Biggest Oscar Upsets

IsThisIt???

My apologies if this thread has been done to death before but I was wondering what people think are the biggest upsets in Oscar history, whatever the category may be.

For me it has to be Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. One of my favourite performances ever but he was pipped to the post by Denzel in Training Day. While I think Denzel is a great actor and no doubt has deserved an Academy Award, I feel on the year in question the academy may have thought somewhat romantic to award Denzel on the same night Sidney Poitier receieved a lifetime achievement award. Whatever the reason may be I really feel this was Russell Crowes outstanding performance.

What's everyones thoughts??

MrStuffins

Best Picture/Director 1991: Kevin Costner - Dances with Wolves

(over Martin Scorsese - Goodfellas)

indough

lots of people are gonna mention forrest gump

DazMarz

For me, Whoopi Goldberg getting the Best Supporting for her role in Ghost over Lorraine Bracco in Goodfellas.

seanybiker

Can never remember your mans name but He won with capote over joaquoin phoenix in walk the line. Now poor phoenix is gone all weird and I blame that lol

liah

seanybiker wrote: »

Can never remember your mans name but He won with capote over joaquoin phoenix in walk the line. Now poor phoenix is gone all weird and I blame that lol

Philip Seymour Hoffman?

ziedth

When I saw the title I thought of crowe and Washington.

Hmmmm, oh who did mickey rourke loose out on the best actor award for the wrestler too? I remember being surprised.

bonerm

The Right Stuff losing to Terms of Endearment (a glorfied soap opera) in 1983. Pity. I do feel The Right Stuff would have been seen by many more people had it won, but these days it's pretty much forgotten about.

tman

Moon not even getting so much as a nomination

Goodfellas not getting anything, but Departed winning seemed like more of a "yeah, sorry about all that Scorcese.... Here, have an Oscar anyway!" moment

robby^5

Bill Murray not winning Best Actor for Lost in Translation.

Admittedly it came down to him and Penn imo, Pen winning out for Mystic River. Bill Murray doesn't play the Hollywood game so I'm not sure if he ever had a chance really, it's all politics but I really think he deserved it that year.

mike65

Titanic winning 11 awards, well I was upset.

Renn

Probably Naomi Watts (Mulholland Dr.) in 2002. Considering who she was up against at the time:

Monster's Ball - Halle Berry

* Bridget Jones's Diary - Renée Zellweger
* In the Bedroom - Sissy Spacek
* Iris - Judi Dench
* Moulin Rouge! - Nicole Kidman

Average-Ro

Crash winning best picture over Brokeback Mountain. I think it was 2005?...

MrStuffins

ziedth wrote: »

Hmmmm, oh who did mickey rourke loose out on the best actor award for the wrestler too? I remember being surprised.

This was Sean Penn for Milk. I remember being surprised too, but i hadn;t seen Milk at the time.

After i saw it, i wasn't surprised anymore!

krudler

MrStuffins wrote: »

Best Picture/Director 1991: Kevin Costner - Dances with Wolves

(over Martin Scorsese - Goodfellas)

Deservedly so too, I love Goodfellas but Dances With Wolves is a masterpiece, Open Range isnt far off either

Handsome Bob

seanybiker wrote: »

Can never remember your mans name but He won with capote over joaquoin phoenix in walk the line. Now poor phoenix is gone all weird and I blame that lol

2006 or am I wrong? If so that was the year Heath Ledger was nominated for Brokeback Mountain. IMO it was a ridiculously strong year in that category, but I would of had Ledger as the narrow winner over Phoenix.

Crash beating Brokeback Mountain for Best Picture was also criminal. I would have also taken Jake Gyllenhaal or William Hurt over George Clooney in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Not so much criminal but I was diappointed when Rourke lost out to Penn last year, both phenomenal performances, but Rourke's performance will last longer in my memory.

The Maverick

Titanic beating L.A Confidential for Best Picture.

ziedth

Whatelse was there when shakespere in love won everything?

If there ever was a film that was overated it would be that bile.

Handsome Bob

ziedth wrote: »

Whatelse was there when shakespere in love won everything?

If there ever was a film that was overated it would be that bile.

It picked up seven awards including best picture, best actress and best supporting actress.

http://www.popculturemadness.com/Trivia/Oscars/Top-1998-O.html

I balk at the fact that American History X didn't even get a nomination for Best Picture, never mind Ed Norton not winning Best Actor.

