by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer
Welcome back to another month of Oscars: What If, where we look back at movies from years past that could’ve, and should’ve, won an Academy Award… that is if the Academy Awards had some more categories. It’s time to travel back to a year in which Jimmy Carter took office as President of the United States, the Apple II personal computer was released, Elvis Presley passed away, Pelé retired from soccer, and the Atari gaming system launched for home entertainment. It’s time to look at the Oscars of 1978, which celebrated the films from 1977. Let’s see what movies would have possibly landed a few extra golden statues, shall we?
Best Stunts and Choreography
Given to the best achievement in dance, stunts, related performances, and overall choreography for film.
And the nominees are… A Bridge Too Far, Saturday Night Fever, Smokey and the Bandit, The Spy Who Loved Me, The Turning Point
And the winner is… Saturday Night Fever!
This was actually quite the stacked category for this year in film. There are other noteworthy movies such as Suspiria, Star Wars, and Grand Theft Auto that don’t even get a nomination. Are these snubs? You could argue that, but I would say that the five nominated here are just that much better. Congratulations to our winner, Saturday Night Fever,for absolutely crushing it. It’s not even just the dancing sequences either, which in and of themselves helped bolster and popularize the disco era by solidifying the dance craze throughout pop culture and society. But it’s also the composition of fight sequences, and some daredevil balancing acts atop of, and eventual falls off of, a bridge. There’s a lot of stunt work and choreography that went into the vast majority of the scenes throughout this picture. It absolutely deserves the gold for this category, especially once you take into account the final dance competition sequence which showcases a variety of stunning move sets that are still impressive to this day.
Best Performance by Voiceover or Motion Capture
Given to the best off screen voice performance, or on screen motion captured performance, for film.
And the nominees are… Orson Bean as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, John Fiedler as Piglet in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Sterling Holloway as Winnie the Pooh in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, James Earl Jones as Darth Vader in Star Wars, Bob Newhart as Bernard in The Rescuers
And the winner is… James Earl Jones as Darth Vader in Star Wars!
What a fantastic year for voiceover work! There’s so much to appreciate, and even more performances that could’ve been nominated. Especially when you consider the wide range of talent throughout The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. But it’s hard to consider anyone else besides James Earl Jones for the win. His work as Darth Vader is beyond iconic. He crafted what is arguably the most famous cinematic villain in the history of film, and all without ever appearing on screen. He is devious, enigmatic, and beyond menacing. I don’t know if there’s a single person in the entire world that has not at some point or another in their life imitated Jones as Darth Vader, or at the very least his distinctive mechanical breathing. This is a performance for the ages that will be cherished by all generations for eternity to come. In fact, to heap more praise, this is the type of performance that awards are made for.
Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast
Given to the best overall ensemble cast performance for film.
And the nominees are… 3 Women, Annie Hall, Equus, The Goodbye Girl, Star Wars
And the winner is… 3 Women!
This was actually a really close category for this year. With the runner up in my mind being Equus, plus beating out a duo of talent filled romantic comedies and arguably of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, 3 Women has a lot to boast about. That’s not even including snubs for this category such as The Duellists, The Turning Point, or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The underseen 3 Women delivers on multiple levels, and in very subtle and nuanced ways. Your appreciation for the movie and its cast continues to blossom as the movie progresses. Most people probably know Shelley Duvall from The Shining, but here she is giving arguably her career best performance. The range that she displays throughout her character’s unpredictable and winding journey is impressive. Sissy Spacek is also endlessly fascinating, coming off her breakout performance in Carrie from the year before. The evolution her character goes on from being naïve and unimposing, to being brash and assertive, and then reverting back again, is captivating. Janice Rule is also terrific as the silent maternal figure. That’s not even including all the rest of the supporting cast that make this one of the best, well-rounded, ensemble performances you could see. This movie is hard to track down, but if you can find it, its performances alone are worth your time.
Best Directorial Debut
Given to the best achievement in direction by a debut directing talent for film.
And the nominees are… Diane Kurys for Peppermint Soda, David Lynch for Eraserhead, Hal Needham for Smokey and the Bandit, Nobuhiko Obayashi for House, Ridley Scott for The Duellists
And the winner is… Ridley Scott for The Duellists!
Wow, what a big year for feature length directorial debuts. You have some all-time legends here in David Lynch and Ridley Scott. That’s not even including Ron Howard who had his debut this year as well with Grand Theft Auto. Unfortunately, that movie just isn’t good enough to be nominated. The Duellist, for me however, is the runaway winner in this category. While some may see this is a snub for Lynch and Eraserhead, it’s easy to forget that this was not at all appreciated at the time, and it wasn’t until much later that it received a retrospective critical approval. The Duellists just feels like the more well-rounded and complete debut feature. With incredible art direction, beautiful costumes, gorgeous cinematography, a terrific original score, and a director in Scott who is getting every last bit out of the performers of this cast. The story is captivating, echoing Barry Lyndon in many ways from a couple years earlier. Plus, with its sleek 100 minute runtime, it is an easily digestible and well-paced work of art. Scott’s vision and eye behind the camera creates an immersive experience. It’s no wonder he’s gone on to have one of the most prolific directing careers in the history of Hollywood.
Best Popular Film
Given to the best audience supported motion picture that earned a spot as one of the top 25 box office films of the year.
And the nominees are… Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Saturday Night Fever, Smokey and the Bandit, Star Wars
And the winner is… Star Wars!
Was there ever a doubt, honestly? There’s arguably nothing that even needs to be said because this pick is so obvious for this category. Star Wars was a phenomenon. It was the movie where people would line up around the block ahead of time just to be able to catch a showing, or they would go back to the theater numerous times to watch the magic over and over again. And who could blame them? This had some of the most mind-blowing world building and visual effects ever put on screen. The Force, lightsabers, space warfare, heroes, villains, and cocky smugglers… Star Wars had it all. It absolutely annihilated box office records, making $461 million domestically and $775 million worldwide, and has gone on to spawn one of the most famous and influential movie franchises of all time. By the way, for those keeping track at home, that’s $2.2 billion and $3.7 billion respectively when adjusted for inflation. Damn. While on the surface Star Wars is a simple hero’s journey, evoking many samurai and western films that have come before it, this movie managed to capture the imagination and engage with the populace in a way nobody had ever seen before. Not only was it massively popular, it was incredibly critically successful. It garnered 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and it won six of them (seven if you count a special achievement award for ‘Alien, Creature and Robot Voices’ outside of the standard categories). Star Wars is the definitive choice for Best Popular Film of this year. Arguably, this is the best example that you could ever hope to have for showcasing the value in why this category should exist.
The Academy Awards of 1978 celebrated an amazing year in film. One of the many examples as to why so many consider the ‘70s to be one of the greatest decades in the history of cinema. There are just so many all-timers, classics, and masterpieces that were produced. It’s always fun to be able to recognize them for all that they achieved. But there’s more to appreciate on the horizon such as Superman: The Movie, The Deer Hunter, and John Carpenter’s original Halloween. Join us next month as we return to look at the Oscars from 1979, celebrating the films of 1978!
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