Oscar Flashback – 1977

Posted on 02/18/10 32 Comments

2009 produced some of the best Sci Fi films the Oscar race has ever seen. Usually there are one or two that flirt with the edges of Oscar but it’s rare for one, let alone two, to be nominated for Best Picture. For a while there, it looked like there would be three, and that would have been something. But Star Trek was bumped for more Academy-friendly personal stories. Still, two science fiction films up for Best Picture is sort of a big deal. I thought it might be fun to take a look back at Oscar’s history with sci fi.

Here are the films I came up with that were nominated.  Click the jump to read more.

1971 - A Clockwork Orange, 4 nominations including writing, directing, editing. 0 wins.
1977 - Star Wars, 11 nominations, including acting, writing, directing, editing – 7 wins.
1982 – E.T., 9 nominations, including writing, directing, editing – 4 wins.

That’s pretty much it until 2009. But perhaps more interesting are the films that weren’t nominated for Best Pic but could have been:

2001: A Space Odyssey - 4 Oscar nominations, including Writing and Directing, won for Visual Effects only.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, 4 Oscar nominations, won Visual Effects special achievement and Sound.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – 9 nominations including Director and Supporting Actress, won for cinematography and Sound Effects Editing
Alien - won for visual effects, also nominated for Art Direction.
Blade Runner - nominated for Visual Effects and Art Direction.
The Thing (John Carpenter) – no Oscar noms, one Razzie nom.
Aliens – 7 Oscar nominations, including Actress and Editing.

Sci Fi has not been the Academy’s thing.  Other genres have had a hard time breaking through, like thrillers, action movies or comedies.  Their history seems to favor intimate dramas, sweeping epics, war movies and musicals.

Either way, 2009 has already made history with two Science Fiction films up for Best Pic, along with two films directed by women, and one black man.

Of the Sci Fi films that have been nominated, Star Wars looks like it had the best chance of actually winning, famously of course.  Many an internet comment section has filled itself with Star Wars vs. Annie Hall debates, right up there with Shakespeare in Love vs. Saving Private Ryan and Crash vs. Brokeback Mountain.

I absolutely loved Star Wars when it came out.  My sister and I used t be dropped off at the multiplex in the valley and sit through the film multiple times rather than run around town doing errands with our mother.  We were part of the crazed fans that gave rise to the modern blockbuster.  Back then, it was routine to stand in line around the block to wait for the latest and the greatest.  I can still quote almost every line of Star Wars — and I am sure I’ve seen the film at least fifty times.

Ironically, Annie Hall is another of my favorite films.  I have seen it at least fifty times and know every line of dialogue from that movie. I can quote whole passages of it.  My head is full of movie quotes and a large part of that library belongs to Annie Hall.  In 1977 cinema changed forever.

Both Star Wars and Annie Hall gave birth to whole generations of films and filmmakers.  I grew up in the era of both.  It’s hard to say which film has ultimately had a greater impact on cinema because they both did.  Annie Hall was heavy on the writing and the acting; Star Wars was breathtaking in its visuals.

In the end, Annie Hall got only five Oscar nominations and won all but Best Actor.  It absolutely deserved to win as it was the better film.  Star Wars was so new, so completely awe-inspiring, and yet it was weak, as most of George Lucas’ films are (except American Graffiti) on story.  Still, the characters were memorable, archtypical, funny – and most importantly, they appealed across the board. Annie Hall could only really be appreciated by  certain type of person, one that got the jokes and felt the sentiment at the end.

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30 Comments

  1. 1

    Seankgallagher says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 9:08pm

    To me, the wrong sci-fi movie got nominated in 1977. On every level, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND was better than STAR WARS. If that had been nominated instead, that would have been an interesting race, much as I love ANNIE HALL.

  2. 2

    Sasha Stone says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 9:13pm

    Ah, thanks for reminding me about Close Encounters! It is one of my favorites.

  3. 3

    Ken says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 9:24pm

    The best sci-fi, in my opinion, wasn’t even nominated this year: Moon. I loved Avatar & District 9, but Moon was truly a great movie. Really looking forward to Duncan Jones’ next one.

  4. 4

    Dan says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 9:26pm

    Actual science fiction fans prefer Blade Runner. :) ( And Moon, and Serenity, and Solaris, and Stalker.)

  5. 5

    percy says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 9:34pm

    that is why I miss the five best pictures instead of ten, there is something great/historical about being in the same five as the classics of the past, that now you won’t get as much.

  6. 6

    The Z says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 10:27pm

    Don’t forget that fantasy also has had trouble with the AMPAS. Before “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, I can only recall “The Wizard of Oz” as the only other fantasy film to get a Best Picture nomination. I guess you could include “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but I think that might be a stretch. But at least “The Return of the King” won, so fantasy’s got one up on science fiction.

