Burning Question: Most egregious Weinstein-backed Oscar Nods?
Saturday, May 26, 2018 at 2:37PM Upon seeing Harvey Weinstein in handcuffs yesterday our friend Rob asked a very timely question on Twitter which we though we'd share here for rabid discussion purposes.
In the spirit of the day: Which ridiculous Oscar nomination that Harvey Weinstein facilitated was the most infuriatingly egregious?
My personal vote goes to Chocolat's 5 nominations (including Best Picture!!!) in 2000. The fluffy disposable film was nominated over obviously well-liked films like Billy Elliott, Wonder Boys, and Almost Famous... and great but divisive films like Dancer in the Dark and.
And though Juliette Binoche is one of the all time great screen actors, there was simply no excuse for that Best Actress nod when Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) and Björk (Dancer in the Dark) were both RIGHT THERE, totally inspired, and more than worthy of nominations. Even further outside the race there were still other leading ladies who were running circles around one of Binoche's least impressive performances including Michelle Pfeiffer's genre transcending in What Lies Beneath, Renée Zellweger's comic skill in Nurse Betty, and Gillian Anderson, all tragic and ravishing in The House of Mirth!
But what's your answer to the question? And if you are 2000 focused, please let us know you're ideal Best Picture/Best Actress lineup that year.
Reader Comments (61)
Jennifer Lawrence's completely undeserved nomination and win for 'Silver Linings Playbook.'
Chocolat is surely the worst, but since it's the movie that I saw Tom Green and Drew Barrymore leave while I waited in line*, it's still a bit of a fond memory.
* waited in line! To get into Chocolat! As if it was a Marvel movie! Can you even?
Irked the bulk of Judi Dench's nomination legacy is tied to him. Irked that all of Binoche's nominations came from him. Irked he got Caine his second Oscar. Irked at his curious ability to undermine Black contenders under his company. Jackson and Latifah in supporting seems less like his influence and wholly the sheer popularity of performer and material.
His two worst nomination contributions are Streep for Music of the Heart and Jackie Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook.
Meryl Streep’s Music of the Heart Best Actress nomination
I second Mike's answer!!! Emmanuella Riva (RIP) was robbed! I thought Lawrence was flat-out BAD in SLP.
How perilously close Dev Patel sailed to stealing Mahershala Ali's Oscar last year is my second choice, tied with Colin Firth stealing Jesse Eisenberg's tour-de-force.
His worst backed nomination is whole American Hustle ( apart from Costume Design), The Reader Best Picture, Goopy Paltrow and SIL oscar win.
In my head, I like to pretend that Sandra Bullock’s Oscar is for 2000’s Miss Congeniality rather than The Blind Side. Not even joking.
So pleased you remembered Yeoh, Bjork, Pfeiffer, Zelwegger and Anderson in that year. All great!
Ugh, I recall how Harvey exploited the death of Massimo Troisi that got Il Postino a Best Pic nom over Toy Story, Dead Man Walking and Leaving Las Vegas among others. He even trotted out Whoopi, Glenn & Winona to read Neruda’s poetry on VH1. Also, noms for The Cider House Rules, Chocolat and The Reader were undeserved, IMO.
Sandra Bullock had a fantastic 2000. I absolutely thought she should have been nominated for Miss Congeniality, no joke. She was also great in the overlooked 28 Days. To think the critics savaged her when she was doing great work and liked her when she did the insufferable The Blind Side.
Also, Heather Burns should have been nominated for Miss C; she gave an awesome comic performance, she was seemingly ditzy, but highly sympathetic and smart. Her ideal date speech is gold as is her crowning scene.
Best in Show should have gotten a screenwriting nomination at least (I don't know if it was eligible). Also Fred Willard should have been a Supporting Actor nominee. He was considered by a few critics groups. Saving Grace also should have gotten a screenplay nomination, if not at least Best Actress consideration for Brenda Blethyn.
From a history/trivia POV Marcia Gay Harden's completely out of nowhere spoiler win in Supporting Actress is super cool. She's very good, but I was hoping for something more unique from a spoiler win. It's been forever since I saw Almost Famous but I remember being more compelled by Frances McDormand. Hopefully again Oscars will have a Supporting Actress race that isn't so set in stone 6 months in advance.
Speaking of Almost Famous, I felt like Billy Crudup and Patrick Fugit were totally overlooked.
The biggest 2000 snub is Gary Oldman in The Contender who, as cliche as it sounds, was totally unrecognizable as a balding creep trying to dismantle Joan Allen's VP nomination.
Chocolat is better than Gangs of New York. Ten nominations for that? Only DDL deserved praise.
Easy...The Reader for Best Picture. I mean, it didn't even get good reviews!
