Redman, Tom Jones *
Margaret Rutherford, The V.I.P.s
Diane Cilento, Tom Jones
Edith Evans, Tom Jones
Lilia Skala, Lilies of the Field

1962

Patty Duke, The Miracle Worker *
Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate
Mary Badham, To Kill a Mockingbird
Shirley Knight, Sweet Bird of Youth
Thelma Ritter, Birdman of Alcatraz

1961

Rita Moreno, West Side Story *
Judy Garland, Judgment at Nuremberg
Fay Bainter, The Children’s Hour
Lotte Lenya, The Roman Spring of Miss Stone
Una Merkel, Summer and Smoke

1960

Shirley Jones, Elmer Gantry *
Janet Leigh, Psycho
Glynis Johns, The Sundowners
Mary Ure, Sons and Lovers
Shirley Knight, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs

1959

Juanita Moore, Imitation of Life *
Shelley Winters, The Diary of Anne Frank
Susan Kohner, Imitation of Life
Hermione Baddeley, Room at the Top
Thelma Ritter, Pillow Talk

1958

Wendy Hiller, Separate Tables *
Cara Williams, The Defiant Ones
Maureen Stapleton, Lonelyhearts
Peggy Cass, Auntie Mame
Martha Hyer, Some Came Running

1957

Carolyn Jones, The Bachelor Party *
Hope Lange, Peyton Place
Miyoshi Umeki, Sayonara
Elsa Lanchester, Witness for the Prosecution
Diane Varsi, Peyton Place

1956

Eileen Heckart, The Bad Seed *
Patty McCormack, The Bad Seed
Dorothy Malone, Written on the Wind
Mercedes McCambridge, Giant
Mildred Dunnock, Baby Doll

1955

Jo Van Fleet, East of Eden
Betsy Blair, Marty *
Natalie Wood, Rebel Without a Cause
Peggy Lee, Pete Kelly’s Blues
Marisa Pavan, The Rose Tattoo

1954

Eva Marie Saint, On the Waterfront *
Katy Jurado, Broken Lance
Nina Foch, Executive Suite
Claire Trevor, The High and the Mighty
Jan Sterling, The High and the Mighty

1953

Thelma Ritter, Pickup on South Street *
Grace Kelly, Mogambo
Donna Reed, From Here to Eternity
Geraldine Page, Hondo
Marjorie Rambeau, Torch Song

1952

Colette Marchand, Moulin Rouge *
Jean Hagen, Singin’ in the Rain
Gloria Grahame, The Bad and the Beautiful
Thelma Ritter, With a Song in My Heart
Terry Moore, Come Back, Little Sheba

1951

Kim Hunter, A Streetcar Named Desire *
Joan Blondell, The Blue Veil
Thelma Ritter, The Mating Season
Lee Grant, Detective Story
Mildred Dunnock, Death of a Salesman

1950

Hope Emerson, Caged *
Josephine Hull, Harvey
Celeste Holm, All About Eve
Nancy Olson, Sunset Boulevard
Thelma Ritter, All About Eve

1949

Mercedes McCambridge, All the King’s Men *
Ethel Barrymore, Pinky
Ethel Waters, Pinky
Celeste Holm, Come to the Stable
Elsa Lanchester, Come to the Stable

1948

Claire Trevor, Key Largo *
Agnes Moorehead, Johnny Belinda
Jean Simmons, Hamlet
Ellen Corby, I Remember Mama
Barbara Bel Geddes, I Remember Mama

1947

Celeste Holm, Gentleman’s Agreement *
Gloria Grahame, Crossfire
Ethel Barrymore, The Paradine Case
Anne Revere, Gentleman’s Agreement
Marjorie Main, The Egg and I

1946

Anne Baxter, The Razor’s Edge *
Gale Sondergaard, Anna and the King of Siam
Ethel Barrymore, The Spiral Staircase
Lillian Gish, Duel in the Sun
Flora Robson, Saratoga Trunk

1945

Ann Blyth, Mildred Pierce *
Anne Revere, National Velvet
Joan Lorring, The Corn Is Green
Eve Arden, Mildred Pierce
Angela Lansbury, The Picture of Dorian Gray

1944

Agnes Moorehead, Mrs. Parkington *
Ethel Barrymore, None But the Lonely Heart
Jennifer Jones, Since You Went Away
Angela Lansbury, Gaslight
Aline MacMahon, Dragon Seed

1943

Katina Paxinou, For Whom the Bell Tolls *
Paulette Goddard, So Proudly We Hail
Gladys Cooper, The Song of Bernadette
Anne Revere, The Song of Bernadette
Lucille Watson, Watch on the Rhine

1942

Agnes Moorehead, The Magnificent Ambersons *
Teresa Wright, Mrs. Miniver
Susan Peters, Random Harvest
Gladys Cooper, Now, Voyager
May Whitty, Mrs. Miniver

1941

Patricia Collinge, The Little Foxes *
Mary Astor, The Great Lie
Teresa Wright, The Little Foxes
Sara Allgood, How Green Was My Valley
Margaret Wycherly, Sergeant York

1940

Jane Darwell, The Grapes of Wrath *
Judith Anderson, Rebecca
Barbara O’Neil, All This, and Heaven Too
Ruth Hussey, The Philadelphia Story
Marjorie Rambeau, Primrose Path

1939

Hattie McDaniel, Gone With the Wind *
Olivia de Havilland, Gone With the Wind
Geraldine Fitzgerald, Wuthering Heights
Edna May Oliver, Drums Along the Mohawk
Maria Ouspenskaya, Love Affair

1938

Beulah Bondi, Of Human Hearts *
Spring Byington, You Can’t Take It With You
Miliza Korjus, The Great Waltz
Fay Bainter, Jezebel
Billie Burke, Merrily We Live

1937

Andrea Leeds, Stage Door *
Anne Shirley, Stella Dallas
Claire Trevor, Dead End
Alice Brady, In Old Chicago
May Whitty, Night Must Fall

1936

Beulah Bondi, The Gorgeous Hussy
Bonita Granville, These Three *
Alice Brady, My Man Godfrey
Gale Sondergaard, Anthony Adverse
Maria Ouspenskaya, Dodsworth

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The two macro articles I put up each time I do the Quest are the Viewer’s Guide and the Rankings. The Rankings are self-explanatory. The Viewer’s Guide is more universal. One is specific to the categories and picking winners. The Viewer’s Guide is more about how I feel about the films. If you wanted to find Oscar films to watch, you come here, and I tell you how I feel.

Last time I put out the Viewer’s Guide, it was done with a big color code, with each color used to signify how I felt about a film. Not the best system, especially since I put out hundreds of reviews each year on a star system. So we’re moving to the star system now.

Pretty simple — for each Oscar nominee’s film, I’ll assign a rating the way I’d assign a rating to any film I see each year. I don’t think anything’s gone under 2.5 stars, since I don’t think there are truly bad films nominated. The worst you’ll see is 2.5 stars, which for me means I was indifferent toward it. 3 stars is “pretty good.” 3.5 stars is “solid.” 4 stars is “liked it quite a bit.” 4.5 stars is “loved it.” And 5 stars is 5 stars.

The idea is for the ratings to help you find stuff you might like. Also, for each category I’ll tell you what I voted for, what I think would have held up as a winner from that category and how good a choice I think it was.

Here’s Best Supporting Actress:

2016 – Viola Davis, Fences — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Naomie Harris, Moonlight — * * * * * (5 stars)

Nicole Kidman, Lion — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures –* * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Viola Davis, Fences

What Would Have Held Up: N/A

The Choice: A

2015 – Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight — * * * * * (5 stars)

Rachel McAdams, Spotlight — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Rooney Mara, Carol — * * * * (4 stars)

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

What Would Have Held Up: N/A

The Choice: B-

2014 – Patricia Arquette, Boyhood — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Laura Dern, Wild — * * * (3 stars)

Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game — * * * * (4 stars)

Emma Stone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) — * * * * * (5 stars)

Meryl Streep, Into the Woods — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Emma Stone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

What Would Have Held Up: N/A

The Choice: A-/B+

2013 – Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave — * * * * * (5 stars)

Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Julia Roberts, August: Osage County — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

June Squibb, Nebraska — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave

What Would Have Held Up: N/A

The Choice: A

2012 – Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Amy Adams, The Master — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Sally Field, Lincoln — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Helen Hunt, The Sessions — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables

What Would Have Held Up: If any, Hathaway, maybe Adams.

The Choice: B

2011 – Octavia Spencer, The Help — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Bérénice Bejo, The Artist — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jessica Chastain, The Help — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids — * * * (3 stars)

Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Jessica Chastain, The Help

What Would Have Held Up: If any, Chastain, maybe Bejo. In a way, Spencer.

The Choice: C

2010 – Melissa Leo, The Fighter — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Amy Adams, The Fighter — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Melissa Leo, The Fighter

What Would Have Held Up: Leo, Carter

The Choice: A-

2009 – Mo’Nique, Precious — * * * * (4 stars)

Penélope Cruz, Nine — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart — * * * * (4 stars)

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Mo’Nique, Precious

What Would Have Held Up: Mo’Nique

The Choice: A+

2008 – Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona — * * * (3 stars)

Amy Adams, Doubt — * * * * (4 stars)

Viola Davis, Doubt — * * * * (4 stars)

Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Viola Davis, Doubt

What Would Have Held Up: Davis. Jury’s out on Cruz. Maybe Adams.