  7. 7

    Brian says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 10:33pm

    Good article. Annie Hall deserved it. But I’ll disagree that American Graffiti has a better story than Star Wars. American Graffiti has no story at all, just backstory and lots and lots of talking. How much story can you have over the course of 12 hours? Annie Hall has minimal story as well, but it’s only the best depiction of a failed modern relationship put on film. On the contrary, Star Wars has plenty of story, well-structured and well-paced. (It would take me a lot longer to sum up the plot of Star Wars than the other 2.)

    One thing I love about 1977 is Herbert Ross having 2 films up for Best Picture. Rare stuff, like 1974 Coppola and 2000 Soderbergh.

  8. 8

    Tony Daquano says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 10:49pm

    Star Wars tells its story perfectly but then again so did Annie Hall, of course Empire Strikes Back was the best of the trilogy, and Blade Runner deserved to be nominated in 82. Anyway the 1977 race is the reason I see Hurt Locker winning (lowest grosser to win since Annie Hall if it does

  9. 9

    Zadow says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:18pm

    3 things I want to say

    1.Star Wars didn’t have a week story at all. Simple doesn’t mean weak.
    2. I think that Minority Report was deserving of a BP nod.
    3. The Z. It’s a wonderful life is a fantasy movie but wasn’t nominated for BP. Some fantasy films that were nominated for BP are The Green Mile, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Field of Dreams, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ghost, Heaven Can Wait ect. They have been somewhat represented in the nominee catagory but rarely win.

  10. 10

    B-Square says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:34pm

    Sasha, Annie Hall is among my absolute favorites too (I love anything Woody Allen). It’s one of the most influential film ever made. Filmmakings changed forever after Annie Hall.

    Annie Hall as a film, also feels timeless. The dialogue and jokes are still audaciously funny today, unlike many other 70s, 80s films that look (and sound) pretty ridiculous today.

    And I agree with Ken, that Moon was the best Sci-fi film last year. Sam Rockwell was robbed of a nomination. I’d rank him over Morgan Freeman. Invictus wasn’t that great, and Freeman was merely passable as Mandela. Though, Damon was great in it IMHO.

  11. 11

    Rob Y says:
    Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:45pm

    Sasha,

    I would have added Wall-E to the list. Yes it is animated, but it was still Sci Fi.

  12. 12

    Pierre de Plume says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 12:03am

    One of the nice things about Close Encounters is that it shows Spielberg’s talent for working with actors.

    Off topic, but let’s not forget that 1977 was the year that gave us John Travolta and Saturday Night Fever.

  13. 13

    guany says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 1:55am

    Annie Hall > Star Wars. Now and forever.

  14. 14

    ryan - the original lower case "r" says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 2:30am

    Gotta say… I’m in the camp that would’ve wanted Star Wars to beat Annie Hall. But to say one is better than the other is kinda pointless, because they’re two completely different types of movies.

    But it never ceases to amaze me how little recognition the science fiction genre as gotten in the history of films. And I’m still surprised that Star Trek didn’t make the cut this year. I was almost certain it would.

    And I’m glad that you mentioned The Thing, Sasha (though I hope it wasn’t as a joke). But that had 2 things against it… Sci-Fi… and Horror (which I’m still in the camp that doesn’t believe Silence of the Lambs is a horror film… it’s a suspense film).

  15. 15

    Matthias Zucker says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 3:17am

    Well, as for influential SF films that didn’t get nominated for Best Picture although they probably should have, before you mention WALL-E, you should name The Matrix. It’s exclusion based on its genre (and it really could’ve been only that since they obviously liked it) is especially aggravating since in 1999, there were really only two deserving films in the BP lineup: American Beauty and The Insider. They missed most of the other greats of the year in The Matrix alongside Being John Malkovich, Magnolia, Boys Don’t Cry, or The Straight Story.

  16. 16

    Bill S. says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 5:14am

    Zadow,

    Actually It’s a Wonderful Life was nominated (as was Capra) for BP of 1946, along with Best Years of Our Lives (winner), Yearling, Razor’s Edge, Henry V.

    Sorry, it’s the pedant in me!

  17. 17

    Chris says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 6:05am

    If I recall ET, not STAR WARS in ’77, was THE favorite to win Best Picture from the moment it debuted at Cannes ’82 out of competition till it’s, then relevant, Golden Globe win for Best Drama.

    Until of course it was felled by the all too convenient ‘It’s made too much money’ backlash (sound familiar?) that only specifically happens to critical and commercially very successful genre films not named SILENCE OF THE LAMBS or ROTK.

