5 films - Most Nominated At The Oscars

The Turning Point (1977)

A film about two friends whose paths intersect years after their friendship-cum-competitive-rivalry in the ballet world, The Turning Point was a film that has, perhaps, the biggest "good but not good enough" stories to tell about the Academy Awards. Directed by Herbert Ross and starring Shirley Maclaine and Anne Bancroft, the film holds the record of being nominated in most categories without winning in a single one of them. With 11 nominations, it is tied with Steven Spielberg's 1985 film The Color Purple, which was a film about the struggle of an African-American woman in dealing with social evils like racism, sexism and poverty in early 20th century America.

Titanic (1997)

This fictionalised account of the sinking of Titanic in 1912, is the most expensive film made in the 20th century. The epic romantic tragedy, set in a disaster, was directed by James Cameron, who later made the most expensive film of the 21st century (so far) in Avatar. Titanic was the first film to cross the $1 billion mark at the box office and with its 3D re-release in 2012, crossed $2 billion. The film was nominated in 14 categories and won in 11 of them. For a sunken ship, that is some great achievement.

Ben Hur (1959)

This historic epic drama, set in ancient Rome, has now become a historic epic in the world of cinema as well. Directed by William Wyler, the film starred Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd. Since it was a period drama, Ben Hur required a set to be created -- a set which still is the biggest set created for any film. It won a record 11 awards at the Oscars and is remembered for its glorious chariot chase sequence. Its record was later equaled by James Cameron's Titanic.

Cabaret (1972)

One of the few musicals that swept the Oscars, Bob Fosse's Cabaret is a brilliantly crafted film that is taught in film schools for the costumes, set design and overall composition. Starring Liza Minelli and Michael York, the film is set in 1930s Germany which was under the rule of the growing Nazi party. Cabaret was nominated in 10 categories and won in eight of them. Ironically, with most nominations that year, the film failed to win the award for the best picture, and surprising still is that it wasn't even nominated in the category.

All About Eve (1950)

One of Marilyn Monroe's first major roles, All About Eve was a film directed by Joseph Mankiewicz. Based on a short story by Mary Orr, the film told a complex story of relationships and betrayal and gives a glimpse into the entertainment industry. The film held the record for most number of nominations at the Academy Awards for nearly half a century before it was matched by Titanic in 1997. It won in six of those categories and still holds the record for most number of actresses from the same film to be nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category (four).

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 22, 2013