Which performance that swept the awards is the most over-rated?

[Shy_Hallaman]

Helen Mirren. Mannered, superficial. That she managed to beat Cruz is a sin.

Zellwegger is the worst, hands down, but that film and that role are so meaningless I just couldn't bother.

[Aaron Leggo]

Picking one is damn difficult. I went with Julia Roberts. She's fine in the role and it's ever so slightly different than her usual shtick, so that's good, but I don't get the sweep at all.

There are plenty others on this list that induce head scratching for me as well, though.

[Vincelette]

Octavia Spencer, Monique, Jennifer Hudson, Helen Mirren, Heath Ledger.

[Matt92]

I think a list of the performances that actually deserved to sweep might be shorter than the ones which were over-rewarded. I'll say Spencer, mainly because I don't know where the hell she gained that traction.

[erikdean]

There are just so many variables here; were they less deserving than another nominee (or someone not nominated, for that matter)? Is it one of those one time things that you know (and they and the academy knows) will never happen again? Is it personal feelings about an actor or actress? Is it category fraud? Which of those, or combination of, is more valid?

I'd probably have to make a top five because I don't think any one of those reasons is especially greater than another.

Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Jamie Foxx, Ray
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain

Looking at my list makes me look like a racist and a misogynist.

[Sliced Peach]

Jennifer Hudson gives the worst performance, IMO, so she was "the least deserving" which is the poll question. Her performance is not rated that high, atleast among cinephiles, so I'm not sure she's the most overrated of these though, which is the thread question...

[Rage Colored Glasses]

Great wins:

DDL
Plummer
Waltz
Ledger
Mo'Nique (I used to think this one was overrated but I've come around on it big time)

Good wins:

Firth
Hoffman
Bardem

OK

Mirren
Spencer
Portman

Meh

Witherspoon (she wasn't anything special but none of the other four were clearly more deserving)
Roberts
Whitaker


Bad

Foxx

Awful

Zellweger
Winslet

Haven't seen Rush or Hudson.

When DDL completes his Lincoln sweep I'll put it in the Good category.

[Just.a.pretty.Boy]

just one? Witherspoon or Hudson

[Largo]

Personally, I think Heath Ledger's bog-standard sociopath performance didn't deserve much of anything, especially considering that Robert Downey Jr. completely outdid him at his own game, in a comedy, in Tropic Thunder.

But I really do not like Zellweger. Sigh.

[Pingy]

It's between the non-performance (Hudson) and the bad performance that won over several better ones (Zellwegar)...

And then there's still Reese. Ugh. This is tough.

[McTeague]

Pingy, no W*****t mention? So disappointed.

[Pingy]

Pingy, no W*****t mention? So disappointed.

I don't know what you're speaking of?

Then again, the memory supression therapy sessions have been rigorous.

I think, that year, I'm just glad it wasn't...



But the Globes... Oh gawd, the Globes....

It's time to take my pill.

[Atonenent.]

I feel really lucky when I realize that I don't hate any of these and then I look at the posts in this thread. Not saying they were all worthy but still.

[Aurelius]

Of these, I think only Bardem, Ledger, Waltz, and perhaps Mo'nique are deserving of a sweep like this.

[Mike Aiello]

Whitaker. That he even swept is just... I don't get it. I can kind of rationalize the others (Reese, Renee, etc.)

This. The thing with WItherspoon that I don't think people are considering is...if not her, then we're talking about Felicity Huffman sweeping lol. Judi Dench and Charlize were filler, Keira was lucky to be nominated. So I wouldn't vote for Reese in that sense, because yeah maybe sweeping wasn't right for such a performance, but Felicity winning half the awards isn't right either (in my opinion).

Whereas someone like Whitaker who beat DiCaprio (though he was nominated for the wrong performance), and Gosling the best of the bunch...not to mention the countless others who were not nominated that year...well that was wrong for Whitaker to sweep, I think. But to each his own.

[Souler]

Man, Gosling was really lucky Half Nelson came out in 2006. I don't think he would've had a prayer in any other year.

[klariso]

Overrated sweep: Spencer, Zellwegger, Winslet, Whitaker, Witherspoon

Five sweeps I loved: Rush, DDL, Waltz, Mo'nique, Ledger

It's fascinating that only Rush was able to do it prior to 2000s where there have been like gazillion precursors already.

[dlong5665]

I understand why Renee swept but that doesn't make the sweep any less painful. I'm also not a fan of Whitaker's, Witherspoon's, Foxx's, nor Robert's (God that make me look misogynistic and racist). I loved Mirren's, Waltz's, Plummer's, Bardem's, and Mo'nique's. I'm indifferent on the rest (plus haven't seen Rush nor Winslet's films yet).

[RayB]

Octavia Spencer sweeping was so random, but I actually liked that performance, even if she is nowhere near my top ten.

Regarding the question, Zellweger is the one I hate the most, she almost took me out of the movie the first time I watched it. Also not a fan of Jamie Foxx.

[moviewatcher]

Glad to know there ain't one single vote for Hoffman, Ledger or Waltz.