Academy Awards: Leading actress (From the best to the worst)
The complete list of academy awards winners as Leading actress, from the very best to the worst choice ever.
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- DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsMeryl StreepKevin KlinePeter MacNicolSophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live with Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust.Meryl Streep gives one of the most complex and full of technique performances in history, a master class of acting, she plays a Polish survivor from the nazi concentration camps
- DirectorAnthony HarveyStarsPeter O'TooleKatharine HepburnAnthony Hopkins1183 A.D.: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. When he allows his imprisoned wife Eleanor of Aquitaine out for a Christmas visit, they all variously plot to force him into a decision.Katharine Hepburn won 4 Oscars, her third win was the most deserved for portraying a queen who refuses to be left behind in power matters. Sorry that she had to share her glory that year with Streissand, but overall she never went to the ceremony to recieve her Oscars
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsOlivia de HavillandMontgomery CliftRalph RichardsonA naive young woman falls for a handsome young man her emotionally abusive father suspects is only a fortune hunter.Olivia de Havilland and her second award, she plays a tragic heroine who falls in love with the wrong man, a classic performance full of details, directed by one of the great acting directors of all time: William Wyler
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsCharles BoyerIngrid BergmanJoseph CottenTen years after her aunt was murdered in their London home, a woman returns from Italy in the 1880s to resume residence with her new husband. His obsessive interest in the home rises from a secret that may require driving his wife insane.Ingrid Bergman and her first of thre awards as a fragile woman who marries a strange but seductive man and finds herself trapped in a house
- 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.Elizabeth Taylor is fantastic as the bitter Martha who fights her husband during and unforgettable night
- 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.Vivien Leigh won her second Oscar for palying Blanche in this masterpiece, with the head in the clouds but her heart in the earth, a great role in a great 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.Faye Dunaway as a ruthless tv producer in this masterpiece written by Paddy Chayefski and directed by Sidney Lumet is perfect in the very long dialogues, full of emotions.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsCate BlanchettAlec BaldwinPeter SarsgaardA New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks like a million dollars but isn't bringing money, peace or love.Cate Blanchett as the neurotic woman who after a crisis tries to start again but her curse is herself
- 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.Holly Hunter as a woman who has decided bot to speak and goes to live to New Zealand, she starts a relationship with his neighbor and tragedy happens.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJodie FosterAnthony HopkinsScott GlennA young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.Jodie Foster and her second win in one of the best American films of the 90's, she gives fragility and toughness to Clarice, a FBI agent searching for a criminal
- DirectorStephen FrearsStarsHelen MirrenMichael SheenJames CromwellAfter the death of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II struggles with her reaction to a sequence of events nobody could have predicted.Helen Mirren as queen Elizabeth II during the days of Lady Di's death, is so credible in every single scene, Just magnificent
- DirectorBob FosseStarsLiza MinnelliMichael YorkHelmut GriemA female girlie club entertainer in Weimar Republic era Berlin romances two men while the Nazi Party rises to power around them.Liza Minelli dances, sings and shines as an American woman living in a sordid cabaret in Berlin before the secong world war
- DirectorTim RobbinsStarsSusan SarandonSean PennRobert ProskyA nun, while comforting a convicted killer on death row, empathizes with both the killer and his victim's families.Susan Sarandon got the Oscar in her fifth attempt, she is great as a catholic nun who comforts a criminal who is about to die. Emotive but in a very good way
- 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.The great Bette Davis and her second (and final) award as a decided woman who takes control of her life during difficult times, a melodrama to the glory of one of the most importat stars of all time
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsNatalie PortmanMila KunisVincent CasselNina is a talented but unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point by her artistic director and a seductive rival, Nina's grip on reality slips, plunging her into a waking nightmare.Natalie Portman was flawless as the ballerina who starts a journey through her personal fears and desires
- 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.It was a surprise when Vivien Leigh won over Greta Garbo (Ninotchka) or Irene Dunne (Love affair), but her Scarlett is one of the most beloved characters in movie history
- DirectorOlivier DahanStarsMarion CotillardSylvie TestudPascal GreggoryBiopic of the iconic French singer Édith Piaf. Raised by her grandmother in a brothel, she was discovered while singing on a street corner at the age of 19. Despite her success, Piaf's life was filled with tragedy.Marion Cotillard as the inmortal Edith Piaff shows all her capacity as an actress and became a star, a complex portrait specially during the last days of the french diva
- DirectorNunnally JohnsonStarsJoanne WoodwardDavid WayneLee J. CobbA doctor treats a woman suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder.Joanne Woodward as a housewife who suffers multiple personality disorder, in a regular movie, she shines in every scene.
- DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsShirley MacLaineDebra WingerJack NicholsonFollows hard-to-please Aurora looking for love and her daughter's family problems.After several nominations, Shriley MacLaine finally got the award for playing a lively mother who faces a difficult relationship with her only daughter
- DirectorKimberly PeirceStarsHilary SwankChloë SevignyPeter SarsgaardA young man named Brandon Teena navigates love, life, and being transgender in rural Nebraska.Hillary Swank as the troubled Brandon Teena is very good, a real transformation
- DirectorArthur PennStarsAnne BancroftPatty DukeVictor JoryThe story of Anne Sullivan's struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.Anne Bancroft won for his role as Ann Sullivan, she is perfect as the blind teacher who strugles for teaching a special girl. she won over 2 monsters of acting: Bette Davis (What ever happened to BJ?) and Katharine Hepburn (Long ay's journey into the night)
- DirectorPatty JenkinsStarsCharlize TheronChristina RicciBruce DernBased on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.Charlize Theron as a lesbian woman who commits crimes while becomes a prostitute. A transformation not only physical but emotional too.
- DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsJane FondaDonald SutherlandCharles CioffiA small-town detective searching for a missing man has only one lead: a connection with a New York prostitute.Jane fonda deserved her first award for his role as a prostitute who becames the target of a strange criminal. A good choice.
- DirectorJames IvoryStarsAnthony HopkinsEmma ThompsonVanessa RedgraveSet in the early 20th century, class distinctions and troubled relations affect the relationship between two families and the ownership of a cherished British estate known as Howards End.Emma Thompson as a lively english woman who marries a very strict widower, a quite good role for a talented actress
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonTony RobertsAlvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, reflects on his relationship with ex-lover Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which ended abruptly just like his previous marriages.Diane Keaton won for one of her many colaborations with Woody Allen, she is funny and troubled at the same time in this role that permited her to show all her skills.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsFrances McDormandWoody HarrelsonSam RockwellA mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.Frances McDormand in a great performance as a tough mother looking for justice in a very unusual way.
- DirectorJean NegulescoStarsJane WymanLew AyresCharles BickfordA kind doctor volunteers to tutor a deaf-mute woman, but scandal starts to swirl when his pupil is raped and falls pregnant.Jane Wyman got her award for her sensitive role as a mude girl who is raped and keeps the secret in this very well made melodrama
- DirectorJack ClaytonStarsLaurence HarveySimone SignoretHeather SearsAn ambitious young accountant plots to wed a wealthy factory owner's daughter despite falling in love with a married older woman.Simone Signoret was the first French actress to win the Oscar, she gave a wonderful performance in this British film
- DirectorDaniel MannStarsBurt LancasterShirley BoothTerry MooreAn emotionally remote recovering alcoholic and his dowdy, unambitious wife face a personal crisis when they take in an attractive lodger.Shirley Booth only made a couple of films and won for her debut as a housewife that has to deal with her alcoholic husband and the constant sadness of a bleak life
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsOlivia ColmanEmma StoneRachel WeiszIn early 18th-century England, the status quo at the court is upset when a new servant arrives and endears herself to a frail Queen Anne.Olivia Colman as the troubled queen Anne of England, she's very good and effective, but most people thought that Glenn Close finally would get her Oscar for The wife.
