ACADEMY AWARDS ABOUT TO "JUMP THE SHARK"?

Network America ^ | 25 Jan 2005 | Jim Condit, Jr.

[Robert Drobot]

"Jump the Shark" is a semi-known phrase meaning "lose all credibility" or "it's all downhill from here."

The phrase comes from www.jumptheshark.com - which catalogs and debates the (paraphrase) "defining moment when you know you're favorite TV Show has reached its peak and its all downhill from here."

The phrase "jump the shark" comes from a Happy Days episode - late in the series - where Fonzie went on a vacation with the Cunninghams. In that episode of the sitcom, Fonzie jumped over a jaws-like shark while waterskiing on the ocean.

Fans generally thought this moment was so absurd, that it was the signal that Happy Days was about out of steam. Happy Days had lost credibility. Happy Days had "jumped the shark."

Another example given is that "Charlie's Angels" jumped the shark when Farah Fawcett left the show (which was after only 1 year, according to the site). Get the idea? OK.

Well, network nightly TV has itself long ago "jumped the shark" as far as I'm concerned. And it is long past the time when those producing nightly network TV shows should have been arrested for corrupting minors.

And despite the already debauched image Hollywood has achieved, there has still been a sense that there was at least a good faith ATTEMPT to give the nominations and Oscars to those who deserved the awards each year, more or less.

But this year, the Academy Awards along with Oscar himself may "Jump the Shark."

As if it wasn't bad enough that Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ", became the 9th largest grossing film of all time - and as if it weren't bad enough that the film was hailed by just about everyone outside of Hollywood as one of the most remarkable films, if not the most remarkable film, that many had every seen - 2004 turned out to be a really, really very bad year for memorable movies, let alone movies deserving the Oscar for Best Picture.

Things were so bad that a seeming scramble took place to release flicks which might pass as credible Oscar Nominees. A flurry of films being touted for nomination were released near the December 31, 2004 deadline.

ONE PROBLEM: none of the other mentioned Oscar nominee contenders did very well at the office. A quick internet survey revealed that all of the other movies being touted as potential nominees -- including "Ray", "Million Dollar Baby", which is actually a right-to-die movie, "Kinsey", a falsified life of the pervert which never made it to 300 screens on the way to bombing, ("The Passion of the Christ" by contrast made it to about 3000 screens), "The Aviator", "Sideways", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", and "Finding Neverland" - all together hardly made the box office which was achieved by "The Passion of the Christ."

BIGGER PROBLEM: If you don't know much or anything about the rest of this "march of the mediocre" films - don't feel bad. If you keep up with the news at all, you probably know that "Ray" is about the life of recently deceased singer Ray Charles. But I would be hard pressed to tell you much of anything about any of the others. All of which means that nobody is talking about them, and nobody can find anything much to say about them - not even in the media.

Does anyone seriously think that ANY of these other movies will be talked about 5 years or 10 years from now? - as "The Passion of the Christ" surely will be?

I don't think so - because - hear me now - no one is talking about these other movies FIVE DAYS or TEN DAYS after they see them!

The more relevant question is: Is anybody talking about these other films FIVE MINUTES or TEN MINUTES after they see the films - while they are catching a bite to eat shortly after leaving the theater?

The artistic brilliance of "The Passion of the Christ" includes - and this is just from off the top of my head from the last time I saw the movie (this time on DVD) a few months ago:

* The aerial scene of the crucifixion which leads to the teardrop falling from Heaven;
* The camera work as Longinus the soldier thrusts the spear at Jesus' body which gives the feel of the blood and water from Christ's side almost hitting the viewer in the face;
* The strategically placed flashbacks which evoked emotion or made some important point, such as that Christ worked for a living and had a sense humor;
* The absolutely great acting performances turned in by the actors and actresses who played Jesus, Mary, Mary Magdelene, and Pontius Pilate. The important thing here is that all the actors did a good job in the movie - you always felt you were in the action and in the moment - one mark of a great movie. (If you wonder how good Jim Caviezel was in realistically portraying Jesus - just go back and look at the other performances in other movies about Jesus.)
* The scenes where Director Mel Gibson approximated great paintings or works of art. One of these scenes was where Christ's right hand was being nailed to the Cross, while he looks at his right hand out of the corner of his eye; another was at the end of the movie when Mary holds the lifeless body of Jesus, which had just been taken down from the Cross, and looks at the camera; this scene approximates Michaelangelo's Pieta.

Moving to another point: some news articles are claiming that Michael Moore removed himself from the documentary category. How can this be? Michael Moore's movie, Fahrenheit 911 - IS a documentary. It is not a movie version of anything. It is a documentary. How does anybody get to move their production from the category it belongs in to a category it doesn't belong in? In any case, this shoots down the argument that the Academy can't award "The Passion of the Christ" the Best Picture award because its characters speak two foreign languages.

To conclude this Network America e-wire: the Hollywood elite are in a real box this year. From an artistic point of view, from an cinematic historical point of view regarding the probable longevity in the public mind, and from the aspect of box office success - then "The Passion of the Christ" is the clear winner (not just a worthy nominee - but the CLEAR winner) for the categories of both Best Picture and Best Director.

One article entitled, "Choosing the Best Film Will be Trickier than Ever" ran in the Daily-Herald based in Provo, Utah. The article noted the following:

"While "The Passion" is sui generis in terms of subject and execution, it has the financial credentials: It was the third-biggest earner of the year, with more than $370 million gross. And, more important, it fed the moviegoing desires of a growing and increasingly influential segment of the country -- including an untapped reservoir of people who would never otherwise go to the movies.

"Does Hollywood, already wearing the Mark of Cain for being licentious, immoral and Jewish, want to antagonize the entire fundamentalist Christian community by overlooking its favorite film?"

