Academy Awards night.....spoliers....

[Calgary Flames]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

If prior work matters, how did Tom Hanks win? Volunteers, Money Pit, Bonfire of the Vanities, Joe vs the Volcano, the 'burbs - all pretty mediocre bordering on outright bad films.

Tom Hanks is the Darryl Sutter of Film... He can do no bad films.

But I agree, you win based on the role.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Here's a question: Lanny mentioned how when Reece Witherspoon won, he barfed because couldn't get past her body of work.

Shouldn't you win for your role? I personally don't think previous work should be considered; you are nominated for your roll in that movie, not the ones you did in previous years.

If prior work matters, how did Tom Hanks win? Volunteers, Money Pit, Bonfire of the Vanities, Joe vs the Volcano, the 'burbs - all pretty mediocre bordering on outright bad films.

I know some actors win, and people mention that they are a 'sentimental winner' and they won because of they have an excellent body of work but have never won before. Doesn't that cheapen the win for the actor?

I think body of work is extremely important. Unless someone comes out of no where with a mind-blowing portrayal of a characted (Theron in Monster for example) I think body of work is the deciding factor.

Reese Witherspoon is NOT a good actress. She's sugary sweet and pretty one dimensional. If anyone saw Vanity Fair they will know what I mean. Witherspoon was very lucky that she got to play a role that was right up her alley (a sweet little southern country girl) and that could very easily be typecast into. Her next picture will speak volumes as to whether she deserves truly deserves this award. Right now she's America's Sweetheart, and there are only so many of those roles around.

When I look at the Oscars I try to imagine each actress in the same role played by the other nominees and how they would stack up. I think that Clooney even infered to something like that in his acceptance speech. Frankly I don't see Witherspoon being able to perform any of the other roles with an semblance of credibility. I think the other actresses would have been able to do as good a job as Withersoon in Walk the Line. That is why I think this Oscar is a gift and I think she'll be back to making the dreck in a couple pictures. She doesn't have the ability nor credability to carry a dramatic role.

[JiriHrdina]

^^^Part of the issue Lanny is the lack of quality roles of actresses. If you look at the men's category, any of those 5 were more than deserving, and there are aruably at least 5 other great male lead performances this year that didn't get nominated.

On the women's side that is a mediocre crop at best.

To be clear, I'm not being sexist but rather pointing the finger at Hollywood for their inability to provide good roles for actresses.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Lanny_MacDonald

I think body of work is extremely important. Unless someone comes out of no where with a mind-blowing portrayal of a characted (Theron in Monster for example) I think body of work is the deciding factor.

And I believe that is wrong. Why does it even matter if they had a movie released in the previous year? Why do they even associate the actor to the role if the decision is based on body of work. I contend that body of work should not matter in any award other than the lifetime achievement awards. To consider body of work is just like saying they didn't do the best job this year, but their past history makes up for it. What about the actor (actress) who DID do the best job with their given roll this year?
The reward goes to the Performance ("Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role").

Originally Posted by Lanny_MacDonald

When I look at the Oscars I try to imagine each actress in the same role played by the other nominees and how they would stack up. I think that Clooney even infered to something like that in his acceptance speech. Frankly I don't see Witherspoon being able to perform any of the other roles with an semblance of credibility. I think the other actresses would have been able to do as good a job as Withersoon in Walk the Line.

According to Roger Ebert, Clooney said, ""Unless we all played the same role, I don't know how you can compare these performances,"
That is true, but the same can be said in anything with subjective judging. But the fact that Reese Witherspoon was well suited for the role is not a reason to penalize her. That she wouldn't have fit with any of the other roles is irrelevant to the performance in the role that she had.

[BlackEleven]

I really want to see Munich, anyone have a review for this?

Most people seem to be luke-warm to it above, but I thought it was really good. To me, it was more of a story about the main character and the changes he went through as result of being used by his government. More so than being a story about the assisination of the people that committed the attack on the Isrealis at the Munich Olympics.

[Hakan]

Apparently many more people besides myself were a little miffed to see Crash win.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/20...7/1477109.html

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/_by-richard

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

Disturbing Trend for the Oscars. Acting awards going for biography pictures. Wouldnt it be more difficult ot play a character that is completely made up and original rather than trying to mimmick somebody famous from yesteryear? My wife gave me the gears about whether I would rent Brokeback if it was 2 women instead of men, I said if they were hot, we would have seen it in the theatres. I really want to see Munich, anyone have a review for this?

I think just the opposite is true personally.

A fictional character is met with no expectations so the actor can mold it to suit him/her. A noteworthy real person has to be lived up to.

[Bobblehead]

Funny that you linked the article from the London Free Press. That's Paul Haggis' hometown newspaper.

He sure has come a long from writing episodes of "One Day at a Time", "Love Boat", and "Diff'rent Strokes".

[Hakan]

Has he?

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Has he?

So now Crash is equivalent to bad late 70's sitcoms?

Wow.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Has he?

Since he wrote the sceenplay of the last 2 Best Picture winners, I'd say yes.