# A "Truly" Awful Oscar Winner **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907 "2009-07-04T16:57:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/41 "2009-07-06T17:35:38Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I tend to discount actors who do these roles, not that they can’tmake it believable or act well, just that they have a fleshed out template from which to work. But then on the other hand, they also have a real life counterpart they have to live up to (in the case of celebrities; I don’t buy that acting like a real life person who wasn’t on film is the same thing.) Acting as Muhammad Ali is easy in the sense that you can watch tapes of him to see how he acts, but difficult in the sense that anyone watching you perform as Ali will be able to compare you to the real Muhammad Ali. Achieving a realism that will allow the viewer to set aside the knowledge that you are not the real person they have seen and heard is not easy. If you’re going to play a fictional character you’re not up against a real life comparison. I don’t buy the “impersonation” criticism at all, to be honest. Unless an actor is doing nothing but imitation (and such performances aren’t nominated for Oscars) they’re being asked to create a character on screen. Will Smith was not just imitating Muhammad Ali; most of the scenes were of his character doing things that were not immortalized in fight footage. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Truman Capote, Forrest Whitaker’s Idi Amin, Helen Mirren’s Queen Elizabeth II, Reese Witherspoon’s Roseanne Cash, and others required a hell of a lot of acting and bringing the character out, not just doing some Rich Little-style impersonation. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/42 "2009-07-06T18:13:44Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > **Yul Brynner** never did anything for me. I never felt that he acted as anything other than “Yul Brynner”, as in, “We need somebody vaguely foreign-looking with a deep voice - see if Yul’s available!” > > . Sorry must disagree, I saw him in person doing the King & I, he \*ruled \*that stage . I’d say Julia Roberts and Cuba Gooding are my picks. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/43 "2009-07-06T20:40:34Z")
Definitely Jennifer Hudson, at the very least. ---
**Author:** ![Anduril](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Anduril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduril)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/44 "2009-07-07T00:01:27Z")
Reese Witherspoon ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/45 "2009-07-07T00:11:35Z")
> [@satoridt](#): > > doesn’t Nicholas Cage have an Oscar? Because he’s awful. Eh, I know it’s quite fashionable around the dope to hate on Cage at every turn, but I thought he was fantastic in _Leaving Las Vegas_. Unfortunately I’ve known someone who drank to death and have worked with alcoholics through treatment and I thought Cage was extremely convincing. That was the year that Sean Penn (my favorite actor) was up for _Dead Man Walking_ and I was very torn on those two performances. I totally agree with those who have said Jennifer Hudson, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts and will add Helen Hunt and Halle Barry. I don’t think any of those people are terrible, but IMHO they aren’t what I would call Oscar-caliber performers. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/46 "2009-07-07T03:21:16Z")
I thought Hoffman’s portrayal of Capote was cartoonish. Even MORE cartoonish than Capote’s portrayal of Capote. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/47 "2009-07-07T03:36:22Z")
I like several of Charlton Heston’s movies, but not because of Charlton Heston. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/48 "2009-07-07T04:04:55Z")
I do not understand why Helen Hunt won her Oscar. Marisa Tomei? No problem. Every time I watch My Cousin Vinnie, I find something else I like about her. But Helen Hunt? Really? _Really?_ I hope somebody can explain it, seriously, because for me, it’s one of life’s great mysteries. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/49 "2009-07-07T04:21:14Z")
When I was much younger I remember being absolutely outraged when John Wayne won the Oscar. It was the same year as Midnight Cowboy & I thought Dustin Hoffman was robbed. Now, lo these many years later, I find Hoffman to be as unappealing as Wayne, acting wise. Both very one-note. Perhaps Hoffman varied his schtick a little in Tootsie, but John Wayne never did. I enjoyed True Grit, but I don’t think John Wayne was a good actor, at all. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/50 "2009-07-07T04:21:16Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > I do not understand why Helen Hunt won her Oscar. Marisa Tomei? No problem. Every time I watch My Cousin Vinnie, I find something else I like about her. But Helen Hunt? Really? _Really?_ I hope somebody can explain it, seriously, because for me, it’s one of life’s great mysteries. I might be willing to agree with you about that if I hadn’t had a major crush on Helen since the _Mad About You_ days. So don’t you dis my imaginary girlfriend! (I strongly suspect similar feelings account for most of Marisa’s defenders.) ---
**Author:** ![Voluble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/4af34b/32.png) [@Voluble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voluble)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/51 "2009-07-07T08:19:42Z")
Halle Berry. I have to say though that she earned hers. Not through her acting but simply due to the fact that she had to simulate sex with Billy Bob Thornton. Hell, I think that would put you in line for the Congressional Medal of Honor most years. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/52 "2009-07-07T14:46:12Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t buy the “impersonation” criticism at all, to be honest. Unless an actor is doing nothing but imitation (and such performances aren’t nominated for Oscars) they’re being asked to create a character on screen. Will Smith was not just imitating Muhammad Ali; most of the scenes were of his character doing things that were not immortalized in fight footage. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Truman Capote, Forrest Whitaker’s Idi Amin, Helen Mirren’s Queen Elizabeth II, Reese Witherspoon’s Roseanne Cash, and others required a hell of a lot of acting and bringing the character out, not just doing some Rich Little-style impersonation. Reese Withersppon portrayed June Carter-Cash. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/53 "2009-07-07T14:58:35Z")
> [@williambaskerville](#): > > Have you seen the Name Of The Rose ? [The Name of the Rose (1986) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091605/) > > That was a very complex, subtle performance by Connery, and notably unScottish:- easily worthy of an Oscar in it’s own right. I agree, but others might see your username and think you’re biased. ---
**Author:** ![ubergoober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ee7513/32.png) [@ubergoober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ubergoober)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/54 "2009-07-07T15:46:38Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > I do not understand why Helen Hunt won her Oscar. Marisa Tomei? No problem. Every time I watch My Cousin Vinnie, I find something else I like about her. But Helen Hunt? Really? _Really?_ I hope somebody can explain it, seriously, because for me, it’s one of life’s great mysteries. For what it’s worth, here’s William Goldman praising her acting that year. [QUOTE=William Goldman in The Big Picture] [Helen Hunt] was the rock of this funny-sad movie. She made you believe. Nicholson got to not step on sidewalk cracks and be endearing; Kinnear got to play the tormented gay. She came into battle with really nothing. Except her talent. But she made you believe a lot of things: That she really was a waitress. That she really had a kid. That she really cared for him. That she really didn’t care for the fact that he was sick. That the world had dealt her a shit deal. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907/55 "2009-07-07T16:29:11Z")
I do not get Hillary Swank. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-truly-awful-oscar-winner/501907.md?page=2)