The Top 5 Oscar Crimes of All Time

I make it a point to watch the Oscars every year. I will admit, though, that my excitement seems to lessen each year, as the amount of controversy surrounding the ceremony increases. The Oscars used to be much more fun (and much less negative).

Don’t get me wrong – I completely support some of the issues that have been brought to light alongside recent ceremonies. Unfortunately, I think the opportunity to use the biggest awards ceremony in Hollywood as a platform for the agenda du jour has become too big a temptation. What used to be a pleasurable viewing experience has, at times, been politicized beyond recognition.

Unlike some, I have no problem with the length of the ceremony. The standard run time of three-plus hours seems to be just enough to recognize everyone who has contributed to the film industry in the past year (okay, not everyone, but you get my point). When I read that four awards were going to be presented during commercial breaks this year, I flipped out. I tweeted about it in a fit of rage (this is why my wife doesn’t follow me on Twitter – it’s better for the marriage 😊).

When I read that the Academy changed their minds, I was relieved. I would like to think the powers-that-be listened to the thousands of likeminded people who were upset, and chose to give the viewers what they want – after all, isn’t that the goal of Hollywood as a whole? As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke…don’t fix it!”

Phew. Okay, that’s off my chest. Now I would like to talk about five of the biggest Oscar crimes of all time (uh oh…I may just keep ranting – bear with me). I think most past wins were well-deserved, but there are a few that still don’t sit right with me.

The English Patient (1996) winning Best Picture

I ranted about this in my last post (The 15 Most Overrated Movies of All Time), so I’ll try to refrain from repeating myself too much. I’ll just say once more that Fargo was a much more deserving nominee that year. The English Patient doesn’t even win Miss Congeniality in my book – that title would have to go to Jerry Maguire.

Michael Caine winning Best Supporting Actor for The Cider House Rules (1999)

Make no mistake, I love Michael Caine. He is one of my favorite actors and I have enjoyed almost everything he has done (Jaws 4 [1987] being the only notable exception). However, his performance in The Cider House Rules couldn’t even come close to competing with the other nominees that year. Michael Caine is incredible, but this particular performance didn’t hold a candle to Tom Cruise in Magnolia, Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile, or even little Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense.

American Hustle (2013) not winning a single Oscar

American Hustle was nominated ten times, for crying out loud! Granted, 2013 produced numerous incredible films (notably Gravity, Dallas Buyers Club, and 12 Years a Slave [which won Best Picture]). These films certainly deserved the awards they won, but American Hustle was my pick for the best film that year. Sadly, the film left the Oscars empty-handed. I think the most disappointing loss for American Hustle was Amy Adams as Best Actress. She was (and still is) long overdue.

Ben Affleck not being nominated for Argo (2012)

Argo is one of the finest examples of cinematic brilliance I’ve seen in years. Ben Affleck truly matured as both an actor and a director in the making of this film. However, there was some controversy about the perspective employed in telling the story. Many criticized the film for being one-sided. The mission to rescue the six Americans in hiding during the Iran hostage crisis was a joint effort from the U.S. and Canada, but only the U.S. side of it was shown.

Canada was (understandably) very upset by this depiction. Even Jimmy Carter, who was the US President at the time of the real-life events portrayed in the film, was quoted as saying, “ninety percent of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian. And the movie gives almost full credit to the American C.I.A. And, with that exception, the movie is very good.” You can watch the relevant portion of the interview here if you’re interested.

Given the backlash from historians and Canadians alike, the Academy compromised by depriving Affleck of a Best Director nomination. I find it ironic since Affleck was nominated for best director in every other award show that year (and won almost all of them, to boot!).

I empathized with Canada, but I didn’t like how the Academy handled it. Affleck made an incredibly strong, respectable movie. He deserved the nomination. Bright side: When Argo won the Oscar for Best Picture, he thanked Canada enthusiastically in his acceptance speech.

John Wayne wins Best Actor for True Grit (1969)

Okay, this one was way before my time. As much as I admire John Wayne, I didn’t think his performance in True Grit was his best (I’m pretty sure my wife’s uncle is going to materialize any second to lambast me for daring to disparage The Duke). In his own words, “Wow, if I’d have known that, I’d have put that patch on thirty-five years earlier.” Even he knew it was his last shot at an Oscar, and he was finally getting that statuette he’d deserved for so many previous films – whether or not he deserved it for the film in question. I think that Jon Voight or Dustin Hoffman deserved to win for Midnight Cowboy, which won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay that night.

What Oscar snubs still rub you the wrong way? What wins do you think were most deserving? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy watching!