‘Crash-lash’ erupts over film’s surprise best | Golden Skate

‘Crash-lash’ erupts over film’s surprise best

IndieBoi

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Jan 2, 2004
http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=20465

‘‘Why O Why for the Love of All that is Righteous, Why? I can take Brokeback Mountain losing the best picture Oscar but to Crash of all vehicles. Ughhhhhhh!’’ read one posting on the Los Angeles section of Craiglist, an online community website featuring classified ads and discussion boards.

Over at www.Myspace.com, someone named David wrote: ‘‘Last night’s choice for best picture of the year was very hard for me to accept. Crash is not a film even worth seeing. It is so over the top with its dialogue and caricatures passing off as characters that it amazes me people could get drawn into such conjecture.’’
 

equestrianguy

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Jan 20, 2004
Oh please!!!! People just need to get over it!! lol I am a gay man and "YES" I wanted BBM to win, but I'm not all in a big frenzy about it..lol Movies come and go.. BBM will be a classic cult movie for years to come even though it didn't get best picture.. Look at how popular Steel Magnolias and Mommy Dearest still are today. They stood the test of time.. So everyone needs to MOVE ON! :)
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
It's not that easy to move on if someone in your family is gay and you love him to see a 3hour spectacle of how liberal the movie industry is showing clip after clip of racial strife only to see yet another oscar winner based on how liberal hollywood is towards our black brothers and how easy it is for Hollywood to bi-pass another minority. The look on Jack Nicholson's face told it all.

As to the selection of the movie based on all the factors, many critics said that Crash would have made a good TV show of some LA cops and their treatment of blacks. Others thought sincerely that Good Night and Good Luck was the best of the lot. Much has to do with politics, imo.

One can move on once all this discussion gets on and eventually over.

Joe
 

Vash01

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Jul 31, 2003
I was surprised that 'Crash' was even nominated in the best picture category, let alone win.

Vash
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
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Jul 28, 2003
Actually, Crash was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. The story was written by a Canadian writer/director - Paul Haggis. He wrote it after a harrowing experience he had in LA. The story has a very strong message about racial intolerance. I am thrilled that Crash won the Oscar.

Anyway, even if Broke Back Mountain had won there still would be a Canadian connection - it was filmed in Alberta, Canada.
 

Vash01

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Jul 31, 2003
I don't care where the movie was filmed or the nationality of the writer/director.

Vash
 

equestrianguy

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Jan 20, 2004
Vash01 said:
I was surprised that 'Crash' was even nominated in the best picture category, let alone win.

Vash

Yes, I was too.. I thought King Kong and Memoirs of a Geshia deserved to be in the best picture category before Crash..
 

IndieBoi

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Jan 2, 2004
Vash01 said:
I don't care where the movie was filmed or the nationality of the writer/director.
Vash

ITA! Crash's win is a case of smart marketing and riding the momentum IMO. Walk the Line, Good Night and Good Luck or Memoirs would've been a more digestable upset than Crash.
 
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Vash01

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Jul 31, 2003
IMO 'Memoirs of a Geisha' should have been nominated for best pic ahead of Crash. Also 'Walk the line' would have made a good case. Ziyi Zhang should have been nominated for best actress in place of Keira Knightly (P&P)- her omission was shocking to me. The critics were so hard on Geisha that it killed all chances of big nominations for that movie.

I don't know where the momentum for Crash came from. Was it an anti-BBM thing? However, in that case they had 3 other choices from the announced nominees.

In my mind at least BBM was the best movie of the year. To see it lose to Crash was just too much for me. It made me dislike Crash, which had its own strong points (great acting, innovative structure of the movie). When Crash won the ensemble SAG award, that was a warning, but I thought it was only because the award was called 'ensemble'. Same thing happened between Shakespeare in Love and Saving private Ryan. The actors guild definitely has a lot of power, and their opinions don't seem to match mine.

Vash
 

heyang

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Jul 26, 2003
I thought there was nothing wrong with Crash winning. It was a well-made picture with social relevance. Unfortunately, it addresses an ugly topic - racism of many forms. Many people do no want to admit that they are even slightly racist. It correctly did not get any best acting nominations(?).

I haven't seen BBM, but I plan to purchase the DVD. From what I've read, it was a beautiful love story that just happened to be between 2 gay men. The acting and directing is what made it work, but from a story point of view it was a different version of Romeo & Juliet.
 

equestrianguy

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Jan 20, 2004
The acting and directing is what made it work, but from a story point of view it was a different version of Romeo & Juliet.[/QUOTE]

Interesting analysis.. Yes, love stories have been done in every form possible. The only thing that was different about BBM was that Ang Lee was at the reins and two young famous men of Hollywood were the lead gay characters. I believe Heath Ledger made his role his own, but really any young actor could have played Jake G part. If these characters would have been played by unknown actors I don't think we would of seen all the hype about BBM this year.

Yes, I would have liked to seen Walk the Line in the best pic category as well.. Although, since Ray was just last year I think the two movies are too similar. If Walk the Line would have come before Ray we would have seen a different outcome at Oscars. Also, Jauquin Pheniox (he truely deserved to win in my opinion) would have won best actor if this movie was before Ray.
 

IndieBoi

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Jan 2, 2004
Vash01 said:
I don't know where the momentum for Crash came from. Was it an anti-BBM thing? However, in that case they had 3 other choices from the announced nominees.

