Unlucky 13 ???
Monday, January 27, 2020 at 10:10AM Everyone keeps saying we're "bitter" in the comments this year, even though we're not (listen, final time saying it: 1917 is a good picture, it'll make a non-embarrassing winner but it's just a little disappointing when they had a chance to make history with a real masterpiece staring them right in the face and gently blowing peach scrapings at them while doing next to unthinkable box office numbers in the current moviescape for subtitled features!)
ANYWAY let's lean in to the bitter in a silly numbers way and talk about something potentially icky, the infamous "unlucky number" 13. Is 13 an unlucky number with Oscar or not? Let's find out...
Only actor to receive 13 (or more) Oscar nominations: Meryl Streep
Verdict: Unlucky! It's lonely at the top and Meryl needs company. Either Jack Nicholson (stuck at 12) needs to come out of retirement or Cate or Kate really need to get cracking again or Saoirse Ronan's gotta start showing up every damn year.
Meryl's 13th nomination: Adaptation (2002)
Verdict: Unlucky! She lost for one of her greatest performances AND she was also in the rare position of the dread "sixth spot" in Best Actress for The Hours (2002) missing out on a double nomination that could have jumped her from 12 to 14 nominations without the dread number 13
Year when Saoirse Ronan will nab her 13th Oscar nomination is she keeps up the current pace of one nomination every other year: 2037 (she'll be only 43 years old... and Meryl didn't get there until she was 53)
Verdict: Lucky ....for us if Saoirse keeps slaying her lead roles.
Only director to receive 13 Oscar nominations: NONE. William Wyler is tops with 12
Verdict: Unlucky.
Only writer to receive 13 (or more) Oscar nominations: Woody Allen
Verdict: Unlucky! He's persona non grata at the moment and his 13th writing nomination was for Deconstructing Harry (1997) which is surely one of his all-time sourest movies. Plus that movie was the start of Oscar looking away. They wouldn't come back around for another 8 years... the longest gap ever between his nominations.
Cinematography...13th nominations: Roger Deakins was nominated for Sicario (2015) and he LOST again, finally winning on his 14th two years later for Blade Runner 2049. So now the all-time record holder for Most Cinematography Nominations without a win is George J Folsey with exactly 13.
Verdict: Unlucky.
Costume Design... 13th nominations: For Sandy Powell that was either Mary Poppins Returns (2018) or The Favourite (2018) either of which might have won in a less competitive year. But she lost both of them. Jean Louis's 13th was for Gambit (1966) and he also lost. Irene Sharaff's was for The Taming of the Shrew (1967) and she also lost. Charles LeMaire's was for Teenage Rebel (1956) and he also lost. Edith Head's 13th was either The Proud and the Profane (1956) or The Ten Commandments (1956) but either way she lost. No other costume designrs have been nominated 13 times. Not even Colleen Atwood (currenty at 12).
Verdict: Always unlucky. On the other hand all of these costume designers had already won Oscars so perhaps this is the mildest of first world misfortunes.
Only movie to ever win in a "13" year: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Verdict: Lucky! That Steve McQueen movie is seriously amazing. An artistic confrontation that Oscar didn't shy away from. What's more it looked like it might lose with Gravity gaining steam in the last lap but it didn't.
Only 13 year old ever nominated: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider (2003)
Verdict: Lucky! She somehow overcame a silly attempt at pushing her as "supporting" in a one-lead movie. And became the youngest Best Actress nominee ever... though she only held that rcord for 9 years.
Only ten movies that received exactly 13 nominations: Gone With the Wind (1939), From Here to Eternity (1953), Mary Poppins (1964), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), Forrest Gump (1994), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Chicago (2002), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), and The Shape of Water (2017).
Verdict: You make your own luck; over half of them won the big prize but the other losses were big considering those hefty nomination totals.
Reader Comments (31)
You're not being bitter.
But maybe 1917 is a masterpiece, too. Parasite and Marriage Story are up there with it.
