Amen...mostly
Here is an article about last nights debacle called "The Acadmey Awards". This guy writes about how totally ridiculous 'Crash' was. And how totally ridiculous it was for it to win Best Picture and Best Screenplay. I agree. Unfortunately this guy has drunk his own Kool Aid and believes that Brokeback Moutain was the best picture of the year last year. Pity. Actually, none of the 5 nominated rank anywhere near best picture in my opinion.
I didn't see every movie released in 2005 so I'm not a perfect judge. And, it is 'only my opinion'. In fact I only saw one of the 5 nominees. Crash. I saw it because friends said they liked it. It got a lot of buzz and I was curious. I saw it against my better judgement. I was wondering if it was supposed to be a comedy about half way through. That was when I realized it was pathetic and I began pitying it and all those who were/are fawning over it. I'm now wondering if the L.A. tourism bureau is going to sue the producers of the film. They should. If that is what LA is like I don't want to go anywhere near it. But, in fact I know it is not like that. I have spent many days and weeks there and I have never, not once had a serious racial altercation. And that includes a couple of times when family took me out looking for one!!!
Anyway, I've spent far too much energy on this topic. Oh, one last thing. My picks for 2005 best film nominees?
1. World's Fastest Indian
2. Cinderella Man
3. Just Like Heaven
4. Fever Pitch
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Now if these had been nominated I would have tuned in last night. As it is, I didn't and as it turns out I didn't miss a thing.
I was able to spend the 3.5 hours in loftier pursuits. I watched two movies with my family. I put in some time making the wife happy by watching 'Pride and Prejudice' (again). It worked, she is VERY happy ;) and the kids enjoyed 'Yours mine and ours'. Not a great film but we had some fun watching it together.
posted by Kevin @ 2:05 PM
9 Comments
9 Comments:
You weren't the only one who found that there was nothing on TV last night. I had to comfort the wife because the Academy Awards resulted in Desperate Housewives being pre-empted.
Ok, I gotta blog about this more but... That article, like most of the commentary I read and listened to today came from the standpoint of "hurt feelings" because a gay movie didn't win. Period.
While I have no problem with someone loving Brokeback, hating Crash, etc... these are not the people's choice awards. If so, Narnia would be at the top, not to mention most of the films you listed. It's a show put on by the arrogant for the arrogant.
When the politically correct thing to do was vote for the Gay flick, they didn't and it pissed off a lot of people. My point being, your opinion is at least an honest one of personal taste. The author of that article was spewing venom beacause the Academy didn't give it's seal of approval for his own lifestyle... or at least stick it to us simple Narnia types.
Oh yeah... This is the first year I didn't watch a single minute of the awards show... but DUDE!
Pride and Prejudice!?!?!?!?!
It's guys like you making life difficult for the rest of us!
As far as why I liked this movie...
The movie's method is using L.A. as a great example of clashing cultures. Using coincidence, exageration, humor, and truth to get its point across. It has under 2 hours to do it. Yes in reality, it takes years of living here to see it, but see it, feel it, hear it, know it you will. Anywhere you have such vastly different socio-economic and cultural differences you are going to experience some of the issues in Crash.
It's pefectly legitimate not to find this kind of film entertaining. I usually don't like being pounded over the head with a message. This to me however, was so spot on I immediately connected... At one point I could imagine that God was watching his creation in downtown L.A. , watching people all connected by the thread he used to create them, yet how violently they all seem to coexist. Not because they were inherintly "bad" people, but because of a lack of perception or frame of reference that one might have if he were behaving more "christ-like".
It's all in how we present ourselves to each other, and how deep we look into the hearts of others. I found looking into the ugliness and dark humor of this movie to be very cathardic and very touching. The only thing missing, what I could have seen as a possible answer to all the ugliness, is the addition of spirituality to the movie. I think there's a natural progression from the effects of Crashing into one another to transcending that by looking to a higher power.
Plus lets be honest, Asians CAN NOT drive, the lazy Mexicans NEVER have insurance, Cops are PIGS, and African Americans are dang lazy! Persians, Iranians, Arabs... It's all Rock N Roll to me baby.
I have to defer to Mike on most of this cuz he lives there. And, I have to acceed that he would definitely know better than me. However, in a fundamental way I disagree. Not with his opinions per se but with the feeling that in some way I should have felt different about the film than I did.
I go to the movies to be 'entertained.' I say this frequently. I don't 'get' any thought that movies should be anything other than just that, entertainment. I found absolutely nothing entertaining about that film. Nothing. In fact it was anti-entertaining. Now, I'll will be the first to agree to anyone saying that I live in a dream world set apart from the 'real world' where all this stuff really happens. That I have my head in the sand and I am naive. I have two words to say to anyone who might say this to me. Thank God. Given the choice between the two I would choose my current place every time.
