Category: Oscar Winner

Posted on 2021-12-29 | No Comments |

The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)

William Holden is a Naval Reserve officer who has been called back into duty during the Korean War. After one mission where he was forced to ditch into the sea, he is called again to take on an even more dangerous mission attacking a group of Korean bridges. Grace Kelly is underutilized as his worried and disapproving wife. It’s a pretty average war film with not surprisingly, only a sparingly amount of Kelly. It also features an ever-hammy Mickey Rooney as a naval aviator who often crosses Holden’s path.

Oscar Win: Best Effects, Special Effects

Oscar Nomination: Best Film Editing

Posted on 2021-12-22 | No Comments |

Holiday Inn (1942) – Rewatch

This is another one of those films that I had only vague recollections of from childhood, mainly television promos featuring the two young kids singing Happy Holidays. After his love interest leaves him for Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby tries his hand at farming. When that proves to be a failure, he turns the farm into an inn that is only open on holidays. It’s a clever way to highlight Irving Berlin’s songs and Astaire’s dancing to have a new tune for every holiday. It’s understandable why the Abraham number, with its surprisingly atrocious blackface, was usually cut from television airings, though the song itself is one of the catchier tunes and offers an opportunity to showcase Louise Beavers’s singing voice. Extra tidbits that the film offered was the introduction of the song White Christmas and the inspiration for the name of hotel chains. It also taught me the concept of Franksgiving in its clever interstitial before the Thanksgiving scenes.

Oscar Win: Best Music, Original Song

Oscar Nominations: Best Writing, Original Story; Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture

Posted on 2021-12-21 | No Comments |

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) – Rewatch

This is such the seminal telling of the story that I can’t watch any of the other versions despite trying. Edmund Gwenn IS Santa Claus, come to spread Christmas and belief to Macy’s executive Maureen O’Hara, her young daughter Natalie Wood, and New York City at large. I’ve been watching this film all my life at Christmastime and the sentimentality, nostalgia, and desire to believe in the Christmas spirit have never wavered upon each viewing. The one thing that has changed in recent viewings is my joy at seeing the US postal service being a hero in the film. There’s a bittersweetness that gets added when thinking of how it has been gutted in recent years.

Oscar Wins: Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Original Story; Best Writing, Screenplay

Oscar Nomination: Best Picture

Posted on 2021-12-12 | No Comments |

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

Early in this film, Andrew Garfield’s Jim Bakker is at bible college, arguing in front of class regarding the meaning of various bible passages. Through the flirtatious glances cast between him and Jessica Chastain’s Tammy Faye seated in the audience, one of the worst concepts of modern day Christianity, prosperity gospel, is seemingly born. In her later life, Tammy Faye seemed to be a sweet, simple-minded, but relatively harmless, follower of Christ. Chastain’s portrayal maintains this, casting Tammy Faye as a naïve but loyal servant of the lord who couldn’t help but be caught up in the whirlwind of materialism and grifting, all in the glory of god. It’s only at moments when her beliefs and the life she lives is questioned that the mask that is literally tattooed on her face seems to crack. Similarly, Jim Bakker in current times comes across as nothing more than a narcissistic charlatan. Garfield’s slimy portrayal does him no favors. Together these two performances, along with support from the likes of Cherry Jones and Vincent D’Onofrio, elevates this film while laying out all the brash, misguided, brightly-colored glory of the Bakkers’ ministry and early televangelism at large.

Oscar Wins: Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling; Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Posted on 2021-12-08 | No Comments |

The Bishop’s Wife (1947) – Rewatch

David Niven is a bishop obsessed with plans for building an elaborate new cathedral, losing sight of his family and community in the meantime. To this enters angel Cary Grant, charming everyone he meets (except the bishop) and fixing their lives in multitudes of ways. Despite it’s stellar cast, this is only an occasional Christmas watch for me. I have a hard time carrying about the bishop’s dilemma and it’s a bit disconcerting to find the angel macking on the titular character played by Loretta Young even if her reciprocated feelings are understandable. In a somewhat unnecessary supporting role, Monty Wooley plays a professor who provides some words of guidance and a chance for Grant to display more of his angelic powers.

