Our Kind of Voting. Pt 1
Tuesday, November 6, 2012 at 1:01PM 
I did my civic duty -- I amend, my civic pleasure at 7:40 AM this morning after about an hour of queueing. If you're from the US, get to it. VOTE. If you're not, well, this is a film site and film has no borders and no president... but it does have elections that everyone obsesses over.
So let's have fun with our other favorite kind of voting: Oscar voting.
Tell me who wins your vote in some of the most famously divisive, contentious, or just plain fabulous categories ever! Explain your choices in the comments.
1998 BEST ACTRESS
GWYNETH PALTROW (Shakespeare in Love) vs. CATE BLANCHETT (Elizabeth) vs. FERNANDA MONTENEGRO (Central Station) vs. MERYL STREEP (One True Thing) vs. EMILY WATSON (Hilary & Jackie)
Sunset Blvd is just out on Blu-Ray TODAY in a remastered edition with a ton of extras 1950 BEST ACTRESS
BETTE DAVIS vs. ANNE BAXTER (literally… in All About Eve) vs. GLORIA SWANSON (Sunset Blvd) vs. JUDY HOLLIDAY (Born Yesterday) vs. ELEANOR PARKER (Caged)
1993 SUPPORTING ACTOR
TOMMY LEE JONES (The Fugitive) vs. LEONARDO DICAPRIO (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape) vs. RALPH FIENNES (Schindler’s List) vs. JOHN MALKOVICH (In the Line of Fire) vs. PETE POSTLETHWAITE (In the Name of the Father)
1976 BEST PICTURE
ROCKY vs. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN vs. BOUND FOR GLORY vs. NETWORK vs. TAXI DRIVER
Who gets your vote now and did they always have your support in their races or have your allegiances shifted?
Reader Comments (94)
Nathan is there a reason you chose these particular races?
98 - Fernanda Montenegro. I love when actresses go Magnani. Meryl would be my second choice. She's so moving in One True Thing.
50 - Bette Davis although I'm fine with Holliday winning.
93 - Pete Postlethwaite. I love the idea of voting for him as a tribute to the real guy over that despicable Nazi, marvellously portrayed by (my adored) Ralph. DiCaprio and Malkovich were also great.
76 - Taxi Driver. Network. Taxi Driver. Network...
PS Please don't do 86, I don't want to see everyone voting for Ripley.
1998 : Gwyneth Paltrow? Really? All of the other nominees were excellent, Paltrow just OK. My favourite : Fernanda Montenegro
1950 : Bette Davis, magnificent in "All about Eve"! But Gloria Swanson and Eleanor Parker were great,too
1993 : Leonardo Di Caprio was amazing in "What´s eating Gilbert Grape", but the perfomance given by Ralph Fiennes in "Schindler´s list" was the best!
1976 : "Rocky" winning was a joke! "Network", "All the President´s men" and "Taxi Driver" are so much better! My favourite is "taxi Driver".
1998 - Gwyneth Paltrow
1950 - Bette Davis
1993 - Ralph Fiennes
1976 - Taxi Driver
1998 BEST ACTRESS - Cate Blanchett
Note: some people hate on her for her Golden Age nomination, but in retrospective she is quite disrespected by the Academy as a Leading Actress, no win for Elizabeth, no nomination for Benjamin Button.
1950 BEST ACTRESS - Don't stone me to death, but I'm definitely OK with Judy Holliday's win, if Bette Davis should've won a 3rd Oscar for playing Bette Davis (which she was in All About Eve) I'd give it to her for The Little Foxes or What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962 was fascinating with Hepburn's Long Day's Journey Into Night).
1993 SUPPORTING ACTOR - I really don't know, I need to revisit these films.
1976 BEST PICTURE - Network :)
1998: Cate Blanchett
1950: Bette Davis
1993: Pete Postlethewaithe
1976: Taxi Driver
1998: Montenegro FTW (although Paltrow *is* unfairly maligned for a worthy performance)
1950: Davis for the car confessional alone
1993: Fiennes, no question
1976: Network is my favorite film of all time, but nevertheless I'd have to say Taxi Driver
3rtful -- i wanted a good spread of years and races that were interesting with multiple sides. Landslide choices are boring in retrospect, you know.
