Oscars ‘06–State of the Entertainment Industry
Yesterday, a day which ended with the President delivering the State of the Union address began with the Academy of Motor Picture Arts and Sciences delivering a kind of report on the State of the Entertainment Industry when it released the nominees for the 78th Academy Awards. In a year which saw a huge slump in ticket sales, the Academy has chosen to honor a number of flicks which have not done particularly well at the box office, some with a political message at odds with that of the incumbent administration. While a majority of the individuals nominated in a variety of categories are well-deserving of their nominations, it seems that in many cases, the Academy preferred political leftism to artistic excellence.
None of the five movies nominated for Best Picture did particularly well at the Box Office, with Brokeback Mountain being the only one of the five likely to earn a domestic gross of over $100 million (more on that prediction anon). And while I’m delighted that Crash, one of my favorite movies of the year, was nominated, none of the other nominees impressed me as a “best picture” while each (that is, of the four that I saw) had qualities (e.g., acting, directing, cinematography, etc.) that deserver recognition.
The Academy snubbed The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in the main categories (it did get nods for visual effects, sound mixing and makeup) despite a first-rate screenplay, excellent direction and a brilliant performance by Tilda Swinton (as the White Witch). (The Academy also snubbed this great actress five years ago for her excellent work in The Deep End.) And while the Academy recognized Paul Haggis for his work in Crash, both as writer and director, it failed to recognize the acting accomplishments of Don Cheadle, Thandie Newton, Sandra Bullock and Michael Pena in Haggis’ LA masterpiece.
Despite these snubs, the Academy did recognize some truly powerful performances. I was delighted to see that both Resse Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix were nominated for Walk the Line, Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams for Brokeback, Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote and especially my fellow Ephman, the gifted actor David Strathairn for his subtle and intense performance in Good Night, and Good Luck. Ang Lee will finally (and deservedly) take home a statue for Brokeback while the fantastic Japanese flick Howl’s Moving Castle should earn Miyazaki another Oscar for best animated feature. He’ll have competition from the delightful Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit. While I preferred Howl, I won’t be disappointed if Wallace wins.
That said, it seems that the choices of George Clooney for acting (Syriana), directing and writing (Good Night, and Good Luck) were based more on his politics than his talent. And while many reviewers (and most who watched the film–at least those who spoke to me about it) who saw Syriana found the plot muddled, the Academy nominated writer/director Stephen Gaghan for Best Original Screenplay. Perhaps they were really nominating him for this piece he wrote on movies and war. And then, of course, there’s the nomination (for best adapted screenplay) of America-hating playwright Tony Kushner (together with Eric Roth) for Munich.
While Oscar did honor a number of great performances as well as some very talented craftsmen (and women) and technicians, some of the Oscar nods this year seem based more on politics than cinematic excellence. With Jon Stewart hosting the awards, this promises to a more political ceremony than ever before. That may please some of the movers and shakers in Hollywood but won’t get much attention in the Heartland. Just as fewer Americans bought movie tickets last year, expect fewer Americans to tune in to the Oscars next month.
For those who love movies, many of the Oscar nominations recognizing the “outstanding film achievements of 2005” are as disappointing as the films offered last year. But, just as there were a number of good films last year, there were a number of worthy nominations yesterday. Next month, I’ll be pulling for Crash, Howl, Ang Lee, David Strathairn, Reese Witherspoon and Michelle Williams and hoping that both Hollywood and the Academy recognize where moviemakers went wrong last year and return to the business of entertaining and inspiring us rather than politicizing and posturing. Because if they don’t start making movies like they used to, movie lovers have TCM, DVD Players and Netflix.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com
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I admit I haven’t seen any of the films nominated in the major areas this year.
Although, I can’t help but wonder why Narnia didn’t get more nominations, although like I said I haven’t seen the other major nominated movies, so maybe there was a glut of excellent movies this year.
Comment by Just Me — February 1, 2006 @ 6:47 am - February 1, 2006
Oh my god, they nominated a movie that has “political message at odds with that of the incumbent administration” and that aren’t block busters! How dare they. Since the Oscars are the most important award of all pointless awards for a meaningless industry, I think I’ll waste about 15 more seconds thinking about this instead of real issues facing this country.
Comment by Mr. Moderate — February 1, 2006 @ 8:01 am - February 1, 2006
I lost what little regard I had for Oscar when they failed to nominate Maia Morgenstern for THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST.
Comment by Julie the Jarhead — February 1, 2006 @ 9:23 am - February 1, 2006
Just Me, let assure you there was no glut of excellent movies las year, though perhaps a glut of excellent performances. It’s a sad commentary on Hollywood that such a first-rate film as Narnia didn’t get any major nominations, especially given the quality of the script, the direction and Tilda Swinton’s performance as the White Witch. (Along with Cillian Murphy in Batman Begins, she was one of the best movie villains of the year.)
