What performances in TV movies could have won an Oscar?

Eve Plumb! She went seamlessly from Jan Brady to this masterpiece!

Death of a Cheerleader- Tori Spelling

This...

Nancy McKeon

Melissa Sue Anderson in “Midnight Offerings”

Tania Raymonde in Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret

Florida Evans comes to mind.

Judy Davis as Judy Garland in Me and My Shadows.

Patty Duke "A Matter of Justice"

Go to 9:20 and watch her at the window.

Lucille Ball in Stone Pillow. The opening scene will knock your (stone) socks off.

Certainly, G in "South Pacific."

Shaun Cassidy, “Like Normal People”

Meredith Baxter in A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story

Tammy Blanchard in ME AND MY SHADOWS — an astonishing performance.

Bonnie Franklin IS Margaret Sanger!

"Florida Evans comes to mind"

Don't laugh. Esther Rolle won an Emmy for "Summer Of My German Soldier" (1978). She played the traditional Mammy/Housekeeper character, but she nailed it (04:40).

Emma Thompson in "Wit"

Sally Field in "Sybil"

Mare Winningham in "God Bless the Child"

Farrah Fawcett in The Burning Bed

Elizabeth Montgomery as Lizzie Borden!

Kate Jackson in "The Silence of Adultery."

Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens"

Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson, "Normal"

Mare Winningham in "Off The Minnesota Strip" (1980).

R16, at a different time, she could have won an Oscar.

Yes, she had subpar writers on Good Times.

But Esther Rolle could act. With a capital “A”.

Act.

23 posts and no one has mentioned a certain multi-Oscar winners early turn in Holocaust?

Vanessa Redgrave in Second Serve.

Lucy for What Now Catherine Curtis? Seriously.

Vanedsa Redgrave for "Playing for Time"

R23. I saw Rolle onstage in Chicago a million years ago (after Maude and Good Times) in a play called “Dame Lorraine” in which she played an immigrant from the Caribbean taking care of a husband with dementia and watching all her sons die violently in a US city from gang violence (they were gang members). It was a brilliant, heartfelt performance and she had amazing technical command, including the tricky dialect. Forty years later, her performance remains vivid and etched in my memory.

Audra MacDonald in “Wit”

James Gandolfini

SORRY i misread tv series not movies.

Suzanne in Along Came a Spider

“Princess” Lee in Laura……..

Aidan Quinn in "An Early Frost"

Not one. The line between film and TV acting has always been clear.

Vanessa Redgrave, in "Playing For Time."

Loni Anderson- The Jayne Mansfield Story

Sweet Hostage. Martin Sheen and Linda Blair. I haven't seen it years, but I never forgot it.

Martin Sheen in the Execution of Private Slovik

Lindsay Lohan- Liz and Dick

Not kidding at all. Meredith Baxter in A Woman Scorned. The Betty Broderick story. One of the finest performances by an actress. Ever.

Carol Burnett in Friendly Fire.

Henry Czerny in The Boys of St. Vincent

Jim Carrey for Doing Time on Maple Drive.

Rosie O'Donnell in Riding the Bus with My Sister

Bette Davis in Strangers.

Linda Fiorentino in THE LAST SEDUCTION

Connie . . .

Loni . . .

Farrah Fawcett in Small Sacrifices

Elizabeth Montgomery in Sins of the Mother

Julianne Moore in Game Change

I saw it when I was a kid and a few times as an adult. Griffin and Phoenix. Peter Falk and Jill Clayburgh. The full movie is on YouTube. Go watch it.

John Hurt in The Naked Civil Servant.

Valerie Bertinelli as a young housewife who gets addicted to gambling.

BONUS: The guy who plays her med student husband is total eye candy.

Edie Falco in the Sopranos whitecaps episode.

r4 I really would agree with that one

Aidan Quinn, An Early Frost

Cicely Tyson in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

Maggie Smith My House In Umbria

Mare Winningham in Freedom.

