Best Picture 1975

I am so glad to be done with 1975 because I feel like I've been in it forever, or at least a whole year. I took a break in the middle of this year to stop and do 2017 and then came back to this year. Plus, it has a lot of films to watch: 15 out of 25 possible spots are different films. Some years just seem to drag and I'm excited to move on, but first let's get to what on paper looks like a hell of a Best Picture race. I've seen three of them already and know they are pretty great and the other two are always held up as being great films in their own right. This could be right up there with 1976 in terms of quality.

1975 Best Picture

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One of three films ever to win the big five awards (Picture, Director, Lead Actor/Actress, and one of the writing awards) along with It Happened One Night and Silence of the Lambs. Good company, for sure. It tells the story of Jack Nicholson, a criminal who is sent to an asylum to be monitored to determine if he's crazy and should be committed. He's a head strong man who likes to challenge others and runs into the notorious Nurse Ratched. He also meets a whole cast of crazy/not so crazy patients and Nicholson pushes things to the limit. Now, the film did win both lead acting awards and did so with legitimately great acting from Nicholson and Louise Fletcher. They are joined by a ton of good actors who play the fellow patients like Danny Devito, Brad Dourif, Christopher Lloyd, and William Sampson (Chief). The story is pretty simple and tells the power struggle of the two leads as McMurphy resents authority but grows to hate Nurse Ratched over time. Nurse Ratched wants to exert control over her patients and be the power figure of the asylum and McMurphy challenges that ideal by turning the patients against her. It's just a really well made film that is made all the better because of the tremendous acting. Nicholson has to carry most of the film with his character being this domineering presence who leads the patients on an escape trip to go fishing, has an after hours party in the ward, and gets everyone to demand their privileges. Fletcher is also a domineering presence in that she's the ice cold head nurse who controls everything that goes on in her ward. Just the name Nurse Ratched alone conjures up the evil, vindictive head nurse. It's almost become it's own pejorative to call people you don't like. Sometimes I have little narratives that I like to get across about films but I don't have anything for this film. It's just a plain good film. I've seen it a few times now and it never feels worn out or dated. It's also probably one of the better Best Picture winners, at least for me. Also, I wanted to mention that this film reminds me so much of Cool Hand Luke. I feel like they are so similar with a bravura man coming into a new situation with a lot of supporting guys in prison/asylum and this man uplifts those men with fun little scenes before an ultimately tragic ending. I always think of the one with the other and I dunno, it's just an observation I've always had that I wanted to get out there. Anyone else agree? Both are great films.

Barry Lyndon

I remember watching the very beginning of this film once after another film had ended on TCM and being completely sucked in. I had to turn it off because I didn't want to have to rewatch a three plus hour film somewhere down the line but I thought the film looked sumptuous and the production was perfect. There are scenes that look like they were straight up lifted from some old painting and I do think that the production value and look of this film is the big draw. It's simply gorgeous to look at and rightfully won Best Cinematography for it's efforts. The film itself is based off a novel about the (mis)adventures of the title character (though it starts out as Redmond Barry), an Irishman who tries many different ways to improve his lot in the world. The short of it is he falls in love with his cousin, duels a British Officer that she likes to win her over, flees after shooting him and then enlisting in the British Army and fighting for a while before deserting and then joining the Prussian Army. After, he becomes a spy but it's just a ploy to get back to England where he mingles in high society because of contacts made while a spy and meets Lady Lyndon and then eventually they marry. As you can tell, a lot goes on, yet the film never feels too busy and never overstays it's welcome on any one part of the plot. The film can move along at a brisk pace while also lazily lingering on scenes and somehow the two work harmoniously together and makes the film stronger. It's like everything has a purpose even when it doesn't and the kudos for that goes to Kubrick. This is an obvious labor of love that took over two years to finish and the details in this film are evident from the Oscar winning wardrobes, to the background locations, to the almost one hundred percent natural lighting used for the film - which is incredibly impressive to me. I think this film gets overlooked as one of Kubrick's many classics because he has so many of those, but this is just as strong and worth at least one watch just like his others. I really like that a period piece film like this doesn't ever feel stuffy or proper and yet that kind of language is used but it's used to great effect. It almost feels peppy or punchy or dynamic. That sounds kinda weird but the language adds a layer to the film that makes it interesting and not just stiff upper lip boring British accent crap. You might think I'm reaching with that one but it works for me, maybe it's the way a lot of the dialogue is said with a dry with or a straight face with something obviously hammy. Anyway, the details of the film add up to make a legit classic film and a great nomination by the Academy.

Dog Day Afternoon

This is such a good film and it's one of those I've seen many times, even before starting this project. So why am I having such a hard time writing this review, when I easily wrote about Al Pacino and Chris Sarandon? Their performances are the highlight of this film along with John Cazale and Charles Durning. What's really fascinating about all that is director Sidney Lumet allowed the actors to mostly improvise the script and get inside the characters and deliver something raw and real. From the opening of the film, you know what you are going to get is realistic and authentic. The film opens with everyday scenes of New York City with an Elton John song playing over it before we land on Pacino and his cohorts. The film is simply about a bank robbery gone awry but obviously the film goes much deeper than that. We see this comedy of errors develop as the manic Pacino has to deal with all the issues that arise while things look more and more bleak for him. We later learn his relationship with his family is terrible, his relationship with his wife and kids is pretty lousy, and his relationship with his gay lover/wife is pretty rocky as well. There's not much right going on in Pacino's life and we see the weight of all that hardship on his shoulders. Pacino is incredible and this is one of his best roles, if not the best role of his career, in terms of pure acting. The improvisation leads to many great scenes in the film from the Attica chant, to the phone call with Sarandon, to Pacino just yelling at the cops on the street. I think this film shows that a simple story can be elevated to great heights with high quality acting. There's no musical cues in this, no snappy editing or camera tricks, no special effects. It's just a straightforward story that is one of the better films of the 70s.

