6 Best Oscar Best Actress Winners of the 1970s

By Vlad Zakh · June 21, 2026

The 1970s Best Actress winners were daring and independent. Sally Field won for Norma Rae, Diane Keaton for Annie Hall, Faye Dunaway for Network and Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Glenda Jackson in A Touch of Class and Women in Love round out the six.

Norma Rae (1979)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A textile mill worker risks everything to unionise her exploited and overworked coworkers.

Directed by Martin Ritt · 1h 50m · Rated PG

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Annie Hall (1977)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A neurotic comedian looks back on the rise and fall of his relationship with an eccentric aspiring singer.

Directed by Woody Allen · 1h 33m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Network (1976)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 90% Metacritic 83

A failing network turns its unravelling anchor's on-air breakdown into a ratings sensation.

Directed by Sidney Lumet · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars20 wins & 27 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A newly widowed woman and her son travel across the Southwest, chasing her dream of becoming a singer.

Directed by Martin Scorsese · 1h 52m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Touch of Class (1973)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A married businessman's affair with a divorced fashion designer turns out more complicated than either expected.

Directed by Melvin Frank · 1h 46m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Women in Love (1969)

TMDB ★ 6.8

Two sisters pursue very different romances with a pair of close friends in industrial England.

Directed by Ken Russell · 2h 11m · Rated R

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Oscar Best Actress Winners of the 1970s

Norma Rae (1979)

Annie Hall (1977)

Network (1976)

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

A Touch of Class (1973)

Women in Love (1969)

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