“And The Oscar Goes To…”
All movie fans are perched on the edge their seats when those words are spoken each year at The Academy Awards. It’s a cinephile’s Super Bowl, after all….so, do you ever grimace when the winning name is announced? Perhaps you hated the movie, the acting, the script or the cinematography – but social media is filled with people who love to debate the worst Academy Award wins of all time.
The Best Actress Is…
Time to look at the category of “Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role.” There have been incredible performances honored here, recently by Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine”:
On the flip side, there have been some real head-scratchers, but here is what may be, to me, the weakest winner in the category in the last three decades:
Sandra Bullock won the Academy Award for her performance in 2009’s “The Blind Side.” She played a tough-as-nails Southern pistol-packing Mom who is protective of the kid she finds homeless – and helps him become an NFL star. Michael Oher is shown at the end being drafted – bravo to him! Yes, it’s a true story, and an inspiring one as well:
The film is a “feel good” look at a young man who is helped by a loving family, who take him in and help him succeed. That said, Bullock’s performance is strident and one-note, and the scene where she takes on a group of dangerous young men is cringe-worthy….as for the other nominees that year?
Helen Mirren was nominated for the little-seen ‘The Last Station’, Carey Mulligan was great in the independent film ‘An Education’, Gabourey Sidibe exploded onscreen in ‘Precious’, and Meryl Streep gave one of her greatest performances ever in ‘Julie and Julia’.
So as you can see, a number of great roles in small films, and an acting legend who perhaps is thought to have won too recently for “The Iron Lady”
Also, Bullock didn’t win for her virtuoso performance in “Gravity” in 2013, so she got a well-deserved Oscar – just the wrong year!
I really like her as an Actress, but this just wasn’t the best performance of the year…that honors goes to Julia Child!
There is a terrific list of the ten worst winning performances according to the website “TheCinemaholic.com” – check out to see why they included Halle Berry and Cher, along with Elizabeth Taylor!
https://www.thecinemaholic.com/the-10-worst-best-actress-oscar-winners-ranked/
I also didn’t care for Frances McDormand this year for “Three Billboards” – to me it was strident and lacked any sympathy or softness to counter the obnoxiousness.
Also, in 1967 Anne Bancroft was incredible in “The Graduate”, and Faye Dunaway was mesmerizing in “Bonnie & Clyde”, only to lose to Katherine Hepburn’s by-the-numbers performance in “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner”.
If you want to read an amazing book about that revolutionary year in film, click here:
Let me know what you think was the least-award winning performance!
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johnrieber 
I liked Jules and Julia–one of Meryl’s best performances. Like Pete, not too much a Bullock fan. Blue Jasmine was outstanding because of the gut-wrenching performance by Cate Blanchett. Nice post, John.
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Thanks, I’m very torn on all Woody Allen films now, but her performance as well as Sally Hawkins were both terrific in the film
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I really agree with you about Sandra Bullock in Blind Side, it was a very average movie that was up against some really strong films and actresses. I was routing for Precious so much!
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Thanks for your comment, that was another terrific performance as well and yes, much more deserved!
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Personally, I find Bullock to be a very average actress, and she comes across the same in every film I have ever seen her in. Definitley not worthy of an Oscar in my book. Cher is interesting in ‘Moonstruck’, but that performance was never worth an Oscar.
I would disagree with one on the list, Helen Hunt. I thought she made ‘As Good As It Gets’ the film it was, and was as deserving of an Oscar as anyone else that year. I do tend to like her though.
My big no-nos would be Kate Winslet, who I only ever liked in ‘The Reader’, and Frances McDormand, who I consider to be one of the most overrated actresses in history, bar none.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I would have been happy with Hunt winning, but as a big food fan, Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Julia Child was flawless…thanks for the comment, Pete!
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