What's your most vivid memory of "The Departed" and the 2006 Oscar Race?
Thursday, October 6, 2016 at 7:00PM by Nathaniel R
Ten years ago today Martin Scorsese's smash hit The Departed opened in theaters. I remember that day well especially that beat just past this still above when the entire sold out movie theater exploded simultaneously with shock, excitement, screaming, whooping, collective chills. A master playing the audience perfectly so it's no wonder that Martin Scorsese finally won the Oscar for it. Strangely I have few other vivid memories of the movie other than the feeling that that deep line in Leonardo DiCaprio's perma-angst expression had never and would never be put to better use again. Also something about Vera Farmiga flirting in an elevator, and the movie's perfect final shot.
The Film Experience was definitely having an "off consensus" year -- we were all about Marie Antoinette, The Fountain, & Volver so the Oscars were kind of a let-down -- but at least it was one of those interesting years where the Best Picture contenders didn't hog all the nominations. In fact only 1 of the 10 leading acting contenders came from a Best Picture nominee. Strange, right?
What do you remember most about The Departed? And how comfortable were you with the 2006 Oscar's lineup. As a reminder the Best Pictures were:
- Babel (7 noms / 1 controversial win - for the barely there Original Score)
- The Departed (5 noms / 4 wins including Picture)
- Letters From Iwo Jima (4 noms / 1 win)
- Little Miss Sunshine (4 noms / 2 wins)
- The Queen (6 noms / 1 win)
Reader Comments (52)
This movie is SO rewatchable, energetic, and entertaining. While it's not Scorsese's absolute best, I'm glad this was the movie he got his overdue Best Director and Best Picture wins for.
On a shallow note, I think is the best Leonardo has ever looked in a movie. I have such a strong fixation on the Billy Costigan character. The make out/love scene between him and Vera Farmiga with "Comfortably Numb" playing in the background is one of my favorites. The final scene in the elevator guts me every time </3
I think this is**
My only complaint about this movie is Jack Nicholson. He was way too OTT and ridiculous in this. People complain about Mark Wahlberg's nomination for it a lot, but I'm glad he got in instead of Nicholson.
It's silly that Leo got nominated that year for Blood Diamond instead of his performance here.
One thing I remember is thinking that Children of Men should have been nominated for and then won Best Picture. Which - how cool is this - I still believe!
Not that The Departed isn't a blast, but still.
I love "The Departed" and have watched it probably more times than you, but the same elevator scene comes to mind. It was a really unexpected twist, and the collective audience reaction was the best.
Also, this should have been Farmiga's first nomination.
I really liked The Departed, but my most vivid memory of the film in the context of the Oscar season was turning my friends onto Infernal Affairs through The Departed.
I was actually Team The Queen all the way. It's personal preference. I preferred the quiet drama and dry wit of The Queen to the thriller/suspense of The Departed. Little Miss Sunshine was my number 3 and Babel was my number 4 on the strength of the acting; I still HATE the score.
Robert G -- YES. infernal affairs. I saw that before The Departed and so i kept thinking of it at the time, too.
I find this remake (Departed) way inferior to the original (Infernal Affairs)...take the crucial scene on the rooftop for example. The former is way OTT (shouting, name-calling) whilst the latter was full of nuance and historical subtext between the two leads.
I remember being very upset that Toni wasn't nommed for Sunshine. That was a tricky job she pulled off--grounding the proceedings with all the looneys around her without condescension or judgment. And so human.
Oh, I remember everything! I saw it at midnight screening because I couldn't get a ticket before. I was totally convinced I was going to fall sleep because it was Friday and I had a long week, but I did not. I was at the edge of my seat since the very first minute. Loved everything, specially DiCaprio. I'm sure I won't be alone if I say it's his best work.
My jaw dropped to the floor when you know what. The rest of the crowd went nuts. Amazing.
The Departed still holds up today and Leo definitely should have gotten nominated for this movie instead of Blood Diamond. The fact that he was nominated as Supporting at the SAG awards is silly.
Out of the Best Picture line up I still like Little Miss Sunshine and Babel. Letters from Iwo Jima is good, but still doesn't touch the other three in terms of quality.
I prefer Babel as a Best Picture winner from the nominated slate. Shocked you're a fan of The Fountain. It was horrible. And the ending was laughable.
It came out just as I was beginning high school, so while watching it, I was just like "Hot Damn! This'll make me turn into a more learn-ed film buff, watching these Oscar-winners and stuffs!"