And Pat Buchanan, guest hosting for Joe Scarborough on MSNBC a month or two ago, made this point (paraphrase): Do the Academy voters hate a really effective movie about the Passion of Jesus Christ so much that they will forego what could be the largest ratings in their history? Buchanan asked how it would be possible to attract more people to watch the Academy Awards worldwide than if both "The Passion of the Christ" and Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 911" were both nominated for best picture of the year? Such a lineup would probably attract the largest audience ever for the Academy Awards.

It seems a certainty that the Academy is going to completely snub Jim Caviezel for his portrayal of Jesus. This is raw religious discrimination, trying to signal actors and actresses, young and old, that they'd better do soft porn or "politically correct" themes, and not wholesome movies - if they want to be recognized for their work.

But if the Academy snubs "The Passion of the Christ" - I wouldn't be surprised to see, for the first time ever, more protesters on the outside than attendees on the inside - as the cultural war divide continues to widen.

I also wouldn't be surprised if we could all hear a collective world wide laughter if we walk outside our houses at the moment the Oscar for Best Picture is awarded to one of these other comparative turkeys, rather than "The Passion of the Christ."

NOTHING is harder to rebound from for an institution that wants to be taken seriously - than to find itself the object of derision and laughter.

Will the Academy Awards and Oscar himself - "jump the shark" this year?

We'll find out a few hours from when this e-wire is released. You will find that we sent this Network America e-wire out at 11:45 PM California time on January 24, 2005 and it is so time-stamped on the independent website www.topica.com in the Network America section. The Academy Awards for movies released in 2004 are slated to be announced 6 hours from now, at 5:30 AM on January 25, 2005.

End of this e-wire.

Jim Condit Jr.,
Director, Network America Ewire List
Director, Citizens for a Fair Vote Count

[PzLdr]

Gorky Park- with Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine) as the forensic artist.

[PzLdr]

1977- when "Star Wars" won no major awards.

[Borges]

Well it won the awards it deserved. Music, special effects... The acting and script were terrible.

[Alaska Wolf]

.....Nobody turn theTV on, period,......

Funny you should mention that. Why turn it on ever? Last movie I watched in a movie theatre was Out of Africa. Seems I've missed little. Step out and watch the night sky, it beats anything on TV.

[RobRoy]

In my mind they jumped the shark when Annie Hall beat Star Wars as best picture.

But that's just me.

[Borges]

It got 3 nominations. People thought it wouldn't get any. It could very well be that there were 5 better films last year.

[Logic n' Reason]

I do not watch these awards. . . for various reasons that don't need to be stated here.

However, in my own personal humble opinion, I think the only airwaves that should carry them at all is Bulgarian TV. (my apologies to all the Bulgarians on FR.)

[LiveFree99]

No, I don't think the Duke would have gotten up there to slug her.

Although, it has been alleged that he used to get drunk and drag his wife (I forget which one) around the house by her hair.

[Hildy]

I disagree with the author that this year's movies were less than memorable. That's just wrong.

[HitmanLV]

The Academy Awards jumped the shark years and years ago - the last one I saw was in the early 1980s and it was pretty bad even back then. It's just a dull trade show that they have suckered the American public into thinking is meaningful.

The only better marketing coup I can think of, off the top of my head, is how Madison Avenue has hypnotized many millions of Americans into being excited about commercials during the Super Bowl. "Oh, those commercials!" I never did understand that, nor have I been very impressed with Super Bowl commercials, either.

I prefer my World Series, what can I say? ;-)

[Borges]

When AMPAS formed in the late 1920s their primary purpose was to fight unions! Giving out awards was basically a fine print clause at the bottom of their charter. The awards gained more and more popularity over the years and TV in the 1950s just let it explode.

[StrictTime]

I cannot figure out how so many people thought Shrek 2 was funny. I thought it was a boring, animated Oprah whine-fest. The alternative-lifestyles crowd was the one praising this movie (and I wonder, what percentage of reviewers are alternate-lifestyle people) for it's heart-warming portrayal of a "non-traditional" relationship.

Blech. I just thought it was a waste of $3.95 in rental fees...

[Borges]

I didn't like it at all. Completely calculated lowest common denominator crap.

[HitmanLV]

Yep.

[hattend]

Better than last year when that TOTALLY GAY Lord of the Rings crap won. ;-)

What lure are you using?

[Twinkie]

. . . . . and meantime, down at the First Union Bank of Hollywood . . someone is laughing as they make another deposit . . . who is it? . . . . . Mel somebody or the other . . . hee hee . .

[Lady Heron]

"Master and Commander" was this year right? Any nominations for that film. That's the last film I went to see.

It was the only film I saw this year I had to keep myself from falling asleep in. I think it was a guy thing to like that film. Out of 5 men and boys I went to see it with most, not all, liked it. I was board stiff.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I was stuck watching "Catwoman" on the flight home from Mexico yesterday. *Rolleyes* I can't believe that movie wasn't nominated for something! First of all, Hale Berry is just so gorgeous to look at, and secondly, someone should've kicked Sharon Stone's @ss decades ago, LOL!

Seriously, I like seeing which movies win something, then I go read a few reviews and Netflix them, or borrow them from the library. I like an entertaining flick, but to me, it's just entertainment. Books are much more fun, IMHO. I can direct, produce, costume, compose the soundtrack and edit them all inside my own head, you know? :)

[finnigan2]

" He was playing a withdrawn mentally ill man!"

- Yup, you're right. A slack jawed Mongoloid on Prozac. Isn't that what I said?

[LibertarianInExile]

Nope. A different two words. Sacheen Littlefeather.