2013 Oscar Discussion Discussion Thread

[djgeneral]

Finally got Beasts Of Southern Wild this weekend, or whatever it is called lol can't wait to finally see it

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

That's a wrap for Best Picture prognostication. In true Oscar tradition the best picture in the field will not win the award, and what had been an exciting race has all but fizzled now.

Well, it was exciting to see Lincoln make it's Sherman's March to the award, but now that there's the "Aw, they're going to like the other one better, aren't they?" spoiler in the last quarter, Spielberg's going to pick up his Best Director, but be jilted at the Best Picture altar again.
So, okay, guys, just get allllll your "Shakespeare in Love sucked, why did that win anyway, Saving Private Ryan was the better movie!" comparison jokes out of the way now, and save time. We know that history can repeat itself.

With all of the apparent love for this picture in the industry, it's a wonder it didn't lead the field in nominations; and makes the no-nom for Afleck in Direction that much more of a head-scratcher. Could there have been an issue with nomination ballots or something?

Best Director has now become the "We love you anyway! " category, for movies like Amour or Midnight in Paris to have their critical arthouse standing validated in private, without having to needlessly clutter up Best Picture in a five-nom year, or apologizing for their never getting out of the 6-10 tier.

As a result, in a more sensible five-nomination slot, someone has to take the bullet, and give up his chair so that Michael Haneke and Benh Zeitlin can be generously granted a chance to sit in the special-honor seat for four weeks; aw, be nice, it's their first time and they'll probably never be there again.
At the time, most of the push was for Zero Dark Thirty, and most folks thought Argo would get lost in the Iran/Iraq movie shuffle, so the concentration was on Picture. As it turned out, that wasn't the case.

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Best Director has now become the "We love you anyway! " category, for movies like Amour or Midnight in Paris to have their critical arthouse standing validated in private, without having to needlessly clutter up Best Picture in a five-nom year, or apologizing for their never getting out of the 6-10 tier.

As a result, in a more sensible five-nomination slot, someone has to take the bullet, and give up his chair so that Michael Haneke and Benh Zeitlin can be generously granted a chance to sit in the special-honor seat for four weeks; aw, be nice, it's their first time and they'll probably never be there again.
At the time, most of the push was for Zero Dark Thirty, and most folks thought Argo would get lost in the Iran/Iraq movie shuffle, so the concentration was on Picture. As it turned out, that wasn't the case.

Except that both Amour and Midnight in Paris received Picture nominations, and the latter was a lock in the ten-picture field the moment the season opened. Amour is a welcome, legitimate surprise in both categories.

I'm not really talking the Directing award though, as Academy directors (which are predominantly film directors, not the TV + news + event + ADs/UPMs that make up their Guild) resolutely did not see it fit to elevate Argo's direction to nomination status, a sentiment I agree with. (Bigelow on the other hand...)

No, I'm just wondering with this annoyingly overwhelming wave to give Argo every single precursor award imaginable - including winning the SAG Ensemble award but having one (1) Oscar nomination for Acting, period! - how it doesn't have a bigger nomination blanket in the Academy. Seven noms is nothing to sneeze at but seems slight in relation to how much love this picture has been getting in the past few weeks. Can this wave really all be an industry-wide reaction to a perceived snub from Academy directors?

[Aerodude73]

Why Ben Affleck's DGA Win Matters Even Though He's Not Oscar-Nominated (Analysis).

STORY

[Baseballking888]

The only snub I can think of right now is The Dark Knight Rises for Visual Effects. I think it deserves a nomination since most of the effects were practical and not computer animated. Take out Huntsmen.

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

No, I'm just wondering with this annoyingly overwhelming wave to give Argo every single precursor award imaginable - including winning the SAG Ensemble award but having one (1) Oscar nomination for Acting, period! - how it doesn't have a bigger nomination blanket in the Academy. Seven noms is nothing to sneeze at but seems slight in relation to how much love this picture has been getting in the past few weeks. Can this wave really all be an industry-wide reaction to a perceived snub from Academy directors?

A few things...

First, the wave of Argo love started with the critics choice and Golden Globes, remember that these awards were already counted (but not announced) before the Academy even announced the noms. So to say the entire momentum is a backlash against the Academy is not really accurate.

Second, as far as noms go with the Academy it's not the entire body that does the nominations, it's only 6% (or something close to that) of its membership who nominates.

