Paltrow's and Dench's wins for 'Shakespeare in Love'?

Paltrow's performance is perfectly fine (and certainly doesn't deserve any hate), but I don't see the fuss over Dench's work at all.

I like them both but I think these wins are subject to revisionist history and I actually love talking about this film, this race, and what everything "meant":

Paltrow a lot of people always hated - so that's why she gets hate - they hated her as a celebrity, as a celebrity girlfriend, now that's "unfair" but to disagree with stephen - and even to disagree with him about Jeff Wells and Beanie Feldstein - when you're an actor people CAN (and do) hate you for any reason, you are not paid "just to act" - you're paid for putting up with BS.......and she had to put up with a lot of BS unfortunately........

But Dench - until '97 was the opposite or "same" as Denzel - she was constantly passed over in America like he has been in the UK - she had 5 BAFTA nods AND 3 wins - before the Academy recognized who she was - and she was the best Lady Mabceth too on TV - there was a feeling that they had REALLY missed the boat on her.......... and missed it in 1997 too.

They nominated her 7 times in 13 years - which is one of the great streaks ........and they nominated her FIVE times after she won. That's WHY she won - because they didn't think she'd be great 5 more times.......

That is what those smart-assess on this board - I say that with love - argue will happen to Denzel and I say "No" - if he gets to 9 nods (and wins? this year) they'll keep nodding him? That's unprecedented for an established male.......what's more likely is if he loses this year he'd even work enough to keep getting nodded......but Dench is the example of this for women.

She's the last of ALL the actors - or Denzel is actually "the last"   actor /actress who will ever go with being praised in their own country AND ignored in the other......now BAFTA /Oscar won't allow people to rack up wins without crossing over -

Deadline >>>>>>>>>>>pacinoyes just made a really good argument huh? >>>>>>>>>>>>> I always do>>>>>>>>>>about elderly people and Oscar nominations history >>>>>>>>> 

Paltrow is fine, but aside from La Ham, the other three nominees were all so much better than her that it's a pretty dumb win.

The same sort of applies to Dench, but I really like her performance in it. I think it's a more unique take on a character we've seen a lot of. That Griffiths is lead, and Redgrave's nomination is even more bewildering than Dench's to me makes me less bothered by her triumph.

ibbi - Who is La Ham? 

stabcaesar - I love the score as well, but I also love the original screenplay by Marc Norman and Sir Tom Stoppard - I think that may be its best win.

pacinoyes - Do you like Shakespeare in Love as a film? 

La Ham was born Mary Louise Streep, daughter of Mary and Harry Streep, on June the 22nd nineteen hundred and forty nine in the city of Summit, high in the Blue Hills of New Jersey. In the cool Fall of ‘78 she married the sculptor Don Gummer on Mason’s Island on Connecticut’s Mystic River, popped out a series of little Gummer’s and stank up movie screens for almost a half century thereafter with all of the grace of cured meat from the leg of a Yorkshire hog.

Considering that my favourite Best Picture nominee (Elizabeth) didn't stand a chance and that Shakespeare in Love would have been my second choice, I actually really like the Best Picture win.

As for the two actresses, I feel that Dench's was a make-up win and that her performance was as good as it could have been (considering her minimal screentime) but hardly best-of-the-year material. Like ibbi said, Redgrave's nomination was even more puzzling and, since she was probably her strongest competitor, I don't mind this win too much. Griffiths gave by far the best performance in the lineup but since she was placed in the wrong category, I might have voted for Blethyn if only to make up for her insulting loss two years earlier.

Paltrow gave a charming, perfectly solid performance but I wouldn't rank her above any of her fellow nominees and I feel her being Hollywood royalty, having a banner year and appearing in the Best Picture frontrunner is what ultimately gave her the edge. I would have been equally satisfied if either Blanchett or Montenegro had prevailed instead.

It was like peak Weinstein scumbaggery. It's the stuff of Hollywood legend. It's funny you bring up the great opening, that was part of the campaign

Well, you asked how they were controversial. I was just pointing out how that films entire awards season (and by extension everything it won) was infamously controversial on account of the tactics used by those pushing it. It's got nothing to do with its qualities.

I don't know, I have no idea how all that stuff works but it wouldn't surprise me given his involvement with so many movies from this side in the 90s.

He's basically Benedict Arnold.

Wow  First he takes his best actor Oscar, then he takes his wife.