Women directors have much to live down before they can be taken seriously. Most of the heads of the five families in the film industry do not trust women to direct, partly because of the money thing. And partly because, deep down, they don’t think women can bring it. Angelina Jolie just proved that she can take a movie with very bad reviews and still open big at the box office. She might even prove a woman can take said film into the Best Picture race just like the men can (Daldry’s The Reader and Daldry’s Extremely Loud both squeezed in with equally bad, or worse, reviews). Not many are heading into the territory of “Unbroken doesn’t tell the whole story about Louis Zamperini,” which included alcoholism and verbal abuse of his wife before the war, then his Christian reform to become a better man through Billy Graham after the war. She can be, and will be, forgiven because she was paying tribute to him, not trying to tear him down.
But the real threat this year is from another film directed by a woman that’s better, and therefore more of a threat. It’s so good, in fact, that it is one of two other films that threaten the current Best Picture frontrunner. It’s so good that it’s being taken seriously enough by the guardians of the status quo, the powers that be, who are trying to shift the conversation from Martin Luther King, Jr. and voting rights to Lyndon B. Johnson. Preserve the white man’s reputation at all costs, is the message here. “Shame on Ava DuVernay for not making LBJ the hero of SELMA.”
The LBJ library director was angry because the portrait of LBJ wasn’t sympathetic enough, “When racial tension is so high, it does no good to suggest that the president of the U.S. himself stood in the way of progress a half-century ago. It flies in the face of history,” he told the AP. The LBJ library is to Lyndon B. Johnson as Unbroken is to Louis Zamperini – it exists mainly to pay tribute. The headlines were misleading in this regard – what they should be saying is that this person, the director of the LBJ library, has a problem with how LBJ is portrayed.
Though Johnson is credited with being the first US president to push for groundbreaking civil rights legislation, his legacy is not without its blemishes. Here’s Barack Obama speaking on LBJ at that very library:
“During his first 20 years in Congress he opposed every civil rights bill that came up for a vote, once calling the push for federal legislation a farce and a shame.”
That was picked apart by the right (of course) but then
rated as “true” by Politifact, based on these snippets in Caro’s book:
–In 1947, after President Harry S Truman sent Congress proposals against lynching and segregation in interstate transportation, Johnson called the proposed civil rights program a “farce and a sham–an effort to set up a police state in the guise of liberty.”
–In his 1948 speech in Austin kicking off his Senate campaign, Johnson declared he was against Truman’s attempt to end the poll tax because, Johnson said, “it is the province of the state to run its own elections.” Johnson also was against proposals against lynching “because the federal government,” Johnson said, “has no more business enacting a law against one form of murder than against another.”
Next, we asked an expert in the offices of the U.S. Senate to check on Johnson’s votes on civil rights measures as a lawmaker. By email, Betty Koed, an associate historian for the Senate, said that according to information compiled by the Senate Library, in “the rare cases when” such “bills came to a roll call vote, it appears that” Johnson “consistently voted against” them or voted to stop consideration.
LBJ biographer Robert Caro wrote about LBJ:
“For no less than 20 years in Congress, from 1937 to 1957, Johnson’s record was on the side of the South. He not only voted with the South on civil rights, but he was a southern strategist, but in 1957, he changes and pushes through the first civil rights bill since Reconstruction. He always had this true, deep compassion to help poor people and particularly poor people of color, but even stronger than the compassion was his ambition. But when the two aligned, when compassion and ambition finally are pointing in the same direction, then Lyndon Johnson becomes a force for racial justice, unequalled certainly since Lincoln.”
In other words, Johnson had a major turnaround. One of the best things about Selma was, to me, how it humanized Johnson and beautifully illustrated that turnaround. That voting rights came to pass so late in American history, in my own childhood, is a mark against our collective character that no president, however passionately he changed his mind, can erase. That little girls had to be accompanied by law enforcement on their way to church and school in the 1960s, for godsakes, can’t be erased. That southern African American citizens were prevented from registering to vote, that the panicked white authorities still removed drinking fountains in the 1960s because a black person used one – that isn’t going to be erased so easily.
The point here is what AD reader Bob Burns said, “if the discussion becomes about LBJ and not voting rights, the bigots win.”