(free on Freevee, Roku and Tubi)

Gary Cole for The Switch

Mos Def and Alan Rickman - Something the Lord Made

My performance in Something About Amelia.

- KERI RUSSELL (Actress)

- SKEET ULRICH (Actor)

- MARE WINNINGHAM (Supporting Actress)

Robert Blake for Judgement Day: The John List Story

Jamie Lee Curtis would have won her second Oscar for The Bear: Fishes.

The tv miniseries where Brian Dennehy played John Wayne Gacy

Elizabeth Mongtomgery, A Case of Rape

Powers Boothe, Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones

"For Ladies Only"

Gregory Harrison and Lee Grant

R39 That's my choice as well.

Was Carol Burnett good in Friendly Fire?

There's no clips of it on YouTube

Gena Rowlands & Bette Davis in Strangers. Because Gena deserved an Oscar

Oh! Olivia in A Mom For Christmas - her turn as a department store mannequin come to life is legend. But you all know that.

Matt Bomer in The Normal Heart for sure.

Jeffrey Wright for "Lackawanna Blues"

R60 I forgot all about that movie The Switch. I remember reading about Larry James McAfee in People magazine. He changed his mind about using the switch and died by natural causes in 1995. I'll have to find that movie on YouTube.

R76 It's available on Tubi.

Glenda Jackson in Elizabeth R, which was a miniseries.

What was the name of the TV movie where Mare Winningham played a poor single mom?

Oh c'mon, this is DL and no one mentions the greatest TV performance of ALL TIME?

R79 - God Bless the Child

R81 Thank you. I couldn't remember it. She was terrific in that movie.

R80, Karen Black or the Zuni doll?

Glenn in Serving in Silence. I kissed a girl!

Farrah would be a multiple Oscar winner if TV movies counted.

The Burning Bed and Small Sacrifices were both excellent performances.

I agree. But she couldn't even win the Emmy, R85? She lost to Joanne Woodward for Do You Remember Love when she was nominated for The Burning Bed.

Ms. Diana Ross, " Out of the Darkness" she played a schizophrenic!

[quote]I agree. But she couldn't even win the Emmy, [R85]? She lost to Joanne Woodward for Do You Remember Love when she was nominated for The Burning Bed.

Some people argue that Farrah's performance was so well-regarded because it was such a contrast to Charlie's Angels. I don't buy that. It was objectively excellent. To be fair, Woodward's performance should also be listed in this thread. In almost any other year, Farrah would have won.

Lucy in Stone Pillow!

Sally and Joanne in Sybil

Glenn Close in “Serving In Silence.”

Glenn Close and Robert Sean Leonard in In the Gloaming. Still breaks my heart.

R92 I cried the first time I watched that movie.

Carol Burnett in Friendly Fire was a revelation. I knew she was talented but I would have never guessed her depth in acting. ZERO of her mannerisms. No mugging, no clowning, no chewing the scenery. It was stunning. You can watch it on Prime. When Carol got the script she truly thought they had sent her the wrong script. She was expecting another comedy where she would just do her mugging. The ratings were huge.

I couldn't find any clips of Friendly Fire but here it is winning the Emmy for best movie. Ned Beatty also pulled out a performance you didn't think he had in him.

Friendly Fire for free on Crackle

Carol lost to Bette Davis for Strangers that year which was another great performance. Gena Rowlands wasn't even nominated that year for being Bette's brilliant co-star even though she should have been/

Sally Field, “Sybil” Cicely Tyson, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

Mary Tyler Moore - First, You Cry

Holly Hunter in The Positively True Adventures of a Texas Cheerleader Mom. Here's the whole movie on YouTube.

Gena Rowlands best performance is A Question of Love where she plays a lesbian fighting for custody of her son. Early on, Bonnie Bedelia challenges her and the words are exactly what we'd hear today.

Diana Ross - 'Out of Darkness' (1994).

[quote]R65 Jamie Lee Curtis would have won her second Oscar for The Bear: Fishes.

Do not forget her searing work, cast almost VIOLENTLY against type, as Dorothy Stratten in “Death of a Centerfold”!

