Top 10 Biggest Rip-Offs in Academy Award History?

[Brando @$$ Fat]

#1.) 1979: Francis Ford Coppola (Apocalypse Now) losing Best Director to Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer)

#2.) 2002: The Pianist losing Best Picture to Chicago

#3.) 1976: Sylvestor Stallone (Rocky) losing Best Actor to Peter Finch (Network)

#4) 1972: Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather) losing Best Director to Bob Fosse (Cabaret)

#5.) 1989: Born on the Fourth of July losing Best Picture to Driving Miss Daisy

#6.) 1994: Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) losing Best Supporting Actor to Martin Landau (Ed Wood)

#7.) 1941: Citizen Kane losing Best Picture to How Green Was My Valley

#8.) 1943: Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca) losing to Paul Lukas (Watch on the Rhine)

#9.) 1964: Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove) losing Best Actor to Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady)

#10) 1969: Dustin Hoffman (Midnight Cowboy) losing Best Actor to John Waye (True Grit)

[morricone]

Originally posted by Brando @$$ Fat
#1.) 1979: Francis Ford Coppola (Apocalypse Now) losing Best Director to Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer)

#2.) 2002: The Pianist losing Best Picture to Chicago

#3.) 1976: Sylvestor Stallone (Rocky) losing Best Actor to Peter Finch (Network)

#4) 1972: Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather) losing Best Director to Bob Fosse (Cabaret)

#5.) 1989: Born on the Fourth of July losing Best Picture to Driving Miss Daisy

#6.) 1994: Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) losing Best Supporting Actor to Martin Landau (Ed Wood)

#7.) 1941: Citizen Kane losing Best Picture to How Green Was My Valley

#8.) 1943: Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca) losing to Paul Lukas (Watch on the Rhine)

#9.) 1964: Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove) losing Best Actor to Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady)

#10) 1969: Dustin Hoffman (Midnight Cowboy) losing Best Actor to John Waye (True Grit)

I'll agree with the majority of those. Martin Landau's performance was vastly superior to that of Samuel L. Jackson. Coppola has been screwed a couple of times. Peter Sellers was definitely screwed. Citizen Kane was screwed definitely, I haven't seen How Green Was My Valley but I'm pretty sure it pales in comparison to Citizen Kane. Although Sylvester Stallone's performance was nomination worthy, it wasn't worthy of the award like Peter Finch in Network (or Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver).

Dr. Strangelove was screwed over for Best Picture. My Fair Lady? What the fuck? 2001: A Space Odyssey was denied a nomination for Best Picture (it should've won the award). A Clockwork Orange was nominated, but it should've won.

Stanley Kubrick has been screwed over all of the times he was nominated. He should've won Best Director Oscars for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, and Barry Lyndon.

Scorsese was screwed out of the Best Director awards for Raging Bull and The Last Temptation of Christ.

[TheDeadWalk]

.
1972 - Cabaret winning ANYTHING.

It rivaled the Godfather that year.

[ilovemovies]

Almost Famous only wining for it's screenplay. I was especially disappointed in Kate Hudson's lost.

And it should be a crime that it wasn't even nominated for best picture and best director. Plus, Hudson wasn't the only one deserving of nominations. Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Lee and Frances McDormand all gave nomination worthy performances. Since not all of them could have been nominated then it should have been Fugit, Crudup and McDormand.


Of coarse the other HUGE one is Saving Private Ryan losing best picture to the decent but hardly great Shakespeare in Love! But that's been discussed to death on this board so there is really no need to bring it up again.

[morricone]

Originally posted by TheDeadWalk
.
1972 - Cabaret winning ANYTHING.

It rivaled the Godfather that year.

It didn't really deserve anything. I'm sure a better movie (and one that wasn't so dull) could've been found to nominate.

Liza Minnelli didn't deserve anything. Joel Grey was entertaining, but his performance wasn't anything compared to Al Pacino, James Caan, or Robert Duvall.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

What the fuck? 2001: A Space Odyssey was denied a nomination for Best Picture (it should've won the award)

Strongly agree with you there, man. But this post only refers to the films that were nominated.

