MovieChat Forums > Cocoon (1985) Discussion > Don Ameche won an Oscar for this- Really...

Don Ameche won an Oscar for this- Really?

posted 15 years ago by JaysonT
14 replies | jump to latest

His performance isn't even the best in the movie- Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn and Jack Gilford all had more depth to their roles. Ameche does nothing here but break dance and give away his life savings to people on the street.

Why did the academy vote for him? Sure he was a legend in his own right, and this could be seen a sentimental award. But Klaus Maria Brandauer from "Out of Africa" was miles better, and was also nominated. Any thoughts on why Ameche was singled out and not any of the others?

[–] tutto-Fellini 15 years ago

Maybe due to his lengthy career (he started in films in 1935 when my father was born).

I would think that much mileage would mean something. I don't know who won the Lifetime Achievement Award that year but perhaps the Academy felt they owned him SOME sort of honour?

[–] mrzebra-5 15 years ago

I would agree that it was because of his past history with the Academy. They are a sentimental bunch.

Return of the King won Best Picture, even though Two Towers was a more cohesive and superior movie - but they really gave the Awards because of the overall achievement the films had done. And I think that's okay. Sometimes you have to give the award out not because this one performance or film was excellent, but because of past history.

[–] marvelass 8 years ago

I think the Academy wanted to wait 'til the third film to reward the entire trilogy. If you noticed, though The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers won a couple tech Oscars, The Return of the King swept the Oscars in its year, winning a record-tying 11 statuettes. Ben-Hur and Titanic also have 11 each, but ROTK won every of its 11 nominations. Ben-Hur won 11 out of 12, and Titanic 11 out of 14.

[–] rudeboy_murray 15 years ago

It's a tradition in the Academy to give these 'honorary' competitive Oscars to aged legendary actors who have yet to win one. It happens more commonly in the supporting actor category. Sometimes the award makes sense - Morgan Freeman's win for Million Dollar Baby was beyond doubt a 'career' win to a point, but it was given for a wonderful performance. Then a couple of years later they gave the award to Alan Arkin, a superb actor who did absolutely nothing of note in Little Miss Sunshine.

Don Ameche's win may be the worst example of this tradition. It's years since I last saw Cocoon but I remember nothing at all of his performance apart from that breakdance scene. That he was singled out over other actors with more depth to their roles is, frankly, ridiculous. It's a nothing role, and it's significant that he wasn't even nominated at any other awards gigs else that year.

[–] SimonsChant 15 years ago

I saw this film yesterday and I'm pretty sure the majority of the breakdance scene is performed by a 'stunt' double anyway, his hair is different and from what you can make out of his face it's not Ameche.

Kaneda... what can you see?

[–] amazon423 15 years ago

It was a stunt double. Saw that in an interview years ago.

[–] marvelass 10 years ago

But Klaus Maria Brandauer from "Out of Africa" was miles better, and was also nominated.

Brandauer also won the Golden Globe, for which Ameche wasn't even nominated.

It's funny that Ameche's Oscar clip included his character breakdancing. As others have pointed out, that was a stunt double.

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[–] ExplorerDS6789 10 years ago

Agreed. I mean, I love Don Ameche, but out of all the movies of his career, I think he should've won for something else.

[–] Edward_de_Vere 9 years ago

You're right - Ameche is a good actor (especially in comedic roles), but he really didn't do anything impressive here (I'm guessing that even his dance moves were mostly the work of a stunt double). I think this was a case of "We have an older actor with a distinguished career, it's about time we give him an academy award for something."

They did the same thing with Jason Robards in All the King's Men. Robards is one of my favorite actors, but I fail to see what stood out about his performance in that film.

[–] marvelass 8 years ago

And they still felt the need to award Robards again the following year, for Julia.

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[–] centauri2014 9 years ago

Not to take anything away from Ameche, but Wilford Brimley's scene with his grandson was so touching I would have given him the Oscar based on just that. I always felt Brimley should have won, but that's the way it goes with the Academy.

Ladies and gentlemen...Mr.Conway Twitty

[–] rascal67 8 years ago

Not to take anything away from Ameche...I always felt Brimley should have won...
________________
Yes, lets take the Oscar away and the nomination also. Why Ameche was plugged, over 3 other superior male support performances in this film and even won the darn thing, was an astounding injustice of the nomination process and what is even more perplexing, is those that voted for him. He wasn't that great compared to the others in the film and his fellow nominees, so you would be taking nothing away from him. Lets not beat around the bush here.

Don't eat the whole ones! Those are for the guests. 🍪

[–] InherentlyYours 8 years ago

Not to take anything away from Ameche, but Wilford Brimley's scene with his grandson was so touching I would have given him the Oscar based on just that. I always felt Brimley should have won

You just did take away from Ameche, but that's ok. Why does everybody have to be so damn apologetic and fearful of just saying what they feel, being disliked by other posters?

I frequently see: "Now, don't think I'm a hater, and I don't mean to be a troll, but please understand...but...

[–] JohnnyJohnson (399) 2 months ago

Wilford Brimley was born only a year before Don Ameche made his screen debut. They wanted to honor an old guy I guess.