The moment those headlines started to appear my first thought was, “uh-oh, someone is really worried about Selma’s Oscar potential.” The same thing happened with Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty in 2012. It almost happened with 12 Years a Slave last year but that script did not deviate significantly from Solomon Northup’s account.
Believe me, if Unbroken had actually been good enough to win Best Picture, if its reviews were off the charts great, if Angelina Jolie had lived up to the kind of hype they’re selling for this film? You can bet it would be taken apart for fact-checking the way Selma is. Jolie isn’t getting smacked down because she is confirming what most people secretly think about women directors: they can’t direct. But Selma shows that Ava DuVernay, this unlikely contender who turned her life around in her 40s — who is also an activist for civil rights and an advocate for black filmmakers — DID make a great film. Not just a film that people like, but a film with reviews so good it has become one of Boyhood’s challengers. That is why people are getting nervous. She’s rocking the boat, my friends. She’s definitely rocking the boat.
Here a few basic facts to consider.
1) Selma is not a documentary. As a fictionalized, impressionist take on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement, it is not meant to be. Selma is a beautifully rendered battle cry for a movement that still needs mobilization in 2014.
2) The portrait of LBJ is sympathetic. There was resistance to King. History tells us so. But LBJ is not painted as a menace to change, just part of a cog in a giant machine. If someone wants to make a movie about LBJ they can go ahead and do that. That is not THIS movie.
3) The bigger picture here is that with Selma, DuVernay is doubly threatening. She’s a threat because she’s female and black, and Selma is a threat because it’s actually good. This is no condescending pat on the back with a “good job.” This is a potential game-changer.
Note: Why do I compare Selma and Unbroken? They are both films about American heroes that were given to women to direct. They both opened on Christmas Day. One has a giant studio and a superstar behind it and one has a wing and a prayer. One opened big in 3100 theaters nationwide with terrible reviews, one opened quietly in 19 showcase theaters with rave reviews. It isn’t about pitting them against one another – it’s about noticing how differently they are being treated by the public, the press and the fans.
![2025 Oscars: Can a Late-Breaker Still Win Best Picture? [POLL]](https://www.awardsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/gladiator-350x250.jpg)
I want to thank you all on this discussion esp re: best director, best picture re: Duvernay film Selma and then there is the public relations director Jolie… on the film Unbroken…most have said it: massive public relations by Jolie but I think, contrary to sayin Selma historical facts have been questioned, more than Unbroken is not accurate tho — Unbroken facts are just “omitted” that is a form of misrepresentation… my partner is a Vet and I was moved to see finally a Civil Rights film about Vets and then I read the reviews Jolie leaves out major part of his story but states “she loves him” on camera… I will not see the film.. first time I felt this deep offense… I was really, really disappointed and then later I hear Duvernay on NPR interview asked about the claim that LBJ was allegedly misrepresented, and she is articulate, knowledgable, artistic, graceful and says, see the film first, because he is intended to be represented as sympathetic and that it is not a documentary… I feel proud of her and the work done on Selma it is far better than Lincoln — just brilliant and will see it in a theater and will not see Unbroken… I will not see it but will see the doc that was made about the Vet — misrepresenting Vets made my ears go back, since Jolie left out most of his story… it is shameful… when films like these are made — the target demographic are not Britney Spear Fans… no we are likely over 30, educated and know the civil rights movements directly or indirectly through family or our communities.. so those that make the alleged criticisms of Selma… I say see the film… I say…. Selma is a major artistic cultural and historical contribution to our society and I say: Well done… well done. Unbroken is a total farce… I am so sorry Jolie lied to “win” she cannot fool this target demographic related to Vets and I don’t think black female director focus is appropriate b/c she delivered the goods (see recent film on HBO on Jacki Robinson) she has more in her corner than you may see on the surface like the fans of Robinson… her fans are in this demographic group who know about Nam, Civil Rights Advocacy and more…. again I say well done and thank you — I have seen the trailers and on talk shows… but you can tell from trailers and reviews if the film has met its representation to the public and clearly Unbroken got tickets sold but bad reviews… so there you have it… done.