Jaws

I will admit I'm not even going to watch this film again because this is one of those movies that I've seen countless times. It is/was always on some station on the weekend growing up or there was some Jaws marathon and it would find it's way onto the TV. And these days, my brother always seems to have it on when we go over there. It's always on somewhere. So yeah, don't need to watch it again. The thing that I think some people don't know or forget is that Jaws was the first ever summer blockbuster. It really created that whole machine. The powers behind the film gave it an unprecedented marketing push with tons of ads and made sure it was in the most theaters possible. And because of that, people flocked to the film and watched it over and over, putting Jaws firmly in the front seat of most money made at the box office ever (for a short time anyway). Thing is, Jaws is a good movie. It's not some crummy Hollywood blockbuster of today where the story and actual filmmaking elements take a back seat to spectacle and big stars. The film has great acting from Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss. The music is undeniably memorable and has been riffed on and parodied ever since, yet still can inspire dread when you hear it. I mean, the film turned a generation of people into being frightened by sharks and scared of the open water and it's hard to blame them given the impact of Spielberg's classic. He does a great job of making the shark into this fearful, horrifying thing by controlling when we finally see it so that it's reveal has the most impact. And there's a bunch of memorable scenes including the opening shot of the girl swimming alone in the dark, the story of the USS Indianapolis, the moment the shark pops up when Scheider is chumming the water, and you could go on and on. There was always one scene that stuck out to me even when I was little and that was when the beach is full of holiday vacationers and someone yells Shark! and we get that deep focus pull back zoom on Scheider sitting up from his beach chair, cigarette hanging limply from his mouth. I always marveled at how that was accomplished because it just looked so cool and probably helped really get me interested in how films are made. Which reminds me that the mechanical sharks, nicknamed Bruce, were such a problem for the production that it's a miracle the film ever got completed. They worked in salt water in the open ocean and that was because Spielberg insisted on location shooting instead of shooting in a tank on some sound stage. I think that location aspect really serves the film well because it feels more authentic and looks better than some joyless tank. Any way you look at it, Jaws is a great film and is a pretty awesome choice by the Academy to include in a Best Picture field.

Nashville

If you're not a fan of Robert Altman or country music, you are going to hate this film. Like most of his other films, this one involves a whole lotta characters with different stories who all intersect at various points and have a crazy ending. And as you probably could have guessed from the title, the story takes place in, and is all about, Nashville. So that means it's full of country music characters and focuses mainly on that, although there are some other non country singing people, too. The story is about twenty four characters in the city and it follows them around for about five days as we watch them go about their lives. With that many characters, there are of lot of plot threads going on, some that are fulfilling and some that don't really go anywhere. That's to be expected with so much going on, but I must confess, I was expecting a lot more from this film. I really like some of Altman's other films like The Player and Short Cuts, but this was a letdown especially when you hear how much praise it gets as a quintessential film. Some of that reasoning is probably due to the fact that I'm not a country music fan at all and this film is essentially a musical. Altman had his actors write and then sing their own songs for the film and that has a detrimental effect on the film for me. Most of the songs are really awful, even if they are lampooning the country music genre a little bit. So having to sit through characters sing these full songs every so often wasn't much fun. The standouts were by Keith Carradine's character who actually won a Best Song Oscar for his effort. I really liked his individual song and the one's he sings with his country/folk band. The people of the city of Nashville didn't like the film very much and the country stars hated it, too. I'd say mostly because it lampoons their city and identity a bit, but also because the country music stars didn't get to write and sing in the film. I think they were mad that they weren't included and regular actors were singing in their place. The positives about the film are the strong acting by most everyone involved and that includes a ton of interesting female characters. The Golden Globes actually nominated four women from this film in their Best Supporting Actress category and I could have seen Oscar doing three or four, too, without it feeling undeserved. Also, Jeff Goldblum plays this ridiculously kooky guy who drives a huge three wheeled motorcycle and doesn't seem to have any purpose other than to be different than all the conservative country folk. He wears crazy outfits and is gloriously Goldblum like, you can't not like him. So there is a lot to like but as I said, the country songs are ever present and if that's not your thing, this will be a little tough to get through, though I guess you could just fast forward them. The political plot that runs through the film can get annoying when the campaign van blares speeches throughout most of the film. I understand why it's included and relevant but it still gets on your nerves after a bit. So yeah, this film has a lot of great acting and the scenes of Nashville are pretty cool, especially the ending which is set at the Parthenon. It's a real thing in Nashville and is supremely awesome to see and experience in person. I do recognize that this is very talented filmmaking and seems like a bit of Americana in it's own right, it just wasn't as great as I thought it would be.



This is certainly one of the best group of five Best Picture nominees that I have yet encountered and most likely that I will encounter throughout this project. Every film in this group is excellent. Plain and simple. Not a bad film in the bunch. I may not have been as gushing about Nashville as I was with the other films, but it is definitely a great film with some memorable female performances and it's slice of Americana is like opening a time capsule. It's just that the whole country music thing brings it down slightly for me. If you love country music, though, it might be a contender for you. Barry Lyndon is gorgeous to watch and is like a comforting film to just put on in the background and pay attention every now and then. That sounds like a knock, but really it's one that I could watch without really having to pay attention and just enjoy the scenes on screen. Just a well put together film by Kubrick that I think a lot of people overlook because it's not as famous as some of his other films. Dog Day Afternoon is such an interesting film. It seems small in focus but it has such great depth that it delivers in every conceivable way. Not to mention it might be Pacino's best work, it just has so much working in its favor that you can't help but love it. That leaves me with two more and some might be surprised that I put Jaws in second place, considering the hefty classics it is up against and it being a summer blockbuster film. But it is the quintessential summer blockbuster film and the first real one, at that. Yet it holds up even 40 years later with so many iconic scenes and beats within the film that you forget that it originated almost all of those beats. It's also a film that I've seen so many times and am still not tired of watching. It's fun and entertaining, yes, but it's also a great piece of filmmaking on its own. That leaves One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as my winner for the year and I think that's a good choice by the Academy, too. With what is possibly Nicholson's best work of his career, the film leaves a lasting impression on the viewer and American culture. It's still a scathing indictment on how we treat our mentally ill and still very relevant to today's world. It tells a tragic, yet engaging story and is a bonafide classic, just like the other four in this group. None of these are bad or even mediocre, and you could easily mix them up and any film on top would be a good winner. What a year!

Oscar Winner: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
My Winner:  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Jaws
Dog Day Afternoon
Barry Lyndon
Nashville

Leading Actor 1975

On the surface, this looks like quite the battle between Pacino and Nicholson in two of their best roles of all time. I've seen both and think both are incredible and either one could have won the Oscar and we'd all be okay with either decision. I'm interested in seeing exactly what the other three can bring to this fight, if anything. Two previous Oscar winners in Matthau and Schell, and then a relative unknown in Whitmore. Let's find out who is left standing after all of this.

