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BBM didn't win Best Picture Oscar - but not to fret!

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dly64:
Maybe this is a loaded topic since there are many people who are still livid about BBM not winning the Best Picture Oscar. And yes … this is months down the road, but my mind keeps going back to the controversy. I decided to do some delving into the Academy’s track record for Best Picture winners …. not always so great. Some of the winners are:

The Broadway Melody
Cimarron
Cavalcade
Hamlet (1948)
An American in Paris
The Greatest Show on Earth
Marty
Around the World in Eighty Days
Tom Jones
A Man for All Seasons
Chariots of Fire
Gladiator

I am not saying these films aren’t good (I’m not even saying they aren’t great). But how many people actually remember a lot of these films? Now, think of the following films that didn’t win:

King Kong (1933)
The Wizard of Oz
The Grapes of Wrath
Citizen Kane
It’s A Wonderful Life
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Sunset Boulevard
A Streetcar Named Desire
Singin’ in the Rain
High Noon
Shane
Rear Window
Rebel without a Cause
Giant
Vertigo
Some Like it Hot
Psycho (1960)
To Kill a Mockingbird
Dr Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Bonnie and Clyde
The Graduate
2001: A Space Odyssey
Network (which lost to Rocky!!)
Apocalypse Now (which lost to Kramer vs. Kramer)
Fargo (which lost to The English Patient)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (which lost to Gladiator!)
Brokeback Mountain (which lost to Crash)


I can tell you that the latter list has many more memorable and enduring films than does the previous (“winner”) list. 

In short … we need not despair. The true test of greatness will be time. IMO, BBM will weather it … Crash will not.

Jeff Wrangler:

--- Quote from: dly64 on September 07, 2006, 12:02:41 pm ---I can tell you that the latter list has many more memorable and enduring films than does the previous (“winner”) list. 

--- End quote ---

Oooo, you'll get arguments on that one! I'm not going to argue, merely state that in my opinion, Tom Jones and A Man for All Seasons are completely deserving of their wins (the Tom Jones being the original one, with Albert Finney, of course).

This is all highly subjective, of course.

dly64:

--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on September 07, 2006, 12:20:31 pm ---Oooo, you'll get arguments on that one! I'm not going to argue, merely state that in my opinion, Tom Jones and A Man for All Seasons are completely deserving of their wins (the Tom Jones being the original one, with Albert Finney, of course).

This is all highly subjective, of course.

--- End quote ---

You can argue with me ... that's fine. I am not saying that "Tom Jones" or "A Man for All Seasons" aren't great films. They most certainly are. What I am saying is that they are not as universally memorable as, let’s say, “The Birds” (which wasn’t even nominated)  or “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” If we completed a poll … I would venture to guess that darn few people have ever heard about either Oscar winner. Maybe I’m wrong! (Which is a complete possibility).

Additional Edit: I am also not saying "Crash" wasn't a great picture and didn't deserve to win. On the contrary ... it's a fabulous film. However, I don't see "Crash" standing the test of time, IMO.

Meryl:
I want to echo wholeheartedly Jeff's singling out of Tom Jones, one of my favorite films ever, as belonging in that winner's category, and A Man for All Seasons is a beautifully acted, intelligent and moving film.  I remember seeing 8 of those 12 films listed, being an old sod, and some of them do deserve to be there.  :)

I will never really forgive the Academy members who, for obtuse, prejudiced or self-serving reasons, chose not to honor what was clearly the best film of 2005.  It is a real blot on the Oscars and should be a wake-up call to their leadership that something is wrong when such a film as Crash can be hyped into a victory over other, more worthy films.  Brokeback Mountain was the most obvious loser, but all the other nominated films were better than the one that actually won.  >:(

dly64:

--- Quote from: meryl on September 07, 2006, 01:03:11 pm ---I will never really forgive the Academy members who, for obtuse, prejudiced or self-serving reasons, chose not to honor what was clearly the best film of 2005.  It is a real blot on the Oscars and should be a wake-up call to their leadership that something is wrong when such a film as Crash can be hyped into a victory over other, more worthy films.  Brokeback Mountain was the most obvious loser, but all the other nominated films were better than the one that actually won.  >:(

--- End quote ---

As Jeff has said ... this is completely subjective. I wanted BBM to win, no doubt about it. But, in all honesty, I wasn't shocked that it didn't. All of the films nominated this year were all considered controversial. Every single one. “Crash” is not a safe choice. It’s really not. To tell the truth, I think the producers and marketers behind “Crash” were more dogged in their approach as compared to BBM. I also read (albeit I have no “proof”) that much of the BBM information that went out to the academy downplayed the gay relationship and tried to build up Heath and Michelle’s relationship. If, indeed, this is true …. shame on them! I will do some research and I will see if I can find the source of that information.

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