The least deserving of the winners of the Oscar for Best Actress: your top 5 choices

Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago. She's a pretty lackluster actress and she stomped in that movie, she didn't dance.

There is some crossover between Jennifer Jones’ Bernadette and Jodie Foster’s Nell.

But Foster only got the nomination.

[quote] Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago.

She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, not Best Actress.

Agree 100% about Pickford. Awful acting in an awful movie (though the climax with her running around flinging her arms about is hilarious).

Katharine Hepburn in Guess Who's Coming To Dinner.

R31 you're right, sorry

Emma Stone.

In fact, anything related to that god awful movie that robbed MOANA of its deserved best song Oscar!

Madonna in Evita

Madonna didn't even get a nomination for Evita.

R8 She was up against some heavy competition that year. Frances McDormand in Fargo, Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room, Kristin Scott Thomas in The English Patient, and Sissy Spacek in The Birdcage

I *loved* Spacek that year!

Madonna won a golden glob for Evita.

I was impressed with CZJ in Chicago. I listened to the soundtrack countless times and then saw the movie ans have seen it many times. CZJ is an aggressive powerhouse in the movie, but after many listens and rewatches I decided that RZ outshone her acting.

I like Jennifer Lawrence but I detested Silver Linings. I found it to be totally inauthentic from the storyline to the acting. Lawrence was too young to be cast in that kind of role to begin with, and the material was bad, IMO. It's an 'issue' movie about mental illness and I felt like it objectified people who have mental illnesses in an archaic way.

This thread is about the Oscar for Best Actress, not the Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line.

Black Swan/Natalie Portman. Another overrated movie and performance.

Imagine Judy in Country Girl, OP.

OP's list is pretty solid

Ginger Rogers

Judy Holliday

Cher

Judy was the correct choice, r17. Otherwise you have to pick between Bette and Gloria. This way they both lose.

[quote]5. Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook." Not the worst performance ever, but an unremarkable turn in an unremarkable movie in a year where there were much finer nominees

Totally agree. So obvious she won the Oscar because she fucked Weinstein.

Judy Holliday was not the correct choice (it should have gone either to Davis or to Swanson, who both delivered legendary performances), but she still delivered an Oscar-worthy performance. She's absolutely hilarious (especially in the gin scene), and very sweet and endearing. She would not belong on this list, IMHO.

Jodie Foster, both times. I find her acting style wooden and inexpressive. Maybe she's going for a minimalistic thing in her performances, but I think that she got lucky both times.

Cher in MOONSTRUCK. Fucking Hallmark movie with marinara sauce. Her New York accent was so affected. I couldn't stand Olympia Dukakis in this either.

Loretta Young in THE FARMERS DAUGHTER...she barely pulled off the Swedish accent and I've never cared for her as an actress.

Halle Berry in MONSTERS BALL. It was history making, for sure, but she simply was not believable as the down on her luck waitress with a husband on death row.

Judy Holliday didn't deserve hers either like R20 has posted.

I still prefer that Judy won so that Bette didn't have to lose to Gloria and vice-a...versa! Bette and Gloria cancelled each other out. Either one would have won had the other not been nominated. So if neither was going to win, I'm happy it went to Judy.

Paltrow, end of list

OP, your naïveté in thinking that decisions about who is and is not "deserving" of an Oscar is cute, but in today's hyper-overt grievance collecting, win-by-appropriate-subgroup demands and obvious paybacks it is silly.

Oscars have NEVER been given with the perceived or declared quality of a single performance as the only, or even primary, reason for awarding them. This has been true since Pickford simply announced she wanted one, and got it, because of what the business owed her and because of her still-hefty influence at the time.

The audience and critics aren't the arbiters of who "deserve" the Oscar. And they've never been.

Brie Larson Gwenyth Casey Affleck Frances McDorman third Oscar Argo for Best Picture

r24, I said nothing whatsoever to convey I believe what you're accusing me of saying. You've entirely turned me into your straw man.

I do appreciate the snide bitchiness in your post, however. Gold star!

Fern McDormand for “Pass The Bucket, I Gotta Take A Shit”.

Ruth Buzzi for her film performance as a beautiful streetwalker.

