Courtesy of Emily Zavada
In this sixth part of my retrospective Oscar Outlook, I’ll be eliminating some underrated classics and another one of the Academy’s recent choices.
68. “You Can’t Take It with You” (1938)
Think of this as “It’s a Wonderful Life: Part I.” It’s Jimmy Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, H.B. Warner and Samuel Hinds in a Frank Capra picture. For a Best Picture winner, “You Can’t Take It with You” is a bit slight, though the director’s usual — and appreciated — messaging of goodness over greed is the key to this one as well. Having watched it during Christmastime, it was wild seeing Lionel Barrymore play the charming Grandpa Vanderhof and the vile Mr. Potter in the span of a few days. Were it not so similar to some of Capra’s other films, it might stand out more.
67. “A Beautiful Mind” (2001)
A straight drama that’s a little less standard than I had anticipated, “A Beautiful Mind” is the story of mathematician John Nash and his battles with mental illness, specifically schizophrenia. The imagery gets a little obscure in spots but never truly commits. Ron Howard is about as conservative a director as there is in the mainstream, and his style, or lack thereof, might not have been the best match for this story. Someone with a bolder style probably could have elevated this script. Russell Crowe starred in his second Best Picture winner in a row here, and established himself as a worthy leading man in the process.
66. “An American in Paris” (1951)
Gene Kelly was on a roll in the early 1950s between “Singin’ in the Rain” in 1952 and this Best Picture winner from the year prior, “An American in Paris.” The bright, oozing color palette of this movie is what sticks with me, aside from Kelly’s magnetic triple threat persona. I think it goes on a little long in the third act, and the story generally takes a backseat to the overwhelming production values, but “An American in Paris” is an inoffensive, cozy flick.
65. “The Shape of Water” (2017)
“The Shape of Water” is not really my cup of tea, nor is any of Guillermo del Toro’s work. As a visual storyteller, he never fails, but his writing often drags his films down in my book. A monster movie, conceptually, “The Shape of Water” has the stones to go to a very strange place with its romantic elements. This is a case where the execution is much stronger than the idea, as Sally Hawkins’ relationship with a fish-man has no right to be as charming as it is. But beyond that odd core, I’m not sure what I was supposed to get out of the movie.
64. “Tom Jones” (1963)
What’s so bad about “Tom Jones”? You’ll see it ranked towards the bottom of Best Picture rankings, but I thought it was good fun. It is unfocused, for sure, but from the lens of it being the life and times of its main character, you could do much worse. Tom is actually less interesting than the people he meets along his journey, and there are many. Good luck keeping up with everyone. The highlight is Joyce Redman, who shares a bizarrely seductive meal with Tom. Wittier than I would have expected, “Tom Jones” brings the Swinging Sixties to the 18th century.
63. “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979)
Before “Marriage Story,” the ultimate divorce movie — that’s the opposite of a date movie — was “Kramer vs. Kramer.” It plays remarkably similarly to that more modern film, though I think “Kramer vs. Kramer” is more clearly pro-dad than the other half of this comparison. It’s complicated. I don’t think I’m a particularly big fan of either lead Kramer, though I certainly appreciate Meryl Streep’s efforts to make the mother more sympathetic. I can very easily see a lesser film mindlessly punishing a woman for not wanting to be a housewife with a loveless, workaholic husband. It’s at least more nuanced than that.
Sam Zavada is counting down his ranking of every Best Picture winner in the history of the Academy Awards in the lead-up to this year’s ceremony on March 2. Participate in the Times Leader Readers’ Ballot for the 97th Oscars by filling out the form at https://bit.ly/4hd8n6F. The Readers’ Ballot will close on Friday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. and will be revealed in the Saturday, March 1, edition of the Times Leader.
Sam Zavada is counting down his ranking of every Best Picture winner in the history of the Academy Awards in the lead up to this year’s ceremony on March 2.
