Ranking the Oscar Clips
Monday, March 28, 2022 at 4:31PM By Ben Miller
We're back, baby! After the Academy made the terrible decision to showcase the 2020 acting nominees without utilizing clips, the one good decision was to bring them back for the 94th Academy Awards honoring the films of 2021. So let's over-analyze it to death. Let’s get it!
You went with that?
My heartbeat is pounding in my throat."
20. Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick….BOOM!
19. Troy Kotsur, CODA
Both of these performances were great and plentiful with clip material. Instead, they went with clips that didn’t showcase anything that makes either performance great. Garfield’s clip was more about Robin de Jesus, while Kotsur’s clip is one that's hard to even remember from the film (and he has the film's best scene!). There were so many other opportunities and they chose very poorly.
Big and brassy
Believe me, you checked the wrong box."
18. J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos
17. Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
16. Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
This next step you're about to take, it would be hard for anybody."
15. Will Smith, King Richard
14. Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
13. Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Whoever chooses these clips usually defaults to these moments. The trio from Being the Ricardos had their clips picked out months ago, though I thought they could have given something better to Simmons. Smith’s big emotional scene was the one everyone was expecting, while Hinds’ warmth is predictable as well. Cumberbatch’s shouting on the other hand isn't really indicative of the complexity of his performance, but you can’t blame them exactly for going with what they went with.
Hard to grasp
I don't want him to be with Phil at all!"
12. Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
11. Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
You'd better hurry, Phil."
10. Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
9. Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Sometimes, the brilliance of a performance cannot be captured in clip form. In all four of these cases, there is so much more than what is encapsulated in a 20-second clip. Smit-McPhee comes out the best, but it’s much more difficult for the ladies.
Nailed It
Go. Go now. Don't look back."
Just to say how nice it is not being alone."
8. Judi Dench, Belfast
7. Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
It's seems they're circling just me, not you."
And how sad is that, that we as Christians, who are supposed to love everyone, are afraid so badly of an AIDS patient..."
6. Kristen Stewart, Spencer
5. Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Half the work of choosing clips is not overthinking it. These four have had the clips that everyone expected them to have, and there is a reason. Just because the choice is obvious doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
Almost Flawless
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel"
No gracia"
It felt amazing"
4. Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
3. Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
2. Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
I was really worried when Denzel’s clip came up, but the longer it played, the better it got. Macbeth has plenty of chances to be clip-worthy, but they took a swing and it worked. DeBose got a quieter moment to shine with the “No gracias” line hitting hard. Former clip champion Olivia Colman almost came out on top again with her “…it felt amazing” speech. But, there can be only one victor…
The Champ
...and you better be glad, because if I was staying here for you, I would have been gone a long time ago"
1. Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
We all knew it was coming, but it still hit like a brick anyway. Not only is it a great clip from a great scene, it gets the nod because of how well it played in the room. Big cheers from onlookers go a long way. Congrats to Ellis, who joins Lesley Manville, Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Florence Pugh on a distinguished list.
Until next year!
Reader Comments (14)
I haven't seen The Eyes of Tammy Faye, neither I will. But Chastain's clip came across like razzie material, specially next to Colman's revelatory moment. I was actually scared by how bad the performance looked like.
I thought the DeBose clip was too on the nose. I was hoping they'd go with the slightly more subtle scene with Bernardo right before "America" where she says something like "if you think I'm going back to Puerto Rico with 6 hungry kids, you are dreaming".
The Colman choice was perfect. (Ellis too but as you say very obvious). I also loved the Smit-McPhee choice... by far the best of the 4 PotD clips.
I've seen a couple shows use that clip for Kodi and I do not get it. Of course the performance is tough to capture in clips, but what about discussing his dad under the tree with Phil? The convo with drunk Rose - "Is there a sound that makes you shiver?"..."I don't remember..."
Why didn't they just use a clip of Garfield at the piano at the Delacorte?
I told everyone I work with about that particualr Colman clip
I love the fear in Dunst's voice in that clip,the line reading is spot on delivery.
The ladies clips we're the best each scene for the supporting actresses was their best scene.
Olivia Colman's clip is the moment where I was like "this is the best performance she's ever given". Love her in that movie so much. so that would be my number one though in general i agree with your ranking, particularly Andrew Garfield at 20. WHAT WAS THAT AS A CHOICE?
One other cquibble. I've seen another show -- i forget which -- use that Benedict clip and it's so wrong. Not representative of the performance at all really. It's his one outburst but usually its controlled menace. It reminds me that, unfortunately, many people find SHOUTING to equal ACTING.
They did better with the girls overall. Jesse Buckley should be higher. That's a very good scene.
The only performance that we will discuss in the future is the one given by Colman.
Maybe I'm a biased fan, but when it comes to Olivia Colman, it's never difficult to find a clip.
Whether it's an Oscar or Emmy nomination her work is so impeccably true,
I can think of moments from "Broadchurch", "The Crown", "The Favourite" or "The Lost Daughter" that stay with me.
"It felt amazing" was a perfect choice.
But I was re-watching "The Crown" the other day and, "I'm a Queen, not a saint" has a place in my heart.
Also Nathaniel, I agree with you completely that 'shouty' Oscar clips are always, falsely considered 'Great Acting'. Childish but no Oscar telecast is complete without some overused clip of LOUD acting.
(one more reason why you should be in charge)
At least Garfield got a second clip from Tick Tick Boom shown in that inane Twitter Fan Favorite Movie thing they did and that one was a GREAT clip of him singing.
Colman's clip was ACES.
Do we think Garfield and Colman would've been more of a threat to win if they weren't in "Netflix" movies? Food for thought.
Am I the only one bothered by the spoiler in Olivia Colman's clip ?
Colman's was a perfect choice because I don't think the rest of her performance/character was nearly as interesting as in that scene. Buckley's scene was also why I prefer her in the movie.
Agreed that Cumberbatch didn't have a good one. Not very representative of his otherwise excellent performance. I would have went with the dinner scene with "The Governor". Or the dinner scene where he was playing with the paper flower.
Garfield was great in that scene (because he was great throughout) but it is hard to condone a choice where a big portion of it was a close-up of another actor...
Wow, was that really a good clip from Spencer? I have not seen it but if that represents the movie, it must be very bad!
I think Ellis and Dench had no other scenes than these and possibly applies Colman as well.
To me the first shot of Tammy Faye's closeup at the very beginning of the movie was the Oscar clip but I think they picked well.
I think DeBose is great because it was not the great but predictable America number.
Completely disagree about Dunst as discussed in another post, any of her piano scenes would have been much better, her face is not visible here.
Chastain’s clip is almost verbatim from real footage, so it’s hard to criticize it for me.
Having not seen many of these films but having just read the Supporting Actress Smackdown, I’m surprised by how moved I was by the Judi Dench clip.
Agree with most of these, although Colman and Ellis probably had the biggest advantage of the night in that regard. The Garfield was terrible! I don't think the RICARDOS clips were as bad as that, though.