Brow Beat

Earlier thisweek, we celebrated our favorite part of the Oscars — arguing about the Academy'scrap choices the morning after — by sharing a list of performances Slate contributors thought were theworst to ever win a statuette.

Each of ourchoices had fervent supporters and detractors (and we were called a bunch of joylesscrankypants for even having the conversation in the first place). RobertoBenigni's turn in Life is Beautiful stirredup particularly passionate debate — which, when you think about it, is one way ofdefining a worthy performance.

Readers had afew more nominations for our Oscars Hall of Shame (answers have been slightly edited):

AmberSanderson:
Am I the only person who fully expectedthat list to include Julia Roberts' performance in Erin Brockovich ? ... Apparently having stringy hair, a bad dye job,and a low-cut shirt really did the trick for the Academy voters that year.

DavidHilton:
I think we need to give a specialmention to Ingrid Bergman here for (1) winning the 1975 supporting actressaward (her third) for a terrible performance in a negligible movie — Murder on the Orient Express — but alsofor (2) being gracious enough in her acceptance speech to acknowledge what waspatently obvious: That the award should have gone to Valentina Cortese for herperformance in Day for Night .

Michele:
Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire . Tell me you don't laugh when you hear"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers" in the world'sworst Southern accent.

PeterTimmerman:
Going back a bit more: Luise Rainermust win the overall prize. She won two Oscars for one mediocre and oneembarrassing performance — Ziegfeld and The Good Earth .  

Greer Garson in Mrs. Miniver — totallyuplifting and dreadful (compare with her wonderful perfomance in Random Harvest ).

Bill :
Denzel Washington in Training Day — worst performance ever by the most overrated actorever.

Meanwhile, here are somemore options for awful performances , courtesy of the film and entertainmentblogger Edward Copeland.
 
Will theAcademy disappoint once again this Sunday? We'll see you back here on Monday todiscuss — and, hopefully, to argue.

Correction, Feb. 27: This post originally included a reader nomination for Melanie Griffith's performance in Working Girl ; Griffith was nominated for an Oscar that film, but did not win. Also, Vivien Leigh's first name was misspelled.

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