This infographic was sent to me by a good friend of mine named Holly. She was curious to know if it was accurate. What think you, Oscar watchers?
This infographic was sent to me by a good friend of mine named Holly. She was curious to know if it was accurate. What think you, Oscar watchers?
Sasha Stone has been around the Oscar scene since 1999. Almost everything on this website is her fault.
Better late than never! Barbie was placed in Adapted at the Oscars but is in the Original Screenplay category here,...
Read moreThe Academy should take a bow this morning for bringing back the Oscars, restoring them to their former glory in...
Read moreThe Golden Globes went off well enough this past year that CBS has signed a five-year deal with the Globes...
Read more
Hilarious that few are talking about RUNNER RUNNER and THE FIFTH ESTATE anymore. Not that they were every REALLY in contention, but there WERE those voices sticking up for them. It’s kind of hilarious how the season works. I’m sure Ryan and Sasha find their laughs, and tears, easily.
NICOLE KIDMAN kissed her sister in THE HOURS, the kiss is sexual for sure!
so her role in that movie didn’t match any of those rules.
NICOLE is the only one who won without any extra but on her own.
Amen, Cory. (See my post halfway up the chain.) The sympathy for the character is part of it; a bigger part of it may be the perceived challenge to the actor/actress’ ability.
Love the infographic (although as a colorblind person, some of the lines are a little hard to follow)! I think that the inclusion of “physical/mental disability” would be an interesting addition, especially for Lead Actor. Perhaps “fighting sickness/disease” too on both sides. I think characters to whom these apply could conjure sympathy from the voter, and perhaps garner Oscar as a result.
Ryan,
How I treat people is what truly matters, and in that regard, I play second fiddle to no one, including you. Words and their usage should be as precise as possible, IMHO. The “n” word is bad, but only depending on who is using it? Ridiculous. If “American” gets a geographic hyphens, it’s odd that Charlize Theron isn’t an “African-American.” Where is the dividing line on the continent of Africa? How dark must one be to be “black?” Does it imply that your ancestors were slaves in America? Well, Barack Obama’s father didn’t come over on a slave ship; he came over on a scholarship. I may not know what the solutions are, but thanks for vilifying me for pointing out that there’s room for improvement in our language.
Going by this infographic it seems that Cate Blanchett will win this year.
NICOLE “THE LEGEND HERSELF” KIDMAN is the only one, didn’t match any of that, I don’t think the kiss she gave her sis is sexual sence. but I understand thet Sasha Stone dislike her, me too. but THE HOURS was good, even her.
Evelyn Garver has a point. The campaign is everything.
Right now I can see at least three actors and three actresses that can pull of a great campaign, but all of them have different a different oscar narrative. Well maybe Dern and Redford have a similar one, which is “oldtimer who is due”, but that one never actually wins you the Oscar, it just gets you nominated.
The way I see it:
Actor:
– McConaughey – not so serious turned serious, bo pic. Good narrative, worked for Bullock adn it also might work here.
– Redford – cinematic legend who has never won acting. Some similarities with O’Toole, but “Venus” was never considered for anything above his performance. “All is Lost” might be a contender in other categories. Survival story? One actor to carry the film? Tom Hanks did that in “Cast Away”, but he lost to an actor in a BP winner. I don’t see Redford winning.
– Dern – oldtimer who has Payne on his side, but remember that it didn’t help Nicholson win (he had 3 alredy, but still) and Giamatti get nominated (one of the biggest mistakes made by the Academy). “Schmidt” did win the GG for screenplay, but wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar. Biggest similarities to Richard Farnsworth for “A Straight Story”, so sadly only a nomination.
Actress:
– Blanchett – delivering every time, brilliant actress who already won supporting and (still) does not have the “due factor” going for her. As much as I would like to I don’t think she’ll win. Woody Allen movie? That usually works in the supporting category. The last time a Lead Asctress has won (or even was nominated) in his film was in 1977 and back then it won BP. Blanchett sadly has slim chances, but I’m not gonna give my hopes up.
