Honorary Oscars: Elaine May, Samuel L Jackson, Liv Ullmann, Danny Glover

Would've like to see Jean-Louis Trintignant honored.

Glover is getting the Herscholt

Samuel L Jackson? For what? This reeks of Debbie Allen’s recent award. Geena Davis last year? Why?

Elaine May? Why?

Great choices, but it seems odd to me that Harrison Ford hasn’t gotten one yet.

No Marsha Hunt?!?! So much for my write-in campaign!

If Laurence Fishburne would pick up Samuel Jackson's award I wonder how many of the academy would notice the difference.

Considering that honorary Oscars have been relegated to a technical awards-type ceremony on a separate date and the honorees get 3-4 seconds of their acceptance speeches broadcast, I'm surprised any of them give two fucks about it.

These are clearly the "toss them a bone before they kick the bucket" awards. When there was one honoree a year and it was part of the show, it meant a bit more.

[quote] When there was one honoree a year and it was part of the show, it meant a bit more.

Also, it was given to iconic people who had a truly profound impact on the development of cinema as an art form. People like Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin, King Vidor, Myrna Loy, and Deborah Kerr.

You could make an argument for Liv Ullmann, but Samuel L. Jackson or Elaine May?

It's getting to be like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Liv Ullmann deserves all the awards. If the Oscars gave a shit she'll have an acting oscar, but still this is great for her. Congrats Liv!

The others I'm meh about.

Elaine May has been a script doctor for a large number of films, without getting credit, and I suspect that's why she's getting one. Plus the Mike Nichols bio that came out this year does a good job demonstrating what is special about her as a writer and performer (even if she did do the tone-deaf script to The Birdcage).

Her output as a film director is not distinguished. Only The Heartbreak Kid holds up, though there are some people who worship Mikey & Nickey (I could barely get through it - it's so much like a Cassavetes film, but without the saving grace of a Gena Rowlands). A New Leaf is pretty unfunny, mostly because Walter Matthau is so badly miscast. I haven't seen Ishtar, and maybe it's not the worst, but I suspect it's pretty mediocre at best.

They clearly just give out these honorary Oscars to just about anyone now. When Jackie Chan got one it I lost any respect. And Glenn Close has zero. Never knew Glover was involved in charity work. Liv is a great choice. Elaine really deserves an honorary Tony but she won a competitive one two years ago. Jackson is insane. Mostly a shitty paycheck resume for films where he can curse every other word. There’s some quota or affirmation action they are working with these honorary awards.

Ullman should've gotten one a couple of decades ago.

^^ meant Ullmann ^^

Academy memo: Quick find some old black people to award.

This makes me very happy.

Didn't Ullmann wreck John Lithgow's marriage?

Yeah they had an affair while on a play on Broadway. Lithgow was quite miserable during it. His bio details it.

R19 Was it the play or Liv's Japanese-Norwegian pussy that made him miserable?

r5 maybe everyone at the academy knows that Ford is high and drunk during his performances.

If they ever create a best performance while stoned and drunk out of your mind award, they'll nominate Harrison.

Not being sarcastic but what has Danny Glover done for humanity? (and what did Geena Davis do?)

Danny Glover is very politically active and active in humanitarian causes r22.

I wonder if Liv Ullman will fly to LA for just a non-televised dinner. (and will there be quarantines then.)

Liv Ullman lost on her two nominations to Liza! and Miss Dunaway. (that seemed like it should be mentioned here on the DL for some reason)

R21, no matter how drunk or high Ford has been, the guy played Han Solo and Indiana Jones, and even when he didn’t, he had more than enough movies that made the studios a ton of money. And that’s what matters.

At this point, I assume he’s already refused an Honorary Oscar, because he’s not a Glenn Close who could still conceivably win one and he’s both an older and more obvious choice than Steve Martin and Samuel L. Jackson.

Lee Grant is more deserving than Liv Umond.

Lee Grant has a regular Oscar.

Ullman-2 nominations May-2 nominations Jackon-1 Glover-0

How cute.

Do you think Bette Midler deserves a honorary Oscar? She's been nominated twice, and it's obvious that she's not winning one at this stage of her career. She was one of the top box-office stars of the 80s and 90s. She's certainly more deserving than Elaine May.

I want to hear the dirt about the Ullmann/Lithgow affair! I had no idea that went down.

I love her.

R24 Ullman's lived in the US (Boston, to be exact) for decades now.

There's a Mary Tyler Moore episode where Lou gets an honorary journalism award. He's horrified by it. Says something like they never give those to people who can still chew their own food.

Elaine May directed her first movie in 1971, when there were very few female directors; whatever you think of her movies, she is probably being honored as a trailblazer, as well as for her scripts (credited and uncredited).

r31 they were in Anna Christie on Broadway together. They started having an affair. Lithgow had some crazy analyst who was obsessed with Ullman and actually encouraged the affair. He had terrible guilt and was miserable during the play. He describes in his bio running into someone he knew on the street and when they asked how he was he burst into tears.

It broke up his marriage and strained his relationship with his son. The kid was briefly an actor (had a reoccurring role on Third Rock from the Sun) but then became a therapist.

Thanks r35!

Your bar is on the floor r26.

Along with Ford in a smokey boozy haze.

If you're old enough you know that Ishtar was the subject of a million jokes back in the day, it seemed funny to me when I read the director of that film is getting an honorary Oscar. I guess it's possible Elaine May could be getting an honorary Oscar for her script doctoring, though that must be a first. She certainly doesn't have impressive credits. It's also interesting that she lived with Stanley Donen for a long time and he also got one of these.

Elaine May directed her first movie in 1971, when there were very few female directors; whatever you think of her movies, she is probably being honored as a trailblazer, as well as for her scripts (credited and uncredited).

R34 Since there were woman directors of note before her (Dorothy Arzner in the 30s/40s, Ida Lupino in the 40s/50s/60s - and women before them) how is she a trailblazer, exactly?

If Liv Ullmann is getting an Oscar then Sally Kellerman deserves and Oscar. At least Sally did her own singing.

R40 That article is disingenuous. It goes from Lois Weber in the silent days to Elaine May with no mention of actualy trailblazers in sound film, Arzner and Lupino. To make it seem more like May was a trailblazer. Her being a woman filmmaker in the 70s and beyond was unusual, and an achievement, even if she made only one moderately successful film. But if it were up to me, I would give many other people honorary Oscars before Elaine May.

What the fuck does Dolly Parton have to do to get the Herscholt. She gives away 160 million free books to school kids and then donates a million dollars to Covid vaccines. Christ.

These fucking cunts.