Helena Bonham Carter in Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald

Celia Imrie, A Dark Adapted Eye

"My Name Is Oprah" - starring Sherri Shepherd.

Barbara Hershey- A Killing In a Small Town

R14 I loved that movie. Tammy Blanchard should have had a bigger career.

Tammy Blanchard was great

Re ME AND MY SHADOWS: They should have kept Tammy Blanchard through MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, because Judy was still in her early twenties during that time.

They brought in Judy Davis much too early.

r110, agree

Cloris Leachman in "Someone I Touched," just for this unforgettable moment.

Ellen Barkin-Before Women Had Wings

Lindsay Wagner- All of them!!!!!!!

In my opinion, the first season of True Detective with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Each episode had an Oscar worthy performance.

Diana Ross in “Out Of Darkness”. She played a paranoid schizophrenic and was incredible. It’s really a shame she didn’t make more films.

Linda Purl in Accidental Meeting

[quote]R112 Cloris Leachman in "Someone I Touched," just for this unforgettable moment.

Such a restrained reaction to learning you’re a [italic]disease ridden whore!

Patty Duke in “Always Remember I Love You,” 1990.

Olympia Dukakis as Mrs. Madrigal in the Tales of the City miniseries.

Jennifer Salt in Gargoyles

Cicely Tyson gives a truly breathtaking tour-de-force performance in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. If you don’t cry at the end of that movie you don’t have a soul.

Elizabeth Montgomery in "Lizzie Borden". Montgomery proved she was no longer a comedic actress with that movie.

Rosie O'Donnell in "Riding The Bus With My Sister". Best comedy performance of the year, if not the decade.

Cicely Tyson in A Woman Called Moses

If we’re being serious, Farrah Fawcett in the Burning Bed and Small Sacrifices. She was chilling in both.

And Mare Winningham should be the Meryl Streep of Tv moves. It’s shocking she’s only been nominated for one Oscar. (But I guess that’s not surprising if she mainly does TV and rarely does movies).

I’m also kinda shocked Kelly Martin didn’t go from ER to movie stardom. She was (is she still?) a fucking incredible actress. Did she choose a life of Hallmark movies to raise a family and stay close to home? (I don’t think it’s true, but It would be really funny to hear Patti Lupone come out and say she was a difficult cunt, even by HER standards!!)

Madolyn Smith, Michael Biehn and Cloris Leachman as a straight Nurse Diesel are outstanding in this thriller based on a true story.

Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin in Game Change

Another Mare Winningham entry. I will never tire of posting this heartbreaking scene. Absolutely Oscar worthy.

[quote] Patty Duke in “Always Remember I Love You,” 1990.

That's one of my favorite TV movies. Stephen Dorff, Joan Van Ark, and Richard Masur were also terrific in that movie.

Both Justine Bateman and Michele Lee in The Fatal Image. Shocking and Iconic performances from both!

Cutiepie James Wolk as an aspiring teacher with Tourette's.

His amazing performance saves the movie from verging into corn and schmaltz.

He's a joy to watch. And not just because of his good looks.

I miss the days of good TV movies.

Valerie Bertinelli for In A Child's Name

Michael Douglas in Behind the Candelabra.

Am I really the first to suggest this?

^ The movie where I played a faggot!

Halle Berry in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

Bette Davis in The Disappearance of Aimee

Jena Malone, Bastard Out of Carolina

Lynn Whitfield in 'The Josephine Baker Story'.

She made everyone say, "Diana who ?"

Alfre Woodard, Unnatural Causes

Lonnette McKee, The Women of Brewster Place.

Maybe not Oscar worthy but Mariel Hemingway gave a beautiful performance in "I Want To Keep My Baby".

And speaking of juveniles, Linda Blair was incredible in "Born Innocent". Now THAT was Oscar deserving.