Barbara Eden in Harper Valley PTA

I second OP’s #5 choice. Jennifer Lawrence did absolutely nothing Oscar-worthy in SLP.

Sandra Bullock

I agree about Halle Berry, though I would be eviscerated on social media by saying that. That Oscar should have been awarded to Sissy Spacek in In the Bedroom. That performance has stayed with me.

Bette Davis in Jezebel.

Judy Garland bitched evermore about the time “Grace Kelly took off her makeup and won my Oscar.”

Mine are all second - (or 3rd) time winners:

Jodie Foster for Silence. Loved her at the time but I don't think the performance has aged well. Last time I tried to watch, I found her so mannered and quivering, I had to shut it off.

Jane Fonda in Coming Home. Same as Jodie, loved her the first time, now unwatchable for me. I really wish they had given it to Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman.

Meryl in Iron Lady. Unlike a lot here, I love, love, LOVE Meryl. Sorry Meryl haters, I do think she's the greatest! I thought she deserved wins for Silkwood, A Cry in the Dark, Bridges of MC, even The Hours (which she wasn't even nominated). But this???? Awful Boring, wooden, horrible direction. So pissed this was the film she got her third for.

Fran in what R27 said. Nailed it, buddy!!

And my all time hated: Katherine Hepburn in On Golden Piss Pond. I SO wanted Susan Sarandon to win for Atlantic City - a longshot. I recall the critics split between Streep for French Lieutenant and D Keaton for Reds. I'd have been happy with any of them, but not K-K-K-K-Kate.

Isn't it now one of the most derided Best Actress wins of all time??

M M M

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence in the film industry. The Best Actress category honors female actors for their performances in leading roles.

The winners of the Best Actress category are determined by a vote of the Academy's membership, which consists of industry professionals across various disciplines.

While some may have differing opinions about which performances are most deserving of the award, it's important to remember that the Academy Awards are just one way of recognizing excellence in film, and there are many other opinions and perspectives on what constitutes a great performance.

Ultimately, the Oscars and any awards are subjective and can be influenced by a variety of factors, including personal preferences, industry politics, and cultural trends. It's important to respect the choices made by the Academy and recognize that opinions about what constitutes great acting can vary widely.

R37 Yeah.... so?

Gawd, you fags are OBSESSED.

Mary Pickford? Jennifer Jones?! Jesus Christ.

Crash for Best Picture.

Helen Hunt is the correct, undeserving, irritating, awful answer.

Renee Zellweger- Cold Mountain Halle Berry- Monsters ball Susan Sarandon - Deadman Walking Jennifer Lawrence- Silver Linings Playbook Angelina Jolie- Girl Interrupted

What part of Best Actress are some of you guys not understanding? I’m seeing supporting performances, Best Actor, even Best Picture…

Marlee Matlin for Children of a Lesser God

She barely spoke and mumbled incoherently

Frances McDormand deserved the Best Actress Oscar for Fargo but not for Three Billboards or Nomadland.

Too many winners in the past two decades for mediocre performances - Brie Larson, Sandra Bullock, Emma Stone, Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman.

Why doesn't Amy Adams have an Oscar yet?

Michelle YEOH.

Frances Mcdormand in Fargo. Never understood that win because the role was lackluster.

Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lawrence

I only have one: Jane Fonda, who stole it from Jill Clayburgh in 1978/1979. An Unmarried Woman was a better movie in every way than Jane's "oops, I won't do it again" post-Vietnam POS.

R35, you set the date, I will call the caterers.

A very large number of them, if we mean to say that their performance was just outright mediocre or awful.

Everyone who won after 2000 and following except Cate Blanchett and Olivia Colman.

Prior to that? Gwyneth Paltrow, Helen Hunt, Marlee Matlin, Sally Field (the second one), Jane Fonda (the second one), Glenda Jackson (the second one), Katharine Hepburn (the third one), Julie Andrews, Elizabeth Taylor (the first one), Ingrid Bergman (the second one), Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Jane Wyman, Loretta Young, Jennifer Jones, Greer Garson, Ginger Rogers, Luise Rainer (both of them), and Mary Pickford.

I have my personal feelings on the overrated Streep in Sophie’s Choice or Fonda in Klute but they are miles better than what’s been winning in the last twenty years.

