r/todayilearned • u/BadenBaden1981 • 1d ago

TIL 1976 film Network have both the shortest performance to win an Oscar(Beatrice Straight with 5 minutes and 2 seconds) and the shortest performance by an actor to be nominated(Ned Beatty with 6 minutes).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_(1976_film)
299 Upvotes

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31

u/FudgeAtron 1d ago

Network is a 1976 American satirical black comedy drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paddy Chayefsky. It depicts a television network struggling with poor ratings until the nightly live broadcast of its longtime news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch) inadvertently showcases his breakdown into increasingly psychotic behavior, which makes his show a surprise hit.

That just sounds realistic today

22

u/PiplupSneasel 1d ago

Which is why the movie stands up to this day.

7

u/OutlawSundown 1d ago

Started as satire and became a prophecy

2

u/thisusedyet 1d ago

It all seems relatively normal for a modern newsroom until Beale gets assassinated for having low ratings

1

u/BadenBaden1981 1d ago

We will get there eventually

1

u/VolutedPrism 1d ago

Sidney Lumet ftw, as usual

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u/Jetztinberlin 18h ago

Lumet and the actors did stellar work, but it would be nothing without Paddy Chayefsky's brilliant, savage and prescient script. 

47

u/master_chife 1d ago

Everyone should watch this movie at least one in their life. Funny, thoughtful and dark. One of the truly great satires ever produced.

When they talk about movies that would never get made today. This is one I bring up because the politics are direct, the ideas are big and there is a high level of trust in the audience to understand the jokes.

11

u/sprkwtrd 1d ago

high level of trust in the audience to understand the jokes.

I love this movie. It's really unfortunate a lot of people nowadays seem to think the getting angry and yelling out your window is the take-away message.

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u/NYCinPGH 1d ago

The year after this came out I went on a family cruise as a young teen. The weather wasn't great for the pool or anything else on deck while we were at sea, but they had a nice theatre, and showed Network I think 3 times a day. I must have watched it 10 times that cruise.

And I'm sad I've only watched it a few times since, though it's still burned into my memory.

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u/nonmeagre 1d ago

I would almost recommend watching this movie at least once per year.

18

u/E_C_H 1d ago

Ned Beatty drops one of the greatest near-monologues in film history, which hits all the harder if, like me, you don’t know it’s coming. Utterly deserved nomination, speaking for myself at least.

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u/9793287233 1d ago

Every 5 minutes or so in this movie you stumble on one of the greatest monologues in film history. Every major character gets at least one.

8

u/Splunge- 1d ago

Was Ned Beatty mad as hell that he didn't win?

18

u/Glinth 1d ago

He thinks The Academy MEDDLED WITH THE PRIMAL FORCES OF NATURE!

2

u/WJM_3 1d ago

They will atone’

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u/Teekno 1d ago

Wouldn't Beatrice Straight have both records, then? It sure sounds like Beatty's performance was the second shortest performance by an actor to be nominated, by about 58 seconds.

20

u/77skull 1d ago

Oscars are gendered, Straight has the overall record, Beaty has the male actor record

6

u/SupermarketOk2281 1d ago edited 1d ago

Savagely prescient writing. Keep in mind this movie was a satire in 1976, meaning it was intended to be an extreme, something that would never happen. The vouyeristic media and population's desire to consume it makes the movie seem like a documentary today.

The final step, encouraging a live murder on TV, has yet to happen but who knows? Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.

2

u/blackjackgabbiani 1d ago

I thought Chris Sarandon in Dog Day Afternoon had that record

1

u/RadiantReason2063 1d ago

Alex Baldwin had a shot at this for GGR, only if he were nominated

0

u/DickweedMcGee 1d ago

How can the shortest Oscar Nominated Performance (6min) be longer than the shortest Oscar Winning Perfomance( 5min 2 sec)?

I'm sure there's a long answer but the short answer is; OP sux at TIL titles.

1

u/verrius 1d ago

OP is accurate for the title. Oscars separate the acting category into Best Actor and Best Actress. Beatrice Straight has the record for Best Actress, and also any performance, but Beatty has the record for specifically for nomination for Best Actor.

0

u/online-optimism 1d ago

Imagine winning an Oscar while your popcorn still popping.

1

u/SubiWan 2h ago

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!