issue 20: And the Oscar goes to....
Special Edition: 30 years of my favorite Oscar performances that actually won
You should have felt your Spidey senses tingling when the Oscars were announced this past week! I truly didn’t mean to stay away from you all this long but man 2022 came in hot. This is one of those years where I’m personally underwhelmed by the nominated films but we’re still crawling our way out of a multiyear pandemic and it’s not like they’re bad films. They’re just not my vibe.
It has me feeling a little nostalgic, though, so I thought I’d take a look back at Best & Supporting Actor and Actress performances that received the recognition I thought they deserved.
1992: Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins — The Silence of the Lambs. I was a wee child when this came out and to be honest I don’t remember the first time I watched it but I know I was too young. They really swept this year — the late Jonathan Demme also won for directing — and 30 years later we still eat this film up. When you watch it again, try and take notice of what the camera angles are telling you, too.
1997: Frances McDormand, Fargo. I love this film and its TV spinoffs. I like that it’s sort of an unexpected choice for the Oscars.
1998: Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful (La vita è bella). Does this need further explanation? If the phrase Bongiorno, principessa! doesn’t immediately create a lump in your throat, you might be heartless.
2000: Angelina Jolie — Girl, Interrupted. Angie didn’t come to play. This film also features an oft-overlooked Brittany Murphy. As great as this performance was, I remember really wanting Toni Collette to win, though. But that’s a whole other conversation about how it’s a travesty that our girl Toni has never won an Oscar and only one Emmy.
2002: More opinion here than actual performance love — I look at Denzel and Halle’s wins this year as sort of lifetime achievement awards. The way Leo won for The Revenant and Brad Pitt finally won for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Denzel and Halle should’ve had these accolades long before this and, to be fair, I need to go back and rewatch these films as an older human but I just remember feeling a little insulted a bit for the types of characters they had to play to be recognized. It just really got my wheels turning in general about access to roles.
2003: Adrien Brody — The Pianist. My mom and I wept during this movie. I don’t think I can ever endure it again but by the end of the film, you just know it would be an absolute shock if he didn’t win.
2005: Diverting for a minute to recognize two things from this year:
I wanted Catalina Sandino Moreno to win for Maria Full of Grace (Maria Llena de Gracia) so badly.
This is the year that Beyonce sang every single nominated song including the French song “Vois sur ton chemin” from Les Choristes. I love the song but what Beyonce couldn’t do in French she made up for with flair.
2008: Javier Bardem, No County for Old Men. The first time I saw this film I didn’t quite get it but by the third watch, I absolutely loved it. But I remember thinking whatever Javier is doing in this film is excellent. IMO, the most egregious snub this year was for Brad Pitt in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and to be COMPLETELY frank I’m more pissed that Roger Deakins didn’t win for the cinematography of that film. It was a strong category that year with distinct and deliberate color palettes and angles used to tell the story. Good cinematography is art but also helps your brain connects the dots in an almost subconscious way.
2009: Heath Ledger — The Dark Knight. I remember sitting in the back of the theater at midnight watching this film and just being completely in awe. He’d already proven his talent and it’s just so sad he didn’t have more time. He is the only posthumous winner of the supporting actor category.
2010: Christoph Waltz — Inglourious Basterds. This man put his whole foot into this performance and not once does he let up. The opening scene is one of the best things Tarantino’s ever written. Au revoir, Shoshanna
P.S. I urge anyone reading to watch Jackie Brown if you haven’t. It’s not talked about as often for some reason but it’s arguably his best-crafted work.
P.P.S. I truly forget that this was the year Anna Kendrick became Oscar-nominated actress Anna Kendrick.
2011: Natalie Portman — Black Swan. Okay, so this is the year that I was actually in LA during the awards circuit. Attended the DGAs, a Weinstein SAG party. Fully understand how intoxicating and alluring this environment can be. The stories I could tell you (I mean, I will just ask). I’m a former ballerina and I mention this because having a personal connection to the subject matter is already helpful in grounding someone in a story but it’s not necessary here. You’re pulled into this cutthroat world and Natalie makes you feel the pressure.
2016: Brie Larson — Room. If you haven’t seen this film, I highly recommend going in without knowledge of the full plot. I also recommend watching Short Term 12 right before it. Every single actor in that film has done amazing things since.
2017: Welcome to the most insane Oscar year ever. And we have multiple performances to talk about:
Every single person that was nominated was so good (although, I never saw Florence Foster Jenkins it felt like they just threw Meryl in for shits and giggles).
Casey Affleck — Manchester by the Sea. This movie and Moonlight made me dry-heave cry in a theater. This one largely in part of all the visceral performances by Casey, Lucas Hedges, and Michelle Williams (who just always manages to do this to me - Blue Valentine hello).
Mahershela Ali — Moonlight. I will give you the scene that I just know in my soul clenched this win. Imagine me sitting in the back of Nitehawk Cinema during a staff screening silently sobbing at this exchange.
AS FOR THE ACTRESSES. I love Emma. I do. This wasn’t the one. IMO Ruth Negga or Natalie Portman should have won and I will be RIOTING if Ruth doesn’t get her Oscar flowers in the next 3 years.
Viola is a queen and also long overdue for her leading actress nod but I wanted Naomie Harris to win so badly for Moonlight. If anyone needs some dots connected, Naomie is the same woman in 28 Days Later and Tia Dalma in Pirates of the Caribbean. Matter of fact, she’s great in this so here she is (I love the ending scene but major spoilers if you’ve never seen this film somehow):
2021: Daniel Kaluuya — Judas and the Black Messiah. The man is just excellent.
The others I was hoping to win this year were Riz Ahmed for Sound of Metal (also Anthony Hopkins is quite heartbreaking in The Father and very deserving) and Carey Mulligan for A Promising Young Woman.
I do hope Kiki gets her win this year, though.
