by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer
Another month, another look back at the Academy Awards from years past with Oscars: What If! It’s time once again to look at categories that should’ve existed had the Academy been on their game. Let’s travel back to the year where the Boston Celtics drafted Larry Bird, director Roman Polanski skipped the country after pleading guilty to having sex with a minor, Ford Motors recalled the Pinto, Synthetic Insulin was developed, the Space Invaders arcade cabinet was released, and the US signed over the Panama Canal to Panama… with the handoff set to take place in 1999. That’s right, we’re looking at the films of 1978, which were celebrated at the Oscars in 1979. 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… Drunken Master, Grease, Halloween, Hooper, The Wiz
And the winner is… Grease!
It’s genuinely incredible that month after month, examining year after year, the Best Stunts and Choreography category seems to be the most competitive category that I write about. And you know what? I love it. Once again, I’m wracking my brain trying to come to the right conclusion. Jackie Chan is doing legendary work in Drunken Master. Hooper is literally a movie about stunt workers, and they’re pulling off incredible stuff. But in the end it has to go to Grease. Although the stunts are fairly limited, primarily revolving around the car race that’s definitely not on the L.A. River when the movie takes place in the Chicago suburbs, it’s still impressive how they shred this car while racing. But it’s the dance that’s worthy of grabbing the gold. I mean, the dancing here is iconic. The Hand Jive choreography alone has permeated pop culture — people still do those movements on wedding dance floors to this day. Whether it’s dancing on the car for “Greased Lightnin’”, the elaborate stage production of “Beauty School Dropout”, or the double whammy of “You’re the One That I Want” and “We Go Together” in the finale, Grease is firing on all cylinders.
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… John Hurt as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, John Hurt as Hazel in Watership Down, Linda Manz as Linda/Narrator in Days of Heaven, Walter Matthau as Ebenezer Scrooge in The Stingiest Man in Town, Peter Ustinov as Narrator in Metamorphoses
And the winner is… John Hurt as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings!
Dang, this one really almost goes to Linda Manz. The voiceovers she delivers throughout Days of Heaven are great, and all the more impressive in that most of them were improvised. But John Hurt takes it here. For Strider, not for the rabbit. While The Lord of the Rings is fairly underwhelming, the sins are not the fault of Hurt, who is doing great work. He brought Aragorn to life for an entire generation. He delivers a full-bodied performance. Poignant and vigilant, but caring and emotional when needed. A solid performance.
Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast
Given to the best overall ensemble cast performance for film.
And the nominees are… Autumn Sonata, Blue Collar, Days of Heaven, The Deer Hunter, Interiors
And the winner is… Interiors!
Here it is, everyone! Welcome to the tightest, and possibly most contentious, category of the year. A solid argument can be made for any of these five films, and even several more that we simply do not have room to nominate. I mean, tremendous films like Coming Home, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Midnight Express are snubbed! But in the end I’m giving it to Interiors. The simple fact is that this movie does not work without the brilliant performances this cast provides. The way in which these sisters bounce off one another is crucial to the plot and the inevitable tragic ending that unfolds. The love, hatred, passion, jealousy, and sorrow on display is transcendent. It’s not acting; it’s real life. In fact, to point out how talented this cast is, the movie already received two acting nominations from the Academy for Geraldine Page and Maureen Stapleton. That’s two nominations before even considering the brilliant work from Diane Keaton, Mary Beth Hurt, Richard Jordan, and Sam Waterston. This dysfunctional family dynamic is perfectly brought to the screen by this cast and the spectacular work they’re putting on display. They’re absolutely terrific, and worthy of the recognition.
Best Directorial Debut
Given to the best achievement in direction by a debut directing talent for film.
And the nominees are… Warren Beatty and Buck Henry for Heaven Can Wait, Charles Burnett for Killer of Sheep, Randal Kleiser for Grease, Paul Schrader for Blue Collar, Robert Zemeckis for I Wanna Hold Your Hand
And the winner is… Paul Schrader for Blue Collar!
Another great category with some stacked competition. However, it has to go to Paul Schrader. Blue Collar is a powerful film that festers inside you and sticks with you, for better or worse. The mirror it holds up to society is an uncomfortable one to look into, but it’s necessary. Schrader’s examination of class struggles is thorough and tremendously important to understand. Especially with the world’s current economic struggles and the rise in popularity of unions and unified labor workers. Schrader captures all of this with prominent performances to back it all up. He gets the most out of Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, and Yaphet Kotto. Combined with solid camera work and smart editing, Schrader stands tall with Blue Collar.
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… Grease, Halloween, Heaven Can Wait, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Superman
And the winner is… Grease!
Some may find this pick to be blasphemous given all of the incredible films that came out this year, but I see no other option. Grease dominated at the box office by making more than $180 million. That total is $40 million more than the next highest grossing film of the year, National Lampoon’s Animal House. This film was huge, especially with John Travolta coming to anchor the film fresh off of being nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars the year before with Saturday Night Fever. This film was based on an acclaimed and Tony nominated musical, with a star studded cast, that boasted a killer soundtrack and some sick dance moves. The perfect cocktail for Hollywood success. People went to see it in droves, and here we are 45 years later and it’s still cherished. Plus, the movie even garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, as well as a handful of Golden Globe nominations. A commercial hit, a critical success, and beloved by many for generations, Grease has to take the crown for Best Popular Film for the Oscars of 1979.
The Academy Awards of 1979 once again celebrated a stellar year in film. You had a show-stopping musical, an iconic horror film that spawned a massive franchise, some powerful critical dramas, and a superhero film that made us believe a man could fly. So much to love and appreciate. But the fun times never stop when you have movies like Alien, Apocalypse Now, and The Muppet Movie. Join us next month as we return to look at the Oscars from 1980, celebrating the films of 1979!
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