I will defend the reader, it was a very difficult subject to shoot, but I think Daldry, Fiennes abd Winslet did excellent work. I much preffered Kate in Revolutionary Road which I still is one of my Top 3 performances of hers, but that doesnot take away from the fact that the reader was a hard watch but outstanding piece of cinema.
The Reader getting a Best Picture nod was bullshit. Also Shakespeare in Love winning Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line.
If I ever win an Oscar, I would use it to find Weinstein and beat him with it to a bloody pulp.
Oh, and The English Patient over Fargo.
Oh sorry that post is from me , not tonytr, the one defending the Reader :)
I will defend Colin Firth because he totally deserved it and Jesse seems like playing himself ( Rooney and Garfield stole the film for me ). But Colin should won the year before over Jeff's career achievment Oscar while Jeff should won for Big Lebowski.
Easy: Chocolat for Best Picture, Meryl Streep for Music of the Heart, and Tom Hooper for Best Director. Now Paltrow may have calcified beyond recognition, but her nomination (and win) for Shakespeare in Love is *not* undeserved and is *far* more deft and inspired than others listed. While people like to hate on her and that film, they've aged much better than the average Weinstein film.
Le Goop
Chocolat is probably the lesser movie but The Reader seems more egregious. 2000 was IMO a kind of weak year but in 2008 his shenanigans managed to block The Dark Knight, Wall-E, The Wrestler, and Rachel Getting Married. Also, while I do sort of get the appeal of Chocolat to a certain audience and it was something of a left-field box office hit whereas I don't really get the impression that anyone gave much of a damn about The Reader at all after it got its nomination and it seems like a more blatant example of a nomination earned through sleazy campaigning.
The Cider House Rules springs to mind esp when the far superior was right there in Talented Mr Ripley.
All I know is that Ellen Burstyn should have won the Oscar for Best Sctress.
They'd never have gone their but I happen to think Pfeiffer's What Lies Beneath is one of the top 5 of the year and Pfeiffer's own Top 5,talk about carrying a movie.
Never thought about it but reading these comments I can see much clearly how his power in the industry allowed a lot of crap to get recognition of some sort.
The King's Speech is a good movie and everyone did solid work on/in it, but it was WAY over-rewarded. Everytime I look at its competition, I come away totally baffled by its glut of awards.
I've never seen Chocolat. But I still hold a grudge against it for getting nominated in Best Picture over Almost Famous which is one of my favorite movies.
Nat what is your favourite shock acting win since 2000,
Changes for 2000:
Actor: Crowe, Hanks and Rush out, Bale, Cusack and Statham in.
Actress: Binoche out and Michelle Yeoh in.
Picture: Toss that entire field (ESPECIALLY the, aesthetically, UNWATCHABLE Traffic) for Almost Famous, Songs from the Second Floor, Requiem for a Dream, Battle Royale and Snatch. Now: Is Crouching Tiger bad? No. In a 6-10 field, I'd understand it, even if it wouldn't be my preference. Its a pretty good, kinetic action movie with a very good lead performance. But would it make my top 10 action films of the 2000s? Nope. The Bourne Identity, Oldboy, Kill Bill 1, Harry Potter 3, Serenity, Casino Royale, Children of Men, Hot Fuzz, The Bourne Ultimatum and The Dark Knight. That's the top 10. Honestly, its more in my 11-20 of that decade's action fare (Pirates of the Caribbean 1, original Iron Man and Crank: High Voltage are three movies within that range).
This decade so far?
Drive, Looper, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Mad Max: Fury Road, Creed, Green Room, Guardians Vol. 2, Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther. (Yes, half of this is Marvel Cinematic Universe films. But their best stuff has just been KILLING IT.)
I would have nominated: 1.Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) 2. Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) 3. Bjork (Dancer in the Dark) 4, Maggie Cheung (In the Mood For Love) 5. Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon....
6. Renee Zellweger (Nurse Betty). 7.Gillian Anderson (The House of Mirth)
For Best Picture: 1. In the Mood For Love. 2. Almost Famous. 3. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. 4.Erin Brockovich. 5. Requiem For a Dream.
Yes, Binoche is truly amongst the greats, but she by no means deserved that nomination. She could do that role in her sleep.
My ballots would have been so:
Best Picture
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Dancer in the Dark
Erin Brockovich
The Virgin Suicides
You Can Count on Me
Best Actress
Björk, Dancer in the Dark
Laura Linney, You Can Count on Me
Michelle Pfeiffer, What Lies Beneath
Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich
Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
And since we're on the topic of 2000, can I just say how wonderful Kathleen Turner is in The Virgin Suicides? For all the love that's poured her way via the Film Experience, I never read any praise for that performance when she's so good in it.
