Maybe in my quick haste to see who was nominated this year for the 80th Annual Academy Award shows simply known as The Oscars, I overlooked something.
Why? Why? Why wasn’t The Great Debaters nominated in any category. Why? Why? Why wasn’t Denzel Washington or any of the other cast members from that movie not nominated. Why? Why? Why wasn’t any of the producers nominated?
Out of all of the nominations, only 1 person of color was nominated and that was Ruby Dee (which is a long overdue nomination).
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, “I’m Not There”; Ruby Dee, “American Gangster”; Saoirse Ronan, “Atonement”; Amy Ryan, “Gone Baby Gone”; Tilda Swinton, “Michael Clayton.” For the full list of nominees, click here.
I don’t know about you, but although I’m not a member of the WGA, I am boycotting the Oscars this year for reasons of my own.
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The Great Debaters was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. Probably since Crash. I was sure it would have been nominated. Hollywood can be very fickle.
I’m with Samara. Hollywood is fickle. I recently realized that the superb 1961 film version of A Raisin in the Sun was not recognized by the Academy in any category (with performances that were, in my opinion, much more powerful than that of Juanita Moore in 1959′s Imitation of Life, who did receive a Supporting Actress nomination). Come on, was Whoopi Goldberg really that great in Ghost? Cher in Moonstruck? How many of these awards are given for reasons other than the voters believed they were the best? Would anyone out there really say that Ordinary People, which won Best Picture of 1980, was a better movie than Raging Bull, which it beat? Denzel Washington won a Best Actor Oscar for Training Day because the year he did Malcom X, Al Pacino got the statue for a typically wonderful but not particularly outstanding performance in Scent of a Woman because he got robbed for his earlier standout performance. I could go on and on.
Many people have expressed surprise at Ruby Dee’s nomination, which they perceived as her usual excellent caliber of work but too small to be able to do much with, more of a career achievement nomination, not unlike actor Hal Halbrook, who also received his first Oscar nomination (like Mr. Holbrook, I believe Ms. Dee’s strongest performances, other than Raisin, were probably done on the stage; her film roles have often been relegated to supportive wif or, as she grew older, wise older woman parts). She is not considered to have any real shot at winning.
I’ve watched the Oscar show every year since the late 1960s. Even if I haven’t seen any of the nominated movies or performances, it’s still exciting for me (unlike the Grammys, which I felt I had outgrown when a new generation began taking over pop music).
But the best thing . . . the WGA members are back at work!
Now, off to watch my DVD of American Gangster.
Samara, unfortunately a lot of movies I felt should have been nominated or won an Oscar haven’t in the past. But I’m only one person
Bettye, I guess I just needed an excuse not to watch The Oscars this year.
You made some valid points because Raisin in the Sun was an excellent movie. I plan on watching the new version tomorrow night. I recall the year that Denzel won. He played a rogue cop in Training Day. Many felt he should have gotten it for Malcolm X, but he was so believable as that cop in Training Day, I just knew he was going to win in that year. Since I’ve boycotted watching the Oscars, I’ll now go check out to see if Ruby Dee won.