My love for it has very much waned.
Letters from Iwo Jima was the best movie, but of course I'm glad The Departed won. The unsung hero of the movie is Matt Damon, who is as strong abd compelling as DiCaprio.
I hate Babel, I don't care about Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen is a tv movie that made me hate an actress I love. Mirren is very good, but that sweep in best actress shouldn't have happened, not with Cruz, Dench, Streep and Winslet in the race.
Judi and Meryl are all I think when I think 2006 :)
One of the best things about this movie that isn't mentioned enough is the flip phones! I just loved every scene involving someone dramatically opening and closing their flip phone. Imagine how boring it'd have been if they had iPhones?!
The 2006 race was odd and exciting in many ways:
The most-nominated film (Dreamgirls) was not nominated for Best Picture;
None of the Best Picture nominees was nominated for Cinematography
None of the Best Actor nominations came from a Best Picture nominee
Four of the Best Actor-nominated films weren't nominated for anything else
There were tonnes of persons of colour nominated for acting Oscars
Two of the Costume Design nominations were for Contemporary films (The Devil Wears Prada and The Queen - which technically is recent period, but you know what I mean)
The Three Amigos!
and most of all...
The genuine suspense as to which film was going to win Best Picture. It was a four-way race. (The Queen was the only one that seemed unlikely, good though it was.)
As for The Departed: I agree with the shock of you-know-what. And Nicholson was over-the-top, but I'd have nominated him (over Wahlberg) because he was truly decadent and frightening because of it - an excellent villain.
My most vivid Oscar memory of this year is how early the consensus formed about who the best actress nominees would be (September-ish.) In the twelve years I've been oscarwatching, this was probably the single easy category to predict come nination morning.
I liked The Departed a lot. I was very much a supporter of Wahlberg in that film. So happy he was nominated.
At the time, I was rooting for Babel, even though I knew it wouldn't translate well off the big screen. Everyone knew it was Scorsese's year, but I really didn't know which film was going to win Picture,
The films I especially loved that year were The Science of Sleep, Conversation(s) with Other Women, Volver, and Little Children. With time, Inland Empire, Marie-Antoinette, and Fireworks Wednesday became others.
Really liked The Departed as well and the final shot like you mentioned BUT the rat walking over the railing right before it was so cheesy and on the nose; the only part of the movie that didn't work for me (and I enjoyed Jack Nicholson, but I'm biased because I like everything he's ever done).
I love, love the Departed. But in terms of its Oscar race, my most vivid memory is the way the awarded Scorsese on Oscar night. The fact that they'd gathered Spielberg, Lucas, and Coppola to give out the award to "whoever" won was seriously questionable. Regardless of how sure a thing his win was, it still felt SO presumptuous. BUT on the other hand, it was also such a wonderful moment. I have a lot of feelings about it.
I still think Winslet should have won the Oscar for that year. Her performance in Little Children is one for the ages. Just gets better and better each time you watch the film.
I would have been just 9 years old at the time. I distinctly remember watching James Taylor perform 'Our Town' from Cars, since that was basically the one movie I had seen. Also, If I had any sense of justice back then, I would have cried foul over Charlottes Web being robbed in Original Song and Visual Effects.
I would have voted for Babel as Best Picture. Such a devastating film.
A very sappy post from a very sappy long time reader, infrequent commenter, the year of "The Departed" at Oscar was the first year I started reading The Film Experience. Dawwwww.
And I remember, as popular as this me seem, rooting for Jack Nicholson to get that Best Actor nomination that Nathaniel thought he might get for a month or two. Yes, he was over the top AND Jack Just Being Jack, but I also agree with Edward L. He was completely decadent and totally frightening. I loved every second of his performance, but I'm also biased like MDA. I love everything Jack does.
Streep should have won actress, in a close race over Dench. Leo was rightfully nominated for Blood Diamond. Blanchett should have been nominated as Actress, not Supporting, And, if Supporting, she should have won over Hudson. But, if nominated as lead, she would have eliminated either Mirren or Winslet. Honsou should have won Supporting Actor. I haven't seen O'Toole's or Gosling's movies, but would rate Leonardo ahead of Whittaker. Movie... probably The Departed over Blood Diamond and Prada.
