My choices are noted with a ★. Historical Oscar winners are noted with a ✔.
I think you know how much I love Paul Newman. I've nominated him for seven alternate Oscars — a ton in my universe — and had him winning for The Hustler in 1961. But even at the time, I felt like the Academy gave him the Oscar for The Color of Money to make up for nearly three decades worth of snubs rather than because it was a stand-out performance. I mean, personally, I wouldn't put it in his top ten. So I'm skipping over him so I can recognize some other fine actors who gave more dynamic performances in 1986.
My choices are noted with a ★. A tie is indicated with a ✪. Historical Oscar winners are noted with a ✔. Best foreign-language picture winners are noted with an ƒ. A historical winner who won in a different category is noted with a ✱.
For a long time, I had Akira Kurosawa's Ran down as the best picture of 1985, and it's a beautiful, beautifully-made movie. But Filmsite.org defines classic movies as "renowned films of first rank, reference points in film mythology, or films that have become a part of American cultural folklore."
That sure sounds like Back to the Future to me so that's what I'm going with. But you decide.
Note: William Hurt won the Oscar for best actor in 1985, but to me, it was such a joint effort with Raul Julia that to split them apart would be like trying to assess Laurel without Hardy or Curly without Moe. They win together or don't win at all.
My choices are noted with a ★. Historical Oscar winners are noted with a ✔.
The Academy Awards for 1984 are remembered now mostly for Sally Field's "You like me! You really, really like me!" speech — followed by the fastest case of buyers remorse in Oscar history. I've already recognized Field for her work in Norma Rae so I'm going to skip over her in favor of some very good actresses who never received the accolades they deserved.
My choices are noted with a ★. Historical Oscar winners are noted with a ✔.
I think I was one of twelve people who actually saw A Christmas Story in a theater back in 1983. But having been a fan of Jean Shepherd for years, there was no way I was going to miss it.
Rumor has it you can see A Christmas Story on cable television sometime around December 24th or 25th, but don't quote me.
By the way, in case you've never seen the 1976 PBS special Phantom of the Open Hearth, based on another of Shepherd's classic story collections Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: and Other Disasters, here it is complete for your entertainment:
P.S. Am I the only person who sees the movie title Terms of Endearment and immediately thinks of Sterling Archer's "Terms of En-Rampagement"?
Named for Katie-Bar-The-Door, the Katies are "alternate Oscars"—who should have been nominated, who should have won—but really they're just an excuse to write a history of the movies from the Silent Era to the present day.
To see a list of nominees and winners by decade, as well as links to my essays about them, click the highlighted links:
Remember: There are no wrong answers, only movies you haven't seen yet.
The Silent Oscars
And don't forget to check out the Silent Oscars—my year-by-year choices for best picture, director and all four acting categories for the pre-Oscar years, 1902-1927.
Look at me—Joe College, with a touch of arthritis. Are my eyes really brown? Uh, no, they're green. Would we have the nerve to dive into the icy water and save a person from drowning? That's a key question. I, of course, can't swim, so I never have to face it. Say, haven't you anything better to do than to keep popping in here early every morning and asking a lot of fool questions?
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