The Choice: C+

2007 – Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton — * * * * * (5 stars)

Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There — * * * * (4 stars)

Ruby Dee, American Gangster — * * * * (4 stars)

Saorise Ronan, Atonement — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Saorise Ronan, Atonement

What Would Have Held Up: Blanchett, Ryan, Ronan, Swinton

The Choice: A-

2006 – Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls — * * * * (4 stars)

Adriana Barraza, Babel — * * * * (4 stars)

Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Rinko Kikuchi, Babel — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Adriana Barraza, Babel

What Would Have Held Up: If any, Hudson, Barraza, Kikuchi

The Choice: B-

2005 – Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener — * * * * (4 stars)

Amy Adams, Junebug — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Catherine Keener, Capote — * * * * (4 stars)

Frances McDormand, North Country — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Amy Adams, Junebug

What Would Have Held Up: Weisz, maybe Adams, maybe Williams

The Choice: B+

2004 – Cate Blanchett, The Aviator — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Laura Linney, Kinsey — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Virginia Madsen, Sideways — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda — * * * * (4 stars)

Natalie Portman, Closer — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Cate Blanchett, The Aviator

What Would Have Held Up: Blanchett, possibly Portman

The Choice: B+/A-

2003 – Renée Zellweger, Cold Mountain — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog — * * * * (4 stars)

Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Holly Hunter, Thirteen — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog

What Would Have Held Up: If any, Aghdashloo

The Choice: D

2002 – Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago — * * * * (4 stars)

Kathy Bates, About Schmidt — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Julianne Moore, The Hours — * * * * (4 stars)

Queen Latifah, Chicago — * * * * (4 stars)

Meryl Streep, Adaptation — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago

What Would Have Held Up: Zeta-Jones, Moore, maybe even Streep

The Choice: B+

2001 – Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind — * * * * (4 stars)

Helen Mirren, Gosford Park — * * * * (4 stars)

Maggie Smith, Gosford Park — * * * * (4 stars)

Marisa Tomei, In the Bedroom — * * * * (4 stars)

Kate Winslet, Iris — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind

What Would Have Held Up: Connelly

The Choice: B+

2000 – Marcia Gay Harden, Pollock — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Judi Dench, Chocolat — * * * * (4 stars)

Kate Hudson, Almost Famous — * * * * * (5 stars)

Frances McDormand, Almost Famous — * * * * * (5 stars)

Julie Walters, Billy Elliot — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Frances McDormand, Almost Famous

What Would Have Held Up: McDormand, maybe Hudson

The Choice: C

1999 – Angelina Jolie, Girl, Interrupted — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Toni Collette, The Sixth Sense — * * * * (4 stars)

Catherine Keener, Being John Malkovich — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Samantha Morton, Sweet and Lowdown — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Chloë Sevigny, Boys Don’t Cry — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Chloe Sevigny, Boys Don’t Cry

What Would Have Held Up: Jolie, Sevigny

The Choice: B

1998 – Judi Dench, Shakespeare in Love — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Kathy Bates, Primary Colors — * * * * (4 stars)

Brenda Blethyn, Little Voice — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Rachel Griffiths, Hilary and Jackie — * * * (3 stars)

Lynn Redgrave, Gods and Monsters — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Brenda Blethyn, Little Voice

What Would Have Held Up: Dench, Blethyn

The Choice: B

1997 – Kim Basinger, L.A. Confidential — * * * * * (5 stars)

Joan Cusack, In & Out — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Minnie Driver, Good Will Hunting — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Julianne Moore, Boogie Nights — * * * * * (5 stars)

Gloria Stuart, Titanic — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Joan Cusack, In & Out

What Would Have Held Up: Moore, Basinger seemingly has

The Choice: B

1996 – Juliette Binoche, The English Patient — * * * * (4 stars)

Joan Allen, The Crucible — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Lauren Bacall, The Mirror Has Two Faces — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Barbara Hershey, The Portrait of a Lady — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Secrets & Lies — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Juliette Binoche, The English Patient

What Would Have Held Up: Binoche. Maybe Allen?

The Choice: B

1995 – Mira Sorvino, Mighty Aphrodite — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Joan Allen, Nixon — * * * * (4 stars)

Kathleen Quinlan, Apollo 13 — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Mare Winningham, Georgia — * * * (3 stars)

Kate Winslet, Sense and Sensibility — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Mira Sorvino, Mighty Aphrodite

What Would Have Held Up: Sorvino

The Choice: B+

1994 – Dianne Wiest, Bullets Over Broadway — * * * * (4 stars)

Rosemary Harris, Tom & Viv — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Helen Mirren, The Madness of King George — * * * (3 stars)

Uma Thurman, Pulp Fiction — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jennifer Tilly, Bullets Over Broadway — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Jennifer Tilly, Bullets Over Broadway

What Would Have Held Up: Tilly, and I guess Wiest

The Choice: B

1993 – Anna Paquin, The Piano — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Holly Hunter, The Firm — * * * * (4 stars)

Rosie Perez, Fearless — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Winona Ryder, The Age of Innocence — * * * * (4 stars)

Emma Thompson, In the Name of the Father — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Rosie Perez, Fearless

What Would Have Held Up:

The Choice:

1992 – Marisa Tomei, My Cousin Vinny — * * * * * (5 stars)

Judy Davis, Husbands and Wives — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Joan Plowright, Enchanted April — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Vanessa Redgrave, Howards End — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Miranda Richardson, Damage — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Marisa Tomei, My Cousin Vinny

What Would Have Held Up: Tomei has. Davis could have.

The Choice: B

1991 – Mercedes Ruehl, The Fisher King — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Diane Ladd, Rambling Rose — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Juliette Lewis, Cape Fear — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Kate Nelligan, The Prince of Tides — * * * (3 stars)

Jessica Tandy, Fried Green Tomatoes — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Mercedes Ruehl, The Fisher King

What Would Have Held Up: If any, Ruehl.

The Choice: C+

1990 – Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost — * * * * (4 stars)

Annette Bening, The Grifters — * * * * (4 stars)

Lorraine Bracco, Goodfellas — * * * * * (5 stars)

Diane Ladd, Wild at Heart — * * * * (4 stars)

Mary McDonnell, Dances with Wolves — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Lorraine Bracco, Goodfellas

What Would Have Held Up: Has Goldberg? I can’t tell. Bracco could have. Bening potentially.

The Choice: B-

1989 – Brenda Fricker, My Left Foot — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Anjelica Huston, Enemies, A Love Story — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Lena Olin, Enemies, A Love Story — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Julia Roberts, Steel Magnolias — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Dianne Wiest, Parenthood — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Brenda Fricker, My Left Foot

What Would Have Held Up: Fricker

The Choice: B+/A-

1988 – Geena Davis, The Accidental Tourist — * * * (3 stars)

Joan Cusack, Working Girl — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Frances McDormand, Mississippi Burning — * * * * (4 stars)

Michelle Pfeiffer, Dangerous Liaisons — * * * * (4 stars)

Sigourney Weaver, Working Girl — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Geena Davis, The Accidental Tourist

What Would Have Held Up: If any, Davis or maybe Pfeiffer.

The Choice: C

1987 – Olympia Dukakis, Moonstruck — * * * * (4 stars)

Norma Aleandro, Gaby: A True Story — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Anne Archer, Fatal Attraction — * * * * (4 stars)

Anne Ramsey, Throw Momma From the Train — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Ann Sothern, The Whales of August — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Anne Ramsey, Throw Momma from the Train

What Would Have Held Up: Dukakis

The Choice: B

1986 – Dianne Wiest, Hannah and Her Sisters — * * * (3 stars)

Tess Harper, Crimes of the Heart — * * * (3 stars)

Piper Laurie, Children of a Lesser God — * * * * (4 stars)

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, The Color of Money — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Maggie Smith, A Room with a View — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Dianne Wiest, Hannah and Her Sisters

What Would Have Held Up: Wiest

The Choice: B+

1985 – Anjelica Huston, Prizzi’s Honor — * * * * (4 stars)

Margaret Avery, The Color Purple — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Amy Madigan, Twice in a Lifetime — * * * (3 stars)

Meg Tilly, Agnes of God — * * * (3 stars)

Oprah Winfrey, The Color Purple — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Meg Tilly, Agnes of God

What Would Have Held Up: Oprah, and to an extent Huston. Tilly maybe.

The Choice: B

1984 – Peggy Ashcroft, A Passage to India — * * * (3 stars)

Glenn Close, The Natural — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Lindsay Crouse, Places in the Heart — * * * * (4 stars)

Christine Lahti, Swing Shift — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Geraldine Page, The Pope of Greenwich Village — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Peggy Ashcroft, A Passage to India

What Would Have Held Up: Ashcroft

The Choice: C

1983 – Linda Hunt, The Year of Living Dangerously — * * * (3 stars)

Cher, Silkwood — * * * * (4 stars)

Glenn Close, The Big Chill — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Amy Irving, Yentl — * * * (3 stars)

Alfre Woodard, Cross Creek — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Linda Hunt, The Year of Living Dangerously

What Would Have Held Up: Hunt

The Choice: A-

1982 – Jessica Lange, Tootsie — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Glenn Close, The World According to Garp — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Teri Garr, Tootsie — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Kim Stanley, Frances — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Lesley Ann Warren, Victor Victoria — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Teri Garr, Tootsie

What Would Have Held Up: Lange sort of? Close for sure. Garr I think could have.

The Choice: B-

1981 – Maureen Stapleton, Reds — * * * * (4 stars)

Melinda Dillon, Absence of Malice — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jane Fonda, On Golden Pond — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Joan Hackett, Only When I Laugh — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Elizabeth McGovern, Ragtime — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Maureen Stapleton, Reds

What Would Have Held Up: Stapleton

The Choice: B

1980 – Mary Steenburgen, Melvin and Howard — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Eileen Brennan, Private Benjamin — * * * * (4 stars)

Eva Le Gallienne, Resurrection — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Cathy Moriarty, Raging Bull — * * * * * (5 stars)

Diana Scarwid, Inside Moves — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Mary Steenburgen, Melvin and Howard

What Would Have Held Up: Steenburgen. Possibly Moriarty.

