Revisiting the Academy Awards, 1981

 


As some of you know, I have been a frequent guest host on the Music City Drive In Movie podcast this summer. We've been looking at movies since 2000, re-nominating the Academy Awards. That got me thinking about the actual fields of the awards themselves. In a new weekly series, I'll be looking back at the last 40 years of Oscars and reviewing the choices at Best Picture, Best Director and the four acting categories.

1981:
Best Picture:
* Reds
* Raiders of the Lost Ark
* On Golden Pond
* Chariots of Fire
* Atlantic City

About: This is a pretty good field. "Reds" is a film that was huge at the time, "On Golden Pond" is a beautiful film that features a family on film, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is an iconic classic and "Chariots of Fire" tells a great story and earned the Oscar. It's hard to go against "Chariots," which is an iconic film in its own right. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" isn't the kind of film that typically wins the top prize as it's got more commercial appeal, but if it was me that's the film that gets my vote.

Best Director:
* Warren Beatty
* Steven Spielberg
* Louis Malle
* Hugh Hudson
* Mark Rydell

About: Beatty is the biggest name and earned the win here for "Reds." I feel like "Reds" is a film that might have meant more when it was released in 1981 than afterwards, at least that's how I felt. Since I moved Best Picture to "Raiders," here is where I would recognize Hudson for his work on "Chariots of Fire."

Best Actor:
* Henry Fonda
* Warren Beatty
* Dudley Moore
* Burt Lancaster
* Paul Newman

About: This is a pretty incredible and deep roster of talent. Fonda was the winner, and I'd stick with him. I really thought "On Golden Pond" was a neat movie and a neat family tale.

Best Actress:
* Katherine Hepburn
* Diane Keaton
* Marsha Mason
* Susan Sarandon
* Meryl Streep

About: Another pretty incredible field. Streep, Sarandon and Keaton are great performers who've delivered a lot of great roles. Hepburn was the winner here, and call it my love for "On Golden Pond," but I liked the choice and would stick with it.

Best Supporting Actor:
* John Gielgud
* Ian Holm
* Jack Nicholson
* James Coco
* Howard E. Rollins, Jr.

About: Gielgud, the veteran, got the win here for "Arthur," a fun film. While "Reds" wasn't a personal favorite, seeing all these award nominations and this list of actors, it was a star-studded production. That being said, I like the Gielgud selection here.

Best Supporting Actress:
* Maureen Stapleton
* Jane Fonda
* Melinda Dillon
* Joan Hackett
* Elizabeth McGovern

About: Stapleton got the win here for "Reds," which again had an acting nominee in each category. But I think you know where I'm going with this, I would go with Fonda for "On Golden Pond." I just liked that movie and the stories better.

Check back next week for a review of 1982.

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