by Ace14

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And the Oscar goes to ... the wrong person

I have an Academy Awards fantasy. This Sunday, when the presenter opens the envelope for Best Achievement in Directing, I envision audible gasps, then stunned silence and, finally, thunderous applause when un-nominated Kasi Lemmons benefits from a secret write-in campaign and wins for Talk to Me.

And then, for the hell of it, Sarah Polley wins an Honorable Mention for Away From Her.

I suspect, however, that one of the actual nominees will win. (I'm pulling for Jason Reitman — Juno.) But this does not change the sad truth that sometimes the best movies and performers do not get nominated, and sometimes the absolutely wrong performers and movies win.

It can be pretty tough to figure out the logic. For example, my brother noted that the longest — read poorly edited — movies often win Best Editing. (As he elaborated, “All 28 hours of The English Patient beat Fargo in 1997.) And the acting nominees sometimes reflect the most offensive scenery-chewing.

Of course, my brother and I are not the only ones to spew righteous indignation about the state of Academy Awards affairs. I recently read a pretty good list of the Worst Oscars Ever, some of which I agreed with and some of which I disagreed with. And this led me to compile my own list of Academy Awards Travesties — the performers and movies that stole the awards that should have rightfully gone to more deserving others.

Best Picture Travesty — Crash (2006)

Sometimes, perhaps even frequently, the Academy gets it right. A personal high for me was when The Silence of the Lambs beat JFK in 1992.

And whether or not it was really the best movie of the year, Shakespeare in Love made me very happy when it knocked out Saving Private Ryan in 1999.

But sometimes the Academy gets it very, very wrong. Dare I mention A Beautiful Mind over In the Bedroom in 2002, Gladiator over Traffic in 2001 and Braveheart over Babe in 1996. (And my brother still wakes up screaming because Dances With Wolves beat Goodfellas in 1991. What is so compelling about the crappy epics?) But the most obvious, most egregious and most morally and criminally wrong was Crash over Brokeback Mountain in 2006. Crash was entertaining in a manipulative, simplistic, overbearing way. (People are capable of both good and bad. Who knew?!) And, of course, the women were quite lovely.

(I also had an adolescent crush on Matt Dillon back in the day.)

But Brokeback was compelling enough to turn the “gay cowboy movie” into a mainstream hit. It featured subtle, engaging performances, a mesmerizing story and breathtaking cinematography. Fie on you, Academy members, for this travesty.

Best Actress Travesty — None

It makes me quite happy that I don't have a nominee for this category. Had I been consulted, I might have handed out a few statuettes to different winners over the years, but I can't find any that trigger outrage. And I can name many that make me very happy: Charlize Theron for Monster. And, most important, Hilary Swank for Boys Don't Cry.

That was possibly the best performance in a movie ever. Ever.

I do, however, wonder why there are so few travesties here. Thinking about it leads me to a depressing hypothesis, namely that there are so many fewer meaty roles for women, so the few who get the opportunities almost always shine.

Best Actor Travesty — Denzel Washington (Training Day, 2002)

There are, of course, many roles for men and many corresponding opportunities for them to overact or be overrated. I could go on at length about Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe and Tom Hanks — all of whom bore me to tears — but I don't feel like blathering on about the boys. I will simply take a moment to note that Tom Wilkinson delivered a perfect, understated performance in the best movie of 2001, In the Bedroom. And he lost to bombast personified, Denzel Washington.

Best Supporting Actress Travesty —Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted — 2000)

And speaking of bombast, I'm going to commit the cardinal lesbian sin of criticizing Angelina Jolie. She wasn't bad in Girl, Interrupted, but her character and her performance were both over the top. Contrast that with Chloë Sevigny, who created a believable, complex person that same year in Boys Don't Cry.

I know others would argue that the biggest Best Supporting Actress Travesty is Whoopi Goldberg beating Lorraine Bracco in 1991, and I suppose that's a fair argument. But that doesn't pain me as much as the triumph of bombast over understatement.

On the flip side, the Best Supporting Actress category was the source of my favorite Oscars moment. I haven't seen The Piano, so I don't know if Anna Paquin deserved the win, but her acceptance speech was priceless.