Oscar Win: Best Sound, Recording

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Film Editing; Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

Posted on 2021-12-07 | No Comments |

The Age of Innocence (1993)

In upper-class 1870s New York, Daniel Day-Lewis is engaged to marry Winona Ryder when her attractive cousin, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, comes to town after her own marriage falls apart. Daniel sees in the newcomer an appealing break from the constrains of society. He believes he’s cleverer and smarter than those around him, but he is no match for high society and their prescribed ways. It’s an appealing period piece with lavish sets and costuming. The story and the acting within is compelling. Though I found the romantic chemistry a bit lacking, it held my interest to mild twist of an ending.

Oscar Win: Best Costume Design

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Music, Original Score

Posted on 2021-11-22 | No Comments |

Sweethearts (1938)

After Naughty Marietta, I was apprehensive about watching additional Jeannette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy pairings. This was many times better than that film. The story is a relatively familiar one, a married couple has been starring in the musical Sweethearts for the last six years. To their producer’s (played by the talented Frank Morgan) chagrin, they become exhausted from the constant professional demands of being in a successful play and hear the siren’s song of Hollywood calling. You get the typical operatic songs from the duo, but also the years of developed chemistry. Additionally, there’s a delightful wooden shoe tap routine by Ray Bolger in the play within the movie. As MGM’s first feature-length color film, it’s cute and offers enough to be entertained by.

Oscar Win: Cinematography (Honorary)

Oscar Nominations: Best Sound, Recording; Best Music, Scoring

Posted on 2021-11-21 | No Comments |

Women in Love (1969)

These very late 1960s films kill me whenever it feels like everyone was doing all the drugs and they were just trying to one-up each other with the surreal weirdness. Glenda Jackson and Jennie Linden are somewhat bohemian sisters and teachers in a coal-mining in 1920s England. Both of them become attracted to and attract the attention of two bachelors, Oliver Reed and Alan Bates. The lives of the foursome twine around each other, with the men also experiencing a connection together. There are discussions about and actions taken with regards to love and sex and commitment. Of the four characters, I most enjoyed Jennie Linden’s performance (perhaps that is telling in a pop psychology way) and find it unfortunate that there doesn’t seem to be much in her filmography to recommend itself.

Oscar Win: Best Actress in a Leading Role

Oscar Nominations: Best Director; Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; Best Cinematography

Posted on 2021-11-18 | No Comments |

National Velvet (1944)

Elizabeth Taylor’s star quality might never have shown as much as it did as a twelve year old in this tale of the horsiest horse girl who ever did live. The smittenness of her character for The Pie oozes out of her every action, a puppy love that is portrayed better than any teen romance on film. Even Mickey Rooney’s haminess as a horse trainer can’t detract from Liz’s performance. Though sadly other family characters are either wasted, such as Angela Lansbury as the oldest sister, or annoyingly unnecessary, Jackie Jenkins’s little brother, the relationship between Liz and Anne Revere as her mother has some incredibly beautiful moments as the two bond over finding a love and purpose in life even at an unexpected age. As someone who never really interacted or understood horse girls, the tale still drew me in with its beautiful fake countryside and feel-good, family-friendliness.

Oscar Wins: Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Film Editing

Oscar Nominations: Best Director; Best Cinematography, Color; Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color

Posted on 2021-11-18 | No Comments |

A Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Double Feature (1966)/Anna & Bella (1984)

Two more unconnected Oscar shorts: I love the music of Herb Alpert. It never fails to put me in a better mood. The short is essentially two animated music videos of Alpert hits: Spanish Flea and Tijuana Taxi. The animation is very rough, but I do love the splashes of color particularly in Tijuana Taxi. Spanish Flea is possibly the stronger of the two simply for having an easy narrative.

Having a somewhat Disney-esque animation style, Anna & Bella is a tender story of sisterhood. The two titled sisters are looking through a photo album together, reminiscing on the lives they shared. It doesn’t shy from highlighting the good and the bad and is just a sweet and beautiful look at their relationship.

Oscar Wins: Best Short Subject, Cartoons (A Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Double Feature); Best Short Film, Animated (Anna & Bella)