Of course, the thing is that I still can't believe that Coppola lost to Benton. Coppola spent years in Saigon, Cambodia, etc, went through a mental breakdown, was under a tightass budget, Martin Sheen almost died, the sets alone took weeks to set up, they faced terrible weather, and they had confrontations with members of other tribes. Despite all that, he still went on to make a classic film.

Benton, on the other hand, spent maybe about four months filming KRAMER VS. KRAMER, the sets were easy, nobody came close to dying, he didn't have budget problmes, the weather was fine. Despite all the advantages, he went on to make a very good, but not classic film.

Basically, Coppola got fucked in the ass and then some.

[morricone]

Originally posted by Brando @$$ Fat
Basically, Coppola got fucked in the ass and then some.

It just tears at you doesn't it?

The Right Stuff was fucked over in 1984. Phillip Kaufman wasn't even nominated for Best Director when it so clear that he should have been. Whenever a director wins for a movie like Terms of Endearment (James L. Brooks), it just makes me very angry.

[Antonio]

Originally posted by Brando @$$ Fat
(#6.) 1994: Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) losing Best Supporting Actor to Martin Landau (Ed Wood)

Jackson should have been nominated in the Lead Actor category, along with his partner-in-crime John Travolta. Landau's Oscar was one of the most deserved in Academy history! He channeled Lugosi's spirit rather than just mimic him. Ditto Val Kilmer in THE DOORS. The only actor who I would have voted for over Anthony Hopkins in 1991.

[morricone]

Originally posted by Antonio
Jackson should have been nominated in the Lead Actor category, along with his partner-in-crime John Travolta. Landau's Oscar was one of the most deserved in Academy history! He channeled Lugosi's spirit rather than just mimic him. Ditto Val Kilmer in THE DOORS. The only actor who I would have voted for over Anthony Hopkins in 1991.

Jackson was nominated in the correct category, and Travolta should've been nominated in the Supporting Role as well. Neither are lead roles.

[zeppelin]

Originally posted by Brando @$$ Fat
#3.) 1976: Sylvestor Stallone (Rocky) losing Best Actor to Peter Finch (Network)

#6.) 1994: Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) losing Best Supporting Actor to Martin Landau (Ed Wood)

#9.) 1964: Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove) losing Best Actor to Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady)

#10) 1969: Dustin Hoffman (Midnight Cowboy) losing Best Actor to John Waye (True Grit)

To comment on these, I think Robert De Niro should have won in 1976 for Taxi Driver, but I'd take Peter Finch over Sly Stallone. Martin Landau deserved to win for Ed Wood. It was my favorite overall performance of that year. Though I do think Peter Sellers was better than Rex Harrison, I thought Anthony Quinn should have won that year for Zorba the Greek. And Dustin Hoffman would have been more deserving than John Wayne, but I'd still choose Jon Voight. I agree with everything else you said though.

[therealjohng]

The Shawshank Redemption getting shut out pretty much takes care of all 10 for me.

[Clarkey07]

If ever there was a rip-off in Academy Awards' history it was back in 2002 when Chicago completely ripped The Pianist off of Best Picture.

[Carpicon]

Of course, the thing is that I still can't believe that Coppola lost to Benton. Coppola spent years in Saigon, Cambodia, etc, went through a mental breakdown, was under a tightass budget, Martin Sheen almost died, the sets alone took weeks to set up, they faced terrible weather, and they had confrontations with members of other tribes. Despite all that, he still went on to make a classic film.

Benton, on the other hand, spent maybe about four months filming KRAMER VS. KRAMER, the sets were easy, nobody came close to dying, he didn't have budget problmes, the weather was fine. Despite all the advantages, he went on to make a very good, but not classic film.

Basically, Coppola got fucked in the ass and then some.

So what? Plenty of films are difficult to make, I'm sure that's not the criteria for judging whether the directing was good. As I'm sure you know, Brandon Lee actually died while making The Crow, that didn't stop it from being a shit movie.

[Raging Bull080]

There is really no way to be right on a list like this, I mean they have made so many mistakes that it is impossible for me to do a list like this without forgeting a big one. I won't say they are the biggest fuck ups, just the ones that bother me the most.

