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Jeff wrote:The Secret of Kells, distributed by our very own davebert, managed to score a Best Animated Feature nod alongside Up, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline, and The Princess and the Frog. Congratulations, Dave. Quite an accomplishment!

Go Davebert I hope you win. If you do though I wonder what that means for Up? It also got into BP so doesn't that make animated in this case redundant?

I am pissed Up got nominated for Best Picture.

oldsheperd wrote:Blindside? Is that the inspirational story of the first all-Black Ping-Pong team?

I read the summary on the back of the book. It was something akin to: He was a poor black youth who couldn't read or write until a white evangelical family took him in and he learned to play football.

I think that's probably a good summary of the movie, which I did not see. But don't judge a book on its "cover marketted to people who like Sandra Bullock Lifetime movies." I guarantee anyone who liked the movie, closed the book after the first 50 pages about he history of the Left Tackle position and west coast offense.

mfunk9786 wrote:Here's a question: when's the last time a film was shut out of the screenplay and acting categories and still won Best Picture? I think Avatar is officially doomed.

That would be Grand Hotel in 1932.

Not to defend The Blind Side too much, but as incredibly cliché as the story is, it's pretty much true. The guy plays for the Baltimore Ravens at this point, and I saw a piece on his life way before the movie came out.

I'm not at all debating the truthiness behind Blind Side. I was actually referencing Bill Burr's spot about how there is a such a flood of inspirational race stories being made. He specifically references the swimming one with Terence Howard.
I do recall that the back of the book does mention the term "White Evangelical Family"

Well, everyone knows that you have to claim to be affiliated with God to be good.

And here I thought film coverage in the Times was improving.

In expanding the best picture category — something it hasn’t done since awards for the 1943 films — the academy’s governors were hoping to spark new audience interest in a ceremony that recently has leaned toward independent-style fare like “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Milk,” and “The Reader.”

knives wrote:

Jeff wrote:The Secret of Kells, distributed by our very own davebert, managed to score a Best Animated Feature nod alongside Up, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline, and The Princess and the Frog. Congratulations, Dave. Quite an accomplishment!

Go Davebert I hope you win. If you do though I wonder what that means for Up? It also got into BP so doesn't that make animated in this case redundant?

I'm afraid Up has Best Animated Feature all sewn up. I liked it a lot, but liked Fantastic Mr. Fox and Coraline more. The nomination is the real victory for Secret of Kells. Besides the joy of seeing it kick Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in the nuts, the nomination means that it might get some screens outside of NY and LA.

oldsheperd wrote:I'm not at all debating the truthiness behind Blind Side. I was actually referencing Bill Burr's spot about how there is a such a flood of inspirational race stories being made. He specifically references the swimming one with Terence Howard.
I do recall that the back of the book does mention the term "White Evangelical Family"

I have to say that I'm a bit of a sucker for inspirational, overcoming poverty and disadvantages type stories -- last year The Express, the Ernie Davis story gave my tear ducts a workout -- but The Blind Side was well done, and Bullock has a meaty role that she tackles full on.

It is a slightly modified true story, and the religious nature of the family wasn't really pushed forward at all. In fact, all I can remember is Bullock's character standing up to a Memphis hoodlum by saying that she has a weekly prayer meeting with the DA (and that she's a heat packing member of the NRA). And I think they said grace before eating one time. Pretty low-key, iirc.
It's not exactly going to surprise you with where it goes, but the two main characters are well written and acted. My main complaint would be the secondary roles, as the little kid is rather annoying, and the husband under-written (and his real life role apparently much diminished).

Edit: was defending the film against oldshepard's attack, not it's Best Pic nom, which seems rather over the top for a fairly standard feel-good film.

Very disappointed that Mary & Max didn't get a nom.
And thought The Men Who Stare at Goats should have been selected.
Agree that the lead from District 9 should have a nom as well.
Surprised but not too concerned that The Informant was shut out.
Haven't seen Wild Things yet, but figured it would get a nom or two for something.
I thought the doc Facing Ali was brilliant, but seems nobody has seen it.

I've seen dozens of movies from 2009, but not one of the Supporting Actor films.

The Informant! being shut out is the biggest robbery of that whole list. Should have been a Best Pic, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Adapted Screenplay nom. At least.

mfunk9786 wrote:The Informant! being shut out is the biggest robbery of that whole list. Should have been a Best Pic, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Adapted Screenplay nom. At least.

whoa. it wasn't that good.

Oh, it wasn't? Nevermind then! :-"

I just haven't met anyone or come across anyone who really had a particular affinity for it at all, let alone saying it should win every award under the sun. So, please forgive me...your post just came as a shock.

I personally wanted to love it, but I thought it was a mess. Still better than the Girlfriend Experience, so I guess that's a plus.

Have you heard of this place called criterionforum.org? I've heard a lot of people there like it.

swo17 wrote:Have you heard of this place called criterionforum.org? I've heard a lot of people there like it.

is there even a thread for it? I'll search for it.

It was my favorite American from the past year, and I really do believe Damon should have gotten nominated for that instead with Bakula taking a support.

Damon was pretty great in it. I think he was really the best part of the film.

It made my 2000s list, I thought it the best American film of last year

It's on like a half dozen of our Top Ten lists, so, yeah

Over all, not a terrible year. I almost took Invictus off my Best Pic list, but I would have replaced it with Crazy Heart, so it wouldn't have mattered-- I misread which acting "powerhouse" was going to float their movie to a Best Pic nom. I'm very very very happy at An Education getting in, though sad about Molina. The Best Pic nomination that really kills me is fucking A Serious Man, but whatever-- the Blind Side making it is perfectly sensible, though the merits of such a nom are debatable. I was shocked to see Julie and Julia snubbed on the screenwriting level-- this means there is far less goodwill toward the film in the academy than I suspected. Take Streep out of the running for Best Actress and it's Bullock's to lose, but I really think Mulligan could score a huge come from behind if she starts working the markets now-- she's very different in person than her character, and it would go a long way towards making people consider her ingenue role in the light it deserves.

domino harvey wrote:The Best Pic nomination that really kills me is fucking A Serious Man, but whatever

It's on like a dozen of our Top Ten lists, so...

Aside from The Blind Side, that's a surprisingly respectable list.

Carey Mulligan doesn't have a prayer; be content with her being the slight frontrunner (ahead of Meryl) at the BAFTAs. The Oscar is Bullock's award, and something major has to happen for her to lose.

Yeah, like the voters have to see An Education.

All of the Top 6 Academy Awards are a lock, except Best Picture. I would bet strongly on Avatar, but still think Hurt might get it.

The most obvious locks are Monique and Waltz. No further discussion necessary. They both face EXTREMELY weak (or in the case of Up/Air, split) competition.

Bridges gets actor. That film was terrible--I almost walked out. Generic story with not a single believable moment, and Colin Ferrell was just a joke. The only real (slight) competition is Clooney but Oscar knows that this may be Bridges' last chance. Also the Maggie nom seals it for Jeff.

Bullock gets actress, because that's almost like another black winner. Streep has a slight chance but none of the others do.

Bigelow gets director.

That is all. I won't be watching.