Oh Is it Oscar Season Already?

Two things can kill a movie en route to Oscar — raised expectations and a bad case of the “shoulds.” I thought about this today reading Kris Tapley’s headline for The Cove, a doc very much on our radar, “‚ÄòThe Cove‚Äô represents a real opportunity for AMPAS”.

The Cove has the reviews to back it up, it has word of mouth – it is about something important, its subject matter is horrific. Tapley isn’t wrong about the Academy having an opportunity, but it’s also something they have been known to bristle at in the past, when everyone tells them they should vote for a movie because of the potential social impact. In this case, the filmmakers are hoping that enough publicity will stop the practice of killing dolphins. Will an Oscar nod really stop that? Will it bring enough awareness to mount public pressure on government officials?

One thing is for sure, though. The hardest part of this roll-out is going to be getting people to willingly go and see it. The thought of watching the slaughter of screaming dolphins makes one want to chop one’s head off rather than endure the torture.¬† This isn’t the end of the world.¬† Moreover, I get the feeling that a movie like this will get support whether people see it or not. Nonetheless, other than Capitalism: A Love Story, so far The Cove is the one with the most heat right now – not just for the activist element, but because it’s been hailed as a great film in its own right.