Best Original Song Travesty — “It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp” (Hustle and Flow, 2006)

This was the other travesty of 2006. I don't actually have any feelings about “It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” but Dolly Parton's “Travelin' Thru” deserved to win. And that's not just because I love Dolly. It's also because the song helped create the warmth and heart of Transamerica.

There are many runners-up in this category, though. Particularly egregious was when the stupid Tarzan Phil Collins song beat “Blame Canada” from South Park and “When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2.

Best Director Travesty — Kimberly Peirce not being nominated in 2000

I'm not upset that Sam Mendes won in 2000 — American Beauty was an excellent movie. But the fact that Kimberly Peirce was not even nominated for Boys Don't Cry tells me that the Academy that year was full of extremely sexist or extremely stupid people.

The Cider House Rules and The Insider were both perfectly good movies, but neither was as gripping or as powerful as Boys Don't Cry — which means that neither was as well directed.

In the history of the Academy Awards, I can find one ray of hope in the Best Directing category. I firmly believe Sofia Coppola would have won in 2004 had it not been the predetermined year for Peter Jackson to win for the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

I could keep going, but I've gone on far too long already. What Academy Awards — or omissions — trigger your righteous indignation?

Ace14's blog

Submitted by

Ace

on February 19, 2008 - 7:18pm.

TAGS ::

Best Actress

Submitted by

Tallulah71 (275 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 8:29pm.

Travesties, in my eyes, would be Grace Kelly over Judy Garland in 1955 and Gwyneth Paltrow over Cate Blanchett in 1999.

I remember just screaming

Submitted by

Ottie_oi (7 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 4:21am.

I remember just screaming at the screen in disbelief when Gwyneth beat Cate. That's my number one travesty.

What I also find happens with Oscars is that the make up award is usually given out of guilt for a bad or unlucky decision years before ie Whoopie for Ghost or Judi Dench for Shakespere in Love

ME. TOO.

Submitted by

goober (46 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 9:36am.

I couldn't BELIEVE Gwenyth won. If she hadn't been the darling of the year, she wouldn't have. That movie LAUNCHED Cate who's proven to be one of the greatest acting talents alive today! Ridiculous. Gwenyth wasn't even remotely believable as a man and Cate made her whole film epic!

And the Judi Dench thing. Even she looked embarrassed to have won for that role. For what? Like, 10 minutes of screen time? Not even? It's sad that she lost in Mrs. Brown only to be given that as a consolation prize. Oh well, an Oscar is an Oscar is an Oscar. I'm sure she's perfectly happy just to have one at all.

Thank gawd....

Submitted by

FilmGrrl (91 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 9:37am.

...someone posted this and first, I might add. This, to me, is one of the greatest Oscar travesties. Blanchett has proven time and again how exceptionally talented she is and Paltrow, well, hasn't. And while the Oscars are not technically about a body of work, even though they often are, Blanchett's performance was above and beyond most, especially Paltrow's. To this day, I'm still convinced that the Academy selected the lesser actress simply because she happened to be in a film about Shakespeare regardless of the quality of her performance. Or maybe they gave her the golden guy for showing her breasts....which I'm sure are not as nice as Cate's either.

Patient: There's like this longing ... this pull. I mean, does that make me, you know, like, some kind of...?

Maeby: Homosexual.

Tobias: Maeby, please. She's right, though, you probably are a homosexual.

you wanna hear from travesty?

Submitted by

Klytaemnestra (23 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 8:49pm.

ellen burstyn in requiem for a dream losing out to julia roberts!

her performance in that movie is seriously haunting...totally amazing

Word.

Submitted by

Lrenda (46 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 9:42pm.

Word. Burstyn was scary good.

yup

Submitted by

clonchi (164 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 10:32pm.

She scared me to death... and made that movie one of my favorite scariest, truest, rawest movies ever!

Oh I am so with you. She was

Submitted by

JasmeenKru (287 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:24pm.

Oh I am so with you. She was brilliant. She put that movie into a whole new stratasphere. Great movie and an equally great performance. Bravo!!

AbosuFreakingLutely

Submitted by

Iheartbeer (21 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:59pm.

