One of the best examples of James Stewart’s acting prowess, Shenandoah is a must-watch entry into the Western movie genre. Over the years, the Hollywood icon found a lot of work in Western films, primarily in the 1950s. The actor notably contributed to some of the best Westerns ever made, from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance to How the West Was Won.
Despite his likable, soft-spoken nature and the huge contrast between him and traditional Western stars like John Wayne and Glenn Ford, James Stewart found a groove appearing in Westerns, making 20 of them over the course of his career in Hollywood.
Most are great films, but don’t stack up to his greatest movies, such as It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. However, at least one of these Westerns includes a James Stewart performance that belongs in the same conversation as his Oscar-nominated roles.
James Stewart Deserved An Oscar For Shenandoah
The 1965 Western saw a 59-year-old James Stewart step into the role of Charlie Anderson, a wealthy rancher, family man and widower as he lives through the Civil War. The movie provides an in-depth, fictionalized look at how one family is impacted by the bloody war that divided the country.
Unlike the protagonists in many Civil War-centric Westerns, James Stewart’s character isn’t depicted as a straightforward, heroic figure; instead, he’s shown to be much more nuanced, as he’s more focused on what’s happening with his own family, than the war itself. But as the film shows, the war gradually does take its toll on him, upsetting his life at multiple turns.
James Stewart succeeds in deliver a thought-provoking performance, one that effectively presents him as a relatable but flawed human being who just wants what’s best for his family, perfectly mixing his usual, likable persona with other, more complicated emotions, turning Charlie Anderson into one of his deepest and most sympathetic characters.
Despite Several All-Time Great Movies, James Stewart Only Has One Oscar
Watching Shenandoah, it’s easy to imagine James Stewart taking home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film, but the star didn’t even receive a nomination. His performance did earn across-the-board praise and was arguably what made Shenandoah one of the best Westerns of the 1960s, but it never translated to accolades.
Ultimately, Shenandoah became the latest in a long and predictable trend when it came to James Stewart’s movies. The actor was nominated six times in his career, winning for only one (The Philadelphia Story), regardless of being behind a litany of Oscar-worthy performances. If there was any film to end the streak, it should have been his 1965 Western masterpiece.
Shenandoah
- Release Date
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June 3, 1965
- Runtime
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105 Minutes
- Director
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Andrew V. McLaglen
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James Stewart
Charlie Anderson
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