NationStates Jolt Archive


Who should have won for Best Picture at the Oscars?

Imperial Evil Vertigo
08-03-2006, 02:10
Chose from above, and defend your position.

I say Syriana because of the complex plot, and having George Clooney AND Matt Damon in it. (George Clooney played a Canadian!)
Von Witzleben
08-03-2006, 02:14
I heard Paradise Now was nominated. But that there was a petition that it could win no oscar.
Von Witzleben
08-03-2006, 02:19
And King Kong sucked ass.
Sdaeriji
08-03-2006, 02:20
Had Phillip Seymour Hoffman not won the Oscar for best actor, I would have liked to Capote take best picture in place of that. But I can agree that Syriana was the best out of that list of movies I've seen. I never saw Crash.
Flame From Hell
08-03-2006, 02:21
I say Munich because I think it was not bad.

Syriana was good.
The Nazz
08-03-2006, 02:21
Of the ones I saw, Brokeback Mountain, but I wouldn't have bitched if Capote or Good Night and Good Luck had won instead.

Didn't see Crash yet, but it's on my Netflix list.
Imperial Evil Vertigo
08-03-2006, 02:22
Had Phillip Seymour Hoffman not won the Oscar for best actor, I would have liked to Capote take best picture in place of that. But I can agree that Syriana was the best out of that list of movies I've seen. I never saw Crash.
Did you see Capote?
Go Syriana
Bobs Own Pipe
08-03-2006, 02:22
Why, who won?
Anarchic Conceptions
08-03-2006, 02:23
I've only seen two of the films on the list, of which I think Walk the Line was better.

Though I'm heavily biased on three counts considering that.
Imperial Evil Vertigo
08-03-2006, 02:26
I've only seen two of the films on the list, of which I think Walk the Line was better.

Though I'm heavily biased on three counts considering that.
Johnny Cash is cool, but I don't listen to him.
Kinda like Hansel with Sting.
Sdaeriji
08-03-2006, 02:30
Did you see Capote?
Go Syriana

Yes, and Hoffman was brilliant.
Ravea
08-03-2006, 02:30
Jesus should have won, lol!

That joke aside, I think Crash deserves the top spot, but personally I like Capote better. Never saw Syriana.
Franberry
08-03-2006, 02:31
Howl's Moving Castle

nough' said
Demented Hamsters
08-03-2006, 02:34
C'mon. King Kong had a giant monkey in it. No other movie had that. More than enough reason why it should have won every Oscar. Even ones it wasn't nominated for.
Peechland
08-03-2006, 02:34
Brokeback damnit! Grrr....
Whereyouthinkyougoing
08-03-2006, 02:42
Brokeback Mountain.

I loved Crash, and I'd have loved for both to win if that were possible; but something's just...wrong with Brokeback not winning Best Picture.

Argh, I already ranted on another forum, so you'll be spared. :p
Imperial Evil Vertigo
08-03-2006, 02:49
Brokeback Mountain.

I loved Crash, and I'd have loved for both to win if that were possible; but something's just...wrong with Brokeback not winning Best Picture.

Argh, I already ranted on another forum, so you'll be spared. :p
What do you mean by ranted?
Psychotic Mongooses
08-03-2006, 02:51
Brokeback was too over hyped. As a stand alone film it wasn't that good- it had a powerful message but at the end of the day it was just another love story.

Crash was good- interesting and did make you think a bit coming out out of the movie.

I personally liked Good Night and Good Luck- very well put together film, good direction and good acting in the lead.

I'd like to see Syriana next.
New Stalinberg
08-03-2006, 02:55
Munich should have won.
Gargantua City State
08-03-2006, 02:58
I saw one movie out of that list... Star Wars III. So I had to vote for it by default.
Hollywood hasn't come out with hardly anything to catch my interest in a long time...
March of the Sequels and Bad Remakes... I'll live without.
I'm kinda hoping Hollywood falls into the ocean, swallowing up all the really useless ultra famous people, and someone catches it all on tape and makes a movie of THAT. :p
Europa Maxima
08-03-2006, 03:00
Crash deserved its Oscar, but I would say Brokeback Mountain was a close contender.
OntheRIGHTside
08-03-2006, 03:00
I heard a lot about brokeback mountain sucking, but I didn't see it or any other of the best picture movies this year. I'm so deprived, I know.