There was no bigger travesty than Julia Roberts winning the Oscar over Ellen Burstyn. Julie Roberts is was and never will be a better actress than Ellen Burstyn. But the Oscars are not about performance but rather about personality and self promotion.

i agree

Submitted by

msgulp, Moderator (16331 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 1:43am.

and if julie christie wins over marion cotillard that will top julia over ellen burnstyn.

"how can you be a candidate of change when your stance on same-sex marriage is decidedly old school?" - Jonathan Capeheart

word

Submitted by

goober (46 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 9:43am.

I really like Julie Christie and, yes, she did a good job, but I have never ever seen a performance like Marion's and she deserves to win more than anyone. I'm almost afraid to watch because I think she'll lose and the whole night will be ruined.

God, yes

Submitted by

MaebyFunke (39 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 6:13am.

That was the first thing that came to my mind. I quite like Julia Roberts, and her performance was fine. But it wouldn't have been Oscar-worthy even against weak competition, and Burstyn was complete and total genius in Reqiuem for a Dream. Hell, Joan Allen in the Contender was better than Julia too. That Oscar was bogus all the way around.

That's the only best actress that I personally thought was a travesty, although the Blanchett/Paltrow thing did make me mad. I also thought Evan Rachel Wood should have been nominated for Thirteen. There was no way they were going to nominate two kids, and Keshia Castle Hughes got it (which I have no beef with; she was great in Whale Rider).

Oh, and Best Supoprting Actress travesty -- Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog) should have beaten Renee Zellweger.

Roberts...blech

Submitted by

FilmGrrl (91 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 9:39am.

Let's just start with Roberts winning anything.

Burstyn was terrific in that film.

Patient: There's like this longing ... this pull. I mean, does that make me, you know, like, some kind of...?

Maeby: Homosexual.

Tobias: Maeby, please. She's right, though, you probably are a homosexual.

Hilary Swank

Submitted by

McKenzie (36 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 8:52pm.

I totally agree with you on Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry. At the end of the movie, I said to my friends who were with me, "She has GOT to win Best Actress!"

Brokeback Mountain

Submitted by

GoldringI (47 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 8:53pm.

I haven't seen Crash, and don't really intend to, despite my Speed-era crush on Sandra Bullock, so I can't comment on its worthiness over the opposition, but there is a train of thought about Brokeback that losing the Oscar was one of the best things to have happened to it, since it allowed it to retrieve some of the understatement that had been lost to it in its awards season success, and that would have been irretrievably lost had it won.

Or, in other words, losing helped it return to being an incredible film, rather than a 'must-see movie'. I mean, I loved it, and I would've been glad if it had won (and yes, it may have even deserved to win - like I said, I haven't seen Crash, and I can't remember what the other nominations were), but there is this train of thought...

Crash was a great movie. Too

Submitted by

JasmeenKru (287 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:27pm.

Crash was a great movie. Too many people dog it out. They shouldn't. I think some ppl do cuz the truth of that movie hits home.

Crash was a great movie. Too

Submitted by

JasmeenKru (287 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:27pm.

Crash was a great movie. Too many people dog it out. They shouldn't. I think some ppl do cuz the truth of that movie hits home.

I completely agree

Submitted by

silent_alarm (38 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 6:09am.

I was glad when Crash won that year. I think there was far too much hype around Brokeback Mountain, Crash affected me much more when I watched it. Plus every single performance in Crash was amazing.

I found Brokeback a little long and depressing. I am a big fan of Ang Lee but I don't think this was his best film.

i totally agree with you.

Submitted by

mari (34 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:49pm.

i totally agree with you. and maybe this is way off base, but some years it seems like the awards try to make it an historical moment deal-- and i didn't want that year to be the year of the gay. if the movie won, i wanted it to be on its own merit, not because it was about gay cowboys.
instead, it got all the credit of a fine nomination and, i believe, in the sense of many, a close race-- but then had to stand on its own two feet. don't know if that makes sense, but i too am glad it did not win.

Best Pictures

Submitted by

knm (39 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 9:08pm.

