Director Appreciation: Mike Nichols

Mr. Nichols is perhaps the most underrated Oscar-winning director in history, and he has a whole array of fantastic achievements to prove it. Although his film work is highly praised, he is never seen upon the same level of skill as the almighty Spielberg or Coen Brothers. This is an artist who can pull incredible work from his actors, and works closely with them to achieve magic like no other.

He struck a one-two punch in '66-'67 when he had two hits with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate and was awarded with the Best Director Oscar for the latter. Although he deserved his Oscar for The Graduate, I can't help but feel that some votes came his way for him being denied the award the year before. Those two films, along with the 1988 hit Working Girl, have produced multiple nominations in a wide range of categories but most importantly for acting. In his films, Nichols uses his camera as a intimate instrument that acts as a character of its own in the narrative and takes us to different levels of emotion, understanding, and genius.

Acting Nominations:

- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) -

                            * Elizabeth Taylor (winner)                           

* Richard Burton

* Sandy Dennis (winner)

* George Segal

~~~~~~~~

- The Graduate (1967) -
* Dustin Hoffman

*Anne Bancroft

* Katharine Ross

~~~~~~~~

- Working Girl (1988) -

* Melanie Griffith

* Joan Cusack

*Sigourney Weaver

* Amoung others...these were just the big packs.