John Amos, Ben Vereen, Louis Gossett Jr, Leslie Uggams - Roots

Lindsay Wagner in "The Incredible Journey of Dr Meg Laurel"

Halle Berry - Queen

Halle was really good in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, too

Tori Spelling in "Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?"

Patricia Neal in The Homecoming

[quote] Lynn Whitfield in 'The Josephine Baker Story'.

I have always thought that she is underrated actress.

[quote] I miss the days of good TV movies.

I do too. Both broadcast and cable networks made a lot of great TV movies years ago. Lifetime made some great original movies back in the '90s like Any Mother's Son and Bonnie Bedelia was really good in that one.

ARLISS HOWARD ('Kenneth Parnell')

CORIN NEMEC ('Steven Stayner')

LUKE EDWARDS ('Young Steven')

This two-part miniseries was a smash hit in the ratings, drawing around 70 million viewers total, and was nominated for 4 Emmys:

- Best Miniseries

- Best Direction

- Best Writing

- Best Supporting Actor (Nemec)

Brenda Vaccaro in “A Long Way Home.”

Elizabeth Montgomery in "Amos."

Meghan Markle - Dater's Handbook

Treat Williams-Bonds of Love

G in "Sarah, Plain and Tall."

R157 I remember that year she lost the Emmy to Lynn Whitfield in THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY.

Suzanne Pleshette was also nominated as Leona Helmsley in THE QUEEN OF MEAN.

Justin Kirk, Mary Louise Parker, Meryl Street, and Al Pacino in Mike Nichols' Angels in America

Streep. F-ing autocorrect.

Claire Danes in Temple Grandin

Robert Duvall as Augustus McCrae in "Lonesome Dove".

Dawson in the porno version, “Ten Poles Rammed In.”

Lacey Chabert, The Brooke Ellison Story.

I don't know if anyone remembers the movie "Love, Mary" with Kristy McNichol. I was never a fan of hers but that was a really good movie and she was great in it.

Glynnis O'Connor in Why Me?

Susan Lucci could have won an Oscar for "Seduced and Betrayed" long before she finally won that Daytime Emmy.

Ann Jillian in The Ann Jillian Story. Who could have been better?

Deidre Hall - Woman On The Ledge

R1 Only to be followed up by Leigh McCloskey winning for the sequel, "Alexander the Other Side of Dawn." .. And it would be hard decision whether Earl Holliman or Alan Feinstein should win for Supporting Actor.

That's one smoldering hot dude at R168. 🥵

I'd give him the Oscar just for that. 😂

It's too bad that Mafia Princess, the story of Antoinette Giancana did not get a mainstream feature release. Susan Lucci, though limited in her acting range, hit it out of the park and Tony Curtis as Mafia don Sam Giancana had the roll of a lifetime!

[quote] Lacey Chabert, The Brooke Ellison Story.

I remember that movie was heavily advertised because Christopher Reeve directed it prior to his death. I tuned in and thought it was much better than I expected. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and John Slattery gave good performances as Brooke's parents.

The greatest performance ever, Leigh McCloskey

"Alexander, the other side of Dawn" male whores, Prostitution, and closeted Professional football player willing to pay for LOVE, and that fish Eve Plumb. I understood everything in that TV movie.

Dear Glenn, for "Sarah, Plain and Tall."

Well, at least the title was descriptive!

R172 were you on the game back in the day?

No OP, but off and on for 2months b4 going to Northwestern, I decided to "walk on the wild side" in the summer of 1979.

I was bad, I had a major growth spurt (all over I'm a Grower) I was 17 yrs old. Between Spruce St, Judy Garland Memorial Park, and the drag queens on 10th & Samson, I had a good old time releasing all my demons.

Between Philly& Wildwood NJ with the clubs, bars and the Schellenger Ave Men's room (underneath the pier) The whole boardwalk in Wildwood was a Homo's playground. All those drunken confused str8?? guys.

Sigourney Weaver in Prayers for Bobby

Sally Field in Sybil. Perhaps that was already mentioned. If so, another shout out to Field, who was brilliant.

Tori Spelling in "Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?" (1996).