R35 Agree with your entire post except Jodie in Silence. The only time besides Taxi Driver she was an excellent actress. She grounds the entire movie, and yes she’s twitchy and scared because she’s a rookie FBI officer on this outlandish and terrifying assignment.

Gwyneth Paltrow owns this thread.

Natalie Portman in Black Swan...especially since I learned she did not do her own dancing, they imposed her face on another dancer.

R55 They didn’t impose her face, they did a lot of Flashdance style quick cuts and lighting. But yes, she did not do a majority of the dancing.

[quote]Sissy Spacek in The Birdcage

I think you need a Pirin tablet.

Also fuck off with this "mannered" criticism. I'd rather have so-called mannered acting than the bland dishrags we're supposed to worship these days.

But R52, the award is for Best Actress. Maybe those mediocre performances were the best ones for those years. My system would award outstanding performances in every category, and would be judged, not voted. Some years, like 1939, could have five winners for Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking, and other years, there might be none.

R59 I think if we're only talking the ones nominated, sure, but every single year there are at least five more worthy performances ignored by the Academy for political reasons or because the movie didn't have enough hype.

My interest in the Oscars (and all live awards shows) these days is just to see how far over the scheduled time they go. It would be a good drinking game. Even the Grammys, which were scheduled to end at 11:30, ran 20 minutes long. Drink every extra 5 minutes!

R56, Actually for the big dance numbers they did impose her face. I actually saw something on You Tube about how they did it and they had to give the real dancer credit who was her "double" because at first the advertising was very misleading.

[quote] Also fuck off with this "mannered" criticism.

Oh, fuck off with YOU.

You are not the monarch of this thread.

R63 MARY!!!

[quote] Frances Mcdormand in Fargo. Never understood that win because the role was lackluster.

It's a really great role. Unlike most big roles for women at the time, Marge Gunderson is completely unattractive (especially because she's nine months' pregnant), and her accent and "Minnesota Nice" affect mark her as a dumb rube. But as the movie progresses we learn that she's actually quite smart and is able to figure out where the kidnappers are and can arrest the surviving one.

Her little speech she makes to the murderer in the car at the end of the film about "There's more to life than money, y'know" shows she has a very solid sense of ethics and morality, and can see beauty in her horrible environs ("And it's a beautiful day!" she says, gesturing from inside the car to the horrible flat snowed-over Minnesota landscape she's driving through).

McDormand is really fine in the role, and one of my favorite things is she seems so accommodating to everyone, except until when the Japanese American former classmate starts flirting with her too hard, or when the guilty Mr. Lundegaard (William H. Macy) starts being rude to her ("bein' snippy!") when her questions about his missing wife hit too close to home. Then she pushes back both times.

Jessica Lange

1994 was a weak year in the category, but even that doesn't justify the Oscar for that performance. Her work is better than the film itself, but considering how bad Blue Sky is, that's not saying much.

I've never liked Fargo very much, R65, but that's a very astute analysis of McDormand's performance. It makes me wish I liked the movie more.

R9 - Sissy Spacek was not in the movie "The Birdcage".

Susan Hayward overacting in I Want to Live!

I loved Fargo. Thought it was brilliant and I watched it a few months ago and it still holds up.

Correct, R68. The incomparable Diane Weist was the Mom in The Birdcage. She and Gene Hackman practically stole the movie but they had stiff competition from Nathan Lane and Robin. I loved it when weeping Diane delivered her line:"Someone has to like me best!"

Diane Weist is a brilliant actress.

Grace Kelly --> Judy Garland Halle Berry --> Sissy Spacek Jennifer Lawrence --> Emmanuelle Riva Julia Roberts --> Ellen Burstyn Reese Witherspoon --> Felicity Huffman or Rachel Weisz in the lead category

I thought Lange was actually pretty good in Blue Sky compared to the nominees, who all ranged from serviceable to awful. I watched it again the other night and have more appreciation for the performance than I used to - the movie is terrible though.

Oops messed up the formatting.

