Postal workers are going to hate us. On Oct 6, 2008, EW launched the “Recall the Gold” Project — a massive ballot survey that invites Hollywood to re-vote on past Oscar races. Will Shakespeare in Love still beat Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture? How is the industry feeling about that Roberto Benigni Best Actor win for Life is Beautiful ten years after the fact? Here’s Hollywood’s chance to “alter” or affirm film history.
By mid week, 7,000 ballots will arrive on the desks of elite members of the film industry. Each ballot has been mailed in a white envelope emblazoned with the words “Recall Ballot” in bright red ink. All the voting is anonymous, but each ballot is numbered for security, so that no one is tempted to stuff the ballot box. (And we know they’re totally going to be tempted.) Film industry insiders will vote in six major categories: Best Picture, Directing, Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role and Actress in a Supporting Role. The ballot focuses on five different years: 2003, 1998, 1993, 1988 and 1983 (e.g. 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years ago.) Ballots must be returned in the self-addressed, stamped envelope included with the ballot no later than Nov.1, 2008. EW will publish the results in January 2009.
I HATE THIS IDEA. Totally demeans those who actually won. Shame on you EW
I disagree. While this won’t set right a number of wrongs (see Kevin Costner over Martin Scorsese for Best Director in 1990), it will at least acknowledge that mistakes were made.
Not to mention these are not very contreversial years. Coulda been done better.
Paul Newman in the Verdict, Jeff Goldblum in The Fly, Steve Martin in All of Me. Those are the three biggest travesties I’d like to see rectified.
Newman lost to Ghandi, for god’s sake. Not Ben Kinglsey, but actually to Ghandi himself. Has anyone ever managed to stay awake for all of Ghandi? It’s intersting, but it’s a 10th grade social studies flim strip in many ways, too.
Ghandi beat Tootsie, The Verdict and ET. Sophie’s Choice wasn’t even nominated. Ben Kingsly beat Newman, Peter O’Toole in My Favorite Year, Jack Lemmon in Missing, and Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie.
Are you freaking kidding me???
I mean, Chariots of Fire beat Raiders, Reds and Atlantic City, even though the whole movie was shot and projected in slow motion.
Russel Crowe not winning for “A Beautiful Mind” but Denzel Washington wins for “Training Day”. Crowe’s performance was in a word ‘Amazing’. Washington’s performance while good was cliched and it’s been done before. Crowe deserved that Oscar no question. Ever since that travesty I don’t take too much stock in the popularity contest called the Academy Awards.
1980: Apocalypse Now > Kramer vs Kramer
1981: Raging Bull > Ordinary People
1982: Raiders of the Lost Arc > Chariots of Fire
1992: Denzel Washington > Al Pacino
1993: Angela Bassett > Holly Hunter
1995: Anyone > Nicholas Cage
1996: Jerry Maguire > The English Patient
1998: Saving Pvt Ryan > Shakespeare in Love
and Cate Blanchett > Gwyneth Paltrow
1999: The Green Mile > Cider House Rules (adpt screenplay)
2001: Russell Crowe > Denzel Washington
2005: Brokeback Mountain > Crash
2006: Eddie Murphie > Alan Arkin
obviously you dont know anything about cinema
and its eddie MURPHY*
nick, I think Rob is pretty much on the money. What do you think is incorrect? For 1999 I’d say any of them before Cider House Rules
Wish the year Brokeback lost to Crash was included…
I agree with tinaa. If this was just a random survey on ur site it’d be fine but the fact uve sent out ballots to 7,000 industry insiders is sad. I hope none of the people polled vote. And as a frequent visitor to your site I am very disappointed in whomevers idea this was. Shame shame
In ’97, Judi Dench totally should have won for “Mrs. Brown” instead of Helen Hunt in “As Good as It Gets.” If you remember Helen’s speech, she even seemed to think so.
1993 might not be bad. I wouldn’t be too surprised if Neeson in Schindler’s List overtakes Hanks in Philadelphia. And Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive? Over Ralph Fiennes In Schindler’s List? And Leo DiCaprio in Gilbert Grape? Even Angela Bassett in What’s Love Got To Do With It might beat out Holly Hunter in The Piano.
I think you have to take the whole thing with a grain of salt, too. Emotional selecting is bound to come into play. Like, will they look and say, “Oh, Tom Hanks wins the next year for Forrest Gump, so I’ll pick Liam Neeson, who has no Oscar yet, for 1993 Best Actor.” Or, “Well, hmm, Linda Hunt? What’s she done for us lately? I’ll choose Glenn Close, since she doesn’t have an Oscar yet.”
Wow… this is really, really tacky. Bad idea EW.
Pulp Fiction over Gump
Fargo over The English Patient
Russell Crowe in the Insider over Kevin Spacey in American Beauty
Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters over Roberto Benigny in Life is Beautiful
The Two Towers (or Gangs of New York) over Chicago
Daniel Day Lewis (by a country mile) in Gangs of New York over Adrien Brody in The Pianist
I want Adriana Barazza to rip the Oscar from Jennifer Hudson’s greasy fingers…bitter.bitter.bitter.
Who cares? How about concerning ourselves with the economy? Having said that…”Brokeback Mountain” was ROBBED of Best Picture. “Crash” is silly drama.