Not Grouchy

Ah, early February. A time when America's attention turns to groundhogs, what to get that special someone for Valentine's Day, and arguments over just how this or that shitty ass movie ended up nominated for an Oscar. But not this year - for me anyway.

Of the ten movies nominated for best picture Academy Awards over the past two years, I had only seen two of them at the actual time of the nominations (Finding Neverland and Lord of the Rings). So, it’ll be nice to sit this year and have a valid opinion on most of the movies being discussed, as I’ve actually seen the majority of them. As if that isn’t enough, I even agree with what’s been nominated (mostly).

Best Picture (Brokeback Mountain / Capote / Crash / Good Night, and Good Luck / Munich)

Something that has always annoyed me about BPs is the unwritten rule that they have to be serious movies to qualify. There have been exceptions (Beauty and the Beast and Sideways come to mind) but generally comedies don’t do well. This summer gave us two raunchy, R-rated, but wonderful comedies in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Wedding Crashers and in a lot of years I might have really hoped one would somehow earn a nomination. But I can’t complain at all about these five nominees. I’m especially surprised (but thrilled) to see Capote get a best picture nomination, and I’m surprised Walk the Line wasn’t nominated. In a perfect world I would add Syriana to the list of nominees (I’d probably take off Good Night, and Good Luck – trading Clooneys, essentially), but to me any of these five are as good as anything else that has been nominated (or won) this decade.

Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman / Terrance Howard / Heath Ledger / Joaquin Phoenix / David Straithairn)

I guess you could qualify Joaquin as a bit of a dark horse with a chance in this category but this is really the Phil vs. Heath show. My wife and I debate this all the time – she’s of the opinion that Heath Ledger’s performance was better because it was more of a risk and more of a stretch for him. I can’t really argue that. Indeed, her point is so strong I occasionally feel like giving in to it. But if I got to vote I would for Hoffman. When I watched Brokeback Mountain, I often found myself thinking, Wow, Heath Ledger is really doing a fine job of acting. He’s got that Wyoming drawl thing just right. But while I was watching Capote, I didn’t even see Hoffman on the screen. It was one of those performances that is a transformation. The voice, the mannerisms, even the way he looked – even afterward I have such a difficult time reconciling the actor I’m familiar with and the performance in that movie. But, again, both could have statues if these movies had simply been in different years. As for the other nominees, I can’t quibble – Terrence Howard was great in Crash, though calling him a lead actor seems a stretch. That was a good example of a movie that should win an ensemble award, so I’m glad they did from the Screen Actor’s Guild. I haven’t seen Walk The Line, but Joaquin gets a thumbs up from me just because he sings and so nearly convinces me that he actually is Johnny cash. Straithairn was good, especially considering he was often acting against file footage as opposed to other actors. If I could have a sixth nominee I’d like to name Viggo Mortensen for History of Violence.

Actress (Judi Dench / Felicity Huffman / Keira Knightley / Charlize Theron / Reese Witherspoon)

So much for my being informed theory – I haven’t seen any of these movies. Seems like Dame Judi gets nominated for any movie she does, though I can’t necessarily argue with that. I would have liked to see Maria Bello nominated (Hirstory of Violence, again), but since I haven’t seen any of these movies I’m not really qualified to say if she was better or not. Reese Witherspoon is pretty much a lock in this category, isn’t she? If she wins, the list of movies recent best acting winners have starred in will now include: Legally Blonde 2, Stealth, and Catwoman. Plus Philip Seymour Hoffman is going to be the bad guy in MI:3. Curse of the golden Oscar, anyone?

Supporting Actress (Amy Adams / Catherine Keener / Frances McDormand / Rachel Weisz / Michelle Williams)

I liked Catherine Keener a lot in Capote, but this is probably between Weisz and Williams, right? Williams was impressive, though I actually liked Anne Hathaway’s wife of a closeted gay cowboy a little bit more. Oh, and since you’re probably wondering, Amy Adams was in a movie called Junebug that most critics loved and absolutely no one has actually seen.)

Supporting Actor (George Clooney / Matt Dillon / Paul Giamatti / Jake Gyllenhaal / William Hurt)

Now, look, William Hurt is one of my absolute favorite actors. He steals every scene I’ve ever watched him in. But he’s in History of Violence for – what? – five minutes maybe? Maybe ten? He was good, but not that good. Gyllenhaal was good but not nearly as good in his role as Heath Ledger – maybe it was the mustache that kept distracting me. And speaking of facial hair, Clooney is nominated for Syriana and deserves a win.

Animated Feature

There are three things nominated in this category, but I know nothing about "Howl’s Moving Castle." That probably means it will win. I love Tim Burton and I liked Corpse Bride, but I just completely loved Wallace and Gromit. Good year for claymation, though. Pretty harsh for the makers of Chicken Little and Madagascar that they couldn't even get nominated in this category.

Directing

This is one of the first times in my memory that the directors of the five best picture nominees are all nominated for directing. Normally someone gets screwed, it seems. Again, I’d love to see Spielberg win, but Ang lee (who will win) is plenty deserving. The issues I have with the middle section of Brokeback Mountain aren’t his fault, really, and he made a truly beautiful movie.

Best song

I really like the "In the Deep" song that is nominated from Crash. It’s been on my iPod ever since I saw the movie. But how can you not want a song called "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" to win an Oscar?

Adapted Screenplay (Brokeback Mountain / Capote / The Constant Gardener / A History of Violence / Munich)

Brokeback Mountain will probably win but this is one of the categories where I don’t really think it should. If only so that Larry McMurtry won’t thank his typewriter again. Capote is an adaptation from a biography – the writer did a neat job of defining his entire life based on those years he spent out in Kansas working on in Cold Blood. Then again, I liked Munich so much it's hard for me not to pick it for every category.

Original Screenplay (Crash / Good Night, and Good Luck / Match Point / The Squid and the Whale / Syriana)

I liked Match Point, but while the ending resolved a lot of issues I had, it didn’t resolve all of them. GNGL was well done but the writing itself didn’t strike me as spectacular. Plus, when you’re using footage of historical speeches and transcribing news broadcasts does it really count as an original screenplay? Crash and Syriana both tell separate stories about a larger theme that come together in the end. But I thought Syriana did it better, and wasn’t quite as didactic as crash was at times. I’d vote for Syriana, but I really have no idea what will win this category.

An invitation. Anyone who would like to come is welcome to join us at our house on Oscar night for gay cowboy-themed festivities. I mean Oscar festivities. Pretty much the same thing this year, anyway. We'll have a little pick the winners contest and no doubt plenty of snarky comments. Hope to see y'all.