I still can't believe Forrest Gump beat out anything, especially Pulp Fiction in 1994. Even though Titanic was a huge hit, I thought LA Confidential should have won best picture in 1997. Lastly, The Aviator should have received the Oscar over Million Dollar Baby in 2004. My personal taste in film is not usually reflected by the Academy's choices for Best Picture.

I'm with you on Forrest Gump and Titanic...

Submitted by

Ace (297 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 10:18pm.

...but I was happy that Million Dollar Baby won. I was blown away by it. Perhaps I will change my mind when I eventually get around to seeing The Aviator. But I'm not a big Leonardo DiCaprio fan, so I doubt it. (Although I do love Cate Blanchett.)

Aviator was ok

Submitted by

Brunette (585 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 12:03am.

Leonardo DiCaprio was being him. Now he was very good in Blood Diamonds, but then again, Djimon Hounsou was better than him. Love him since I saw him in Amistad...amazing performance. Hounsou was nominated for an oscar (and should have got it) last year for Blood Diamond, but Alan Arkin won that oscar, supporting role for an actor.

travesties...so many...

Submitted by

Asteri (28 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 10:11pm.

Roberto Begnini (La VIta É Bella) winning over Edward Norton (American History X) and Ian Mckellan (Gods and Monsters....

Julia Roberts (Erin Brokovich) over Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream)...

Forrest Gump over Shawshank Redemption...

Catherine Zeta Jones (Chicago) over Julliane Moore (The Hours)...or Kathy Bates (About Schmidt)...not to mention Meryl Streep (Adaptation), seriously Zeta-Jone's performance was the worst out of all the nominees...

Ron Howard winning Best Director for "A Beautiful Mind" instead of David Lynch for the brilliant "Mulholland Drive"...

Cuba Gooding Jr, winning over William H. Macy (Fargo) or Edward Norton (Primal Fear)...

oh, i could go on and on..

"Experience the Warmth..."

yeah...

Submitted by

lesandre (182 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 10:39pm.

I pretty much agree with everything you say so I'm too lazy to make my own list, but I have to agree extra much on David Lynch losing to Ron Howard. "Mulhulland Drive" is brilliant!

Also, I have to disagree with a few people on "Brokeback Mountain". I didn't like it at all, it might be because I saw it after it got so much praise and my expectations were maybe to hight but I was kind of bored by it... Well, different tastes I guess...

Shawshank Redemption...

Submitted by

knm (39 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 8:14am.

Shawshank Redemption is a good call. That was a great movie.

Yeah, I agree with you about

Submitted by

Robin (105 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 10:00am.

Yeah, I agree with you about Mulholland Drive and also about Gods and Monsters - Ian McKellen was spectacular in that one.

And Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry - amazing. She totally deserved that one. But she was also fantastic in Million Dollar Baby (a.k.a. Most.Depressing.Movie.Ever.) and I'm glad she's gotten recognition for both of these roles.

I agree with you on Edward

Submitted by

sirdykesalot (47 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 11:23pm.

I agree with you on Edward Norton, Ellen Burstyn, and Julliane Moore. I completely disagree with you about about David Lynch. I think Ron Howard deserved that award much more than Lynch.

This is dating me...

Submitted by

fyrequeene (2 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:00pm.

This is dating me, but Dustin Hoffman was brilliant in "Tootsie" all those years ago (the movie hasn't held up as well, but he's still great); he lost to Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, a predictable "epic" win.

Perhaps it's evidence that Oscar has progressed a little--Hilary Swank was absolutely transcendant in "Boys Don't Cry", deserved to win, and did. You're likely right: that may be the best performance ever in a film.

My god, Ben Kingsley was

Submitted by

JasmeenKru (287 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:30pm.

My god, Ben Kingsley was absolutely brilliant in Gandhi. He brought Mahatma to life. Well deserved win.

Crazy Politics

Submitted by

imthey (460 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:06pm.

Watching the Academy Awards over all these years I have come to the realization that the entire process of choosing nominees and of deciding winners basically comes down to politics, plain and simple.

If an actor should have won but didn't (read: Denzel Washington for Glory) he or she will likely, when nominated again win the award, even if the performance was not necessarily his/her best and not necessarily the film/performance for which he/she should have won for.