1975 Best Actor

Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One of the really interesting things about Jack Nicholson is that every time he won an acting Oscar, his costar in the same film also won for Best Actress. All three times (Louise Fletcher, Shirley MacLaine, and Helen Hunt), which is really impressive. I would say that this is Jack's best of his three wins and probably the one people remember the most. It's definitely classic Jack and has all his trademarks as an actor but they don't become the mannerisms of his later work. When he's shouting and getting angry and being very animated, you absolutely see shades of his future work in The Shining. When he's acting a fool and being a goofball and making faces, you see that classic Jack face shine through that will become a primary means of acting for him in the future. So this performance is just before his habits start to become more pronounced and noticeable. And because it's still early in his career, everything comes off as genuine. Jack plays a man who is a criminal who gets sent to an asylum to be monitored to see if he is crazy and needs to be committed. McMurphy (Nicholson) is a brash, loudmouthed asshole who likes to challenge authority. That kind of character needed to be played by someone who could effectively portray that bravado but do so in a way that doesn't make you want to punch him in the face through the screen. Nicholson keeps his character likable which is key to the performance because deep down, even though McMurphy is a criminal and doesn't really contribute anything positive to society, he's still a human being and still has a kind soul. That's evidenced by talking to Chief even though he's told he's deaf and dumb and by being nice to Billy Bibbit. He grows to care about these guys he's locked up with and brings a friendship even if it's steeped in selfishness. McMurphy never wants to be controlled and that's exactly what Nurse Ratched wants to do, so the two butt heads and share an animosity with each other. Their dynamic is pivotal in showing Nurse Ratched as the evil one with McMurphy becoming almost like a savior to the other patients. He eventually shows them all a tenderness that is necessary to combat the vindictive power of Nurse Ratched. Nicholson makes the performance look almost too easy, like he's not really putting in work, but he definitely is. He has so many good scenes that cover a range of emotions and abilities like teach Chief basketball, the fishing trip escape, the after hours party where he gets Billy laid, to trying to strangle Nurse Ratched. Just a ton of great acting from Nicholson in what is surely his best Oscar win.

Walter Matthau - The Sunshine Boys

What's this? Me liking a Neil Simon film? I kid, but this is probably my favorite Neil Simon film so far. Probably because the rapid fire dialogue is in expert hands with Matthau and Burns. The film is about a nephew of Matthau trying to get his old vaudeville duo together again for a comedy retrospective. The two haven't spoken for years and Matthau himself is a handful. I'm a huge fan of Matthau's brand of comedy. He does physical comedy so well and I love his deadpan delivery of jokes. I like to think my grandpa was a big fan of his because I remember him mentioning that he loved Grumpy Old Men and that means we have the same taste which makes me happy. As is typical of a Simon film, Matthau talks a lot and has a joke every few seconds it seems. It doesn't get old and every joke or sarcastic remark or reciting a question after someone asks him the same question right before is hilarious to me. And once George Burns enters the equation, the comedy ramps up. The two are just like Simon's earlier film, The Odd Couple. They can argue and fight, but it's all done in a riotous way. I lost it when they were setting up Matthau's apartment but weren't on the same page and Matthau is like wait, which bit are we doing and then they talk a second and confirm and then start moving furniture in the opposite way and he realizes it and yells at Burns because they are doing the same thing in reverse. When you watch it, you'll burst out laughing because the two actors can make rearranging furniture into a hilarious situation. The two are brilliant but I feel like Matthau deserves more of the brilliance in that instance. I'll also admit that most will probably find him annoying or at least obnoxious. He's a muttering old fool who yells at you for correcting him even when you're right and it helps him out. That's just the character and Matthau does a good job with that. The other thing is that Matthau is supposed to be playing a guy who is like 80 years old but is in his mid 50s. If I didn't tell you, you might have thought he was a lot older. I don't feel like the age difference matters because Matthau can be the doddering old goat and make it look convincing through his comedic actions. I like Matthau as a comedian and as an actor. I think he's strong here but this performance was never going to win in a loaded Best Actor group and that's okay. I'm just glad I got to review him for this performance.

Al Pacino - Dog Day Afternoon

Attica, Attica! If you're not shouting it with him, what are you even doing? This is possibly peak Pacino (alliteration fun). Yeah, he's terrific in The Godfather films before this, but Pacino raises his acting to a new level. And I feel like this was the birth of some of his future mannerisms and is the building block for the rest of his career. We get the manic, wired Pacino and it becomes a lot of fun to watch. The film sort of makes fun of Sonny (Pacino) as we first see him going into the bank and his whole plan quickly unravels from there. It shows the ineptitude of the plan and just how nervous and energized Sonny is. When he flubs pulling his gun from the box, you can an idea of what Sonny is like. From there it's almost a comedy of errors as we see this frenetic Sonny trying to put out fires both literal and figurative. That's where Pacino shines when he's racing around trying to look tough when he clearly isn't and has to respond to all these little issues cropping up. Pacino is so good at showing us what's going on inside Sonny. We know that he realizes he's in over his head because it's written all over his face and in his eyes. As the film progresses we see how mentally and physically draining all of this is for Sonny and Pacino, ever the Method actor, portrays this dutifully. Some of his best scenes are when he is outside in front of the bank talking to the police and showboating at times for the crowd who loves him. He can go from being incredulous, to pissed off at the police, to asking a question like there isn't a bank robbery situation going on, to just simply being this frenzied presence in the film - all while mostly improvising a lot of script. That's the impressive part of Pacino's performance, is that a lot of his best moments are things that are improvised just like the Attica cry. Another great improvised moment is the phone call he has with his gay lover, Leon. That is a pivotal scene to the film because it speaks to their relationship and you get a sense of why Sonny is robbing the bank even though we also realize how conflicted he is as a person and how shitty he is, too. You see a beaten down man in those moments who is stuck in a tough spot and just wants to talk it out with someone he loves. We feel his exhaustion by the end of the film and definitely his desperation that drove him there in the first place. It's a really great performance that sums up Pacino's style from there on in with his mannerisms and his all out manic effort.

Maximilian Schell - The Man in the Glass Booth

One thing you notice about Schell is that he was typecast by Hollywood into doing a lot of Nazi films. In fact, all of his Oscar nominations come in films that have Nazism or him being a Nazi as a plot point. I'm sure him being an Austrian actor who moved to Switzerland with his family to actually avoid the Nazis has a hand in that. Especially him being an accomplished actor who can be more than just a bad Nazi man, but actually act and give a performance helps, too. Another really interesting fact before we get to the performance is that this was a film from the American Film Theatre series, which adapted stage plays for the big screen that would otherwise not get made. They were not released to the general public, only to those who got a subscription to the series and to critics and awards bodies. So this was never seen by the general public upon release and only hit DVD in 2003 after some legal wrangling. That means there were two little seen Best Actor nominees this year in Schell and Whitmore. Truly fascinating that that was ever a thing. As for the performance, Schell immediately reminded me of Tommy Wisseau from the infamous The Room movie. I know it's a weird comparison to make, but the energy and delivery of the material really reminded me of Wisseau. Schell is successful businessman and is a Nazi surviving Jew who doesn't really leave his fancy NYC apartment. His character has this weird energy that is fueled by a bunch of non-sequitur ramblings. He is eccentric, for sure, and also paranoid that someone is watching him. Schell is entertaining in this aspect because the character is so strange and Schell gets to have fun with a bizarre performance. I can also see Christoph Waltz easily doing this performance, because they have that same vibe. About an hour in, Schell is found out to be an actual Nazi who ran a concentration camp and is whisked off to Israel to stand trial. Schell continues with the same energy, yet this time it's turned into a malevolent kind instead of the kooky, weird, innocent Jew kind. Schell stays animated throughout the film and it's almost exhausting to watch him work because he goes non-stop. The performance is entertaining in that regard and really interesting just as a peering into this man's brain and soul. There is a twist at the end that isn't fully explained that I really wish was, but it makes the story even more interesting and makes Schell's performance a bit more intriguing. I would recommend the film and performance for just how crazy and entertaining Schell can be in what is probably a very little seen film.

