Nodding Off
Well, I just got back. Let's talk about yesterday's big news. Not the State Of The Union--I stopped watching that infomercial years ago (though I do think they should have a cash register go "ka-ching!" every time the Prez announces a new program). No, I mean the Oscar noms, of course.
Actually, nothing too surprising. The biggest omission was not Dreamgirls for Best Picture, but Volver in the Foreign Film category.
I still don't get the Screenplay nod for Borat. Doesn't that require, you know, writing?
Overall, a pretty dull bunch. I guess it's that sort of year. Are there any really exciting choices? Hmm. Let's see. Nope. It's gonna be another defensive Oscar night, just hoping the worst picks don't win.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:29 AM
2 Comments:
I don't think the Borat nomination is any more strange than the WGA nominating "Bowling for Columbine." How can a documentary have a script? And the nominations for Altman or Mike Leigh films are similarly suspect since both directors rely so much on improvisation. Don't even get me started on the "Gosford Park" win.
At least Altman has a script, as much as he may go off it. (Allegedly screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr. was quite angry at Altman for the liberties he took with M*A*S*H, though, ironically, he was the only one to win an Oscar for the film. I've read the original script and it's good--a lot of it is adapted closely from the novel--yet many of the best lines were made up on the set.) As William Goldman has written, screenplays are structure.
Mike Leigh has months of improvisation and exploration before filming, but I believe once he starts it's all written down. The only question might be in this case who should get credit.
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