Judy Garland should have won instead of Grace Kelly Sissy Spacek should have won her second Oscar instead of Halle Berry Emmanuelle Riva should have won instead of Jennifer Lawrence Ellen Burstyn should have won her second Oscar instead of Julia Roberts Felicity Huffman should have won instead of Reese Witherspoon or Rachel Weisz should have won if she was in the Lead Category instead of the Supporting Category (which was the case at the BAFTAs because they thought as she was British that she would have the home-field advantage over Reese although that wasn't the case).

"Sissy Spacek Jennifer Lawrence --> Emmanuelle Riva Julia Roberts --> Ellen Burstyn Reese Witherspoon -" Damn, that is one sad list of "winners".

Smh, Can't believe Reese Witherspoon has an academy Award.

Michelle Yeoh

I did not like Sissy Spacek in her role as “Birdcage”.

Oof! YES!!! Reese Witherspoon winning was totally undeserved. I was really pissed when that happened.

Brie fucking Larson....even worse she won over Cate Blanchett that year

Julianne Moore for Still Alice. Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl was robbed.

Emma Stone basically won an Oscar for playing herself. Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love wholly unremarkable.

I'm sure you'll all laugh at this one.

Julie Andrews did not deserve the Oscar for Mary Poppins, her first movie. She got it because voters were sympathetic that she didn't get the movie of My Fair Lady.

[quote]Brie fucking Larson....even worse she won over Cate Blanchett that year

So what. A lot of people have won over Cate Blanchett. She's been nominated 8 times and only has 2. Like it's hard?

[quote]Julianne Moore for Still Alice.

Rolling Stone says Moore's win was the best of the 2000's. (Meryl's was the worst).

Whoopi should have won for Color Purple. Fabulous performance.

I think Streep’s win for The Iron Lady was compensation for not winning for Julie & Julia, in which Streep was magnificent.

Judy Holliday is quite brilliant in "Born Yesterday"; it's probably the most consistently hilarious female Best Actress performance. "All About Eve" is a comedy-drama and Bette Davis is divine, as is Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Blvd" which also has a camp aspect to it. But Judy's performance is a laugh riot from beginning to end, just showing how under-rated people think doing comedy really well can be. Richard Dreyfuss probably did closet to the male equivalent in a Best Actor in "The Goodbye Girl". Yes, Bette and Gloria would have deserved it too, but Judy is doing what she dos best and it's superb (or as she pronounces as Billie Dawn "su-poib')!

"closest", not "closet"

Halle Berry

Gwyneth Paltrow

Renee Zellweger

Grace Kelly

Judy Holiday

Helen Hunt

Jennifer Lawrence

Nicole Kidman

I agree that "Julie and Julia" was like the best performance Streep had given in years, other than mainly doing her usual shtick (even under various accents). She should have given the one she won for "Iron Lady" back for the truly terrible one she gave in "August: Osage County".

Streep was amazing in Bridges of Madison County, a brilliant performance for which she does not get enough credit.

Add Cher to my list. I couldn't believe she won an Oscar for that trifle "Moonstruck."

I like Jamie & Julia (Anti-Chef) on YT more than I did Julie & Julia.

Cher is fantastic in Moonstruck.

Why was Reese Witherspoon playing a spunky, Southern girl considered such an acting stretch for her? She was basically just playing herself.

R92 Jessica Lange would have won the Oscar for that if she had done the part since she was the original choice. Alas, I would still have none.

[quote]Cher is fantastic in Moonstruck.

Everything is fantastic in Moonstruck.

Streep and Eastwood were both too fucking old and WASPy to star in Bridges. I’d have liked to see Isabella Rossellini (I believe the author had her in mind to play the female lead) in the role. Or someone who can project sexuality in general.

Often an actor is presented with an Oscar so the studios can put it in the advertisement or on the marquee and boost ticket sales. Bought and sold.

I disagree with what someone said about Angelina in "Girl, Interrupted" upthread. She really carried that movie with a good performance. If she had continued in the vein of that and "Gia" she'd be one of the best actresses out there. Instead of just loony behavior and tabloid fodder. What a waste.

If we go by a combo of performance, movie, and career, it's Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby.

The performance was fine, but it was the least impressive of the lot IMO, especially compared to Imelda Staunton and Kate Winslet (personally, I loved Annette Bening's serio-comedic tour-de-force of an aging actress).

