MovieChat Forums > Papillon (1973) Discussion > McQueen deserved the Oscar

McQueen deserved the Oscar

posted 11 years ago by foreverskins1976
21 replies | jump to latest

I just got done watching my Blu-ray of this classic. In my opinion, "Papillon" features the GREATEST performance of Steve McQueen's career.

It STUNS me that McQueen didn't win the Oscar for this film. Instead, it went to Jack Lemmon for "Save the Tiger" (a film I've never even heard of). I like Jack Lemmon, but again, the Oscar for Best Actor should have gone to "The King of Cool".

Anybody agree with me?

"Go out there and win just one for the Zipper". Leslie Nielsen in Airplane!

[–] Lukeh4 11 years ago

I agree. McQueen was great in this. Should have at least been nominated.

[–] balboa76 11 years ago

McQueen was great in this, I also like him in the Great Escape.

[–] omolaf 10 years ago

Ohh.. he was nominated!

[–] joekiddlouischama 10 years ago

Ohh.. he was nominated!

No, he wasn't. He received a Golden Globe nomination for Papillon, but not an Academy Award nomination.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000537/awards?ref_=nm_awd

McQueen's performance in Papillon is very impressive and probably one of his best, but it's hardly in the vein that the Academy tended to reward.

[–] page8701 11 years ago

"The award should have gone to this performance, instead of the one I haven't even seen and therefore can't judge!!!!" Really?

Super Ninja must have heard that The Expendables 2 will be pg13: "I want to barbecue Chuck Norris."

[–] FascistAnarchist999 11 years ago

100% agreed!!!

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] oldmotem 11 years ago

It's unanimous. McQueen should have been nominated and should have won BEST ACTOR for this film.

[–] paulhilts 11 years ago

Dear Old--
If you care at all for movies, you and the OP should watch "Save the Tiger", but only after seeing some of Lemmon's bubbleheaded characters (eg Ensign Pulver in "Mister Roberts"), or his ordinary guy roles (Felix in "Odd Couple") first. I take nothing away from McQueen, he's one of my favorites, too. But don't go challenging something like a Best Actor (especially claiming your challenge is unanimous, which it's not) without at least seeing the movie so you have a basis to judge by.

[–] spookyrat1 11 years ago

Agree with all your comments.

Why attempt to fight city hall about subjective events that occurred 40 years ago?

Jack Lemmon gives a very good performance in Save the Tiger.

That said IMO this IS McQueen's pre-eminent role and Papillon has clearly proved to have left a more lasting legacy cinematically than Save the Tiger.

[–] mcqueenfan 10 years ago

I agree fully.

[–] taskinugur 10 years ago

Completely agree, this movie is a classic and i see that it's not even in top 250 ? Seriously. Steve McQueen is legendary in this movie, he should have been given the Oscar. But since nowadays they are giving that stupid award to everybody i kinda think it really doesn't matter if he got it or not, such as Marlon Brando sending a native girl to fetch it, Steve McQueen is a legend whose acting was beyond all these nonesense.

[–] booya83 9 years ago

Completely agree, this movie is a classic and i see that it's not even in top 250 ? Seriously. Steve McQueen is legendary in this movie, he should have been given the Oscar. But since nowadays they are giving that stupid award to everybody i kinda think it really doesn't matter if he got it or not, such as Marlon Brando sending a native girl to fetch it, Steve McQueen is a legend whose acting was beyond all these nonesense.

Ya but Interstellar and Boyhood are both in the 250. If you go to those forums some claim they are the greatest films ever made. I honestly think the OP should be more upset about that then the politically motivated and discredited Oscars.

[–] bobbayer3741 10 years ago

You are so right .. McQueen was awesome ... This movie is one of the best movies ever in every way ...Oscar Awards should have rained down on it ... Whether they did or did not ... It is one of the finest movies ever made .. And I am just watching it for the first time ...

[–] jajceboy 9 years ago

I agree he deserved to be nominated but don't know if he should've won or not. Haven't seen any of the nominees so can't say how he compares to the rest.
It's funny though. Had the film been released today it would have been an awards contender for sure. This is exactly the kind of awards-bait type films they make today. The nominations would just hail upon it.

But I think it's trivial to argue over an award that happened 42 years ago. There's no argument there. Accept and move on.

[–] Shambala_Elephant 9 years ago

Just saw it for the first time in forty years. I agree that McQueen deserved a nomination, but Lemmon was deserving for Save the Tiger. I also think that performance holds up a bit better than McQueen's.