James Whitmore - Give 'em Hell, Harry!

I was always very curious about this performance when looking at the nominees through the years. I had never heard of the film or the actor and was hoping that I was missing out on some great Harry Truman biopic. When I finally got to this year and did my research, I realized this wasn't a conventional film at all. This was a stage play of just James Whitmore as Harry Truman that was filmed at one of his Broadway shows and then packaged into a film version for all to see that somehow garnered an Oscar nomination. I actually wish more Broadway plays and musicals were filmed and released in theaters for those of us who can't go to NYC every year to see them. But I also understand that they want people to show up for their product and to hope they can sell the film rights to their play/musical down the line, I get it. However, as interesting and unique as this nomination is, it just isn't Oscar worthy. Whitmore is playing a role that he did night in and night out for a long time that got filmed and put in theaters. It'd be like giving an Oscar nomination to whoever won this year's Tony Award if they filmed it and put it in theaters. It shouldn't be nominated. As impressive as it is for Whitmore to do an hour and a half play about Truman all on his own, I can't vote for this. But, this play is available to watch on YouTube and I'd say it's worth checking out for just how monumentally impressive it is. The guy looks and sounds like Harry Truman and talks non-stop and I'll never know how anyone can memorize an hour and a half of lines and not mess up all the time. So no vote on this one but, hey, at least the Academy was thinking outside the box for once. And a last fun fact is that this was Whitmore's second Oscar nomination, which was surprising to me. He has a Supporting Actor nomination for an actual film role coming up in 1950 that I'm really interested in checking out.



Another pretty strong Best Actor group. You have what many consider to be one of the best acting performances ever in Nicholson competing with what many believe is Pacino's best performance (yes, over Michael Corleone) and that's a great group already right there. Thrown a reliably funny Matthau and a surprisingly crazy and entertaining Schell and it only goes from there. Whitmore is the outlier but is still really fascinating even if he doesn't belong in the group. Weird that there were two little seen nominees in Schell and Whitmore that made it onto this list. Whitmore is last with Nicholson winning for me. Pacino is second. The only real competition is between Matthau and Schell for third. I think Schell had a lot more to do and lot more risk involved even if he wasn't seen by as many people. It's an interesting role and film that more people should check out, I think. Matthau is in fourth but certainly isn't that bad, just ran up against a bunch of great performances. I'll keep taking years like this and I'm happy knowing that this group almost never lets me down.

Oscar Winner: Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
My Winner:  Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Al Pacino
Maximilian Schell
Walter Matthau
James Whitmore

Leading Actress 1975

I've seen the winner a couple times and then not heard of any of the other films before this project. The rock opera should be fun, not sure about the others but we will see. I do like that this category offers up some unknown, different films than the others. I just hope they are worth being in the category.

1975 Best Actress

Louise Fletcher - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

You know, I feel like most people who have seen the film realize why she won Best Actress and agree with the Academy. Yet it seems like no one ever talks about her when it comes to strong winners, or even just winners period. It's like it's understood by everyone so everyone just moves on from thinking about it. When you mention Nurse Ratched at all, everyone know who you are talking about. The name alone conjures up visions of the icy cold bitch glaring at patients. That name has become a pejorative and that's because of Fletcher's performance. I always forget just how restrained Fletcher is in the role, which seems to make her even more intimidating. She's not yelling and screaming or getting violent or playing a drill sergeant or anything. She's calm and derives her power from controlling the patients in that manner. It's just the way she looks at everyone that really seals her win for me. It's like a smug, I'm the boss don't mess with me kinda look. These steely, ice cold looks that tell you exactly who Nurse Ratched is as a person. There's also a scene where the doctors say Nicholson is dangerous but not crazy and recommend sending him back to the work camp but Nurse Ratched speaks up and says he'd be better served staying there where she could help him. Well, it's clear she says that with evil intent just to fuck with Nicholson and to exert her control over him. The scene is so good because Fletcher plays it straight and you only see a hint of the reasoning behind her eyes. Just how calm she is when dealing with the patients and the therapy sessions is a beautiful thing to watch. She can convey so much with just a look, whether it's annoyance or anger or saying she's got power over you without actually saying anything. I think that's my big takeaway from Fletcher's performance is how great she is with the subtleties of her expressions and how she can quietly act yet have it mean so much. Which does make those moments where she really exerts her power all the more terrifying, like when she eviscerates Billy Bibbit after his night of becoming a man by threatening to tell his mother and telling him he should be ashamed. It makes him go from confident to wailing mess with a tragic ending, all because Fletcher went right for his weakness in a calm manner. By now you understand that Fletcher was amazing and perfect for the role. I can't see anyone else delivering something so quiet, yet powerfully effecting.

Isabelle Adjani - The Story of Adele H.

I enjoyed the first Adjani performance I saw back in 1989 for Camille Claudel, another film about a French woman. This time Adjani is playing Adele H., the H standing for Hugo - as in Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables. This story is about Adele as she travels to Halifax under another name to follow a British officer that she is in love with. As the story goes on, she goes further and further down the rabbit hole of obsessions, deluding herself that the officer loves her and that all their problems will go away once they are married. She even writes to her father that they are married and then doubles down when confronted that they aren't. Adele is driven to despair and is going crazy walking around in rags. She follows the officer to Barbados and is confronted again and eventually sent back to Paris where her father puts her in a mental asylum. Adjani was the youngest Best Actress nominee ever at the time at the age of 20. Adjani is also insanely beautiful, even more so than when I first reviewed her. Once you get past the beauty, though, you realize this tale of obsession can be a tricky part to play. She has to be convincing in her spiraling breakdown and she is, though she does give it that French flair with loud gesticulating and fast talking/yelling and over dramatic air to every word. I'm not a huge fan of that kind of acting but I do think it works well within this story because this woman is obsessed with the British officer to the point of being psychotic. Adjani also has to flip back and forth between English and French in the film and I'm sure that was a bit hard to do. Adjani fits the part well and does a very good job and I think the Academy wanted to reward an up and coming beautiful French actress in a Francois Truffaut film which probably got a lot of eyes on for the director alone. It's a young performance where you clearly see her ability but isn't quite the best of the year. Still, I enjoyed watching this because of Adjani and it's the only reason to seek it out (unless you are a super Truffaut fan).

