Beatrice Straight’s Oscar win for her notable function in “Community” stands as some of the exceptional achievements within the historical past of the Academy Awards. Within the 1976 movie directed by Sidney Lumet, Straight portrayed Louise Schumacher, the spouse of a community govt. What’s actually astonishing is that Straight delivered a powerhouse efficiency with solely 5 minutes of display screen time.

It’s value noting that Straight’s win got here towards stiff competitors from iconic performances akin to Jodie Foster’s portrayal within the tense crime drama “Taxi Driver” and Piper Laurie’s function within the horror basic “Carrie.”

Straight’s victory, alongside the 2 appearing triumphs for Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway within the actor and actress classes, solidified “Community” as considered one of three films to safe three appearing prizes. Regardless of its success within the appearing races, the movie famously misplaced the very best image award to the sports activities drama “Rocky.”

Adrien Brody’s greatest actor overcome earlier Oscar winners: Jack Nicholson (“About Schmidt”), Michael Caine (“The Quiet American”), Nicolas Cage (“Adaptation”) and the closely favored Daniel Day-Lewis (“Gangs of New York”) surprised audiences. He grew to become (and as of 2024 continues to be) the youngest actor to win at 29. “The Pianist” additionally shocked on the night time with wins for director Roman Polanski (over Rob Marshall and Martin Scorsese) and tailored screenplay (over “The Hours” and “Adaptation”).

Veteran actor Lauren Bacall was poised for a triumph within the supporting actress class for her function within the romantic comedy “The Mirror Has Two Faces.” On an evening akin to this 12 months’s Oscars with “Oppenheimer,” anticipation was excessive for Anthony Minghella’s sweeping drama “The English Affected person” to dominate the awards. Nevertheless, the night took an surprising flip.

In a shocking twist, “The English Affected person” traded considered one of its anticipated victories for Juliette Binoche’s supporting function, and much more astonishingly, misplaced the tailored screenplay award to Billy Bob Thornton’s “Sling Blade,” a movie that wasn’t even nominated for greatest image.

Within the historical past of televised main awards ceremonies – together with the Golden Globes, BAFTA, SAG, and Critics Selection – there exists a singular anomaly: Marcia Homosexual Harden’s win for her portrayal of artist Lee Krasner in Ed Harris’ directorial debut, “Pollock” (2000), stands as the only occasion of an actor clinching an Oscar with out prior recognition from any of those teams.

Harden’s nomination itself was a shocking feat, as she surpassed formidable contenders akin to Ziyi Zhang (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Site visitors”), and Kate Winslet (“Quills”). Many anticipated that Kate Hudson’s endearing flip as groupi Penny Lane in “Nearly Well-known” or maybe a consecutive Oscar victory for Judi Dench in “Chocolat” would safe a nomination. But, it was Harden who emerged because the surprising nominee.

When presenter Nicolas Cage introduced her win, it not solely marked a exceptional achievement for Harden but in addition sparked hypothesis that Harris, nominated for greatest actor for his portrayal of Jackson Pollock, may comply with swimsuit. Nevertheless, such hopes have been finally dashed.

As soon as upon a time, the Academy did the absoluate coolest factor they’ve conjured, and that was given an Oscar to Marisa Tomei’s comedic brilliance in “My Cousin Vinny.”

Tomei’s efficiency in a comparatively light-hearted movie beat out veterans like Judy Davis from “Husbands and Wives” and Vanessa Redgrave from “Howards Finish.” The shocker led to decades-long hypothesis a few voting error or presenter Jack Palance studying the mistaken identify. All have been debunked.

Image this: a comedy movie snubbed in the very best director class, but it claims the coveted greatest image award over a slate of formidable contenders, together with a Vietnam Conflict drama, a coming-of-age interval story, a feel-good sports activities flick, and a biopic based mostly on an acclaimed memoir. Such was the case with Bruce Beresford’s “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989), a seemingly simplistic story chronicling a girl’s journey being chauffeured over a 25-year span.