The movie lost all of its energy halfway through when you know what happens. Plus, the four other films in her category were better or more entertaining.

And, finally, career-wise, she had just won an Oscar five years before. Between Boys Don't Cry and M$B, she made a line of flops.

Swank didn't need a second Oscar in 2004, or even now judging by her career and subsequent performances since then. It was the worst win, or one of the closest in that category.

Streep was awful in Iron Lady, but none of her competition were undeniable, and one could argue she should have three Oscars by now. I'm not sure I would, but it's an argument made by some.

But I digress....... not only did Judy Holiday beat out Bette Davis and Gloria Swanson for the Oscar, Judy won the Tony Award (for Bells Are Ringing) over Julie Andrews and Ethel Merman. The girl had chops.....

Nicole Kidman for the Hours

I tend to think Jessica for Blue Sky and Julianne for Still Alice were compensations for prior good performances.

I’m surprised they just didn’t give the Oscar to Annette in 2005. That seemed like a performance tailor made for an Academy Award. Considering Beatty has only won once (directing Reds, but he was the only front runner) with a ton of nominations, there’s just something about him and his wife that the voters can’t get behind.

My vote goes to Frances McDormand for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," but I admit it's because I hate that movie with the heat of a thousand suns.

Although, I loved "The Banshees of Inisherin" and am rooting for Colin Farrell this year.

Brie Larson. But ask me again on Monday. I may have a different answer.

I agree Frances McDormand in Billboards was awful.

There's something about Gwyneth Paltrow and Natalie Portman I just do not like. They seem so entitled. Princesses. I do feel like Gwynnie has more talent than Natalie but that isn't saying much.

Angelina in Girl, Interrupted played a cartoon character version of a mentally ill woman. Borderline offensive performance. Winona was a lot better, but she wasn’t the sexy “it” girl anymore nor doing crazy tabloid fodder at the time. Poor Brittany Murphy gave the most purely affecting performance, and actually supporting unlike Angelina‘a co-lead.

Helen Hunt has got to be the most boring performer ever.

I think Helen Hunt benefited from being the only American in the category.

I rewatched Fargo the other day, and I forgot McDormand doesn't even show up until 1/3 of the way into the movie. I still think it's her most deserved win, and I like when comedic performances are honored. (Still, I probably would have voted for Emily Watson.)

I think people are way too hard on Pickford. Of course her acting looks lousy nowadays, the vast majority of these early talkies aged very badly. It was a technology in process of adaptation, and it's not like any her competitors gave timeless quality performances either.

R114 true. Plus you can’t too much credence in the Oscar winners from the first few years. The voting was heavily manipulated by the studios.

Janet Gaynor is actually quite excellent in those films for which she won the first Best Actress Oscar. "Sunrise" is an absolutely beautiful film especially, and she was good in talkies like "A Star Is Born".

[quote] My vote goes to Frances McDormand for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," but I admit it's because I hate that movie with the heat of a thousand suns.

I saw that movie. It was awful. She didn't deserve an Oscar for it. She didn't deserve one for "Fargo", either, not for that cartoonish performance. I don't even know what she won her third Oscar for. But she probably didn't deserve that one either. Frances McDormand is one of the most overrated actresses of all time.

You guys are out of your minds. "Awful" to describe some of these performances? I doubt a single one of you have one iota of what it means to be a film actor. Give me a break.

What does it mean, Bosley Crowther?

[quote] You guys are out of your minds. "Awful" to describe some of these performances? I doubt a single one of you have one iota of what it means to be a film actor.

One of the things about film especially is that came out of a capitalist system in the period of the growth of mass culture, and so from the beginning it was meant to be watched as mass entertainment. In this system, if you're among the masses (as everyone is), and you've got a dollar, you've got a choice as to what you see, and you have as much right to judge the mass entertainment products designed for you as anyone else does.

No one needs to have gone to an acting school nor have been a Hollywood actor themselves in order to judge whether a Hollywood film performance is good or bad, despite your assertions to the contrary. If film acting were only to be judged by other film actors, then there would be no point in showing the films to anyone else.

tl; dr: You're a blowhard, and unimpressive.

Brie Larson

Brie Larson

Brie Larson

Brie Larson

Natalie Portman