Academy awards: Supporting actress( from the best to the worst winner)
Some got the award with just a few moments on screen, others for being the leading performers, this is my list from best to the worst Oscar winners in the Supporting actress category
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- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsJane FondaVanessa RedgraveJason RobardsAt the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.Vanessa Redgrave in the tittle role is amazing and she delivered one of the most controversial speeches in academy history. She is the best.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsHenry FondaJane DarwellJohn CarradineAn Oklahoma family, driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl, joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.Jane Darwell as Ma Joad is the perfect contrast to Henry Fonda, she almost steals every scene, and the movie is an absolute classic.
- DirectorRobert BentonStarsDustin HoffmanMeryl StreepJane AlexanderAfter his wife leaves him, a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills, but a heated custody battle over the couple's young son deepens the wounds left by the separation.Meryl Streep in her outstanding role as Joanna Kramer, an imperfect mother.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsMia FarrowJohn CassavetesRuth GordonA young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.Ruth Gordon was the perfect choice for the nosy neighbor who adores Satan in this horror film.
- DirectorLee DanielsStarsGabourey SidibeMo'NiquePaula PattonIn New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that she can re-route her life in a better direction.Mo`nique is a storm in this film as a mother/monster, the best winner in recent years.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsMia FarrowDianne WiestMichael CaineBetween two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.Dianne Wiest as Holly an optimistic character and a complex personality at the same time, she is the best in a very talented casting.
- DirectorAnthony MinghellaStarsRalph FiennesJuliette BinocheWillem DafoeAt the close of World War II, a young nurse tends to a badly burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair.Juliette Binoche steals every scene when she is on screen in a very long film.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioCate BlanchettKate BeckinsaleA biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s.Cate Blanchett as the academy award winner Katherine Hepburn did a wonderful job.
- DirectorJerome RobbinsRobert WiseStarsNatalie WoodGeorge ChakirisRichard BeymerTwo youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.Rita Moreno played Anita and stole the show from everybody, dancing and acting like just few could do it.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsJohn CusackDianne WiestJennifer TillyIn New York in 1928, a struggling playwright is forced to cast a mobster's talentless girlfriend in his latest drama in order to get it produced.Dianne Wiest is the old fashion Broadway diva in the best Woody Allen film of the 90s.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsVivien LeighMarlon BrandoKim HunterDisturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her.Kim Hunter plays Stella, she gets a difficult character among two monsters of acting: Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsJames DeanRaymond MasseyJulie HarrisTwo brothers in 1910s California struggle to maintain their strict, Bible-toting father's favor as an old secret about their long-absent mother comes to light.Jo Van Fleet as a cold prsotitute, mother of James Dean is very good, maybe just Natalie Wood (Rebel without a cause) was her only competition that year.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsJack NicholsonKathleen TurnerRobert LoggiaTwo professional assassins fall in love.Anjelica Huston got a third oscar for his family under the direction of his father, showing that she is one of the best actresses of her generation.
- DirectorDenzel WashingtonStarsDenzel WashingtonViola DavisStephen McKinley HendersonA working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life.Viola Davis shows her great talent in the role that se developed on Broadway and transfered with greatness to the big screen.
- DirectorSam WoodStarsGary CooperIngrid BergmanAkim TamiroffDuring the Spanish Civil War, an American allied with the Republicans finds romance during a desperate mission to blow up a strategically important bridge.Katina Paxinou made a sensational debut on the big screen as an heroic woman in the spanish civil war.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsMel GibsonSigourney WeaverLinda HuntA young Australian reporter tries to navigate the political turmoil of Indonesia during the rule of President Sukarno with the help of a diminutive photographer.Linda Hunt playing a cambodian man is fantastic. she had no competetion that year.
- DirectorTom HooperStarsHugh JackmanRussell CroweAnne HathawayIn 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The decision changes their lives forever.Anne Hathaway portraits with great profesionalism the tragic Fantine and sings and cries marevously
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsMillie PerkinsShelley WintersJoseph SchildkrautDuring World War II, a teenage Jewish girl named Anne Frank and her family are forced into hiding in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands.Shelley Winters as a Dutch woman hidden along Anne Frank. She was really a great supporting actress.