Regardless of its unassuming premise, “Driving Miss Daisy” defied expectations, securing not solely the distinguished greatest image accolade but in addition incomes three further wins, together with a greatest actress trophy for Jessica Tandy. Notably, it stays the latest PG-rated film to assert the highest honor on the Oscars.

On the forty seventh Academy Awards in 1975, Artwork Carney took house the Finest Actor trophy for his efficiency in “Harry and Tonto,” a touching street film the place he portrayed an aged man embarking on a journey together with his cat.

Carney bested heavyweights like Al Pacino, who delivered a powerhouse efficiency as Michael Corleone in “The Godfather Half II.” Pacino’s portrayal of the conflicted mob inheritor was broadly praised, and plenty of anticipated him to clinch the award.

Olivia Colman’s overcome frontrunner Glenn Shut (“The Spouse”) on the Oscars was a pleasant shock for a lot of, though quite a few trade insiders had anticipated that the six-time nominated veteran actress would lastly safe her long-awaited trophy. Regardless of Colman’s wins on the Golden Globes and BAFTA, some pundits remained skeptical. However, Colman’s heartfelt and eccentric portrayal of Queen Anne in Yorgos Lanthimos’ darkish comedy “The Favorite” captivated each voters and audiences.

What makes Colman’s win much more exceptional is that “The Favorite” misplaced out on all 9 of its different noms, with many presuming that accolades for manufacturing design and costumes, on the very least, can be inside attain.

Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” is taken into account by many to be the best movie of all time, and but, it’s not a greatest image winner.

“How Inexperienced Was My Valley,” a poignant household drama set in a Welsh mining neighborhood, captivated audiences with its emotional storytelling and stellar performances. Directed by John Ford, the movie struck a chord with viewers, resonating deeply with its themes of custom, sacrifice, and resilience, coming months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Whatever the differing opinions, the end result of the 1942 Oscars serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of an iconic movie, regardless of if the Academy picks it or not.

Many anticipated Steven Spielberg’s epic struggle drama “Saving Non-public Ryan,” with an all-star forged led by Tom Hanks, to take house the highest prize. Coming Spielberg’s second directing trophy, all of it appeared preordained. Nevertheless, the romantic dramedy “Shakespeare in Love” from John Madden pulled off a significant upset that introduced alongside a stunning win for Judi Dench for less than eight minutes of display screen time over presumed favourite Lynn Redgrave in “Gods and Monsters.”

In 2017, the Oscars stage witnessed a memorable reunion as “Bonnie and Clyde” stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway got here collectively to current the award for Finest Image. The prevailing expectation was that Damien Chazelle’s enchanting musical “La La Land” would declare the prize, significantly following its earlier wins for steering and actress for Emma Stone.

Nevertheless, what unfolded was an surprising twist. Amid what Dunaway described as “a dramatic pause,” she unexpectedly introduced “La La Land” because the winner after glimpsing the cardboard, unaware that it was truly the envelope for Finest Actress. The following confusion was swiftly resolved, with “La La Land” producer Jordan Horowitz revealing the right card, confirming that Barry Jenkins’ poignant coming-of-age LGBTQ drama “Moonlight” had, in reality, triumphed over the presumed frontrunner.

Past the envelope mix-up, discussions surrounding the win have delved into its broader implications, significantly in relation to the political local weather following the 2016 presidential election of Donald J. Trump. Some pundits and fans speculate that had Hillary Clinton been President on Feb. 26, 2017, Chazelle’s ode to the “fools who dream” might need clinched the victory. Conversely, Jenkins’ profoundly shifting portrayal provided a stark distinction, echoing the emotions of many who sought refuge in narratives of inclusivity and resilience.

Within the realm of LGBTQ cinema, “Brokeback Mountain” blazed a path, paving the best way for Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” to finally make its mark.

The sting of Ang Lee’s poignant cowboy love story’s vital loss in the very best image class continues to be palpable practically 20 years later. Past its surprising defeat, the end result underscored the enduring biases held by many conservative members of the Academy, who overtly expressed reluctance to vote for Focus Options’ groundbreaking drama on account of its thematic components.