Mareko -- interesting. you don't give your favorite the win?
Yavor -- i think Bette & Gloria's loss have unfairly turned people against Holliday's performance but that's a totally worthy win. She was just up against two masterwork films with superb leading ladies. but all three performances are statue worthy I think.
Fernanda
Gloria
Ralph
Network
For 1998 no contest it should have been Cate Blanchett. Paltrow's performance was okay not even her best, to me that's Emma, but not statue worthy. One True Thing is one of my more favored Meryl performances although the film is nothing much. Emily was her usual exemplary self in Hilary and Jackie but I still think Cate was the best although to be honest I didn't see Central Station.
1950- This is one that could be debated endlessly and has. I'll start with who I wouldn't give it to and that would be Eleanor Parker, a fine actress and a good performance just not in the same league as the others. Anne Baxter was great I don't think anyone could have been better but her part whether she's in the title or not is a supporting one. Judy Holliday was sheer brilliance in her role although I think she was even better in The Marrying Kind and since she was never awarded again I'd hate to take the award from this unique woman but I will. It really should have been a tie between two of the most iconic performances in film but since that's rare I'd go with Bette since her performance has more modulation.
1993-I know I'll probably get rapped on the knuckles since Ralph's performance is considered unduly overlooked but I was happy that Tommy Lee Jones won. I wish Ralph would get a role that would give him another shot soon though.
1976-Rocky? Really? Ugh! It's an enjoyable crowd pleaser even if its value has been diminished by the endless sequels but never Best Picture. I'd give it to All the President's Men a film that I can watch over and over and never tire of. Bound for Glory was okay but I never felt that moved by it. Again I know they are revered but I saw both Network and Taxi Driver in the theatre and hated both, good acting and proficient film making but they left me cold.
1998 - Streep hands down
1950 - Swanson in one of the memorable performances ever against Davis in one of the most memorable performances ever? Swanson but ask me again next week. Baxter shouldn't have been nominated
1993 - Fiennes. Quite possibly one of the biggest shocks ever that he didn't win
1976 - Taxi Driver v Network v ATPM... tough, tough, tough. All 3 were worthy. At the time (yes, I'm an old) I would have gone Taxi Driver but now Network.
'98: One of the weakest years out there. Did not really care for any of the five nominated performances. If a gun was to my head, I think I would have to give it to Streep with Blanchett a narrow second.
'50: GLORIA SWANSON. Sorry, love Bette Davis but Sunset Blvd is one of my all time favorites
'93: Great category. I would have to go with Finnes followed closely by DiCaprio.
'76: Taxi Driver barely nudges Network. Such a great year (besides Rocky)
1998 - Blanchett is giving so much more than everyone else here, honestly, AND had the huge challenge of reinterpreting a famous historical figure AND isn't even entirely supported by her film, a luxury SiL did for GP. She's aces with this performance and by all means should've won. I have problems with the rest of the nominees so this isn't even a hard choice for me. Throw Ricci and Sheedy in the mix and then we'll talk, hon-ty.
1950 - Swanson but, ideally, a tie with her and La Bette.
1993 - Fiennes in a cakewalk.
1976 - Network vs. President's vs. Taxi. I gotta give it to Network, a film both dated and terribly modern.
1998 BEST ACTRESS
GWYNETH PALTROW (Shakespeare in Love)
1950 BEST ACTRESS
BETTE DAVIS (All About Eve)
1993 SUPPORTING ACTOR
RALPH FIENNES (Schindler’s List)
1976 BEST PICTURE
TAXI DRIVER
1998: Montenegro, but I loved two other actresses more that weren't even nominated: Ally Sheedy "High Art" and Susan Sarandon "Stepmom"
1993: Ralph Fiennes, No contest
1976: Network
1998 BEST ACTRESS
GWYNETH PALTROW (Shakespeare in Love) - she was fresh, young, exciting, and funny. She helped make Shakespeare in Love one of the best movies of the year and the best movie of the Best Picture nominees that year. Second place goes to Fernanda Montengero.