Hank_Jones

Coppola not winning best director for The Godfather (beaten by Bob Fosse for Cabaret).

Pacino not winning best supporting actor for same (beaten by Joel Grey for Cabaret).

Rosemary's Baby being only nominated for 2 awards (Actress in supporting role, Screenplay)

1969 Best Picture nominations:

Oliver!
Funny Girl
Rachel, Rachel
Romeo and Juliet
The Lion in Winter

Yet Rosemary's Baby doesnt deserve a nomination for best picture....or nominations for John Cassavettes or Mia Farrow...

marwelie

OK I'll say it......

The Shawshank Redemption winning nothing and Forrest Gump winning 6 (including Best Film, Best Director AND Best Actor) in 1994.

How the hell did that happen!

MrStuffins

robby^5 wrote: »

Bill Murray not winning Best Actor for Lost in Translation.

Admittedly it came down to him and Penn imo, Pen winning out for Mystic River. Bill Murray doesn't play the Hollywood game so I'm not sure if he ever had a chance really, it's all politics but I really think he deserved it that year.

Have you seen Penn's performance in Mystic River? IMO it's one of the all time best performances in any movie. A real powerhouse performance in a real powerhouse film.

Although i like Bill Murray and wouldn't mind seeing him win an award or 2, there's noway his performance in Lost in Translation (a very over rated movie by the way) comes close to Sean Penn's in Mystic River.

(That's twice i've stuck up for Sean Penn, maybe i'm a big fan :P )

Handsome Bob

Holy crap, I like Forrest Gump and all but that is just disgraceful. Shawshank is hands down one of the best films I've ever seen, probably one of my favourites.

ziedth

TBF though I'd give the best actor to hanks,

"he didn't go full retard"

Jesus Wept

Jim Carrey not getting nominated for The Truman Show.

BopNiblets

Whay wasn't The Road in any of the Oscars this year exactly?

Richard Dower

When Halle Berry won an oscar....what were they thinking!?.....her acceptance speech and blubbing was THE most cringeworthy in Oscar history!!!

MrStuffins

tman wrote: »

Moon not even getting so much as a nomination

More spacifically, Sam Rockwell not getting a nod. Ridiculous!

I'm not knocking either actor, but they're trying to tell me that Geogre Clooney's and Jeremy Renner's performances were better than Rockwell's? Not a hope!

(I havent seen Invictus or A Single Man)

Dozen Wicked Words

1992 - Best Supporting Actress. Marisa Tomei beats Joan Plowright, Vanessa Redgrave, Miranda Richardson and Judy Davis. Farce of a result, strange the winner was an American up against 3 Brits and an Aussie.:rolleyes:

Handsome Bob

BopNiblets wrote: »

Whay wasn't The Road in any of the Oscars this year exactly?

Could be wrong but I think it missed the deadline for eligible films. That has to be it, with 10 nominations for Best Picture surely it would have gotten a nod.

Richard Dower wrote: »

When Halle Berry won an oscar....what were they thinking!?.....her acceptance speech and blubbing was THE most cringeworthy in Oscar history!!!

I think we all know why she got the win there.

Richard Dower

LZ5by5 wrote: »

I think we all know why she got the win there.

She f*cked the 5,000 Oscar members?

Handsome Bob

Richard Dower wrote: »

She f*cked the 5,000 Oscar members?

I was thinking more because of the risque sex scene but that could be a possibility too. :pac:

Nolanger

Irishman Herbert Brenon not winning best director in 1928 :mad:

Mark Hamill

Cracked.com article that might answer some of the "why did this win" type questions. (basically its all politics)

irishh_bob

ziedth wrote: »

Whatelse was there when shakespere in love won everything?

If there ever was a film that was overated it would be that bile.

worst movie to ever win best picture , closeley followed by the departed

irishh_bob

dooferoaks wrote: »

1992 - Best Supporting Actress. Marisa Tomei beats Joan Plowright, Vanessa Redgrave, Miranda Richardson and Judy Davis. Farce of a result, strange the winner was an American up against 3 Brits and an Aussie.:rolleyes:

she thoroughly deserved it ahead of those other luvvies , great movie and a great performance

Dozen Wicked Words

irishh_bob wrote: »

she thoroughly deserved it ahead of those other luvvies , great movie and a great performance

Enjoyable movie yes, Tomei's performance deserve an oscar? No fupping way.

irishh_bob

dooferoaks wrote: »

Enjoyable movie yes, Tomei's performance deserve an oscar? No fupping way.

she couldnt have been worse than any performance sandra bullock delivered

Dozen Wicked Words

irishh_bob wrote: »

she couldnt have been worse than any performance sandra bullock delivered

Touché!