Ranking the 10 movies with 13 nominations (but leaving out Virginia Woolf because my memory of it is spotty):
9. Benjamin Button
8. Shakespeare in Love
7. Forrest Gump
6. Chicago
5. The Shape of Water
4. From Here to Eternity
3. Fellowship of the Ring
2. Gone with the Wind (side eye at its glorification of pre-Civil War South)
1. Mary Poppins
I don't think you're bitter. But I also disagree that 1917's Best Picture win is a foregone conclusion. The last time a film won Best Picture with no one even *approaching* an acting nomination was Braveheart. (Dev Patel and Thandie Newton had some precursor mojo for Slumdog Millionaire and Crash—plus both those films won SAG ensemble.)
This year feels especially ripe for a director/picture split. Not sure if that favors Parasite or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But as locked up as Mendes looks I think voters will look elsewhere for Best Picture.
I was too young to really follow Oscars then, but did Mel have any buzz as an actor for Braveheart? He didn't seem to bother to really get into character but that all-time charisma was heavy there. I'd be surprised if no one had been mentioning him them.
I also don't think 1917 is the clear favorite, and I don't think Mendes is locked in for the win, either. I think Scorsese is in play, and even Tarantino or Bong Joon Ho.
JF: Crash did get an acting nomination (Matt Dillon was nominated for Best Supporting Actor that year for Crash). I'd say the last film to win Best Picture without even approaching an acting nomination was actually The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (there was buzz for Sean Astin and for Ian McKellen, but outside of it winning the SAG award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture, no real precursors). Your point stands though, I also don't think 1917 is a foregone conclusion (it feels like a film that wins Best Director in a split, like Gravity and The Revenant, a film that's more driven by the experience than the story)...
Adaptation is the best movie Meryl Streep has ever participated in.
TIL was Meryl's 13th nomination after her win for SC, so not that unlucky. ;)
Richter, good points about Dillon and McKellen. Both of those films exceeded 1917's appeal to actors (as has every Best Picture winner since Braveheart and almost every other Best Picture winner in history). Even The Last Emperor (no acting nods) scored acting nominations from BAFTA and HFPA at the time.
Agreed with 3rtful - Adaptation is absolutely the best picture that Meryl has appeared in.
My own actress ballots for 2002 -
Leading
1) Julianne Moore - Far From Heaven
2) Meryl Streep - The Hours
3) Julianne Moore - The Hours
4) Lesley Manville - All Or Nothing
5) Shannyn Sossamon - The Rules Of Attraction
6) Audrey Tautou - A La Folie... Pas Du Tout
7) Jodie Foster - Panic Room
8) Renee Zellweger - Chicago
9) Maggie Gyllenhaal - Secretary
10) Maribel Verdu - Y Tu Mama Tambien
Supporting
1) Patricia Clarkson - Far From Heaven
2) Catherine Zeta-Jones - Chicago
3) Toni Collette - The Hours
4) Geraldine McEwan - The Magdalene Sisters
5) Eileen Walsh - The Magdalene Sisters
6) Miranda Richardson - Spider
7) Fanny Ardant - 8 Femmes
8) Meryl Streep - Adaptation
9) Judy Greer - Adaptation
10) Sally Hawkins - All Or Nothing
Well obviously the bitterness comes off in the writing. So stop defending by saying “we do think it’s a good movie”, because you’re of course allowed to dislike it on your own website. Again, it’s just the writing.
Only three men have at least 13 nominations in the Best Animated Short category.
Walt Disney: His 13th nomination came in a 1938 performance where he took four out of the five nomination spots. (The only non-Disney nominee was Fleischer Studio's Hunky and Spunky.) It worked out pretty well for him as he won for Ferdinand the Bull, beating out Brave Little Tailor, Good Scouts, and Mother Goose Goes Hollywood.
Fred Quimby: The longtime MGM animation studio head picked up his 13th nomination in 1953 with Touche Pussy Cat, a sequel of sorts to the Oscar winning The Two Mouseketeers, Quimby's seventh out of eight wins. This one wasn't so lucky, as it lost to Disney's Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom.
Stephen Bosustow: The former head of the UPA studio had risen to prominence in the 1950s with a couple wins, and a historic 1956 year where his films took up all three nomination slots. However, the studio was on the downswing by then, and even though he picked up his 13th and final nomination in 1957 with Trees and Jamaica Daddy, it was not enough for him to pick up his fourth win.
With the Academy awarding nominations to creators as well as the diversifying towards foreign and independent films in this category, it seems very unlikely we'll ever see somebody pick up 13 nominations in the Best Animated Short category.
