# What is the WORST movie to contain an Oscar-winning performance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296 "2003-03-10T13:42:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/1 "2003-03-10T13:42:59Z")
For simplicity’s sake, I’m only considering the Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress categories. No special awards, no writing Oscars, none for special FX. My vote is for “The Untouchables,” the 80s version with Kevin Costner. Sean Connery won BSA for that one, but the movie as a whole was light, shallow entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/2 "2003-03-10T14:04:53Z")
Howzabout “Airport?” (Best Supporting Actress for Helen Hayes.) ---
**Author:** ![irishajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@irishajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishajo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/3 "2003-03-10T14:26:45Z")
Anna Magnani won Best Actress for ‘The Rose Tattoo’. I just didn’t care for it. Anna Magnani did a good job, but IMO the whole thing was just badly put together. Burt Lancaster didn’t help. Shirley Booth won Best Actress for ‘Come Back, Little Sheba.’ Didn’t care for that either. Again, Burt Lancaster didn’t help. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/4 "2003-03-10T14:26:54Z")
1960’s _Butterfield 8_ - Elizabeth Taylor (Best Actress). ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/5 "2003-03-10T15:44:41Z")
_Mr. Saturday Night_. I think that was the year David Paymer beat out Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon, among others, for supporting actor. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/6 "2003-03-10T15:58:16Z")
Well, there are a host of critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning films that I didn’t think were very good (“American Beauty,” for instance), but I’ll avoid those. I’ll stick to films that generally got mediocre-to-poor reviews, but which featured an award winning performance: 1. Denzel Washington was quite good, but “Training Day” was a pretty bad movie. 2. “Philadelphia” got deservedly tepid reviews. Tom Hanks gave a decent perormance in it, but Hollywood gave him the Oscar as a statement of support for AIDS patients, not because they thought he was a great actor. 3. “Harry and Tonto” was pretty dull stuff. And while I always loved Art Carney, I can’t imagine how anyone could have voted for him over Al Pacino in “The Godfather Part 2.” 4. “Save the Tiger” was a mess. Jack Lemmon was okay in it, but I suspect he won by default (there weren’t many better performances that year). 5. “The Accused” was a tedious, predictable courtroom drama. Heck, it could have passed for a made-for-Lifetime-TV movie. Jodie Foster was very good in it, but the movie was tripe. 6. I can’t comment on Jessica Lange’s performance in “Blue Sky” because I haven’t seen it. But that’s my point- NOBODY saw it! I suspect she won on personal popularity within Hollywood circles, NOT because anybody actually thought she gave a great performance. Reviews for the film were unenthusiastic, to say the least. 7. “A Touch of Class” is awfully dated… no, actually, it’s just awful. Glenda Jackson was funny in it, but the movie is a waste of celluloid. 8. “Klute” doesn’t hold up well at all. Jane Fonda’s performance was pretty good, but otherwise, this is a pretty weak detective yarn. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/7 "2003-03-10T17:26:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kaspar Hauser \* > \*\*_Mr. Saturday Night_. I think that was the year David Paymer beat out Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon, among others, for supporting actor. \*\* Actually, Paymer was nominated for best supporting actor, but lost out to Gene Hackman, who won for **Unforgiven**. That year (1993) Al Pacino won for best actor in **Scent of a Woman** , which I have never been able to sit through–the movie is boring, the performance grating and irritating. Pacino has had much better non-winning performances, **The Insider** and **Donnie Brasco** come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![pezboy2u](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@pezboy2u](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezboy2u)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/8 "2003-03-10T17:34:17Z")
Whoopi Goldberg was good in “Ghost” -she won best supporting actress, but the movie itself was gawd-awful. ---
**Author:** ![stylize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@stylize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stylize)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/9 "2003-03-10T17:40:47Z")
Angelie Jolie in _Girl, Interrupted_. I like _The Untouchables_. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/10 "2003-03-10T17:54:41Z")
