Kathy Bates was robbed of an Oscar

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Sarandon's award was a gift from the academy in fear she may never get another leading role worthy of a nomination (they were right about that part).

1995 was a unique year in filmmaking, especially for actresses. Let's not forget all of what came out that year in addition to Dolores Claiborne: Apollo 13, Braveheart, Il Postino, Leaving Las Vegas, Casino, Bridges of Madison County, Mighty Aphrodite, The American President, Sense and Sensibility, Murder in the First... and that stupid Dead Man Walking. All but the last one are great films (I have all of them (not DMW)) and garnered a lot of attention. From those films, you've got Streep, Shue, Thompson and Stone in addition to Sarandon going up against Bates. There was just no room for her.

I agree that Bates deserved an Oscar for her Dolores, except for one thing: since the first time I saw Leaving Las Vegas, I've felt that Elisabeth Shue's performance very well may be the best single performance by a female that I've ever seen... and I've seen every single movie that has ever gotten an Oscar for best movie, actor or actress. Yes, better than Bette Davis and Katherine Hepburn and Meryl Streep and any other Hollywood darling. So, even if justice were done that year in that Sarandon (who more deserved it for Bull Durham than DMW) would have been denied, Bates would have been nominated but still, in my mind, would have come in second.

1995, to me, was a classic year in film. There were other interesting, unique and notable films that year as well: Se7en, Sabrina, The Quick and the Dead, Babe, Waterworld, Toy Story, Tommy Boy, Things to do in Denver When You're Dead, Species, Powder, Outbreak, Jumanji, GoldenEye, Get Shorty, Clueless, Dangerous Minds, Clockers, Billy Madison, Batman Forever, and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Not all of these are great films, of course, and some of these I don't like at all... but they are all unique and show at least a modicum of intellectual input and an insight into what the audience wants. A very special year.

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