The controversy continues. There are 2 camps: the pro-BBM* camp that say it was robbed and the Crash camp that says, “Sorry superior movie, thanks for the trophy.” There are a few others, real people who have lives, who don’t give a crap what movie wins Best Picture at the Oscars because they have lives and families to feed and…well you get the idea. Now I liked BBM. I thought it was pretty okay. I had some basic problems with it: Heath’s mumbling, Jake’s quirky, uneven performance, it being set in the 60’s through 80’s. But this movie has become so much more than a movie. What I love most about BBM is that it became an event. I love movies. The whole process. I love to know who was up for what part and who turned down which role. Like did you know that originally Sean Connery and Cathy Moriarty were up for Pretty Woman? Totally different movie. Or that Gwyneth passed on Titanic? Kate should send her roses everyday for the rest of her life. Or that The Bodyguard was originally a vehicle for Diana Ross? I love that BBM has spawned so many parodies. I love that it’s jumped the shark and it’s become part of the larger public consciousness.
That said it wasn’t the Best Picture of the Year. It just wasn’t. I don’t know that Crash was but I liked it more than BBM. The one glaring thing I miss about BBM is people call it a love story. Where is the love? Because I didn’t see it. Until it was too late. Ennis decides after Jack has been beaten to death that he’s in love. What happens if Jack had walked through that door ala Bobby on Dallas and it was all just a dream? Would Ennis and Jack had been happy? And hadn’t Jack started dating the friend in his home town? Whatever. That’s all conjecture. The movie was beautiful. It’s what one would expect from Ang Lee. The man is a genius. The Ice Storm is one of my fave movies. I mean I can even forgive him for that aberration, The Hulk. Any movie with hot ass Eric Bana in it I’m gonna see! I even saw Munich.
Speaking of which, where are all the Steven Spielberg fans and why aren’t they up in arms that Munich didn’t win? Did you know that a group of people actually raised over $24,000 and spent over $15,000 of it on an ad in Daily Variety protesting BBM’s loss? People are still dying from the ramifications of Hurricane Katrina and a group of real, live human beings spends that much money in a trade publication lamenting a movie’s Oscar loss?! That’s the outrage! Why not spend that money on Aids education? Or if you really think Hollywood is homophobic (which is the most insane thing I’ve ever heard because living here, everyone is gay) why not donate that $24,000 to GLAAD?!
Read More »Brokeback Vs. Crash Pt. 2