 Avildsen received the low budget feature "Joe" (1970) which received good notices for star Peter Boyle and moderate box-office business.This was followed by "Save the Tiger" (1973), a film nominated for three Oscars, winning Best Actor for star Jack Lemmon.Both "Joe" and "Save the Tiger" were about losers, but as the 1970s continued, Avildsen shifted to people who went on to be victorious.