60 YEARS OF OSCARS:
WHAT MOVIES WON VS. WHAT MOVIES SHOULD HAVE WON?
PART 2 OF 5 (1980-1989)
Read: PART 1
I was pleased to see so many interesting replies and comments here on Facebook to PART 1 of this series on Oscar-winning movies. I expect even more pushback and discussion as we move into movies that more people will remember in the 1980s. As promised, here’s PART 2. I also changed the parts up in this article — and will do the rest of the way BY DECADE. So, this segment is 1980 through 1989.
[Note: Each year refers to the Academy Award ceremony and winner for BEST PICTURE from movies released the year before.]
—– THE 1980’s —–
1980: KRAMER VS. KRAMER
The 1980 Best Picture winner stands as quite arguably the worst pick for the top spot in Oscar history. Not that that KRAMER VS. KRAMER is a bad movie, which surprisingly raked in the most profits at the box office. It’s fine as a light comedy/drama, which is a marital-divorce-spat drive soap opera. What’s most appalling is that this was otherwise such a great year for movies, which included APOCALYPSE NOW, BREAKING AWAY, ALL THAT JAZZ, NORMA RAE, BEING THERE, and MANHATTAN to name the films which garnered the most nominations. Yet, KRAMER VS. KRAMER won? Truly embarrassing. As for other films that were better, let’s add THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN, which was outstanding and THE BLACK STALLION, a grossly underrated Coppola family-oriented film (he produced THE BLACK STALLION, though his pet project APOCALYPSE NOW received far greater attention, but few Oscar accolades.). The film that should have won –APOCALYPSE NOW– was called by some as one of the greatest movies ever made including the late great Roger Ebert, despite it’s obvious flaws and multitude of problems. He wrote (paraphrasing) — “This movie shows what unbridled ambition in film should be and was certain to miss its highest objectives–but it’s the commitment and the attempt that matters, and remains unrivaled in cinema.” Oscar voters got this one wrong. Best underappreciated film from 1980–(aside from THE BLACK STALLION)…..ALIEN, THE JERK (others could be mentioned here among a long list of excellent films–most better than the winning picture).
1981: ORDINARY PEOPLE
Criticizing ORDINARY PEOPLE is hard for me to do given the wonderful performances by the five leads and how it’s risen in stature over the years, but I still believe this was the wrong pick. THE ELEPHANT MAN and RAGING BULL were nominated but lost, and both were superior. And here’s a real gut instinct opinion — AIRPLANE was arguably the best movie of the year if we measure hundreds of millions of laughs and the resurgence of spoof movies that was launched with its success. I will also toss in THE SHINING as a best picture contender, though inexplicably it received only mised reviews when released. Since then, it’s also risen in stature as a truly great film. They got this one wrong, but it’s close. Best underappreciated film from 1981–MELVIN AND HOWARD
1982: CHARIOTS OF FIRE
The best movie of the year was PRINCE OF THE CITY, an epic NYC police drama which for reasons I can’t fathom, never connected with audiences either critically or commercially This includes an all-star cast of memorable character actors, which becomes a pressure test of friendship and loyalty and the excruciating decisions we sometimes must make and the odd factors we weigh when everything in life is on the line. This is right up with with the FRENCH CONNECTION as a masterful crime drama, and arguably is better. I won’t bother discussing the winning film, which is mindless fluff. Other worthy films from this year included REDS (very underrated Warren Beatty movie based on a true story of leftist intellectuals bickering during World War I) and ATLANTIC CITY, a near masterpiece of performances and filmmaking. Even RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and ON GOLDEN POND were better and certainly more memorable movies. Can anyone name anything notable about CHARIOTS OF FIRE, other than the title song? They got this one horribly wrong, Best underappreciated film from 1982–ABSENCE OF MALICE / THIEF (a great James Caan heist-movie) / POLYESTER (the juicy cult classic from John Waters)
1983: GANDHI
Okay, how do you bash the winner GANDHI? This is the peace-nick’s PATTON, a biopic of an iconic larger-than-life personality and this Oscar-winning film certainly delivers, especially Ben Kingsley. So Gandhi (the actor) deserved the Oscar, but the movie didn’t. My pick–I believe THE VERDICT was better, and should have won instead. This is one of the best courtroom dramas ever made, and is certainly one of Paul Newman’s best performances. It stands as one of my favorite movies and I still get chills each time I watch it. MISSING, a great film about right-wing death squads in South America rounds out my top-three. TOOTSIE was fun, as was OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN. They got this one wrong, but its arguable and very close and a matter of taste. Best underappreciated film from 1983–NIGHT SHIFT / THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN (one of the finniest teen movies ever made) / FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (maybe the best teen-themed movie ever made). THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY might be top five, and is also worth mentioning. This was a great year in cinema — add DINER, THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP, SOPHIE’S CHOICE (need I go on?). Oh, and E.T. made the most money, a film I’ve never liked.
