Does the best picture have to be the best edited or directed?
Ever since the academy introduced an award for editing in 1934, only 9 movies have won best picture without at least being nominated for it. That's one explanation of how "The Departed" prevailed over PGA and SAG champ "Little Miss Sunshine" last year and "Crash" 
pulled off a surprise win over "Brokeback Mountain" two years ago. Following that rule this year would put "No Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" at the front of the final five as "Atonement," Juno," and "Michael Clayton" did not make the cut with the editors.
The most recent example of the nine films that flouted the rule? "Ordinary People" back in 1980. The earliest: "It Happened One Night," which swept the major categories in 1934 while "Eskimo" won the first Oscar for film editing. The other seven: "The Life of Emile Zola" (1937), "Hamlet" (1948), "Marty" (1955), "Tom Jones" (1963), "A Man For All Seasons" (1966), "The Godfather, Part II" (1974), and "Annie Hall" (1977). Of these 9 winners that went without an editing nomination, 7 won best director and the other two had nominated helmers.
The academy has bestowed an Oscar for directing from the very first awards ceremony and only three films have won best picture without their helmers at least being nominated for it: "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), which was nominated for editing, and two that predate the editing Oscar — "Grand Hotel" (1931) and "Wings (1927). Interestingly, in both of those early years, the directing Oscar went to Frank Borzage (for "Bad Girl" and "Seventh Heaven").
With "Atonement" left off the list of nominees for both directing and editing, it would make Oscar history if it won best picture. Even surprise winners like "Gladiator" (2000), "Shakespeare in Love" (1998), "Chariots of Fire"(1981), "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952), "An American In Paris" (1951), and "Rebecca" (1940) had nominations in both directing and editing.
Both "Juno" and "Michael Clayton" are in the race for best director, alongside "No Country" and "Blood." And the best director category has lined up with the best picture 59 times over 79 years. In its first quarter century, the academy shared the wealth 11 times while during the last 54 years, there have been only 9 occasions when the year's best director did not helm the best picture. However, 4 of those occurred in the last nine years, including two years ago when "Crash" director Paul Haggis lost to Ang Lee for "Brokeback Mountain."
And while "Crash" did win the Oscar for editing, only 38 of the 73 editing awards have gone to best picture winners. From 1934 to 1952 (the academy’s silver anniversary) these awards lined up only twice. Since then, 36 of the 54 best picture winners were also the best edited. Interestingly, only 4 of those have been in the last nine years as well.
In the last nine years, only best picture winners "The Departed" and "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" also won both best director and best editing. So don't write off either "Juno" or "Michael Clayton" just yet.
"Annie Hall" did NOT win all of its nominations. It lost Best Actor (Woody Allen).
Posted by: VincentG | January 24, 2008 at 06:31 PM
Let's hope and pray JUNO goes empty-handed come Oscar time...over-hyped, mediocre films like JUNO are not worthy of such honors...
Posted by: Frankie R. | January 24, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Do you know who was supposed to present with Sid Ganis at the Oscar nominations ceremony? I read that Kathy Bates was a last minute replacement...
Posted by: Mark | January 24, 2008 at 06:59 AM
Juno could win all of its nominations and be just like Annie Hall :-D
Posted by: Seth | January 24, 2008 at 05:13 AM