‘Selma’ looks to be gaining ground having picked up Best Picture and Best Director at the Ohio Film Critics Circle. So far, it has been thought that ‘Boyhood’ was the frontrunner. But in light of recent events (and I do mean Political Events), it appears that ‘Selma’ might be the Little Picture That Could of this year’s Oscar and precursor races. I can’t help thinking that it is getting all this attention to score points in the Black communities so as not to further agitate them after having just gone through a turbulent several months. ’12 Years A Slave’ was definitely worthy of its collection of awards, but as far as ‘Selma’ is concerned, it’s beginning to seem more of a political move to give it the top honors. At the risk of sounding indelicate, I can’t help but think that a victory for ‘Selma’ in Best Picture and Best Director would be less deserving and more of a political statement as far as the Academy is concerned. If ‘Selma’ doesn’t win, Hollywood would face aggressive protests like the ones in Furgeson and be publicly accused of being racist. This would put Hollywood in a very precarious dilemma: Give the award to ‘Selma’ and appease the Black community…or stick to their traditional unbiased approach and risk a public relations nightmare/war. Let’s not forget that movie making is about artistic expression, as well as being truthful with historical and factual material while achieving high-class entertainment in the process. How can this be accomplished in the midst of a political battle? For the sake of the Academy’s integrity and for the fairness of all those artists who poured their heart and soul into their work that lead them to the 87th Academy Awards, I pray that the voters do not cave in to politics and remain fair and impartial. May the Best Picture win :D!
Jonny: I don’t want to see a film about LBJ. I want to see a film about how MLK and LBJ managed to get the Voting Rights Act passed. 50 years ago, the Congress was (like it is today) held prisoner by reactionary members. As Nancy Pelosi remarked during the Obamacare debate, “What would Lyndon do?”
Then it was the Southern Democrats, now it’s the Republicans (whose numbers include the former Southern Democrats). As LBJ remarked to Bill Moyers: We’ve lost the South for a generation. He underestimated the vindictiveness of the right-wing.
You may only be interested in movies and not history, can’t fault you on that: this is a forum about movies. But visit any political website spammed by the Tea Party: they point out that MLK was a Republican (true) and a conservative (absolutely false). Unbelievable. THEY portray him as the enemy of the Great Society. MLK and LBJ had a falling out over Vietnam, but until then they acted as partners. The Fox News spin is that LBJ was a socialist (well, he was after FDR the most liberal – and most legislatively productive – President in history). In their revisionist history, they claim it was LBJ who “tore apart” black families by creating a modest (by European standards) social safety net.
As for LBJ’s voting record, Robert Caro has documented this in detail. LBJ shepherded the 1957 Civil Rights Act through Congress, right under the nose of Richard Russell. When LBJ became President (and no longer had to rely on getting the votes of bigots to be elected), he could finally show himself as the New Dealer (and former FDR protege) that he was. As Caro writes: “power corrupts but power also reveals”.
The story of how MLK and LBJ worked together was so fascinating, and so very relevant today, it is a sadly lost opportunity if the filmmaker chose to disregard the historical facts (which were at her disposition) to invent a “better story”. The story itself is as intriguing as it gets.
Joeyhegele, I wasn’t agreeing or disagreeing that there are or aren’t racists on imdb. I was merely stating, maybe not in the best way, that imdb has many more casual movie fans than people who visit this site. Ryan said it best, Billy Madison has been given thousands of perfect scores and most likely because those who voted actually voted on their enjoyment level or they’re holding onto nostalgia. I know I love the movie. It’s a piece of shit but my friends and I can quote it endlessly. When I rank movies on Netflix I often do it out of my enjoyment level. If I actually had to be objective I know many of those ratings from my personal queue would go down a bit. There are racists on imdb for sure, but also trolls down voting for the sake of down voting before a movie even comes out. If I saw Selma sitting at a 3.8 but then the next day it’s at a 9.4, sure I’d be happier but in the end I couldn’t give a shit about imdb voters. If I barely care about the majority of non-critics on Rottentomatoes then I sure as shit don’t care about imdb scores. Could movies like Selma benefit from serious movie watchers like myself to up vote it? Sure. But that would mean I’d be contributing to something I really don’t care to contribute to. If there are 200some voters giving Selma a 1, what does that say about them and why should I care what they think? Based on the trailer alone, and I’m not exaggerating, there’s no reason Selma should be given a 1. That’s a score best left for truly incompetent filmmaking, which tells me those 1 score voters were gunning for this movie from the start. And as Ryan stated there are so few of them in the grand scheme of things. I can live in a world where there are, basically, 50 times more Billy Madison lovers than Selma haters. Sorry for the rambling, I tend to do that a lot. Basically what Ryan said, I’m agreeing to.