I read somewhere (can't remember the url) that in the final weeks before Oscars, they sent out Crash DVDs to SAG members, many of whom are also members of the Academy of Motion Pictures, who eventually voted for the Oscars. This is not illegal since the DVDs were sent to SAG members, and NOT the Academy members (as was the case of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, I believe).

Anyway, prior to that there were underground talks about Crash being a potential dark horse since they won the best overall cast/ ensemble category at the SAG awards. I guess it just snowballed and with smart marketing to "remind" relevant audience just ahead of the oscars it was enough to upset BBM.
 
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IndieBoi

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equestrianguy said:
Yes, I would have liked to seen Walk the Line in the best pic category as well.. Although, since Ray was just last year I think the two movies are too similar. If Walk the Line would have come before Ray we would have seen a different outcome at Oscars. Also, Jauquin Pheniox (he truely deserved to win in my opinion) would have won best actor if this movie was before Ray.

Joaquin acted beautifully in Walk the Line... He and Reese even learned how to sing for their roles (like Nicole Kidman for Moulin Rouge), which I thought is a huge challenge if singing is not your forte. I don't believe Jamie Foxx used his own singing for Ray. Joaquin should've at least been nominated for Best Actor. He definitely would've won ove Foxx in 2004 IMO.
 

Vash01

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Jul 31, 2003
Joaquin WAS nominated for best actor. He did not win because Foxx won last year for playing the role of another great late singer. Hoffman was great in Capote, but it was a toss up between him and Phoenix IMO.

Jamie Foxx did not do his own singing in 'Ray' but it was a decision made by the powers to use the real Ray Charles' singing, as a respect for the late singer. Foxx actually sang while filming, and he has even released a CD of this singing (I don't remember if it was a CD of songs from Ray or not).

Vash
 

equestrianguy

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Jan 20, 2004
IndieBoi said:
Joaquin acted beautifully in Walk the Line... He and Reese even learned how to sing for their roles (like Nicole Kidman for Moulin Rouge), which I thought is a huge challenge if singing is not your forte. I don't believe Jamie Foxx used his own singing for Ray. Joaquin should've at least been nominated for Best Actor. He definitely would've won ove Foxx in 2004 IMO.

I read that Jamie Fox did some of his own singing in Ray, but most of it was lip synched.. Every time I watch Ray I still see Jamie Foxx acting as Mr. Charles, but when I watch Jauquin in Walk the Line my mind tells me he IS Jonny Cash. I can see how Hoffman won for Capote though. It was a role of a lifetime for him.. Although, his voice is almost like he is acting for a cartoon character at times..lol
 

IndieBoi

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Jan 2, 2004
Vash01 said:
Joaquin WAS nominated for best actor. He did not win because Foxx won last year for playing the role of another great late singer. Hoffman was great in Capote, but it was a toss up between him and Phoenix IMO.

I should've been more clear... I meant Joaquin in Walk the Line would've won over Foxx in Ray (different-year what-if scenario here... again, my opinion).

Anyway, this year was truly a strong year in American cinema. Some of the movies could've arguably been a best picture winner in other years.
 
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Joined
Jul 11, 2003
heyang said:
I thought there was nothing wrong with Crash winning. It was a well-made picture with social relevance. Unfortunately, it addresses an ugly topic - racism of many forms. Many people do no want to admit that they are even slightly racist. It correctly did not get any best acting nominations(?).

I haven't seen BBM, but I plan to purchase the DVD. From what I've read, it was a beautiful love story that just happened to be between 2 gay men. The acting and directing is what made it work, but from a story point of view it was a different version of Romeo & Juliet.
Heyang - Social issues, particularly stressing racial intolerance have been the focal point of many winning Oscars since the silent days. This one was not the best of them and certainly not unique. Those nasty LA cops. It was a good made for TV movie. Not nearly as good as the other nominees.

You have to read Annie Proulx story to appreciate BM. It had nothing whatsoever to do with R&J. It was more like, unfortunately, 'same time next year'.

Joe
 

ranjake

Final Flight
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Mar 19, 2005
Ladskater said:
Actually, Crash was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. The story was written by a Canadian writer/director - Paul Haggis. He wrote it after a harrowing experience he had in LA. The story has a very strong message about racial intolerance. I am thrilled that Crash won the Oscar.

Anyway, even if Broke Back Mountain had won there still would be a Canadian connection - it was filmed in Alberta, Canada.
.....i was extremely moved by CRASH and BROKEBACK.....i also loved GOODNIGHT and GOOD LUCK.......i'm glad i didn't have to pick the winner!
 

Kasey

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Jul 27, 2003
Joesitz said:
Heyang - Social issues, particularly stressing racial intolerance have been the focal point of many winning Oscars since the silent days. This one was not the best of them and certainly not unique. Those nasty LA cops. It was a good made for TV movie. Not nearly as good as the other nominees.



Joe

In YOUR opinion. Obviously not in the opinion of Academy voters, and many other people who have seen the movie.
 

Vash01

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Jul 31, 2003
Kasey said:
In YOUR opinion. Obviously not in the opinion of Academy voters, and many other people who have seen the movie.

I have disagreed with Academy voters more often than not. This is one of them. Other winners- just to mention a few: Shakespeare in love, Gladiator, Chicago. It all comes down to marketing. It does not necessarily mean the picture really was the best, but we have come to accept Oscars as a political event rather than evaluation of artistic merit.

Vash
 
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