Brokeback stars to join Academy

[vkm91941]

Oscar may be almost 80, but he's still young at heart – enough to keep company with Heath Ledger and even Dakota Fanning.

On Thursday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars each year, invited 120 artists and executives to join its ranks – including such young actors as Ledger, 27, Fanning, 12, Keira Knightley, 21, and Jake Gyllenhaal, 25.

I hope Heath and Jake do accept the invitation. If more people like them were voting for the Oscars, what happened at this years Oscars would be less likely to happen in the future.  Here's a link to the article and the full list of invitees.


http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2006/06.07.01a.html

Two years ago the Academy decided to slow membership growth, and to become even more selective in choosing members, said Academy President Sid Ganis. Instead of inviting every proposed person who has achieved the minimum qualifications for his or her branch, the membership committees are selecting the most exceptionally qualified names from those lists.

[Lynne]

Although I'm well aware of the general disdain for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences among Brokeback Mountain fans (myself included), it's noteworthy that both Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger were two of 120 people in the movie industry who were invited to join the Academy this year.

I didn't recognize any other BBM-affiliated names, but I have not yet done a full comparison with the movie credits

I did notice that Felicity Huffman is also included (TransAmerica), and that generally many on the list are relatively young.  Perhaps this signals that a shift to a younger, more progressive Academy is in the works?

Here is a link to the announcement on their website:

http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2006/06.07.01a.html

-Lynne

[welliwont]

good fer them!!

YEEHAW!!!

[Kelda]

don't know if this has been posted before from my quick glance??


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5153130.stm

Brokeback stars to join Academy 
 
Gyllenhaal and Ledger were both Oscar-nominated earlier this year
Brokeback Mountain stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are among 120 people invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Others include the 12-year-old actress Dakota Fanning, German director Werner Herzog and country star Dolly Parton.

British actresses Hayley Mills, Rachel Weisz and Keira Knightley have also been extended membership invitations.

Academy president Sid Ganis said the Oscar-awarding body had become "more selective" since 2004.

He said that only the "most exceptionally qualified candidates" from each of the academy's 14 branches had been invited to join.

Eight of the 120 names won Oscars earlier this year, among them British short film-maker Martin McDonagh. An additional 39 were nominated for awards.

It is customary for nominees to be considered for membership, though an invitation to join is not automatic.

The list of prospective new members includes actors, directors, animators, cinematographers, producers and editors.

The Academy can fill vacancies resulting from death or retirement. But its overall membership must not grow by more than 30 people each year.
 

[vkm91941]

b 

[Kelda]

oops sorry vic.. can I delete my post? or can you merge them??

[vkm91941]

oops sorry vic.. can I delete my post? or can you merge them??

No worries lets merge them.

[vkm91941]

There done and I kept your title 

[Kelda]

heheh.. 

[Lynne]

Here's another news article on the same topic...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060706/en_movies_eo/19427

[slayers_creek_oth]

Cool!  Thanks for posting Vic..

[Mikaela]

I wish they'd decline. Oh, how I wish that! And tell the AMPAS on my behalf, if not on their own, to just go **** themselves.



I just *had* to say that. I know it's petty and pathetic, but I had to. Feeling all better now.    Of course they won't decline, perhaps they even (God forbid!) feel honoured; - it's important to their carreers to join that group of pompous imbeciles important and talented industry peers.
 

[ednbarby]

Ah, Mikaela...  Have I told you lately that I love you?

[David]

Well,  if they don't join, then some people will say its a case of sour grapes.   

So maybe its better to take the "If you can't beat em join em" attitude.   

[ednbarby]

Well,  if they don't join, then some people will say its a case of sour grapes.   

So maybe its better to take the "If you can't beat em join em" attitude.   

I hear you there.  I'm just concurring with Mikaela's whole They Can Go F*** Themselves sentiment.  But in all practicality, of course they have to accept.

[adrian]

   Whatever the reason, I'm glad that the Academy is flushing out some of the old and replenishing with a younger, more open minded group.  And who knows, maybe it's the Academy's way of apologizing for the outcome of March 4th? 

   For what it's worth......

[Shakesthecoffecan]

I think I would be tempted to turn down the invite, but in the long run I think it would be a positive thing to join.

[nakymaton]

I think they should join...

...but Heath should give Matilda some crayons and let her scribble on the ballot, then send it in as if it's a vote.

Can't be worse than all the rumored non-watching that went on.

[JT]

I agree that they should join, although I still feelin' bitter about the outcome of the awards.  I think I'm going to throw up thinking about that Oscar.

[ednbarby]

I agree that they should join, although I still feelin' bitter about the outcome of the awards.  I think I'm going to throw up thinking about that Oscar.

I hear that.  And I very nearly did that night.  For sheer intensity of rage in a short timespan, nothing in my life beats what I felt when Jack opened that envelope and uttered that word.  I'm not being facetious when I say I now understand what it is to experience temporary insanity.  If there had been anyone in my living room directly (even partially) to blame for that result at that moment, I might have killed him.  Or sure as hell I would have tried.  I did do some very serious and permanent damage to a couple of inanimate objects.