Ann-Margret - Tommy

This was a film that when I was doing my excel spreadsheet many years ago made me stop in my tracks. I had no idea they made a movie out of The Who's Tommy album and was intrigued about how crazy that might have been. And oh, is it ever as absurd as you could possibly think it is. It's all about Tommy, whose father is murdered and a new man becomes his step father. Ann-Margret is the mother and did I mention that Tommy becomes deaf, dumb, and blind because he sees his father murdered? He goes through life for a bit before becoming a pinball wizard and then becoming a Christ-like figure. It's insanity on film and I feel like I should have been high to fully appreciate it. But it's also pretty compelling. This is The Who's rock opera and it's very experimental and avant garde. It's also a through and through musical (or rock opera). So everything is sung and I assume it all comes from The Who's album, though I did read there was some new songs written for the film. Ann-Margret is fine. I'm not exactly sure why she was ever nominated for this because it doesn't quite lend itself to an actual performance. She sings as Tommy's mother and does have a breakdown moment where she rolls around in some suds, baked beans, and chocolate. Which is actually very sexual if you didn't think it could be. Ann-Margret is fine, like I said, but I don't get how the Academy can reward this but not her turn in Bye Bye Birdie? It's definitely a brave choice for Ann-Margret, as this is easily a risky, controversial picture for some. I enjoyed it, though! It's got Tina Turner and Elton John and Eric Clapton and Jack Nicholson in fun parts and it's just a huge celebration of music. Also, Oliver Reed looks a lot like Javier Bardem at times, that it's scary. I guess that the Academy just loved their sex symbol they created so much they had to reward her with her second Oscar nomination. It's a fun role and an interesting nomination but it was never going to win a thing.

Glenda Jackson - Hedda

I have been very excited to finally watch a Glenda Jackson performance because she has won two Best Actress Oscars previously and I have no idea who she is. I have heard her name often, but if you had me try and pick her out of a lineup, I would have failed. So there was a bit of mystery surrounding her and the fact that she has two wins on four total nominations, all within a couple years of each other. And then I found out she became a member of Parliament in Britain for almost 20 years after her acting career was over. Intrigued was definitely the word for how I felt going in to this one. Here, Jackson plays the titular Hedda Gabler, based off a Henrik Ibsen play. It's probably easiest just to look up the synopsis of the play but it's mainly about Hedda, who has just married and is a malicious figure throughout her short story of meeting a few friends/people in her new place. It's kinda hard to sum up without going on for 500 words. But I will say that Jackson seems perfectly suited for the role. Jackson has a deep voice and it's obvious that she takes her craft incredibly serious, which works out well in this very theatrical film. It is based off a play after all, so those qualities work in her favor. As I said, she's a malicious, devious woman who enjoys manipulating those around her like it's a sport. In part because she is unfulfilled emotionally and intellectually, and possibly because she is an amoral monster who doesn't care about how she affects other people. She is certainly an unsentimental person, though feelings do slip through the cracks every so often, mostly at the end of the performance. But Jackson is well tuned to how her character goes through life and actually gets you on her side though she seems like an irredeemable mess. I think it's because she's a delight to watch verbally shred her friends in the classical, conservative way of saying things without actually saying them. I like her arc, too, because she seems happy to mess with everyone else's lives in the beginning as if it's the only pleasure she gets in her married life. She likes the control she has until it ultimately ends up coming back around on her when she goes too far. She then can't handle not having the control and seeing those around her bounce back from her manipulation. Jackson handles this change effortlessly and she is definitely fun to watch as she is sort of proper and committed to the performance. It's stronger than the film could handle and I can see why she was so loved in a short time. I am looking forward to her other winning work because I hope it's as strong as this little performance is.

Carol Kane - Hester Street

This is a really interesting film because of a few reasons. It's a black and white film, it's only 89 minutes long, and is primarily for a Jewish audience. That last point is key because it's very true. If you are Jewish, this will have much more meaning to you than the average viewer. Even 20 minutes into the film I wasn't sure who Carol Kane was supposed to be but then her character arrived from wherever to America. Her husband had arrived to America prior and assimilated into the culture, even shaving his beard and getting new clothes. She comes to the country with their son and continues to be the dutiful wife. You may know Kane as a comedian, which is what I knew her from The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Kane was even in Dog Day Afternoon this same year in a small role, so she was getting around in these dramatic films. I was ready to say this was a shitty performance and blah blah blah but Kane is actually very good. She looks like she's in a film from like the 1930s and her face with her wig is the epitome of Jewish, but also super serious female performance. Kane just wants to love her husband who is too into being an American and is off banging other women while she is raising their kid in this strange new land. She strikes up a friendship with their roommate of sorts who is a very studious, determined Jewish man with his beard intact. Kane is so good because she does get rid of her wig at one point and her husband hates it and goes crazy and she gets even more confused as to what he wants from her. But Kane plays the scene perfectly. From there she realizes something is wrong and tries to salvage the marriage. It doesn't work out and he goes with his mistress yet you are soundly on the side of Kane. She reports to the Jewish divorce proceeding with her natural blonde hair and I think her husband realizes just how much he fucked up. The divorce happens and then we see Kane with the roommate who is a studious Jew and they seem to really take to each other and it's a nice ending. But really the props should go to Kane for portraying a 30s character, a Jewish character, a belittled wife and still making her standout as something worth paying attention to. This little nothing of a forgettable film turned into a Best Actress nomination that actually is something worth watching because of Kane's performance. A rarity these days.