Professey Chin

The-Rigger wrote: »

Jim Carrey not getting nominated for The Truman Show.

Jim Carrey not being nominated for Man on the Moon

****

sprinkles

Nolanger wrote: »

Irishman Herbert Brenon not winning best director in 1928 :mad:

Let it go....

Haha

Citizen Kane was beaten by none other than the classic "How Green Was My Valley"...

Forest Gump also beat Pulp Fiction, tough year!

And I could be mistaken but I don't think Kubrick or Hitchcock ever won best director/best picture?

EDIT: Hitchcock won Best Picture with Rebecca in 1940

aleybert

Jim Carrey not getting nominated for The Truman Show.

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

Jim Carrey not being nominated for Man on the Moon

****

Two mediocre performances in two bland movies. Definitely not oscarworthy performances. The Truman Show would have been great with a decent lead actor.

Bog

Julia Roberts winning for Erin Brockovich over Ellen Burstyn for Requeim For A Dream in 2001.

Valmont

krudler wrote: »

Deservedly so too, I love Goodfellas but Dances With Wolves is a masterpiece, Open Range isnt far off either

I love both films but I fully support giving the gongs to Dances With Wolves. What a movie! I only saw it five months ago for the first time and I have watched it twice more since.

Bog wrote: »

Julia Roberts winning for Erin Brockovich over Ellen Burstyn for Requeim For A Dream in 2001.

Wow I did not know about that one but having seen both films I agree, that is indeed a shocker.

Valmont

MrStuffins wrote: »

Have you seen Penn's performance in Mystic River? IMO it's one of the all time best performances in any movie. A real powerhouse performance in a real powerhouse film.

Although i like Bill Murray and wouldn't mind seeing him win an award or 2, there's noway his performance in Lost in Translation (a very over rated movie by the way) comes close to Sean Penn's in Mystic River.

(That's twice i've stuck up for Sean Penn, maybe i'm a big fan :P )

Hmmm I'm not so sure about Penn in Mystic River. He was very good no doubt, I just don't remember being blown away by his performance. At least not as much as I was by Bill Murray. I thought Sofia Coppola should have won best director for that film but I'm biased because I love it so much.

MrStuffins

Valmont wrote: »

Hmmm I'm not so sure about Penn in Mystic River. He was very good no doubt, I just don't remember being blown away by his performance. At least not as much as I was by Bill Murray. I thought Sofia Coppola should have won best director for that film but I'm biased because I love it so much.

I think Lost in Translation was a Marmite kinda movie. I didn't like it at all. But Murray was good in it.

On the other hand, i LOVED Mystic River and having never really given much attention to Penn as an actor, i was blown away by his performance. It's become one of my favourite movies and every time i watch it i'm more impressed by Penn.

I suppose i can see why people would've prefered Murray. But it's Penn for me 10 times out of 10.

phasers

Sandra Bullock winning Best Actress and the Blind Side being nominated for anything. Dreadful film.

foxyboxer

1999 was a landmark in upsets.
Gwyneth Paltrow beats Cate Blanchett.
Roberto Benigni wins Best Actor.
Shakespeare in Love beats Saving Private Ryan AND The Thin Red Line!!

foxyboxer

Martin Landau (Ed Wood) beats Samuel L (Pulp Fiction) in 1994!

abouttobebanned

phasers wrote: »

Sandra Bullock winning Best Actress and the Blind Side being nominated for anything. Dreadful film.

I enjoyed this film. But it was only because I was in the mood for this type of film at the time. It is not a great film, and Bullock's performance wasn't even close to being Oscar worthy. It was predictable and schmaltzy and just an enjoyable movie of the week.

Flamed Diving

Denzel not winning for The Hurricane, thus winning the apology award for that trite cop drama, the following year.

PS: Goodfellas is a movie that 14 year old boys like, which I did, when I was 14.

:P