Let's relive Geena Davis' Oscar win

Never heard of her.

Watch Sigourney Weaver. I think she thought she was gonna win since she was nominated in both supporting and lead categories that year. She looks like she's preparing to look surprised and humble and then kinda shocked when her name isn't read.

I love her.

One of the best overall Oscar looks ever. Take off that very 80's poof in the back and that dress could be worn today although that poof is back in style. Geena looked equally amazing the following year in that beautiful red gown.

oooo yes r3. I don't like her hair as much but the red dress is fab.

1988 was a pretty good year for actresses. All the supporting and lead nominees gave good performances.

R4, she broke the streak the year she wore that horrible ruffled short front long in the back number. Although the top of the gown was stunning.

I remember a live interview with Kathleen Turner after the Oscar telecast that night. I think it was a special edition of Nightline. Gene Siskel asked Kathleen if she thought it was right that Geena was in the Supporting category for The Accidental Tourist instead of Lead. Gene thought Kathleen- who was submitted as Lead (though not nominated) should have been Supporting instead. Kathleen was at some post Oscar event, clearly inebriated, and sputtered out some nonsensical response which ended with “...so there you go, Gene!”

I think Weavers performance was a bit overrated tbh. Not surprised Davis pulled off an upset. It was a more memorable substantial role. Plus I think Pfeiifer and maybe McDormand siphoned off votes from Weavers tally.

Don Johnson's 'Feathered Mullet' is absolutely fascinating, a true work of art -

This clip made me nostalgic for The Accidental Tourist. Good movie (remember Edward the corgi?).

Geena Davis was totally miscast in Accidental Tourist, supposedly playing a plain and awkward nerdy woman. I always thought Shelley Duvall fit the part better. (Not the cray cray Shelley of today, of course).

Sigourney Weaver did not deserve it either for being in that overrated Working Girl piece of crap. Streep would play the same type of role much better in The Devil Wears Prada. And it pains me that Melanie Griffith actually got a best actress nominee for Working Girl.

So either McDormand of Pfeiffer would've been preferable.

Two observations: first, and foremost, Michelle was ROBBED; and Melanie's and Geena's 'gowns' kill me !!!

Geena Davis had a great body for glamorous gowns; tall and thin. There was another gown she wore that looked great on her; I remember that one was red. She looked great in red. Anyway, she WAS miscast in "The Accidental Tourist." She was a much different physical type from the woman in the book, who was not a beauty by any means. Davis had a kind of quirky beauty. But then Kathleen Turner was also miscast ; her character was a somewhat plump, rather ordinary middle aged woman; Turner was younger and beautiful. And Bill Pullman was miscast as the improbably handsome suitor of the homely sister. Jason Alexander would have been a better choice for that role. There was lots of miscasting in that movie.

All that permed hair....

Was Geena "Abused" ?

Any dirt on Geena and Jeff?

I remember that r6. Turner was just a drunk mess. Posing with her hand on her hip and practically passing out from booze.

Davis was gawky enough in the movie. She wasn't done up to be beautiful. All the people above complaining about Bill Pullman too good looking, Kathleen Turner too good looking etc. This is the movies. People are always better looking than real life. Even William Hurt would be too good looking by those standards.

"People are always better looking than real life."

But is wasn't "real life." This movie was based on a novel. And the novel described the characters, who were ordinary looking people, at best. In the movie they were made younger and better looking. But it didn't add to the story. And in the case of Pullman it's ludicrous. He's the love interest of the the homely sister of Hurt's character (I think that's who she is) and it's hard to believe that he would have an interest in her. That's one of the things I didn't like about the movie; it just didn't make sense.

But wasn't it supposed to be very surprising that the Pullman character falls for her?

Bill Pullman is nothing special to look at, neither is Geena Davis. I don't get the compliant. Mary Beth Hurt or Brooke Adams are unwatchable. Who else is homely in film? Martha Plimpton and that Jeff Daniels. Sally Field, that's about it.