Comment by GayPatriotWest — February 1, 2006 @ 12:31 pm - February 1, 2006
And my long-time crush, Dan Futterman, is nominated for the screenplay of Capote! Not only is he a fine actor, and a fine-lookin’ figger of a man (as my Irish grandma wudda said), but he’s smart, too.
Comment by EssEm — February 1, 2006 @ 12:38 pm - February 1, 2006
Ditto that, EssEm — on Dan Futterman’s yumminess and intelligence. Alas, that he likes girls!
Comment by GayPatriotWest — February 1, 2006 @ 1:17 pm - February 1, 2006
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
I do believe that you mean THE PASSION FOR THE CASH. It was an idiotic movie.
Comment by raj — February 1, 2006 @ 1:28 pm - February 1, 2006
On the subject matter of the post, I was rather disappointed that Joe McCarthy was not nominated for best supporting actor. I haven’t seen the movie (and won’t until it comes out on DVD), but from what I have seen of the previews, George Clooney’s decision to use filmed footage of McCarthy was masterful.
It has been reported that George Clooney has long been interested in the Murrow story. What has not been widely reported is that George Clooney’s father, Nick Clooney, has long been a newsman in Cincinnati, and still has a regular column in the Cincinnati Post.
NB: George is the nephew of well-known singer Rosemary Clooney. All of them were from Cincinnati. As were Rod Serling and Doris Day.
Comment by raj — February 1, 2006 @ 1:37 pm - February 1, 2006
Glad you gave a mention to the Howl’s Moving Castle as a best animation feature. Most people missed it when it was released this past summer with Disney doing zero marketing but it was one of the most beautiful animated movies I have seen in a long time. It will be available on DVD in March. Its nice to see a traditional 2D hand drawn movie get an Oscar nomination. Like you I hope it wins but will not be disappointed if Wallace & Gromit wins it since I enjoyed that movie too. Interesting no CGI movie was nominated although Pixar did not release a movie in 2005.
Comment by Michael — February 1, 2006 @ 2:19 pm - February 1, 2006
Considering all the acres of newsprint written on Narnia being so different from liberal Hollywood, and focused on people who don’t like liberal Hollywood, why would the Oscars want to give the movie any awards? Why would the movie want any Oscars? The film got notice for “outsider” status and marketing to religious groups and that helped bring in the box office. There was little focus on the quality of the film.
-In a year which saw a huge slump in ticket sales, the Academy has chosen to honor a number of flicks which have not done particularly well at the box office, some with a political message at odds with that of the incumbent administration. While a majority of the individuals nominated in a variety of categories are well-deserving of their nominations, it seems that in many cases, the Academy preferred political leftism to artistic excellence.-
GPW in the same paragraph you criticize the awards for not giving awards based on box office or sharing Bush’s politics. Then you criticize them for not supporting artistic excellence. Which way are they supposed to go? Are they supposed to give awards based on quality, or on Bush, or on making money?
One of the top 10 grossing films this year, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, acheived notoriety based on speculation that the co-stars were having an adulterous affair. I hope this isn’t considered applicable to the values of the incumbent party.
One of the other top-grossing films, War of the Worlds, has a strongly anti-Bush, anti-Republican director who also stopped giving to the Boy Scouts because of their stance on gays and athiests. Many viewed the film as having a left slant. The lead, Tom Cruise, has criticized Brooke Shields for talking about medication for postpartum depression, and impregnated his girlfriend before they married.
Revenge of the Sith had a major role for Ewan Macgregor, who has appeared in many films which are the opposite of the morals of the Bush administration (Velvet Goldmine, for instance), and has had several graphic nude scenes which would probably be opposed by the Bush administration.
Since one of the chief backers of Narnia gave money to a 1992 Colorado ballot measure that banned all Colorado cities or the state from passing gay civil rights laws (repealing several already in existence), I guess that could be more in line, but I don’t know Bush’s position on states passing civil rights laws for gays.
Comment by Carl — February 1, 2006 @ 3:39 pm - February 1, 2006
If you want to learn a bit about what Christianity is supposed to be like read the Narnia books and commit them to memory. Better than the Bible, in my opinion, but then I’m not a Christian.
Comment by Patrick (Gryph) — February 1, 2006 @ 4:42 pm - February 1, 2006
Movies haven’t been the same since Jolson gave birth to the talkies in 1927.
Ahhh, the good old days when actors were seen – and not heard.
//channeling my dear friend, Norma Desmond
Comment by Vera Charles — February 1, 2006 @ 5:05 pm - February 1, 2006
While Vera mourns the death of “Old Hollywood,” I personally grieve over the fact that just about any midwestern soccer mom can discuss weekend grosses with her girlfriends in line at the supermarket. All of a sudden, bus drivers & tax accountants think they’ve been given Academy memberships!
I miss the days-gone-by when folks either went to a movie or didn’t, and watched the Osacrs only for the red carpet affair. Oy vey. I’ll tell ya what, cabbie…make ya a deal: I won’t tell you the fastest way to LAX, and you quit babbling about how shitty my product is, okay?
