This year, Oscar's big night won't be about bloat

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/1/6 | Mick LaSalle

[SmithL]

In trying to make sense of the Oscar nominations, it always helps to remember one thing: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences likes movies that are socially liberal but artistically conservative. And this has been the case from the beginning.

So Terrence Malick ("The New World") shouldn't feel bad today, any more than King Vidor ("The Crowd") or Charlie Chaplin ("City Lights") or Spike Lee ("Do the Right Thing") should have in their respective years. If you want to be nominated for best picture, don't make the most artistically adventurous film of the year and don't push the art of cinema forward. Instead make "Gentleman's Agreement." Make "Driving Miss Daisy."

Likewise, Andrew Adamson ("The Chronicles of Narnia") shouldn't feel bad today, even though he made a fantasy every bit as moving and glorious as any of the three "Lord of the Rings" films, all of which were nominated for Academy Awards. His film was a Christian allegory. That might have been OK in the time of "Going My Way" (1944), when Christianity was associated with liberal virtues such as charity and generosity of spirit. But today, with the trappings of Christianity co-opted by the extreme right, "The Chronicles of Narnia" didn't stand a chance.

Better Adamson should have made something like "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" or "In the Heat of the Night" ... or, for that matter, "Crash."

But there is good news this year. In 2005, the Academy apparently had enough Academy-type movies to choose from, so there's nothing embarrassing on this list. For example, look at the nominees for best picture: "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Munich."

[SmithL]

It's still a circle of jerk liberals rewarding liberals for being liberal.

[1Old Pro]

the Academy apparently had enough Academy-type movies to choose from, so there's nothing embarrassing on this list. For example, look at the nominees for best picture: "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Munich."

Nothing embarrassing??? Says who.

[Rummyfan]

In 2005, the Academy apparently had enough Academy-type movies to choose from, so there's nothing embarrassing on this list. For example, look at the nominees for best picture: "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Munich."

I have seen only MUNICH from this bunch. If these are the nominees for the 'Best Picture' of the year, the movie industry really is in trouble.

[thoughtomator]

Knowing nothing about the other three, at least 40% of the nominees for Best Movie are hardcore left propaganda, one on behalf of the Communists and the other on behalf of Islamists. Thus is the state of the US movie industry today.

Where's Joe McCarthy when you need him?

[GianniV]

How shallow are people who need to create an awards show to congratulate themselves? This is part of the 'Oprah-ization" of American. Hey, we all clap and applaud each other, so we must be good and virtuous!

How about donating all the money spent on the ceremony and the limos and gowns to our Armed Forces? Remember, these are the same peope who ripped Nancy Reagan for buying new clothes during the "dark days of the 80s."

I WILL NOT WATCH THE ACADEMY AWARDS. Rather watch 'Reno 911.'

[martin_fierro]

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences likes movies that are socially liberal but artistically conservative.

Trying to imagine what a movie that's socially conservative but artistically liberal would look like.

[Moose4]

"South Park?"

}:-)4

[MarxSux]

I don't care what they say, I say that cinema is not an art-form. It is merely an entertainment medium.

[weegee]

His film was a Christian allegory. That might have been OK in the time of "Going My Way" (1944), when Christianity was associated with liberal virtues such as charity and generosity of spirit. But today, with the trappings of Christianity co-opted by the extreme right, "The Chronicles of Narnia" didn't stand a chance.

The "Extreme-right" is only "extremely" edgy because the left went so far away from tradition (including FAITH).

Compare conservative donations to liberal giving and you will see that the left is only generous with OPM (other peoples' money). There is no charity in forced taxation.

[weegee]

In 2005, the Academy apparently had enough Academy-type movies to choose from, so there's nothing embarrassing on this list. For example, look at the nominees for best picture: "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Munich."

"Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Munich" are both embarassing revisionist accounts of history. Every bit the distortion that Michael Moore's "documentaries" are.

[weegee]

Where's Joe McCarthy when you need him?

Being vilified by Hollywood, yet again.

[lugsoul]

In trouble because they nominated a bunch of movies you haven't seen?

[weegee]

Did anyone see them, is the question.

Compare them against the top box office draws.

[lugsoul]

This ain't the People's Choice Awards. If box office draw was the standard, they could just take whatever's at the top of the list and give it awards. I'm sure, however, that you won't contend that popularity is the same thing as quality.

BTW, I saw three of them.

[Mr. Jeeves]

"Crash" was a pretty good movie, but I wouldn't have considered it for Best Picture. Its a good depiction of how groups (even ~gasp~ Americans of Color!) are biased against other groups, but its treatment of the subject was heavy-handed and almost comedically silly.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Keira Knightley was great in "Pride and Prejudice", so I'll be pulling for her. Besides, if a 20-year-old English girl can upstage all of these pompous Hollywood frauds, more power to her!

Other than that, not much here to look it. I think Ian McDiarmid was overlooked for a Best Supporting Actor nomination, but this seems to be an unusually anti-Sci Fi/Fantasy year, even for the Academy. Hey, if it were up to me, I'd give Nathan Fillion the Best Actor award for Serenity. ;)

[hattend]

That might have been OK in the time of "Going My Way" (1944), when Christianity was associated with liberal virtues such as charity and generosity of spirit. But today, with the trappings of Christianity co-opted by the extreme right,

WTF? Just because the lefties dumped Christianity in exchange for secularism doesn't mean Christianity was co-opted by the EXTREME right.