Hey, look at that! A Best Actress category where I liked every performance. It doesn't seem to happen often but here it is. Doesn't mean it's a very strong group, though, as four of the films are short things we wouldn't otherwise pay attention to if not for these ladies. Well, you'd pay attention to Tommy because it's a rock opera from The Who and it's just a crazy fun experience but whatever. I'm not exactly sure why she was nominated as she doesn't really stand out but she's enjoyable in this far out film. Adjani is good in her little story about obsession and as the youngest nominee in this category ever up to that point, is someone you recognize has the chops to be a great actress. Then it's a little tough but I think Jackson is right in the middle. You definitely realize why she was so loved in a short amount of time if the rest of her stuff is anything like this. She has a magnetism that draws you in and is quite obviously dedicated to her acting and it's nice to see someone take it so seriously in this category. Kane really surprised me for such a small film that I'm sure not many people have ever really seen, especially if you aren't Jewish. Though let me state that you don't have to be Jewish to like it, it just speaks more to someone with that connection, I think. But I like how Kane feels more like an old time movie star in a serious role. I like when performances catch me off guard because I wasn't expecting something so deep, I guess. I would have liked more of Kane, though, to be honest. The film is really short. Fletcher is just a classic winner. She embodies Nurse Ratched and her characterization of the evil woman has become lodged in our pop culture collective. It's like the opposite of Jackson's performance, in a good way for both, but just a quiet, steady, composed sort of evil. Really great stuff from Fletcher. So a good category overall and that's all I can ever hope for.

Oscar Winner: Louise Fletcher - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
My Winner:  Louise Fletcher - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Carol Kane
Glenda Jackson
Isabelle Adjani
Ann-Margret

Supporting Actor 1975

I've actually seen a couple of these and the ones I haven't (Burns, Meredith, Warden) are all ones from veteran actors the latter two who have been nominated after this. That's a confusing sentence but you understand I mean they were nominated after this year which is the past for me and the future for them. Anyway, enough confusing talk, let's see what they have to offer.

1975 Best Supporting Actor

George Burns - The Sunshine Boys

My big worry was twofold for this performance: would Burns be funny and would he be able to act? The answer is a resounding yes. This film is absolutely flipping hilarious. Burns is more understated in his humor but still laugh out loud funny. Walter Matthau is more the physical comedy and a joke every few seconds type. The two work very well together and what I like is that Burns isn't just funny. It can be an easy thing to just tell some jokes, but to also bring some warmth and humanity to a character takes some real acting chops. The thing you'll read most about this performance is that this was Burns' comeback. He hadn't been in a film since the 30s and there were a bunch of other choices to play his character before he was chosen. Yet despite all that he comes in at 79 years old and still is sharp as a tack and funny as hell. This would launch his career again which is beyond impressive because he was over 80 by that time and enjoyed great success for a few years. Burns was one half a vaudeville duo, with Matthau being the other half. Burns is the more realistic of the two and while the two have had their issues, most of it seems to be from Matthau's end. Burns is fine with reconciling and is the more professional of the two. The two are a hoot when they finally get together again and get at each others' nerves. Burns is more than just making jokes because he comes to check on his friend after he has a heart attack and agrees to do the comedy special from the start after not seeing each other for years. But it's the way that Burns portrays that emotion and that realization of maybe losing a friend and also that hope to rekindle a long lost relationship and partnership. I think that Burns does a good job in not just being a one note actor telling jokes, but actually doing some real acting. Obviously, Burns' return after like 30 some years probably helped him win the Oscar, but it looks like he legitimately earned it. I'll have to see how the other nominees play out but Burns is your leader in the clubhouse after two nominations reviewed.

Brad Dourif - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

There is a lot to like about Dourif in this film as he gets the sole nomination for a cast of supporting actors that is downright fantastic. Dourif plays a shy, stuttering young man who seems to be the most likable and relatable character of the whole group. He seems like the one that could be redeemed and leave at anytime if he just got some confidence. And he does get that confidence when Nicholson has two girls sneak into the ward and everyone parties and gets drunk and he kinda forces Dourif to sleep with one of the girls. This turns him into more of a man and he feels really good about himself and even stands up to Nurse Ratched at first before she absolutely tears him down again and goes straight for his weakness using his mother against him. His final scene is heartbreaking because you know he's a good kid and doesn't deserve anything that's going on with him and he just needs a chance to live. Billy obviously idolized McMurphy and needed a presence like him to push himself in the right direction. Of course, he also needed to not be in the insane asylum because he clearly wasn't insane even if he did have some emotional problems. But Dourif played Billy in such a sensitive yet earnest way that you definitely like the character and are crushed at his ending. He does get the stuttering part down perfectly, I thought, and his meek demeanor seems so realistic. He reminds a ton of Scoot McNairy and maybe that's why I like him even more as a character and in the performance. I can easily see why the voters latched onto him but I have to say that I felt like Chief (William Sampson) was a better option. But I'm certainly not disappointed that Dourif got the nomination because his performance is strong and his characterization is almost perfect for the role.

Burgess Meredith - The Day of the Locust

Really strange ending to a film I thought was going to be fun to watch. It's a film that is about Hollywood in the 1930s and we follow a couple people who are looking to make it big and their lives intertwine. The film is based off a Nathanael West book from 1939 that seems like it's probably more interesting to read than this film is to watch. I was really letdown that this came off as weird as it did and not in a good way. Meredith is the father of a young woman in this apartment complex and he used to be a vaudevillian and now tries to sell some solvent door to door. We see him as this highly enrgized goof who uses his old acting style to try and sell his product yet continuously fails. Eventually he suffers some ailment at a clinet's house and then from there he's laid up in bed and ill most of the time. He even goes to a spiritual revival event to be healed but it only helps him feel better. I don't know what Meredith's arc was honestly. I guess he's just there as a nother weird, crazy character among many. Meredith is lively as the salesman which was way different than seeing him as Rocky's gruff trainer. He was nimble and making terrible comments left and right and the opposite of his other nominated role. So in that way, the performance is interesting because you see a different side of Meredith you probably didn't know existed. But it's still not all that good. He does his thing for a short while in the film and then dies and that's it. I was really hoping it would be a lot better and that Meredith would show himself as some thespian but he just becomes a kind of unlikable character in the film. He has one little down to earth type of scene where he talks about his past but it feels shoehorned in and doesn't exactly change how you view Meredith. I dunno, just a totally weird film that isn't helped by Meredith and vice versa.

