WTF: Oscar Edition – Ruby Dee?!

Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on February 20, 2008

Every year when you look at the Oscar slate, there’s bound to be a few things that jump out at you and cause you to ask, “What the fuck?” The obvious one this year is Norbit actually being nominated for an Academy Award. (For more on that, see WTF: The Academy Award Nominated Norbit)

The only other nomination that really sends my head in a spin is Ruby Dee for Best Supporting Actress.

I mean, Ruby Dee? As Denzel Washington’s mom in American Gangster?

What the fuck?

Nothing against Ruby Dee. I think she’s a pretty good actress, and she’s a Cleveland girl, so you’ve gotta love her for that. But her role in American Gangster was hardly Oscar-worthy.

The most obvious reason why this is a clear BS nomination that she got probably because she’s just so damned old (83, which is the second oldest actress ever nominated) is how long she’s in the film. Apparently she’s in the movie for only slightly more than five minutes of screen time. Considering the movie’s 157-minute running time, she’s getting the nomination for being in just north of three percent of the film.

This makes Judi Dench’s Oscar-winning 8-minute cameo in Shakespeare in Love look like a leading role. You’ve just gotta think this is equivalent to nominating Stephen Root for his bit part in No Country for Old Men… or maybe Rob Schneider from The Waterboy.

To make things worse, her role was pretty much a throwaway part. When the nominations came out, I had forgotten she was even in the movie. After all, when you think of the most memorable scenes from American Gangster, I’ll bet you think of Denzel shooting a guy in the head on the open street… not Ruby Dee smacking him upside his.

At least Judi Dench played the frickin’ queen of England. I guess you could say that this award is a smack in the face to all the other nominees, but it was a smack in the face that got the nomination for her.

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Josh Radde

I just rewatched this on DVD. Even in the extended cut there's no more scenes of Dee. I agree with you Kevin, this is some bullshit. She basically got nominated for two things: slapping the hell out of Denzel and having two isolated, enthusiastic claps in the movie.

jack2jack

What all of you fail to get is this is her chance to be recognized for a body of worked that went LARGELY IGNORED. She won't get one for any other reason. Just as Whoopie got it for Ghost but we all knew it was for The Color Purple. Just as Stephen Spielberg is being thrown every award possible because he was snubbed for The Color Purple and Amistad. All films with mostly Black casts that points out injustices done to Blacks. Stephen has been doing the same great body of work. But the industry DON'T WANT TO RECOGNIZE ANYTHING THAT SLAPS OF RACISM BACK IN THEIR FACES.

Remember her husband died while working on a film in the early stages. There are not to many Truly GREAT Black Actors left to honor. Watch every year they will throw somebody a bone. Because they never one or was always nominated. Peter O'Toole case in point. They wanted to give him a Life time Achievment but he turned it down. That was Peter's big mistake, wanting to win it out right. That honor went to Alan Arkin over Eddie Murphy. They won't have two give aways in one show.

Wesman

I'm still not over Ellyn Burstyn losing to Julia Roberts for best actress!
To go with your theory...
I think that Blanchett will get the Lead nod this year, and she will be passed for the supporting as she already has this and she lost for her last Liz lead.

thelonius

This is why the academy awards are a joke. It's all about politics instead of what it is
supposed to be about...celebrating good filmmaking.

But instead they decide to give ruby dee a nom for 5 minutes of not so great acting. it
was forgettable entirely.

and im not even going to bring up race but i wouldnt be surprised if that played an
important factor.

Lorelei

We should all live to be "so damned old".

Rootin' for you, Ruby!

WTF: Oscar Edition – Ruby Dee?!

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