I like Chocolat, but doesn't deserved a BP nod.
Neither The Cider House Rules, or Gangs Of New York, or Silver Linings Playbook, or many others...
But his most egregious Oscar heritage is Roberto Benigni!
At least Chocolat didn't win any Oscars. The worst Harvey triumph for me: Roberto Benigni.
How awesome it would have been if, one year before Halle Berry's historic win, the Academy actually nominated a Black actress in a leading role who killed it: Sanaa Lathan in Love and Basketball. She not only carries the film but she learned to play the sport (and does so very well). The film should've also scored nods for the incomparable Alfre Woodard in Supporting Actress (her final scene with Lathan always brings the tears) and screenwriter Gina Prince-Bythewood.
I'm a big fan of Chocolat and have no issue with Best Actress or Best Picture. I only take issue with Judi Dench getting in for Supporting Actress. Binoche adds a lot of depth to a very frothy film; Dench plays what is asked of the part--no more and no less--which is not a challenge for her at all.
There's an easy solution to fixing the Michelle Yeoh or Bjork snub: put Ellen Burstyn in Supporting Actress for Requiem for a Dream (where she belongs for a wonderful performance in a true ensemble film) over Judi Dench, opening up a slot for Yeoh. Bjork was my win, but it's quite clear that the Academy was far more in love with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon than Dancer in the Dark.
Yes, the campaign played a big role in Chocolat getting the big nominations. It was also such a contrast to the incredibly dark, upsetting films the critics were throwing into the forefront of the Oscar race that it really benefited from not being a film about drugs or political corruption.
Roberto Benigni was the worst, I hated that film and hated his performance.
Tied for second place was the Jennifer Lawrence win for SLP, and the Alicia Vikander win for The Danish Girl. Vikander won with a truly terrible bit of category fraud and a terrible film.
....Did Weinstein have anything to do with The Blind Side?
my winners of 2000
picture: you can count on me
actress: the lovely laura linney - yccom
actor: mark ruffalo - yccom
s/actress: jennifer coolidge - best in show
s/actor: fred willard - best in show
director: sophia coppola - the virgin suicides
o screenplay: you can count on me
a screenplay: wonder boys
Jennifer Lawrence’s win will, I think, come to be defended much in the way that Gwyneth’s is now. It’s not a typical Best Actress-winning role, so I’m fine with it. The nods for Chocolat and The Cider House Rules are much more egregious to me.
Of the 2000 Best Actress nominees, I’d keep Linney, Roberts and Burstyn and substitute Gillian Anderson (who’d be my winner) and Michelle Yeoh.
Best Picture line-up would be Crouching Tiger (my winner), Gladiator (still works for me), You Can Count On Me, The House Of Mirth and Almost Famous.
Can we pause and reflect on Queen Latifah taking Michelle's place on the Supporting Actress list for her superior to anyone in either actress category White Oleander performance.
Can we pause and reflect on Queen Latifah taking Michelle's place on the Supporting Actress list for her superior to anyone in either actress category White Oleander performance.
Pfeiffer was never a thing in the race. People really place stock in her SAG nod. But SAG usually as one outlier nomination per category. None of the final five feel remotely replaceable.
I will never think that Jean Dujardin's Best Actor win wasn't ridiculous. (Also, nice post-Oscar career. If he were a woman, he'd be excoriated for that.)
The Cider House Rules was terrible and took up space in 1999, one of the best movie years. And Cruise should have certainly beaten Caine.
The King's Speech is the worst BP winner this decade, and Tom Hooper's win was ridiculous.
But American Hustle and The Blind Side weren't Miramax films. They don't even seem like Miramax films.
Well, I do like CHOCOLAT a lot (wouldn`t have nominate it as BP or SA though) and the main reason is exactly JULIETTE BINOCHE in it , she elevates the material just by being in it, only a churl would not feel his heart lift at the sight of the french star,the movie is charming and whimsical, and Binoche reigns as a serene and wise goddess, she looks so ripe and wholesome that her very presence is an argument against whom dismiss her nomination- maybe the Academy was saying "We`re so so sorry for not having had nominated you for your tour de force in Trois couleurs: Bleu.", so I`ll have that gladly, and I do think would she have been replaced it should`ve been for GILLIAN ANDERSON , brilliant in The House Of Mirth.
