Revisiting the Academy Awards, 1983

 


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.

Best Picture:
* Terms of Endearment
* The Big Chill
* The Dresser
* The Right Stuff
* Tender Mercies

About: It's interesting we hit this year this week as "The Right Stuff" has been re-made as a series on Disney+ and its first two episodes dropped Friday. I'll be honest, this isn't a year where I'm as taken with the nominees as some. "Terms of Endearment" won here, and I think it was the right choice.

Best Director:
* James L. Brooks
* Peter Yates
* Ingmar Bergman
* Mike Nichols
* Bruce Beresford

About: Brooks was the winner here for "Terms of Endearment," and again I would stick with that. I did think "Silkwood" was an interesting movie, though.

Best Actor:
* Robert Duvall
* Michael Caine
* Tom Conti
* Tom Courtenay
* Albert Finney

About: Duvall was the winner here for "Tender Mercies," a sweet film. This was definitely a year of emotional films. I'd stick with him. Apparently I'm not very controversial looking at this slate.

Best Actress:
* Shirley MacLaine
* Meryl Streep
* Debra Winger
* Jane Alexander
* Julie Walters

About: This is a tough one for me. Streep is great as the titular role in "Silkwood," while MacLaine and Winger are solid in "Terms of Endearment." MacLaine won this year, and it's probably the right choice. But I'm tempted to lean Streep.

Best Supporting Actor:
* Jack Nicholson
* Charles During
* John Lithgow
* Sam Shepherd
* Rip Torn

About: This was "Terms of Endearment's" year, and Nicholson was the winner. I'd stick with that. It's a good performance from him.

Best Supporting Actress:
* Linda Hunt
* Cher
* Glenn Close
* Amy Irving
* Alfre Woodard

About: Close was the only acting nominee to come out of "The Big Chill," which is a movie that is meaningful for a number of people. Cher also gets a nod for her work in "Silkwood." This was a rare category without someone from "Terms of Endearment." Hunt was the winner here for a unique role in "The Year of Living Dangerously" with Mel Gibson. It's a good performance, and one worthy of praise. I'd have stuck with her here.

That's a wrap on 1983, tune in next week for 1984!

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