I'm a big Angelina Jolie fan, but even I thought that the performance that likely should have won was Chloe Sevigny for Boys Don't Cry. This is where the politics of Hollywood lineage comes in... dad, Jon Voight wins years earlier, now his daughter is up for the award so by popular vote choose her. I do think Angelina gave a great performance, but not as worthy of the Oscar as Chloe (even though I will nonetheless always be happy about Angelina winning, as that night was the first time I met her and she did let me hold her Oscar). I do feel that this year Angelina was robbed of a nomination and while I think that Marion Cotillard was the best actress this year that we may see Julie Christie win for a wonderful but (IMHO) not as great a performance.

Then there is the award given to the oldest nominee in the category, solely as the academy must be thinking that it is the last chance to honor the actor/actress in question.

And of course there is always the requisite win to apologize for some past oversight... read: after being shunned by Hollywood and forced to leave Hollywood after her affair with Roberto Rossellini made headlines, Ingrid Bergman comes back to Hollywood years later and in what appears to be a gesture of apologizing to her, she wins an Academy Award for Murder On the Orient Express... as always she was good in her performance but not necessarily Oscar winning good!

Finally there's the always shocking list of actors/actresses/directors, etc. who have a. never been nominated for an Oscar and should have and b. those who have been nominated and never won an Oscar! Do a search on the internet and you'll be amazed by some of the names that you will see on either of these two lists!

"Think Sideways"

I M THEY

Let's not forget

Submitted by

shelleyc (92 posts)

on February 21, 2008 - 1:03pm.

Julie Andrews winning in 1964 for Mary Poppins for not being cast as Eliza in My Fair Lady. Rex Harrison won Best Actor, it had a nod in the Best Supporting Actor catagory and loads of others as well, but Audrey was completely snubbed.

Shelley C

Crash

Submitted by

Frozen Flame (1 post)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:09pm.

I saw both of those movies and even though i thought Brokeback Mountain was a really good movie i think that for once the Oscar went to the right movie. Crash took a lot of the things that we as american's don't want to believe about ourselves and threw it in our faces and forced us to look at the way we treat people and why. That's the kind of movie that deserves a best picture win.

Goodfellas was robbed.

Submitted by

jennifer from p... (1257 posts)

on February 19, 2008 - 11:11pm.

Goodfellas was robbed.

Crash

Submitted by

shecallsherselfgarbo (54 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 12:11am.

While Brokeback Mountain was groundbreaking and extremely well-acted, I do believe that Crash was the rightful winner.

Rightful Winner indeed

Submitted by

lezxotic (95 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 2:00am.

I Totally Agree.

Felicity Huffman for Best Leading Actress

Submitted by

Doc McG (58 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 12:41am.

I'll admit, I haven't seen Reese Witherspoon's performance in Walk the Line, but I have a hard time believing that it was as transcendent as Felicity Huffman's Bree in Transamerica. Indeed, I think Walk the Line still sits unopened on my shelf -- despite my high regard for both Witherspoon and Phoenix -- precisely because I don't want to be pissed off about Huffman's unfair loss.

Exactly

Submitted by

golden_bird (18 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 5:00am.

I still can't bring myself to see Walk the Line. I wanted to see it when it was in theaters, but didn't find the time and now I just can't without getting all worked up...

I saw both Transamerica and Walk the Line.

Submitted by

Ace (297 posts)

on February 21, 2008 - 1:43pm.

That was a tough one for me. I thought that Walk the Line was an excellent movie, and that both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon gave Academy Award-caliber performances. Consequently, I couldn't be upset about Reese Witherspoon winning.

That said, I was pulling for Felicity Huffman. I thought she gave an extraordinary performance in a mediocre movie.

Travesty

Submitted by

Vee (215 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 12:46am.

Just to name a few...

Like so many already stated, Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich winning over the amazing Ellen Burstyn for Requiem for a Dream. That was a total rip off.

Jodie Foster in Nell losing to Jessica Lange for Blue Sky. I'm a HUGE Jodie fan okay lol

Charlize Theron in North Country losing to Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line O_o I'm still very bitter.

