At the end of the day the Best Picture Oscar was Politics,..

Posted by DavidLD (A) on March 6, 2006 at 16:21:12

..pure politics.
I watched Crash on Saturday night, and while it is a very good movie it is not a great (aka Oscar-winning) movie. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Brokeback Mountain was the better movie.

What Happened? Why Politics, of course! And the Acadamy is not immune to that. The relentless comments that the moral fiber of the movie industry had dropped to a new low by even nominating a movie with a story-line like Brokeback featuring gay lovers.

But think about it. It was the Brokeback setting and time, not the subject matter of gay love nor sex scenes that created all the stir. We have seen far more sex in any number of box office hits.

Instead, suppose the movie were about a restaurant chef who falls in love with interior designer in contemporary urban NYC, but both decided to marry women, have kids etc. Such a movie wouldn't have raised an eyebrow, or for that matter even been a remotely interesting story. But cowboys in Wranglers, boots and hats shouldn't be gay. And gay guys are fine for NYC but for goodness sakes not in Wyoming, and such a story is fine for 2006, but not for a story taking place in the 60s.

Didn't the Academy know Brokeback was a far superior movie to Crash? Of course they did! But the Academy has also taken note that movies with conservative religious overtones have been doing very well at the box office. Mel Gibson's Passion; Flicks like Narnia. Why alienate all these ticket buyers by voting for Brokeback? Won't that just play into the hands of those who claim Hollywood has become a moral wasteland?

What about Crash, wasnt that a movie that dealt with controversial topics too? Racism and prejudice? Yes, but for Hollywood, these are "safe" controversial topics. No one should hold prejudices, and people who do should get their comeuppance" regardless of their political stripe.

But we still have half the people in the US thinking that being gay is likely a psychological illness, against the teachings of the bible, and gay guys should not fall in love let alone marry, and the US was a better place (in the 60s) when everyone acted like being gay did not exist. Certainly guys in boots and Wranglers should never fall in love. So the Academy voted, and at the end of the day Brokeback was too controversial even for them, and a place they did not wish to go.

Sad. The best movie did not win.

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Topic - At the end of the day the Best Picture Oscar was Politics,.. - DavidLD 16:21:12 03/06/06 (18)

I think LA Times critic Ken Turran has best take... - Harmonia 09:27:30 03/07/06 (0)

As Steve McQueen used to say to his son: "Life isnÂ´t fair, kid"... (nt) - orejones 07:52:09 03/07/06 (0)

Funny - lot's of critics and people I know preferred Crash... - RGA 01:09:43 03/07/06 (0)

Ever heard of "American Beauty?" nt - tinear 18:32:59 03/06/06 (1)

Re:Yes, and I should have demanded my money back after seeing that one* - Guy 13:45:49 03/07/06 (0)

Loser - dave c 16:40:03 03/06/06 (11)

your reply is very weak... - BJordan 18:32:40 03/06/06 (10)

Capote - dave c 20:30:50 03/06/06 (0)

actually the original post called BM "gay"... - dave c 20:24:11 03/06/06 (8)

My original point was... - DavidLD 03:59:33 03/07/06 (0)

WOW. did I touch a nerve or what?. - BJordan 21:49:21 03/06/06 (6)

I ambeginning to think.. - dave c 22:06:11 03/06/06 (5)

thanks for the honest reply. nt. - BJordan 16:36:47 03/07/06 (4)

ps. glad you are interested in architecture... - BJordan 20:04:06 03/07/06 (3)

glad you are an architect!! - dave c 23:20:58 03/07/06 (2)

nice house, keep up the good work. nt. - BJordan 11:21:50 03/08/06 (1)

Thanks. nt - dave c 15:04:09 03/08/06 (0)

I agree with your comments totally. - BJordan 16:26:57 03/06/06 (0)

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