"629"

We all make mistakes. From leisure suits in the ‘70s, to “hypercolor” clothing in the ‘80s, to rat tail haircuts anytime, we Americans are notorious for making choices that seemed like good ideas at the time. Despite our less-than-stellar judgment, we tend to demand more of our finest institutions. In particular, we expect our most prestigious award-givers to choose the right winners. Is that too much to ask? Take the Academy Awards (please!). Today, we thought it might be fun to go back through history and point out the most obvious mistakes in the history of the Oscars. Focusing on past recipients of the three major awards (Best Picture, Actor and Actress), we’ll identify the times when Oscar really fell down on the job. And, sad to say, it’s happened more than once.

As we mark the centennial of Judy Garland’s birth this month, I want to hear her sing again. I want to cry for the hundredth time listening to “Over the Rainbow” or get goosebumps over “The Man That Got Away.”

Daniel Day-Lewis stands among the greatest living screen actors ever to grace the silver screen. His success is in no small part thanks to the other-worldly level of dedication he brings to his roles. In fact, Day-Lewis approaches method acting with a "method" all his own. That method can be more than a little off-putting for his co-workers. In “There Will Be Blood,” actor Kel O’Neill was halfway through the 60-day shoot when director Paul Thomas Anderson replaced him with Paul Dano, who played lead antagonist Eli Sunday. Why leave an obvious award-winning film filled with Oscar-winning actors and crew?   It seems Mr. Day-Lewis would not stop intimidating his on-screen nemesis between takes, staring him down and otherwise bullying the actor throughout the shoot. Nerves shot, O’Neill took a well-deserved rest cure. Day-Lewis would not (or could not) "turn off" his method, even between scenes – even when a fellow actor was driven to flee in his presence. It's as disturbing as it is impressive. 

Movies with similar titles often show up next to each other on the shelf, or line up in a search, but are usually very different animals—animals you don’t want to get mixed up.