1992 One of those rare Oscar years when the academy
really did cite the best picture: Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven." But over in the Best Actor category
the result was appalling: Al Pacino, winless after seven nominations, finally
collected for a putrescent slice of green ham,
... more "Scent of a Woman" ... meaning
that the more deserving Eastwood, Stephen Rea ("The Crying Game") and Denzel Washington ("Malcolm X") were shut out. Yet Supporting Actress
is the contest people remember, because against a distinguished field of ladies
from various corners of the British Empire -- Judy Davis ("Husbands and Wives"), Joan Plowright
("Enchanted April"), Vanessa Redgrave ("Howards End") and Miranda Richardson
("Damage") -- a little-known daughter of Brooklyn named Marisa Tomei (pictured left) was called to the podium for
her performance in "My Cousin Vinny." The urban legend ever since has been that
the, shall we say, eccentric presenter Jack Palance may have "announced" her
inadvertently, when he was really just reading the last name on the list of
nominees. Not so, insisted the academy, and we prefer to believe them. Mona Lisa
Vito was a delight, and she can tune our carburetors anytime. Those ladies with
non-Brooklyn accents simply divided the "Masterpiece Theatre" vote, and a grand
American girl passed them in the homestretch.
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