Did Gwyneth Paltrow Deserve To Win Oscars For Shakespeare In Love Beating Meryl Streep And Cate Blanchett In the Race?
The exceptional talents in the entertainment industry are not only measured by Box office collections or critics’ praise but also by honorary awards. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow was laurelled with the Academy Awards for Shakespeare in Love, defeating other top talents like Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett in the line, which ignited sparks of controversial statements.
One of the most celebrated merits in the film industry is the Academy Awards, popular as the Oscars. Presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognise excellence in cinematic achievements.
Shakespeare In Love Wins Gwyneth Paltrow An Oscar
The 51-year-old actor Gwyneth Paltrow is now the recipient of several accolades including, the Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for her spectacular performances in various films. She was only 27 years old when she won the prestigious Oscar Award for John Madden’s Shakespeare in Love. In 1999, Paltrow won Best Actress, defeating Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett in the nominated category.
The historic moment for Patrow can be witnessed in this short video. In the clip, you can see actor Jack Nicholson presenting the honors of the 71st Academy Awards by nominating the talented and elegant leading actress in the category. Amongst the nominated stars were, Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth, Fernanda Montenegro in Central Station, Meryl Streep in One True Thing, and Emily Watson in Hilary and Jackie. The unexpected win brings happy tears to Paltrow as she becomes extremely emotional while receiving the honor on stage.
Glenn Close admits surprise with Gwyneth Paltrow Oscar win
In a candid interview with ABC News’ Popcorn with Peter Travers, Glenn Close admitted that she was quite surprised when Gwyneth Paltrow won the Oscar in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love.
The actress cited Paltrow’s win as an example for comparing talent in the entertainment industry and also expressed a strong dislike for pitting actors’ performances against each other. She said:
“I’ve never understood how you could honestly compare performances, I remember the year Gwyneth Paltrow won over that incredible actress who was in Central Station. I thought, ‘What?’ It doesn’t make sense. So I think who wins has a lot of things to do with… whether it has traction or whatever. Publicity, how much money did they have to put it out in front of everybody’s sight.”
Controversial Oscar win of Shakespeare in Love
When Shakespeare In Love won over critically favored Saving Private Ryan in the nomination of Best Picture at the 71st Academy Awards, it sparked controversy. Many industry pundits criticised this decision the film defeated Saving Private Ryan. Even the win for Gwyneth Paltrow as Best Actress became bitter when insiders sided over frontrunner Cate Blanchett or Fernanda Montenegro in Central Station.
Speculating the wins as an outcome of the awards campaign led by Miramax’s owner Harvey Weinstein, industry pundits dubbed the whole move as an unprecedented blitzkrieg of the press. Terry Press, executive at DreamWorks said that Harvey Weinstein and Miramax trash talked about Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. He said:
“They tried to get everybody to believe that Saving Private Ryan was all in the first 15 minutes.”
Recalling Miramax productions campaign method (via Vanity Fair), Mark Gill, (Miramax’s L.A. president at the time of Shakespeare in Love) said:
“We hadn’t yet had the situation where the grubby little people from New York dared to threaten the kings of Hollywood; We used to joke that working at Miramax was like working at a tiny labor camp with a nice lobby.”
He described the entertainment company’s method as hand-to-hand combat via screenings, parties, and nonstop publicity.
Shakespeare in Love won a total of 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress, becoming one of the most highly accoladed films in the industry.
