And who will be the winner?
I love movies, all kinds of movies. Always have, always will, and for the
first time in a while I’m looking forward to the Oscars this year.
That’s because I’ve actually seen and heard about some of the movies and the nominees. One’s still playing in Mountain Home this weekend, American Sniper. Saw a survey of moviegoers that said it was their pick for best picture way above the other seven contenders, plus it had made more at the box office than the others all put together.
But the likely winners: Birdman or Boyhood, neither of which have made to this neck of the woods. Boyhood looks interesting, made over 12 years with the same cast and literally watching the boy of the title grow up. That’s a heck of a concept, especially since no one had a clue of what could happen during the 12 years or if they could be back each year to film a little more of the movie.
Birdman is one of those movies about angsty, angry actors, in this case Michael Keaton trying to shed the superhero character of the title by taking on a stage role. Folks in the Motion Picture Academy have a narcissistic streak and tend to like movies about themselves and their business, especially if they’re well done. Critics loved this one.
Of course, critics tend to love movies audiences may not. They seem to like movies that play in New York City and Los Angeles, and maybe in a small theater in Chicago. They like downers even if the movies are comedies, and that are uplifting while being depressing. If the movie’s in another language they love it even more.
I know movies are art, and as such there’s high art that we around here usually don’t see until it’s on DVD or one of the satellite TV channels. There’s acceptable, pedestrian art, movies that audiences and critics can agree on; the movies have higher-brow stories but make money and a wide variety of people like them.
There are the blockbusters, movies intended to reach the widest audiences and rake in the dough whether the critics like them or not; think Transformers or any movie by Michael Bey. Then there are the genre pictures — action, romcom, horror and suspense, low-brow comedy, romances and anything based on young-adult book series, popular potboilers or that has a built-in audience. Critics generally loathe these, or begrudgingly give them two stars at best.
For example, even unseen, critics unanimously hated Fifty Shades of Grey. Even the multimillion-selling book was hated by critics, other writers, people in “the life,” some readers and churches. Yet it made $85 million at the box office last weekend and set a record or two, and the book plus its sequels returned to the best-seller list. Somebody liked it, and while I’m sure all the criticism had to hurt writer E.L. James, no doubt she cried all the way to the bank, as did the filmmakers.
For 87 years, the Oscars have been the hallmark of the movie industry, the award of awards, honoring artistic achievement and high standards of film-making. It’s a great way for Hollywood to pat itself on the back. Fortunately, there are the People’s Choice Awards, and similar honors, that recognize the movies people love, usually those blockbusters and genre movies critics don’t like.
It’s still fun to watch the Oscars, though, especially if there’s a movie or actor you pull for to win one of the statuettes. I like getting to see the clips, especially from movies I haven’t seen so I can decide if they interest me. It’s fun to see the reactions of the ones who don’t win, watching them struggle to keep those pageant smiles to mask disappointment. And I like the tributes to those who have really contributed to the movies, and those who have passed on.
So, while I may not always agree with movie critics, I look forward to getting my popcorn and my big orange drink and watching the Oscars. Who knows, maybe there’ll be a surprise when they open the best movie envelope to say, “And the winner is ...”
That’s because I’ve actually seen and heard about some of the movies and the nominees. One’s still playing in Mountain Home this weekend, American Sniper. Saw a survey of moviegoers that said it was their pick for best picture way above the other seven contenders, plus it had made more at the box office than the others all put together.
But the likely winners: Birdman or Boyhood, neither of which have made to this neck of the woods. Boyhood looks interesting, made over 12 years with the same cast and literally watching the boy of the title grow up. That’s a heck of a concept, especially since no one had a clue of what could happen during the 12 years or if they could be back each year to film a little more of the movie.
Birdman is one of those movies about angsty, angry actors, in this case Michael Keaton trying to shed the superhero character of the title by taking on a stage role. Folks in the Motion Picture Academy have a narcissistic streak and tend to like movies about themselves and their business, especially if they’re well done. Critics loved this one.
Of course, critics tend to love movies audiences may not. They seem to like movies that play in New York City and Los Angeles, and maybe in a small theater in Chicago. They like downers even if the movies are comedies, and that are uplifting while being depressing. If the movie’s in another language they love it even more.
I know movies are art, and as such there’s high art that we around here usually don’t see until it’s on DVD or one of the satellite TV channels. There’s acceptable, pedestrian art, movies that audiences and critics can agree on; the movies have higher-brow stories but make money and a wide variety of people like them.
There are the blockbusters, movies intended to reach the widest audiences and rake in the dough whether the critics like them or not; think Transformers or any movie by Michael Bey. Then there are the genre pictures — action, romcom, horror and suspense, low-brow comedy, romances and anything based on young-adult book series, popular potboilers or that has a built-in audience. Critics generally loathe these, or begrudgingly give them two stars at best.
For example, even unseen, critics unanimously hated Fifty Shades of Grey. Even the multimillion-selling book was hated by critics, other writers, people in “the life,” some readers and churches. Yet it made $85 million at the box office last weekend and set a record or two, and the book plus its sequels returned to the best-seller list. Somebody liked it, and while I’m sure all the criticism had to hurt writer E.L. James, no doubt she cried all the way to the bank, as did the filmmakers.
For 87 years, the Oscars have been the hallmark of the movie industry, the award of awards, honoring artistic achievement and high standards of film-making. It’s a great way for Hollywood to pat itself on the back. Fortunately, there are the People’s Choice Awards, and similar honors, that recognize the movies people love, usually those blockbusters and genre movies critics don’t like.
It’s still fun to watch the Oscars, though, especially if there’s a movie or actor you pull for to win one of the statuettes. I like getting to see the clips, especially from movies I haven’t seen so I can decide if they interest me. It’s fun to see the reactions of the ones who don’t win, watching them struggle to keep those pageant smiles to mask disappointment. And I like the tributes to those who have really contributed to the movies, and those who have passed on.
So, while I may not always agree with movie critics, I look forward to getting my popcorn and my big orange drink and watching the Oscars. Who knows, maybe there’ll be a surprise when they open the best movie envelope to say, “And the winner is ...”
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