@AILIDH, did you even read it. That was a quote from the LA Times not from Ava Duvernay and the quote she made on her Twitter was to Mark Updegrove. Besides I don’t care who the person is the the entire conversation is stemming from LBJ hero worship. Let’s accept that it’s a film that shows LBJ had a flawed civil rights voting record (fact), that it’s a film about grass roots social change from a group of people treated like second class citizens, and finally that it’s a narrative film.
Bryan Cranston will be reprising his interpretation of President Lyndon Johnson in HBO’s adaptation of the play All the Way. If you want a see a film about him.
IMDB is not about movies, it’s about the people who bother to register their opinions about movies in the form of votes.
That Selma is having a hard time on the site doesn’t surprise me. Most of the world hasn’t seen it yet, so the majority of votes are coming from the land where it has just been announced that FOX News is the most-watched cable network.
Consider the source. If it’s your crowd, good on ya. If not – just disregard. But it has nothing to do with the overall quality of the filmmaking.
When I see it again I will def. keep all of that in mind 🙂
For me, The Hobbit pt. 3 was much effective and successful than pt.’s 1 or 2, because it is not structured as a linear journey heading to some goal we don’t really care about (dwarves reclaiming their home and gold from the dragon), but instead is a study of what happens to the different races of Middle Earth after the dragon is slayed. It is a movie about the challenges of living together. The movie does not change from its primary location, and I think this gives it room to examine the relationships between the dwarves, elves, and men (and then eventually the orcs and wizards) in a more personal way. I thought the primary Thorin plot was quite powerful, and the themes of stubbornness, greed, and and excessive loyalty resonated in a way that transcended the mere “plot” of The Hobbit (which, frankly, we don’t really care about). Viewed as a study of bitter hatreds between peoples forced to come together in the face of a greater evil (in this case, the army of orcs), the third movie can be taken as a major work on its own. I seem to be the only one who feels this way. The reviews aren’t good. But if you open your mind to what Jackson (and Walsh, Boyens, del Toro) are doing, and give yourself over to the mind-boggling visuals, it is a seriously amazing movie.
Matt Patches has a fun piece about the top film scores of the year, and includes audio clips of each.
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/the-15-best-film-scores-of-2014
“When, exactly, did the 83-year-old Califano start following “awards season” so intensely? It doesn’t smell like something an 83-year-old former Washington insider would write. But then, we know from experience that not everyone comes up with their own material this time of year.
And while we’re asking questions, how about this: Why would a black filmmaker like DuVernay need to lionize LBJ in her civil rights movie? Can’t Califano just go and watch “Mississippi Burning” again and let the rest of us have a movie where in which people aren’t relegated to the sidelines of history?”
Oh, dear. Don’t you know who Joe Califano is? If you don’t, look him up on Wikipedia. He is one of the staunchest and most productive and liberal Presidential advisors and cabinet members of the last half of the 20th century. He (and Sargent Shriver) were LBJ’s most redoutable domestic aides and boy, did they ever get results: Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, Medicare, Medicaid, Environmental Protection, Federal Aid to Public Education, Public Broadcasting, Head Start, Welfare, Public Housing…. any social safety network that exists beyond Social Security is owed in great part to one Joe Califano.
I hadn’t realized before Ms. Du Vernay had made such a nasty comment about Califano’s complaint. That is totally unacceptable and inexcusable.
“I think that Selma might suffer the same fate as The Butler & The Hurricane with too much fudging of the facts.”
