Author Topic: The Academy Awards and game shows... (Read 24887 times)

brianhenke · « **on:** January 25, 2011, 02:11:29 PM »

The Academy Award nominations were handed out today, and it should be noted that Animal Kingdom, which was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, has a scene from the Australian Deal or No Deal.

So that leads me to wonder: How many Oscar-winning movies have had game shows (or scenes involving them) in them?

I know of three. (Quiz Show didn't win any Oscars, BTW.)

1980:
Melvin and Howard - Mary Steenburgen won the Best Supporting Actress award. Her character, Lynda Dummar, was a contestant on a fictitious show called Golden Gate.

2008:
Slumdog Millionaire - Eight Oscars, including Best Picture; no explanation needed.

2009:
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire - Mo'nique won a Best Supporting Actress gold guy by playing a woman who's a fan of the $100,000 Pyramid.

Any others?

Brian

J.R. · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2011, 02:57:01 PM »

Jesus.

People like you make me embarrassed and ashamed to be a game show fan.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2011, 03:16:09 PM »

[quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'255552\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 02:57 PM\']Jesus.

People like you make me embarrassed and ashamed to be a game show fan.[/quote]
This is not the first time it occurs to me that you might want to change your sig.

Brian happens to be moderated, and I decided that made an intriguing trivia question, especially today. I've spent the better part of the last ten minutes trying to come up with one. Magnolia, for example, has nominations, but no awards. I can think of plenty of movies with a game show subplot or cameo, but none of them worthy of Oscar consideration, even in minor categories.

clemon79 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2011, 03:17:34 PM »

[quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'255552\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 11:57 AM\']Jesus.

People like you make me embarrassed and ashamed to be a game show fan.[/quote]
I dunno, man. At first I was with you, but I went back and thought about it, and concluded that since the Oscar noms (OM NOM NOM) were announced today, this was at least a little topical.

There are so many legitimate things to nail Brian on, that we really ought to let the marginal ones go. Not saying that Brian isn't embarrassing, just not on this one.

clemon79 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2011, 03:18:48 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'255555\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 12:16 PM\']I can think of plenty of movies with a game show subplot or cameo, but none of them worthy of Oscar consideration, even in minor categories.[/quote]
Dude. Splash was ROBBED.

GrandGame1440 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2011, 03:20:04 PM »

Rain Man - features Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, and The $25,000 Pyramid.

/he did watch stuff aside from Wapner, ya know?

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2011, 03:23:40 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'255557\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 03:18 PM\'][quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'255555\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 12:16 PM\']I can think of plenty of movies with a game show subplot or cameo, but none of them worthy of Oscar consideration, even in minor categories.[/quote]
Dude. Splash was ROBBED.[/quote]
To say nothing of White Men can't Jump.

Good job with Rain Man, GG.

Scrabbleship · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2011, 03:36:39 PM »

[quote name=\'GrandGame1440\' post=\'255558\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 03:20 PM\']Rain Man - features Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, and The $25,000 Pyramid.

/he did watch stuff aside from Wapner, ya know?[/quote]

It also featured $ale of the Century in the lead-up to his introduction with a scene from the start of a game.

Fedya · « **Reply #8 on:** January 25, 2011, 04:39:49 PM »

It's been a while since I've seen Network. Anything game show-related in it?

Surely Quiz Show got nominations. Four of them, in fact.

Two nominations for Catch Me If You Can, which of course has a scene from TTTT.

Diner (one nomination) has a scene with the characters watching the old GE College Bowl, if memory serves.

Don Howard · « **Reply #9 on:** January 25, 2011, 04:43:12 PM »

[quote name=\'Fedya\' post=\'255567\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 04:39 PM\']Surely Quiz Show got nominations. Four of them, in fact.[/quote]
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the OP's intent of this thread. Is he seeking just Oscar winners or are nominees-only accepted for this list?

Fedya · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2011, 04:46:17 PM »

Ah, you're right. I misread. Other than Network, none of them won Oscars.

Don Howard · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2011, 05:01:22 PM »

The movie Being There earned Melvyn Douglas an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In that film, there is a clip of an episode of Match Game.
[quote name=\'Fedya\' post=\'255569\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 04:46 PM\']Ah, you're right. I misread.[/quote]
No big thing. Mistakes happen to all.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2011, 06:13:01 PM »

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' post=\'255570\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 05:01 PM\']The movie Being There earned Melvyn Douglas an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In that film, there is a clip of an episode of Match Game.[/quote]
TPiR and Hollywood Squares as well.

gamed121683 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2011, 07:01:25 PM »

[quote name=\'Fedya\' post=\'255567\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 04:39 PM\']It's been a while since I've seen Network. Anything game show-related in it?[/quote]

I can think of two...

1) In one scene when Faye Dunaway's character, Diana, is by a wall with a few TV's behind her; One of the TV's is airing Let's Make A Deal.

2) In the scene where Diana and Max (William Holden) make love, Diana says post-coitus, "What's really bugging me now is my daytime programming. NBC's got a lock on daytime - lousy game shows - and I'd like to bust them. I'm thinking of doing a homosexual soap opera, 'The Dykes': The heart-rending saga about a woman hopelessly in love with her husband's mistress".

TLEberle · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2011, 11:52:42 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'255555\' date=\'Jan 25 2011, 12:16 PM\']Brian happens to be moderated, and I decided that made an intriguing trivia question, especially today. I've spent the better part of the last ten minutes trying to come up with one. Magnolia, for example, has nominations, but no awards. I can think of plenty of movies with a game show subplot or cameo, but none of them worthy of Oscar consideration, even in minor categories.[/quote]But what's the difference between a subplot or a cameo? Slumdog Millionaire uses the game show as a vehicle to tell a terrific story, but if the Griswolds don't win on Pig in a Poke, there's no National Lampoon's European Vacation, either. (Whether the world would be a better place for lack of a Vacation movie I shall leave to the philosophers.)

I think a more interesting topic would be clever use of the game show as plot. Is Starter for Ten any good? The Running Man certainly works as an action film but completely misses the point of what Stephen King was going for.

There's a scene in Erin Brockovich where one of the receptionists is watching an episode of Wheel of Fortune when the title character walks in. So what? Does someone's interest in Pyramid make any difference in the film Precious? (I don't know, I haven't seen the film.) A television in the background is going to show something; there are umpteen hundred other movies where game shows aren't on screen.