Awards Aftermath

[dback]

Proof that some people don't learn from their mistakes: the new "EW" this week (with Alicia Keys on the cover) has several letters addressing the "Brokeback"-Oscar article a few weeks back, and they actually have a brief, condescending letter from the Excutive Director of the AMPAS, who loftily reminds us that no film in 2006 won more than 3 awards, and "Brokeback" did win 3 as well. 

 I did some checking, and "Chariots of Fire" won Best Foregin Film at the Golden Globes, which means that "Crash" is the only film in 33 years--since "The Sting," which no one could decide was a comedy or drama--that wasn't even nominated for Best Picture at the Globes before going onto Oscar gold.

Furthermore, aside from "Chariots" (which did win Best Picture from the BAFTA and the National Board of Review), you'd have to go all the way back to the 50's to find a film which won Best Picture ("Around the World in 80 Days") without winning Best Director or an acting award.  Which means that "Crash" pulled off something that hasn't happened in 50 years.

If anyone feels like hitting him with the usual talking points, his name is Bruce Davis. You guys know the drill, feel free to politely give Bruce a little reality check.  It won't do any good in the big scheme of things, but at least he can be called out on his bullshit.  (He never mentions the voters who didn't watch the movie.)

[Lyle (Mooska)]

If anyone feels like hitting him with the usual talking points, his name is Bruce Davis. You guys know the drill, feel free to politely give Bruce a little reality check.  It won't do any good in the big scheme of things, but at least he can be called out on his bullshit.  (He never mentions the voters who didn't watch the movie.)

I did this, because it made "me" feel better if nothing else.  I wonder if
he actually sent a letter off to EW or he was asked for one?  They do
seem always ready to fire that same talking point across when the
subject of homophobia comes up--that it was awarded with the most
nominations and three awards, so how could that be homophobia?

Well, among other things, in my letter to him I wrote that no one disputes
the fact that High Noon was dissed for Best Picture because of it's communist
themes and the "red scare" going on at the time, so why is it so hard to think that
homophobia may have played a role in Brokeback Mountain's oscar loss?  After
all, High Noon was tied for the most nominations that evening and won 4 oscars.
(Tongue in cheek.)  So, it doesn't mean the academy didn't give it the highest
award that evening because of those communistic elements does it?
Of course not!  The same thing was said about why REDS may not have won.
And the winner of BOTH of those years was considered an upset, or a surprise
at the very least...

And, as Linda Ellerbee would say:   "And so it goes."

[graylockV]

Just thought I'd mention that I read on one of the blogs dedicated to Criterion Collection DVDs that Ang Lee's The Ice Storm is being prepared for a Criterion Collection release.  No release date as yet.  No indication of how much added material there will be, or the extent to which Ang is participating in the pre-production. 

The Ice Storm is still available in a regular DVD release at Borders for just $7.99, so I would think that, in order to command the $39.95 list price that is the norm for Criterion releases, there will have to be some special stuff added to the new DVD.

The Ice Storm is about ten years old, so perhaps we'll have to wait another eight years or so for a Criterion edition of Brokeback Mountain.  Assuming there will be enough interest at Criterion in doing one.

(There was also talk that they might be doing a Criterion release of Crash ----- no, don't anyone have a cow - not the Haggis film, but rather, the David Cronenberg 1996 film with the same title.  But apparently that project has fallen by the wayside.)

[Roland]

Proof that some people don't learn from their mistakes: the new "EW" this week (with Alicia Keys on the cover) has several letters addressing the "Brokeback"-Oscar article a few weeks back, and they actually have a brief, condescending letter from the Excutive Director of the AMPAS, who loftily reminds us that no film in 2006 won more than 3 awards, and "Brokeback" did win 3 as well. 

 I did some checking, and "Chariots of Fire" won Best Foregin Film at the Golden Globes, which means that "Crash" is the only film in 33 years--since "The Sting," which no one could decide was a comedy or drama--that wasn't even nominated for Best Picture at the Globes before going onto Oscar gold.

Furthermore, aside from "Chariots" (which did win Best Picture from the BAFTA and the National Board of Review), you'd have to go all the way back to the 50's to find a film which won Best Picture ("Around the World in 80 Days") without winning Best Director or an acting award.  Which means that "Crash" pulled off something that hasn't happened in 50 years.

If anyone feels like hitting him with the usual talking points, his name is Bruce Davis. You guys know the drill, feel free to politely give Bruce a little reality check.  It won't do any good in the big scheme of things, but at least he can be called out on his bullshit.  (He never mentions the voters who didn't watch the movie.)

dback -

I've been all through that issue and never saw the letters.  Do you remember whereabouts in the magazine they are located?  Thanks.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

I've been all through that issue and never saw the letters.  Do you remember whereabouts in the magazine they are located?  Thanks.

Page 4 or 6.

[BayCityJohn]

This is on the Oscar site. 

I did a search for "Brokeback Mountain Oscar" and this is one of the links I got.

http://www.oscar.com/nominees/films/brokebackmountain.html

[CellarDweller115]

rotflmao!

[john john]

LOL! And WHAT an error!!!!!!!!!
They finally came around

[BayCityJohn]

At least the Academy is big enough to admit their mistakes.

[CellarDweller115]

OH, someone should email that to the academy!

[BayCityJohn]

Not me.  I have to play nice in the sandbox for awhile. I have something planned for next year involving them. 

[CellarDweller115]

[graylockV]

Here's an interesting article re: why Oscar voters vote as they do:

http://www.moviecitynews.com/voices/2007/071126_forrest_oscarthoughts.html

I tend to agree with his basic observation, i.e., that they vote for what makes them "feel good" in the short run, and ignore movies that prove to be more significant in the long run.  Pretty much what many of us have been saying for almost two years!

[freetraveller]

greylocke, thanks for the link to this excellent article!

I very much agree with the points raised, and by a strange coincidence I also found myself more and more disaffected at how the Oscar for Best Picture is awarded ever since Pulp Fiction lost to Forrest Gump.

[Marge_Innavera]

As far as a dearth of movies with realistic gay characters is concerned, IMO Mr. Vary pretty much had it pegged with the point about Hollywood being out of touch with the culture -- but for the opposite reasons than those touted by the Right.

As for the notion that "Brokeback changed nothing," there was never another Uncle Tom's Cabin, but few to no historians would deny that it had a great cultural impact.  In retrospect, it was a historically significant book. Brokeback may well have the same fate, except that it will also be remembered as a great movie.