As for GWYNETH PALTROW, maybe it was an undeserved win at the time ( Cate Blanchett was right there) but SHE IS a great actress and has been proving it once and once again, she`s so accomplished that I really don`t get all the hate ( we`re talking the ACTRESS here, not the lifestyle wanne-be guru) she`s terrific in Great Expectations, The Royal Tenenbaums, Proof and Two Lovers, so yeah, totally a deserved Oscar winner. Hope JENNIFER LAWRENCE can prove it over the years as well, her win was abysmal, although she deserved her nods for Winter`s Bone and American Hustle, her post Oscar career is a mixed bag, she`s not terrible but not Oscar worthy either, but so aren`t Sandra Bullock or Emma Stone.
Random- Supporting Actress-2000- So happy for the Academy boldness giving it to Marcia Gay Harden, just imagine if Kate Hudson had an Oscar by now (the horror, the horror) my choice that year would`ve been Julie Walters. JUDI DENCH IS over-nominated (surprise ) , Chocolat and Shakespeare in Love included ( she stole the spot right under SHARON STONE nose for her moving performance in The Mighty in 1999). MERYL STREEP nod for Music of the Heart still puzzles me, but then she got one for One true Thing and another for FFJ ...well , let`s suck it up. Love all the Oscars for The English Patient, what a masterclass of a film.
and finally , totally agree with Doug- his most egregious Oscar heritage IS Roberto Benigni. And I would add Michael Caine winning over a way much deserving TOM CRUISE in his career best performance in Magnolia, that one still hurts.
I agreed Binoche's nom is the least deserving o the five, but so is Dame Judi's.. Chocolat really doesn't deserve all these love consider the far superior films it deprived the noms of...
I'll switch Binoche w Gillian Anderson for her brilliant tragic turn in The House o Mirth., n Dench w Ziyi Zhang in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. As an Asian I'm glad o all the luv for Michelle Yeoh, but surely the MVP o the pic is Ziyi's character?? She was plucked fr obscurity by Ang Lee n really shine in tt movie! Holding her own agst major stars like Yeoh n Chow Yatt Fat
I'll oso replace Chocolat w You Can Count on Me or Cast Away in best pic.
Begnini's win is not the worst win engineered by HW, but it oso deprived Carrey o a deserving nod for The Truman Show..
I'll oso never forgive Gwhiney's win over the far superior Blanchett n Montenegro.
JLaw's win is dubious too, at least she proves tt she is no one-hit wonder like Gwhiney or Begnini, who both really won on the strength o HW agressive campaign.
No Michelle Yeoh please. If you understand Mandarin and you've heard her speak in Crouching (even through dubbing), you'll know what I'm talking about. Also, Chow Yun Fatt had the same problem. Compare that to ZhangZhiYi's pronunciation and intonation, Yeoh's take is comedy at its most unintended. No kidding here.
Suzanne: 1. Yeah. I get The Artist winning Best Picture, but that Lead Actor win was a waste. Compare to Christoph Waltz all you want, but at least Hollywood USED Christoph Waltz. 2. Cider House Rules shouldn't have been a BP nominee, but Caine won mostly because the Academy wanted "Witty British Man" to give a speech. 3. If The King's Speech winds up the worst BP winner of this decade? Still means this decade's crop of BP winners (2 A, 2 A-, 1 B+, 3 Bs, so far) is, overall, better than last decade's crop (1 A, 1 B+, 3 B, 2 B-, 2 C+, 1 C.) 4. I'd agree on The Blind Side (too sentimental for their tastes), but disagree on American Hustle, which seems like PRECISELY the kind of thing they'd release on that subject, to the hilt.
For me it's definitely the Chocolat nominations and the wins for The Artist. I don't think it's a bad film and I think Jean Dujardin is very charming in it but it's so inconsequential. Those NYFCC wins still baffle me, in addition to the Oscars it received.
For me it is Kate Winlset’s BA won for The Reader
"The Reader" for Best Picture/Kate Winslet for Best Actress for "The Reader" when, clearly, her best performance that year was for the vastly underrated "Revolutionary Road." Now the, arguable, best actress of her generation, has her Oscar tied to a problematic (dodgy accent) supporting performance in a mediocre film, rather than one of her true stand outs. If people 100 years from now who know little about this era's films decide to watch "The Reader," based on the Oscar she got for it, to see what all the fuss was about regarding Winslet, they're likely to think she was overrated.
DAN -- omg. SHE WAS NOT SUPPORTING IN THE READER. even if you dislike the movie, she was the leading lady! ;)
EVERYONE -- i'm sad for all the hate for THE ARTIST. I love that movie. so fun, inventive, and unusual.
Although Weinstein was involved in these films, and was a formidable Oscar campaigner, it was the Academy that nominated this lot, and therefore if there's critici to be had, ultimately it lands at the Academy's feet, not Weinstein's.
@Nathaniel R
The Artist for many here represents how dismal the 84th slate of nominees and winners were. I mean I wanted Harvey dead after Viola lost.