Biggest Oscar Blunders- Best Actor/Actress

1974's winner- Art Carney("Harry and Tonto")
Also nominated-

1983's winner- Robert Duvall("Tender Mercies"(1983)
Also nominated-

1986's winner- Paul Newman("The Color of Money")
Also nominated- Dexter Gordon("Round Midnight"), Bob Hoskins("Mona Lisa"), William Hurt("Children of a Lesser God"), James Woods("Salvador")

I certainly don't mean any disrespect to Paul Newman. He was a class act, but his Best Actor win for the Scorsese-directed sequel to "The Hustler" was basically a Lifetime achievement award for three dynamite decades in front of the camera. He had gone winless after six previous nominations and something had to be done about that before it was too late. James Woods was at his best in "Salvador", and was Fast Eddie's only real formidable competition. The year's best male performance wasn't even nominated, though. A 28 year old mostly-unknown Gary Oldman was probably TOO good in "Sid and Nancy", leaving many wondering if he was even acting(it wouldn't be the first time). Indeed, he was, and three decades later, the wiry British chameleon still has an empty spot on his mantle.

1987's winner- Cher("Moonstruck")
Also nominated- Glenn Close("Fatal Attraction"), Holly Hunter("Broadcast News"), Meryl Streep("Ironweed"), Sally Kirkland("Anna")

Don't get me wrong. I respect Cher as much as a straight man possibly could. She's a time-tested pop culture icon. But did she REALLY deserve an Academy Award? The answer is no. Cher became an unlikely movie star at age forty, "Moonstruck" was a big box office hit and the dress she wore at the Academy Awards didn't disappoint. But "Fatal Attraction" was even BIGGER, and Glenn Close scared the pants back ON every married man in America. Her bunny-boiling descent became a permanent fixture on cable(she won't be ignored), and has been copied more times than we can count. Close is nearing age seventy, and with six nominations, is widely considered the greatest actress to never win. She probably never will.

1989's winner- "Daniel-Day-Lewis("My Left Foot")
Also nominated- Tom Cruise("Born on the Fourth of July"), Kenneth Branagh("Henry V"), Morgan Freeman("Driving Miss Daisy"), Robin Williams("Dead Poets Society")

I know what you're thinking, how dare I suggest that Daniel Day-Lewis didn't deserve an Oscar. Only a fool would say such a thing. He's terrific as paralyzed writer Christy Brown. But I don't think I'm going out on a limb when I say that Tom Cruise was equally terrific when he lost two of his as paralyzed Vietnam vet Ron Kovic. Nobody wants a tie though, and the much-lesser known DDL definitely scored some underdog votes from those that simply didn't want to see the grinning Scientologist/huge heartthrob/box office champ add 'Oscar winner' to his resume. Not YET anyway. Tom was only 27 years old in '89 and would have many more chances to win, right? Well, he still hasn't, and Day-Lewis has since won twice more for "Lincoln" and "There Will Be Blood". Doesn't seem right to me.

1995's winner- Nicholas Cage("Leaving Las Vegas")
Also nominated- Anthony Hopkins("Nixon"), Sean Penn("Dead Man Walking"), Richard Dreyfuss("Mr. Holland's Opus"), Massimo Troisi("Il Postino: The Postman")

I'd suggest that we revoke Nick Cage's Oscar if I wasn't certain that he'd sold it a decade ago to pay off the debt that forced him to sign up for all the soul-crushing commercial shite that made most of us forget that he was once an interesting, capable actor. Cage was solid as a suicidal alcoholic and "Vegas" represents his artistic peak, but I was more impressed by Sean Penn's death-row inmate and Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of our disgraced 37th President. Neither of those two gentleman is hard-up for accolades, so it's not really a big deal. I guess I just really hate Nicolas Cage. That's a shame.

1997's winner- Helen Hunt("As Good as It Gets")
Also nominated- Helena Bonham Carter("The Wings of the Dove"),

1998's winner- Roberto Benigni("Life Is Beautiful")
Also nominated- Tom Hanks("Saving Private Ryan"), Edward Norton("American History X"), Nick Nolte("Affliction"), Ian McKellan("Gods and Monsters")

Roberto Benigni's clownish behavior at nearly every 1998 awards show must have had Hollywood regretting put the check next to his name almost immediately. Or perhaps, his theatricality is THE REASON he won. Regardless, I liked "Life Is Beautiful", but the hyperactive Italian has scarcely been heard from since(his live-action "Pinnochio" remake, anyone?). There's good reason for that. Edward Norton gave a searing career-best performance as a neo-Nazi gang leader in "American History X", and a victory on this night could have changed the course of his entire career. I suspect that the little-seen(at the time) black-and-white indie was too intense and provocative for some, yet the film had a LONG life on late-night cable in the years that followed. Here we have crystal clear proof that hindsight is 20/20.

2000's winner- Russell Crowe("Gladiator")
Also nominated- Ed Harris("Pollock"), Tom Hanks(Cast Away"), Javier Bardem("Before Night Falls"), Geoffrey Rush("Quills")