While the opinion of the 5,798 members of the Academy has long been respected, in recent years some have questioned whether the members have used the organization to push a political agenda. This year, two of the movies nominated for best picture, Brokeback Mountain and Capote, portray homosexual characters. Many conservatives have seen this as a move to push Hollywood’s social agenda.
Brokeback Mountain, the story of two cowboys who maintain a gay extramarital affair for many years, is directed by Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility, The Hulk), who was also nominated for best director for his work on this film. Many conservatives agree that this film not only portrays homosexuality as acceptable, but also as something that should become a cultural norm. While Mr. Lee’s work here may be worthy of the critical acclaim it is receiving, the content of it is socially destructive.
Another less-publicized film that has received a nomination for best picture is Capote, the story of gay writer Truman Capote and his work on his most famous book, In Cold Blood. Unlike Brokeback Mountain, Capote is a biographic film rather than a drama. While this film is less focused on the behavior of homosexuals, it still portrays Truman Capote’s relationship with his gay partner.
While Brokeback Mountain has largely been seen as the best picture frontrunner, the latest buzz indicates the hype over the movie may be wearing off. Some analysts have said that the movie Crash, a film about a racially diverse group of characters whose lives come together one day in Los Angeles, now has a chance at winning the best picture title. While there may be many reasons for this, some have said that older Academy voters will refuse to vote for Brokeback Mountain.
Two other films, Good Night, and Good Luck and Munich, round out the best picture category. The first film is a black and white production directed by George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven, Syriana) and is about Edwin R. Murrow’s efforts to bring down Sen. Joe McCarthy. Munich is a re-telling of the murder of eleven Israelis at the 1972 Olympics. The film is directed by Steven Spielberg (War of the Worlds, Minority Report).
A couple of films are noticeably absent from the best picture nominees. Walk the Line, which received nominations in five other categories, failed to garner an Oscar nomination for best picture even though it was awarded a Golden Globe in the same category. This film about Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) is sure to walk away with the best actress award for Reese Witherspoon’s amazing portrayal of June Carter. However, expect Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance in Capote to win over Phoenix’s role as Johnny Cash in the best actor category.
The much-hyped King Kong remake also failed to receive any acting or directing nominations after its heavy promotion. Perhaps the Academy felt as though Peter Jackson’s 11 awards for The Return of the King would suffice for a few years. Another Universal film that failed to pack any punch in the nominations—and at the box office—was Ron Howard’s boxing drama, Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger. While the film did receive rave reviews from critics, Crowe’s phone-throwing incident the week of the film’s release probably cost the movie its long term success.
Aside from the films that were snubbed in the best picture nominations, there were several other glaring omissions present in other categories. The final installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy failed to grab a nomination for visual effects, losing out to King Kong, War of the Worlds, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The Academy refused to recognize Russell Crowe’s performance as James Braddock in Cinderella Man, although Paul Giamatti garnered a supporting actor nod for his role as Crowe’s energetic boxing coach.
Overall, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated a group of well-produced films that make a bold statement that represents what Hollywood wants our culture to become. Certainly this year’s list of nominees is not a departure from years gone past. However, in making this statement, Hollywood failed to recognize the work of veteran filmmakers such as Ron Howard and Peter Jackson. Will Hollywood ever be willing to buck the trend of only nominating art films? Or will it continue to snub well-made blockbusters?
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