@tom, have you seen the film? It doesn’t fudge facts. I think the LA Times had the best quote “Now, I’m no expert. Most of what I know about LBJ comes from reading reviews of Robert Caro’s landmark biography of Johnson. But to say Selma was LBJ’s idea seems a stretch, even to Califano, who refutes his own claim later in the column as he lays out the chronology of the events. All in all, it’s a pretty loopy piece of writing, capped off by an odd call to arms: “The movie should be ruled out this Christmas and during the ensuing awards season.”
When, exactly, did the 83-year-old Califano start following “awards season” so intensely? It doesn’t smell like something an 83-year-old former Washington insider would write. But then, we know from experience that not everyone comes up with their own material this time of year.
And while we’re asking questions, how about this: Why would a black filmmaker like DuVernay need to lionize LBJ in her civil rights movie? Can’t Califano just go and watch “Mississippi Burning” again and let the rest of us have a movie where in which people aren’t relegated to the sidelines of history?”
Ava DuVernay responds:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/29/selma-lyndon-b-johnson_n_6390266.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment&ir=Entertainment
It shouldn’t surprise anybody that roughly 25% of Americans are racists or homophobes or idiots (or all 3 of those things)
footnote:
9000 verified idiots on IMDb and approximately 3000 racists, and 3000 homophobes. I don’t think we have to crosscheck IP addresses to make this assumption: Not every idiot is a racist or homophobe, but all racists and homophobes are idiots.
I read your post, but I cannot figure out if you are saying you agree with Mariette that IMDB voters are racist against black movies or you agree with me that IMDB voters are just idiots.
I’m going to remain calm and try to respectfully suggest a moderate attitude: Like anywhere else on Earth, there are SOME racists on IMDb and SOME idiots. How many racists? What percentage of idiots?
IMDb makes it painfully horribly easy to count them because IMDb keeps track. IMDb tallies up the numbers for us, and makes those numbers transparently available. IMDb counts the racists and counts the homophobes and counts the idiots.
Let’s break it down: Currently 22% of voters on IMDb give Selma a “1” – the lowest rating possible, dragging it down to an overall score of 6.4.
22% is an awful number, but it only amounts to 225 individuals. I assure you that percentage will drop. The more people see Selma, more and more people will give it high scores — but the number of racists will begin to level off after about 3000 racist heads explode.
Let’s look for another movie with an IMDb score of 6.4. How about Billy Madison. What’s the percentage of “1”s for Billy Madison? … ready? 2% Only 2% of IMDb voters gave Billy Madison a “1”
How many people gave Billy Madison a ’10’? 8,900. Nearly 9000 voters on IMDB gave Billy Madison a perfect masterpiece score of ’10’
So, now we know: there are approximately 9000 idiots on IMDb (they proudly declared their idiot credentials when they said Billy Madison was perfect). Those idiots roam around giving ’10s’ to every Adam Sandler movie. 9000 idiots is a big number, but we can defeat them — we have them outnumbered: 500,000 IMDb voters gave The Godfather a ’10’
(by the way, Billy Madison has a metacritic score of 19, and Selma’s metacritic score is 91. So here’s me, being grateful to metacritic for once in my life.)
It shouldn’t surprise anybody that roughly 25% of Americans are racists or homophobes or idiots (or all 3 of those things) and a lot of those people vote on IMDb — in fact, we should probably be relieved to see that the percentage of racist homophobic idiots on IMDb is not much higher than 5%
(remember that poll last year that found 25% of Americans think President Obama is the Antichrist? Lucky for us, most of those people never heard of IMDb.)
The racists and homophobes and idiots don’t always come out in full force. They kick into action mostly when the Drudges Breitbarts and Limbaughs push their buttons. The more a movie is in the news, the madder the bigoted hotheads will get.
It’s sad to see the casual anonymous hate bubble up. But we can try to feel lucky that these 3,000 virulent voters on IMDb are venting their hate by tapping harmless buttons on a website instead of patrolling their neighborhood with guns.
@ Maria or Moica( Same person probably). Grow the hell up. I am not the same person as Reed or Patrick. Learn how to read and improve your reading comprehension. You write and sound like a 15 year old Bieber fan for god sakes.