Barbara Hershey in Murder in a Small Town.

Justine Bateman as a blind young woman yearning for independence.

Dana Hill and Richard Masur, Fallen Angel, 1981

Lucie Arnaz.

Filmed in 10 days on a zero budget and is still the best Black Dahlia movie ever made.

Lynn Whitfield was amazing as Josephine Baker. Her most recent credit…ugh. Fantasy Island.

R183 Is that Brett Butler in the middle?

No, it's Lauren Bacall.

R180 My performance in the movie as the bitter brother was better than Justine's performance.

Michael Douglas for Behind The Candelabra.

Renee Faia as Cher in this '90s TV movie.

Uncanny resemblance/mannerisms and great acting.

R187, I thought that movie was entitled Candelabra in the Behind.

Heather Gay during the beach scene on RHOSLC Finale.

The wind gets a Supporting nod.

It is Television OP, so I included it your post (even though it's a "Soap Opera")

Llanview's Favorite Bad Girl. Karen Wolek on the witness at Victoria Reilly's murder trial of Marco Dane.

I will let you load the video OP.

Sorry, Judith Light won 2 Daytimes Emmys in 1980-81^^^

R117 No, Linda had a better performance in Like Normal People.

Raquel Welch in Right To Die. An excellent movie you can find on YouTube based on a true story of a woman with ALS that fights for her right to be removed from her ventilator.

Anne Heche in If These Walls Could Talk

Jonathan Bailey for “Fellow Travelers”.

Oh, so no one gives me praise for my work in Sarah, Plain and Tall.

Chris, aka R197, I think a lot of people couldn't tell the difference between you and Glenn in that movie, it caused a lot of confusion

Incidentally, SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL (1991) was a trilogy.

The second movie was titled SKYLARK (1993) and the third WINTER'S END (1999).

I enjoyed all three. Great performances/storytelling all around. And beautifully shot.

But I also appreciated the fact that they kept the same cast for all three films.

Kate Winslet and Saorse Ronan in the movie about Stones

Bette Davis - Madame Sin (1972) with that dishy Robert Wagner.

Marsha Mason or Ellen Burstyn in Surviving

(Mason's screams of "MY DAUGHTER IS DEAD" is haunting.)

A nomination perhaps

Over 200 responses and no mention of Barbara Eden's triumph in Her Wicked Ways?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Gregory K

R188 Jay Underwood ("Uncle Buck," "Not Quite Human," "The Boy Who Could Fly") also did great as Sonny Bono.

Plus, he showed off a really nice ass in those tight '60s/'70s pants.

Both of them . . .

Ann-Margret in "Who Will Love My Children?" and "A Streetcar Named Desire".

Cheryl Ladd & Robert Urich in "When She Was Bad."

Kathleen Quinlan in When She Says No.

Raquel Welch in “Right to Die”.

Brian Williams for his portrayal of a journalist

R199. Remember when a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie was a Sunday night spectacular. I came to work the Monday after Sarah Palin & Tall and everyone was raving about it. Now is frau Christmas crap.

The Peterbilt 281 in Duel gave a masterful performance! Miss Peterbilt was so menacing!

Give that TRUCK as OSCAR....GREAT PERFORMANCE!!

Lace. And Lace 2.

Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect.

Henry Fonda in Gideon’s Trumpet (1980).

Which one R217?

Master of the Game / Dyan Cannon and Harry Hamlin.

Lani O'Grady in "Cage without a Key"

Pretty much anyone in this all-star production about teen suicide: Zach Galligan, Molly Ringwald, Ellen Burstyn, Len Cariou, Marsha Mason, Paul Sorvino, River Phoenix, Heather O'Rourke.

[quote] Remember when a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie was a Sunday night spectacular. I came to work the Monday after Sarah Palin & Tall and everyone was raving about it. Now is frau Christmas crap.

Years ago, TV movies overall were better than the Hallmark Channel crap movies of today.

