There’s something about award shows that diminishes the product in question by trying to evaluate something whose main quality is so subjective and fleeting as to make winning a kind of embarrassment.
Having gotten that massive sentence out of my system, let me take this opportunity to point out a few of the overlooked films, performances and lesser category omissions in this year’s Oscar ballot.
First and foremost is the best picture category, the one that we all stay up and endure the endlessly meaningless speeches.
The crop this year is fairly typical with big budget bio-pics being pitted against more character driven indie films. There are a few films missing in my assessment, namely “Dogville,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and “Kill Bill 2.”
My theory is that these nominations are due to what people in the industry manage to watch when they aren’t on location in Winnipeg or attending the endless stream of parties, lovefests and various other award presentations. I’m sure they don’t see every movie. Only obsessives like Roger Ebert can sit through every reel of every movie, or have the time and rationale to do so.
Consequently, we are usually stuck with stuff like “Finding Neverland,” a shamelessly manipulative tale about J. M. Barrie’s creation of “Peter Pan.” I had to ask myself, ‘Could the strings swell a little more and could we zoom in on those tear ducts any further?’ Whatever, Barrie!
The director category will probably go to Martin Scorsese for “The Aviator,” not that he hasn’t deserved it in the past for many of his other outings. “Goodfellas,” a masterpiece of modern film making lost to “Dances with Wolves” for goodness sakes! I watched about fifteen minutes of the Costner ego-fest and had to turn it. America loves hokum especially on a grand scale.
If someone besides Scorsese wins, I’m sure they will be up at the podium doing their best to publicly lick Martin’s boots before being whisked offstage. Oh well, even Alfred Hitchcock never won a best director Oscar. So you’d be in good company Mr. S.
Best actor and actress are always interesting to watch. After all, it’s the actors who really bring the story to life. My one and only complaint here is that Nicole Kidman did not receive a nomination for her performance in “Dogville,” a film obviously too challenging cinematically and dramatically to be included in this year’s ceremony. Human truth has to packaged just so to make it onto the big ballot. “Million Dollar Baby” managed to squeeze through the gate, but then Clint Eastwood and boxing are more palatable and familiar than Lars von Trier’s experiment in intolerance.
As far as supporting actor and actress, the big hole or chad or whatever you call it would definitely be Tim McGraw. His turn in “Friday Night Lights” was difficult to watch only because it had the unvarnished quality of real life. He nailed the classic daddy as coach routine for all time. There was more menace in his supporting role than in Tom Cruise’s starring role in “Collateral.” Perhaps the voters could have given McGraw some space by edging out Jamie Foxx who is also up for “Ray.” His performance as the kidnapped cabbie was alright, but it wasn’t all that.
Actually, nobody really cares about the rest of the categories very much. Best sound? Say what?
Editing nominees? I’m usually on the edge of my seat for that one. Actually I’m on my way to the kitchen for more snacks.
Best short subject, short film, animated short? Who even sees these odd little featurettes? When they announce the winner, I can’t help but wonder if they really deserve a whole Oscar, maybe half an Oscar.
Original score, original song (don’t even go there!), costume design…ooh la la! I could care less what you’re wearing, let alone somebody in make believe.
Let’s face it. Nobody cares. Not really. So, congratulations. All the world applauds you. You are the personification of moody, broody, teary, weary actorliness. And now you have a statue to your greatness. And even though I have to shuck out eight or ten dollars for the privilege of your company, I’m sure you are worth every penny of the gazillion dollars you rake in and hoard in the bowels of your castle for each pristine performance which graces our meager and pathetic, awardless existence.
Was that too over the top? I could do it again. But first let’s break for lunch.