I'm so here for Matt Damon in the Departed. Leo was fantastic but I just didn't see Matt coming at all, playing the trickiest part so subtly and seamlessly. That ensemble is one of Scorsese's best (Baldwin may be my favorite of the supporting players), but god did those two do such an amazing job of leading it. Nicholson was the only weak spot, but with achievements like these, who says he gets to be a nominee? I can't tell if I'd pick Damon over the also astounding Whitaker (and where was James McAvoy? That supporting campaign was so fraudulent even by today's standards) but all I really know is I need to find Half Nelson.
Cruz is my definite pick in Actress; Meryl and Judi are delightful but Penelope elevates that whole film higher than any of the other leading ladies do for their movies. She gives Volver a beating, sensuous heart, and her teary-eyed expressions are the most memorable parts of that movie, along with Carmen Maura crying in the trunk. I've only seen Blanchett in Supporting Actress, but she's a lead, not a very good one, and certainly not better than Emily Blunt. Or Fiona Shaw. And nobody beats Mia Kirshner. Still, Dreamgirls awaits.
Loved Wahlberg in The Departed. Damon was great as well. Dench should have won Best Actress for Notes on a Scandal.
Ironic that the Hollywood remake of an award winning HK film wins best pic, but when Infernal Affairs (2002) was submitted by HK for best foreign pic in 2003/2004, it was rejected....
The original movie was a HUGE smash, spawning 2 sequels AND winning tonnes of awards (incl best pic, actor, supp actor, director, etc) at both HK Film Award & Taiwan's Golden Horse Award (the Oscar equivalents)
2006 BA race WAS stacked, but among all the STRONG nominees, my pick is Dench for her deliciously diabolical lesbo school teacher, follows by Streep, Winslet, Cruz and then the eventual winner, Mirren, whom I suspects wins not only because of her brilliant turn as Queen Liz II, but also for her performance as Queen Liz I in a TV movie released in the same year.
My personal choice will be Zhang Ziyi for The Banquet, but her serpentine turn as a Cersei-like queen in ancient China
I was not very invested in the five Best Picture nominees that year, but I was crazy about Blanchett (despite category fraud) and Notes on a Scandal, as well as United 93, Children of Men, Prada, Volver, Pan's Labyrinth, The Fountain, For Your Consideration, Casino Royale, Thank You for Smoking and The Prestige. (Too bad about All the King's Men.)
I also preferred Damon to DiCaprio, and was fine with his Blood Diamond nod, although I barely remember anything about the film today.
A very goddamn amazing and watchable movie. Thank god The Departed got Scorsese a very overdue Oscar. And Vera Farmiga is so beautiful in this one.
One thing that doesn't get mentioned anywhere when people talk about this great film is Howard Shore's The Departed Tango. It gets overshadowed by all the other music in the film (especially Shipping Up to Boston) but this piece and its variations are ridiculously good!
What do I remember most about the 2006 Oscar race?
"Water."
what a disappointing year. First the rank of the nominated, then my own choice.
Picture:
1. „THE DEPARTED“ (USA)
2. „LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA“ (USA)
3. „THE QUEEN“ (Great Britain)
4. „LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE“ (USA)
5. „BABEL“ (USA)
1. „INLAND EMPIRE“ (USA)
2. „VOLVER“ (Spain)
3. „REQUIEM“ (Germany)
4. „LADY CHATTERLEY“ (Belgium)
5. „HALF NELSON“ (USA)
Actor:
1. Ryan Gosling in „HALF NELSON“ (USA)
2. Forest Whitaker in „THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND“ (Great Britain)
3. Peter O'Toole in „VENUS“ (Great Britain)
4. Will Smith in „THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS“ (USA)
5. Leonardo DiCaprio in „BLOOD DIAMOND“ (USA)
1. Ryan Gosling in „HALF NELSON“ (USA)
2. Forest Whitaker in „THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND“ (Great Britain)
3. Jürgen Vogel in „DER FREIE WILLE“ (Germany)
4. James McAvoy in „THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND“ (Great Britain)
5. François Cluzet in „NE LE DIS À PERSONNE“ (France)
Actress:
1. Penélope Cruz in „VOLVER“ (Spain)