The Choice: B

1979 – Meryl Streep, Kramer vs. Kramer — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Jane Alexander, Kramer vs. Kramer — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Barbara Barrie, Breaking Away — * * * * (4 stars)

Candice Bergen, Starting Over — * * * (3 stars)

Mariel Hemingway, Manhattan — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Meryl Streep, Kramer vs. Kramer

What Would Have Held Up: Meryl

The Choice: A/A-

1978 – Maggie Smith, California Suite — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Dyan Cannon, Heaven Can Wait — * * * * (4 stars)

Penelope Milford, Coming Home — * * * * (4 stars)

Maureen Stapleton, Interiors — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Meryl Streep, The Deer Hunter — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Maggie Smith, California Suite

What Would Have Held Up: Smith, and probably Meryl

The Choice: B/B+

1977 – Vanessa Redgrave, Julia — * * * * (4 stars)

Leslie Browne, The Turning Point — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Quinn Cummings, The Goodbye Girl — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Melinda Dillon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Tuesday Weld, Looking for Mr. Goodbar — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Vanessa Redgrave, Julia

What Would Have Held Up: Redgrave

The Choice: B+

1976 – Beatrice Straight, Network — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jane Alexander, All the President’s Men — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jodie Foster, Taxi Driver — * * * * * (5 stars)

Lee Grant, Voyage of the Damned — * * * (3 stars)

Piper Laurie, Carrie — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Beatrice Straight, Network

What Would Have Held Up: Straight to an extent. Foster’s probably the only other one.

The Choice: B-

1975 – Lee Grant, Shampoo — * * * * (4 stars)

Ronnee Blakley, Nashville — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Sylvia Miles, Farewell, My Lovely — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Lily Tomlin, Nashville — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Brenda Vaccaro, Once Is Not Enough — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Ronee Blakley, Nashville

What Would Have Held Up: Uhh… Grant sort of has. Blakley or Tomlin could have

The Choice: B-

1974 – Ingrid Bergman, Murder on the Orient Express — * * * * (4 stars)

Valentina Cortese, Day for Night — * * * (3 stars)

Madeline Kahn, Blazing Saddles — * * * * * (5 stars)

Diane Ladd, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore — * * * * (4 stars)

Talia Shire, The Godfather Part II — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Diane Ladd, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

What Would Have Held Up: Good question. Most of them could have. Bergman on paper has, but really doesn’t.

The Choice: D

1973 – Tatum O’Neal, Paper Moon — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Linda Blair, The Exorcist — * * * * * (5 stars)

Candy Clark, American Graffiti — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Madeline Kahn, Paper Moon — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Sylvia Sydney, Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Tatum O’Neal, Paper Moon

What Would Have Held Up: O’Neal. Blair. Maybe Kahn.

The Choice: A-

1972 – Eileen Heckart, Butterflies are Free — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jeannie Berlin, The Heartbreak Kid — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Geraldine Page, Pete ‘n’ Tillie — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Susan Tyrell, Fat City — * * * (3 stars)

Shelley Winters, The Poseidon Adventure — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Susan Tyrell, Fat City

What Would Have Held Up: Ehh. Maybe Winters?

The Choice: C

1971 – Cloris Leachman, The Last Picture Show — * * * * (4 stars)

Ellen Burstyn, The Last Picture Show — * * * * (4 stars)

Barbara Harris, Who is Harry Kellerman and Why is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? — * * * * (4 stars)

Margaret Leighton, The Go-Between — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Ann-Margret, Carnal Knowledge — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Barbara Harris, Who is Harry Kellerman and Why is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?

What Would Have Held Up: Leachman, maybe Ann-Margret?

The Choice: B+

1970 – Helen Hayes, Airport — * * * * (4 stars)

Karen Black, Five Easy Pieces — * * * * (4 stars)

Lee Grant, The Landlord — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Sally Kellerman, MASH — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Maureen Stapleton, Airport — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Karen Black, Five Easy Pieces

What Would Have Held Up: Hayes maybe has? Black could have.

The Choice: C

1969 – Goldie Hawn, Cactus Flower — * * * * (4 stars)

Catherine Burns, Last Summer — * * * * (4 stars)

Dyan Cannon, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice — * * * * (4 stars)

Sylvia Miles, Midnight Cowboy — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Susannah York, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Catherine Burns, Last Summer

What Would Have Held Up: Hawn kind of has. Burns on performance. York maybe.

The Choice: B/B-

1968 – Ruth Gordon, Rosemary’s Baby — * * * * * (5 stars)

Lynn Carlin, Faces — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Sondra Locke, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter — * * * * (4 stars)

Kay Medford, Funny Girl — * * * * (4 stars)

Estelle Parsons, Rachel, Rachel — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Ruth Gordon, Rosemary’s Baby

What Would Have Held Up: Gordon

The Choice: A-

1967 – Estelle Parsons, Bonnie and Clyde — * * * * * (5 stars)

Carol Channing, Thoroughly Modern Millie — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Mildred Natwick, Barefoot in the Park — * * * * (4 stars)

Beah Richards, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Katharine Ross, The Graduate — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Estelle Parsons, Bonnie and Clyde

What Would Have Held Up: Parsons

The Choice: A

1966 – Sandy Dennis, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — * * * * * (5 stars)

Wendy Hiller, A Man for All Seasons — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Jocelyne LaGarde, Hawaii — * * * (3 stars)

Vivien Merchant, Alfie — * * * * (4 stars)

Geraldine Page, You’re a Big Boy Now — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Sandy Dennis, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

What Would Have Held Up: Dennis, maybe Hiller

The Choice: B+/A-

1965 – Shelley Winters, A Patch of Blue — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Ruth Gordon, Inside Daisy Clover — * * * * (4 stars)

Joyce Redman, Othello — * * * (3 stars)

Maggie Smith, Othello — * * * (3 stars)

Peggy Wood, The Sound of Music — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Shelley Winters, A Patch of Blue

What Would Have Held Up: Winters

The Choice: B+/A-

1964 – Lila Kedrova, Zorba the Greek — * * * * (4 stars)

Gladys Cooper, My Fair Lady — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Edith Evans, The Chalk Garden — * * * (3 stars)

Grayson Hall, The Night of the Iguana — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Agnes Moorehead, Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Lila Kedrova, Zorba the Greek

What Would Have Held Up: Ehh. Kedrova somewhat has. Moorehead on stature.

The Choice: B-

1963 – Margaret Rutherford, The V.I.P.s — * * * * (4 stars)

Diane Cilento, Tom Jones — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Edith Evans, Tom Jones — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Joyce Redman, Tom Jones — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Lilia Skala, Lilies of the Field — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Joyce Redman, Tom Jones

What Would Have Held Up: Ehh.

The Choice: C-

1962 – Patty Duke, The Miracle Worker — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Mary Badham, To Kill a Mockingbird — * * * * * (5 stars)

Shirley Knight, Sweet Bird of Youth — * * * * (4 stars)

Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Thelma Ritter, Birdman of Alcatraz — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Patty Duke, The Miracle Worker

What Would Have Held Up: Duke, Badham. Then Lansbury

The Choice: A+

1961 – Rita Moreno, West Side Story — * * * * * (5 stars)

Fay Bainter, The Children’s Hour — * * * * (4 stars)

Judy Garland, Judgment at Nuremberg — * * * * * (5 stars)

Lotte Lenya, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone — * * * (3 stars)

Una Merkel, Summer and Smoke — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Rita Moreno, West Side Story

What Would Have Held Up: Moreno. Then Garland.

The Choice: A

1960 – Shirley Jones, Elmer Gantry — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Glynis Johns, The Sundowners — * * * * * (5 stars)

Shirley Knight, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Janet Leigh, Psycho — * * * * * (5 stars)

Mary Ure, Sons and Lovers — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Shirley Jones, Elmer Gantry

What Would Have Held Up: Jones. And Leih could have.

The Choice: B+

1959 – Shelley Winters, The Diary of Anne Frank — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Hermione Baddeley, Room at the Top — * * * * (4 stars)

Susan Kohner, Imitation of Life — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Juanita Moore, Imitation of Life — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Thelma Ritter, Pillow Talk — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Juanita Moore, Imitation of Life

What Would Have Held Up: Winters, Moore, Kohner.

The Choice: B+

1958 – Wendy Hiller, Separate Tables — * * * * (4 stars)

Peggy Cass, Auntie Mame — * * * * (4 stars)

Martha Hyer, Some Came Running — * * * * (4 stars)

Maureen Stapleton, Lonelyhearts — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Cara Williams, The Defiant Ones — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Wendy Hiller, Separate Tables

What Would Have Held Up: Hiller

The Choice: B

1957 – Miyoshi Umeki, Sayonara — * * * * (4 stars)

Carolyn Jones, The Bachelor Party — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Elsa Lanchester, Witness for Prosecution — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Hope Lange, Peyton Place — * * * * (4 stars)

Diane Varsi, Peyton Place — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Carolyn Jones, The Bachelor Party

What Would Have Held Up: Maybe none?

The Choice: C

1956 – Dorothy Malone, Written on the Wind — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Mildred Dunnock, Baby Doll — * * * * (4 stars)

Eileen Heckart, The Bad Seed — * * * * (4 stars)

Mercedes McCambridge, Giant — * * * * * (5 stars)

Patty McCormack, The Bad Seed — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Eileen Heckart, The Bad Seed

What Would Have Held Up: Malone is fine. Heckart or McCormack maybe. McCambridge possibly.

The Choice: B

1955 – Jo Van Fleet, East of Eden — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Betsy Blair, Marty — * * * * * (5 stars)

Peggy Lee, Pete Kelly’s Blues — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Marisa Pavan, The Rose Tattoo — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Natalie Wood, Rebel Without a Cause — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Betsy Blair, Marty

What Would Have Held Up: Van Fleet, Blair

The Choice: B+

1954 – Eva Marie Saint, On the Waterfront — * * * * * (5 stars)

Nina Foch, Executive Suite — * * * * (4 stars)

Katy Jurado, Broken Lance — * * * (3 stars)

Jan Sterling, The High and the Mighty — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Claire Trevor, The High and the Mighty — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Eva Marie Saint, On the Waterfront

What Would Have Held Up: Saint

The Choice: A-

1953 – Donna Reed, From Here to Eternity — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Grace Kelly, Mogambo — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Geraldine Page, Hondo — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Marjorie Rambeau, Torch Song — * * * (3 stars)

Thelma Ritter, Pickup on South Street — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Thelma Ritter, Pickup on South Street

What Would Have Held Up: Reed’s fine. Kelly maybe. Ritter probably.