- DirectorDaniel MannStarsAnna MagnaniBurt LancasterMarisa PavanA Sicilian seamstress who idolizes her husband must deal with several family crises upon his sudden death.Anna Magnani, the great Italian actress. won for her role in this Tennesse William's play adapted to the big screen. She's very energetic as a woman who deals with deception and betrayal
- DirectorChloé ZhaoStarsFrances McDormandDavid StrathairnLinda MayA woman in her sixties, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.Frances McDormand got her third award as a lonely woman who after a personal tragedy travels through her country, she's very good, but my personal favorite was Carey Mulligan (Promising young woman)
- DirectorVittorio De SicaStarsSophia LorenJean-Paul BelmondoRaf ValloneIn WWII Italy, a widow and her lonely daughter seek distance between themselves and the horrors of war.Sophia Loren became the first actress to win the award for a perfomance in a foreign language film. A very dramatic role, and won over two magnificent performances: Audrey Hepburn (Breakfast at Tiffany's) and Natalie Wood (Splendor in the grass)
- DirectorStephen DaldryStarsKate WinsletRalph FiennesBruno GanzPost-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Berg re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial.Kate Winslet won after 6 nods, and she did it for portraying a German woman that becomes a nazi collaborator. The movie is not so good, but the performance is great
- DirectorJohn SchlesingerStarsJulie ChristieDirk BogardeLaurence HarveyBeautiful but amoral model Diana Scott sleeps her way to the top of the London fashion scene at the height of the Swinging Sixties.Julie Christie is wonderful as a model who fall in love with two different men during covulsive years. She was the best option that year
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsJoan CrawfordJack CarsonZachary ScottA hard-working mother inches towards disaster as she divorces her husband and starts a successful restaurant business to support her spoiled daughter.Joan Crawford as the mother capable of sacrifice in this melodrama with a litlle touch of mistery. It was her come back in a very big way
- DirectorF.W. MurnauStarsGeorge O'BrienJanet GaynorMargaret LivingstonA sophisticated city woman seduces a farmer and convinces him to murder his wife and join her in the city, but he ends up rekindling his romance with his wife when he changes his mind at the last moment.Janet Gaynor became the first winner for her performance in 3 different films: Sunrise, Street angel and The 7th heaven. The best is the first one, which is a masterpiece of silent movies directed by Murnau
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsEllen BurstynKris KristoffersonMia BendixsenA recently widowed woman is on the road with her precocious young son, determined to make a new life for herself as a singer.Ellen Burstyn won for her role as a single mother who struggles for becoming a singer. Her closest competition was Gena Rowlands (A woman under the influence)
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsJames CaanKathy BatesRichard FarnsworthAfter a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.Kathy Bates as a fan from hell in this adaptation of a Stephen King's novel is quite good, but Anjelica Huston (The grifters) was better.
- DirectorJonathan KaplanStarsKelly McGillisJodie FosterBernie CoulsonAfter a young woman suffers a brutal gang rape in a bar one night, a prosecutor assists in bringing the perpetrators to justice, including the ones who encouraged and cheered on the attack.Jodie Foster as a raped woman is wonderful, but the movie is not good enough, Glenn Close (Dangerous liaisons) deserved more the award
- DirectorStephen DaldryStarsMeryl StreepNicole KidmanJulianne MooreThe story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.Nicole Kidman as the troubled Virginia Woolf is very good, but her co-star Julianne Moore was magnificent in Far from heaven
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsWilliam H. MacyFrances McDormandSteve BuscemiMinnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.Frances McDormand won for her role as a police officer of a small town who solves a strange case while she's pregnant. A strong performance, but I think Brenda Blethyn (Secrets and lies) and Emily Watson (Breaking the waves) gave better performances
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsBilly Bob ThorntonHalle BerryTaylor SimpsonAfter a family tragedy, a racist prison guard re-examines his attitudes while falling in love with the African-American wife of the last prisoner he executed.Halle Berry became the first black actress to win in this category. She is very good as an emotionally damaged woman who starts a relationship with a racist man. My favourite was Sissy Sapcek (In the bedroom)
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantJoan FontaineCedric HardwickeA shy young heiress marries a charming gentleman, and soon begins to suspect he is planning to murder her.Joan Fontaine got her Oscar for this thriller directed by the master Alfred Hitchcock, the interesting note was that he won over her sister: Olivia de Havilland (Hold back the dawn)
- DirectorKen RussellStarsAlan BatesOliver ReedGlenda JacksonTwo best friends fall in love with a pair of women, but the relationships soon go in very different directions.Glenda Jackson was on of the bes actreses at the begining of the 70's, this was her first Oscar in a film based in a DH Lawrence's novel. Her closest competition was another british: Sarah Miles (Ryan's daughter)
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsEmma StoneMark RuffaloWillem DafoeAn account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.Emma Stone got her second award for her wild role as a creature willing to discover the world. My favorite was Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a fall).
