This week on the InSession Film Podcast, since we recorded on Oscar-Sunday, we decided to do our Top 3 Worst Oscar Winners. The Academy is notorious for having horrible picks in many different categories throughout the years and while some aren’t as big of a deal, others are just outrageous. For example, how does Alfred Hitchcock never win an Oscar? How is that humanly possible? Anyway, for our Top 3, we didn’t just focus on one category but all of them were eligible. Don’t get me wrong, The Academy isn’t always wrong but sometimes you wonder what in the world they were thinking. Of course, there’s other political reason that come into the debate as well, which Tim and JD dive into.
What other Oscar picks would make your list? Here are the one’s that made our list:
JD
1) Citizen Kane losing Best Picture to How Green Was My Vally – 1941
2) Hans Zimmer’s Inception score losing to Trent Reznor and The Social Network – 2010
3) The Shawshank Redemption losing Best Picture to Forest Gump -1994
Tim
1) John Cazale never being nominated – 1970’s
2) Citizen Kane losing Best Picture to How Green Was My Vally – 1941
3) Saving Private Ryan losing Best Picture to Shakespeare in Love – 1999
Honorable Mentions (Combined)
Alfred Hitchcock never winning, Paul Greengass losing Best Director for United 93, Martin Landau beating Samuel L. Jackson for Best Supporting Actor, Dances With Wolves beating Goodfellas, Robert Benigni beating Tom Hanks for Best Actor, John Wayne winning Best Actor, Sandra Bullock for Best Actress
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. The Academy has got many awards wrong over the years, so what are some you would have on your list? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].
For the entire podcast, click here.
For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.
Like all 3 of your choices especially #2. Most people don’t seem to pay enough attention to the music. Bravo!
Thank you sir, I completely agree!
I gotta disagree with you both on #2 Trent Reznor’s score for Social Network was the best part of that movie. I love the Inception soundtrack, but all Hans Zimmer’s stuff sounds the same these days.
Couldn’t disagree more. Reznor’s score was good but it’s not better than Inception. And the influence that score has had is incredible since then. For me, it’s arguably the best of the last decade. Plus, the “stuff sounds all the same” argument can be made for any band or artist, so I can’t buy into that. Each score is unique enough and has it’s own flavor while set within Zimmer’s style.
The BIGGEST fallacy the Academy has ever committed was giving Julia Roberts the Oscar for Best Actress in 2000 for Erin Brockovich and not even nominating Bjork for Dancer in The Dark which won the Palm d’Or at Cannes, and she won the best actress there. The Academy simply nominated her for best song, going against almost all other awards that year. My blood still rises just thinking about that snub.
I thought Julia Roberts was strong in Erin Brockovich but you could argue it wasn’t Best Actress worthy. I haven’t seen Dancer in The Dark honestly, so it’s hard for me to say, but given The Academy’s history, this wouldn’t surprise me.