“So there you go, Datalounge!”

To be fair, Hollywood can’t really handle Anne Tyler’s stories. She writes about very plain people and Hollywood just doesn’t do plain. They lasso Kathy Bates and put her onscreen and then they’re out of options.

Joanne Woodward did well with Breathing Lessons.

John Wiliam’s score ruined the movie for me. There was an absolutely puerile short melody that seemed to be repeated 5 thousand times. It opened and closed every scene, covered transitions and seemed to play over every clioseup of William Hurt. And there were plenty of those.

That role that Geena Davis got was one of the most coveted in movies. I remember reading an article about how every slightly quirky type auditioned for it. Mary Steenburgen and Barbara Hershey are two I remember.

Geena Davis is not too goodlooking to play a not so good looking character. That's why she started late and finished early. No every woman is built for show business.

Thanks for this thread. My insomnia is bad tonight. and I adore reading these Hollywood stories.

I think Joan Cusack's surprise nomination hurt Sigourney's chances. This vote must have been very close. Davis was on Oprah before it ended and discussed how as she was driving to the theater Siskel and Ebert predicted her as being in fourth place so she wasn't expecting much.

BTW her "I can't believe I have to go first" stems in part from the fact that literally right before she won they had the infamous Rob Lowe singing with Snow White musical number.

Mcdormand wasn’t going to win because Mississippi burning was too controversial and backlash to the movie started. Davis had the biggest part of all the nominees and was a category fraud.

Odd how the Golden Globes only nominated Sigourney (who won) plus four different women

WINNER Sigourney Weaver Working Girl Barbara Hersheyt Barbara Hershey The Last Temptation of Christ Diane Venorat Diane Venora Bird Lena Olint Lena Olin The Unbearable Lightness of Being Sônia Bragat Sônia Braga Moon Over Paradoren:

Her acting coach Roy London - that’s the one who died of AIDS who Sharon Stone always blabs on about (cue waterworks).

"it's all about love!!!!"----------Sharon Stone

That’s fascinating, r30. These days the nominees of SAG, GG and BAFTA are always too uniform that it’s quite boring.

R33 also Kevin Kline pulled off an upset win for supporting actor without being up for the globe. Something that would never happen nowadays in the supporting categories.

Thanks for posting, OP. Great seeing Geena Davis accept her award. She was nervous during the speech (who wouldn’t be?) but stayed so poised and focused. She is lovely.

Side-bar: She has created a non-profit in L.A. which studies the effects of female roles in media. Very smart woman.

I absolutely loved her in Thelma and Louise. Brilliant.

No, OP. She looks like she's at her high school prom.

Which, sadly, R36 was never invited to.

Interesting that all the nominees are still working today - except we don't see much of Geena. I've loved her since EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY.

Melanie must have been about three months pregnant with Dakota Johnson (b. Oct. 4, 1989) during this.

Melanie and Don were the most inept and unamusing presenters of all time. With the worst hair.

This should have been Sigourney's Oscar. She was incredible in WORKING GIRL and even R10 knows it. Chew on that

Love how Geena thanked the book's author.

I remember being shocked that Geena won. I thought she had the least chance of the 5 nominees. I thought she was miscast and only so so. But she looked great and gave a charming speech.

This was in the days before all the prognosticating took the fun and surprises out of the Oscars. This win, Anna Paquin’s and Marcia Gay Harden’s are what used to make the Oscars fun.

I hate Anne Tyler but this may have been her best book.

Annie Paquin was adorbs when she won. I wonder what Beanie is up to nowadays.

Anna Paquin stole my heart that day! But it had to have been the other votes canceling each other out, right? The Academy hardly ever recognizes kids that young.

I would have given it to Frances.

r44 Winona Ryder was considered to be the likely winner but they just didn't seem to like The Age of Innocence. Pfeiffer wasn't even nominated nor was the picture and director. I think the thinking was Paquin was just in a much more popular film.