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsSusan HaywardSimon OaklandVirginia VincentA prostitute, sentenced to death for murder, pleads her innocence.Susan Hayward won the award after 5 nods, she got it for playing a woman who died in the electric chair. Very touching, without being too sentimental
- DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsMorgan FreemanJessica TandyDan AykroydAn old Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.At the end of her career, Jessica Tandy recieved a lot of praising for her role as the tough old lady that becomes friend of her black driver
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsGregory PeckAudrey HepburnEddie AlbertA bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.The charming Audrey Hepburn won for her sweet role as a European princess who falls in love with an American journalist. Again Deborah Kerr (From here to eternity) was the closest competition.
- DirectorRonald NeameStarsMaggie SmithGordon JacksonRobert StephensAn eccentric Scottish schoolteacher's extravagantly romantic ideas about life--and love--overly impress her young pupils and bring her into conflict with her school's conservative headmistress.Maggie Smith as the lively and corny english teacher is very good, maybe Jane Fonda(They shoot horses, don't they?) would had been a good choice too
- DirectorRichard GlatzerWash WestmorelandStarsJulianne MooreAlec BaldwinKristen StewartA linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.Julianne More finally got an Oscar for her accurate performance of a woman who suffers Alzheimer disease.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsJulia RobertsAlbert FinneyDavid BrisbinAn unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply.Julia Roberts at her best as a woman who tries to win a lawsuit against a powerful company. Two other actresses gave better performances that year: Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a dream) and Laura Linney (You can count on me)
- DirectorAnatole LitvakStarsIngrid BergmanYul BrynnerHelen HayesAn opportunistic businessman tries to pass off a mysterious impostor as the Grand Duchess Anastasia, and she is so convincing that even the biggest skeptics believe her.Ingrid Bergman not only got a second award, she was accepted back in Hollywood, thanks to her nice portrait of a confussed woman who claims to be a Russian princess. Her closest competitor was Deborah Kerr (The king and I)
- DirectorRupert GooldStarsRenée ZellwegerJessie BuckleyFinn WittrockLegendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts.Renee Zellwegeras Judy Garland is very effective and emotional. It was a weak year for the category, her closest competitor was Scarlett Johansson (Marriage story)
- DirectorMichael AptedStarsSissy SpacekTommy Lee JonesLevon HelmThe fictionalized life of singer Loretta Lynn, a girl who rose from humble beginnings to become a country music star in the 1960s/70s.Sissy Spacek won for playing a real country singer in this biopic, but I think two other deserved more the award: Mary Tyler-Moore (Ordinary people) and Gena Rowlands (Gloria)
- DirectorAlfred E. GreenStarsBette DavisFranchot ToneMargaret LindsayAn alcoholic actress who is considered a dangerous jinx is rehabilitated, but she then shows that she's as dangerous as ever.Bette Davis won her first Oscar after she failed to get an official nomination the year before for her magnificent role in Of human bondage
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsJack NicholsonLouise FletcherMichael BerrymanIn the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.Louise Fletcher won for her memorable role as the nurse from hell in this masterpiece, but what did she do after that? Nobody knows. Isabelle Adjani (Adele H.) would had been a better choice
- DirectorHal AshbyStarsJane FondaJon VoightBruce DernIn 1968 California, a woman whose husband is a Marine officer fighting in Vietnam falls in love with a former high school classmate who suffered a paralyzing combat injury in the war.Jane Fonda won a second Oscar for this anti-war film, but if you see Ingrid Bergman's work in Automn sonata, you will notice who deserved to win
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsHilary SwankClint EastwoodMorgan FreemanFrankie, an ill-tempered old coach, reluctantly agrees to train aspiring boxer Maggie. Impressed with her determination and talent, he helps her become the best and the two soon form a close bond.Hillary Swank won her second Oscar on her second try, this time for her role as a female boxer who ends asking for death. It was a very solid work, but Imelda Stauton (Vera Drake) was way superior
- DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsOlivia de HavillandJohn LundMary AndersonAn unwed mother, forced to give up her child to avoid scandal, follows her son's life from afar even as she prospers in business.Olivia de Havilland with her first win in this nice melodrama, she won over Celia Johnson (Brief encounter) and Jennifer Jones ((Duel in the sun)
- DirectorLenny AbrahamsonStarsBrie LarsonJacob TremblaySean BridgersA little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.Brie Larson is very impressive as a mother facing abuse, but Cate Blanchett (Carol) or Saorse Ronan (Brooklyn) were better options
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsJoaquin PhoenixReese WitherspoonGinnifer GoodwinA chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.Reese Whiterspoon as June Carter is quite good, it was a weak year in that category, maybe Felicity Hoffman (Transamerica) gave an edgier and complex performance
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsRyan GoslingEmma StoneRosemarie DeWittWhile navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.Emma Stone won for her role as an aspiring actress in this charming musical, but obviously Isabelle Huppert was just magnificent in Elle
- 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.Michelle Yeoh became the second non-white actress to get the award for her performance as a troubled mother facing multiverse adventures, but Cate Blanchett is just amazing in Tár.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsGreer GarsonWalter PidgeonTeresa WrightA British family struggles to survive the first months of World War II.Greer Garson won under the direction of William Wyler for this film set during world war II in England, she is quite good, it was a weak year in the category and for Hollywood films in general
- DirectorGeorge SeatonStarsBing CrosbyGrace KellyWilliam HoldenA director hires an alcoholic has-been and strikes up a stormy relationship with the actor's wife, who he believes is the cause of all the man's problems.Grace Kelly in a good performance as a bitter wife. On the other hand Judy Garland was fantastic in A star is born.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsBarbra StreisandOmar SharifKay MedfordThe life of Fanny Brice, famed comedienne and entertainer of the early 1900s. We see her rise to fame as a Ziegfeld girl, subsequent career, and her personal life, particularly her relationship with Nick Arnstein.Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice is very funny and her voice is spectacular, but thanks (or not) that she had to share her win with the magnificent Katharine Hepburn.
- DirectorMichael ShowalterStarsJessica ChastainAndrew GarfieldCherry JonesAn intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker.Jessica Chastain got her award after a decade full of great performances. She's quite good as the iconic evangelist, however I prefer Penélpe Cruz (Madres paralelas) or Olivia Colman (The lost daughter)
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsClark GableClaudette ColbertWalter ConnollyA rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.Claudette Colbert is memorable in this classic romantic comedy, but obviously Bette Davis in Of human bondage should had been the winner
- DirectorSidney FranklinVictor FlemingGustav MachatýStarsPaul MuniLuise RainerWalter ConnollyAlthough married Chinese farmers Wang and O-Lan initially experience success, their lives are complicated by declining fortunes and lean times, as well as the arrival of the beautiful young Lotus.Louise Reiner is the only actress to win two consecutive Oscars, she got her second one for playing a suffered Chinese woman in this epic drama. The most surprising is that she won over 4 more popular actresses: Greta Garbo (Camille), Irene Dunne (The awful truth), Barbara Stanwyck (Stella Dallas ) an Janet Gayor (A star is born)
- DirectorStanley KramerStarsSpencer TracySidney PoitierKatharine HepburnA couple's attitudes are challenged when their daughter introduces them to her African-American fiancé.Katharine Hepburn won her second Oscar for playing a liberal mother in this feel-good film, not a bad choice, but Anne Bancroft is just so memorable in The graduate as Mrs. Robinson and Edith Evans is magnificent in The whisperers.
- DirectorRobert StevensonStarsJulie AndrewsDick Van DykeDavid TomlinsonIn turn of the century London, a magical nanny employs music and adventure to help two neglected children become closer to their father.Julie Andrews got the award for this Disney film which is very charming and full of good music, perhaps the Academy wanted to award her because she was denied to play the leading role in My fair lady (a role that she played on stage).
