Well, the Oscars were Sunday night. And that must mean that come Monday morning, people all over the country were collectively sharing in the exact same sentiment: “I’ve never even heard of The Hurt Locker.” At least that’s what I keep hearing around the water cooler. Now this tells me two things. One, they obviously haven’t been reading my blog. And two, the movie studios are spending much more money promoting the likes of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen than they are spending to push the really great movies being made each year. That, coupled with the fact that the movie-going public refuses to stray too far from its entertainment comfort zones, means that this year’s top award winner is the lowest grossing Best Picture of all time.
The other commonly heralded statement I keep hearing questions why Avatar did not win, especially considering the correlation between how much money it has made and its immense popularity. As far as my opinion goes, I have seen both movies, and while I thoroughly enjoyed Avatar and recognized its vast technical achievements, I personally feel that The Hurt Locker is the superior film. Another point to consider is that members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (and not the movie-going public) vote on the winners in each of their respective fields, and their votes are related (not solely) to the types of movies they would like to see continue to be made. And if that doesn’t satisfy angry Avatar fans, then note this. No film in the history of the Academy Awards has ever been named Best Picture without also having been nominated for its screenplay and/or its actors. So, to James Cameron, who wrote his own screenplay, I have one word: collaborate.
For the past 82 years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been taking one night out of the year to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments in filmmaking from the previous year. The very first Academy Awards were presented during a small banquet on May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. 270 people attended the dinner for the price of $5 per person. Wings was named Best Picture of the year, which was not at all a surprise, as all the winners had already been announced three months earlier. By the second year, public interest in the awards had developed enough to warrant a radio broadcast of the affair. For the next 23 years, movie lovers across the states crowded around their radios on the night of the awards to see which of their favorite stars would take home one of the golden statues. This tradition lasted until 1953, when the Academy Awards made their first appearance on television.
Over the last several years, however, a steep decline in viewership has encouraged some small and large changes to the ceremony. The belief in the existence of a widening chasm between popular films and quality films led producers of the show this year to break with a precedent set 67 years ago. For the first time since 1943, ten films were nominated for the top honor of Best Picture. The hope was that the inclusion of more popular films such as The Blind Side alongside smaller, more independent films like District 9 would appeal to a wider audience, and ultimately improve declining broadcast ratings. This year’s show was up 14% in viewership compared to last year’s, so I guess the producers are patting themselves on the back this week.
For me, however, the value in the larger nomination field resides in the recognition of a more diverse and interesting collection of films. By casting the net across a broader expanse, members of the Academy are helping to ensure the continued creation of many different kinds of wonderful and entertaining films. Propelling the names of movies like Precious and An Education out of obscurity by placing them in a spotlight of appreciation beside titles like The Blind Side and Avatar guarantees that the people behind those movies can go on doing what they do, and that your local theaters will be showing more than the latest blockbuster currently showing on four of its ten screens.
My challenge to all those people claiming this week that they’ve never heard of The Hurt Locker or An Education is this. Now that you have heard of them, next time you venture to Blockbuster or tour your Netflix queue on the hunt for the perfect Friday night flick, take a chance and pick one of the nominees you would not normally reach for. You may just find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Until next week, here is my hope that we all find our Shangri-La. Good night.
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