– Dench – same as above, deliveres one after another, respected everywhere, won supporting (seems like yesterday, but in fact it was a long time ago)
not for her best performance. Her movie probably won’t make much impact, but a screenplay nomination might give her the upper hand.
– Bullock – survival story and a serious BP contender, but she has won very recently (undeserving according to most). The movie will win big in the technicals, but I don’t think it’s going to be treated seriously enough to score some of the big ones, that including Best Actress.
Right now I can’t say for sure who will win in any acting category, and usually by this time you could pick at leat one sho-in who will hold that golden boy at the end of the day. It’s going to be a really fun ride following the precursors, because I want all of the above and many more (Isaac, Johnson, Phoenix, Exarchopoulos, Delpy) to win. Let the precursors come, put me out of my misery.
+1 to Evelyn Garver
I also like Sonja’s point that a biographical performance has won every year since 1998. Nice.
I think the OP infographic could have been presented more clearly. But hey, it’s still fun.
Are the names in black – like Peck as Atticus Finch and Keaton as Annie Hall – meant to ding ALL the categories? In other words, if bolded in black, we’re meant to understand that this is a fictional character who is North American from the present who works as [one of the biggies] who doesn’t have sex or die on screen?
And then the red ones are meant to ding NONE of the categories?
Just trying to figure it out
The graphic is great fun. However, we always have to remember those “intangibles” [as the sportscasters call them] Is it someone’s “turn” in a particular year? Is the Oscar a “makeup” Oscar? A life time achievement Oscar? Is it a weak field? How well regarded is the contender by the Academy? Precursors? Charming and articulate speeches? Campaigns? And every now and then, the Oscar goes to the actual best performance.
This is hilarious, it does seem like there are roles that are tailor made for Oscars. Why is that? Is it that the characters are ones that universally relateable? I mean why award someone for playing joe schmoe?
Di Caprio seems to be a reverse-blindspot for the Academy – they actually seem to see that he’s not very good, and does the impression of acting. After Revolutionary Road, I stopped even trying to take him seriously. Just awful.
Agreed with Ryan, BTW. ‘African-American’ has long-meant black Americans who were born here.
@Koles
Yes, C/M Globe.
I always forget he has won in Drama for The Aviator!
Yupp, can’t be bad if you have Harvey The Punisher Weinstein behind you. *gg*
Though I’m not sure if he will get an acting win this year. Maybe Oprah, but I think that’s it.
How to win an Oscar? Two words: Harvey Weinstein.
@ Sonya
for comedy and musical you mean? Because Leo has a Globe.
@Mark
The zero chance is for actresses and actors winning for a a sportswoman or sportsmen that is NOT a boxer.
It’s true, isn’t it? I only can remember Robert de Niro and Hilary Swank and both played boxers.
(plus Christian Bale in Supporting)
That’s many infos in one graphic and I’m still confused a little.
Though I think it’s “easier” to win today for a non-fictional in a biopic character than in the earlier history of Oscars.
Since 1998 there has not been a year without at least one acting win for a real person and I still doubt there will be one this year.
I don’t think Leo will win (will he ever? He’s still young. Lead actors like their winners more “mature, unlike best actress, as we all know), but if Wolf of Wall Street campaigns in Comedy at the Globes, he at least can win his first award there.
Well I think this is pretty cool!
As far as only boxers being able to win, Fast Eddie Felson was a pro pool player and Forrest Gump was a college football player, a ping-pong champion and a skilled long distance runner. Just saying 🙂
Playing characters with a physical challenge often leads to victory — “My Left Foot,” “The King’s Speech,” “Johnny Belinda” and many more. (It REALLY helps one get a nomination.)
It’s a silly term. Just about as silly is “white people.” Whom does that accurately describe? A few Scandinavians?