1950 BEST ACTRESS
BETTE DAVIS (All About Eve) - this is an extremely tough one for obvious reasons. I think Davis rules All About Eve, which is my favorite movie of the year. This is probably my favorite Bette performance too and I've seen all her Oscar nominated roles. Baxter is a very very close second, giving what really is the performance of her career. And I'd give third place to Eleanor Parker in what is probably my second or third favorite movie of 1950, Caged.
1993 SUPPORTING ACTOR
RALPH FIENNES (Schindler’s List) - Jones is a great actor, but Fiennes was completely robbed. I guess the thought was that he would certainly win in the future. Unfortunately he's still waiting. Fiennes is the epitome of evil here, much more fearsome than Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger partly because you know he's real. Second place for me is tougher than first, so I won't pick one.
1976 BEST PICTURE
ROCKY - this is in my Top 10 of all time. It's actually #5, so this isn't that close for me. But All the President's Men is also in my Top 100 and it's a huge influence on me as a writer. But Rocky is just something I love and think about at least once a week. Every performance is perfect and the music, the montage, the setting, the timing...it all works so well to create the best movie of 1976.
BLANCHETT (pretty weak year for me though)
SWANSON (by a hair, pretty much alternate between her and Bette for my favourite female performance ever.)
FIENNES
NETWORK (Taxi Driver not far behind)
Blanchett, Swanson, Fiennes, Network
1998- Cate Blanchett
1950 - Bette Davis
1993 - Ralf Fiennes
1976 - Network (but Taxi Driver is pretty close)
1998: Cate Blanchett
1950: Bette Davis
1993: Ralph Fiennes
1976: Network
1998: Cate Blanchett
1950: ex-aequo Bette Davis and Gloria Swanson
1993: Ralph Fiennes
1976: Taxi Driver
Best Actress 1998 - 4 great performances and one throwaway joke of a performance -and the Academy went for the latter. Fernanda, Emily and Meryl would have been worthy winners but the Oscar should have gone to Cate Blanchett. Gwyneth was a travesty of a choice.
Best Actress 1950 - All 5 would have been worthy winners - but I am biased and Bette should have won it this year. Judy, Gloria, Anne and Eleanor were all equally as good - but Bette - well what can one say about the brilliant Margo Channing.
Supporting Actor 1993 - Ralph Fiennes was robbed. Tommy Lee won it for what???
Picture 1976 - another case of the worst nominee winning. The other 4 nominees vastly superior to the popcorn movie Rocky. How Sylvester Stallone ever got nominated for anything is one of the biggest mistakes in Oscar history.. Network SHOULD have won!
Cate Blanchett
Bette Davis
Ralph Fiennes (no contest)
Network
Really surprised by the love for Network. For me Taxi Driver is a better film, but I always prefer Network to win.
1998: Cate Blanchett
1950: Excellent race. But my vote will be Gloria Swanson in Sunset blv (pretty much All About Eve came as second behind Sunset Blv in many categories for me, not because it wasn't any good, but Sunset blv is one of the greatest film here.
1993: Don't understand Tommy Lee Jones love here. I'll go for Ralph Fiennes for Schindler's LIst.
1998 Best Actress: Cate should have won but Central Station has a place in my heart. Fernando Montenegro gives a beautiful work, heartbreaking and heart-warming at the same time.
1993 Best supporting actors: Leonardo DiCaprio is so special in this role. One of his best.
First off, love the races you picked!
1998 Actress - Blanchett wins this hands down for me, but in all fairness, wasn't this nomination a bit of a surprise at the time? I read somewhere that Blanchett was never in the thick of it, so I suppose Oscar should get credit for pulling her into the category and helping launch her as the actress we know today. Looking back though, there's no question for me.
1950 Actress - Poor Holliday will always be marred by her win, and I actually loved her in the role. Bette Davis in All About Eve, though? One of the greatest actresses of all time in her best role. No contest. I understand the love for Baxter and Swanson (without really being on board), but Davis should have had this in the bag.
1993 Supporting Actor - It's between Fiennes and Postlethwaite for me, though I have nothing bad to say about DiCaprio. Tommy Lee Jones was perfectly fine, but it was a popcorn film. (The only nomination for him that I really loved was his surprise nod for "In the Valley of Elah.") My choice would have been Val Kilmer's turn in Tombstone, but with him out of the mix, Fiennes takes the cake.
