Honorary Oscars to Oprah Winfrey and James Earl Jones ... and Dick Smith!

I searched but didn't see this posted here. Oprah Winfrey will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and James Earl Jones will get the lifetime achievement Oscar.

There's been a backlash against Oprah getting the award, but most of them don't even understand what it's for. It's not for her film work. The Hersholt award is philanthropic. It's given to a respected member of the industry (Oprah is a previous Oscar nominee, film producer, and actress) for their humanitarian achievements. I think she deserves it, quite frankly.

As for James Earl Jones, sure why not? I do think of two people instantly who I would put ahead of him: Doris Day and Albert Finney. But Jones has had a long and varied film career, he's been nominated before (The Great White Hope), and he's Darth Vader, I guess. Okay, sure.

Doris may have turned them down one too many times previously. I don't know the story behind that. I do know that she has said publicly years ago that she would turn it down if they gave it to her. She was honored by the Golden Globes, though, and she showed up (a rare public appearance). And Peter O'Toole also grumbled about refusing the honor, but they gave it to him anyway, and he showed up to get it. So who knows?

As for Albert Finney, the man has had a wonderful film career, he's been nominated for five Oscars (Tom Jones, Murder On the Orient Express, The Dresser, Under the Volcano, and Erin Brokovich). He's never won.

What do you think?

An article defending Oprah's Oscar

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Updated On: 8/7/11 at 10:55 AM

You know, just once I'd love to see them give a lifetime achievement award to someone who may not be a huge name but has been putting out consistent performances, some slug that's been in the proverbial trenches for forty years, getting along on minimum-scale salary. Then it might have some meaning.

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"You know, just once I'd love to see them give a lifetime achievement award to someone who may not be a huge name but has been putting out consistent performances, some slug that's been in the proverbial trenches for forty years, getting along on minimum-scale salary. Then it might have some meaning."

I love that idea, SeanMartin, but who? Do you have any suggestions? Past honorees have included directors, cinematographers (Jack Cardiff, thank GOD), and composers (Ennio Morricone). I don't think Cardiff and Morricone are exactly household names, but their body of work is astounding.

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It's funny, all the backlash seems to be about Winfrey's award, which I think is deserving (since it's not given for her film work but rather her philanthropic work). That's because people don't understand what the award is for.

And I think the less deserving award out of the two is the lifetime achievement award for Jones.

But let me qualify that ... I DO think he's deserving. Just not AS deserving as two other people who come to mind. Still, I think it's fine if he "cuts to the front of the line" and takes it home this year.

I would just hate for Doris not to get this at some point. And they don't give these special awards out posthumously.

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Updated On: 8/5/11 at 11:13 AM

^ Ooooh, I agree.

EDIT: Nominated for "Unsinkable Molly Brown," should have been nominated for "Mother." Iconic film work in Singin' in the Rain, and star of a hugely popular string of "Tammy" movies. Had several #1 hit songs on the radio (mostly from her films) and also starred in many MGM classics. Bring it on!

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Updated On: 8/5/11 at 11:25 AM

Depends on how you define the genre. I would consider It Happened One Night and several others from the '30s and '40s (sometimes labeled "screwball comedies") to be in that category. I see them as more "romantic" than "screwball" but definitely still comedies either way.

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Updated On: 8/5/11 at 11:45 AM

I always considered It Happened One Night to be the true genesis of romantic comedies and the late 30s-late 40s was littered with them helping to shape Katherine Hepburn's career as a hugely versatile and prolific actress.

Personally, I thought Doris Day should have won Oscars for both Love Me or Leave Me and The Man Who Knew Too Much. And probably deserved a nomination for Midnight Lace.

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Love her in Midnight Lace. Love the film, too; I was watching it last night!

It always reminds me of Dial M for Murder.

True, but I guess everybody would still bitch and say, "WHO?" if they did that.

Hell, I'm complaining a bit myself right now that James Earl Jones's contributions aren't "big" enough to merit the award.

Imagine them giving it to some third-tier character actor. You'd really hear some ranting in the media.

Maybe it's a good thing that they're giving this to James. He's always done good work, even in bad films, and he's been in a few classics (Star Wars, Field of Dreams ...). I'm starting to think this is exactly the type of person who should get the award. Not the first-tier megastars. But someone well-respected who always did good work.

There you go!

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I've read some criticism on the Internet cynically saying that the Academy is awarding Jones and Winfrey in part to have some black people on stage winning awards (because, let's face it, most winners are white or Jewish). Both are somewhat worthy, although not particularly outstanding at this moment in time. Oprah, for example, as many years of philanthropy ahead of her; why award her now? JEJ has done a lot of stage and TV work, but does not have a lot of iconic film roles (compared with, say, Morgan Freeman, with 4 nominations and 1 win, who may be more worthy of an Oscar than James Earl Jones, with only 1 nomination to his credit).

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Updated On: 8/6/11 at 11:51 AM

They often give this lifetime achievement award to people (actors mostly but not all) who have been nominated and had a stellar career but have never won a competitive Oscar.

Barbara Stanwyck, Peter O'Toole, Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant, etc.

fflagg--you point to James Earl Jones, then compare Doris Day as if she were never nominated for a competitive Oscar. She was up for Best Actress for Pillow Talk. She was also the #1 movie star in the country for something like 5 years in a row. So your "what has she ever done?" response makes you come off as if you know very little of her career but also film history in general. It says more about you than it does her.

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Jay---for some unknown reason, I thought Maureen O'Hara had passed away! Your post prompted me to double check, and she definitely has not. She's 90 years old now and will turn 91 in two weeks.

She has never been nominated for an Oscar, but her work in The Quiet Man, Miracle on 34th Street, How Green Was My Valley, The Parent Trap, The HUnchback of Notre Dame, and many others are more than reason enough to give her an honorary award.

I'd move her to the top of the list with Day as well.

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