You can't think of the Academy as 1 body who makes decisions in unison, they never get together and have meetings to discuss their process. Not to say they can't perceive external pressures however.

[soarinsteven]

So if the Academy goes with Argo for Best Picture who do you guys think will take Best Director?

I'm thinking Haneke. I can't seem them splitting Spielberg again, Zeitlin seems too new, Lee's Life of Pi should take a bunch of the tech categories, but don't see them splitting him again either, and I can't see Russell winning without taking Best Pic too. Tho SLP should take Best Actress, and maybe Adapted Screenplay which is a tough category to predict. Lincoln and Argo are strong contenders too. The big thing against Haneke for me is would it be too much because he should have Foreign Film in the bag and probably Original Screenplay too. I see Zero Dark Thirty being shutout.

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by Snicket

A few things...

First, the wave of Argo love started with the critics choice and Golden Globes, remember that these awards were already counted (but not announced) before the Academy even announced the noms. So to say the entire momentum is a backlash against the Academy is not really accurate.

Second, as far as noms go with the Academy it's not the entire body that does the nominations, it's only 6% (or something close to that) of its membership who nominates.

You can't think of the Academy as 1 body who makes decisions in unison, they never get together and have meetings to discuss their process. Not to say they can't perceive external pressures however.

The Golden Globes count very little in my estimation of the Oscars. There are always several extenuating factors with those awards that have nothing to do with the films proper.

The Critic's award is different, as that is a consensus-based I believe, and Argo seems to thrive on *that* distinction rather than being most anyone's best - that is, being on many lists helps it, even though it may not have the most top finishes. But even then critics have little to nothing to do with the Academy. I'm talking Guilds, which play heavily and typically coincide stronger with the Oscar nominations.

And I realize how the Academy chooses nominations and what its membership is. I signify 'Academy'+category to differentiate it from the Guilds, whose memberships don't exactly correspond with each other even amongst respective categories, even though their nominee fields are typically similar. (For example, Academy directors vs DGA: the director's branch of the Academy is largely film directors, where the DGA consists of those plus a whole other host of craftsmen as well).

What is interesting is that the race was so much more wide-open before the Oscar nominations - even after the Globes (which, again, are not the strongest Oscar harbinger, esp recently)...and then when this perceived snub business came to the fore Argo has become a juggernaut. Argo's seven Oscar nominations does not bely such overwhelming status, and I believe this post-nomination wave to be a reaction to the perceived snub from Academy directors.

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by soarinsteven

So if the Academy goes with Argo for Best Picture who do you guys think will take Best Director?

I'm thinking Haneke. I can't seem them splitting Spielberg again, Zeitlin seems too new, Lee's Life of Pi should take a bunch of the tech categories, but don't see them splitting him again either, and I can't see Russell winning without taking Best Pic too. Tho SLP should take Best Actress, and maybe Adapted Screenplay which is a tough category to predict. Lincoln and Argo are strong contenders too. The big thing against Haneke for me is would it be too much because he should have Foreign Film in the bag and probably Original Screenplay too. I see Zero Dark Thirty being shutout.

That should be fun. I think Spielberg is still the favorite, though neither Lee nor even Haneke would surprise me that much right now, and Russell with nominations for each of his principles makes a strong sleeper. A compelling argument can be made for everyone to win besides Zeitlin (where the honor seems to be with the nomination).

Now watch him win it.

[Aerodude73]

(BEFORE the Oscar Nominations were announced...)


The Directors: Full Uncensored Interview.


3:07 PM PST 11/27/2012 by THR Staff


Full uncensored interview with Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained), David. O Russell (Silver Linings Playbook), Ben Affleck (Argo), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables) and Gus Van Sant (Promised Land).

[Kevin Holly]

I rank all the categories!

[Show spoiler]Note: I really have no idea what I'm talking about for a lot of these.

