Black Oscar's Good, Bad and Murphy

A night that began with a buzz of historic proportions ended in ecstasy for Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker, and agony for three other Black nominees, Will Smith, Djimon Hounsou and Eddie Murphy.

For the first time, it appeared that three Black actors, who were favorites in their categories, would stand together in the winner’s circle at evening’s end. But, for the third time this decade, only two out of three walked away with the coveted prize.

Whitaker’s Best Actor win puts him in exclusive company as one of only four Black actors ever to hold that distinction. He joins Sidney Poitier (Lillies of the Field, 1963), Denzel Washington (Training Day, 2001) and Jamie Foxx (Ray, 2004). Whitaker, who first gained notoriety in the slacker film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, shares another distinction: He is the second person from that cult classic to win an Oscar; Sean Penn won for Mystic River In 2003.

Hudson became the third Black woman ever to win in the Best Supporting Actress category, joining Hattie McDaniel (Gone With The Wind, 1939) and Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost, 1990).

But perhaps the story of the night was Murphy’s loss to Alan Arkin in the Best Supporting Actor race. Murphy had to feel good about his chances after securing several major critics group’s awards and the Golden Globe. Murphy’s loss is reminiscent of Denzel Washington’s Best Actor loss (for The Hurricane) to Kevin Spacey (for American Beauty) at the 1999 Oscars.

Washington had been the favorite to win for his role as wrongfully convicted boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in The Hurricane. Almost a decade earlier, Washington lost another close Oscar contest that everyone thought he should have won for his career-turn in Malcolm X. Washington would win the covet Best Actor prize three years later for Training Day, but he is best known for the Oscars he didn’t win, versus the two he did.

Murphy’s role in Dreamgirls was a critical success. For the past two months, he was the toast of Tinseltown as he continued his transition from comedian to bona fide actor. All was proceeding as planned until his latest film, “Norbit,” was released to scathing reviews and complaints from African-American activists for its depiction of Black women. Who knows if “Norbit” played a part in sinking Murphy’s chances? History will show it didn’t help.

From the outset, it appeared that Dreamgirls suffered from inflated expectations. After securing wins for both Hudson and Murphy and a nomination for Beyoncé Knowles, the film received eight Oscar nominations but none for Best Picture or Best Director. The film was also shut out in the Best Song category, despite having three songs nominated.

The reality of Dreamgirls is that Hudson gave the strongest performance of the film and won an Oscar. Unfortunately for the film, the strongest songs in “Dreamgirls” were not eligible for award consideration because they were adapted from the stageplay. Thus, Hudson’s powerhouse performance of “And I Am Telling You,” which would have been a virtual lock to win, was not considered. Ultimately, “Dreamgirls’” two Oscar wins are disappointing, but understandable. Remember, 1985’s Color Purple was nominated for 11 Oscars and didn’t win one!

This article also appeared on BET.com