|
1968 Best Picture:
Oliver!
|
Competition:
Funny Girl, The Lion in Winter, Rachel, Rachel, Romeo &
Juliet
Other Winners:
Best Actor: Cliff Robertson, Charly
Best Actress: Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl & Katherine Hepburn,
The Lion in Winter
Best Supporting Actor:
Jack Albertson, The Subject Was Roses
Best Supporting Actress: Ruth Gordon, Rosemary's Baby
Best Director: Sir Carol Reed, Oliver!
|
Cast:
Ron
Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed, Harry Secombe, Mark Lester, Jack Wild,
Hugh Griffith
Storyline:
Based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens, this musical follows the
adventures of young Oliver Twist as he escapes the hardships of a
workhouse, and heads for London to find his fortune.
Did it
deserve to win:
Absolutely, positively NOT! I don't even understand why this film
was nominated. Oliver! is a cute film, with a few memorable numbers,
and some delightful performances, but there were so many good films in
1968, many of them superior to this.
If they
had to choose a musical, what about Funny Girl, the Barbra Streisand
debut? The Lion in Winter was an remarkable period piece with some
incredible acting from Katherine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole.
The best film
of that year wasn't even nominated! 2001, A Space Odyssey is still
regarded as a special effects tour de force. It should have won the
Best Director Oscar for Kubrick, who was nominated, and it should have
been among the Best Picture contenders.
Critique:
Everything is relative, and if Oliver! had not have taken the Best Picture
award, it might not suffer the harsh criticism that time has brought upon
it.
In
fairness, Oliver! stands up as a pretty darn good musical. The
performances, particularly by Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger, are above
average. The real criticism should go to the Academy, who voted on
this picture.
1968 was
a turbulent year in American history. Vietnam was a daily reality
and rock music was reflecting the emerging drug culture. It was a
turning point for blacks, gays and women, in their fight for civil rights.
America was one year away from putting a man on the moon!
It seems
like a smack in the face to the times to select a film about child labor,
that has been sanitized to Disney-like proportions. In the previous
year it seemed like the Academy was catching up by nominating a film about
civil rights in the south. Oliver! seemed like a giant step
backward.
|
Best
Scene: Consider
yourself, at 'ome! Despite it all, Jack Wild's musical romp through
the streets of London is a bright spot that I dare you not to tap your
toes to.
|
Behind
the Scenes:
Jack Wild
became a celebrity kid after this film. His other notable
performance was as Jimmy in the classic kids show, H.R. Pufnstuf.
To date,
Oliver! is the last musical to win Best picture, and the only British
musical to ever be nominated.
Director
Carol Reed cast his nephew, Oliver Reed in the role of Bill Sikes.
Carol Reed is also known for his work on the British stage. He was
knighted in 1952. He was married in the 1940's to British stage
star, Diana Wynyard, Oscar nominee for the 1934 Best Picture, Cavalcade.
An unusual event occurred in
the Best Actress category - a tie! Barbra Streisand won her first
Oscar for her role in Funny Girl, and Katherine
Hepburn won her third for her role in The Lion in Winter.
Hepburn joined Spencer Tracy and Louise Rainer, as the only actors to win
two awards back to back.
As per usual, Hepburn didn't
attend the ceremony, and its too bad, as it would have been interesting to
see her reaction to Barbra Streisand outrages pant suit. The frock
appeared to be see through, and the front page of many leading papers ran
a shot of her butt as she made her way to the podium. Streisand was
scoffed at by the older Hollywood folks, among them costume designer Edith
Head, who called her outfit - 'shocking!'
|
|
|