Eric in Hollywood
Comment by HollywoodNeoCon — February 1, 2006 @ 8:20 pm - February 1, 2006
Sorry for the above…upon reading it, it became clear my attitude totally sucked.
Didn’t mean to piss anyone off here, so I spologize if I did.
Eric in Hollyweird
Comment by HollywoodNeoCon — February 1, 2006 @ 8:23 pm - February 1, 2006
6: and didn’t he look great in his underwear as a gay man in Urbania?
I think the only blockbuster that should have gotten some more nominations was the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A bit disappointed that Tilda Swinton has been so overlooked. It was just a bad year for the traditional Hollywood film/blockbusters. The smaller films were sooooo much better. People have been “analyzing” all year why boxoffice was down. Let’s face it…the crop of big movies just pretty much sucked in ’05. Heck, even “Bewtiched” could have been a nice little charmer, but they royally screwed up that one.
On the other hand, I’m beyond thrilled that the little ranch hand movie that could tops the list of nominations. Even if it doesn’t win a single award, it was a monumental effort and showed 2 men in love, without any kind of political agenda, left or right. A compelling, small, subtle, and touching movie that’s become my favorite of all time. I’m also heartened to see that this movie is having a positive impact on people and is getting to people to look at themselves and even change they way they look at people. Talk about the power of movies….
PS – The trailer for the new season of Bill Maher just came on. 2 Cowboys who are going to part (one has to go back to his wife cause she has cable). The other guy gets the cable hooked up and voila – they’re watching TV together. Sigh…if Jack and Ennis only had cable together.
Comment by Kevin — February 1, 2006 @ 11:00 pm - February 1, 2006
As a lad, I used to watch Nick Clooney deliver the Evening News on Channel 12. His son may have more success and many may find him better-looking, but, frankly, I don’t get his appeal. I do know that some of my Republican friends (especially women) forgive him for his politics so sexy do they find him.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — February 2, 2006 @ 1:04 am - February 2, 2006
Regarding Narnia, I read five of the seven Narnia books when I was ten years old in about 1960. The “christian” appelation was lost on me even then, when I actually was a christian. Narnia is a children’s fantasy. I won’t bother even renting the film. Why waste the time on a children’s book?
Comment by raj — February 2, 2006 @ 6:43 am - February 2, 2006
Raj, that is strange.
My read them when they were 7 and 8 years old, and could easily identify all the Christian elements. The books can certainly be appreciated for their fantasy alone, but anyone familiar with the Biblical stories doesn’t have any trouble identifying the allegories either.
And GPW I agree that the actress playing the White Witch did an excellent job. I was impressed with how well she was able to act with her eyes-when she was tempting Edmund, she would have that “sweet” nice look on her face, but her eyes looked pure evil.
Comment by Just Me — February 2, 2006 @ 7:02 am - February 2, 2006
This statement explains your lack of a sense of humor. And I suspect you did not read “The Last Battle”.
That being the case, try C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity” book instead. It should be suitable enough for those more serious sorts who are much to snobby to stoop to reading a children’s book.
Comment by Patrick (Gryph) — February 2, 2006 @ 1:37 pm - February 2, 2006
Nice comment, Patrick.
I’ve been re-reading the Narnia books and while not enjoying them as much as I did when I was a child, I can clearly see the Christian notions that I missed when I first read them.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — February 2, 2006 @ 2:02 pm - February 2, 2006
Glad you’re enjoying them, GPW. What I like best about them is, past all the great characters and plots and fantasy, is something simple but profound: a notion of what meeting Jesus in the here and now might actually be like. Aslan is not a “buddy,” not a clownish figure, not a stern taskmaster, not harsh or unforgiving, he’s just *real* as can be, dignified and sometimes playful, honest and unflinching but not harsh. He’s not a *tame* lion.
Comment by Lori — February 2, 2006 @ 5:32 pm - February 2, 2006
I confess that I love love love the Oscars. It’s my pagan holiday and I anticipate it like some anticipate Christmas. But that doesn’t mean I’m not aware of the Academy’s shoddy history. And that history goes back decades, when studios like 20th Century Fox would push their biggest turkeys (“Doctor Doolittle”, “Hello, Dolly”) into the Best Picture catagory in an attempt to salvage some money out of them.
I think it’s out of print, but there’s a fascinating book called “The Real Oscar” that exposes the Academy, warts and all, from its inception. I highly recommend it. You’ll never look at the Oscars the same again.
Comment by Andre — February 2, 2006 @ 10:41 pm - February 2, 2006
I had not heard of CS Lewis at the time I was reading the Narnia books. I should have mentioned that I read the first five books, so no, I did not get to the Last Battle book. I’m not a particular fan of the writing style of some of the authors of 20th century English fiction that I have read, so after the fifth book, I lost interest in continuing.
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