Most people are too obsessed with bean-counting re color, gender, etc. I don’t care if the next 50 Best Director winners are all men, or all women, or all “white,” or all “African-American” …
You can think it’s silly if you want to. If you don’t care how that makes you look.
If African-Americans prefer to be called African-Americans then I’m absolutely happy to comply. Why wouldn’t I? Why would I want to insult or shrug off someone’s heritage by making fun of how they choose to identify? What type of person would?
I think people who can’t be bothered to refer to other people in terms the other people prefer (or mock their preference) are lazy, petty, disrepectful, and more than a little bit weird.
Now you can call ME silly or a dick for saying so. Then we can play this pointless game all day.
If I thought the terms people like to use to self-identify were silly, I’d keep that snarly thought to myself. I wouldn’t mock them. Because I would know how gross that would sound. I would worry it might diminish my credibility whenever I had anything far more important to protest.
But that’s just me.
Ridicule whatever you want. I tried to answer you simply, but if you decide you want to dig in your heels and sneer at other people’s heritage – a heritage that means more to them than being white means to you – I’ll be here all day ready to defend the justification for terms you find silly and others hold dear.
I’m not so sure that playing a 100% fictional character created from sctratch by the screenwriter and an actror/actress is the key. A lot of the “fictional characters” are either based on real life characters, sometimes more than one (George Valentin, Bad Blake, or are based on characters already created in materials the movie is based on, or even both (DDL in There Will Be Blood). If you play a “fictional” character like Hannibal Lecter, you already have some of the work done, and some clear guidelines how the character should look like/talk like ect. So out of all the “fictional” characters only a few started of as a blank page in the actor’s mind, having only the original screenplay and guts to guide them.
Is Charlize Theron an “African-American?” She was born and raised in South Africa, and she is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
No
BTW, screw being in Vincent Chace’s “Entourage”, can you imagine being in Leo’s??
Chris,
Love the Leo comment. Funny. 🙂
I think of Leonardo DiCaprio in the same vein I think of a few uber-star athletes. Guys who are almost more famous than what it is they are representing. The group is Tiger Woods (without him, almost no one would watch golf), Kobe Bryant (yes, LeBron has passed him up, but Kobe is a killer, and the “not-nice” guy, Alex Rodriguez & Derek Jeter, both are Living Legends of the Yankees, one being the nice guy, the other has now been made out to be the devil.
I think Leonardo is probably a nice guy, but like Kobe, Tiger, A-Rod, and Jeter, he’s conquered Hollywood, is sometimes more famous than his own movies, and seems to be in a league by himself. Does anyone agree?
But please, not for Gatsby. Thanks.
Almost all of the comments on the OP are digs about Dicaprio or people griping that he hasn’t won yet. Perhaps we’ve found the demographic the Academy wants tuning in but haven’t done so in recent years? Give Leo the prize, Oscar! Get on it.
I never realized that until recently, but Sir Ben Kinsley is of Indian descent though…
The Best Actor and Actress Awards has been given out 169 times (two best actress winners in 1969) and only 5 black actors have won (Sidney, Denzel, Halle, Jamie and Forest). 1 Latin actor (José Ferrer) has won. No Asians have won. So being white will win you an oscar too.
Marlene Dietrich once said that in order to win an Oscar, you have to play a victim of sad and tragic disabilities. 😀
I am really impressed with your writing talents as smartly as with the format on your weblog.
Is this a paid subject or did you modify it your self?
Anyway keep up the nice high quality writing, it’s rare
to look a great blog like this one today..
Also visit my site: ラルフローレン コート 直営
Although, Hoffman did win the Golden Globe for Tootsie.
Mark,
I think the zero percent chance playing a woman is like when Robin Williams dressed like Mrs. Doubtfire. Or Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie.
Who has this much time on their hands to create such a graph ha! I think it says less about ‘how’ to win an Oscar and more about what characters seem to be more Oscar-friendly. Fun tool to have though.
What does it mean zero % chance playing a woman?