The Academy has a habit of not giving its top award to nice little romantic
comedies. Make that comedy, period. In breaking with this pattern by honoring
"Annie Hall," it's conceivable they were taking a
hint from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the New ... moreYork Film
Critics Circle, and the National Society of Film Critics -- all of which
organizations deemed it best of the year. Good for them, because otherwise Woody Allen's eccentric movie shaped up as the
underdog: five nominations, as compared with 11 each for "Julia," directed by
Academy Award perennial Fred Zinnemann, and "The Turning Point," from Herbert
Ross, who also had a second film in contention, "The Goodbye Girl" (with five).
Add that the remaining nominee was the newly minted all-time box-office
champion, "Star Wars" (10 nods). How'd the Woodman beat that
crowd? Here's how. Besides deserving to win (often next to irrelevant), "Annie
Hall" was the first-ever Oscar nominee to be available to Academy voters in
their own homes during awards season. The culturally heroic operators of Los
Angeles' Zee Channel showcased it, and the largely geriatric membership, which
didn't always get out to see nominees in theaters, did see it, thought it was a
nice little picture, and voted for it. The practice of sending out "for your
consideration" videos was introduced the next year. (Oh, "The Turning Point"?
Didn't win a single award.)
