Wednesday, 10 February 1999

READERS OF THE OSCAR NOMINATION DAY

From Movielover: "As usual, I 100 percent agree with 50 percent of what you said. It's a crime that Bill Murray wasn't nominated for Rushmore, but it's typical of the snobbery associated with Academy membership. How dare Murray or Jim Carrey think they deserve a nomination from the Academy? Those comedians don't have a clue what real acting is about (Robin Williams is exempt from this rule because he's more cuddly and can cry on cue). I am glad The Thin Red Line was nominated, but I will be furious if it beats Saving Private Ryan (not that I'm too worried). It's a beautifully made film, Malick and [cinematographer John] Toll created images that are incredible, but it suffers the misfortune of coming after SPR. Spielberg made me feel the terror of war. I hadn't thought a lot about veterans before -- I thought war was a John Wayne film. But now I can't respect them enough. It changed me. That's not just a great film, that's what makes a movie last forever. Not just on celluloid or on videotape, but in the heart and mind.

"I hope the typical Oscar® snobbery doesn't turn against Spielberg for being too successful again (E.T. syndrome, which forever will be a greater film than Gandhi). Malick is considered the 'artist,' and a lot of people (like you and Harry) want to drop to the ground and worship his every bohemian move. But face it, it may be a great movie, but it doesn't carry the weight of being a classic. It didn't break new ground. (DAVID NOTE: Your mockery cheapens your argument. The Thin Red Line breaks a lot more new ground than Saving Private Ryan, though I still honor Ryan. It is, easily, the most insightful film about war, ever. The war that war is about. The one in our souls. It's not the easiest war to fight. Guns can be reloaded more easily. But time will give The Thin Red Line its place and Saving Private Ryan its rightfully high place as well.). That's the way I see it, sorry." (DAVID NOTE: No need to be sorry. Even is you are wrong... Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.)

From Michael, Subject: ARGHHH!: "Well, once again, the Oscars® have managed to reaffirm my belief that Hollywood is about hype, media and money. I am appalled with the shut-out of Happiness and Rushmore, the two best films of the year. To make matters worse, Life is Beautiful? For an industry made up of as many Jews as there are, I'm shocked that it would receive the nominations it did. Myself being Jewish, I was not able to enjoy this film. It wasn't a film about the Holocaust, fine, but dammit, my grandparents are both survivors and most of my family was murdered, so all I'm thinking through the entire film is, 'Sentimental my ass, they'd be dead!! What's going on? How can they get away with this?' The story was not strong enough to overcome the horror of what the Holocaust represents to me. Give it an Oscar® for best picture and I'll never watch the Oscars® again. Give it to Shakespeare in Love, and I'll never take the Oscars® seriously again. Why do you have to be British to be nominated for a freakin' indie flick? Happiness was much better than Secrets and Lies, and it's better than anything nominated this year. Thankfully, Zorro got a nomination -- now I'll be able to sleep in peace."

From Julie: "Thank God that a thoughtful, moving, emotional, stirring film made the best picture list (The Thin Red Line). We all know how the Academy like to support those 'feel good' films (Life is Beautiful) that are light on the mind and warm in the heart. The Thin Red Line's seven nominations are a welcome surprise to this cynical Oscar® watcher and almost make it bearable to see Life is Beautiful nominated for Best Picture. Of course, if there really is a God, then Miss Gwyneth 'my accent that I continually use in British films really doesn't sound British' Paltrow will go home with her hair extensions between her legs."

From Stephanie: "What? After last week's column on Autumn Heart cast members, you're not disappointed that Ally Sheedy was overlooked by the Academy? Are we still waiting for the transcript of your interview at Sundance with Ally and her Autumn Heart castmates?"

(DAVID NOTE: I do have a warm spot for Ally, but I can accept the lack of nominations. And Ally was very confident that she wouldn't get one. As for the transcripts, yes, unfortunately, they won't be ready until this weekend and will be up next week.)

From Tango: "What can I say that you didn't already say at the crack of dawn this morning? The myriad nominations for Life is Beautiful are suspect, and believe me when I say you are not alone in thinking Shakespeare in Love was overkill. And I work part time for (name of studio deleted by David)! I also happen to work with the (connection deleted by David) of one of the acting nominees (and no, it's not Vanessa Redgrave) who was perhaps rewarded a bit hastily. Tonight, I'll cry bitter tears for the ones who were robbed. I speak of Bill Murray, Christina Ricci, Lisa Kudrow and Jane Horrocks, to name but four. But I'm also doing a dance of joy around the hydrangeas for The Thin Red Line, Rachel Griffiths and Edward Norton -- especially Ed. Sadly, though, come next month they'll all be part of the 'it was great just to be nominated' club. And even though this morning I was swearing up and down that I'd boycott watching the ceremony this year, I know now that I won't, because sometimes miracles do happen on Oscar® night. P.S. If Gwyneth wins, I'm getting a full frontal lobotomy."

