Only 28 days until the Oscars, and I think it's time for me to start my advent calendar. But you see, instead of what would have been something of a celebratory thing, I've decided that the Academy's nominations and priorities are so screwed up this year that I'm going to find one thing that they did wrong every day up until the ceremony, which will no doubt be bloated, self-congratulatory, and shallow.
2011 was actually a pretty amazing year for movies, but looking at what the Academy has decided to nominate as the cream of cream this year, you wouldn't know it! Mediocrity upon mediocrity has been represented and put on a pedestal for congratulations, but truly exceptional movies have been given the cold shoulder.
So, here goes the first day of the Oscar countdown. Let's talk about a good film, and see how many nominations it got.
50/50
Directed by Jonathan Levine
Written by Will Reiser
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Bryce Dallas Howard
Tomatometer- 93%
Total Academy Award Nominations- 0
I'm pretty sure a lot of people thought that this would be the vaguely independent comedy film that would get a bunch of nominations at the Oscars, like Juno or Little Miss Sunshine. And that wouldn't have been a bad thing either, because this was a fantastic and deeply personal movie. It tackles a really difficult issue with sensitivity and humour, and features characters which are believable and face hard decisions.
That this film was not even nominated for screenwriting is a total travesty. Never mind that the acting in 50/50 is topnotch, or that the movie holds together better than some Best Picture nominees this year, it is the script that's truly special. An autobiographical script that looks at its subject matter through the unique lens of experience and understanding, and it doesn't merit a nomination.
Fucking Academy.
2011 was actually a pretty amazing year for movies, but looking at what the Academy has decided to nominate as the cream of cream this year, you wouldn't know it! Mediocrity upon mediocrity has been represented and put on a pedestal for congratulations, but truly exceptional movies have been given the cold shoulder.
So, here goes the first day of the Oscar countdown. Let's talk about a good film, and see how many nominations it got.
Directed by Jonathan Levine
Written by Will Reiser
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Bryce Dallas Howard
Tomatometer- 93%
Total Academy Award Nominations- 0
I'm pretty sure a lot of people thought that this would be the vaguely independent comedy film that would get a bunch of nominations at the Oscars, like Juno or Little Miss Sunshine. And that wouldn't have been a bad thing either, because this was a fantastic and deeply personal movie. It tackles a really difficult issue with sensitivity and humour, and features characters which are believable and face hard decisions.
That this film was not even nominated for screenwriting is a total travesty. Never mind that the acting in 50/50 is topnotch, or that the movie holds together better than some Best Picture nominees this year, it is the script that's truly special. An autobiographical script that looks at its subject matter through the unique lens of experience and understanding, and it doesn't merit a nomination.
Fucking Academy.
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