I am not an Angelina Jolie ‘hater’, just because I don’t think she walks on water and poops out golden bricks. I saw her movie, and thought is was crap. I am someone who read the book, saw the movie and was majorly dissapointed by it
Nice try though to say I am from a site that doesn’t like Jolie. Lots of people don’t like her and it has nothing to do with the Pitt-Aniston 2005 thing. Grow up!
And Unbroken will not get the major Oscars. You can try and say the box office = Best Pic, Best Director, Best Actor but it doesn’t. There is nothing in that movie that deserves Oscars. There are millions of movies that were better then Unbroken this year. Its not even this years Blind Side. the Blind Side was at least decent. Unbroken is just bad movie that should have been good. You don’t like what I have to say because its about someone who you admire and you think she walks on water and is so great,etc . Some actors have the talent and ability to become great directors and other do not. Unbroken failure lies with its director. Jack O Connell certainly doesn’t have a shot at Best Actor this year. Miyavi was just miscast. Garret Hedlund and Finn Wittrock were nothing special either.
This is why some people don’t like Angelina or her husband and that the fans of this couple are always looking to pick a fight with total strangers over a different opinion.
@Steven Kane
I read your post, but I cannot figure out if you are saying you agree with Mariette that IMDB voters are racist against black movies or you agree with me that IMDB voters are just idiots. When I vote on IMDB, I always make sure I am objective about the films quality rather than just my enjoyment of the movie experience. For example, I find Gone With The Wind to be a silly film, but it is very well made. I would give it a high score for its cinematic value even though it does not personally entertain me.
Either way though, that makes Selma’s 6.4 rating very sad and confusing. Is the score that low because people think it is a poorly made film or because they find it boring? Hopefully as more people see it and vote for it on IMDB, the score will rise. It certainly deserves a nomination over Into The Woods, which I found very entertaining but certainly not Best Picture quality.
“Why are so many people predicting another split year between picture/director? A split is extremely rare, and because it’s happened two years in a row, suddenly people are going to predict it every year?”
–Robert A
I am predicting a Best Picture/Director split because I think The Imitation Game is going to win Best Picture because Harvey Weinstein is behind it and it is exactly the type of movie he excels at selling to the older Academy voters. After all, that is why he removed any onscreen depictions of homosexuality.
I think Boyhood is going to win Director because much like Gravity and Life Of Pi it is a singularly unique film and its success can be contributed to its director’s vision and determination. While I think Harvey will be able to get voters to fall in love with The Imitation Game for Best Picture, even he will have trouble overcoming people’s respect for what Linklater accomplished. The voters will want to reward him for creating something no one has ever been able to do so successfully.
I think The Imitation Game will win Adapted Screenplay, Score, and Lead Actor. If they really love it, they may give it Editing and Supporting Actress, but I think Director is going to Boyhood no matter what wins Best Picture.
Ryan, I wasn’t saying ”Selma” should include anything about MLK’s extramarital affairs
I know you weren’t. I’m just clarifying — Selma doesn’t show any affairs but it doesn’t pretend there were no affairs. I’m underlining what seems to me to be an important distinction in these two approaches: unlike Unbroken, Selma finds a way to gracefully acknowledge that heroes can be less than perfect and still be heroes.
But I wasn’t taking a poke at you, WW. Just bouncing off an issue you raised, that’s all.
Jerry Grant, I am currently watching Hobbit 1 on tv and cant believe the tie-ins to Hobbit 3. I enjoyed Hobbit 3 but still think that all three pale to LOTR. Having said that, I also saw Hobbit 2 the other day and was pretty enthralled. I suggest you take a look at that one again. In the end, having now seen all 3 in the span of a week, I appreciate them much more now as a WHOLE. However, I still dont think these register much with regular movie goers. LOTR impressed so many people who were unaware of Tolkien. I dont think the same can be said of these Hobbit flicks.
Ryan, I wasn’t saying ”Selma” should include anything about MLK’s extramarital affairs. I brought it up only as an analogy to Sasha’s reference that ”Unbroken” doesn’t include Louis Zamperini’s ”alcoholism and verbal abuse of his wife,” since it’s trying to depict him as a hero.
