Considering the hard work that goes into making a film, there is nothing greater for the filmmakers and actors involved than to be recognized by critics and have the film turn into a box-office hit. Some movies are extremely inspiring to society, and deserve to be acknowledged. And if this appreciation brings along a few awards, it is even better, as they can be very helpful in boosting the careers of actors, directors, and all workers in the film industry.
When talking about movie awards, we can’t fail to mention one of the most renowned: the Oscars, where the brightest stars of Hollywood and the world get honored. Like any high-profile event, the Oscars have also been involved in a few scandals. There have often been conflicts at the ceremony that draw the focus away from what is really important, as was the case at this year’s edition, when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage. Moreover, many brilliant film performances and movies that are definitely worthy of recognition are often omitted from the nominees, creating a feeling of unfairness among fans.
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However, and despite some controversies, the Oscars have managed to honor the work of incredible actors and major movie directors as well as groundbreaking films that have excelled in a number of categories. But only on a few occasions has a film earned nominations in all four acting categories in the same year. Check them out below.
My Man Godfrey
Universal Pictures
In My Man Godfrey, William Powell stars as Godfrey, a man who is left unemployed during the Great Depression, but gets hired as a butler by a wealthy yet dysfunctional family. This 1936 production was directed by Gregory La Cava, and the cast, besides Powell, features stellar performances by Carole Lombard, Mischa Auer, and Alice Brady, among others. These four actors were nominated at the ninth Oscars ceremony, though none of them received the award.
Mrs. Miniver
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
The 1942 film Mrs. Miniver is inspired by Jan Struther’s novel and follows Kay Miniver, a housewife and mother of a rural England family who must take over the household during World War II. The Oscar-nominated actors for this William Wyler film were Walter Pidgeon, Greer Garson, Henry Travers, Teresa Wright and May Whitty, with Garson and Wright winning as Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively. Mrs. Miniver also won Best Picture.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Paramount Pictures
The 1943 film For Whom the Bell Tolls is an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s famous novel. In fact, he was involved in the casting process. Sam Wood’s film follows Robert Jordan, a volunteer who is fighting in the Spanish Civil War alongside a band of guerrillas. The film stars Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, Akim Tamiroff, and Katina Paxinou, all of whom were nominated at the 16th ceremony of the Oscars. Paxinou was the only one to win the statuette.
Johnny Belinda
Warner Bros.
In 1948, Jean Negulesco helmed Johnny Belinda, a film based on true events that follows Belinda, a young disabled girl who is unable to interact with her community and attracts the attention of a doctor seeking to help. This drama film is also based on the 1940 Broadway play. Lew Ayres, Jane Wyman, Charles Bickford, and Agnes Moorehead were nominated in all acting categories at the Oscars, with Wyman winning the Best Actress award.
Sunset Boulevard
William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, and Nancy Olson star in the 1950 film that honors one of Hollywood’s best-known streets. In Sunset Boulevard, Holden is Joe Gillis, a young writer who finds shelter in the home of Norma Desmond (Swanson), a former silent film star. Together, they work on a script that could mark the actress’ comeback to the industry. This film was directed by Billy Wilder and co-written alongside Charles Brackett. Holden, Swanson, von Stroheim, and Olson all received Oscar nominations for their performances.
A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire follows Blanche DuBois, a woman who, after a few rough patches in her life, moves to New Orleans to stay with her sister and brother-in-law. This 1951 film is an adaptation of the play of the same name, and it was directed by Elia Kazan. The Oscar-nominated actors were Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden, with the latter three winning a statuette.
From Here to Eternity
Columbia Pictures
From Here to Eternity is a 1953 film that follows the lives of the men and women who live in a military camp on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, during the months leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack. It was directed by Fred Zinnemann and inspired by the novel of the same name by James Jones. It stars Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, and Donna Reed. Both Sinatra and Reed won Oscars for their performances, plus the film won Best Picture.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Martha and George are a very self-destructive married couple who get along terribly in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. One night, they invite Nick and Honey, who are also married, over for a drink on a very unfortunate and argumentative evening. Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis star in this 1966 drama film, and thanks to their performances, both actresses were awarded at the 39th edition of the Oscars.
Bonnie and Clyde
The neo-noir crime drama Bonnie and Clyde is among the most groundbreaking productions in cinema. This 1967 film follows the wanderings of a couple of criminals who go around the United States robbing banks and defying the authorities. Bonnie and Clyde was directed by Arthur Penn and starred Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, along with Gene Hackman, Michael J. Pollard, and Estelle Parsons. All of these actors were Oscar nominees, but only Parsons won the Best Supporting Actress award.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Cecil Kellaway, and Beah Richards star in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, a 1967 production that follows a middle-class white married couple who receive a visit that tests their liberal mentality: their daughter and her fiancé, a Black man. This film is one of the few of the era to depict interracial marriage in a positive light. At the 40th edition of the Oscars, all of the aforementioned actors were nominated, with Hepburn winning the Best Actress award.
Network
The 1976 film Network explores the power of television and the pressure of being part of such a competitive industry that is driven solely by success. Starring Peter Finch, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Ned Beatty, and Beatrice Straight, among others, Network follows Howard Beale (Finch), a TV host who gets fired when his show’s ratings drop. Shockingly, Beale announces that before leaving the network, he would commit suicide on the air, which triggers an unprecedented situation within the company. This Sidney Lumet film was highly acclaimed, and all the aforementioned actors were nominated for Oscars, with Finch, Dunaway, and Straight winning in their categories.
Coming Home
United Artist
Jon Voight, Jane Fonda, Bruce Dern and Penelope Milford star in Coming Home, a romantic war drama film directed by Hal Ashby. This production follows Sally, the wife of a man who was deployed to Vietnam. While waiting for him, she begins working as a volunteer nurse at a military hospital in California, where she meets a paraplegic Vietnam War veteran with whom she later falls in love. This production was widely acclaimed and became the 15th highest-grossing film of 1978. Voight and Fonda won Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress at the 51st ceremony.
Reds
Reds is a 1981 film directed, produced and co-written by Warren Beatty, who also stars alongside Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and Maureen Stapleton. It is based on the life and career of journalist and writer John Reed, who chronicled the October Revolution in Russia in his book Ten Days That Shook the World. Beatty won the Oscar for Best Director and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay alongside Trevor Griffiths. Keaton, Nicholson, and Stapleton were also nominated because of their performances, with the latter winning the statuette.
Silver Linings Playbook
The Weinstein Company
Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and Jacki Weaver star in Silver Linings Playbook, a 2012 film based on Matthew Quick’s novel of the same name. In this production, directed and written by David O. Russell, Cooper is Pat, a man who has just returned to his parents’ home after spending several months in a mental health facility for assaulting his ex-wife’s lover. Pat is determined to win back his ex-wife, but everything seems to change when he meets Tiffany, a young widow with whom he establishes a bond that gradually brightens both of their lives. Cooper, Lawrence, De Niro, and Weaver were nominated for their performances at the 85th Oscars, with Lawrence winning her first statuette, making her the second-youngest person to win Best Actress (via THR).
American Hustle
Sony Pictures Releasing
American Hustle is, so far, the latest film to be nominated in all acting categories at the Oscars. Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner, and directed by David O. Russell, this 2013 film follows Irving and Sydney, two con artists who are forced to work for an FBI agent on a case that sweeps them into New Jersey’s political and mob underworld. American Hustle was nominated for Best Picture, and Bale, Adams, Cooper, and Lawrence also earned acting nominations for their performances, but none of them took home the award.
