The Oscar nods have made their way and the Oscar venue is suiting up for its 96th show in a week. As one of the biggest nights of every calendar year, the Oscar ceremony adjusts to hand out honoraries to the greatest stars of Hollywood and to recognize their citadel of skills. For this year as well, the cinematic combats will once again unfold at the Dolby Theatre on March 10th. Hence, this is a brief reminder to finish the watch list of Oscar-worthy performances. For those who have already done so, now is not the time to pause the Oscar-worthy binge. Instead, consider turning into the 1960 Oscar-winning Elmer Gantry.

For the ones questioning the choice of the movie, here are three compelling reasons that provide the answer.

Elmer Gantry’s Oscar streak

As one of the most prestigious honors of Hollywood, the Oscars have always given its nod only to exceptional masterpieces. Hence, to bag an Oscar is equal to testifying to quality showtime. Elmer Gantry, the 1960s American drama, is a film adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’s novel of the same name. The movie was nominated for five Academy Awards in 1961, including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Score.

Out of 5 nominations, Elmer Gantry won the first three categories to become a three-time Oscar-winning flick. Burt Lancaster won Best Actor while Shirley Jones and Richard Brooks bagged the next two. Hence, the three consecutive Oscar nods are enough to vouch for the movie’s content, quality, and execution. Other than Oscar’s green light, there is another reason to engage with Elmer Gantry- its plot.

Elmer Gantry’s confrontation with ethical uncertainty

The novel Elmer Gantry was originally published as a satirical response to fundamentalist religion. Since the movie is founded on the novel, the story receives greatly from its source to bring out a character of moral haziness in a world preaching the importance of moral certainty with its eyes on contrast. The movie, as precisely a work of art as its parent source, massively succeeded in encountering religious hypocrisy and the world’s dilemma in dealing with it.

The movie not only displays exceptional themes but also holds a picture of America in the early 1900s. While this might intrigue history and political enthusiasts, here is a reason to make the cinephiles curious.

Burt Lancaster’s superlative portrayal in Elmer Gantry

In the heart of Hollywood, an actor whose name became synonymous with its golden age was Burt Lancaster. Named the 19th greatest actor by AFI, he rose to fame from a circus acrobat to an international superstar. Moving on to why one should keep Elmer Gantry on their must-watch list, Burt Lancaster is the reason. As it is, Elmer Gantry is considered Lancaster’s best performance in 40 years of his acting career. 

With his stellar portrayal of the titular role, Lancaster won the Best Actor Academy Award for Elmer Gantry. His depiction made the story of opportunism twice as compelling while pointing fingers at the ever-increasing false prophets. Therefore, to witness Lancaster own every scene with his exceptionally muddy but stunningly accurate portrayal of cunning Gantry, make sure to watch Elmer Gantry before scrolling through the upcoming Oscar’s watch guide. 

Which reason convinced you to watch Elmer Gantry? Let us know in the comments below!