Recently I’ve been trying to watch several of the “Older” films that are highly rated by the critics.
I watch “Last Motion Picture Show.” It was an OK film but I didn’t find it great.
Anyway I rented it as Cloris Leachman won an Oscar for it and I was shocked while watching the movie.
Her part wasn’t much and while she was good she was certainly wasn’t that great.
Why did she win? Or is this an Oscar fluke?
Some movies don’t age well and those that might have been great when they came out can be embarrassing as the years go by (as are the photos of me in my '70s white-girl’s 'fro). I’d guess that there was little competition in the year the award was given, or perhaps you just don’t relate to the travails of a depressed middle-aged woman whose husband (a footbal coach, wasn’t he?) who is having an affair with a much younger woman.
BTW, this year’s best movie competition isn’t very interesting whereas the last Awards (American Beauty, Cider House Rules, The Green Mile, The Insider and The Sixth Sense) and the year before (Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan, Shakespeare in Love and The Thin Red Line) were a far better lineup.
“The Last Picture Show” only won 2 Academy Awards and both were in supporting acting categories: Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson.
The competition was Ann-Margret in “Carnal Knowledge”, Margaret Leighton in “The Go-Between”, Ellen Burstyn in “The Last Picture Show”, and Barbara Harris in “Who is Harry Kellerman and Why is He Saying All Those Terrible Things About Me?”
It wasn’t a bunch with a lot of big names and “The Last Picture Show” was pretty popular. It’s surprising that Leachman and Burstyn didn’t split the vote.
I suppose Ann-Margret was the main competition, but she probably didn’t have the right image at that time. Not many people saw “The Go-Between” and “Who is Harry Kellerman …” I imagine.
Supporting acting awards have always been sort of weird. However, I’ve never heard of anyone really complain about Leachman’s win.
It’s not like she’s Marisa Tomei (who is celebrating her 36th birthday as I type this).
I just didn’t see the role being that great or even pivitol to the movie. Her acting in it was OK. I guess maybe it was just a movie of the times.
I wonder if being on MTM put her over the edge for the win. I can only think of Helen Hunt as another actor/actress who won an Oscar while on a TV show.