But, yeah, if Brokeback Mountain sucked, who cares about how important it was?
Terrorist Cakes
08-03-2006, 03:02
Pride and Prejudice! And last year, it should have been Phantom of the Opera, which is only the most amazing movie ever made. Aside from the English Patient. Or Shakespeare in Love.
Thriceaddict
08-03-2006, 03:02
Paradise Now should have won.
Whereyouthinkyougoing
08-03-2006, 03:05
What do you mean by ranted?
Well, I put it all very delicately, so it wasn't really a rant (it felt like one, though) and I was still thinking through it when I wrote it (still am, in fact). Because I don't feel like writing it again and because I seem to be unable to put it into fewer words without it turning into blanket statements, here's a copy&paste.

It started with two people posting this:
I also feel like Crash won because it gave the Academy an out to vote for a movie about "issues" and say "See, we're progressive! We awarded the movie about racism!" without having to award the "gay movie". Bitter. and this: And I was thinking the same thing on the Crash vs. Brokeback issue and have had discussions with people this week who thought the same thing but I didn't want to say it for fear of looking overly sensitive. So I'm happy to see someone else say it.

So here's what I think:
It's really strange. When Crash got the Oscar, I was kind of happy for them (because I really, really loved that movie, and I've seen it twice, after reading some not-so-glowing reviews about it being not-so-subtle social kitsch, and I still couldn't find fault with it) but at the same time I was really disappointed for Brokeback Mountain.
Maybe also because in my mind it was all going to be this big Brokeback night, and it just wasn't (although it had been pretty clear that it wouldn't win in the acting categories, so yeah). The friend I was watching it with felt the same. Not for one second, however, could we really pinpoint the reason for the disappointment.

Then I read way too much post-Oscar coverage yesterday, and now I am starting to get irritated, love for Crash be damned.
While I would have completely dismissed any "Oh, that's just because they wouldn't vote for the gay movie!" stuff on Oscar night, it seems there just might be something to it. I guess such things always seem so inconceivable to me because I just can't fathom people (in Hollywood!!) to think like that. Naive much?

Seems a lot of people feel Brokeback has been intentionally slighted. Apparently there had been quite some furor about how many Academy members (think the old, white, male ones) would more or less openly say they weren't even going to watch "that movie". Most seems to have been rather anecdotal evidence about what was presumably said in private conversation or off the record, but at least Tony Curtis has said so to the press about himself and others he knows (which I must have totally missed).
Some say this may have been the case with a few folks only, and is blown out of proportion. We'll never know, I guess.

But seeing how the voters give out their votes (like George Clooney said backstage), i.e. "Well, let's give him something, but not this, and not this, ahhh, yes, let's put him in here, and then she can have this, etc......" it seems entirely logical - presuming there IS a certain amount of prejudice against giving best picture (!) to a "gay cowboy movie", which there probably is - that that's exactly what happened. They gave it something (they couldn't well not, could they?) but not the big one.

I read so much conflicting stuff that I'm not sure - every side kind of makes sense.

But I do see the point of the article who pointed out that, just looking at all the best picture awards Brokeback had gotten so far, it practically means right there that the Academy made a conscious effort to not give it theirs, too.

I'm mad now.

[/rant]

I didn't want to hijack your thread - but you asked. ;)
Undelia
08-03-2006, 03:07
But, yeah, if Brokeback Mountain sucked, who cares about how important it was?
Brokeback Mountain is a great movie, if you like one uncomfortable scene after another.

Personally, I can’t stand love stories, and gay love stories are no exception.

I said Crash because it won and, generally, the one that actually wins deserves the Oscar in my experiance.
Bobs Own Pipe
08-03-2006, 03:16
I said Crash because it won and,
Ahhh. So I finally find out. (I'll bet none of you believed me when I asked "who won". Bastards.)

Didn't see it. Wait a moment.

Wasn't there an award-winning film called 'Crash' just a few years ago? Directed by David Cronenberg and adapted from the novella by J.G. Ballard?

I saw that. I take it, then this was what? A remake?
Sexy Soviets
08-03-2006, 03:17
Crash totally deserved it, and I think Brokeback was way too controversial to win, no matter how good it may have been (I haven't seen it, won't make an opinion about it).
Imperial Evil Vertigo
08-03-2006, 03:17
Brokeback Mountain is a great movie, if you like one uncomfortable scene after another.

Personally, I can’t stand love stories, and gay love stories are no exception.

I said Crash because it won and, generally, the one that actually wins deserves the Oscar in my experiance.
I agree, except for the Crash part. Anyone who has seen Syriana will love it.
Anarchic Conceptions
08-03-2006, 03:20
Wasn't there an award-winning film called 'Crash' just a few years ago? Directed by David Cronenberg and adapted from the novella by J.G. Ballard?