- DirectorHerbert RossStarsJane FondaAlan AldaMaggie SmithMisadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.Maggie Smith is funny and dramatic at the same time portraying and actress who is nominated for an Oscar.
- DirectorSteve McQueenStarsChiwetel EjioforMichael Kenneth WilliamsMichael FassbenderIn the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free Black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.Lupita Nyongo is unforgettable as the tragic slave who is abused by an evil white man
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartEdward G. RobinsonLauren BacallA man visits his war buddy's family hotel and finds a gangster running things. As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other.Claire Trevor as the lover of Edward G. Robinson in a good thriller of the master John Huston. The scene when she sings is unforgettable.
- DirectorFernando MeirellesStarsRalph FiennesRachel WeiszDanny HustonA widower's transcontinental quest to find answers about his wife's death leads him to explosive secrets.Rachel is beautiful and fierceful as Tessa an enigmatic but very brave woman in the middle of dark political situations in Africa.
- DirectorWarren BeattyStarsWarren BeattyDiane KeatonEdward HerrmannA radical American journalist becomes involved with the Communist revolution in Russia, and hopes to bring its spirit and idealism to the United States.Maureen Stapleton as Emma Goldman a political intelectual in a tormentus moment of the American history.
- DirectorArthur PennStarsWarren BeattyFaye DunawayMichael J. PollardBored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.Estelle Parsons is fine in this classic film as the hysterical Blanche.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEllar ColtranePatricia ArquetteEthan HawkeThe life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college.Patricia Arquette as a divorced woman trying to be a good mother and settle down. She was the best option among the nominees.
- DirectorTony GilroyStarsGeorge ClooneyTilda SwintonTom WilkinsonA law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multibillion-dollar class action suit.Tilda Swinton is one of the best actresses without doubts, but I still think Cate Blanchett in Im not there was much better.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsGreer GarsonWalter PidgeonTeresa WrightA British family struggles to survive the first months of World War II.Tersa Wright in one of her earliest roles, played very well a daughter in-law of the main character. Maybe Gladys Cooper (Now, voyager) could have been a better choice.
- DirectorNoah BaumbachStarsAdam DriverScarlett JohanssonJulia GreerNoah Baumbach's incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together.Laura Dern finally got the award as a tough divorce lawyer in this very good drama.
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsKevin SpaceyRussell CroweGuy PearceAs corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.Kimm Bassinger as a prostitute who pretends to be Veronica Lake in a noir film, a perfect role for an underrated actress. Julianne Moore as a porn star in Boogie night was a little better .
- DirectorEdmund GouldingStarsBette DavisGeorge BrentMary AstorAfter a newlywed's husband apparently dies in a plane crash, she discovers that her rival for his affections is pregnant with his child.Mary Astor as a mother who abandons her child to Bette Davis. That year she has a great role in The maltese falco and maybe she got the award for both films.
- DirectorEdmund GouldingStarsTyrone PowerGene TierneyJohn PayneAn adventuresome young man goes off to find himself and loses his socialite fiancée in the process. But when he returns 10 years later, she will stop at nothing to get him back, even though she is already married.Anne Baxter as the very fragil Sophie is mesmerazing, but the movie is so dated.
- DirectorMichael CacoyannisStarsAnthony QuinnAlan BatesIrene PapasAn uptight English writer travelling to Crete, on a matter of business, finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba.Lila Kedrova shines as an old woman trying to recover some past glamour.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsRebecca HallScarlett JohanssonJavier BardemTwo friends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.Penélope Cruz as Maria Elena in this Woody Allen film is great and got the oscar in a very tough year.
