by Nathaniel R
The final Oscar nomination predictions are up if you're just joining us. But if you've already discussed those, here's another discussion prompt with two as the magical number. Looking through the Oscar probabilities we don't have many familial pairs in the acting category competition this time like siblings or father/sons or mother/child etcetera. What we do have is not one but three pairs of onscreen father & daughter teams, one only spiritually but it counts:
- Anthony Hopkins & Olivia Colman - The Father
- Sacha Baron Cohen & Maria Bakalova - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Tom Hanks & Helena Zengel - News of the World
How often are father/daughter onscreen teams nominated? Turns out not often at all..
James Dunn and Peggy Ann Garner both took home Oscars for A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN but hers was a "juvenile Oscar" before they started nominating kids on the semi-regular in supporting
Many of the pairs you'd think would be there, are not because one of them wasn't nominated (like the Dolittles in My Fair Lady or the stars of Paper Moon to cite just two famous examples. Oscar history has lots of mother & child, father & son, and spousal pairs. But father & daughter? Not so much.
Why is this? We assume it has something with the very gendered notions in screenplays as well as what the mainstream values in performances from men and women; We've long noted that men who play tender roles -- such as a kindhearted father or good-man romantic interest -- are passed over while their female screen partners are lauded. It's as if painting rich portraits of love is for women and men are only praised if they dabble in rougher psychology. I always think of Pride & Prejudice in this regard; Donald Sutherland was sensational as Keira Knightley's understanding father but it was a very gentle role so no acting kudos for him.
Here were the only sets of Oscar nominees we could find with the onscreen dad and daughter both nominated though we might be missing a couple.
ONSCREEN FATHER/DAUGHTER OSCAR-NOMINATED PAIRS
Usually one of them wins.
The Heiress
1931 Lionel Barrymore and Norma Shearer in A Free Soul - he won
1945 James Dunn & Peggy Ann Garner in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - the only time both won
1948 Charles Bickford & Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda - she won
1949 Ralph Richardson & Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress - she won
1957 Arthur Kennedy & Hope Lange in Peyton Place they both lost
1962 Gregory Peck & Mary Badham in To Kill a Mockingbird - he won
Ed Begley & Shirley Knight in Sweet Bird of Youth - he won
1970 John Marley & Ali MacGraw in Love Story - they both lost
1974 Robert De Niro & Talia Shire in Godfather Part 2 - he won. (no scenes together)
1981 Henry Fonda & Jane Fonda in On Golden Pond - he won
1987 Vincent Gardenia & Cher in Moonstruck - she won
2014 Michael Keaton & Emma Stone in Birdman - they both lost
Moonstruck
Could it really be true that there have only been 12 examples in 92 years and only 1 in the past 33 years? Perhaps our eyes glazed over and we missed one.