10. Daniel Day-Lewis not winning Best Actor in 2002 for Gangs of New York. Don't get me wrong Brody was very good, but not only Day-Lewis but also Cage was better in my opinion. Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher is one of my favorite characters ever and also one of the best performances I have seen.

9.Bogart not winning Best Actor for Casablanca and also him not even being nominated for his best performance in Treasure of Sierra Madre. Not even getting nominated is just stupid, rediculous, and unforgivable.

8. Dr. Strangelove losing for Best Picture, Director, and Actor Sellers.

7. Saving Private Ryan losing to Shakespeare in Love. Now that was as shocked as I have ever been by the Oscars.

6. Apocalypse Now losing the Oscars for Best Picture, Director, and Supporting Actor Duvall. Coppola won Best Director for the least impressive of his 3 masterpieces, that is pretty interesting.

5. Brando losing the Best Actor Oscar to Bogart in 1951, Bogart should of already had atleast 1 by that time. Just another case of the Oscars trying to make up for one mistake with another one. But atleast Bogie went to his grave a winner.

4. Coppola losing Best Director for The Godfather.

3. Vertigo not even being nominated for anything. It should have been nominated and won Best Picture, Director for Hitchcock, Actor for Stewart, and Actress for Novak. Also Hitchcock should have won Best Director for atleast Rebecca (1940), Notorious (1946), and of course Psycho (1960).

2. Citizen Kane losing to How Green Was My Valley in 1941. In a perfect and just world it would have won Best Picture, Director, Actor Welles,and Cinematography. However I understand the political reasons it didn't win and for that reason only I will put it second instead of first.

1. Raging Bull losing Best Picture to Ordinary People in 1980. It should have at the very least won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director Scorsese, Supporting Actor Pesci, and Cinematography. Damn it pisses me off that De Niro and Scorsese didn't win Oscars on the same night,together.

[Badbird]

2000:

Elen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) losing to Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich).

Yeah, Julia was good in her role, but she only expressed one emotion the whole movie: bitchy.

Burstyn gave an emotionally heart ripping performance covering every possible range of human emotion. Just increadible.

[HeavyFknMetal]

Morgan Freeman losing best supporting actor for Shawshank pissed me off pretty good

Raging Bull losing to Ordinary People really fuckin pisses me off

Coppola losing Best Director for The Godfather, somebody should be shot for that one

[morricone]

Originally posted by Raging Bull080

10. Daniel Day-Lewis not winning Best Actor in 2002 for Gangs of New York. Don't get me wrong Brody was very good, but not only Day-Lewis but also Cage was better in my opinion. Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher is one of my favorite characters ever and also one of the best performances I have seen.


Jack Nicholson was the one who was screwed over that night.

The man should actually have 5-6 Oscars instead of his measly three:)

[Sigur509]

Paul Giamatti not getting nominated for SIDEWAYS

Magnolia not getting nominated for best Picture.

Tom Cruise not winning best supporting actor for Magnolia

Elen Burstyn not getting one.

Charlie Kauffman not getting best original screenplay for Being John Malkovich

Charlie Kauffman not winning Best Adapted Screenplay for Adaptation

Pulp Fiction not winning Best Picture

Sean Penn winning best actor over Bill Murray

Tim Robbins winning best supporting actor over Benicio Del Toro

[therealjohng]

Originally posted by Sigur509
Elen Burstyn not getting one.


She does have one.

[charliebobo]

1974 - Best Actor - Art Carney over Pacino (Godfather II), Hoffman (Lenny), Nicholson (Chinatown), Finney (Orient Express) and Hackman (The Conversation - wasn't even nominated).

[El Bracamonti]

Forrest Gump winning over both Pulp FIction and The Shawshank Redemption. That is just simply, a travesty.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

Martin Landau deserved to win for Ed Wood.

Maybe I jumped the gun on that one, I just thought that SLJ was flat out the best supporting actor of that year, but then again, its been four years since ive seen Ed Wood.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

So what? Plenty of films are difficult to make, I'm sure that's not the criteria for judging whether the directing was good. As I'm sure you know, Brandon Lee actually died while making The Crow, that didn't stop it from being a shit movie

True, however, over time we look back and see what unbelievable mistakes we've made.