The Choice: B/B-

1952 – Gloria Grahame, The Bad and the Beautiful — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jean Hagan, Singin’ in the Rain — * * * * * (5 stars)

Collette Marchand, Moulin Rouge — * * * * (4 stars)

Terry Moore, Come Back, Little Sheba — * * * * (4 stars)

Thelma Ritter, With a Song in My Heart — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Collette Marchand, Moulin Rouge

What Would Have Held Up: Grahame’s fine, kind of. Maybe Hagen?

The Choice: C+

1951 – Kim Hunter, A Streetcar Named Desire — * * * * * (5 stars)

Joan Blondell, The Blue Veil — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Mildred Dunnock, Death of a Salesman — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Lee Grant, Detective Story — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Thelma Ritter, The Mating Season — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Kim Hunter, A Streetcar Named Desire

What Would Have Held Up: Hunter

The Choice: A-

1950 – Josephine Hull, Harvey — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Hope Emerson, Caged — * * * * (4 stars)

Celeste Holm, All About Eve — * * * * * (5 stars)

Nancy Olson, Sunset Boulevard — * * * * * (5 stars)

Thelma Ritter, All About Eve — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Hope Emerson, Caged

What Would Have Held Up: None? Any? No idea.

The Choice: B-

1949 – Mercedes McCambridge, All the King’s Men — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Ethel Barrymore, Pinky — * * * * (4 stars)

Celeste Holm, Come to the Stable — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Elsa Lanchester, Come to the Stable — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Ethel Waters, Pinky — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Mercedes McCambridge, All the King’s Men

What Would Have Held Up: McCambridge

The Choice: A-

1948 – Claire Trevor, Key Largo — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Barbara Bel Geddes, I Remember Mama — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Ellen Corby, I Remember Mama — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Agnes Moorehead, Johnny Belinda — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Jean Simmons, Hamlet — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Claire Trevor, Key Largo

What Would Have Held Up: Trevor. Maybe Moorehead.

The Choice: A-

1947 – Celeste Holm, Gentleman’s Agreement — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Ethel Barrymore, The Paradine Case — * * * * (4 stars)

Gloria Grahame, Crossfire — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Marjorie Mann, The Egg and I — * * * (3 stars)

Anne Revere, Gentleman’s Agreement — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Celeste Holm, Gentleman’s Agreement

What Would Have Held Up: Holm, if any.

The Choice: C+

1946 – Anne Baxter, The Razor’s Edge — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Ethel Barrymore, The Spiral Staircase — * * * * (4 stars)

Lillian Gish, Duel in the Sun — * * * * (4 stars)

Flora Robson, Saratoga Trunk — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Gale Sondergaard, Anna and the King of Siam — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Anne Baxter, The Razor’s Edge

What Would Have Held Up: Only Baxter, really.

The Choice: B

1945 – Anne Revere, National Velvet — * * * * * (5 stars)

Eve Arden, Mildred Pierce — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Ann Blyth, Mildred Pierce — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Angela Lansbury, The Picture of Dorian Gray — * * * * (4 stars)

Joan Lorring, The Corn is Green — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Ann Blyth, Mildred Pierce

What Would Have Held Up: Revere’s fine. Blyth could have.

The Choice: B+/B

1944 – Ethel Barrymore, None But the Lonely Heart — * * * * (4 stars)

Jennifer Jones, Since You Went Away — * * * * (4 stars)

Angela Lansbury, Gaslight — * * * * (4 stars)

Aline MacMahon, Dragon Seed — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Agnes Moorhead, Mrs. Parkington — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Agnes Moorehead, Mrs. Parkington

What Would Have Held Up: Moorehead on the year she had. Barrymore’s fine. Jones potentially.

The Choice: B+

1943 – Katina Paxinou, For Whom the Bell Tolls — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Gladys Cooper, The Song of Bernadette — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Paulette Godard, So Proudly We Hail — * * * (3 stars)

Anne Revere, The Song of Bernadette — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Lucile Watson, Watch on the Rhine — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Katina Paxinou, For Whom the Bell Tolls

What Would Have Held Up: Paxinou

The Choice: B

1942 – Teresa Wright, Mrs. Miniver — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Gladys Cooper, Now, Voyager — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Agnes Moorehead, The Magnificent Ambersons — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Susan Peters, Random Harvest — * * * * * (5 stars)

Dame Mae Whitty, Mrs. Miniver — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Agnes Moorehead, The Magnificent Ambersons

What Would Have Held Up: Moorehead, Wright

The Choice: B+

1941 – Mary Astor, The Great Lie — * * * (3 stars)

Sara Allgood, How Green Was My Valley — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Patricia Collinge, The Little Foxes — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Teresa Wright, The Little Foxes — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Margaret Wycherly, Sergeant York — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Patricia Collinge, The Little Foxes

What Would Have Held Up: Astor on paper only. Wright or Collinge probably could have.

The Choice: C

1940 – Jane Darwell, The Grapes of Wrath — * * * * * (5 stars)

Judith Anderson, Rebecca — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Ruth Hussey, The Philadelphia Story — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Barbara O’Neil, All This and Heaven Too — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Marjorie Rambeau, Primrose Path — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Jane Darwell, The Grapes of Wrath

What Would Have Held Up: Darwell, then Anderson

The Choice: A

1939 – Hattie McDaniel, Gone With the Wind — * * * * * (5 stars)

Olivia de Havilland, Gone With the Wind — * * * * * (5 stars)

Geraldine Fitzgerald, Wuthering Heights — * * * * (4 stars)

Edna May Oliver, Drums Along the Mohawk — * * * * (4 stars)

Maria Ouspenskaya, Love Affair — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Hattie McDaniel, Gone With the Wind

What Would Have Held Up: McDaniel. Then de Havilland.

The Choice: A+

1938 – Fay Bainter, Jezebel — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Beulah Bondi, Of Human Hearts — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Billie Burke, Merrily We Live — * * * (3 stars)

Spring Byington, You Can’t Take It with You — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Miliza Korjus, The Great Waltz — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Beulah Bondi, Of Human Hearts

What Would Have Held Up: Bainter’s fine, but meh. Bondi could have.

The Choice: C

1937 – Alice Brady, In Old Chicago — * * * (3 stars)

Andrea Leeds, Stage Door — * * * * (4 stars)

Anne Shirley, Stella Dallas — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Claire Trevor, Dead End — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Dame Mae Whitty, Night Must Fall — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Andrea Leeds, Stage Door

What Would Have Held Up: Brady on paper only. Leeds on performance. Maybe Trevor.

The Choice: C

1936 – Gale Sondergaard, Anthony Adverse — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Beulah Bondi, The Gorgeous Hussy — * * * (3 stars)

Alice Brady, My Man Godfrey — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Bonita Granville, These Three — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Maria Ouspenskaya, Dodsworth — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Bonita Granville, These Three

What Would Have Held Up: Bondi on paper. Granville I think, on performance.

The Choice: C-/C

– – – – – – – – – –

http://bplusmovieblog.com

Pretty simple — for each Oscar nominee’s film, I’ll assign a rating the way I’d assign a rating to any film I see each year. I don’t think anything’s gone under 2.5 stars, since I don’t think there are truly bad films nominated. The worst you’ll see is 2.5 stars, which for me means I was indifferent toward it. 3 stars is “pretty good.” 3.5 stars is “solid.” 4 stars is “liked it quite a bit.” 4.5 stars is “loved it.” And 5 stars is 5 stars.

Here’s Best Supporting Actor:

2016 – Mahershala Ali, Moonlight — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Dev Patel, Lion — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

What Would Have Held Up: N/A

The Choice: A-

2015 – Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Christian Bale, The Big Short — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Tom Hardy, The Revenant — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Sylvester Stallone, Creed — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Sylvester Stallone, Creed

What Would Have Held Up: N/A

The Choice: B+

2014 – J.K. Simmons, Whiplash –– * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Robert Duvall, The Judge — * * * (3 stars)

Ethan Hawke, Boyhood — * * * * (4 stars)

Edward Norton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

What Would Have Held Up: N/A

The Choice: A

2013 – Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club — * * * * (4 stars)

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Bradley Cooper, American Hustle — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

What Would Have Held Up: N/A

The Choice: A-

2012 – Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained — * * * * * (5 stars)

Alan Arkin, Argo — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

What Would Have Held Up: Hoffman, Waltz, maybe Jones, possibly De Niro

The Choice: B

2011 – Christopher Plummer, Beginners — * * * (3 stars)

Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn — * * * (3 stars)

Jonah Hill, Moneyball — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Nick Nolte, Warrior — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Nick Nolte, Warrior

What Would Have Held Up: Nolte, von Sydow maybe. Plummer sort of has.

The Choice: B-

2010 – Christian Bale, The Fighter — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jeremy Renner, The Town — * * * * (4 stars)

Mark Ruffalo, The Kids are All Right — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Christian Bale, The Fighter

What Would Have Held Up: Bale, Rush

The Choice: A-

2009 – Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds — * * * * * (5 stars)

Matt Damon, Invictus — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station — * * * (3 stars)

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

What Would Have Held Up: Waltz

The Choice: A

2008 – Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight — * * * * * (5 stars)

Josh Brolin, Milk — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt — * * * * (4 stars)

Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

What Would Have Held Up: Ledger. And then maybe Hoffman a way’s back

The Choice: A+

2007 – Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford — * * * * * (5 stars)

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild — * * * * (4 stars)

Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

What Would Have Held Up: Bardem. Then Wilkinson. Then Affleck.

The Choice: A+

2006 – Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond — * * * (3 stars)

Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Mark Wahlberg, The Departed — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls

What Would Have Held Up: Murphy. Maybe Haley.

The Choice: C

2005 – George Clooney, Syriana — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Matt Dillon, Crash — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

William Hurt, A History of Violence — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: William Hurt, A History of Violence

What Would Have Held Up: Clooney has. Gyllenhaal maybe. Hurt possibly.

The Choice: B

2004 – Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby — * * * * (4 stars)

Alan Alda, The Aviator — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Thomas Haden Church, Sideways — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jamie Foxx, Collateral — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Clive Owen, Closer — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Clive Owen, Closer

What Would Have Held Up: Owen. Freeman on stature not performance. Possibly Church.