1976 Best Picture - Here we go. This list should be required viewing for all Oscar fans. All the President's Men and Network are spectacular films, and they are my frontrunners. On any given day I could switch my vote, but I'll go with Network. If only we had more lists like this in Best Picture!
1998: Emily Watson
1950: Gloria Swanson
1993: Ralph Fienes
1976: Taxi Driver
1998 BEST ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT (Elizabeth)
BEST ACTRESS
BETTE DAVIS
1993 SUPPORTING ACTOR
LEONARDO DICAPRIO (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape)
1976 BEST PICTURE
TAXI DRIVER
1998 Actress - Fernanda Montenegro. Stunning performance.
1950 Actress - Bette Davis. The more I watch AAE, the more this becomes really one of the greatest performances ever for me.
1993 S. Actor - Ralph Fiennes. If he had been more well known at the time, he would have won.
1976 Picture - How do you choose between Network and Taxi Driver?
1998 Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth
1993 Supporting Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
1950--Swanson in what rivals Streep in Sophie's Choice as THE best performance by an actress in a leading role in history. Bette has my favorite classic filmography and AAE is certainly one of her best but my gosh, Swanson nailed that.
1998 BEST ACTRESS - Sticking with Gwyneth Paltrow. A fine performance
1950 BEST ACTRESS - I've only seen All About Eve. If I had to choose, I would say Bette Davis.
1993 SUPPORTING ACTOR - TOUGH choice between Leo, Ralph and Pete. I would give it to Leo actually.
1976 BEST PICTURE - Great lineup, my choice is All The President's Men.
1998 - Gwyneth -her best performance ever!
1950 - If I were allowed one tie in Best Actress, then it'd be a tie between Bette Davis and Gloria Swanson. I used to be all for Swanson but Davis gives so many wonderful layers in her magnetic star turn that it's so difficult to choose.
1993 - Ralph Fiennes -possibly one of the best supporting actor performances ever?!
1976 - I love TAXI DRIVER, but I admit I've rewatched NETWORK more. So I'd give it to NETWORK. However, Best Director will always be Martin Scorsese for TAXI DRIVER...Oh wait, he wasn't nominated.
TCM is showing Network tomorrow night at 11:45 ET.
Bette, Network (Haven't seen All The Presidents Men and Bound For Glory) , and Cate I guess!!!
Network is great and better then Taxi Driver (I don't understand the praise for that one. Good, but not great), and Rocky, overrated and formulaic.. Bette is amazing, though I love Gloria and Anne, but Judy isn't my favorite, and I haven't seen Eleanor. Do you have a link to that, Nathaniel?
1.- Gwyneth Paltrow.
2.- Gloria Swanson.
3.- Ralph Fiennes.
4.- Network.
eurocheese -- thank you. But actually Cate was in the thick of it. At least she was widely considered to be the dark horse if Gwyneth stumbled.
1998: Blanchett, with Montenegro a close second.
1950. If there ever was a year when a tie was needed it's this one. Davis and Swanson. If not possible, it's Davis.
1993: Fiennes, followed by DiCaprio.
1976: Taxi Driver. Network comes in second.
oh and Mark -- yes yes yes on Sheedy and Ricci. Both so great that year.
I geeked out and counted the 1998 votes (I included all the I-think-s; If-a-gun-was-pointed-at-my head-s and all of that as votes), so it goes like this Ladies and Gents :)
Cate Blanchett: (32)
Fernanda Montenegro: (19)
Gwyneth Paltrow: (16)
Emily Watson: (6)
Meryl Streep: (5)
P.S. I'm hoping people have shown decency and nobody has voted twice!
Paltrow's win in 1998 was shameful especially with Blanchett, Watson and Montenegro acting circles around her. I would have been happy with those three. Glad Blanchett's reputation only soared as Gwynnie's took a nosedive.
And I think Bette should have won for All About Eve. It's a really beautiful performance. Her best actually.
Yavor -- i love you. geek out whenever you wish!
1998: Fernanda Montenegro
1950: Gloria Swanson and Bette Davis (can i vote for a draw?)
1993: Ralph Fiennes
1976: Network
Blanchett
Bette
Fiennes
Network