If there were a survey today among, say, 1 million people, the question being which was a better movie, KRAMER VS. KRAMER or APOCALYPSE NOW, APOCALYPSE NOW would win bigtime.



And THE CROW was a shit movie indeed (so glad somebody agrees).

[Gian-Sergio]

David Carradine not being nominated for Best Actor nor Best Supporting Actor for Kill Bill

Quentin Tarantino not being nominated for Best Orignal Screenplay for Kill Bill

Forrest Gump winning over Pulp Fiction

The Return Of The King winning over City Of God

Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon winning over Amores Perros

Dances with Wolves winning over GoodFellas

Scorsese not winning Best Director

Rocky winning over Taxi Driver

[Pulp_Joker]

Titanic winning Best Picture over As Good As It Gets

Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption losing Best Picture to Forrest Gump

John Travolta losing Best Actor to Tom Hanks (I don't hate Hanks, I just thought Travolta was better)

Apocalypse Now losing for Best Picture and Best Director to Kramer vs Kramer

1974 Best Actor results, should have gone to Nicholson

Gladiator winning Best Picture over Traffic

The English Patient winning Picture over Fargo

And the biggest of all travesty's, Citizen Kane NOT winning every award it was up for. That was utter bullshit.

[Donnie_Darko]

I know this is general griping, but is anyone actually surprised that the majority of the time, or at least quite often, the superior film/actor/actress doesn't win?

People were clamoring for Passion to at least get a nomination this year, but we all know why it didn't happen... aside from the fact that it sucked. Mel didn't bribe and blow the Academy for one, hence, he didn't get one.

SLJ not winning for Pulp was a farce.
Denzel winning for Training Day was a joke... and a token... and a pitty prize.
Haley winning for her TERRIBLE performance in Monsters Ball was another token.

Many others mentioned are also true, and the older, the more likely it was a legit "WHAT?", and not a, "Ahh, that studio paid for more Oscar push".

The Academy is a joke.... plain and simple.

[morricone]

Originally posted by Donnie_Darko

Denzel winning for Training Day was a joke... and a token... and a pitty prize.
Haley winning for her TERRIBLE performance in Monsters Ball was another token.


I'll agree there. Russell Crowe fucking deserved that award that year. Ridiculous! Everyone aside from Renee Zellweger were better than Berry that year. Ridiculous!

[Carpicon]

Ehhh...you're right, Kramer vs. Kramer wasn't anywhere close to Apocalypse Now...

You know, I've been thinking about this, and the biggest shaft-job that I've ever seen that hasn't been mentioned here was Best Song from last year.

Return of the King's crappy Annie Lennox song winning over "Rainbow" from A Mighty Wind was terrible.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

Originally posted by morricone
Everyone aside from Renee Zellweger were better than Berry that year. Ridiculous!

Please, even she was better than Halle Barry.

[bigred760]

Originally posted by morricone
Jackson was nominated in the correct category, and Travolta should've been nominated in the Supporting Role as well. Neither are lead roles.


The problem with Pulp Fiction is that the movie isn't about any of the characters and there, technically, is no plot. So, as far as screen-time is concerned, I think Jackson should've been in the Best Supporting category, while Travolta should've gotten the Best Actor nod.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

Originally posted by bigred760
The problem with Pulp Fiction is that the movie isn't about any of the characters and there, technically, is no plot. So, as far as screen-time is concerned, I think Jackson should've been in the Best Supporting category, while Travolta should've gotten the Best Actor nod.

I think I disagree with both of you on that one. Lets take a look back at 1969 when Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman got nominated for best leading actor for their roles in MIDNIGHT COWBOY (10/10). Since they basically were lead actors, they deserved the leading acting nominations, which they recieved. However, the same should've gone for PULP FICTION (10/10), but the reason that SLJ was probably submitted for Best Supporting Actor was because everybody knew that Tom Hanks was going to win for his performance in FORREST GUMP (9.5/10), and he stood more of a chance against Martin Landau than he did Tom Hanks. I guess it was because the Academy people wanted to see PULP FICTION get an acting Oscar, which it didn't get.

