Ingmar Bergman never won a competitive Oscar. Hard to believe, but out of all his nominations for writing, directing, and producing, the Swedish cinema giant went 0 for 9. (He did win the Academy’s honorary Irving Thalberg prize in 1970.) He was nominated for both writing and directing awards for his monumental swan song, 1983’s Fanny & Alexander, but that was the year that Terms of Endearment was not to be denied. James L. Brooks (pictured) won three of that film’s many Oscars that year, for directing, writing, and producing the now-classic tearjerker. By usual Academy Awards logic, Bergman didn’t really have a chance at a Directing prize that year, since his movie was not also nominated for Best Picture (though it did win Best Foreign Language Film). Same with Mike Nichols, whose Silkwood displayed uncharacteristically quiet and measured work from the director, but which also failed to score a Best Picture nod. (Conversely, the two Best Picture nominees that went unrepresented in the Best Director race were The Big Chill and The Right Stuff, thus shortchanging Lawrence Kasdan and Philip Kaufman. Sorry, guys.)
Also in the directing competition in 1983: Peter Yates for The Dresser, an exquisitely acted movie that nonetheless looks stagebound and claustrophobic, though that fits the story’s backstage setting; and Bruce Beresford for the homespun Tender Mercies, a movie whose gentle subtlety has often been mistaken for blandness and inertia. Still, Beresford coached Robert Duvall to his only Oscar win and told a beautiful, sad story of loss and redemption.
Looking back from today’s perspective, which of these directors doyou think did the best job? Vote in our poll, and list your comments below.(For a refresher, watch the clips embedded after the jump, which may contain some NSFW language.) Remember, we’ll be running the Recall the Gold surveys every Tuesdayand Thursday until January, so you may go back at any time and vote inthe other polls (click hereto see them all), reexamining the Oscar races of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25years ago. On Thursday, Nov. 13, we’ll look at the 1998 Best Actresscompetition. Watch also for commentary and context throughout EW.com,including on Dave Karger’s Oscar Watch blog.
Bruce Beresford’s Tender Mercies
Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny & Alexander
James L. Brooks’ Terms of Endearment
Mike Nichols’ Silkwood
Peter Yates’ The Dresser
Comments (1-20) of 20 Add your comment
I must have watched Fanny & Alexander 100 times, or at least parts of it 100 times. This was right around when we first got cable tv and HBO (I think) played this movie endlessly. I recently saw it on IFC and remembered how much I loved this movie. So Scandanavian.
Hey Gary,
When are you gonna do Best Actress 2001? Ellen Burstyn DESERVED the Oscar that year. Big time. BIG BIG BIG BIG time.
Geez, this must have been a tough one for the voters! To me, Terms of Endearment was the most “complete” of all the movies in the running, if that makes any sense. The other movies were showcases for the acting, or the cinematography, or the writing, but Terms had everything in it. I always felt ripped off that Albert Finney didn’t win for The Dresser, though. Loved him in that movie.
“Terms” is great and it must’ve took a great director to preside over such a talented cast. And keep Winger and MacLaine from brawling. Totally deserved win. If the Academy had to do it over again, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go for Bergman for “Fanny and Alexander”, if only to put a competitive Oscar into Bergman’s hands.
None of the above is my pick. Where’s the director of The Right Stuff?
Canuck1975-EW is only looking back at the Oscars that took place 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years ago, which means the years of 2003, 1998, 1993, 1988 and 1983.
They will not be reviewing the Oscar race of 2001. Sorry.
would have voted for Nichols – but agree – the real winner should have been Philip Kaufman – but of course, not nominated!
Ingmar. Great director offering up an instant classic.
Bergman never won an Oscar, typical. I’m still shocked Scorsese got one while he was still able to hold it.
Bergman’s film is by far the best of these mentioned
I voted for “Terms,” mostly because when I first saw the Bergman film I was 13 and totally freaked out at the last few scenes. Those scenes have haunted my nightmares ever since…I should probably go back and watch it again as an adult.
I was not among those who was a big fan of the carefully contrived tear-jerker “Terms of Endearment”, so obviously Brooks was not my choice then or now…it was an o.k. movie notable mainly for the MacLaine/Nicholson fireworks which were most entertaining. My choice for Best Film and Best Director was Philip Kaufman and “The Right Stuff”. What a great ensemble piece this was and technically perfect as well! However, of those nominated, I’d have to go with Bergman for “Fanny and Alexander”, a really fascinating study and (other than the final, never-ending toast) an intensely interesting drama. I also would have recognized Beresford for “Mercies”; but would have added David Cronenberg for “The Dead Zone”, a film which still fascinates, the only film I can recall which gives justification for political assassination…Cronenberg and Stephen King made a good match here, and the movie was aactually better than the book.
NICHOLS should have won, hands down.
For a change, you could give it to any of them for all of me. Five great flicks, and the two best picture noms who didn’t get director nods were just as good. So that’s seven directors who all deserved it in my book. I can see having a favorite, but I can’t see arguing against any one of these films. Personally, I love Terms, the Right Stuff, and Tender Mercies so much that I couldn’t pick one over the other if you put a gun to my head.
Bruce Beresford would be my choice. Especially since he got dissed several years later for “Driving Miss Daisy”, a film that Jessica Tandy said “apparently directed itself” when she was accepting her Oscar for Best Actress.
What a shame that The Academy Awards voters in ‘83 did not give its Best Director Oscar to one of the great directors of all time Ingmar Bergman. Mr. Bergman deserved to be declared the winner. To never win an Oscar for Best Director…what a pity. At least he received an Oscar in ‘83 for “Fanny And Alexander” in the Best Foreign Language Film category. I have seen all of Mr. Bergman’s films and continue to watch them over & over again. We will never see the likes of an Ingmar Bergman again!
I voted for Nichols, in a close call over Brooks and Beresford.
The film is just better all-around that the others.
But I have to agree that leaving out Kaufman for The Right Stuff (which I thought was the best picture of the year) was shameful.
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