Denzel Washington in Training Day winning over Sean penn for I Am Sam? Such an outrage!

Johnny Deep hasn't won an Academy Award as of yet. What!

finally

Submitted by

sati_49 (267 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 1:03am.

Finally

Someone else says it!! I hated, HATED the movie Crash, I felt talked down to the entire time, but everyone I said this to was always really shocked. How could I hate such a profound movie they would say, but it was so deep they would say! Argh!

“Crash was entertaining in a manipulative, simplistic, overbearing way.” Priceless!

You are responsible for your own happily ever after.

Oh My Goddess

Submitted by

lezxotic (95 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 2:10am.

Crash was one of the most well written, directed and acted movies of it's time.

The abililty pf screenwriter Paul Haggis to not only pull off what is essentially the most difficult of all story arcs (The Character driven one) and weave a ingapestry that involves several different stories is masterful. Yeah, Yeah I saw Broke Back mountain but tell me why are two men on a mountaintop having an affair that lasts several years so superb? When to be honest I've seen better in the 1960's movie: "The Boys In The Band" which set the standard for all future movies utilizing a gay male character driven screenplay.

Haggis expert use of the reversal that only comes to light in flashback itself are worth viewing.

A reversal in a screenplay means: that after getting the basics of the premise and an idea of the characters Haggis was skilfully able to move around in that premise. An example:

Big Bad Guy challenges Hero to fight, Hero pulls out knife — reversal — bad guy pulls out baseball bat — reversal — hero pulls out gun and has bad guy cornered — reversal — hero fires gun but is out of bullets or gun is jammed — REVERSAL! Get my drift? Think of reversals as plot twists which takes the story in other directions

Like racist policeman Matt Dillon's racial angst when his father is denied a social or insurance service. Despite having sexually and racially harrassed gorgeous Thandy Newton and Terrence Howard (I forget their character names, by racially profiling them) and generally blaming people of color for the world's problems Matt Dillon's character is forced to face his demons when later Thandy Newton is in a severe car accident and he rushes in the save her even though the others (firemen, policemen) tell him the SUV is going to explode and pull him away. Or when his liberal partner who didn't want to ride with him is ultimately being expose as the true racist after he kills an innocent African American and overs it up.

This story is so complex with plot twists and reversals I do a disservice by stating two examples. The silent filming (No sound) during the most important scenes allowed the viewers to experience the full range of the emotions involved.

Kelly Masterson did it in her work: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.

It is not fair for you to write that the Oscar went to the wrong movie, I aspire to write like Haggis or Masterson. That is why I am having such a difficult time with this screenplay and also why I procasterbate by hanging out on this website.

As far as Juno, well Cody Diablo and director Jason Reitman are lying when they claim that all she did was pick up a screenwriting how to book and voila now she's nominated for best picture, yadda yadda yadda. Well I picked up that same book and look where I am (not that this site isn't fantabulous). I think I got my Master's Degree in the wrong field.

Just my opinion

Submitted by

illmatic (181 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 2:53am.

Really it's all just a matter of opinion. The Academy hands out the trophies...doesn't mean they're right. Was Godfather II better than Chinatown? Was Rocky better than Taxi Driver or Network? Was Kramer vs. Kramer better than Apocalypse Now? I personally thought Philadelphia Story was better than Rebecca but I didn't get a say. Everyone was pissed off at Orson Welles so he didn't get his much deserved Oscar for Kane. I'm mean honestly the Oscars are 50% art and 50% politics.

And from one writer to another, flashbacks are for suckers. I mean that with all due respect but usually (not always) it's a sign of weak writing and structure. If it's any consolation, I think voice over narration is worse (again as a plot device it can be effective at times). Honestly, Crash wasn't Haggis' best work. Million Dollar Baby was definitely better. Hell, I think he did better writing on Thirtysomething. The reversals are predictable and MOS is cool if I were watching Sunrise.

I don't mean to come off like an ass but sometimes what works is an actor's delivery over complicated plot twists. Sometimes it's about the cinematography and not the razor sharp wit. Sometimes you don't need dollies or jump cuts...sometimes a Brokeback is better than a Crash.