- DirectorPeter BogdanovichStarsTimothy BottomsJeff BridgesCybill ShepherdIn 1951, a group of high schoolers come of age in a bleak, isolated, atrophied North Texas town that is slowly dying, both culturally and economically.Cloris Leachman shows that she could be funny but as a dramatic actress is sensational
- DirectorElia KazanStarsMarlon BrandoKarl MaldenLee J. CobbAn ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.Eva Marie Saint got a little shine in the middle of a great male cast(Brando, Cobb, Steiger y Madden).
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsPaul GiamattiDa'Vine Joy RandolphDominic SessaA cranky history teacher at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a grieving cook and a troubled student who has no place to go.Da'Vine Joy Randolph gives a moving performance as a woman coping with a terrible loss. She was the best among the nominees.
- DirectorHenry KosterStarsJames StewartWallace FordWilliam H. LynnDue to his insistence that he has an invisible six foot-tall rabbit for a best friend, a whimsical middle-aged man is thought by his family to be insane - but he may be wiser than anyone knows.Josephine Hull just made a couple of films in her career, and she got the oscar in this comedy over two actresses of All about Eve: Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter.
- DirectorGuy GreenStarsSidney PoitierShelley WintersElizabeth HartmanA blind, uneducated white girl is befriended by a black man who becomes determined to help her escape her impoverished and abusive home life by introducing her to the outside world.Shelley Winters plays a mother/monster (years before Mo`nique) and got her secon Oscar.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsAnsel ElgortRachel ZeglerAriana DeBoseAn adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.Ariana DeBose as Anita is very impressive, but my favorite is Kirsten Dunst (The power of the dog)
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsBurt LancasterMontgomery CliftDeborah KerrAt a U.S. Army base in 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his commanding officer's wife and top aide begin a tentative affair.Donna Reed playing a prostitute in Pearl Harbor is very good in her scenes. She is the favorite in a weak year for the category.
- DirectorRobert RossenStarsBroderick CrawfordJohn IrelandJoanne DruThe rise and fall of a corrupt politician, who makes his friends richer and retains power by dint of a populist appeal.Mercedes McCambridge made a fantastic debut in this political film, she was the best in her category in a weak year.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsJudy DavisVictor BanerjeePeggy AshcroftCultural mistrust and false accusations doom a friendship in British colonial India between an Indian doctor, an Englishwoman engaged to marry a city magistrate, and an English educator.Peggy Ashcroft shows why she was a perfect British actress in this David Lean film (his last).
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsJeff BridgesRobin WilliamsAdam BryantA former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.Mercedes Ruehl in her best moment, but now where is she?
- DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsMichelle YeohStephanie HsuJamie Lee CurtisA middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.Jamie Lee Curtis got a recognition that her parents deserved; it wasn't a strong year for the category, maybe Kerry Condon (The banshees of Inisherin) gave a better performance.
- DirectorArthur PennStarsAnne BancroftPatty DukeVictor JoryThe story of Anne Sullivan's struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.Patty Duke as Helen Keller is fantastic, but is she better than Angel Lansbury (The Manchurian candidate), Shirley Knight (Sweet bird of youth) or Thelma Ritter (Birdman of Alcatraz)?
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsViola DavisEmma StoneOctavia SpencerAn aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.Octavia Spencer as a maid who has to face racism and prejudice in an American town during the 60's
- DirectorPeter BogdanovichStarsRyan O'NealTatum O'NealMadeline KahnDuring the Great Depression, a con man finds himself saddled with a young girl who may or may not be his daughter, and the two forge an unlikely partnership.Tatum O`neal with only ten years and her first film got the oscar, is a shame that after this role she could not make a decent career.
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsMark WahlbergChristian BaleAmy AdamsBased on the story of Micky Ward, a fledgling boxer who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older boxing brother and get his own shot at greatness.Melissa Leo, a talented actress got the recognition after several years in the indie circuit.
- DirectorTom HooperStarsEddie RedmayneAlicia VikanderAmber HeardA fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.Alicia Vikander steals the show as a troubled painter in love with a trasgender person
- DirectorJim SheridanStarsDaniel Day-LewisBrenda FrickerAlison WhelanChristy Brown, born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb - his left foot.Brenda Fricker as the mother of the principal character is good, but I thik Anjelica Huston could get a second oscar for Crimes and misdemeanors (she did not get the nod for the Woody Allen film) instead that for Enemies: a love story .