Bold - what I think will win

Picture
Django Unchained
Argo
Amour
Zero Dark Thirty
Les Miserables
Silver Linings Playbook
Lincoln
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Life of Pi

Director
Michael Haneke
David O. Russell
Ang Lee
Steven Spielberg
Beasts of the Southern Wild

Actor
Joaquin Phoenix
Denzel Washington
Daniel Day-Lewis
Hugh Jackman
Bradley Cooper

Actress
Jessica Chastain
Emmanuelle Riva
Jennifer Lawrence
Quvenzhané Wallis

Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Alan Arkin
Tommy Lee Jones
Robert De Niro

Supporting Actress
Amy Adams
Helen Hunt
Sally Field
Jackie Weaver
Anne Hathaway

Original Screenplay
Django Unchained
Flight
Amour
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty

Adapted Screenplay
Argo
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Life of Pi

Foreign
A Royal Affair
Amour
Kon-Tiki

Original Score
Skyfall
Argo
Anna Karenina
Lincoln
Life of Pi

Original Song
Skyfall
Everybody Needs A Best Friend*
Pi's Lullaby
Suddenly

* I may like the song Skyfall more, but I am still rooting for Everybody Needs A Best Friend. If that makes sense.

Sound Editing
Argo
Django Unchained
Skyfall
Life of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty

Sound Mixing
Argo
Skyfall
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln

Production Design
Les Miserables
Lincoln
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi
Anna Karenina

Cinematography
Django Unchained
Skyfall
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Anna Karenina

Makeup and Hairstyling
Hitchcock
Les Miserables
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Costume Design
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Anna Karenina
Snow White and the Hunstman

Editing
Argo
Life of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook

Visual Effects
Prometheus
Life of Pi
Snow White and the Huntsman
Marvel's The Avengers
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey


No, I have't seen quite every film.

[kernel_thai]

Originally Posted by Hucksta G

Seen them all now...my final rankings and ratings

1. Zero Dark Thirty (10/10)
2. Django Unchained (10/10)
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild (9/10)
4. Argo (9/10)
5. Life of Pi (8/10)
6. Amour (8/10)
7. Silver Linings Playbook (8/10)
8. Les Miserables (6/10)
9. Lincoln (6/10)

OK, now explain to me how ZDT, Chastain and Bigelow r going to get absolutely nothing at Oscar time. It boogles my mind.

[The Apocalypse]

I hope Life of Pi gets the best pic win.

[Hucksta G]

Originally Posted by kernel_thai

OK, now explain to me how ZDT, Chastain and Bigelow r going to get absolutely nothing at Oscar time. It boogles my mind.

Most likely because of the controversey surrounding the film, damn the Oscars and their politics.

[jwerk]

Originally Posted by kernel_thai

OK, now explain to me how ZDT, Chastain and Bigelow r going to get absolutely nothing at Oscar time. It boogles my mind.

I agree. Mind is boogled

Originally Posted by The Apocalypse

I hope Life of Pi gets the best pic win.

Not a chance, sorry

[jwerk]

Originally Posted by Hucksta G

Most likely because of the controversey surrounding the film, damn the Oscars and their politics.

Certainly the controversy hurt them a little, but not as much as people thought. It still got noms for Picture, Writing, and a couple for Editing, plus the beautiful Jessica Chastain got nominated. I know she'll win someday, just not this year.

I would've liked Bigelow, and Affleck, to get nominated over Zeitlin or Haneke.

[The Apocalypse]

Originally Posted by jwerk

I agree. Mind is boogled



Not a chance, sorry

You're probably right, when it's going up against Lincoln and Les Mis amongst other things, but still.

[Aerodude73]

Finally caught SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK today, great movie, very funny, excellent performances all around. Tho', not sure if I agree with DeNiro getting a Supp Actor nod here. Nothing against HIM, obviously, he's usually great & is very good here. Going to see LINCOLN & DJANGO this week, so will be more inclined to see what Tommy Lee Jones & Christoph Waltz brought to the table.

I'm 1000% sure tho', that Jennifer Lawrence WILL Win BEST ACTRESS, after seeing this & catching Jessica Chastain in ZDT, where she too was tremendous in that role. Personally, Jennifer's role covered more of an all-around gamut of emotions & Acting Chops for that role, to ME.

[Cabby]

Wow. So After Affleck took home the DGA it's going to be very interesting to see who takes home Best Director. It seems to me like it's between Spielberg (most noms for his film) and David O. Russell (all four acting categories nominated).

This is how I see it going down on Oscar night:

Best Picture - Argo
Best Director - David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
Best Actor - Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln
Best Actress - Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Best Supporting Actor - Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
Best Supporting Actress - Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

The Oscars may actually not be totally predictable this year after all (Although Hathaway and Day Lewis are 110% locks to win).

[remake]

Is this real?