The Choice: B-

2003 – Tim Robbins, Mystic River — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Alec Baldwin, The Cooler — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Benicio del Toro, 21 Grams — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Djimon Hounsou, In America — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Alec Baldwin, The Cooler

What Would Have Held Up: Robbins has. Watanabe maybe. Baldwin maybe.

The Choice: B

2002 – Chris Cooper, Adaptation — * * * * * (5 stars)

Ed Harris, The Hours — * * * * (4 stars)

Paul Newman, Road to Perdition — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

John C. Reilly, Chicago — * * * * (4 stars)

Christopher Walken, Catch Me if You Can — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You Can

What Would Have Held Up: Cooper, Newman, Walken

The Choice: B+

2001 – Jim Broadbent, Iris — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Ethan Hawke, Training Day — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast — * * * * (4 stars)

Ian McKellen, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jon Voight, Ali — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast

What Would Have Held Up: Kingsley, McKellen, Broadbent mostly has

The Choice: B/B+

2000 – Benicio del Toro, Traffic — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Jeff Bridges, The Contender — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire — * * * * (4 stars)

Albert Finney, Erin Brockovich — * * * * (4 stars)

Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Benicio Del Toro, Traffic

What Would Have Held Up: Del Toro. Potentially Dafoe. Maybe Finney.

The Choice: A-

1999 – Michael Caine, The Cider House Rules — * * * * (4 stars)

Tom Cruise, Magnolia — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Michael Clarke Duncan, The Green Mile — * * * * (4 stars)

Jude Law, The Talented Mr. Ripley — * * * * (4 stars)

Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Tom Cruise, Magnolia

What Would Have Held Up: Cruise would have. Caine has to an extent. Maybe Law.

The Choice: B-/B

1998 – James Coburn, Affliction — * * * (3 stars)

Robert Duvall, A Civil Action — * * * * (4 stars)

Ed Harris, The Truman Show — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Geoffrey Rush, Shakespeare in Love — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan

What Would Have Held Up: Jury’s out on Coburn. The rest of them actually could have I think.

The Choice: C+

1997 – Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Robert Forster, Jackie Brown — * * * * * (5 stars)

Anthony Hopkins, Amistad — * * * * (4 stars)

Greg Kinnear, As Good as It Gets — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Burt Reynolds, Boogie Nights — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting

What Would Have Held Up: Williams, Reynolds

The Choice: A-

1996 – Cuba Gooding, Jr., Jerry Maguire — * * * * * (5 stars)

William H. Macy, Fargo — * * * * * (5 stars)

Armin Mueller-Stahl, Shine — * * * * (4 stars)

Edward Norton, Primal Fear — * * * * (4 stars)

James Woods, Ghosts of Mississippi — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Edward Norton, Primal Fear

What Would Have Held Up: Macy, Norton. Gooding has, on performance.

The Choice: B+

1995 – Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects — * * * * * (5 stars)

James Cromwell, Babe — * * * * (4 stars)

Ed Harris, Apollo 13 — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Brad Pitt, Twelve Monkeys — * * * * (4 stars)

Tim Roth, Rob Roy — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects

What Would Have Held Up: Category fraud aside, Spacey has

The Choice: A-

1994 – Martin Landau, Ed Wood — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction — * * * * * (5 stars)

Chazz Palminteri, Bullets Over Broadway — * * * * (4 stars)

Paul Scofield, Quiz Show — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Gary Sinise, Forrest Gump — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Martin Landau, Ed Wood

What Would Have Held Up: Landau. Jackson. Sinise maybe. The other two also, to a lesser extent.

The Choice: A/A+

1993 – Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Leonardo DiCaprio, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape — * * * * (4 stars)

Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List — * * * * * (5 stars)

John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Pete Postlethwaite, In the Name of the Father — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List

What Would Have Held Up: Fiennes. DiCaprio, probably. Jones somewhat has. Postlethwaite could have.

The Choice: B/B-

1992 – Gene Hackman, Unforgiven — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jaye Davidson, The Crying Game — * * * * (4 stars)

Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men — * * * * * (5 stars)

Al Pacino, Glengarry Glen Ross — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

David Paymer, Mr. Saturday Night — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men

What Would Have Held Up: Nicholson, Hackman

The Choice: B/B+

1991 – Jack Palance, City Slickers — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Tommy Lee Jones, JFK — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Harvey Keitel, Bugsy — * * * * (4 stars)

Ben Kingsley, Bugsy — * * * * (4 stars)

Michael Lerner, Barton Fink — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Michael Lerner, Barton Fink

What Would Have Held Up: If any, Palance or Lerner

The Choice: C

1990 – Joe Pesci, Goodfellas — * * * * * (5 stars)

Bruce Davidson, Longtime Companion — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Andy Garcia, The Godfather Part III — * * * * (4 stars)

Graham Greene, Dances with Wolves — * * * * (4 stars)

Al Pacino, Dick Tracy — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Joe Pesci, Goodfellas

What Would Have Held Up: Pesci

The Choice: A+

1989 – Denzel Washington, Glory — * * * * (4 stars)

Danny Aiello, Do the Right Thing — * * * * * (5 stars)

Dan Aykroyd, Driving Miss Daisy — * * * * (4 stars)

Marlon Brando, A Dry White Season — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Martin Landau, Crimes and Misdemeanors — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote:

What Would Have Held Up:

The Choice:

1988 – Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda — * * * * (4 stars)

Alec Guinness, Little Dorrit — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Martin Landau, Tucker: The Man and His Dream — * * * * (4 stars)

River Phoenix, Running on Empty — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Dean Stockwell, Married to the Mob — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda

What Would Have Held Up: Kline. I guess Phoenix

The Choice: B

1987 – Sean Connery, The Untouchables — * * * * * (5 stars)

Albert Brooks, Broadcast News — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Morgan Freeman, Street Smart — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Vincent Gardenia, Moonstruck — * * * * (4 stars)

Denzel Washington, Cry Freedom — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Sean Connery, The Untouchables

What Would Have Held Up: Connery has. Brooks, Freeman and Denzel could have.

The Choice: B+

1986 – Michael Caine, Hannah and Her Sisters — * * * (3 stars)

Tom Berenger, Platoon — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Willem Dafoe, Platoon — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Denholm Elliott, A Room with a View — * * * (3 stars)

Dennis Hopper, Hoosiers — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Tom Berenger, Platoon

What Would Have Held Up: Berenger, Dafoe. Caine kind of has.

The Choice: B

1985 – Don Ameche, Cocoon — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Klaus Maria Brandauer, Out of Africa — * * * * (4 stars)

William Hickey, Prizzi’s Honor — * * * * (4 stars)

Robert Loggia, Jagged Edge — * * * (3 stars)

Eric Roberts, Runaway Train — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Klaus Maria Brandauer, Out of Africa

What Would Have Held Up: Ehh.

The Choice: C/C-

1984 – Haing S. Ngor, The Killing Fields — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Adolph Caesar, A Soldier’s Story — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

John Malkovich, Places in the Heart — * * * * (4 stars)

Pat Morita, The Karate Kid — * * * * (4 stars)

Ralph Richardson, Greystroke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Haing S. Ngor, The Killing Fields

What Would Have Held Up: Ngor, then Caesar

The Choice: B+

1983 – Jack Nicholson, Terms of Endearment — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Charles Durning, To Be or Not to Be — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

John Lithgow, Terms of Endearment — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Rip Torn, Cross Creek — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff

What Would Have Held Up: Shepard could have. Nicholson maybe has?

The Choice: B-

1982 – Louis Gossett, Jr. An Officer and a Gentleman — * * * * (4 stars)

Charles Durning, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

John Lithgow, The World According to Garp — * * * * (4 stars)

James Mason, The Verdict — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Robert Preston, Victor Victoria — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Lou Gossett Jr., An Officer and a Gentleman

What Would Have Held Up: Gossett. Potentially Lithgow

The Choice: B

1981 – John Gielgud, Arthur — * * * * * (5 stars)

James Coco, Only When I Laugh — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Ian Holm, Chariots of Fire — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jack Nicholson, Reds — * * * * (4 stars)

Howard Rollins, Ragtime — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: John Gielgud, Arthur

What Would Have Held Up: Gielgud, Nicholson, and probably Rollins

The Choice: A-/B+

1980 – Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People — * * * * (4 stars)

Judd Hirsch, Ordinary People — * * * * (4 stars)

Michael O’Keefe, The Great Santini — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Joe Pesci, Raging Bull — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jason Robards, Melvin and Howard — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People

What Would Have Held Up: Hutton first. Pesci could have. Robards maybe

The Choice: B+

1979 – Melvyn Douglas, Being There — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now — * * * * * (5 stars)

Justin Henry, Kramer vs. Kramer — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Frederic Forrest, The Rose — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Mickey Rooney, The Black Stallion — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now

What Would Have Held Up: Duvall

The Choice: B-

1978 – Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter — * * * * * (5 stars)

Bruce Dern, Coming Home — * * * * (4 stars)

Richard Farnsworth, Comes a Horseman — * * * (3 stars)

John Hurt, Midnight Express — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Jack Warden, Heaven Can Wait — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter

What Would Have Held Up: Walken. Then Dern.

The Choice: A-

1977 – Jason Robards, Julia — * * * * (4 stars)

Mikhail Baryshnikov, The Turning Point — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Peter Firth, Equus — * * * (3 stars)

Alec Guinness, Star Wars — * * * * * (5 stars)

Maximilian Schell, Julia — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Alec Guinness, Star Wars

What Would Have Held Up: Guinness. Robards too.

The Choice: B

1976 – Jason Robards, All the President’s Men — * * * * * (5 stars)

Ned Beatty, Network — * * * * * (5 stars)

Burgess Meredith, Rocky — * * * * * (5 stars)

Laurence Olivier, Marathon Man — * * * * (4 stars)

Burt Young, Rocky — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Jason Robards, All the President’s Men

What Would Have Held Up: Robards. Meredith. Young. Olivier. Maybe even Beatty.

The Choice: A

1975 – George Burns, The Sunshine Boys — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Brad Dourif, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — * * * * * (5 stars)

Burgess Meredith, The Day of the Locust — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Chris Sarandon, Dog Day Afternoon — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jack Warden, Shampoo — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: George Burns, The Sunshine Boys

What Would Have Held Up: Burns has. Sarandon maybe. Dourif possibly.

