Courtesy of Emily Zavada
In this fifth part of my retrospective Oscar Outlook, I’ll be eliminating some solid but bland Best Picture winners, as well as a cutting-edge New Hollywood film that’s never appealed to me.
74. “Marty” (1955)
“Marty” may very well be the simplest of the Best Picture winners. It doesn’t take any big swings, but it’s perfectly watchable. This does stand out to me as a true “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore” candidate, as it’s not overly comedic or melodramatic. It’s merely a simple, yet charmingly awkward, romance between Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair, who are believably interested in each other. Come to think of it, “Marty” was an unusually grounded film for its time. Maybe that’s where its unique charm is derived from.
73. “CODA” (2021)
After ambitious Best Picture choices like “Parasite” and “Nomadland,” the Academy reverted to more standard fare with “CODA” in 2021. Too bad the film’s victory was overshadowed by Will Smith’s open right hand. It does speak to the little-ness of “CODA” that it was not the talk of the town after miraculously winning on Oscar night. The film itself follows a deaf family with one hearing child (or, a Child Of Deaf Adults), who wants to become a singer. It’s a very made-for-video setup, but with a nice crop of performances sprinkled in. If nothing else, “CODA” did well in the representation category. Otherwise, it’s lacking a serious oomph factor.
72. “The King’s Speech” (2010)
“The Social Network” was right there! This is one of the less egregious examples of the Academy preferring Oscar bait over a bonafide classic, as “The King’s Speech” is a good, clean watch. What it lacks in ambition, it more than makes up for in focus. The storytelling is sharp, and the ensemble cast plays every beat perfectly. That lack of ambition has resulted in it being all but forgotten in the public consciousness, and I’m not going to pretend like this is great. But “The King’s Speech” is good for what it is, and that’s more than I can say for basically everything below it on this list.
71. “Dances with Wolves” (1990)
I don’t think “Dances with Wolves” is bad; I just think it’s dry. Like “Out of Africa” before it, this movie gets its kicks plopping a white person into colonized territory and letting them love another culture. Unlike “Out of Africa,” the native people are established as the most interesting characters in the film, mostly because they actually have distinguishable traits. I also would say that Kevin Costner’s lead character actually has a genuine interest in the culture he’s moving within, which is harder to recognize in lesser films.
70. “The French Connection” (1971)
In the New Hollywood canon, “The French Connection” barely registers for me. I respect the vision and character building, but the picture hits me as not being extremely interesting as a viewing experience. Someone said to me recently that the only thing they can remember from the movie is the car chase and, yeah, that’s pretty similar to my own recollection. Perhaps I need to see it again – I actually feel that about quite a few of the Best Picture winners I haven’t seen in over a decade – but my lack of motivation to do so is telling.
69. “Rain Man” (1988)
Isn’t it really strange that the highest-grossing film in 1988 was “Rain Man”? Truly another time. I don’t really understand the widespread appeal of this story. I think it’s a fine film with two solid lead performances, but the massive wave of hype is kind of weird. Regarding its merits, this is very much an acting and writing showcase. Visually, it’s hard to think of a single choice that’s worthy of recall, and that is a big negative when it comes to ranking this against some stunning achievements. Chalk this up as another decent Oscar favorite that has barely stood the test of time.
Sam Zavada is counting down his ranking of every Best Picture winner in the history of the Academy Awards in the lead up to this year’s ceremony on March 2. Participate in the Times Leader Readers’ Ballot for the 97th Oscars by filling out the form at https://bit.ly/4hd8n6F. The Readers’ Ballot will close on Friday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. and will be revealed in the Saturday, March 1, edition of the Times Leader.
Sam Zavada is counting down his ranking of every Best Picture winner in the history of the Academy Awards in the lead up to this year’s ceremony on March 2.