1984: TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
Here’s another soap opera movie winner, but when it’s all said and done, it might actually be deserving. SCARFACE came out this year and became a cult classic, but the lighter TOE MacLaine tear-jerker gets the nod. THE RIGHT STUFF might belong on the conversation, but I never thought that film quite captured the real-life degree of risk and great achievement from the early space program (APOLLO 13 was much better, released a decade later). They got this one right. Best underappreciated film from 1984–THE KING OF COMEDY (a dark movie, but terrific in casting Jerry Lewis in a serious role, Robert De Niro in a comedy role and Sara Bernhardt as Sara Bernhardt) / THE DEAD ZONE (fantastic adaptation of Stephen King horror story about man who sees the future).
1985: AMADEUS
What an outstanding movie, as this film surprisingly met and surpassed the obvious challenges of making centuries-old characters fascinating and worthy of modern-day affections and admiration. I mean, imagine trying to “pitch” a movie about Mozart and his musical rival and casting the leads with lesser-known actors. AMADEUS is what great filmmaking is all about. By contrast, I never thought THE NATURAL or ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA were Best Picture material, but they were nominated. THE KILLING FIELDS, about Cambodia’s horrific genocide deserves the runner-up spot. They got this one right. Best underappreciated film from 1985–THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE
1986: OUT OF AFRICA
This was a horrible pick. Meryl Streep and Robert Redford look gorgeous, but this film and story stinks. It’s an unwatchable bore. THE COLOR PURPLE may have won given the edgy subject matter and powerhouse director Steven Spielberg stepping into newer, unfamiliar, more serious territory. WITNESS may also be in the running. RAN which is Akira Kurosawa’s epic film is actually the real best movie of the year, but the voters weren’t going to select a foreign movie filmed in Japan based on the tragedy of King Lear. Note that much of RAN was actually a metaphor for nuclear warfare and the anxiety of the post-Hiroshima Cold War age. Too bold a pick, apparently for the time but this was the greatest film of the year. They got this one wrong. Best underappreciated film from 1985–JAGGED EDGE (great thriller and courtroom drama) / TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (a masterful action-packed police drama).
1987: PLATOON
I was never a fan of this over-the-top war movie about the Vietnam War, but admittedly I’ve seen it just once in the theater back when it first came out. Girlfriend at the time got mad and wanted to walk out in the middle of the movie, but I insisted on staying. We broke up a short time later. Fuck me, the Ex was right. I wish I’d walked out. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS was brilliant, but Woody Allen fatigue sets in at some point, if nothing else due to the repetition of rich neurotic New Yorkers whining about their “problems.” I love most Merchant-Ivory movies, but after seeing ROOM WITH A VIEW for the first time (somewhat recently), I didn’t think it lived up to the hype. ALIEN is easily in the top-five, and is certainly superior to PLATOON. They got this one wrong. Best underappreciated film from 1986–POWER (an overlooked political thriller with Richard Gere and Julie Christie) / BLUE VELVET (Heineken? Fuck Heineken! Pabst Blue Ribbon!….movie line of the decade.)
1988: THE LAST EMPEROR
Here’s another expansive historical epic, which sounds smart and should be an aspirational curiosity for all audiences. However, I didn’t find the story of PuYi (the last Chinese premier before Mao took over in 1949) that interesting, and it’s grossly inaccurate in parts according to retro-reviews. Still, this film was a beast of a challenge for Bernardo Bertolucci to make, and the first Western movie to be shot in the actual Forbidden City with the Chinese Government’s artfully-negotiated support, which added 20,000 extras. Add the censorship problems in many nations, including Japan, and the film was a nightmare. So, in retrospect, THE LAST EMEROR is worthy of widespread acclaim. FATAL ATTRACTION is the movie from this year we’re still talking about, and the Close-Douglas flick is certainly top-5…..and let’s add WALL STREET, which came out the same year, which is another Michael Douglas banner performance and left us with themes we continue debating. I’ll say with some reluctance they got this one right, but it’s not my favorite film of many others. Best underappreciated film from 1988–NO WAY OUT / HOUSE OF GAMES
1989: RAIN MAN
DANGEROUS LIAISONS and MISSISSIPPI BURNING were superior films in 1989, so I think they got this one wrong. RAIN MAN ignited a popular trend which followed of star actors playing physically and mentally-challenged fictional characters, which I’m not sure is something all that admirable. But that’s a personal bias. Hoffman and Cruise nail the two brotherly-buddy leads in a quirky movie, yet it doesn’t leave us with much other than light entertainment. My choices have more depth and meaning, and they’re also better films. Even DIE HARD might be a better movie than the winner. Key Point: THE ACCUSED might actually be the most powerful movie of the year among a collection of movies with incendiary subject matter. Best underappreciated film from 1989–THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING
Coming Next: The Best Picture Winners (versus) Movies that Should have Won–from the 1990s.