Jay Tierney wrote: "I had some strong feelings about this year's nominations, so I won't go into it all that much. Where is A Simple Plan? I have yet to see a top 10 list that hasn't included it, but, once again, the Academy is crazy and snubs a deserving film (more than Life is Beautiful, at least). I know how much you loved The Thin Red Line, but you have to admit the nomination it received for Best Adapted Screenplay is a joke! I don't see how a nominated screenplay could leave half of the actors wondering if they will even be in the final cut of the film."

(DAVID NOTE: No such admission is forthcoming. Malick wrote a beautiful film. Does Benigni deserve an award for mostly mime by that standard?)

From Peter: "Ten Reasons to Hate the Oscar® Nominations: 10) The Horse Whisperer not getting a cinematography nomination instead of perennial Conrad Hall for A Civil Action. 9) The Best song nominations. The nomination process for this category makes the Grammys seem cutting edge. 8) Will someone please explain to me why we have two categories for score? 7) Nominating Edward Norton, not because he isn't deserving, but because we will now be subjected to shots of Courtney Love all throughout the telecast. (David Note: No problem. They've split.) 6) Warren Beatty receiving a screenplay nomination for Bulworth, a film that ran out of steam before the end of the second act. 5) The likelihood that Armageddon will actually win an Oscar® for Visual Effects. 4) The fact that virtually no one other than selected Academy members see the nominated short films even after the Oscars® (Isn't that why there's a Bravo, Sundance or Independent Film Channel?) 3) Why there are only three films deemed worthy of an Best make-up nomination? (I had no idea it was such a terrible year for make-up.) 2) Were there really only four other male acting performances as good or better than Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan? 1) Having to read your column where you harp on the Academy doling out all the nominations for Life is Beautiful and Shakespeare in Love. Both of these movies are wonderfully made -- smart, funny, original, and beautiful.

"They are the types of films that should be honored. While I respect and admire Miramax's publicity machine, these are films that deserve their nominations. People I speak with responded with much enthusiasm to each of these films. (To denigrate Life is Beautiful by saying that audiences aren't going to see it is shameful of you. Let's face facts -- it's a foreign film and it's tougher than ever to get audiences to go see foreign films. I have many friends who refuse to see films with subtitles, so to hold that against the film is just wrong. Besides, compare its business to other recent popular foreign films and I think you will be surprised.)"

(DAVID NOTE: It's not a denigration of the film but of the reality of the nominating process, which is not necessarily about what people really like. Personally, I think Festen (The Celebration) was a lot better than Life is Beautiful and it didn't even get a Best Foreign Language nod.)

(By the way, I forgot early that not picking Jim Carrey for Best Actor was a reason to love the picks.)

From Ritesh: "The Thin Red Line -- Best Picture? The only reason this film got those nominations is because this director hasn't been around for 20 years and he made a couple of good films then. This film is really a bore to sit through. I haven't [seen] so many people walk out of a theater while this film was playing since Man Trouble, that (Jack) Nicholson film. I mean, most people sat there just because they'd paid money to see it and had hoped it would've gotten better. The movies bombed at the box office and there's a reason why: no real story. (DAVID NOTE: The film is more than $30 million domestic and will do at least triple that overseas.)

"Just a bunch of rambling little stories and nature scenes for three hours. This movie happens when artists try to be too ambitious and think that critics are going to love them, because they made a movie that most normal people can't figure out. Really, that's the major reason you like it; it's artsy and you're the one of the few who think that you know what this director is thinking. (DAVID NOTE: Interesting hypothesis. The reason I love the film is that it gets past the gung-ho explosiveness of war and speaks to the deep and very real meaning that war plays in the human soul. I know a lot of people don't have time to contemplate, but I choose to. I'm hardly susceptible to every artsy-fartsy film that hits the big screen.)

"And Life is Beautiful is terrific. It's a foreign film. How many Americans are going to see that anyway -- even if it got 15 nominations! And how many Holocaust films can you make that don't already say how bad it was and how lousy humans can be. This film is brilliant and original because its main point doesn't follow what every film about the Holocaust does. Why make Schindler's List over again? (DAVID NOTE: I' m not asking for a remake of Schindler's List. Nor do I hate Life is Beautiful. To me, it's a Top 25 film, not a top five film. That's all.)

TM wrote: "Today's Oscar® nominations were pretty solid all around. While I can't understand how Liam Neeson's role in Les Misérables got totally forgotten, I have no real complaints. Best of all, that color-changing turd of a film, (Un)Pleasantville, was largely forgotten. No major nominations, thank God. Maybe Hollywood finally realizes that it takes a master like Spielberg to make a film about prejudice without it turning into a preachy piece of left-wing trash."

 

 

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