2023 Academy Awards

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Still the most garbage Best Picture decision, Saving Private Ryan should have had it.

Literally not even in the top 10 BP upsets. Maybe not in the top 20.

But it’s easy to crap on Shakespeare in Love for obvious reasons so everyone does it.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Bs&Cs

The Thin Red Line is better than both. That was the movie that got jobbed that year imo

The Thin Red Line was so effing boring. Prob the only war movie more overrated was Dunkirk.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I didn’t mind EEAAO but I’ve yet to meet anyone who didn’t hate it. I didn’t think it’d be that polarizing but I guess that what happens when a mediocre movie gets that much hype.

I think the premise just deviated so much from what people are used to with their academy considerations, but also modern films in general. And it centers on the dynamics and struggles of a collectivist culture family, which differs in fundamental ways from your typical individualist north American families and the related commentary typical to NA films. The humour was oddball-y and it flirted with goofiness at many points. So for audience members that take things very literally, they probably felt like they were watching adult dress up or an extended skit like what you'd see on Community, without grasping the overlying themes being touched on. It's a movie where you really have to surrender to where it's taking you and not view it through the typical lens that you would view most other films with. I'm not surprised that many people, at least in NA, wouldn't enjoy that ride nor resonate with the film.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

I think the premise just deviated so much from what people are used to with their academy considerations, but also modern films in general. And it centers on the dynamics and struggles of a collectivist culture family, which differs in fundamental ways from your typical individualist north American families and the related commentary typical to NA films. The humour was oddball-y and it flirted with goofiness at many points. So for audience members that take things very literally, they probably felt like they were watching adult dress up or an extended skit like what you'd see on Community, without grasping the overlying themes being touched on. It's a movie where you really have to surrender to where it's taking you and not view it through the typical lens that you would view most other films with. I'm not surprised that many people, at least in NA, wouldn't enjoy that ride nor resonate with the film.

I mean, besides reading like your best imitation of a fart sniffing Pitchfork review, that’s just not true. It wasn’t nearly as groundbreaking or fundamentally different as you’re making it out to be. A Terrence Mallick movie this was not. It wasn’t like hotdog fingers was blowing peoples minds because the allegory is just too out there for them.

It’s actually far more mainstream and typical Hollywood movie compared to much of the slow, artsy films that get nominated and win oat years. Coda, moonlight or Nomadland were far less mainstream than this movie.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

It’s actually far more mainstream and typical Hollywood movie compared to much of the slow, artsy films that get nominated and win oat years. Coda, moonlight or Nomadland were far less mainstream than this movie.

It’s headier and more focused on it’s philosophical themes than the vast majority of “mainstream”/typical Hollywood movies, so I see his point there, and it’s definitely on the rarer side when it comes to Academy Award winners or even nominees (which often follow the quiet, contemplative art drama formula as you just pointed out), so I see his point there too.

It’s not ground breaking, but whether you put it into a category of mainstream Hollywood movies or Oscar winners, it comes out feeling pretty fresh, so that says something.

[Nadal Fan]

Movie critics today regard Citizen Kane as the greatest film of all time and it didn't even win beat picture that year it went to How Green Was my Valley . Godfather is considered maybe the 2nd greatest movie ever after Citizen Kane and won 3 Oscars, but Cabaret that same year won 8. Star Wars lost to Ghandi for Best Picture. The Dark Knight wasn't even nominated for best picture and it's regarded as one of the greatest movies in the last 20 years. Crash won best picture and people hate that movie now.

Who cares if a movie doesn't/does win best picture, it's not that important years later. No one goes well The Godfather is as good as Crash because they each won 3 Oscars.

[Engine09]

I was about to mention Crash, worst Oscar winner in recent memory besides Everything Everywhere.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Literally not even in the top 10 BP upsets. Maybe not in the top 20.

But it’s easy to crap on Shakespeare in Love for obvious reasons so everyone does it.

Um, what?

Saving Private Ryan is one of the best films of the last 25 years, and you don't consider it a 'top 20' upset not winning BP?

Crazytown.

[Yeah_Baby]

Best Picture can have up to 10 nominees now largely as a result of TDK NOT getting a BP nom. The thing about the Oscars is it's not actually a stamp of quality. It's basically a hybrid of fantasy football and a political campaign for the film industry. That's the level I follow and enjoy it under. It tickles the same parts of my brain as Trade Deadline day etc.


It's value is a historical window in what folks thought was 'important' at the time.

See Oliver! winning in 68 followed by Midnight Cowboy in 69.
A pretty stark shift towards the American New Wave there.

[Flabbibulin]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Literally not even in the top 10 BP upsets. Maybe not in the top 20.

But it’s easy to crap on Shakespeare in Love for obvious reasons so everyone does it.

I would suggest The Social Network not winning is the biggest mistake of the last 20 years or so. I have seen it mentioned as the best film of the entire 2010s.

Looking at just the 2000s, I would suggest there are very few years that the majority would look back and agree in hindsight that the best nominated film won. The Departed, Return of the King for sure, and probably Gladiator, Argo, and No Country.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Ironically, the first thing I thought reading this was "we've got a basic cinema b### over here."