The Choice: B/B+

1974 – Robert De Niro, The Godfather Part II — * * * * * (5 stars)

Fred Astaire, The Towering Inferno — * * * * (4 stars)

Jeff Bridges, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot — * * * * (4 stars)

Michael V. Gazzo, The Godfather Part II — * * * * * (5 stars)

Lee Strasberg, The Godfather Part II — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Robert De Niro, The Godfather Part II

What Would Have Held Up: De Niro

The Choice: A

1973 – John Houseman, The Paper Chase — * * * (3 stars)

Vincent Gardenia, Bang the Drum Slowly — * * * * (4 stars)

Jack Gilford, Save the Tiger — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jason Miller, The Exorcist — * * * * * (5 stars)

Randy Quaid, The Last Detail — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Jason Miller, The Exorcist

What Would Have Held Up: If any, Miller or Quaid

The Choice: C

1972 – Joel Grey, Cabaret — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Eddie Albert, The Heartbreak Kid — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

James Caan, The Godfather — * * * * * (5 stars)

Robert Duvall, The Godfather — * * * * * (5 stars)

Al Pacino, The Godfather — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Al Pacino, The Godfather

What Would Have Held Up: Pacino, Caan, Grey

The Choice: B+

1971 – Ben Johnson, The Last Picture Show — * * * * (4 stars)

Jeff Bridges, The Last Picture Show — * * * * (4 stars)

Leonard Frey, Fiddler on the Roof — * * * * (4 stars)

Richard Jaeckel, Sometimes a Great Notion — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Roy Scheider, The French Connection — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Ben Johnson, The Last Picture Show

What Would Have Held Up: Johnson

The Choice: B+

1970 – John Mills, Ryan’s Daughter — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Richard S. Castellano, Lovers and Other Strangers — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Chief Dan George, Little Big Man — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Gene Hackman, I Never Sang for My Father — * * * (3 stars)

John Marley, Love Story — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Chief Dan George, Little Big Man

What Would Have Held Up: Ehh.

The Choice: C-

1969 – Gig Young, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Rupert Crosse, The Reivers — * * * (3 stars)

Elliott Gould, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jack Nicholson, Easy Rider — * * * * (4 stars)

Anthony Quayle, Anne of the Thousand Days — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Gig Young They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

What Would Have Held Up: Young, maybe Nicholson

The Choice: A-

1968 – Jack Albertson, The Subject Was Roses — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Seymour Cassel, Faces — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Daniel Massey, Star! — * * * (3 stars)

Jack Wild, Oliver! — * * * * (4 stars)

Gene Wilder, The Producers — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Gene Wilder, The Producers

What Would Have Held Up: Albertson is fine. Wilder maybe.

The Choice: B

1967 – George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke — * * * * * (5 stars)

John Cassavetes, The Dirty Dozen — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Gene Hackman, Bonnie and Clyde — * * * * * (5 stars)

Cecil Kellaway, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Michael J. Pollard, Bonnie and Clyde — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke

What Would Have Held Up: Kennedy, maybe Pollard or Hackman

The Choice: B+

1966 – Walther Matthau, The Fortune Cookie — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Mako, The Sand Pebbles — * * * * (4 stars)

James Mason, Georgy Girl — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

George Segal, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — * * * * * (5 stars)

Robert Shaw, A Man for All Seasons — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Walter Matthau, The Fortune Cookie

What Would Have Held Up: Matthau, potentially Segal or Shaw.

The Choice: A-

1965 – Martin Balsam, A Thousand Clowns — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Ian Bannen, Flight of the Phoenix — * * * * (4 stars)

Tom Courtenay, Doctor Zhivago — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Michael Dunn, Ship of Fools — * * * (3 stars)

Frank Finlay, Othello — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Tom Courtenay, Doctor Zhivago

What Would Have Held Up: Courtenay’s really the only one, if any

The Choice: D

1964 – Peter Ustinov, Topkapi — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

John Gielgud, Becket — * * * * (4 stars)

Stanley Holloway, My Fair Lady — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Edmond O’Brien, Seven Days in May — * * * * (4 stars)

Lee Tracy, The Best Man — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Lee Tracy, The Best Man

What Would Have Held Up: Ustinov is fine. Tracy could have. The others… potentially.

The Choice: B

1963 – Melvyn Douglas, Hud — * * * * (4 stars)

Nick Adams, Twilight of Horror — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Bobby Darin, Captain Newman, M.D. — * * * * (4 stars)

Hugh Griffith, Tom Jones — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

John Huston, The Cardinal — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Melvyn Douglas, Hud

What Would Have Held Up: Douglas

The Choice: A-

1962 – Ed Begely, Sweet Bird of Youth — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Victor Buono, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? — * * * * (4 stars)

Telly Savalas, Birdman of Alcatraz — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia — * * * * * (5 stars)

Terence Stamp, Billy Budd — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote:

What Would Have Held Up:

The Choice:

1961 – George Chakiris, West Side Story — * * * * * (5 stars)

Montgomery Clift, Judgment at Nuremberg — * * * * * (5 stars)

Peter Falk, Pocketful of Miracles — * * * (3 stars)

Jackie Gleason, The Hustler — * * * * * (5 stars)

George C. Scott, The Hustler — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Jackie Gleason, The Hustler

What Would Have Held Up: Chakiris, Gleason, Scott. Maybe Clift.

The Choice: A

1960 – Peter Ustinov, Spartacus — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Peter Falk, Murder, Inc. — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Jack Kruschen, The Apartment — * * * * * (5 stars)

Sal Mineo, Exodus — * * * (3 stars)

Chill Wills, The Alamo — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Peter Falk, Murder Inc.

What Would Have Held Up: Ustinov has. Falk maybe

The Choice: B

1959 – Hugh Griffith, Ben-Hur — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Arthur O’Connell, Anatomy of a Murder — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

George C. Scott, Anatomy of a Murder — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Robert Vaughn, The Young Philadelphians — * * * (3 stars)

Ed Wynn, The Diary of Anne Frank — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: George C. Scott, Anatomy of a Murder

What Would Have Held Up: Scott, O’Connell. Griffith… to an extent, has.

The Choice: C+

1958 – Burl Ives, The Big Country — * * * * (4 stars)

Theodore Bikel, The Defiant Ones — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Lee J. Cobb, The Brothers Karamozov — * * * (3 stars)

Arthur Kennedy, Some Came Running — * * * * (4 stars)

Gig Young, Teacher’s Pet — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Burl Ives, The Big Country

What Would Have Held Up: Ives, maybe Bikel

The Choice: B+

1957 – Red Buttons, Sayonara — * * * * (4 stars)

Vittorio de Sica, A Farewell to Arms — * * * (3 stars)

Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai — * * * * * (5 stars)

Arthur Kennedy, Peyton Place — * * * * (4 stars)

Russ Tamblyn, Peyton Place — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai

What Would Have Held Up: Hayakawa. Buttons, not sure. Theoretically Kennedy.

The Choice: B/B-

1956 – Anthony Quinn, Lust for Life — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Don Murray, Bus Stop — * * * (3 stars)

Anthony Perkins, Friendly Persuasion — * * * * (4 stars)

Mickey Rooney, The Bold and the Brave — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Robert Stack, Written on the Wind — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Anthony Quinn, Lust for Life

What Would Have Held Up: Quinn

The Choice: B-

1955 – Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Arthur Kennedy, Trial — * * * (3 stars)

Joe Mantell, Marty — * * * * * (5 stars)

Sal Mineo, Rebel Without a Cause — * * * * (4 stars)

Arthur O’Connell, Picnic — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts

What Would Have Held Up: Lemmon. Maybe Mineo.

The Choice: B+

1954 – Edmond O’Brien, The Barefoot Contessa — * * * (3 stars)

Lee J. Cobb, On the Waterfront — * * * * * (5 stars)

Karl Malden, On the Waterfront — * * * * * (5 stars)

Rod Steiger, On the Waterfront — * * * * * (5 stars)

Tom Tully, The Caine Mutiny — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Karl Malden, On the Waterfront

What Would Have Held Up: Cobb, Malden, Steiger

The Choice: C

1953 – Frank Sinatra, From Here to Eternity — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Eddie Albert, Roman Holiday — * * * * * (5 stars)

Brandon de Wilde, Shane — * * * * (4 stars)

Jack Palance, Shane — * * * * (4 stars)

Robert Strauss, Stalag 17 — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Frank Sinatra, From Here to Eternity

What Would Have Held Up: Sinatra

The Choice: B/B+

1952 – Anthony Quinn, Viva Zapata! — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Richard Burton, My Cousin Rachel — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Arthur Hunnicutt, The Big Sky — * * * (3 stars)

Victor McLaglen, The Quiet Man — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jack Palance, Sudden Fear — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Anthony Quinn, Viva Zapata!

What Would Have Held Up: Quinn, maybe McLaglen

The Choice: B

1951 – Karl Malden, A Streetcar Named Desire — * * * * * (5 stars)

Leo Genn, Quo Vadis — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Kevin McCarthy, Death of a Salesman — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Peter Ustinov, Quo Vadis — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Gig Young, Come Fill the Gap — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Karl Malden, A Streetcar Named Desire

What Would Have Held Up: Malden

The Choice: A-

1950 – George Sanders, All About Eve — * * * * * (5 stars)

Jeff Chandler, Broken Arrow — * * * * (4 stars)

Edmund Gwenn, Mister 880 — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Sam Jaffe, The Asphalt Jungle — * * * * (4 stars)

Erich von Stroheim, Sunset Boulevard — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: George Sanders, All About Eve

What Would Have Held Up: Sanders, von Stroheim could have.

The Choice: A

1949 – Dean Jagger, Twelve O’Clock High — * * * * (4 stars)

John Ireland, All the King’s Men — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Arthur Kennedy, Champion — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Ralph Richardson, The Heiress — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

James Whitmore, Battleground — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Ralph Richardson, The Heiress

What Would Have Held Up: Richardson, Jagger kind of has.