Chris Sarandon - Dog Day Afternoon

No, he's not related to Susan, I checked. This was Sarandon's film debut and what a film to debut in, huh? The film is a modern classic, though when do we drop the modern and just call it a classic? Anyway, Sarandon has probably the most important and pivotal role in the film and only has two extended scenes in which to portray that importance. Sarandon plays the gay lover of Pacino, who is robbing the bank to get money for Sarandon to have a sex change operation. The two have a very tumultuous relationship that you can gather from their two scenes "together." The first is when they bring Sarandon to the bank and he collapses and they take him across the street. There, the film almost pauses as we focus on him in a chair telling the police about the relationship he has with Pacino. It's intensely compelling which is why I say the film sort of pauses in that moment. You have the frenetic, wired energy of Pacino driving all the other scenes and Sarandon comes in and slows it down with a really great scene. He portrays his character as a human and it's not too flamboyantly gay or anything to laugh at. In fact, when a policeman in the background does laugh at him, the Detective glares at him as if he's speaking for the audience in shutting that cop up. That scene is really strong but the better scene is his second one where he and Pacino talk on the phone. A lot of the film was improvised and the director, Sidney Lumet, wanted to capture that rawness and spontaneity and the phone scene achieves that. It's a really intimate moment between two lovers that speaks to their chaotic love and also what each are like as people on the inside. Sarandon doesn't fit in and has been hospitalized for trying to kill himself due to Pacino's abuse and Pacino is seen as this torn man whose love gets the best of him at times. Sarandon goes toe to toe with Pacino in this moment and holds his own and is just a really strong part of the film. If he falters at all, then the impact of Pacino doing this all for Sarandon would completely kill the film. But in his two scenes, you can see the impact Sarandon has on not only the film, but on Pacino as a character. I'm a little surprised the Academy went for this but it is the more showy of the other supporting roles without ever being over the top or silly. Strong work by Sarandon.

Jack Warden - Shampoo

Before I get into Warden's performance, I want to take a minute to talk about Hal Ashby. It seems for the last couple years, every time I look at who the director is for a film, it's Hal Ashby! Being There, Coming Home, Bound for Glory, Shampoo, The Last Detail, and a couple other films nominated and some that he edited. That's right, he started out as an Oscar winning editor before getting into directing! I'm just super impressed that he had such a solid Oscar run like that. Anyway, I like Jack Warden. I never knew he was nominated by the Academy so much before this project but it makes sense to me. I guess he wasn't exactly nominated so much. I was thinking three nominations but turns out it was only the two nominations, both of which come in Warren Beatty films. I'd say that this nomination is better than his second one for Heaven Can Wait, though both are pretty similar. In this, he plays a business man, maybe political guy (honestly don't know what he did but he had money) who is married to Lee Grant's character but is having an affair with Julie Christie's character and Beatty is banging all of them. Well, he's not banging Warden but you get my drift. Warden is just this red faced, gentle, lovable goof. He's almost like a fatherly figure even though he's cheating on his wife and when he finds out Beatty is doing both his women, wants to have him beat up. He just kinda goes along with the plot and you like him as an actor, same as in his other nomination. Though in this one, he does have some funny moments when the gang all go to some hippy party and he really starts to enjoy himself with the guests. Like I said, he's a big, lovable goof and you can't really hate him. Which is interesting because he was very serious in All the President's Men, which just goes to show his range. Not a winning performance but one that you'll surely like.



As per the usual, not a bad group at all. Even though I wasn't really a fan of Meredith in this (I'm thinking I might not be a fan of his in general, any films that you'd suggest I see?) he's not terrible or anything. There are some bloggers who voted him as their top pick for this year. I don't know what they saw exactly, but the performance has its fans. Warden is his typical self. Interesting that both of his nominations come from comedic Warren Beatty films. He's fine, not as good as his role in All the President's Men but still decent. Next would be Dourif, who is very good! Just not the best supporting player from his film. I did really enjoy the performance, though. Now this is where it gets tough. I think Burns is enjoyable even if it was more serious than I thought it was going to be. That shows his range even at that age. But man, did I really enjoy Sarandon. I never paid full attention to him in past viewings, I guess, but he is part of two pivotal scenes in the film and just amazing to watch in action. So he's my winner over Burns. Not a bad year, could have been better.

Oscar Winner: George Burns - The Sunshine Boys
My Winner:  Chris Sarandon - Dog Day Afternoon
George Burns
Brad Dourif
Jack Warden
Burgess Meredith

Supporting Actress 1975

You know, double nominees are always kinda nice but also kinda rough. Nice because one film knocks out two reviews for one category, but rough because I can struggle to find a lot to write about for both reviews sometimes. Usually one dominates the other, just something I've noticed. Not sure if that will be the case in this category, but I guess I'll find out. Have seen none of these, as is becoming the new normal and that's okay with me.

1975 Best Supporting Actress

Lee Grant - Shampoo

I was all ready to go into this little spiel about how Grant, after getting a nomination for her very first film role back in 1951, was blacklisted after refusing to testify against her husband at the time at the HUAC proceedings. She was blacklisted for about 10 years or so and after that only slowly got back into acting in films. She got another nomination in 1970 for another Hal Ashby film, The Landlord, before winning for this Ashby film. I was thinking that this win was one of those Academy moments where they reward someone for some outside force, in this case being blacklisted. That possibly factored into her win here but I honestly don't know how much. Grant plays the wife of the other Shampoo nominee, Jack Warden. She's also sleeping with Warren Beatty on the side and with him, seems to have a voracious sexual appetite and is really flirty. With her husband, she's a shrill, feckless woman whose daughter hates her. Again I run into this thing I notice with Grant seemingly trying out ways to make her character work. Maybe I'm the only one who sees it and the fault lies with me, but it just seems like she's working within the character in the scenes instead of already establishing who the character is to her. I know that sounds like hogwash but it makes sense to me. I didn't much care for it in 1976, but I think it kinda works a little in this film. The character is different with each man and also with the other women that both men are sleeping with so it's like Grant is playing around with her inner voice. What I think helped win the Oscar is later on in the film when everyone is together at an election party, she sort of antagonizes Warden and just gives these death glares with intermittent eye rolls and other great faces. They are hilarious but also telling of how she feels about everything going on in her life. But is this really a winning performance? It's kinda fun and Grant does a good job but I don't know. In a strong year, I'd say no, but I don't know what type of year this is just yet.

Ronee Blakley - Nashville

Blakley was actually cast after another actress bowed out and director Robert Altman turned to her as she was helping to write songs for the film and was a backup singer in Nashville. You could say this is a role of a lifetime for her and she rode it all the way to an Oscar nomination. Her character in this film is really as the main female country star. She's this fragile little bird who is coming back to Nashville after being burned and exerts herself and suffers mental breakdowns while her husband/manager and all her handlers fuss over her and others try to get her to sing at various places for their own goals. She's pushed and pulled in various directions and seems like the more true to life character of most of the cast. It's a meaty role that I think lots of women would have wanted to play and a relative unknown gets the part and does a great job with it, which is impressive to me. Her singing is whatever, as is most of the singing in the film because the songs just aren't memorable at all and seem more like country music parodies than anything else. But her actual acting is one that's pretty good. She has to portray these breakdowns in a convincing manner and never goes over the top which you'd think a less experienced actress would. I really enjoyed the scene where she's at some rally or something and sings a song and then goes into these little anecdotes that end up having no point and she's supposed to start singing another song but stops and keeps telling these inane anecdotes that get more frenetic and it's really great acting because you slowly see her breakdown happening in real time. Her performance also feels more like it should be in the Best Actress category as she is the main actress of the film, but I guess it's here just because of the amount of total screen time and the fact that this is a big ensemble piece. But that's the power of Blakley's performance that you watch it and think it deserves to be bumped up because of her impact on the film and how she delivers a very compelling piece of acting. The film as a whole was great for female acting and more of those women should probably be in this category.