Michael Caine in CIDER HOUSE RULES. Perhaps I was prejudiced because I really liked the book of which this was so small a part, but I thought the movie was boring, preachy, and generally lackluster. By this time next month the obvious answer will be GANGS OF NEW YORK. Day-Lewis’s performance was fantastic, but the movie is almost unwatchable, though I do love Cameron Diaz’s 1863 washboard abs juxtaposed with her botched Caesarian scar. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/11 "2003-03-10T18:30:07Z")
Marisa Tomei in _My Cousin Vinny_. ---
**Author:** ![Rib\_Eye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@Rib\_Eye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rib_Eye)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/12 "2003-03-10T18:52:42Z")
In recent memory…Russell Crowe in “Gladiator”. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/13 "2003-03-10T18:53:42Z")
Mary Pickford inexplicably won an Oscar for her performance as a Southern belle flapper in the creaky stage play **Coquette** (1929). I live and breath old movies, but even I had trouble sitting through that one. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/14 "2003-03-10T19:05:45Z")
> [@](#): > > “Harry and Tonto” was pretty dull stuff. And while I always loved Art Carney, I can’t imagine how anyone could have voted for him over Al Pacino in "The Godfather Part 2. Probably because Jack Nicholson was also up for his great performance in another landmark movie–_Chinatown_–that same year. They took away votes from one another and enabled Carney–who had the “Old” Hollywood block of Academy voters solidly behind him–to win. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/15 "2003-03-10T19:07:30Z")
Quite possibly, the only thing worse than _Forrest Gump_ was the original book. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/16 "2003-03-10T20:45:30Z")
Oh, come on, what is it with the antipathy towards “Forrest Gump”? It was a terrific movie. And while Art Carney should not have won that award, Harry and Tonto was a GOOD movie all the same. For my money, the worst movie in modern times to win an acting Oscar is probably “Butterfield 8.” Other bad movies include “Scent of a Woman” and “A Thousand Clowns.” ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/17 "2003-03-10T21:06:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rib Eye \* > \*\*In recent memory…Russell Crowe in “Gladiator”. \*\* Wow! _sniff_ I thought I was the only one… Jesus, that movie stunk… hrh ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/18 "2003-03-10T23:50:08Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by RickJay_ > Oh, come on, what is it with the antipathy towards “Forrest Gump”? It was a terrific movie. I have to disagree. (Imagine that!) That this patronizing, simple-minded, anti-intellectual piece of cinematic glurge beat out the infinitely superior, and massively more influential, _Pulp Fiction_ stands as one of the biggest travesties in Oscar history. And that’s saying a hell of a lot, considering the Academy’s history. What really bothered me was that Hanks got Best Actor for this crap. I like Hanks, I think he’s a fine actor and deserves most of his other trophies. But the role of Forrest actually required him to shut down his range to a single note, which he proceeded to hit for the next two hours. There was absolutely no depth or nuance to his performance. I don’t recall who he was up against that year, but unless it was nothing but Carrot Top and Pauly Shore performances, there’s no way his could have been the most deserving performance. Although I have to say, I really liked Gary Sinise in this movie. They should have made the movie about him, and left the moronic pollyanna on the shrimp boat. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/19 "2003-03-11T00:17:07Z")
I was bored by “Moonstruck”, and “An Officer and a Gentleman” isn’t much better. ---
**Author:** ![kefka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@kefka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kefka)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296/20 "2003-03-11T01:09:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rib Eye \* > \*\*In recent memory…Russell Crowe in “Gladiator”. \*\* i totally agree… but that’s academy awards politics… russell crowe didn’t win the oscar for gladiator, even if that’s what it says on the statue. he won the oscar for gladiator because of his performance in “the insider,” which he lost to kevin spacey, who completely deserved it for “american beauty.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-movie-to-contain-an-oscar-winning-performance/160296.md?page=2)