Least Favorite Oscar Nominated Performances

[east side story]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 9:13pm

...in recent years.

Meryl Streep, Doubt.

She was not even in the same film as her co-stars. I recently watched the film again, and aside from not translating well enough from stage to screen, Streep was outrageously bad. The role could have been so much more with the likes of a Judi Dench or even a Jessica Lange. In my opinion, the usually wonderful, for better or worse, Meryl totally missed the mark and the heart of that character. If she would have had a strong director, she could have been terrific. But it was clear she had the upper hand in that artistic arragement, and she chose to run amok with no director to reign her in. Here's hoping she does NOT do the same shtick with Violet Weston in August: Osage County next season.

[jv92]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 9:17pm

Let's talk about 3 from the early 1960s:

Rita Moreno and George Chakiris, who WON, incidentally, for WEST SIDE STORY. Nothing against them, but the movie doesn't work for me, and certainly their performances weren't as good as some of the nominated work in JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG, particularly Judy Garland's.

And I love Anne Bancroft, but Lee Remick's performance in DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES is in my top-5 favorite screen performances ever. It's miraculous (and sad). I wouldn't call Bancroft's MIRACLE WORKER performance not a favorite, or a least-favorite, but I sure do love Remick in that film.

[jasonf]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 9:22pm

Yeah, let's peg West Side Story, AFI's number 2 movie musical of all time and winner of 10 Oscars, as a loser movie.

What didn't work?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 9:28pm

I (largely) love WSS, but jv clearly said it didn't work *for him*. Surely that's his prerogative?

I don't think Streep is awful in Doubt, but I do think that movie is severely let down by Shanley directing his own work. The direction is just so heavy handed (ooh, let's start tilting the camera to make it clear what's going on...)

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 9:29pm

(And isn't Lange basically playing her take on Sister Aloysius in American Horror Story this year?)

[jv92]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 9:39pm

FOR ME (thanks Eric)...it's horribly miscast. Natalie Wood is fine, but rest are either bland or godawful. (I'm talking to you Richard Beymer!) But thankfully, it preserves the brilliant Robbins choreography, which just happens to work far better onstage...FOR ME.

FOR MEEEEEEEE!



Updated On: 12/9/12 at 09:39 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 9:45pm

LOL

I do think what really saves the film is that it preserves that choreography--and keeps nearly all of the score. (And I definitely agree that the choreography works much better when not filmed on actual streets, as praised as the film prologue is).

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 10:07pm

Some of these actors I generally love, some I don't

Joaquin Phoenix Gladiator (bad! and should have been nominated for his superb supporting performance in Quills the same year)
Gwyneth Paltrow Shakespeare in Love
Tom Cruise Magnolia
Tom Cruise Born on the Fourth of July
Judy Davis Husbands and Wives
Lee Grant Shampoo (she was fine, but she hardly did anything in that movie - and she won!)
Diane Keaton Reds



Updated On: 12/9/12 at 10:07 PM

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 12:38pm

Kim Basinger

Posted: 12/10/12 at 12:42pm

How can anything compare with Cuba Gooding Jr. taking home an Oscar for Jerry Maguire?

[jv92]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 12:54pm

I wanted to say Kim Basinger in '98, except that I'm very biased because I love BOOGIE NIGHT and Juliane Moore, and I don't know if that would come off well.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 1:31pm

Lee Grant winning for Shampoo was sort of considered penance after her career suffered from getting blacklisted in the '50s. Beatty was especially cognizant of that.

I actually thought Tom Cruise was brilliant in Magnolia. Likewise to Judy Davis (I might brave seeing To Rome With Love just because I thought she was so well-matched for Woody's material).

Cuba Gooding Jr's career was downhill the moment he did that ridiculous speech. I personally was more invested in Zellweger and Regina King as the supporting players to Cruise. Hell, the little kid made more of an impression.

Annette Bening and Kevin Spacey in American Beauty.

Meryl Streep and PSH in Doubt pretty much sank the film for me. I thought Adams was the only one that felt well-matched to the character. Viola, it goes without saying.

For some reason I was not into Michael Caine winning for Hannah and Her Sisters. I love the movie, I love the three female leads, I love the supporting players (the ingenious idea of Maureen O'Sullivan appearing with her real-life daughter on-screen), I loved Max von Sydow, but something about Caine in relation to his character felt like miscasting.

Paul Newman in The Color of Money and Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman, two cases of where they got nominated and won for a lifetime achievement. In Newman's case he won for a sequel to a much better performance.

[artscallion]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 1:40pm

Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. She was a wildly popular pick, if I remember correctly, But I thought it was one of the worst acting performances I'd ever seen. Even all these years later I can't think of anything since that's been as bad...except maybe her performances in subsequent films.

Posted: 12/10/12 at 1:41pm

Marissa Tomei for My Cousin Vinnie?

[Playbilly]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 1:56pm

Pacino in DICK TRACY. Please.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 1:58pm

I watched The Iron Lady with a growing feeling of dread. THIS would be the film Meryl Streep would win a second Oscar for? Where she shakes like she's having a seizure or sticks her chin out and snaps at people for two hours? Dear me. I'll never get that one.

Just looking at last year, I don't get the love for Max von Sydow's performance in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. I liked the film itself more than a lot of people, but thought Sydow was a weak link in a poorly formed character.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 1:59pm

Every last human being involved with that terrible, awful, not-very-good film AS GOOD AS IT GETS.

There's not a Silkwood shower penetrating enough to scrub that wretchedness from my soul.

[DAME]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 1:59pm

Bette Midler in For The Boys. And to whoever mentioned Marissa Tomei for My Cousin Vinnie... I thought that was a wonderful and very deserving performance. I still laugh every time I see her in that movie.

Posted: 12/10/12 at 2:06pm

I'm with you, Robbie. As Good as It Gets was about as bad as it gets for me. There was NOTHING I liked about that movie with the exception of Skeet Ulrich's ass.

[ChanceEncounter]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 2:23pm

No mention of Sandy Bullock for The Blind Side?

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 2:27pm

The Iron Lady had Streep win her third Oscar, her second was decades back.

In Bullock's defense it was not a strong year in the category. Though in hindsight, I would have given it to Carrie Mulligan (even if the movie was incredibly predictable).

[ChanceEncounter]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 2:32pm

ANYONE ELSE would have been better than Bullock. Carey in An Education, Meryl as Julia Child, Precious herself, Gaby Sidibe. I didn't seen The Last Station so I can't comment on Mirren but I have to assume she was more deserving than Sandra Bullock.

[madbrian]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 3:29pm

I think actress noms and awards tend to go to the best performance 'for her'. In other words, which actress exceeded our expectations of her?

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 4:05pm

Halle Berry. She was decent in Monster's Ball, but hardly spectacular - and generally she's dreadful.

She probably proves madbrian's point above, too.

Updated On: 12/10/12 at 04:05 PM

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 4:13pm

Strummer's inclusion of Bening for American Beauty is devastating to me. She was brilliant in that movie!!

I'm adding Anne Baxter in ALL ABOUT EVE. Her performance was absurd. A hoot. But absurd.