I'm not trying to dis on you Mike. I'm really not. I'm grateful that you felt like sharing some of your thoughts. It is too rare a thing to hear from you. I'm just trying to share more of mine I guess and I really don't want you to misunderstand what I'm trying to say.
Part of my feelings are feelings of concern for my family that live in that part of the world. If it is really like that then I will lose sleep at night worrying about you. Worrying that your locksmith is going to sneak into your house and try and shoot you with a gun loaded with blanks and then you will slip and fall down your stairs on the empty shells. Then I'm worried that on the way to the hospital a black woman LAPD officer will molest you on the side of the road while your wife watches on throwing cold pasta at you screaming "you stupid eye-talian why'd you have to drive so fast? your giant suburbian SUV aint no stinkin FERARRI!!!"
"...If it is really like that then I will lose sleep at night worrying about you. Worrying that your locksmith is going to sneak into your house and try and shoot you with a gun loaded with blanks and then you will slip and fall down your stairs on the empty shells. Then I'm worried that on the way to the hospital a black woman LAPD officer will molest you on the side of the road while your wife watches on throwing cold pasta at you screaming "you stupid eye-talian why'd you have to drive so fast? your giant suburbian SUV aint no stinkin FERARRI!!!"
See? You do get it!
I'm not into convincing someone they should be entertained when they're clearly not. I just wanted to share why I was into the movie.
When I'm feeling optimistic I think there is something important about living in Southern California... my kids deal everyday making friends with Hispanics (see I'm talking culturaly sensitive now and I didn't use Mexican), African Americans, Chineese, pasty white boys and girls and even a terrorist's kid...nono I mean a Muslim. Nobody of good Italian/Scotish stock yet, but hey it's obviously no paradise. Anyhow... my kids wouldn't relate to anything I just said... they're all kids. To them, they are seperated by the nice ones and mean ones, the smart and the dumb (we don't allow our children to suffer the ignorant...) ;-) In the end I know the difference of race will be obvious, I just hope they will deal with kindness, honesty, compassion, and humor. These are things I believe this movie speaks to.
I like you want to be entertained at the movies... but maybe my brain is more mushy than yours, because I love it when entertainment succeeds in moving me, and even in rare cases, activates a few lazy neurons in my brain and forces them to work.
Off to buy the new Potter DVD...
btw... I know this is all becuse your still mad at me for taking you to a movie where Meg Ryan plays a crack whore.
... and where did that happen?
LA!
btw (2)... I think we have the basis for one HECK of a podcast here... Kevin & Mike Review Life. Kevin gives it 1 Golden Halo and 0 caffeine-free beverages, Mike gives it 4 meatballs and a bottle of Chianti.
I was just thinking about this more and I realized that the movie that could have been made that would have moved me and made me think a little would have been the exact opposite of Crash. A movie where the 'proper' behavior is modeled. How we are 'supposed' to get along with each other. No, it wouldn't neccessarily be 'reality' but it would go a lot further in having me embrace it as the 'best picture' of the year.
I saw on the Today show where high schools are now using this film to 'teach' teenagers about racism. YIKES! I think that is a huge mistake. I think you are right about our young children being basically 'racially ignorant' right now in their youth. Why have them watch something like this? So, they will know how to act? No, I'm sure the theory is to teach them how not to act. It will backfire. Kids who had no idea that they should be afraid of a black guy because he might steal their car will now have that in their head. Modelling the correct or positive behavior is the better way to go in most circumstances. Using negative images may work in teaching kids not to use tobacco, show a pic of sick lungs, or teaching kids about alcoholism, show a pic of a sick liver or a nasty drunk driver caused crash. But, showing them the nastiness of racism to teach them not to do it? It doesn't feel right to me.
Someone please make 'Anti-Crash'.
In the SCHOOLS?!
Yes please... why spend more time on reading, math, science, history, writing...? PUHLEASE teach my kids not to hate because I am incapable.
Yikes
Late to the game...
Crash was an interesting movie. Not what I'd have picked, though. It was entirely UNsubtle and maybe it would make a good starting point for a discussion on racism in a classroom environment (amongst suitably mature students). It's one saving grace (too strong a term) is that a value judgement IS being given on the negative behaviors being displayed.
Contrast that with Closer from last year. UGH. That was a movie without any redeeming social value whatsoever if you ask me. Ugly, ugly characters with beautiful exteriors. Gah! Sorry, made myself angry again just thinking about that sordid mess.
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