2. Meryl Streep in „THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA“ (USA)
3. Judi Dench in „NOTES ON A SCANDAL“ (Great Britain)
4. Helen Mirren in „THE QUEEN“ (Great Britain)
5. Kate Winslet in „LITTLE CHILDREN“ (USA)
1. Sandra Hüller in „REQUIEM“ (Germany)
2. Laura Dern in „INLAND EMPIRE“ (USA)
3. Penélope Cruz in „VOLVER“ (Spain)
4. Laura Linney in „JINDABYNE“ (Australia)
5. Marina Hands in „LADY CHATTERLEY“ (Belgium)
Supporting Actor:
1. Mark Wahlberg in „THE DEPARTED“ (USA)
2. Jackie Earle Haley in „LITTLE CHILDREN“ (USA)
3. Eddie Murphy in „DREAMGIRLS“ (USA)
4. Alan Arkin in „LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE“ (USA)
5. Djimon Hounsou in „BLOOD DIAMOND“ (USA)
1. Anthony Mackie in „HALF NELSON“ (USA)
2. Martin Compston in „RED ROAD“ (Great Britain)
3. Hippolyte Girardot in „LADY CHATTERLEY“ (Belgium)
4. Alex Baldwin in „THE DEPARTED“ (USA)
5. Greg Kinnear in „FAST FOOD NATION“ (USA)
Supporting Actress:
1. Adriana Barazza in „BABEL“ (USA)
2. Cate Blanchett in „NOTES ON A SCANDAL“ (Great Britain)
3. Rinko Kikuchi in „BABEL“ (USA)
4. Jennifer Hudson in „DREAMGIRLS“ (USA)
5. Abigail Breslin in „LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE“ (USA)
A great year for supporting actresses, but look what they did (above) and what could have been (below)
1. Fiona Shaw in „THE BLACK DAHLIA“ (USA)
2. Meryl Streep in „THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA“ (USA)
3. Sidse Babett Knudsen in „EFTER BRYLLUPPET“ (Denmark)
4. Mia Kirshner in „THE BLACK DAHLIA“ (USA)
5. Deborra-Lee Furness in „JINDABYNE“ (Australia)
Emily Blunt in „THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA“ (USA)
Shareeka Epps in „HALF NELSON“ (USA)
Vera Farmiga in „THE DEPARTED“ (USA)
Margo Martindale in „PARIS, JE T'AIME“ (France)
Carmen Maura in „VOLVER“ (Spain)
Grace Zabriskie in „INLAND EMPIRE“ (USA)
Director:
1. Martin Scorsese für „THE DEPARTED“ (USA)
2. Paul Greengrass für „UNITED 93“ (USA)
3. Clint Eastwood für „LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA“ (USA)
4. Stephen Frears für „THE QUEEN“ (Great Britain)
5. Alejandro González Iñárritu für „BABEL“ (USA)
1. David Lynch für „INLAND EMPIRE“ (USA)
2. Hans-Christian Schmid für „REQUIEM“ (Germany)
3. Pedro Almodóvar für „VOLVER“ (Spain)
4. Shane Meadows für „THIS IS ENGLAND“ (Great Britain)
5. Pascale Ferran für „LADY CHATTERLEY“ (Belgium)
I half-ignored the 2006 - and boycotted watching the ceremony itself - because I was still seething from the 2005 Brokeback Mountain snub. Full withdrawal was sadly impossible for me. Still The Departed was by far the best film nominated even if it is a vulgarization of the magnificent original (did we really need to up the body count?). My favorite films? The Death of Mister Lazarescu (Fomania's submission for Foreign Film, but rejected), Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story and Pirate's of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (I'm serious) and 1968's Army of Shadows. Nearly 40 years to get here!!
What struck me the most in looking back at the 2006 race is just how weird it was that Pan's Labyrinth lost the Foreign Film category despite winning three other Oscars. I remember a lot of pundits calling it for The Lives of Others so it wasn't exactly a shocker, but Pan was a substantial hit and clear favorite with voters that it still looks weird. Had the voting changes that currently govern that category been in place in 2006, I can't help but assume that it easily would have won (and also would likely have landed a Best Picture nod on an expanded list).
I also remember predicting Little Miss Sunshine for the Best Picture win, as its trifecta of PGA/SAG/WGA victories led me to believe it was a clear consensus favorite.
2006 was a year in which I managed to see every nominated film. And in subsequent years I've been like, Babel? Iwo Jima? Was it worth it to see those?
My strongest memory of The Departed, which I saw in the theater with a former friend who loves gangster films with the undying passion I reserve for Westerns and musicals, was of the SPOILER SPOILER shocking death of Martin Sheen. Just didn't see that one coming. I made a loud gasp/eek sound in the theater.
