2015 Oscars

[bigpern23]

I haven't seen 'Selma.' I just think you can have a best picture without a best actor or actress.

It will become more common now with the expanded field for Best Picture. I still think it's incredibly difficult to do for a biopic.

 

[Amy]

I'm shocked by 'The Theory of Everything.' I didn't think much of it.

I liked the movie but don't think it deserves a Best Picture nomination.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

If anything, there are a lot of biopics that aren't that good, but the lead performance is spectacular.

Lincoln comes to mind. DiCaprio in J. Edgar. I thought the Aviator was great, as was Leo's performance.

Capote is probably my favorite biopic performance.

 

[Buck]

I liked the movie but don't think it deserves a Best Picture nomination.

I guess I didn't dislike it, but I didn't think it notably good.

1. I wanted more science. I know that wasn't the point of the movie, but that's just me. I wanted more science.

B. I didn't feel like I knew anything more about their marriage than if I had read it described on Wikipedia. It felt like all I got was the surface of their marriage, but the circumstances are so unusual that I wanted much more depth.

 

[Buck]

I think it's more confusing to me that someone could make a 'best picture' nominee and not be nominated for 'best director' for making it.

Like your point with the acting nomination, maybe its an issue of of seeding. The No. 6 seed can't be recognized in most categories because there aren't enough slots.

 

[bigpern23]

Leo was fantastic in The Aviator.

Recent biopics nominated for best picture and the actors who were nominated with them:
2013: The Wolf of Wall Street - Leo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill (probably a little loosely defined as a biopic)
2012: Lincoln - Daniel Day Lewis (won), Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field
2010: The King's Speech - Colin Firth (won), Geoffrey Rush; The Fighter - Christian Bale (won), Melissa Leo (won), Amy Adams
2008: Milk - Sean Penn (won), Josh Brolin; Frost/Nixon - Frank Langella
2006: The Queen - Helen Mirren (won)
2005: Good Night and Good Luck - David Strathairn; Capote - Philip Seymour Hoffman (won); Catherine Keener
2004: Ray - Jamie Foxx (won); The Aviator - Leo DiCaprio, Alan Alda, Cate Blanchette
2001: A Beautiful Mind - Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly (won)
2000: Erin Brockovich - Julia Roberts (won), Albert Finney

I may have missed some, but I'm a bit pressed for time. But I think what we see here is that in the last 15 years, the Academy has never nominated a biopic for Best Picture and snubbed the entire cast of acting nominations. In fact, biopics that get nominated for best picture are far more likely to have multiple acting nods.

So, anyway, it's just odd.

 

[bigpern23]

I think it's more confusing to me that someone could make a 'best picture' nominee and not be nominated for 'best director' for making it.

I absolutely agree with this. It's bizarre that it could ever happen (again, before they expanded the field - now, it will happen every year). It's one of the reasons I don't think they should have expanded the Best Picture field.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

I think it's more confusing to me that someone could make a 'best picture' nominee and not be nominated for 'best director' for making it.

Like your point with the acting nomination, maybe its an issue of of seeding. The No. 6 seed can't be recognized in most categories because there aren't enough slots.

True, but it's nothing new. Even when there were just five Best Picture slots it seemed like there was usually at least one director who was snubbed each year. Lord knows we used to hear Billy Crystal make cracks about movies that apparently "directed themselves"

 

[Buck]

I absolutely agree with this. It's bizarre that it could ever happen (again, before they expanded the field - now, it will happen every year). It's one of the reasons I don't think they should have expanded the Best Picture field.

we're in agreement there. should not have expanded the number of nominations

 

[Buck]

True, but it's nothing new. Even when there were just five Best Picture slots it seemed like there was usually at least one director who was snubbed each year. Lord knows we used to hear Billy Crystal make cracks about movies that apparently "directed themselves"

I treat Oscars like I treat all-stars in sports. I'm interested in whose getting the honor but I won't watch the exhibition.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Leo was fantastic in The Aviator.

Recent biopics nominated for best picture and the actors who were nominated with them:
2013: The Wolf of Wall Street - Leo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill (probably a little loosely defined as a biopic)
2012: Lincoln - Daniel Day Lewis (won), Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field
2010: The King's Speech - Colin Firth (won), Geoffrey Rush; The Fighter - Christian Bale (won), Melissa Leo (won), Amy Adams
2008: Milk - Sean Penn (won), Josh Brolin; Frost/Nixon - Frank Langella
2006: The Queen - Helen Mirren (won)
2005: Good Night and Good Luck - David Strathairn
2004: Ray - Jamie Foxx (won); The Aviator - Leo DiCaprio, Alan Alda, Cate Blanchette
2001: A Beautiful Mind - Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly (won)
2000: Erin Brockovich - Julia Roberts (won), Albert Finney

I may have missed some, but I'm a bit pressed for time. But I think what we see here is that in the last 15 years, the Academy has never nominated a biopic for Best Picture and snubbed the entire cast of acting nominations. In fact, biopics that get nominated for best picture are far more likely to have multiple acting nods.

