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The film follows Marty through the course of two days, as he meets a girl who appreciates what a nice, sweet guy he is. Borgnine and Blair have spectacular chemistry because they both seem like normal people who really enjoy spending time with each other. Neither of them are clever or funny, and the humor in their conversation arises from their awkwardness. Both the man and the movie are entirely devoid of cynicism. We see unhappy people struggling with their personal issues, mostly their fear of being alone and forgotten. But the message of Marty is that if we stop worrying so much about never being loved and instead just open ourselves up to the possibility of loving, that we will find happiness. It is surprising that such an uplifting film came from the pen of the same man who would go on to write Network, a masterpiece of cynicism.

Marty is not a classic by any stretch of the imagination. Cinematically it is as simple as it gets, as Mann smartly chooses not to let the camera distract from the story. There are a few memorable scenes but no great performances (although Borgnine certainly has his moments) and if it hadn't won Best Picture or the Palm D'Or (one of only two films to win both prizes) I'm sure it would be forgotten by now. But considering all of the sweeping epics and depressing dramas that have won Best Picture, Marty stands out because it is simple and sweet and thoroughly enjoyable.

Did It Deserve to Win Best Picture?

I can't really answer that question. I have never heard of any of the other Best Picture nominees from this year (this is sort of the Oscar year that time forgot) and of all of the movies nominated for any award, the only one that I've seen is Rebel Without a Cause. So I don't have a problem with Marty's win because it is a good movie, but I don't have much in the way of comparison to make against its competition.

Marty's Best Picture win reminds me of the way The King's Speech won. Both are simple, straightforward movies that are not masterpieces but are emotionally affecting. Both were made by TV directors making their jump to the big screen who won Academy Awards for their debuts (Mann was the first first-time director to take the big prize). Both beat out competition from legends. Tom Hooper beat David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, and The Coen Brothers, while Delbert Mann beat Elia Kazan, David Lean, and Joshua Logan. I can't imagine anybody in 1955 thinking that Marty would be remembered as a classic for decades to come, but it is a film that is easy to love, that can be slipped into like a warm bath and embraced for everything it does so well. If the litmus test for a Best Picture winner is how easy it is to love, then there are few films as deserving of the award as Marty.

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