10 Best Pictures?
Originally posted on January 4, 2010. Written during the previous week.
When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences doubled the number of nominees for Best Picture from five to ten back in June, quite a few heads were turned. The logic behind this move was that there are many great films that go uncelebrated by the Academy, and it’s necessary to give many of these films their due. Is this a response to the backlash from The Dark Knight’s unsurprising snub when the announcements of the nominees for the 81st celebration were made? Or does the AMPAS truly feel that Hollywood has entered another golden age not seen for decades, and that there really are so many good films out there that need to be celebrated?
Whatever the case may be, the decision to expand certainly seemed like a good idea at the time. 2008 was quite a good year for movies, with or without The Dark Knight. While The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, and Frost/Nixon were the five competing in that particular race, there was actually quite a bit of competition for Best Picture. Doubt initially seemed to like a front runner, as did Aronofsky’s sublime The Wrestler. Even Clint Eastwood’s acting swan song, Gran Torino, seemed poised for more than a few nominations, yet ended up completely empty handed. And of course, there’s The Dark Knight, which many felt was deliberately snubbed. While I personally disagree, it’s still a film I’d much rather see up for Best Picture than Milk or The Reader.
I would not have minded The Dark Knight over this garbage.
Given the heat and contention in 2008, delirium from the success and hope for the future is entirely reasonable, if a bit optimistic. 2009 was quite young when the announcement was made, nipping at the heels of the first batch of summer blockbusters gone by and The Hangover shattering all expectations. The future seemed bright indeed. Naturally, people speculated as to what films we’d see in the AMPAS’ freshly expanded Best Picture category come February 2010. People tossed around The Hangover, in equal part jest and seriousness. Rolling Stone was quick to bless Apatow’s Funny People with Oscar buzz, while others trumpeted the documentary’s resurgence with Food Inc., The Cove, and yet another Michael Moore piece, Capitalism: A Love Story. Even science fiction may yet rise again with Moon and District 9 over the summer, and Avatar concluding the year.
Not only that, but the Academy itself is taking measures to diversify themselves. Those snobbish old fogies responsible for the notorious bland and overlong ceremonies are opening up their ranks to likes of Anne Hathaway and Mickey Rourke. Younger, more relevant, and more audacious individuals in the industry are becoming responsible for selecting the movies that receive the highest honours. The AMPAS has been resuscitated with a breath of fresh air and enthusiasm for the incoming generations of film. It’s just a shame that instead of the Academy letting down 2009, 2009 has let down the Academy.
82 years of parties the rest of the world wishes they could attend.
As I reflect upon the year, I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed. There were a plethora of “good” movies, to be sure, but the “great” and “excellent” movies are notably absent. Giants like Pixar and Tarantino made good movies with errors in narrative judgement. Eastwood’s Invictus seems to be underperforming (though I can’t in good conscience say that definitely since I’ve yet to see it for myself), as does Gilliam’s Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Even the low-key dramatic pieces that the Academy typically adores appear to be quieter than usual. Not very much has been said about A Single Man, Crazy Heart, and Me and Orson Welles, and many people don’t seem to realize that a Coen Brother’s picture has come and gone without much word of mouth (A Serious Man).
On the bright side, however, this should hopefully make for a very interesting Oscar season as nobody really knows for sure what to expect. Up in the Air seems to be the surest bet so far, as does Avatar. The other eight films are anybody’s guess. Up could very well graduate from the amateur Best Animated Film race, as could The Princess and the Frog due to its traditional animated appeal. Tarantino’s alternate history of WWII may very well get a few glances too, even if it is just because of Christopher Waltz. There’s even plenty of room for either District 9, Moon, or Star Trek.
Really though, the underwhelming display of traditional Oscar bait, coupled with the expanded Best Picture race, equates to one very interesting truth: your favourite film of 2009, be it Watchmen, Star Trek, The Hangover, District 9, etc., could very well be the Best Picture of 2009. When Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences says that he can’t wait for that list of nominees to be released in February, it’s hard not to get the same feeling. The 82nd Academy Awards are going to be interesting.
Hopefully.
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