The Choice: B

1948 – Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre — * * * * * (5 stars)

Charles Bickford, Johnny Belinda — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

José Ferrer, Joan of Arc — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Oskar Homolka, I Remember Mama — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Cecil Kellaway, The Luck of the Irish — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

What Would Have Held Up: Huston

The Choice: A+

1947 – Edmund Gwenn, Miracle on 34^th Street — * * * * (4 stars)

Charles Bickford, The Farmer’s Daughter — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Thomas Gomez, Ride the Pink Horse — * * * (3 stars)

Robert Ryan, Crossfire — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Richard Widmark, Kiss of Death — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Richard Widmark, Kiss of Death

What Would Have Held Up: Gwenn, Widmark

The Choice: A/A-

1946 – Harold Russell, The Best Years of Our Lives — * * * * * (5 stars)

Charles Coburn, The Green Years — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

William Demarest, The Jolson Story — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Claude Rains, Notorious — * * * * (4 stars)

Clifton Webb, The Razor’s Edge — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Charles Coburn, The Green Years

What Would Have Held Up: Russell has. Coburn could have. Rains maybe.

The Choice: B

1945 – James Dunn, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Michael Chekhov, Spellbound — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

John Dall, The Corn Is Green — * * * (3 stars)

Robert Mitchum, The Story of G.I. Joe — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

J. Carrol Naish, A Medal for Benny — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: James Dunn, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

What Would Have Held Up: Dunn

The Choice: B+

1944 – Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Hume Cronyn, The Seventh Cross — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Claude Rains, Mr. Skeffington — * * * (3 stars)

Clifton Webb, Laura — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Monty Woolley, Since You Went Away — * * * * (4 stars)

My Vote: Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way

What Would Have Held Up: Fitzgerald first. Then Woolley. Possibly Cronyn.

The Choice: B+

1943 – Charles Coburn, The More the Merrier — * * * * (4 stars)

Charles Bickford, The Song of Bernadette — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

J. Carrol Naish, Sahara — * * * * (4 stars)

Claude Rains, Casablanca — * * * * * (5 stars)

Akim Tamiroff, For Whom the Bell Tolls — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Claude Rains, Casablanca

What Would Have Held Up: Rains. Coburn sort of has

The Choice: B/B-

1942 – Van Heflin, Johnny Eager — * * * (3 stars)

William Bendix, Wake Island — * * * * (4 stars)

Walter Huston, Yankee Doodle Dandy — * * * * * (5 stars)

Frank Morgan, Tortilla Flat — * * * (3 stars)

Henry Travers, Mrs. Miniver — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

My Vote: Van Heflin, Johnny Eager

What Would Have Held Up: Theoretically any of them, given the category.

The Choice: C

1941 – Donald Crisp, How Green Was My Valley — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Walter Brennan, Sergeant York — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Charles Coburn, The Devil and Miss Jones — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

James Gleason, Here Comes Mr. Jordan — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Sydney Greenstreet, The Maltese Falcon — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Donald Crisp, How Green Was My Valley

What Would Have Held Up: Crisp, potentially Greenstreet

The Choice: A-

1940 – Walter Brennan, The Westerner — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Albert Basserman, Foreign Correspondent — * * * * (4 stars)

William Gargan, They Knew What They Wanted — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

Jack Oakie, The Great Dictator — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

James Stephenson, The Letter — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Walter Brennan, The Westerner

What Would Have Held Up: Brennan

The Choice: B/B+

1939 – Thomas Mitchell, Stagecoach — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Brian Aherne, Juarez — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Harry Carey, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington — * * * * * (5 stars)

Brian Donlevy, Beau Geste — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

Claude Rains, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington — * * * * * (5 stars)

My Vote: Thomas Mitchell, Stagecoach

What Would Have Held Up: Mitchell, Rains

The Choice: B+

1938 – Walter Brennan, Kentucky — * * * (3 stars)

John Garfield, Four Daughters — * * * (3 stars)

Gene Lockhart, Algiers — * * * * (4 stars)

Robert Morely, Marie Antoinette — * * * * (4 stars)

Basil Rathbone, If I Were King — * * * (3 stars)

My Vote: Basil Rathbone, If I Were King

What Would Have Held Up: Rathbone, potentially Morley, maybe Lockhart

The Choice: C

1937 – Joseph Schildkraut, The Life of Emile Zola — * * * * (4 stars)

Ralph Bellamy, The Awful Truth — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Thomas Mitchell, The Hurricane — * * * (3 stars)

H.B. Warner, Lost Horizon — * * * * (4 stars)

Roland Young, Topper — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)

My Vote: Joseph Schildkraut, The Life of Emile Zola

What Would Have Held Up: Schildkraut

The Choice: B-

1936 – Walter Brennan, Come and Get It — * * * (3 stars)

Mischa Auer, My Man Godfrey — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)

Stuart Erwin, Pigskin Parade — * * * (3 stars)

Basil Rathbone, Romeo and Juliet — * * * (3 stars)

Akim Tamiroff, The General Died at Dawn — * * ½ (2.5 stars)

My Vote: Walter Brennan, Come and Get It

What Would Have Held Up: Brennant

The Choice: B

– – – – – – – – – – –

http://bplusmovieblog.com

The way I’m ranking these performances, as least in this current iteration: for each of the performance-related categories, the rankings are about quality of performance. I’ll vote for what I vote for, but the rankings are meant to reflect what I believe to be the best performances of the category, in order. Now, there may be some slight skewing on a few categories where my personal preference outweighs what may be objective criticism, but I promise those are limited.

Anyway, this is a compilation of my rankings for the Best Supporting Actor categories:

2016

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight *
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

2015

Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed *
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight

2014

J.K Simmons, Whiplash *
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
Edward Norton, Birdman
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Robert Duvall, The Judge

2013

Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club *
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle

2012

Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained *
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Alan Arkin, Argo

2011

Nick Nolte, Warrior *
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball

2010

Christian Bale, The Fighter *
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

2009

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds *
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Matt Damon, Invictus

2008

Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight *
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Josh Brolin, Milk
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

2007

Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men *
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild

2006

Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls *
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
Mark Walhberg, The Departed

2005

William Hurt, A History of Violence *
George Clooney, Syriana
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
Matt Dillon, Crash

2004

Clive Owen, Closer *
Jamie Foxx, Collateral
Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby
Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
Alan Alda, The Aviator

2003

Alec Baldwin, The Cooler *
Benicio del Toro, 21 Grams
Tim Robbins, Mystic River
Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai
Djimon Hounsou, In America

2002

Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You Can *
Chris Cooper, Adaptation.
Paul Newman, Road to Perdition
Ed Harris, The Hours
John C. Reilly, Chicago

2001

Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast *
Ian McKellen, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Jim Boradbent, Iris
Ethan Hawke, Training Day
Jon Voight, Ali

2000

Benicio del Toro, Traffic *
Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire
Albert Finney, Erin Brockovich
Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator
Jeff Bridges, The Contender

1999

Tom Cruise, Magnolia *
Jude Law, The Talented Mr. Ripley
Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense
Michael Caine, The Cider House Rules
Michael Clarke Duncan, The Green Mile

1998

Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan *
James Coburn, Affliction
Geoffrey Rush, Shakespeare in Love
Ed Harris, The Truman Show
Robert Duvall, A Civil Action

1997

Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting *
Robert Forster, Jackie Brown
Burt Reynolds, Boogie Nights
Greg Kinnear, As Good As It Gets
Anthony Hopkins, Amistad

1996

William H. Macy, Fargo
Edward Norton, Primal Fear *
Cuba Gooding Jr., Jerry Maguire
Armin Mueller-Stahl, Shine
James Woods, Ghosts of Mississippi

1995

Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects *
Brad Pitt, Twelve Monkeys
Ed Harris, Apollo 13
Tim Roth, Rob Roy
James Cromwell, Babe

1994

Martin Landau, Ed Wood *
Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction
Gary Sinise, Forrest Gump
Paul Scofield, Quiz Show
Chazz Palminteri, Bullet Over Broadway

1993

Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List *
Leonardo DiCaprio, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
Pete Postlethwaite, In the Name of the Father
Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive
John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire

1992

Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men *
Gene Hackman, Unforgiven
Jaye Davidson, The Crying Game
Al Pacino, Glengarry Glen Ross
David Paymer, Mr. Saturday Night

1991

Michael Lerner, Barton Fink *
Harvey Keitel, Bugsy
Tommy Lee Jones, JFK
Jack Palance, City Slickers
Ben Kingsley, Bugsy

1990

Joe Pesci, Goodfellas *
Andy Garcia, The Godfather Part III
Bruce Davison, Longtime Companion
Graham Greene, Dances with Wolves
Al Pacino, Dick Tracy

1989

Danny Aiello, Do the Right Thing *
Denzel Washington, Glory
Martin Landau, Crimes and Misdemeanors
Marlon Brando, A Dry White Season
Dan Aykroyd, Driving Miss Daisy

1988

Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda *
Martin Landau, Tucker: The Man and His Dream
River Phoenix, Running on Empty
Alec Guinness, Little Dorrit
Dean Stockwell, Married to the Mob

1987

Sean Connery, The Untouchables *
Morgan Freeman, Street Smart
Albert Brooks, Broadcast News
Denzel Washington, Cry Freedom
Vincent Gardenia, Moonstruck

1986

Tom Berenger, Platoon *
Willem Dafoe, Platoon
Michael Caine, Hannah and Her Sisters
Dennis Hopper, Hoosiers
Denholm Elliott, A Room with a View

1985

Klaus Maria Brandauer, Out of Africa *
William Hickey, Prizzi’s Honor
Robert Loggia, Jagged Edge
Eric Roberts, Runaway Train
Don Ameche, Cocoon

1984

Haing S. Ngor, The Killing Fields *
Adolph Caesar, A Soldier’s Story
Pat Morita, The Karate Kid
John Malkovich, Places in the Heart
Ralph Richardson, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes

1983

Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff *
Jack Nicholson, Terms of Endearment
Rip Torn, Cross Creek
Charles Durning, To Be Or Not to Be
John Lithgow, Terms of Endearment

