Best Picture: 1970

[Okri]

What did you think of Alistair Sim's performance?

[Damien]

it has a fantastic performance from Scott (still think A Christmas Carol was his best filmed performance though)

I agree. I watch the Clive Donner version of A Christmas Carol every year, and I'm always blown away by the nuance Scott brings to the role -- an extraordinarily beautiful performance. The only other actor who even comes close to Scott's accomplishment in playing Scrooge is Mr. Magoo.

[dws1982]

Not much of a lineup. MASH is one of my least favorite Altmans, Love Story is garbage, and Airport is one of those entertaining enough timewasters that would be more tolerable if it didn't have the prestige of being a Best Picture nominee. Patton isn't appreciably different from lots of World War II movies that were being made at the time, although it has a fantastic performance from Scott (still think A Christmas Carol was his best filmed performance though), and is bookended by two fantastic monologues. (The last one is a voice over, for those who don't remember exactly what I'm talking about.)

Pending Five Easy Pieces, which I've only seen bits and pieces of, it would get my not very enthusiastic vote. But I'm going to hold off until I watch Five Easy Pieces.

[Mister Tee]

Alot of people I know swore by Five Easy Pieces. I liked the legendary "Hold the chicken" scene, but on the whole the movie was too moody/existential for my taste at the time. It's possible I'd like it better today.

I was disappointed in MASH by the time I got to it (late summer '70) because by then I'd seen -- and, I'm embarrassed to admit, LOVED -- Catch 22. In my defense: 1) I thought Mike Nichols was, coming off The Graduate, God; and 2) it was just six weeks after Kent State and the student strike at Northwestern, so I was absolutely primed for the film's Screw the army/establishment stance. MASH seemed thin stew by comparison.

I haven't seen Catch 22 since, except short bits, but I suspect my opinion would drop drastically. In any event, my opinion of MASH has appreciated substantially in the years since, so it probably deserves my vote. (Though Women in Love and Little Big Man are movies I remember just as fondly)

Patton seemed to me a wholly impersonal history movie, given life only by the full-out Scott performance. Love Story was swill, but I tried to like it because the girl I was pursuing at the time did.

Airport seemed dreck to me even then -- though, like Magilla, I was sucker enough to go for Helen Hayes' scenes.

[Big Magilla]

The three films I liked best then, as well as now, were Five Easy Pieces, Lovers ane Other Strangers and I Never Sang for My Father, follwed by M*A*S"H and depending on the moment, either Patton, Ryan's Daughter or Little Big Man.

Love Story was total crap and Airport was a bore whenever Helen Hayes wasn't chewing up the scenery and making
mincemeat of her fellow actors.

[Damien]

I liked Five Easy Pieces best then and I think it holds up the best now.

[Reza]

I voted for Airport as well thanks to its camp appeal. I recall reading the book and excited to see it because of Jacqueline Bisset.

I am not too fond of any of the other films on the list. I find it absurd that M*A*S*H* found so much success as a film and later as that long running series - an American institution.

My favorite film of 1970 is Women in Love and instead of the teary Love Story, give me the bloated Ryan's Daughter anyday.

[Hustler]

M.A.S.H

[Penelope]

With the exception of the vomit-inducing Love Story, this is a solid line-up. But just for guilty pleasure delight, I vote for Airport.

[Sabin]

Haven't seen 'Aiport'. Seems like the kind of mini-genre I can live my life without participating in. I choose 'Five Easy Pieces'.