Total Recall: Worst-Reviewed Best Picture Nominees
With Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close in contention for Hollywood's top prize this weekend, we run down the most critically derided Best Picture noms.
Much has been made of the fact that when this year's Best Picture Oscar nominees were announced, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close -- currently sporting a rather sad 45 percent on the Tomatometer -- ended up making the cut. All that consternation got us to thinking about previous Best Picture nominees that ended up on the Rotten end of the spectrum -- and made us wonder where Extremely fit on the list of movies that the Academy enjoyed more than the critics. So is it the worst Best Picture nominee of all time? Read on to find out -- it's time for an all-rotten, all-Oscar Total Recall!
Anthony Adverse
13%
Released during an epic-friendly era and adapted from a massive 1,200-plus page novel, Anthony Adverse brought all the trappings of a sweeping costume melodrama (globetrotting storyline, life-and-death duels, hidden identities, characters with last names like Bonnyfeather) and a suitably inflated 141-minute running time. It worked, sort of -- Adverse was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning four -- but critics were mostly unimpressed, including Frank S. Nugent of the New York Times, who dismissed it as "a bulky, rambling and indecisive photoplay which has not merely taken liberties with the letter of the original but with its spirit."
Blossoms in the Dust
25%
A drama based on the true story of a woman who battled back against sneering high-society types to help orphaned children find better homes, 1941's Blossoms in the Dust is essentially the definition of a "worthy film." Sadly, the end result -- starring Greer Garson as the noble Edna Gladney -- failed to resonate with pretty much anyone outside the Academy, where it was nominated for four Oscars (and took home the trophy for Best Art Direction). Bemoaning its "sentimentally sugary flavor which also extends over the romantic portions of the film," Variety grumbled, "There is no comedy relief."
Doctor Dolittle
32%
More than 30 years before Eddie Murphy and a cast of CGI-assisted animals launched a new Dr. Dolittle franchise, Rex Harrison conversed in polar bear and python (and cursed in fluent kangaroo) in this notoriously troubled adaptation of Hugh Lofting's classic book. Though a fervent studio campaign eventually netted Dolittle seven Oscar nominations, the movie was an unmitigated disaster -- both at the box office, where it recouped only half of its $18 million budget, and among critics. "It will put the kids to sleep," cautioned TV Guide, "but it may kill you."
The Robe
35%
The first CinemaScope release, The Robe filled up its increased aspect ratio with a Biblical epic that imagines the fate of the Roman soldier who wins Christ's robe in a dice game at the crucifixion. Needless to say, it isn't the cheeriest fate -- and while The Robe earned enough money to justify a sequel, and was nominated for five Academy Awards (winning two in the bargain), the movie's critical destiny was pretty gloomy too. While some scribes enjoyed the production's sheer spectacle, most reviews echoed the sentiments written by Empire's Kim Newman, who dismissed it as "Overblown melodramatic biblical nonsense."
Cleopatra
38%
The only film in history to top the annual box office and still lose money, Cleopatra was a sprawling, hugely expensive all-in investment for 20th Century Fox -- and there's no denying that all that cash ended up on the screen, where a veritable Who's Who of big-name stars (including Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy McDowall, and Martin Landau) lined up for a leisurely running time that, depending on which cut you see, offers between 192 and 320 minutes of huge sets, elaborate costumes, and epic drama. After nearly bankrupting the studio, Cleopatra came away with a whopping nine Oscar nominations (and four wins) -- as well as rotten reviews from publications like TIME, whose critic grumbled, "As drama and as cinema, Cleopatra is riddled with flaws. It lacks style both in image and in action."
Dave J
I dunno, I kind of liked "Anthony Adverse" for what it is, starring two-time Oscar winner Fredric March and Oscar winning actress Olivia De Havilland and perhaps "Blossoms In the Dust" with critism is that "There is no comedy relief." is it supposed to be a comedy, I've always thought it's a drama if it's based on a true story!
Haven't seen the other films as of yet!
Feb 22 - 05:17 PM
Dave J
I also remember there were other nominees that had less than favorable critisms than the ones listed for I can't think about them right now!
Feb 22 - 05:20 PM
Anthony W.
I think this "total recall" list is extremely misguided especially since the films on the list have limited reviews which just makes this list inadequate really in it's assumption.
Feb 24 - 12:01 AM