I remember when Hallmark Hall Of Fame presented plays- I saw Pygmalion on the series when I was a kid - with Julie Harris. A little later, Richard Chamberlain as Hamlet.

Susan Dey in Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night.

[quote]R208 Ann-Margret in "Who Will Love My Children?"

That was a sad movie.

Audrey Landers in the sequel “Who Will Love My Tatas?” wasn’t nearly as good.

Connie Stevens in “The Sex Symbol”.

I see DL has no love for my performance in The Ryan White Story.

Sally Field in The Girl with Something Extra.

That something turned out to be a penis. Oh, and the clap.

Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Todd in "Lincoln"

Yoko Shimada, "Shogun"

Barbara Stanwyck for The Thorn Birds. She almost made us believe that old lez was passionately lusting after that sulking gay priest.

Jonny Lee Miller was really great as Byron if I recall

[quote] I remember when Hallmark Hall Of Fame presented plays- I saw Pygmalion on the series when I was a kid - with Julie Harris. A little later, Richard Chamberlain as Hamlet.

I miss stuff like that.

Meredith Baxter-Birney in My Breast

[quote] Oh! Olivia in A Mom For Christmas - her turn as a department store mannequin come to life is legend. But you all know that.

lol I loved that movie as a kid.

LOL I loved that Olivia movie too.

In Broad Daylight

About the life of Ken McElroy, the town bully of Skidmore, Missouri who became known for his unsolved murder.

McElroy was fictionalized as the character Len Rowan, portrayed by Brian Dennehy. Brian Dennehy was outstanding!!!!!!

" Death of her innocence" Pamela Sue Martin. My best friend and me bonded over this movie when we were 12.

Peter Strauss in Men Don't Tell.

[quote]R239 "Death of her innocence" Pamela Sue Martin.

For some reason that movie also goes by the title OUR TIME.

The other actress in it, Betsy Slade, was Brian De Palma’s original choice for CARRIE. But then Sissy Spacek came out of nowhere and made a really committed, much stronger screen test.

R241 was Betsy willing to show tits and beaver like Sissy?

Interview with Martin and costar Parker Stevenson.

At the [bold]11:35 mark [/bold]she mentions that Betsy Slade REALLY didn’t like her.

I really liked Jane Seymour in the mini series East of Eden.

Agree with R179 - Barbara Hershey in A Killing in a Small Town (1990)

R87 Diane was good in that.

R236 R237 I love the song Olivia did to the opening titles “What If”

Powers Boothe in that Guyana Jim Jones movie. Frightening.

Steve Railsback as Charlie Manson in "Helter Skelter"

Wonderful thread! I forgot how many great movies were on tv

Mare Winningham in God Bless The Child

Lisa Hartman in “The Great American Traffic Jam.”

Heather Locklear and Peter Strauss in Texas Justice, based on the true story of T. Cullen Davis.

Susan Lucci in EBBIE.

Suzanne Somers- I Killed Chrissy and My Career

Kathy Griffin- The True Story of Ronald McDonald

Dolly Parton- These Glorious Mountains

Karen Carpenter- A Hunger Within

Brian Williams, for his performance as a professional, ethical journalist

Darren McGavin for A Christmas Story. Oh, wait, that wasn't a TV movie.

Florence Henderson in "A Very Brady Christmas."

Dennis Weaver in Duel (1971).

Robert Reed in "The Secret Night Caller" (1975). Mr. Brady sure took some chances after TBB ended, and he nails the weirdo in this one.

Ebbie. lolllllllll oscar worthy. lollllllllllllllllll

Marlo Thomas in Nobody’s Child. She won the Emmy over Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Alexander. She was THAT good.

Anybody who doesn’t get why she remained TV icon for 70 years should watch it. And learn

Marlo Thomas IS Nobody's Child.

You mean nepo baby Marlo Thoimas won the Emmy over nepo baby Vanessa Redgrave?

R8 That would have been a slam dunk.

Nobody's Child

R267 - It's the story of a woman with life-long debilitating mental illness. Marlo didn't have to dig too deep for that.