Category: Oscar Winner

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Citizen Kane (1941) – Rewatch

After watching Mank, I decided I needed to revisit this. I honestly didn’t get a whole lot out of it the first time I had watched it many years ago. With more film knowledge under my belt, I sadly still don’t connect much with the story and really can’t find reason to care about a fictionalization of William Randolph Hearst and others like him. I appreciate that the story more or less circles back on itself in a creative, though not really surprising, way. Visually it is striking and this subsequent watch gave me an opportunity to appreciate the framing, which is innovative for its time even when it feels overused. I don’t know what the Best Movie Ever actually is, but this still wouldn’t get my vote.   Best Picture Nomination

Oscar Win: Best Writing, Original Screenplay

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White; Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White; Best Sound, Recording; Best Film Editing; Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture

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Morning Glory (1933)

For a movie that’s barely over an hour long, this took me a long time to get through. There’s not much there in a tale about a wannabe actress who is more certain of her skills than anyone around her. Katharine Hepburn had so many great roles in her career, it’s odd that this is the one that received her first Oscar win.

Oscar Win: Best Actress in a Leading Role

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The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

Essentially an earlier version of Aladdin, any Disney fan wouldn’t be surprised with the general storyline here. Filmed in Technicolor emphasizes the glorious sets and costumes, but also shines a spotlight on the loads of unfortunate brownfacing exhibited in the movie. Highlights are Sabu as the scamp thief Abu and Rex Ingram as the Djinn, plus special effects that are rather impressive for their time.

Oscar Wins: Best Cinematography, Color; Best Art Direction, Color; Best Effects, Special Effects

Oscar Nominations: Best Music, Original Score

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The Trip to Bountiful (1985)

I’ve already seen the 2014 version with Cicely Tyson, which I still prefer. Perhaps because of the 20 minute difference in runtime, this one felt a bit slower to get started. It also took me quite a bit of time to warm up to Geraldine Page’s take on the Mrs. Watts character. She seemed like a petulant child at the beginning, but halfway through her travels, I had warmed to her pilgrimage to return to her beloved Bountiful.

Oscar Win: Best Actress in a Leading Role

Oscar Nomination: Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

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Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

I first started read about Fred Hampton while watching The Trial of the Chicago 7 and looked forward to see what more this film could add to his story. I think this film did a pretty good job showing the last few years of his life. Daniel Kaluuya managed to convey his power and charisma along with the humility of being part of a movement bigger than himself. I found the Last Supper scene particularly effective in presenting the tension in the room that I’ve never seen in Biblical films. I didn’t understand it earlier in the year and understand even less after watching the film how two title characters results in two supporting actor nominations.  Best Picture Nomination

Oscar Wins: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

Oscar Nominations: Best Motion Picture of the Year ; Best Original Screenplay; Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Achievement in Cinematography

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The Father (2020)

As someone who is middle aged, I spend more time than I wish to admit assessing my own physical decline and fearing any level of dementia that the future may hold for me. I thought Still Alice was tough enough to experience. Told from the point of view of the person suffering the disease, this film is my nightmare. Though I would have given the Oscar to Chadwick Boseman, I could not fault Anthony Hopkins’s performance and how he deftly portrays the various emotions such a person would experience every day.   Best Picture Nomination

Oscar Wins: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role; Best Adapted Screenplay

Oscar Nominations: Best Motion Picture of the Year; Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Achievement in Film Editing; Best Achievement in Production Design

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Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

This movie is hard to write about. The atrocities committed by American soldiers sanctioned by the government, particularly during the War on Terror, is both frightening and unsurprising. There’s an incredible sadness for anyone who finds themselves in the crosshairs and helplessness to do anything about it. The world needs to be better.

Oscar Win: Best Documentary, Features

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Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 (2013)

I’ve been intrigued by this since it won its Oscar. I’m glad I was able to catch it when I briefly had HBO access. Following the experiences of workers at the Veterans Crisis Line, it can be a depressing and intense watch, but these people are heroes every day they answer those phones. If the United States is going to be sending its people to fight all over the world, we need to be better to our soldiers when they come back and offer more support to those trying to help them.

Oscar Win: Best Documentary, Short Subject

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Samson and Delilah (1949)

Not knowing anything but the bare details of the story of Samson, I’m not entirely sure I came away with much more after watching this film. A thoroughly lavish production, it follows Samson using his otherworldly strength in vengeance against the Philistines who stole away his bride. The cast is filled with an array of stars from Victor Mature’s Samson and Hedy Lamarr’s beautiful Delilah to supporting roles by George Sanders and Angela Lansbury. It’s visually stunning with plenty of action of Samson displaying his strength in battles and collapsing of temples. The story isn’t incredibly compelling beyond that action.

Oscar Wins: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; Best Costume Design, Color

Oscar Nominations: Best Cinematography, Color; Best Effects, Special Effects; Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

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The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Everyone hates film producer Kirk Douglas, but they also all want to make movies with him. Creatively told almost completely in flashbacks, Lana Turner, Dick Powell, and Barry Sullivan are gathered together by Walter Pidgeon to explain the very good reasons why they all hate Douglas. The story is an intriguing examination of how movies are made and the people who make them.

Oscar Wins: Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Screenplay; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White; Best Costume Design, Black-and-White

Oscar Nomination: Best Actor in a Leading Role

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