Crash sucked. The Matt

Submitted by

shelleyc (92 posts)

on February 21, 2008 - 1:15pm.

Crash sucked. The Matt Dillon/Thandie Newton/Terence Howard storyline was predictable. Yeah I got to see Sandra Bullock flex her acting muscle a bit but I wasn't impressed. Nothing about Crash impressed me. But then again I found Brokeback boring. Goregeous cinematography, but you get that in most Ang Lee films. However looking back at the 05' nods for best pics, nothing stands out for me.

Shelley C

more travesties

Submitted by

illmatic (181 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 2:20am.

Leo DiCaprio What's Eating Gilbert Grape? losing to Tommy Lee in The Fugitive
Ralph Fiennes Schindler's List losing to Tommy Lee in The Fugitive
Gladiator over Crouching Tiger
Russell Crowe Gladiator over Javier Bardem Before Night Falls
Denzel Washington Training Day over Sean Penn I am Sam
LOTR over Mystic River (Mystic River should've swept)
Crash over Brokeback
Alan Arkin Little Miss Sunshine over Eddie Murphy Dreamgirls
Al Pacino Scent of a Woman over Denzel Washington Malcolm X
Forrest Gump over Shawshank
English Patient over Fargo
Gwenyth Paltrow Shakespeare in Love over Cate Blanchett Elizabeth
The Color Purple didn't win anything
They sure don't make movies like they use to.

I think you may living in a dream land

Submitted by

lisaR (53 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 2:32am.

I think you may be stuck in the women are great and wonderous beings and all must be praised vortex if you couldn't think of one oscar travesty for best actress!

people have mentioned numerous -

Like Cate being beaten by Gwyneth (i was so angry) and Ellen being beaten by Julia, but I have one more that no one has mentioned (i think)

the fact that Kate Winslet who is only 32 has been nominated 5 times (lead and supporting) and has never won!

especially the fact that she lost for Eternal Sunshine to Swank in Million Dollar Baby

and that she has only completed 24 films, she only needs another 7 nom's in the next 25 years to equal Meryl!

Kate

Submitted by

illmatic (181 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 3:08am.

I think her best shot was in 1997 with Titanic. I couldn't stand As Good as it Gets so I may be a little biased. She didn't stand a chance against Swank or Mirren with all the hype surrounding their films (personally I thought Little Children was a frighteningly good film). The same goes for her chances at Supporting Actress. In 2001 she lost to Connelly (that award could've easily gone to the women of Gosford Park). And in 1995 it could've been hers for Sense and Sensibility over Mira Sorvino so I definitely see your point.

Shrug

Submitted by

Traveler (323 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 6:37am.

I find it hard to get too worked up about the Oscars. After all, it started out as a marketing ploy and with the distribution companies currently controlling who and which film gets nominated, it's hard to find, as a civilian, to find any reason to take them too seriously.

As far as these kind of shows go, I much prefer the Golden Globe in all their drunken glory. Actually that show was more fun when it was gloriously corrupt (Pia Zadora!) and more than slightly sleazy. Curse you, Dick Clark Productions!!! But even the cleaned-up-for-tv version is usually gets better the later it gets. Waiting to see which winner gets caught in the bathroom tapping champers-filled kidneys when her award is announced, or watching a tv actor trying to wend his way from the cheap seats to the stage without looking completely snokered - now, that's entertainment!

Beaches

Submitted by

Hawk (46 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 7:29am.

Travesty...when Rainman beat Beaches.

I hear you...

Submitted by

knm (39 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 8:21am.

And how the hell could Unforgiven beat Captain Ron. Boggles the mind. :)

Still not over it

Submitted by

Garage Door Whi... (7 posts)

on February 20, 2008 - 10:33am.

Apparently, I can hold a grudge for a looooong time cuz I still haven't forgiven the Academy for giving best picture to Forrest Gump over Pulp Fiction. I mean... I have yet to see a worse movie than Gump. Blech! Total sentimental dreck! Pulp Fiction, however, is a film I can watch over and over again. Brilliant narrative structure. Perfect Tarantino dialog. Excellent music. Knockout performances. All around great movie.

by Ace14

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