Oscarbation: A Look Back at 1969 for Best Actress

I'VE BEEN WANTING TO REVIEW THE OSCAR WINNERS FOR AGES.

i hope you indulge me. the oscars are to gay men what the super bowl is too straight men. they don't always get their favorites in the game. we don't always get the performances in that we think should be there or the one that should have won out of the five choices given.

i hope to make this a sunday regular as we head toward oscar season. more during the week time permitting. but we start today.

for those of you who follow my blog you have probably guessed i love actresses. so that's where i'll begin with the best actress nominees of 1969. i'll endeavor to add supporting actresses from time to time.

1969 was a year that all the female nominees deserved to be nominated.

they were:

genevieve bujold in 'anne of a thousand days'

jane fonda in 'they shoot horses don't they'

liza minelli in ''the sterile cuckoo'

jean simmons in 'the happy ending'

maggie smith in 'the prime of miss jean brodie'

so in ascending order here goes:

#5

jean simmons

a wonderful performance in a small film. ms. simmons always lights up the screen large and small. in this film the light was not quite bright enough. her best film performance was in 'elmer gantry'. as a woman on the verge of a breakup in 'the happy ending' she gives a heartfelt performance but not an oscar winning performance.

#4

liza minnelli

as 'pookie' adams ms minnelli broke your heart. it was her first 'staring' role and she delievered the goods. she went on to win the oscar three years later. in 1969 she should be proud to have been an also-ran.

#3

genevive bujold

in her first major staring role ms bujold held her own opposite richard burton. no small feat. she has never been better than in this film. sadly she was never given a better role. again, she should feel proud she was nominated.

#2

maggie smith

ms smith won the oscar. it was a worthy win when you look at all best actress winners in the academy's history. it's just that her performance was a tad too theatrical. not her fault really. it was a theater piece first and was wonderfully translated to the screen. she gave a brilliant 'stage' performance where she was always more comfortable. she gave a really good film performance but she was not the best actress of 1969 yet remains one of the best actress winners.

#1

jane fonda

jane fonda would no longer be considered a pretty face, a sex symbol or henry fonda's daughter after her performance in 'they shoot horses don't they'. she proved her mettle in a heart wrenching performance in one of the best films in modern history. as a down and out of luck woman in the depression era she tried to make a buck in a dance marathon. she sold her soul, and body, to the slick emcee in an effort to win. but it was lost before it began. she took us on an emotional roller coaster and as much as we rooted for her we knew all was lost. her nomination and her performance stand the test of time.

ms fonda would go on to win two oscars in films that were far less than this one. this remains her best performance ever. her losing it one of oscar's bigger shames.

without reservations i say jane fonda is and was the best actress of 1969

who do you believe was the best actress of 1969 among the nominees. perhaps you believe it was an actress other than these. it can happen. i certainly have years like this.