Hollywood out of touch with the American mainstream...

[Kd5000]

Does anyone remember that statement being repeated a number of time last year by the so-called liberal media because of the b.o. performance of films nominated in best picture category.  Has anyone seen the b.o. figures for films nominated this year for best picture?

Despite an A-list star roster, the highest performer is The Departed with USD 125,000,000+.  The Queen is about USD 30,000,000.  Babel hasn't made USD 30,000,000.  Letters from Iwo Jima at USD 7,500,000, Little Miss Sunshine finished off at 60,000,000.

An Oscar nom isn't what it used to be, I suppose, based on b.o. bounce.

Why has the so-called liberal media kept quiet this year. You know, not too many Americans have seen the films nominated.  And it's not like it was a bad year at the b.o.  Pirates of the Carribean is ranked third after Titanic and Lord of the Rings for highest global box office gross.  Should it have been nominated for best picture to show that Hollywood is "in touch" with the mainstream.  Some said King Kong should have been nominated last year.

[Sheriff Roland]

Huge difference (maybe)

Weren't last year's nominated movies ALL independent films? - Is that the case again this year?

Caribbean was a fluff piece, so was King Kong - that's what the masses wanna see (well that & death & destruction, I guess) Don't make it good.

The Box Office receipt of movies are hardly a barometer a good movies, and the critics are maybe finally makin their peace with this reality. (But I haven't seen anything - in the theatres - since BBM, so I'm not the one that should be commentin, I guess)

[kirkmusic]

It was actually the conservative media saying that.  And it's funny because, while the Academy is based in Hollywood, so are all of the big studios that churn out the mass appeal, lowest common denominator crap that sells millions worth of tickets at the box office even though it sucks.  Hollywood knows all about the American mainstream and what it wants to see.  It also knows enough that when the time comes to honor good movies (if not one's personal favorites), it does just that rather than honoring box office champions of lower quality.  That's for the Peoples Choice Awards and MTV.

[SFEnnisSF]

It's not Hollywood that's out of touch with reality, it's the Academy.

[luigival]

It's not Hollywood that's out of touch with reality, it's the Academy.

Agree hundertpercent, Eric: Hollywood, be it mainstream or independent, has been releasing interesting subjects in the past few years, but the Academy seemed to be embarassed in awarding them, always opting for the more conventional option.
Luckily they're not the only ones awarding prizes, albeit an Oscar continues to be perceived as "the" prize.
And finally, this year, after 5 nominations that never translated into an Oscar, our beloved music composer Ennio Morricone will get the much sought after golden statuette for his glorious career.
Wasn't this award so loooong overdue?