Sylvia Miles - Farewell, My Lovely

Before I get into Miles' performance, let me take a minute to talk about this film. It's awesome. I highly recommend watching it. It's a throwback, old school noir film that stars Robert Mitchum as Private Eye Philip Marlowe. If you know your noir films, you know Marlowe has been played by the likes of Dick Powell, Humphrey Bogart, and James Garner. Mitchum fits Marlowe to a T and is really great in the role. I like that the film was very serious in it's version of the Raymond Chandler novel and didn't just yuck it up. Miles plays a boozy old dancer that Mitchum comes to a couple times for information. She's the kinda lady who doesn't talk until you give her a bottle of bourbon. Miles plays the character as she should but lends the character more humanity than others might. She lives alone in a run down house, always in a robe or nighty with her bosom showing as if to remember the good old days. I like that Miles infused her character with a sense of quiet desperation, lighting up when Mitchum comes the second time and trying to look sexy for him. I think that Miles does more with a stock role and the film is better off for it. She's just a boozy, flirty information dump but Miles makes her into an honest to God person in two short scenes. She's a drunk, but Miles doesn't play up the obvious and instead let's the little things like missing a glass when pouring a drink show the kind of alcoholic she is. Miles is enjoyable in her brief performance and I wanted to see a bit more of her in the story. I'm just glad she went more with nuance and subtlety than outright fall down, slapstick drunk. A nice little gem in the Supporting category.

Lily Tomlin - Nashville

The story of how Tomlin got this part is probably more interesting than the actual performance. It was written for Louise Fletcher, who won Best Actress this year, and she helped develop the character because the part has two sons who are both deaf. Fletcher's parents in real life were both deaf and she famously signed to them in her acceptance speech, so it was something that would have great meaning to her. But then director Robert Altman suddenly felt that Tomlin would be better in the role and jettisoned Fletcher who ended up taking a role that was offered to Tomlin first, Nurse Ratched. Both came out of it well with Oscar nominations and a win. So as described above, Tomlin plays a mother who is also a gospel singer, though we barely see her sing in the beginning of the film and that's it. She has one scene with her boys whoa re talking to her about their day and it's a nice scene for the kids but Tomlin doesn't even sign or anything. There is also a plot thread where she is cheating on her husband by hooking up with a famous singer played by Keith Carradine, who is bedding many different women in the film. I guess her scenes of showing up to a bar he's singing at and then subsequently is in bed with him and bantering is supposed to play a little more emotional but it falls mostly flat for me. It's telling when Tomlin gets up to leave and goes to the bathroom that Carradine gets on the phone with another lover in New York and talks to her while Tomlin is saying goodbye. Not entirely sure what we are supposed to grab from that moment other than she genuinely likes/loves him and he is just a womanizing guy who says what he needs to to get them in bed. Others say that she is perfect for this role because she doesn't do much in the character which they feel is necessary, even if Tomlin isn't much of a dramatic actress (at least at this point in her career). That she is a blank slate lends more gravitas to her emotional and sad scenes that highlight her truly private nature letting herself open up to an affair even though it won't end well. I get what they are saying but I think they are letting their own love of Lily Tomlin the actress seep into their reviews. I know she's an expert comedienne but just because she isn't acting wildly and making faces, shouldn't make her performance more important than it really is. I think she's fine in the role but heavily underutilized and not completely convincing. I feel like I should care more about her character and her performance but I'm not giving a clear reason to do so.

Brenda Vaccaro - Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough

Ever since I saw the name of this film when filling out my excel spreadsheet of all the nominees years and years ago, I wanted to see this film. That was doubly so when it was said to be a campy, dramatic romance film. Not enough of those getting nominated! All joking aside, whew, is this a bad film. The acting is all over the place, the story doesn't quite make sense, and it's as goofy and bad as you think it will be based off the title. The film is about a father-daughter duo, she's just healing from a motorcycle accident and he is an Oscar winning writer (or producer, I dunno). They have a weird incestuous relationship and he (who is Kirk Douglas, by the way) marries some super rich woman for a reason I don't understand. But they don't love each other and she is secretly a lesbian and they try to set up the daughter with a playboy douchebag cousin of the rich lady. But then the daughter falls in love with a drunk Pulitzer winning writer who hates her dad because she has daddy issues and, yeah, you get that this is a bad romance novel come to life. Vaccaro is equally bad. She plays a friend of the daughter's who happens to be editor at some women's magazine and speaks in a husky voice about vulgar things. She has a lot of energy in her performance, I'll give her that, but it's like she's acting in a different film from everyone else. It's also like she doesn't care about an actual performance since it feels like she's just kinda winging it as she goes along, trying different line readings. If you ever watch this, and please don't, you will be scratching your head at how she got nominated besides being the extra loud and crazy thing in a crazy bad movie. So she talks frankly about sex and all that, big deal. An Oscar nominee should be more than just loud and obnoxious and frank. Steer clear of this one.



Kind of a weird group. Having seen Nashville now, I'd say you could fill this whole category with women from that film. You definitely could have three or four women, though, absolutely. And it would only make the category better! Vaccaro is a bad performance in a bad film. She's just kinda all over the place. Miles is good in a film I really enjoyed. Love me some noir. But Miles isn't amazing or anything so she's good in fourth and with having a nomination. Some bloggers feel that Tomlin gives one of the best performances ever, certainly of her career, and just gush over it. I didn't see whatever they saw. It never grabbed me and it felt almost incomplete. I think Louise Fletcher would have knocked it out of the park. Grant would be next. Fun role in a fun film. It still feels like she plays around with the character during the performance but that just might be how she works. Blakley gets my win because she is actually quite good and sort of paces the film. She should possibly be in Lead but she isn't and she's who I think is best in this category. There were a couple other ladies from Nashville who I liked and thought would be good in this category, too, as that film is stacked with possible nominees. What we ultimately got isn't as good as it should have been. But at least I got to see some different films, so that's always nice.

Oscar Winner: Lee Grant - Shampoo
My Winner:  Ronee Blakley - Nashville
Lee Grant
Lily Tomlin
Sylvia Miles
Brenda Vaccaro