- DirectorJerry ZuckerStarsPatrick SwayzeDemi MooreWhoopi GoldbergAfter a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.Whoopi Goldberg steals the show from two so so actors (Moore and Swayze) as Oda Mae.
- DirectorVincente MinnelliStarsLana TurnerKirk DouglasWalter PidgeonAn unscrupulous movie producer uses an actress, a director and a writer to achieve success.Gloria Grahame in a small but very juicy role in a great film.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsAlbert FinneyLauren BacallIngrid BergmanIn December 1935, when his transcontinental luxury train is stranded by deep snow, detective Hercule Poirot is called on to solve a murder that occurred in his car the night before, with a multitude of suspects.Ingrid Bergman got her third oscar for a small role in a film based on an Agatha Christie`s novel, but as she said, the best in her category was Valentina Cortesse (Le nuit americaine)
- DirectorVictor FlemingGeorge CukorSam WoodStarsClark GableVivien LeighThomas MitchellA sheltered and manipulative Southern belle and a roguish profiteer face off in a turbulent romance as the society around them crumbles with the end of slavery and is rebuilt during the Civil War and Reconstruction periods.Hattie McDaniel was for too many years the only African american person to win an Oscar, she is unforgettable in this classic, but Olivia de Havilland in the same picture is incredible.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsWinona RyderAngelina JolieClea DuVallA directionless teenager, Susanna, is rushed to Claymoore, a mental institution, after a supposed suicide attempt. There, she befriends a group of troubled women who deeply influence her life.Angelina Jolie made of this small film almost a one- woman show with a very complicated performance. but I prefer Samantha Morton in Sweet and Lowdown.
- DirectorHal AshbyStarsWarren BeattyJulie ChristieGoldie HawnOn Election Day, 1968, a hairdresser and ladies' man is too busy cutting hair and dealing with his various girlfriends and his mistress, whose husband he meets and finds out is having an affair with his ex-girlfriend.Lee Grant got the recognition after several years of being in the black list.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsDustin HoffmanJessica LangeTeri GarrMichael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.Jessica Lange got the oscar maybe because she was also nominated en the principal category for her outstandig performance in Frances.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonGeorge SegalA bitter, aging couple, with the help of alcohol, use their young houseguests to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other over the course of a distressing night.Sandy Dennis as the fragile pregnant woman in the midle of the fight between Taylor and Burton got a little lost. Vivian Merchant in Alfie is my choice for that year.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenMira SorvinoPamela BlairWhen he discovers his adopted son is a genius, a New York sportswriter seeks out the boy's birth mother: a ditzy porn star and prostitute.Mira Sorvino as a dumb prostitute in a Woody Allen film is good, but Joan Allen (Nixon) and Kate Winslet (Sense and sensibility) are better.
- DirectorJane CampionStarsHolly HunterHarvey KeitelSam NeillIn the mid-19th century a mute woman is sent to New Zealand along with her young daughter and prized piano for an arranged marriage to a farmer, but is soon lusted after by a farm worker.Anna Paquin in her screen debut was very convincent, but winning over Holly Hunter (the firm), Wynona Rider (The age of innocence), Rosie Perez (Fearless) and Emma Thompson (In the name of the father) was too much for her.
- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsKiKi LayneStephan JamesRegina KingA young woman embraces her pregnancy while she and her family set out to prove her childhood friend and lover innocent of a crime he didn't commit.Regina King is very talented and her performance as a tough mother is quite good, but I prefer the ladies form The favourite (Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) or Amy Adams (Vice)
- DirectorRob MarshallStarsRenée ZellwegerCatherine Zeta-JonesRichard GereTwo death-row murderesses develop a fierce rivalry while competing for publicity, celebrity, and a sleazy lawyer's attention.Catherine Zeta Jones as Velma, a glamorous killer in a good musical is quite good, but Julianne Moore(The hours) or Meryl Streep (Adaptation) are spectacular.
