As a diversion from the fact that you're anxiously awaiting Part 3 of our "Best Of The Decade" list (which, again, is taking too long to finish)...
Yes, I said "stupid." And I'm not just picking on the Oscars because everybody loves them so much. I'm not one of those anti-everything people.
I think we all pretty much know that the Academy Awards are like high school: It's all one big popularity contest. You do your little thing just to impress a few important people, and hope like crazy everybody will be talking about it the next day. And when they do, your ego gets a little boost and you hope that your legend will live on. And on. Until, finally, those same important people will remember your name at the end of the school year. "Hey, remember that guy/gal?" they'll say. "He/she did that great thing just a little while back. Man, that was good." Who knows, maybe they'll even spotlight your name in the yearbook. Or nominate you for an award of some kind.
I'm joking around, of course. No, wait. I'm not. We know it's a popularity contest, because why else would Russell Crowe win Best Actor for Gladiator (2000) and not The Insider (1999)? And why hasn't Tom Hanks won an Oscar since Forrest Gump (1994), though he's clearly given better performances since then? (Answer: Because he's already won two. Let's give someone else a chance here, Tom. I mean, come on.)
I don't know if it's the awards themselves people care about, or if we just enjoy our favorite stars taking a stroll down the red carpet, then sit around in a cold auditorium for three hours. "Hey, look, there's George Clooney," we shout. "Doesn't he look debonair in that tuxedo!" Or, "See? There's Sandra Bullock. Isn't she stunning in that dress I'd never be able to afford." Whatever it is, people sure love them some Oscars. Myself, I'd had about enough of high school since I graduated. That was 15 years ago.
I don't know if it's the awards themselves people care about, or if we just enjoy our favorite stars taking a stroll down the red carpet, then sit around in a cold auditorium for three hours. "Hey, look, there's George Clooney," we shout. "Doesn't he look debonair in that tuxedo!" Or, "See? There's Sandra Bullock. Isn't she stunning in that dress I'd never be able to afford." Whatever it is, people sure love them some Oscars. Myself, I'd had about enough of high school since I graduated. That was 15 years ago.
Anyway, in case you were wondering, the voting goes something like this: Actors vote for actors. Directors vote for directors. Cinematographers vote for cinematographers. (You know, to be fair, since what does an actor know about cinematography?) Oh, and everybody who's part of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences gets to vote for Best Picture - producers, actors, best boys, dolly grips. Whether they've seen every movie or not.
This year, what makes Oscar 2010 stand proud and apart from previous Oscars comes down to two things: Twice as many hosts (Steve Martin AND Alec Baldwin), twice as many Best Picture contenders (10). Why? It's the old Hollywood axiom: Why pay for one when you can pay twice as much for two? (To be fair, though, the Oscars did have 10 Best Picture nominees until 1943, when Casablanca won the award.)
Also in case you're wondering, this year's contenders are: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up and Up In The Air. Seen any of these? Have a particular favorite? Think you know which one will take home the Oscar? (I'll say this: If Avatar wins Best Picture, that long, anguished cry of despair you hear in the distance will be mine.)
Here's a list of some of the winners, if you even care:
BEST PICTURE
The Hurt Locker
BEST PICTURE
The Hurt Locker
BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mo'Nique, Precious
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Up
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Hurt Locker
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Precious
BEST ART DIRECTION
Avatar
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Young Victoria
BEST MAKE-UP
Star Trek
BEST FILM EDITING
The Hurt Locker
BEST SOUND EDITING
The Hurt Locker
BEST MUSIC SCORE
Up
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar
Yawn. We'll see you back here soon!
Darin, I love this write-up. It encapsulates my feelings toward the oscars perfectly. :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part was: people sure love them some Oscars. hahahaha
ReplyDeleteOh, and I didn't watch, because... Well? I don't care. =\
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side, the Best Score mashup was pretty good.
ReplyDeleteWow - that's exactly why I hate the Oscars, and I never realized it. It is rather like High School isn't it? Not that I hated High School, just that I graduated and subsequently grew up. The other reason I hate the Oscars is that they seem out of touch with reality. Why is it that the movies that always seem to be nominated are the obscure films that no one has ever seen, while the box office hits that make hundreds of millions of dollars each week are never recognized by the academy? (And the rare exceptions to this leave me dazed and confused anyway).
ReplyDeleteKeep up the blog - I love your writing style and your explanations are convincing enough to make me re-think some of my previously formed opinions. Thanks for entertaining me! ;)
Although I don't agree with the politics of the Oscars, I still enjoy watching them. It gives me an excuse to throw a party and spend time with friends and family. And since I am an aspiring filmmaker, and movies are such a huge part of my life, it's fun imagine that it might be me up there one day!
ReplyDeleteAlthough in some ways I do agree with you, Darin, about the Oscars being rigged and all, I still really enjoy the Oscars, and wait for it all year. We have a big party and debate about who's gonna win and fill out our ballots, and we shout in dismay when our choices lose, and whoop in excitment when they win. We even make fun of their ugly dresses (which Jonny finds annoying). If you ask me it's more fun than watching the superbowl. In fact, in my family the Oscars is the superbowl, and we celebrate it as such. But than Movies are the one thing that my whole family has in common. After all, my dad has been a set builder and a set foreman since I was seven, and all my brothers have worked in the business with him. So yeah... movies are kind of our thing.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the politics go, I have another example to go along with your Russell Crowe one. Remember when Martin Scorsese's movie "The Aviator", lost best picture and best director to Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby"? Did you notice how the following year they gave Martin the Oscar for "The Departed" and not to Clint for "Letters to Iwagima"? (Sorry if I spelled that wrong) Well I did. And I think it shoul've been the other way around. "Million Dollar Baby" was a good movie but "The Aviator" was more of a Best Picture worthy film, and "Letters to Iwagima" should've won over "The Departed"! Again the accademy gave the award to the wrong person one year and than tries to make up for it by giving it to them the next year.
If Hollywood is like High school than Meryl Streep is the Captain of the Cheeleaders! I mean how many times do they have to nominate her?!! It's like they nominated her just for showing up on a movie set, she doesn't even have to act or act well and they'll give her an award or try to. Personally I think she is the most over rated actress in Hollywood and I'm tired of everyone giving her parts in movies just because she's Meryl Streep. I'm sure there are plenty of actresses her age out there that would give their left foot for her career longevity. Anyways I'm just glad that although she was nominated for two roles this year she didn't win either. And I think it's lame that she tied with Sandra Bullock for Best actress at the Golden Globes. Couldn't they just give it to Sandy and leave Meryl out of it?!! Come people, I feel like I'm taking Crazy pills!!