- 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.Cher won for playing the leading role in this romantic comedy about Italo-americans, she did a very decent job. But as a comedian, Holly Hunter was great in Broadcast news
- DirectorPhyllida LloydStarsMeryl StreepJim BroadbentRichard E. GrantAn elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.Is Meryl Streep the best film actress alive? I agree, but this is a bad film, her acting is very good, I think Viola Davis (The help) or Michelle Williams (My week with Marilyn) represented better options
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsBradley CooperJennifer LawrenceRobert De NiroAfter a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.Jennifer Lawrence is a good actress, but her win was a kind of upset, because of two magnificent performances: Emanuelle Riva (Amour) and Jessica Chastain (Zero dark thirty)
- DirectorLowell ShermanStarsKatharine HepburnDouglas Fairbanks Jr.Adolphe MenjouWhen a naively innocent, aspiring actress arrives on the Broadway scene, she is taken under the wing of several theater veterans who mentor her to ultimate success.Katharine Hepburn won the first of four Oscars (a record) for her role as an aspiring actress who crashes with the awful truth. A nice job in a weak year for the Academy. Maybe she won because of her other important role that year: Little women
- DirectorMartin RittStarsSally FieldBeau BridgesRon LeibmanA young single mother and textile worker agrees to help unionize her mill despite the problems and dangers involved.Sally Field as the sindicalist woman who faces a big company is quite good, but Bette Midler was wonderful in The rose
- DirectorPeter MastersonStarsGeraldine PageJohn HeardCarlin GlynnIn 1940s Texas, an elderly woman is determined to visit her childhood home one last time.Geraldine Page finally got the award in her 8th attempt, the legendary stage actress played and old woman that comes back to her hometown. It was a sentimental Oscar.
- DirectorRanda HainesStarsWilliam HurtMarlee MatlinPiper LaurieA new speech teacher at a school for the deaf falls in love with the janitor, a deaf woman speechless by choice.The first (and only)mute actress to win the award was Marlee Martin for her role in this overrated drama, it was a weak year in the categtory, maybe Kathleen Turner (Peggy Sue got married) deserved more attention
- DirectorMartin RittStarsPaul NewmanMelvyn DouglasPatricia NealHonest, hard-working Texas rancher Homer Bannon has a conflict with his unscrupulous, selfish, arrogant, egotistical son Hud, who sank into alcoholism after accidentally killing his brother in a car crash.Patricia Neal was a very good actress, but her role in this film is more like a supporting one, her competitors deserved the award: Natalie Wood (Love with the proper stranger) and Rachel Roberts (This sporting life)
- DirectorTony RichardsonStarsJessica LangeTommy Lee JonesPowers BootheCarly moves with her military husband and their two daughters to an isolated army base, only to quickly become part of a cover-up involving nuclear bomb tests.Jessica Lange won a second Oscar for playing a problematic wife of a military man, it' a good job in a bad film. That was a weak year for this category
- DirectorEdgar SelwynStarsHelen HayesLewis StoneNeil HamiltonOut of jail for a crime she did not commit, Madelon turns to prostitution and thievery to send her illegitimate son to medical school.Helen Hayes is very convincing in this bad melodrama. She became the first actress to win for playing a prostitute
- DirectorMark RydellStarsKatharine HepburnHenry FondaJane FondaNorman is a curmudgeon with an estranged relationship with his daughter Chelsea. At Golden Pond, he and his wife nevertheless agree to care for Billy, the son of Chelsea's new boyfriend, and a most unexpected relationship blooms.The fourth oscar for Katharine Hepburn was the least deserved, she is good in this too sentimental film about an aging couple. Meryl Streep(The french lieutenant's woman) gave a better perfomance
- DirectorRobert Z. LeonardStarsNorma ShearerRobert MontgomeryChester MorrisWhen a woman discovers that her husband has been unfaithful to her, she decides to respond to his infidelities in kind.Norma Shearer was one big star during the 30's and this film was made specially for her abilities in drama and romance, but Greta Garbo was superior in Anna Christie, her first talkie
- DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsJack NicholsonHelen HuntGreg KinnearA single mother and waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.Helen Hunt at the top of her game won for playing a role perfect for her comedic and dramatic skills, nothing different to her role in Mad about you (TV). Her competitors (all British) deserved more the award: Judi Dench (Mrs. Brown), Helena Bonham-Carter (The wings of the dove), Julie Christie (Afteglow) and Kate Winslet (Titanic)
