THE OscaRS MARK KERMODE’S 30-DAY OSCAR DIET Here’s the quick and easy way to become fitter, leaner and more (film) buff, in time for what will undoubtedly be a marathon Academy Awards night on 2 March ‹ DAY 1 › ‹ DAY 2 › ‹ DAY 3 › ‹ DAY 4 › ‹ DAY 5 › ‹ DAY 6 › ‹ DAY 7 › ‹ DAY 8 › ‹ DAY 9 › ‹ DAY 10 › BEST PictURE BEST ACTOR HONORARY AWARD BEST ACTRESS BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS best PictURE BEST MUSIC BEST MUSIC BEST WRITING BEST PictURE SUNrise (1927) THE GODFATHER (1972) SNOW WHITE AND THE DANGEROUS (1935) THE year of liviNG REBECCA (1940) LIMELIGHT (1952) JAWS (1975) CHINATOWN (1974) GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) SEVEN DWARFS (1937) daNgeroUsly (1982) Fri 31 Jan There were two best picture Sat 1 Feb Settle into Saturday night with Sun 2 Feb Perfect Sunday afternoon Sun 3 Feb Having received an unofficial Mon 4 Feb Proving there is no limit to Wed 5 Feb “Last night I dreamed I went to Thurs 6 Feb Chaplin’s masterpiece was Fri 7 Feb When his mechanical shark Sat 8 Feb “Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown.” Sun 9 Feb Nearly four hours long, this winners at the first Oscars ceremony on this best film big hitter. Marlon Brando viewing for all the family! To date, no “write-in” nomination for her powerful the versatility of a talented performer, Manderley again…” Alfred Hitchcock never released internationally in the 50s, when failed him on screen, director Steven Screenwriter Robert Towne was Hollywood epic, awarded several Oscars, 16 May, 1929; William Wellman’s Wings, stars as Vito Corleone, earning his second animated feature has ever won the lead performance in Of Human Bondage, American Linda Hunt earned a best won an Oscar for best director (he got five the US had closed its doors to the film Spielberg turned to composer John Chinatown’s only winner at the 47th will fill an entire Sunday afternoon. a box-office hit which scooped the main statuette for best actor after On the Oscar for best picture. But Walt Disney’s the incomparable Bette Davis won supporting actress Oscar playing nominations before finally receiving the pioneer amid allegations of communist Williams to give his drama some teeth. Academy Awards, his script for Roman Hattie McDaniel became the first prize; and FW Murnau’s Sunrise, which Waterfront. Boycotting the 45th Academy first feature-length animation was her first best actress Oscar in the Chinese-Australian man Billy Kwan, Irving G Thalberg memorial award in 1968). sympathies. It wasn’t until 20 years Williams responded with a theme now Polanski’s neo-noir masterpiece African American to win, triumphing as was recognised as best “unique and Awards, where the film won three Oscars, nominated for “music (scoring)” at the tempestuous role of Joyce Heath. A becoming the first person to win an Oscar But this dazzling adaptation of Daphne later, when Limelight received a belated synonymous with underwater terror – becoming a blueprint for note-perfect supporting actress in this adaptation artistic picture” (and received two other Brando sent Native American Sacheen 10th Academy Awards, and the next second Oscar, for Jezebel, followed. Years portraying a member of the opposite Du Maurier’s story picked up gongs for US release, that the academy awarded two notes powerful enough to scare a screenwriting; it is still used in workshops of Margaret Mitchell’s story of the old awards) despite failing to court large Littlefeather to reject his award in protest year Walt himself was honoured with later, Steven Spielberg bought both of sex. Peter Weir’s critically acclaimed “outstanding production” (today’s best Chaplin and collaborators Ray Rasch and generation of moviegoers out of the sea! and teaching seminars today. Towne and south. Recently rereleased in the UK, this audiences. The battle for the soul of the at “the treatment of American Indians eight statuettes – one tall, seven small, Davis’s statuettes at auction and returned political thriller, adapted from Christopher picture category) and “cinematography – Larry Russell the Oscar for best dramatic As memorable as Bernard Herrmann’s Polanski fought over many elements of “outstanding production” winner makes best picture category – ticket sales v today by the film industry” and “recent in recognition of “a significant screen them to the academy to “prevent further Koch’s source text, remained banned in black and white” (George Barnes), along score. It was Chaplin’s only Oscar win - stabbing strings from Psycho, the score the script, including the ending, which for uncomfortable viewing alongside this artistic clout – has raged ever since. incidents at Wounded Knee”. innovation which has charmed millions”. commercial exploitation”. Indonesia until 1999. with several nominations. his other statuettes were honorary. for Jaws earned one of its three Oscars. was darkened to Polanski’s taste. year’s favourite, 12 Years a Slave. ‹ DAY 11 › ‹ DAY 12 › ‹ DAY 13 › ‹ DAY 14 › ‹ DAY 15 › ‹ DAY 16 › ‹ DAY 17 › ‹ DAY 18 › ‹ DAY 19 › ‹ DAY 20 › BEST WRITING BEST EDITING BEST ACTRESS BEST PictURE BEST PictURE BEST PictURE BEST ACTRESS BEST PictURE FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM BEST ACTRESS THELMA & LOUISE (1991) THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) MILDRED PIERCE (1945) MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969) CASABLANCA (1942) THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) MARY POPPINS (1964) SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008) LA STRADA (1954) ON GOLDEN POND (1981) Mon 10 Feb A home run for screenwriter Tues 11 Feb Key to its haul of awards Weds 12 Feb “Please don’t tell anyone Thurs 13 Feb John Schlesinger’s tale Fri 14 Feb “Here’s looking at you, kid.” Sat 15 Feb “I ate his liver with some Sun 16 Feb Julie Andrews was one of the Mon 17 Feb In the history of the Oscars, Tues 18 Feb The academy ushered in the Wed 19 Feb Katharine Hepburn set two Callie Khouri for her brilliantly vibrant and (which included best picture, director, what Mildred Pierce did!” begged the of a hustler (Jon Voight) and his sickly Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the winner fava beans and a nice Chianti.” The 64th very few things PL Travers liked about only 12 films financed outside the US official foreign language film category at its records at the 54th Academy Awards: defiant road movie about two women on actor, and adapted screenplay) was the publicity for Michael Curtiz’s adaptation friend (Dustin Hoffman) struggling of the “outstanding motion picture” Academy Awards have earned a place Disney’s adaptation of her books – as have won best picture, of which 11 were 29th ceremony, with Fellini’s bittersweet the most wins for any performer (this the run from the police. “I just got fed up work of Oscar-winning editor Gerald of James M Cain’s novel. On the night of to earn a living on the streets of New prize at the 16th Academy Awards. A in history as the only time a horror film viewers of Saving Mr Banks (which is up (in part or whole) backed by the UK. tale of a brutish strong man (Anthony was her fourth; all her wins were for best with the passive role of women,” Khouri Greenberg, who cut the celebrated car/ the 18th Academy Awards, Joan Crawford York remains the only X-rated feature timeless love triangle between Humphrey bagged the top prize – although many for several awards at tonight’s Baftas) Danny Boyle’s brilliant tale of Mumbai Quinn) and the young charge (Giulietta actress), and the longest gap between later said of writing the movie. Susan train chase. During the shooting, stunt lay in bed, allegedly feigning pneumonia, (in the US system) to win best picture. Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid insist that this grisly adaptation of will know. Andrews took home one of street life nearly went straight to video Masina) whom he takes with him on first and last wins (48 years). Hepburn Sarandon and Geena Davis were both driver Bill Hickman ran real red lights, firmly believing that she would lose to Schlesinger won best director and Waldo provides the vehicle for some of the most Thomas Harris’s novel only won because five prizes for Poppins. Her rendition of in the US following the closure of Warner the titular road. Although the category generally avoided the Oscar stage, nominated for best actress, with Ridley weaved through traffic, and creased a Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St Mary’s. Salt earned an adapted screenplay award. quotable lines in movie history, although academy voters were convinced (by Feed the Birds remains a matchless treat, Independent Pictures. Rescued by Fox remains a regular source of controversy appearing only once to present the Irving Scott (who has yet to win an Oscar) city bus. Meanwhile, Gene Hackman was After hearing that she had won, Crawford John Barry’s theme and Harry Nilsson’s debate still rages about who wrote what publicists) that “it ISN’T a horror movie!” and watching this wonderful family film Searchlight, it became a worldwide hit, (the qualification and selection process is, G Thalberg memorial award to producer earning the first of three best director accidentally broadsided by a driver – allowed the press to photograph her version of Everybody’s Talkin’ became (Howard Koch shared the screenplay Stars Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster is still the best way to spend any Sunday taking more than $360m and a total of frankly, absurd), many subtitled films have Lawrence Weingarten. On Golden Pond nominations. which Greenberg used in the final cut. holding her statuette in her sickbed. soundtrack standards. Oscar with the Epstein brothers). took home statuettes. It won five in total. afternoon. eight Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards. benefited from the Oscars’ attentions.