I dunno dude. Playing on your phone by the bathrooms and knowingly wasting your money, then passing judgment on a film you didn't actually sit through because you have a poor attention span for anything that isn't typical Hollywood, then labeling anybody that dared enjoy it is just setting yourself up to be mocked. But at least you were honest.

I don't think liking or disliking that film says much about a person's movie taste, but I'll at least respect the negative reviews of those thar stuck it out and give the movie a chance only to disagree over someone that couldn't sit still long enough to see the whole thing and evidently made up their mind before the movie was half through.

I'm actually thankful that there are people out there who were open minded enough to take a couple hours outside their Hollywood comfort zone and give something different a chance. It helps to spur more originality in the future, rather than just furthering the demand for endless sequels and rehashes.

Personally I didn't like the pacing, but the themes, creativity and humour throughout were executed very well. It wasn't out if this world, but it had heart, and it was something wholly unique. And that's more than you can say for 97% of the rest of what's out there right now.

Hahahaha, guy it was ####in terrible. I think that determination can be made after two hours sitting there. Attention span has nothing to do with it. You like basic movies...no shame in that and it's okay to own it. Believe me, I'm totally against endless sequels and rehashes, too. But this? Absolute garbage and filled with boomer humour. It's "quirkiness" got so old so fast for me. Maybe you like staring at goldfish swimming in a bowl or something else that just kind of goes nowhere? I get my fill pretty quick of boring stuff. It's like, yeah, I get it, we're just going to keep doing this over and over for 180 minutes? Glad you liked it, but honestly, it was bad.

Also, didn't leave halfway through. Left with about 20 minutes to go and happy I did so.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

The Thin Red Line was so effing boring. Prob the only war movie more overrated was Dunkirk.

I didn't know war could be so boring until I watched Dunkirk.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

But it’s easy to crap on Shakespeare in Love for obvious reasons so everyone does it.

That and the fact it's widely recognized as one of the worst best picture winners ever. It's not that it's a bad movie and more that it's merely good and vastly inferior to some of the other nominated movies that year. There's even more reason to hate the movie given Harvey Weinstein's dark campaign pressuring publicists, inviting academy members to private parties, negative whisper campaigns against Saving Private Ryan behind the scenes, etc. Combine that with the fact that he touched and pressured Paltrow at 22 years old to give him a private massage and four years later she's holding a best actress award for this film. That entire Oscars year was just a dark and disgusting example of everything that was wrong in Hollywood.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Hahahaha, guy it was ####in terrible. I think that determination can be made after two hours sitting there. Attention span has nothing to do with it. You like basic movies...no shame in that and it's okay to own it. Believe me, I'm totally against endless sequels and rehashes, too. But this? Absolute garbage and filled with boomer humour. It's "quirkiness" got so old so fast for me. Maybe you like staring at goldfish swimming in a bowl or something else that just kind of goes nowhere? I get my fill pretty quick of boring stuff. It's like, yeah, I get it, we're just going to keep doing this over and over for 180 minutes? Glad you liked it, but honestly, it was bad.

Also, didn't leave halfway through. Left with about 20 minutes to go and happy I did so.

I watched it at home and was ready to turn it off for the last 30-40 minutes. I agree with you. Just a mediocre movie. Would have been a fine popcorn flick if it was an hour shorter,and had been made as a kids movie. They totally missed what the end result was.

[Yeah_Baby]

Boomer humor always involved butt plugs and hot dog fingers. It is known.

[Yamer]

I loved EEAAO because its theme, tone, and absurdity resonated with me and struck a perfect chord for something completely unique. However, it certainly gave off a vibe of polarizing, so I'm not surprised when I hear or read people didn't like it or downright hated it. It didn't feel like a movie made for mass appeal.

Trying to uplift the underlying theme of nihilism with complicated, enduring love and silliness is far from just a popcorn flick or something that could have been repurposed towards a kids movie.

I laughed, I cried, I hurled. It was a truly outstanding film that deserved the accolades it received.

[WhiteTiger]

While I have no interest in the Oscars whatsoever, I am always interested/amused/entertained by the sheer difference in opinions they generate.

For instance, the movie that I, personally, considered 'Best Picture' this year, of the ones I've seen...didn't even win in the category it was nominated in, much less the entire 'Best Picture' category.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

While I have no interest in the Oscars whatsoever, I am always interested/amused/entertained by the sheer difference in opinions they generate.

For instance, the movie that I, personally, considered 'Best Picture' this year, of the ones I've seen...didn't even win in the category it was nominated in, much less the entire 'Best Picture' category.

Which movie?

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Which movie?

Puss in Boots 2. I went in expecting absolutely nothing but a few laughs (I like the Shrek Universes take on fairy tales) and left after an amazingly animated movie spoke right to me and the issues I'm facing as a middle-aged/aging person. From what is technically supposed to be a kids movie, and a sequel to boot. It also had one of the best villians I have seen in a movie in a long, long time.

[PsYcNeT]

EEAAO was fun and enjoyable. I wasn't bored for a second and really enjoyed the performances.

It hit my wife like a ton of bricks however, being the daughter of Chinese immigrants.

Probably worth mentioning that to some people representation in this manner can elevate certain films. Being a curmudgeonly middle-aged white guy who hates fun probably takes you out of the target demo.