- DirectorGeorge W. HillStarsMarie DresslerWallace BeeryDorothy JordanMin, the owner of a dockside hotel, is forced to make difficult decisions about the future of Nancy, the young woman she took in as an infant.Marie Dressler was a boxoffice hit when a lot of actresses are almost forgotten and she won for this melodrama, in which she palyed a sacrificed mother. Marlene Dietrcih deserved the award for her role in Morocco
- DirectorRobert BentonStarsSally FieldLindsay CrouseEd HarrisIn central Texas in the 1930s, a widow with two small children tries to save her small 40-acre farm with the help of a blind boarder and an itinerant black handyman.Sally Field won a second Oscar for her good performance in this drama about a woman who survives against all odds. But two other actresses were way better: Judy Davis (A passage to India) and Vanessa Redgrave (The Bostonians)
- DirectorHenry KingStarsJennifer JonesCharles BickfordWilliam Eythe14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous, living in a small town in the south of 1850s France, claims to have seen a divine vision, prompting extreme skepticism, concern from her family, and religious and political turmoil.Jennifer Jones for playing a catholic saint in this nice biopic. Ingrid Bergman deserved the award for Casablanca, but she was nominated for her role in For whom the bells toll instead
- DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsQuinton AaronSandra BullockTim McGrawThe story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.Sandra Bullock at her best, but is she a better actress than Meryl Streep or Helen Mirren or even the young Carey Mulligan? The answer is NO.
- DirectorDaniel MannStarsElizabeth TaylorLaurence HarveyEddie FisherA beautiful New York model and socialite enjoys a very active night-life, but all things change when she falls for a married man and the consequences are tragic.Elizabeth Taylor almost died during the voting process and the Academy decided to give her the Oscar over the great performance of Shirley MacLaine in The apartment.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsJudy HollidayWilliam HoldenBroderick CrawfordA tycoon hires a tutor to teach his lover proper etiquette, with unexpected results.Judy Holliday won for her role as a dumb blode in this classic comedy, she's quite good, but two divas gave the performances of their careers: Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard) and Bette Davis (All about Eve)
- DirectorMelvin FrankStarsGeorge SegalGlenda JacksonPaul SorvinoRomantic comedy about a pair of clandestine lovers in a London-Spain tryst.Glenda Jackson got a second Oscar for this very light romantic comedy, maybe she won because the competition wasn't too strong, but Ellen Burstyn (The exocist) or Barbra Streissand (The way we were) gave more memorble performances
- 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.Gwyneth Paltrow is not a bad actress, just an Ok actress, she didn't deserve the award when the competition was stronger, specially: Fernanda Montenegro (Central do Brasil) and Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth)
- DirectorH.C. PotterStarsLoretta YoungJoseph CottenEthel BarrymoreAfter leaving her family's farm to study nursing in the city, a young woman finds herself on an unexpected path towards politics.Loretta Young won for her nice role in this light comedy, while Rosalind Russell gave an amazing performance in Mourning becomes Electra
- DirectorRobert Z. LeonardStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyLuise RainerThe ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., famed producer of extravagant stage revues, are portrayed.Louise Reiner won her first award for a supporting role as the first woman of Zeigfeld in this stravaganza, the obvious favorite was the wonderful Carole Lombard for her great role in My man godfrey
- DirectorSam TaylorStarsMary PickfordJohnny Mack BrownMatt MooreA flirtatious Southern belle is compromised with one of her suitors.The queen of silent films won for her first talkie in this very forgettable film, Mary Pickford got her award for very sentimental reasons
- DirectorSam WoodStarsGinger RogersDennis MorganJames CraigA hard-working white-collar girl from a middle-class family meets and falls in love with a young socialite, but she soon clashes with his family.Known for her roles in comedies and musicals, Ginger Rogers got her Oscar for this melodrama, her performance is just OK, she won over two monsters of acting: Katharine Hepburn (The Philadelphia story) and Bette Davis (The letter)