At the time, I thought it was a terrific but shallow film. On subsequent rewatch, I find it much smarter and more complex than I originally perceived. It's freaking brilliant.
Little Miss Sunshine, OTOH, I remember largely for being absolutely stunned by Paul Dano.
2006 was the first time I've watched an Oscar ceremony (which takes place in 2007 of course, but it still belongs to 2006).
I knew Mirren was going to win no matter what, but I was rooting a little for Meryl in DWP, because I've seen the film that year in theatres and simply loved her in it. Still do of course.
(I'm still not sure about her "outfit" that year *lol* I think it was a fashion protest or something like that)
The Departed isn't my favorite Scorsese film, but I'm fine with it winning and Scorsese finally winning the best director award.
*Cate Blanchett was woefully miscast as "Sheba" in Notes on a Scandal and completely out-acted by Judi Dench, who was my second favorite Best Actress nominee that year.
*Leonardo DiCaprio should have been nominate for The Departed, while that terrible Blood Diamond should have been totally shut out.
*Alan Arkin, whose performance was the weakest in both his category and the movie for which he won, still should be thanking Eddie Murphy's dubious personal and career choices for his Supporting Actor victory.
*The Departed played so much like a bad parody of a gangster flick to me that to this day I don't want to watch it ever again, even to see if my perspective has changed.
*I still remember all of the nominated songs from Dreamgirls but can't manage to recall even the title of Melissa Etheridge's winning tune.
*Meryl Streep's "Miranda Priestly" always will be more iconic, quotable, memorable, and deserving of the win than Helen Mirren's "Queen."
This was the first oscar season I really followed all the way through and I remember it vividly, but what sticks out to me most is being absolutely SHOCKED that Dreamgirls missed BP, which I perceived as the front runner (was this actually the case or was I just 13 and clueless??)
I was also hoping against hope that Catherine O'Hara would pull off a supporting actress nom for For Your Consideration
The scene in Farmiga's office, the surgical precision and intelligence of DiCaprio's performance.
Also, goddam Matt Damon - it took me about three films to forgive him. And I kind of think Wahlberg got his nomination partly as a "Thank you!" for the last scene...
I loved the Departed and glad for its wins....
I remember being super excited when Scorsese won (such a cute moment) and super bummed at the nominees overall... but then excited again because it allowed Scorsese to have his moment, and for a movie that was genuinely well-made and not too awardsy (how often does that happen anymore for overdue career Oscars?).
My absolute favorite best picture win of the last 15 years. I love The Departed. Not by any means my favorite Scorcese but so well made and entertaining and I loved seeing all these actors be so good. Not many people remember but not a lot of people thought DiCaprio and Wahlberg could act before this. Also we were ready to give up on seeing Damon or Nicholson in something really interesting anymore. The win surprised me and I jumped out of joy and haven't done that since. It was really nice to see a deserving movie just ride critical and audience approval all the way to an best picture without any Revenant shenanigans.
The movie that is aging the best out of that group is Little Miss Sunshine. Very re-watchable. Not academy award winning stuff though. Movie aging the worst is Babel. I liked it on first viewing but I don't remember why I liked it anymore and no one else does.
Also for whoever felt like mentioning Blanchett was miscast in Notes on a Scandal... Stop It Immediately. That was the predominant narrative surrounding criticism of that movie at the time but it's aging into a camp classic and that duet worked tremendously.
Mark Walhberg was perfect casting
What Tony T says (in his last paragraph).
Gena: I think you may be right about Wahlberg's nomination@
Tony T: That's not quite right about DiCaprio. He had been routinely acclaimed as an actor since the days of This Boy's Life and Gilbert Grape. But it is the case that people weren't sure he could be properly adult on screen until The Departed.
I loved Wahlberg's nomination. So surprising but so appropriate; it is truly a SUPPORTING performance. Sadly, the only thing I really remember about The Departed is Alec Baldwin gleefully crying, "God bless the Patriot Act!" This is one of those movies that jmy brother was OBSESSED with and begged and begged me to watch it with him, so I think I kind of tuned it out. I'm sure he's the same way with every chick flick I tried to get him to watch.
I remember being really bummed that Emily Blunt wasn't nominated for The Devil Wears Prada, and that it was cute that when they announced Penelope Cruz's nomination, announcer Salma Hayek cried out "Yes!" and couldn't help herself (she also choked up when announcing Pan's Labyrinth nominations).