Sweeping Oscar

Few have done it; many have tried. You might think there have been many Oscar sweeps. Surely such cinematic greats as Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane, West Side Story, Gandhi, and American Beauty have swept the Oscars. Nay, my friends, nay. Only three have accomplished this fete in Oscars' 80+ years.

Let's rewind a bit. What constitutes a sweep? A film must take home the little gold man for the five major Oscar categories: Best Film, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. The three cinematic gems that have accomplished this are as follows:

1934's love story, It Happened One Night. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert sizzled with chemistry in this Frank Capra classic.

1975's study of sanity, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Milos Forman brought big guns, Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, to the screen in this adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel of a psych ward where the inmates strive to take over. You'll never look at a nurse's whites the same way again after watching Louise Fletcher's calm and eerie portrayal of Nurse Ratched.

1991's psychological thriller, Silence of the Lambs. This one gave us a new, classic recipe for fava beans and chianti, Jodie Foster her second golden gentleman, and Sir Anthony Hopkins a much-deserved first.

An honorary sweep goes to the final installment of already classic nerd trilogy, Lord of the Rings. The Return of the King was nominated for 11 Oscars in 2003, and it took home every one. However, none of the fine actors (specifically, Sean Astin) were recognized for their work.

There's no chance of a true sweep this year, but tune in on Sunday, February 27, to see if The King's Speech can do a pseudo-sweep with a Supporting Actress Oscar going to the ever eccentric Helena Bonham-Carter. It's a long shot, but could happen...especially after their sweep at the BAFTAs.