However, there have been instances in the past where the leading actor got nominated for supporting actor. Take Timothy Hutton in ORDINARY PEOPLE (10/10) for example. He was definitely the leading actor in ORDINARY PEOPLE, but if he had been submitted for the Leading Actor nomination, we would've had to go against Robert DeNiro in RAGING BULL (10/10), which would've been extremely difficult competition. However, Timothy Hutton's performance was simply mind blowing, so the Academy probably figured that if he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, he would've gotten the justice that he deserved without having to worry about going up against tough competition.

[Jon Lyrik]

Originally posted by Clarkey07
If ever there was a rip-off in Academy Awards' history it was back in 2002 when Chicago completely ripped The Pianist off of Best Picture.

Agreed, and especially after The Pianist won three major awards that night.

I'd have to say The Thin Red Line not winning a single award. Fuck Saving Private Ryan, that was THE movie of 1998 and THE war movie of the 1990s.

[eurydice]

I agree pretty much with what everyone else has said.
Sunset Boulevard got screwed in my opinion.
quote:
"Return of the King's crappy Annie Lennox song winning over "Rainbow" from A Mighty Wind was terrible."
Yes, I agree totally.
And Shawshank Redemption getting screwed really bothered me.
...and the Halle Berry thing

[morricone]

Originally posted by Jon Lyrik
I'd have to say The Thin Red Line not winning a single award. Fuck Saving Private Ryan, that was THE movie of 1998 and THE war movie of the 1990s.

I definitely agree right there. The Thin Red Line was the best movie that year in my opinion. It should've won Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Music (Score), and Best fucking Picture.

[ChemicalRomance]

Originally posted by therealjohng
The Shawshank Redemption getting shut out pretty much takes care of all 10 for me.
100% agreed my brother.
Originally posted by El Bracamonti
Forrest Gump winning over both Pulp FIction and The Shawshank Redemption. That is just simply, a travesty.
A travesty indeed.

Basically:
*Pulp Fiction being robbed.
*The Shawshank Redemption being robbed.
*Goodfellas losing anything.
*Raging Bull losing anything.
*Taxi Driver losing anything.
*Fight Club never being nominated :( haha.

[Toshirô]

1976: Taxi Driver losing to Rocky for Best Picture.
1979: Apocalypse Now losing to Kramer vs. Kramer for Best Picture.
1980: Raging Bull losing to Ordinary People for Best Picture.
1980: Martin Scorsese losing to Robert Redford for Best Director.
1990: GoodFellas losing to Dance With Wolves for Best Picture.
1994: Pulp Fiction/The Shawshank Redemption losing to Forrest Gump for Best Picture.
1996: Fargo losing to The English Patient for Best Picture.

[Misanthrope]

I tried to come up with a list, but after reading a few posts i just got a reminder of why i do not even bother with the Oscars. Nor should any of you for that matter.

[brodeurnumber1]

1980: The Empire Strikes Back not being nominated for Best Picture
1997: Titanic winning over LA Confidential and Good Will Hunting/Jackie Brown and Boogie Nights not being nominated for Best Picture
1998: Shakespeare in Love winning over Saving Private Ryan; The Truman Show not being nominated for Best Picture/ Jim Carrey not being nominated for Best Actor
2003/2004: Paul Giamatti not being nominated for American Splendor/Sideways

All for now.

[B1rd_Po0p]

... Marisa Tomei best supporting actress for My Cousin Vinny...? What the fuck was that?? I mean - don't get me wrong; I love that movie but c'mon! Vanessa Redgrave's performance in Howards End was far superior...

[Brando @$$ Fat]

Originally posted by B1rd_Po0p
... Marisa Tomei best supporting actress for My Cousin Vinny...? What the fuck was that?? I mean - don't get me wrong; I love that movie but c'mon! Vanessa Redgrave's performance in Howards End was far superior...

I can agree with that to a certain extent. Maris Tomei gave a decent performance, but certainly not worth an Oscar, or a nomination for that matter. But My Cousin Vinny is one of my favorite movies, so I'm glad to see that it took home an Oscar.