I saw that. I take it, then this was what? A remake?

Nope, as far as I know it looked at race in LA (I haven't seen it).

I made a similar mistake after reading about Oprah describing not being allowed into a Parisian shop, shortly before closing time, as her "Crash moment." Needless to say, my mind boggled.
Whereyouthinkyougoing
08-03-2006, 03:26
Ahhh. So I finally find out. (I'll bet none of you believed me when I asked "who won". Bastards.)

Didn't see it. Wait a moment.

Wasn't there an award-winning film called 'Crash' just a few years ago? Directed by David Cronenberg and adapted from the novella by J.G. Ballard?

I saw that. I take it, then this was what? A remake?Just to not be lumped with the bastards again :p I'll believe you that you actually don't know, and answer: No, Crash isn't a remake of Cronenberg's Crash. I read somewhere why they could actually name it Crash without there being any kind of copy right problems or such, but I forgot. Great. Anyway, Cronenberg wasn't too pleased, esp. because they didn't tell/ask him.

I agree, except for the Crash part. Anyone who has seen Syriana will love it.
Well - I've seen it. And while it was a decent movie, I didn't exactly miss it among the best picture nominees. If we're talking current political thrillers, The Constant Gardener was a lot better, IMHO.
But yeah, no use debating matters of taste. :p
Whereyouthinkyougoing
08-03-2006, 03:28
I made a similar mistake after reading about Oprah describing not being allowed into a Parisian shop, shortly before closing time, as her "Crash moment." Needless to say, my mind boggled.
Hehe, I can totally picture her in a sexy black leg brace...
Bobs Own Pipe
08-03-2006, 03:40
Hehe, I can totally picture her in a sexy black leg brace...
Oh great. It's been a while since I've had cola up the sinuses...

*Edit: bastard!
Whereyouthinkyougoing
08-03-2006, 03:46
*Edit: bastard!
:eek: *cries*

Serves your sinuses right, if I may say so.
Imperial Evil Vertigo
09-03-2006, 01:31
What the hell is The Constant Gardener about?

Syiana still owns
Shurely
09-03-2006, 01:50
I didn't like any of the movies on the list. the best movie I've seen in a long long time is Eight Below. If you love dogs, or ever had a dog, you will really like this movie.
New Granada
09-03-2006, 02:06
Munich was an extremely excellent movie, but I dont feel bad: steven spielberg does not need another oscar.

Capote was excellent as well, but mainly because of Phlp Sy Hoffman, who got his award.

My oh-two-c.
N Y C
09-03-2006, 02:09
I saw Syriana, King Kong, Star Wars and Good Night and Good Luck. Of the 4, I though Good Night and Good Luck was the best, although Syriana was a very close second. I want to see Capote and Crash soon too.
Rangerville
09-03-2006, 02:50
I saw Crash, but not until after the Oscars were over, that same night in fact on one of our movie channels. I thought it was really good, made you think about a lot of things, but i really liked Brokeback Mountain too. I'm a sucker for love stories, and that one was so heartfelt and tragic. I also saw Walk the Line, which i also liked, but it doesn't compare with the other too, imo. I have not yet seen Munich, Syriania, Capote, or Good Night and Good Luck, but i would like to at some point.
Whereyouthinkyougoing
09-03-2006, 03:48
What the hell is The Constant Gardener about?
It's to the international pharmaceutical drug business what Syriana is to oil.
Cannot think of a name
09-03-2006, 04:11
I already did a big thing about this here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10544297&postcount=9).

Generally speaking every year there is some movie I saw that I thought was overlooked and am angry about the nominations, not so much this year. I think that maybe Broken Flowers was more deserving to be nominated over Good Night and Good Luck, which while an important and timely film, I felt it was a bit anemic.

But I can't think of another film that really pegged me this year.
Kreitzmoorland
09-03-2006, 04:15
Generally speaking every year there is some movie I saw that I thought was overlooked and am angry about the nominations, not so much this year. I think that maybe Broken Flowers was more deserving to be nominated over Good Night and Good Luck, which while an important and timely film, I felt it was a bit anemic.
If I hadn't seen Broken Flowers with a friend who has an infectious laugh, it probably would have bored me to tears. I'm sick of Bill Murray playing Bill Murray.
Cannot think of a name
09-03-2006, 04:21
If I hadn't seen Broken Flowers with a friend who has an infectious laugh, it probably would have bored me to tears. I'm sick of Bill Murray playing Bill Murray.
Different strokes. The last shot of that movie makes the whole thing.