- DirectorRichard BrooksStarsBurt LancasterJean SimmonsArthur KennedyA fast-talking traveling salesman with a charming, loquacious manner convinces a sincere evangelist that he can be an effective preacher for her cause.Shirley Jones got the award and Janet Leigh in Psycho lost. That is a real shame.
- DirectorJohn MaddenStarsGwyneth PaltrowJoseph FiennesGeoffrey RushThe world's greatest ever playwright, William Shakespeare, is young, out of ideas and short of cash, but meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays.Judi Dench is one of the best actresses ever but got the oscar for being in this picture and only for just a couple scenes is outrageous.
- DirectorLee Isaac ChungStarsSteven YeunHan YeriAlan KimA Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.Youn Yuh-Jung as a grandmother trying to adapt to a new lifestyle is quite good and Glenn Close (Hillbilly elegy)lost for an 8th time (a record)
- DirectorRon HowardStarsRussell CroweEd HarrisJennifer ConnellyA mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.Jennifer Connelly as Alicia Nash is very good, but Helen Mirren in Gosford Park is way superior.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsPaul Le MatJason RobardsElizabeth CheshireThe story of hard-luck Melvin E. Dummar, who claimed to have received a will naming him an heir to the fortune of Howard Hughes.Mary Steenburgen as a naive stripper is sweet and good, she won because that was a weak year in that category.
- DirectorCraig GillespieStarsMargot RobbieSebastian StanAllison JanneyCompetitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the activity is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.Allison Janney is quite funny as an evil mother but nothing more. I prefer Lesley Manville (Phantom thread) or Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
- DirectorDelbert MannStarsRita HayworthDeborah KerrDavid NivenThe stories of several people are told as they stay at a seaside hotel in Bournemouth which features dining at "Separate Tables."Wendy Hiller a very talented British actress got the recognition for this ensamble film.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsGregory PeckDorothy McGuireJohn GarfieldA reporter pretends to be Jewish in order to cover a story on anti-Semitism, and personally discovers the true depths of bigotry and hatred.Celeste Holm in a fine performance in this dated film by Elia Kazan. Gloria Grahame gave a better performance in a better film called Crossfire.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsBette DavisHenry FondaGeorge BrentIn 1850s Louisiana, a free-spirited Southern belle loses her fiancé due to her stubborn vanity and pride, and vows to win him back.Fay Bainter got two nods that year (the first actress to do that) and got it for this Bette Davis classic
- DirectorMilton KatselasStarsGoldie HawnEdward AlbertEileen HeckartA blind man moves into his own apartment against the wishes of his overprotective mother and befriends the freethinking young woman next door.Eileen Heckart got the oscar in this cute film as the overprotected mother of a blind guy, but Susan Tyrell would be a better choice.
- DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsWilliam HurtKathleen TurnerGeena DavisAn emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles.Geena Davis was hot at that moment and got the award over two better actresses with better perfomances in better films: Michelle Pfeiffer (Dangerous liaisons) and Sigourney Weaver (Working girl).
- DirectorAnthony MinghellaStarsJude LawNicole KidmanRenée ZellwegerIn the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart.Reneé Zellweger is just ok as Ruby, but I think that Patricia Clarkson was better in Pieces of April or The station agent.
- DirectorClifford OdetsStarsCary GrantEthel BarrymoreBarry FitzgeraldWhen an itinerant reluctantly returns home to help his sickly mother run her shop, they are both tempted to turn to crime to help make ends meet.Ehtel Barrymore made her come back to the big screen in this small and almost forgotten film.
- DirectorGene SaksStarsWalter MatthauIngrid BergmanGoldie HawnA dentist pretends to be married to avoid commitment, but when he falls for his girlfriend and proposes, he must recruit his lovelorn nurse to pose as his wife.Goldie Hawn in her best role as a bimbo. Dyann Cannon (Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice) was the best suporting actress that year, but she did not have the star look of Hawn.