    As for some of the other movies mentioned neither BLADE RUNNER or THE THING were critical or commercial hits on release and THE MATRIX had no Best Picture buzz emanating from it’s reviews (even if there’s been 10 BP nominees then it probably wouldn’t have made the list).

  18. 18

    richard crawford says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 6:39am

    close encounters is a marvelous movie.

    the empire strikes back directed by irvan kirshner
    is the best star wars movie.

  19. 19

    Good Evening, Hollywood Phonies says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 9:03am

    The Oscar success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is totally unmentioned, or is that not considered sci-fi? It has more in common with, and helped inspire, the Star Wars films than probably any other sci-fi films.

  20. 20

    Sasha Stone says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 9:07am

    I don’t think LOTR is sci-fi. Straight up fantasy perhaps. I always think of Sci Fi is having to do with the future or taking place in outer space.

  21. 21

    Paddy M says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 10:35am

    Perhaps we may come to consider Avatar like Star Wars was considered in its day. It’s a phenomenon, it’s reaped plenty of Oscar noms (but may be bumped by the smaller, more acclaimed films), it’s appreciated on some level by all, at least for its spectacular visuals.

    And that’s the thing. Just like Star Wars, the writing in Avatar is weak. Oddly, though, Star Wars got an Oscar nom for its writing – perhaps because in ’77, Lucas was regarded as a better writer than director (how things have changed, huh?!?), whereas Cameron is currently regarded as a better director than writer. They’re both spectacles, and will forever be thought of as spectacles. Maybe we’ll even laugh a little at Avatar in the future, as we do occasionally in Star Wars, like the stiff lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan.

  22. 22

    Filmatelist says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 11:43am

    “3. The Z. It’s a wonderful life is a fantasy movie but wasn’t nominated for BP. Some fantasy films that were nominated for BP are The Green Mile, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Field of Dreams, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ghost, Heaven Can Wait ect. They have been somewhat represented in the nominee catagory but rarely win.”

    Good list, though some earlier fantasy Best Picture nods should include “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Lost Horizon”, “Here Comes Mr. Jordan”, “The Bishop’s Wife”, “Mary Poppins”, “Doctor Dolittle”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “The Exorcist” (horror, but also decidedly supernatural).

  23. 23

    Filmatelist says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 11:49am

    The Best Oscar/Sci-Fi Years:

    1977 (2 films) – 18 nominations, 9 wins (including 2 Special Achievement awards)
    1982 (3 films) – 13 nominations, 4 wins
    1986 (3 films) – 12 nominations, 3 wins
    2009 (4 films) – 18 nominations, ? wins (I’m guessing 5 or 6 total)

  24. 24

    Ryan Adams says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 12:13pm

    Interesting, Filmatelist.
    I’ll fill in the best titles, if you don’t mind me horning in:

    1977 – Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    1982 – ET, Blade Runner
    1986 – Aliens
    2009 – Avatar, District 9, Star Trek

    As happy as I am to see so many well-made SF films this year — the current crop looks a bit unsubstantial next to the landmark SF nominees of the past.

  25. 25

    Alex says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 12:37pm

    Annie Hall deserved to win, its a better film by far. The writing, acting, and direction are all perfect. Its simple in its story, but its emotions are complex, layered and true.

    Star Wars has some sloid moments, but its weak in so many others. Also, its a good SF film, not a great film in general.

  26. 26

    Jon says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 12:52pm

    I just want to say that that scene you featured from ANNIE HALL Sasha is still absolutely hysterical. Ahhh Woody.

  27. 27

    Jon says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 12:53pm

    And thank you for giving some love to Carpenter’s “The Thing”. That films special effects are still astounding today.

  28. 28

    Gustavo H.R. says:
    Friday, February 19, 2010 at 4:28pm

    CLOSE ENCOUNTERS… That snub in Picture and Screenplay still hurts.

  29. 29

    The Z says:
    Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 2:15pm

    Thanks, Bill S.

    I know my Oscar nominated films inside and out, and it helps to have another source when someone disagrees (or in this case, is just plain wrong).

    But the added films for fantasy genre are appreciated.

  30. 30

    Reichdome says:
    Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 4:57pm

    yea it interesting everyime a sci-fi film is criticallyt acclaimed it never good enough for the academy…time for them to wake up to reality if they reverse their unjustified decades long bias against a woman winning best director they can with sci=fi no excuses the lame line for the academy that stuck to sci fiu from the academy since star wars is: “sci-fi is too new too different” time fgor conservatism to be flushed out it oscars poison chalice and their to change not likely they care to anytime soon bullshit it is rubbish they are

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