I don't think Gibson got anywhere near a Best Actor Oscar nomination. He wasn't nominated for a Drama Golden Globe (which theoretically would have been easier, given the Drama vs. Comedy split) or anything else of significance. In fact, his only acting nomination for Braveheart seems to have come from the esteemed MTV Movie Awards, where he lost to Jim Carrey in the Ace Ventura SEQUEL. So...
Further, it's not as if Braveheart was an overwhelming Oscar winner that should have had acting coattails. It was almost a surprise winner, and, I believe, only won Best Picture at the Oscars because somehow neither Apollo 13 nor Sense & Sensibility had nominated directors.
You're nuts! "Deconstructing Harry" is one of Allen's best and funniest films.
I can never forgive Keisha for stealing Evan Rachel Wood's spot.
@markgordonuk
I can never forgive Keisha for stealing Scarlett Johansson's spot ("Lost In Translation")
@markgordonuk
But it is kinda funny you're mentioning Evan Rachel Wood since she was snubed for a movie called "Thirteen" lol
Once again we're on the "1917 can't win because: "The last time a film won Best Picture with no one even *approaching* an acting nomination was Braveheart." Using that logic, PARASITE can't win either. THE IRISHMAN has no heat and has the Netflix burden to overcome. The only one that seems like it SHOULD win is ONCE UPON A TIME IN... HOLLYWOOD. But THAT'S hardly a safe bet. It's likely going to be one of these films: OUATIH, PARASITE, or 1917, but depending on how the vote gets split JOKER, THE IRISHMAN or LITTLE WOMEN are aren't outside the realm of possibility. My guess is the top three choices split the votes, with one getting director, one getting picture, and the other getting some other big categories, unless PARASITE gets nothing but International feature, or 1917 runs the table, or OUATIH runs the table, or....
@Daniela—
Parasite won the SAG for best ensemble. As Richter noted with Return of the King, that's not nothing. 1917's season-long recognition for acting and by actors? That is literally nothing. Historically so.
I loved 1917 and I'm not saying it can't win for that reason. I'm also not saying the actor's branch is 1:1 with SAG. But it's a competitive year and lacking any discernible support from actors in the wider community (SAG) or the Academy might be worth noting.
My son shares a birthdate with Keisha Castle-Hughes. They turn thirty in 2 short months.
Deconstructing Harry is a great, inventive, funny film. Sour, yes.. but in the best way possible.
Mafer -- but why would i claim to dislike something I don't dislike?. That's so silly!
Keisha was actually second on my ballot after Charlize - don't hate on her.
I'd remove Watts, Keaton and Morton in that order for Wood in 13, Thurman in Kill Bill and Curtis in Freaky Friday with Johansson in the dreaded sixth spot.
What a year it could have been - let's do a retrospective! :D
2001 the acting giiirlls
LEAD
Bjork - Dancer in the dark
Michelle Yeoh - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Ellen Burstyn - Requiem for a dream
Charlotte Rampling - Under The Sand
Maggie Cheung - In The Mood For Love
SUPPORTING
Ziyi Zhang - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Catherine Zeta-Jones - Traffic
Jennifer Connelly - Requiem for a dream
Parker Posey - Best in Show
Catherine Deneuve - Dancer in the dark
BRAVEHEART not being recognized for acting is kind of an analomy, IMO, because they gave Mel Gibson (the Star) Best Director.
You may not be conscious of it but a bitter tone does pervade your pieces this season. Said with love of course and now you’re aware. Now off to read the rest of the article.
Good feedback on Gibson. Surprised he had no traction at all.
In The Mood For Love was released in 2001, in the US. So not eligible.
"Crash" has to be the worst movie to ever win a Best Picture Oscar-
Does anyone else feel like this year would’ve been another 5-for-5 match in Best Pic/Director (like in 2005) if we were in the old system? I think 2009 is the only other possible year in the expanded era.
Cute article; I sincerely enjoyed it. I think it's ok to have some bitterness as Oscars really did came up with a most boring option of their possible nominations.
Wow us with your love for movies again with your Film Bitch Awards!
(P.S., I know it is antithesis to your non-negative campaign, but I do miss reading your Cinematic Shame list this year...)
Marriage Story would be a BP nominee.
I guess your least favorite of the four acting front runners (Zellweger) being the least locked up is a small comfort.