- DirectorEd HarrisStarsEd HarrisMarcia Gay HardenRobert KnottA film about the life and career of the American painter, Jackson Pollock.Marcia Gay Harden was the surprise winner that year, getting the oscar over two great perfomances: Julie Walters (Billy Elliot) and Frances McDormand (Almost famous).
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyMichael CurtizStarsFredric MarchOlivia de HavillandDonald WoodsIn 18th-century Italy, an orphan's debt to the man who raised him threatens to separate him forever from the woman he loves.Gale Sondergaard as a manipulative woman. She became the first winner in this category with a good performance but not great
- DirectorBill CondonStarsBeyoncéJamie FoxxEddie MurphyA trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.Jennifer Hudson steals the show in this big musical, but mos of it because of her voice and not for her quality as an actress. The other actresses in the category are better specially Japanesse Rinko Kikuchi (Babel).
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsCherNicolas CageOlympia DukakisLoretta Castorini, a bookkeeper from Brooklyn, New York, finds herself in a difficult situation when she falls for the brother of the man she has agreed to marry.Olympia Dukakis as the mother of Cher is just fine, it was a weak year for the category, maybe Anne Ramsey (Throw mamma from the train) was a little bit better.
- DirectorDouglas SirkStarsRock HudsonLauren BacallRobert StackAlcoholic playboy Kyle Hadley marries the woman secretly loved by his poor but hard-working best friend, who in turn is pursued by Kyle's nymphomaniac sister.Dorothy Malone gave a just ok performance in this melodrama directed by Douglas Sirk. Mildred Dunnock in Baby doll was just irrecognizable.
- DirectorJonathan LynnStarsJoe PesciMarisa TomeiRalph MacchioTwo New Yorkers accused of murder in rural Alabama while on their way back to college call in the help of one of their cousins, a loudmouth lawyer with no trial experience.Marisa Tomei not only got the award for this forgettable film, but a whole career, she has improved with the years, but winning over Judy Davis (Husbands and wives) or Miranda Richardson (Damage) is a scandal.
- DirectorClarence BrownStarsMickey RooneyElizabeth TaylorDonald CrispA jaded former jockey helps a young girl prepare a wild but gifted horse for England's Grand National Sweepstakes.Anne Revere gave a fine performance in this familiar picture, but Angela Lansbury in The picture of dorian Gray was much better.
- DirectorAnthony AsquithStarsElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonLouis JourdanAs fog delays departure for a group of travelers bound for New York City, they wait at the lounge of London's Heathrow airport, each passenger at a moment of crisis in his or her life.Margareth Rutherford after a great career on the stage got the award for this bad film.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsFaye DunawayWilliam HoldenPeter FinchA television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor's ravings and revelations about the news media for its own profit, but finds that his message may be difficult to control.Beatrice Straight with just a single scene in this great film got the Oscar, that is too much, the other nominees deserved more the award: Piper Laurie (Carrie), Lee Grant (Voyage of the damned), Jodie Foster (Taxi driver) or Jane Alexander (All the president´s men).
- DirectorGeorge SeatonHenry HathawayStarsBurt LancasterDean MartinGeorge KennedyA bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.Helen Hayes as an old lady who is a troublemaker in this disaster film is very funny, but Karen Black in Five easy pieces gave a fantastic performance.
- DirectorHenry KingStarsTyrone PowerAlice FayeDon AmecheThe O'Leary brothers--honest Jack and roguish Dion--become powerful figures, and eventually rivals, in Chicago on the eve of its Great Fire.Alice Brady playing a mother of three sons in this big production. This was other example of giving awards for the whole career instead for a single performance.
- DirectorJoshua LoganStarsMarlon BrandoRicardo MontalbanPatricia OwensA US Air Force major in Kobe confronts his own opposition to marriages between American servicemen and Japanese women when he falls for a beautiful performer.Miyoshi Umeki was the first Asian woman to win an oscar, but she is not good in the role of a submisive Japanesse girl, and the whole picture is so strange to watch nowadays.The great Elsa Lanchester (Witness for the prosecution) was so much better.