So, anyway, it's just odd.

Capote

 

[Buck]

Leo was fantastic in The Aviator.

Recent biopics nominated for best picture and the actors who were nominated with them:
2013: The Wolf of Wall Street - Leo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill (probably a little loosely defined as a biopic)
2012: Lincoln - Daniel Day Lewis (won), Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field
2010: The King's Speech - Colin Firth (won), Geoffrey Rush; The Fighter - Christian Bale (won), Melissa Leo (won), Amy Adams
2008: Milk - Sean Penn (won), Josh Brolin; Frost/Nixon - Frank Langella
2006: The Queen - Helen Mirren (won)
2005: Good Night and Good Luck - David Strathairn
2004: Ray - Jamie Foxx (won); The Aviator - Leo DiCaprio, Alan Alda, Cate Blanchette
2001: A Beautiful Mind - Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly (won)
2000: Erin Brockovich - Julia Roberts (won), Albert Finney

I may have missed some, but I'm a bit pressed for time. But I think what we see here is that in the last 15 years, the Academy has never nominated a biopic for Best Picture and snubbed the entire cast of acting nominations. In fact, biopics that get nominated for best picture are far more likely to have multiple acting nods.

So, anyway, it's just odd.

That's a lot more than I was thinking of.
How could I forget 'Milk'? That's best movie on that list, and Penn was great.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Since 2005, lead actors in biopics who have won the Oscar

2005 - Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
2005 - Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
2006 - Forest Whitaker - Last King of Scotland
2006 - Helen Mirren - The Queen
2007 - Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
2008 - Sean Penn - Milk
2009 - Colin Firth - The King's Speech
2011 - Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
2012 - Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln

 

[Buck]

Since 2005, lead actors in biopics who have won the Oscar

2005 - Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
2005 - Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
2006 - Forest Whitaker - Last King of Scotland
2006 - Helen Mirren - The Queen
2007 - Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
2008 - Sean Penn - Milk
2009 - Colin Firth - The King's Speech
2011 - Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
2012 - Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln

Witherspoon and Whitaker weren't the focal points of their movies. That was part of the reason 'Last King of Scotland' wasn't better - it was more about MacAvoy's character rather than Amin.

I'd say Firth and Rush were pretty much co-leads in 'Kings' Speech,' which I really liked.

But 'Milk' was really great.

 

[bigpern23]

Capote

Ah yes, of course. Missed that one. Changed to reflect it.

 

[bigpern23]

I treat Oscars like I treat all-stars in sports. I'm interested in whose getting the honor but I won't watch the exhibition.

I love the Oscars and, to a lesser extent, the Golden Globes. I couldn't care less about any of the other awards shows, but the Globes are fun and the Oscars are a chance to (usually) honor the best in the industry.

And, FWIW, I still love the MLB All-Star Game. I can do without the other all-star games and can't remember the last time I watched more than a minute of any of them.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Ah yes, of course. Missed that one. Changed to reflect it.

That was my favorite movie that year and probably pretty high on my all-time list.

I watched it a couple days after Philip Seymour Hoffman died. Such a spectacular performance.

 

[Dyno]

I just saw Selma and have to agree: I. didn't buy Oyelowo as MLK. I thought he gave it a hell of a try but didn't look or sound enough like him. Or maybe he lacked the physical presence. I'm not sure. By no means was he bad, but not once did I even for a second think, "wow, he has MLK nailed." There were a bunch of shots of him in profile or from below or a strange angle, which made me wonder if the director had some awareness of this. So I can totally see Selma getting a Best Picture nod, but Oyelowo not getting a Best Actor nomination. (FWIW, I'm not sure I bought Tom Wilkinson as LBJ either.)

 

[bigpern23]

I think the question is even broader than I initially even gave credit for … it goes beyond Oyelowo. Selma is one of the best eight films of the year, yet not a single person involved in the film was recognized among the best of the year except Common and John Legend for best original song.

Selma didn't have anyone among the five best directors, cinematographers, actors, actresses, supporting actors, supporting actresses, screenplay writers, costume designers, production designers, editors, sound editors, sound mixers or visual effects. So if no one involved in the film was among the five best in any category besides Common and John Legend, how in the hell did the film as a whole get counted among the eight best of the year? That must be one hell of a great song.

 

[heyabbott]

Bennett Miller was nominated for Best Director but Foxcatcher was not named as a Best Picture nominee. What was the racist reason for that?

American Sniper was nominated for Best Picture but Clint Eastwood was not nominated for Best Director. Clint is black?