I’m not gonna say she necessarily deserved the Oscar over Julianne Moore, but I think people are selling her performance short in this thread.

It’s not a terribly flashy performance, but there’s a lot of good subtle work in there, as the character she’s playing is, herself, playing different characters.

There’s Veronica Lake and there’s Lynn Bracken. Then there’s Lynn Bracken with Pearce Patchett, Lynn Bracken with Ed Exley, and finally the real Lynn Bracken with Bud White. They carry themselves differently and even speak differently.

I think it should be noted that LA Confidential is about Hollywood's "golden age" while Boogie Nights is about an aspect of the industry that Hollywood would prefer to ignore

If only The Oscars had to do with an actors ability to perform! Nah, Julianne Moore hit the wrong button at the polls and Kim Basinger didn’t.

She gave a good acting performance in a popular movie.

Hate to break it to you but the Academy is just political, ass kissing bullshit. A weird awards event where multi-millionaires stroke each other off and embarrass themselves in front of a rapidly dwindling television audience. The awards are not based on merit but by pathetic networking campaigns by agents, studios and the talent.

I think she’s excellent in the movie. But ultimately the Oscar’s always come down to an opinion, and who has the momentum, and the right story. And I’m not super mad about that, because how does one compare an acting performance. It’s really all about “I like that one better”. The long, long, long list of performances that have won an Oscar that have me scratching my head seems endless. And I expect the same can be said for this years award show.

Ultimately, I think Kim won not just because it’s likely the best performance she’s ever given, but because this was a truly excellent movie that was not going to get the awards it deserved because it was competing in the same year as Titanic (if you want to talk a movie that DID NOT deserve the awards it got). I also think she won as a way for the academy to give a nod to the whole cast. Imo, the real travesty isn’t that she won, but rather that Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe weren’t even nominated, and neither of them won.

Knew the right people

Honestly now that I look back on it, I don't really remember her that much. Definitely side performances stand out more than her. Hell Minnie Driver AND Julianne Moore are way more captivating and give more emotional performances than Basinger does. Basinger is a fine actress, but c'mon now, Driver in that scene where she asks him to come to California with her, and Moore in those divorce proceedings. You can't beat those performances, or I guess you can

If you compare to some of her other performances, this was actually pretty good for her lol. But yeah, in no way the "best" that year. Julianne Moore wasn't as well known at that time, Boogie Nights was her launching pad into the next level from a working actress to a top one. Her career ended up much better than Basinger's in the long run.

Vicki Vale

Act.

The same what Tommy Lee Jones did, that warranted him an Oscar win, instead of Ralph Fiennes for Schindler's List.

Or Judi Dench for Shakespeare in love. For only few minutes screentime.

She didn’t go full retard.

You just don't understand acting. It is not about overacting, histerical drama in every second of screen time. Sometimes it is subtle, quiet work. Like, looke at Kate Mara - she really can act, but nobody cares, because she is doing her job, and not trying to steal the movie.

She was awesome in it mostly, I do agree Julianne Moore is amazing in boogie nights

Nah, I think you saw the wrong movie try again. She was awesome. Whether she deserve to win an award for that is up to you

Yeah it's a really good movie (with a few story twists that I thought were pretty stupid, like Crowe somehow surviving his shooting), but I never cared much for Basinger's performance either. She's completely fine, but nothing Oscar-worthy for me. Just another member of a good ensemble.

She was great in this role.

hotness and vulnerability

Nothing. It was an amazing movie and she was the weakest point.

I think she’s a very overrated actress.

She was able to form correct sentences. 🙄

Probably had something to do with Harvey Weinstein. She has always been a terrible actress

I stopped watching the Oscars almost 20 years ago because I simply don't understand the criteria they're using to determine how one piece of art is better than another.

the Oscar’s are awarded , based on connections and political power within the movie Industry.
In modern times anyway. Most A list actors , best roles are typically early in their career, and propell them from relative unknown, to stardom. ( they never win the Oscar they deserve for those performances). But they get it later, when they have made the right connections, and it’s their year .

The ratings are plummeting, this elitism, plus turning into a political TV show for the progressive lefts’ cause of the week , have alienated the majority of past viewers.

You just learned that the Oscar's has nothing to do with the actual best performances? It's a scam for the studios to promote their movies and stars. Always has been. But it's still a fun scam. Doesn't really hurt anyone.

What is it going to take for people to realize that people don’t win Oscars for merit?

Pretty sure it was a 'had it coming' oscar win. Basinger had been tearing it up for like a decade before LA Confidential. The movie was excellent, her performance was great, but I think sentiment is really what nabbed it for her. This type of thing happens. DiCaprio got an Oscar for one of the worst films he was ever in, for example.

Totally agree, she did fuck all in that film.

I wonder about this myself. I think she's barely acceptable in this role. Her performance is pure soap opera.

May be in the minority here, but I never understood why L.A. Confidential was such a darling at the Oscars. It's a good, well-made movie and all, but I don't get what made it so special. And yeah, this would include Basinger's performance, which I thought was fine.

Edit: Also, aside from the Rollo Tomasi thing, I thought the book was better.

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