1982

Lou Gossett, Jr., An Officer and a Gentleman *
James Mason, The Verdict
John Lithgow, The World According to Garp
Robert Preston, Victor/Victoria
Charles Durning, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

1981

John Gielgud, Arthur *
Howard Rollins, Ragtime
Jack Nicholson, Reds
Ian Holm, Chariots of Fire
James Coco, Only When I Laugh

1980

Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People *
Joe Pesci, Raging Bull
Jason Robards, Melvin and Howard
Michael O’Keefe, The Great Santini
Judd Hirsch, Ordinary People

1979

Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now *
Justin Henry, Kramer vs. Kramer
Melvyn Douglas, Being There
Frederic Forrest, The Rose
Mickey Rooney, The Black Stallion

1978

Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter *
Bruce Dern, Coming Home
John Hurt, Midnight Express
Richard Farnsworth, Comes a Horseman
Jack Warden, Heaven Can Wait

1977

Jason Robards, Julia
Alec Guinness, Star Wars *
Peter Firth, Equus
Mikhail Baryshnikov, The Turning Point
Maximilian Schell, Julia

1976

Jason Robards, All the President’s Men *
Burgess Meredith, Rocky
Burt Young, Rocky
Laurence Olivier, Marathon Man
Ned Beatty, Network

1975

George Burns, The Sunshine Boys *
Chris Sarandon, Dog Day Afternoon
Brad Dourif, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Jack Warden, Shampoo
Burgess Meredith, The Day of the Locust

1974

Robert De Niro, The Godfather Part II *
Lee Strasberg, The Godfather Part II
Michael V. Gazzo, The Godfather Part II
Jeff Bridges, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
Fred Astaire, The Towering Inferno

1973

Jason Miller, The Exorcist *
Vincent Gardenia, Bang the Drum Slowly
Randy Quaid, The Last Detail
John Houseman, The Paper Chase
Jack Gilford, Save the Tiger

1972

Al Pacino, The Godfather *
James Caan, The Godfather
Joel Grey, Cabaret
Robert Duvall, The Godfather
Eddie Albert, The Heartbreak Kid

1971

Ben Johnson, The Last Picture Show *
Roy Scheider, The French Connection
Jeff Bridges, The Last Picture Show
Richard Jaeckel, Sometimes a Great Notion
Leonard Frey, Fiddler on the Roof

1970

Chief Dan George, Little Big Man *
John Marley, Love Story
Gene Hackman, I Never Sang for My Father
Richard S. Castellano, Lovers and Other Strangers
John Mills, Ryan’s Daughter

1969

Gig Young, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? *
Jack Nicholson, Easy Rider
Elliott Gould, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
Anthony Quayle, Anne of the Thousand Days
Rupert Crosse, The Reivers

1968

Gene Wilder, The Producers *
Jack Albertson, The Subject Was Roses
Jack Wild, Oliver!
Daniel Massey, Star!
Seymour Cassel, Faces

1967

George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke *
Michael J. Pollard, Bonnie and Clyde
Gene Hackman, Bonnie and Clyde
John Cassavetes, The Dirty Dozen
Cecil Kellaway, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

1966

Walter Matthau, The Fortune Cookie *
George Segal, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Robert Shaw, A Man for All Seasons
Mako, The Sand Pebbles
James Mason, Georgy Girl

1965

Tom Courtenay, Doctor Zhivago *
Martin Balsam, A Thousand Clowns
Frank Finlay, Othello
Michael Dunn, Ship of Fools
Ian Bannen, The Flight of the Phoenix

1964

Lee Tracy, The Best Man *
Peter Ustinov, Topkapi
John Gielgud, Becket
Stanley Holloway, My Fair Lady
Edmond O’Brien, Seven Days in May

1963

Melvyn Douglas, Hud *
Bobby Darin, Captain Newman, M.D.
Hugh Griffith, Tom Jones
John Huston, The Cardinal
Nick Adams, Twilight of Honor

1962

Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia *
Terence Stamp, Billy Budd
Ed Begley, Sweet Bird of Youth
Telly Savalas, Birdman of Alcatraz
Victor Buono, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

1961

Jackie Gleason, The Hustler *
George Chakiris, West Side Story
George C. Scott, The Hustler
Montgomery Clift, Judgment at Nuremberg
Peter Falk, Pocketful of Miracles

1960

Peter Falk, Murder, Inc. *
Peter Ustinov, Spartacus
Jack Kruschen, The Apartment
Sal Mineo, Exodus
Chill Wills, The Alamo

1959

George C. Scott, Anatomy of a Murder *
Arthur O’Connell, Anatomy of a Murder
Hugh Griffith, Ben-Hur
Robert Vaughn, The Young Philadelphians
Ed Wynn, The Diary of Anne Frank

1958

Burl Ives, The Big Country *
Theodore Bikel, The Defiant Ones
Arthur Kennedy, Some Came Running
Gig Young, Teacher’s Pet
Lee J. Cobb, The Brothers Karamazov

1957

Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai *
Arthur Kennedy, Peyton Place
Red Buttons, Sayonara
Vittorio De Sica, A Farewell to Arms
Russ Tamblyn, Peyton Place

1956

Anthony Quinn, Lust for Life *
Robert Stack, Written on the Wind
Mickey Rooney, The Bold and the Brave
Anthony Perkins, Friendly Persuasion
Don Murray, Bus Stop

1955

Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts *
Arthur Kennedy, Trial
Joe Mantell, Marty
Sal Mineo, Rebel Without a Cause
Arthur O’Connell, Picnic

1954

Karl Malden, On the Waterfront *
Lee J. Cobb, On the Waterfront
Rod Steiger, On the Waterfront
Edmond O’Brien, The Barefoot Contessa
Tom Tully, The Caine Mutiny

1953

Frank Sinatra, From Here to Eternity *
Robert Strauss, Stalag 17
Eddie Albert, Roman Holiday
Jack Palance, Shane
Brandon de Wilde, Shane

1952

Anthony Quinn, Viva Zapata! *
Victor McLaglen, The Quiet Man
Arthur Hunnicutt, The Big Sky
Richard Burton, My Cousin Rachel
Jack Palance, Sudden Fear

1951

Karl Malden, A Streetcar Named Desire *
Peter Ustinov, Quo Vadis
Gig Young, Come Fill the Cup
Kevin McCarthy, Death of a Salesman
Leo Genn, Quo Vadis

1950

George Sanders, All About Eve *
Erich von Stroheim, Sunset Boulevard
Edmund Gwenn, Mister 880
Sam Jaffe, The Asphalt Jungle
Jeff Chandler, Broken Arrow

1949

Ralph Richardson, The Heiress *
Dean Jagger, Twelve O’Clock High
John Ireland, All the King’s Men
James Whitmore, Battleground
Arthur Kennedy, Champion

1948

Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre *
Charles Bickford, Johnny Belinda
Oskar Homolka, I Remember Mama
Cecil Kellaway, The Luck of the Irish
Jose Ferrer, Joan of Arc

1947

Richard Widmark, Kiss of Death *
Edmund Gwenn, Miracle on 34th Street
Robert Ryan, Crossfire
Charles Bickford, The Farmer’s Daughter
Thomas Gomez, Ride the Pink Horse

1946

Charles Coburn, The Green Years *
Claude Rains, Notorious
Harold Russell, The Best Years of Our Lives
Clifton Webb, The Razor’s Edge
William Demarest, The Jolson Story

1945

James Dunn, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn *
Robert Mitchum, The Story of G.I. Joe
J. Carrol Naish, A Medal for Benny
John Dall, The Corn Is Green
Michael Chekhov, Spellbound

1944

Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way *
Monty Woolley, Since You Went Away
Claude Rains, Mr. Skeffington
Clifton Webb, Laura
Hume Cronyn, The Seventh Cross

1943

Claude Rains, Casablanca *
Charles Coburn, The More the Merrier
J. Carrol Naish, Sahara
Akim Tamiroff, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Charles Bickford, The Song of Bernadette

1942

Van Heflin, Johnny Eager *
Frank Morgan, Tortilla Flat
Walter Huston, Yankee Doodle Dandy
William Bendix, Wake Island
Henry Travers, Mrs. Miniver

1941

Donald Crisp, How Green Was My Valley *
Sydney Greenstreet, The Maltese Falcon
James Gleason, Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Charles Coburn, The Devil and Miss Jones
Walter Brennan, Sergeant York

1940

Walter Brennan, The Westerner *
James Stephenson, The Letter
Jack Oakie, The Great Dictator
Albert Bassermann, Foreign Correspondent
William Gargan, They Knew What They Wanted

1939

Thomas Mitchell, Stagecoach *
Claude Rains, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Brian Aherne, Juarez
Harry Carey, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Brian Donlevy, Beau Geste

1938

Basil Rathbone, If I Were King *
Robert Morley, Marie Antoinette
Walter Brennan, Kentucky
Gene Lockhart, Algiers
John Garfield, Four Daughters

1937

Joseph Schildkraut, The Life of Emile Zola *
Thomas Mitchell, The Hurricane
H.B. Warner, Lost Horizon
Roland Young, Topper
Ralph Bellamy, The Awful Truth

1936

Walter Brennan, Come and Get It *
Basil Rathbone, Romeo and Juliet
Akim Tamiroff, The General Died at Dawn
Mischa Auer, My Man Godfrey
Stuart Erwin, Pigskin Parade

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The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 1995-1996)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 1997-1998)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 1999-2000)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 2001-2002)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 2003-2004)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 2005-2006)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 2007-2008)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 2009-2010)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 2011-2012)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered (Best Picture, 2013-2014)

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered – The Best Supporting Actress Categories

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered – The Best Supporting Actor Categories

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered – The Best Actress Categories

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered – The Best Actor Categories

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered – The Best Director Categories

The Oscar Quest: Reconsidered – The Best Picture Categories

The Oscar Quest: Rankings (Best Supporting Actress)

The Oscar Quest: A Viewer’s Guide (Best Supporting Actress)

The Oscar Quest: A Viewer’s Guide (Best Supporting Actor)

The Oscar Quest: Rankings (Best Supporting Actor)