What.The.Freak
Crash? Crash??!!!Hands up anybody who has actually seen this movie? Thought so.
I don't want to get into conspiracy theories here - bah, screw it, yes I do. The US Rancid Religious Right has somehow got to the Oscar voters. This can be the only explanation why BBM did not win. The film with the most nominations, winner of all the major pre-Oscar award ceremonies, and a film that people actually saw.
Crash only won two other Oscars. Since when does the Best Picture winner only win 3 Oscars in total?
I don't know what the RRR has done to secure this win, but it's worked. BBM has been denied the Oscar immortality of which it is completely deserving.
This is worse than Marisa Tomei. This is worse than Gwyneth Paltrow. This is just wrong.
Almost, but not quite as wrong, is Reese winning over Felicity. OK, so this doesn't have the Crash shock factor as she was the favourite - and don't get me wrong, I adore Reese Witherspoon (or any way she may be served) - but Oscar has gone safe here. It had the option to go safe back in 2000 and give the statue to Annette Bening (American Beauty) over Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry) but it didn't because it acknowledged the incredible complexity of Swank's performance. Why couldn't it afford Huffman the same courtesy? Perhaps Oscar feels its quota of queer/gender-bending performances has been met?
Something wrong in the state of Oscar...
UPDATE: Rye over at Got Gay? articulates this sense of frustation more clearly than I do - perhaps because he didn't shirk away from the word "fuck" in his post's title like I did.
posted by Sam @ Tuesday, March 07, 2006
12 Comments:
hey penguin,
i saw crash.... and i thought it was incredible! but im with you, i wanted brokeback to win :(
Go see BBM SB and don't worry - you can't catch gay off the film screen :P It's a magnificent movie and I stand by my belief that there's something going on behind the scenes that has denied it the Oscar.
It does seem a bizzare outcome that the most heavily awarded film and biggest box-office success of the lot missed out. There were a few articles leading up to the awards suggesting Crash might win because there are too many old straight conservatives in the Academy but I dont think anyone really believed it!
Still this is the same group of people that gave Best Film to Forrest Gump over Pulp Fiction so they can hardly be accused of always making the right decision.
I only hope this doesnt affect the plan of Australian distributors to FINALLY open the film to a wide release this week (apparently they were waiting for it to win the Oscar before they would risk showing it in places like Campbelltown and Blacktown). Then again maybe the Christian right got to them as well! CW
PS. Ive always hated Reese Witherspoon ever since she stole my husband! :o) CW
Ian McKellen said on Parky the other day..."Oh I'm one of those who vote ...you know most people haven't seen them. I have a dinner party and then we tick the form...Now let's take a vote...who like's BBM..." and so on.
Since when did anyone think the Oscars meant anything vaguely representing public opinion or even the opinion of their peers
Oops... before I get tarred & feathered, that shouldn't have been "seventeen" in the last post...
Splatterbottom. What an interesting comment from you. Reminds me of when After working on a Fed. election, we go into the "ED" to sink a couple, I turn to this guy who was there and said " I am amazed that any gay person would vote Liberal". he said " I did", I ask "How can you vote Liberal?", he replied "I'm bisexual". No furthur comment required!
Where is most of the American Gay Porn produced?
That brings in lots of dollars, Hollywood!
The "Oscars" are on a par with *"Neighbours", when it comes to recognising quality film making. It is no more than a frock show.
*With apologies to Sam!
Did you like the frocks Bazza?
JT. Those over the top priced creations were crap. Film actors are so full of themselves, they believe anything. Can you imagine us two walking the "Red Carpet" in a simple number from Target.All are looking at what we are wearing, we being astute, we sell ourselves not the frock.
When you are a "Star" you sell you, not the frock.
What a load of bulldust, this is!
Oh. My earlier comment didn't post.
Was going to say: one of the very few times in the past twenty years that Best Film and Best Director have gone to different films just happens to be the first time a gay film has been up for best pic? Well... colour me surprised.
But don't worry. The Academy can still bleat on about its inclusiveness. Did it give some Oscars to some black people last year? And isn't Crash about racial tension? Ang Lee's Chinese for god's sake.
As far as I'm concerned, it's more weight to the argument that homosexuality remains the last socially acceptable prejudice. We may be a great novelty item for three or four weeks a year, but we've got a long way to go before gay is the new Black.
Oh well. I'd still crawl over broken glass to lick Jake Gyllenhaal.
[PS: Hi Sam! Finally got around to posting to your blog after kym pointed me in this direction several weeks ago...]
Cynical take Cameron, but I must admit I agree with you. It can't just be an unlucky coincidence that BBM wins all the major pre-Oscar awards and then founders on the night.
And hi back, btw. Welcome, pull up a pew etc.
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