Meantime, I wish the Academy WOULD bring back the Adaptation score Oscar; during the ’70s, it was given out to movie musicals (like ”Fiddler on the Roof,” ”Cabaret,” and ”All That Jazz”), as well as films that used a lot of period stuff (like ”The Sting,” ”The Great Gatsby”). So while Sondheim’s ”A Little Night Music” earned an Oscar for Jonathan Tunick’s adaptation score, Sondheim’s ”Into the Woods” won’t even be eligible for its score since Adaptation is gone.
Thanks Elvis, so the winner is Into the Wood since with 2, 440 theatre count ( and with a lower budget) ITW manage to beat out Unbroken who has the wilder theater count 3, 131 (and a bigger budget), Unbroken has 691 theatre plus than Into the Wood and still lost , that’s what i call falling from the box office…
Okay am I the only person who thinks The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is really great? I mean, the filmmaking is dazzling, and certain moments rise to the level of real poetry. It reminds me of what an extraordinary filmmaker Peter Jackson is; but also, the underlying themes of greed and strife between races also really hits home. I found it very moving, and this coming from someone who was terribly bored by Hobbits 1 and 2. Currently in my top ten of the year, and I don’t quite understand why it isn’t getting better reviews. I now see what Jackson was aiming at with this series, but I still think part 3 stands better alone than with those two other cumbersome movies. Anyone else???
I think that Selma might suffer the same fate as The Butler & The Hurricane with too much fudging of the facts. Still, it seems that the creative community has embraced the glory of Boyhood.
This just in: With 567 lists now included, Boyhood has now topped more lists than any other film of the 21st Century.
1. Boyhood (382 lists; 136 top spots)
Other noteworthy contenders…
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel (283 lists; 18 top spots)
3. Birdman (224 lists; 30 top spots)
5. Whiplash (202 lists; 21 top spots)
6. Gone Girl (176 lists; 7 top spots)
7. Nightcrawler (166 lists; 7 top spots)
9. Selma (134 lists; 14 top spots)
19. Interstellar (82 lists; 10 top spots)
21. Foxcatcher (76 lists; 3 top spots)
23. Mr. Turner (71 lists; 7 top spots)
24. The Imitation Game (64 lists; 3 top spots)
28. The Theory of Everything (51 lists; 4 top spots)
28. A Most Violent Year (51 lists; 4 top spots)
I think it’s really interesting to note that Interstellar has more top spot mentions than Gone Girl and Nightcrawler despite making half as many lists. BTW, American Sniper has now fallen out of the Top 50 completely and Unbroken has been nowhere to be found since the site began tallying for this year…
That line should be edited. It implies something far more sinister than someone changing careers. She did her first short at 32. I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt and call this wording sloppy rather than shady. Either way, pieces like this will become part of the narrative about Ms. Duvernay and she deserves far, far better.
…or an STD 🙂 OK, I’m done. Sorry Tara Reid.
Phantom, I’m surprised that slipped by you. It’s so obvious! But that’s a sandwich that’ll give me food poisoning.
“Tara-Reed sandwich” 🙂 LOL, I didn’t even realize I accidentally brought into this another “actress”.
I’m sorry Patrick, I didn’t mean to offend you, you were just suspiciously in that Tara-Reed sandwich stating very similar things. But, yeah, Steven had said it already : when it comes to big (female) stars like Angelina Jolie (or Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lawrence etc.) this shit actually DOES happen around here quite a lot.
It’s tough enough finding character aplenty for one commenter, let alone three! 🙂 I’m still trying to find a voice that suits me, prose wise!
Patrick, it happens a lot on here and Ryan (rightly) calls them out on it. Usually when Jolie, Aniston or any of the Twilight actors are mentioned…Jesus H Christmas there are trolls aplenty and often speaking as the exact same person.
Joeyhegele, I’m sure many of those users are actually rating it on their enjoyment level, not of how great of a movie it actually is. I remember a handful of my friends saying they tried to watch The Double and couldn’t make it more than 5 or 10 minutes in saying, “It’s seriously the most boring movie ever.” I watched it a week later and couldn’t rave enough about it. I don’t think black casts, white casts, male-centric, female-centric has as much to do with it as one might think. If it has name actors and is a good time, it’ll do well ratings-wise. Transformers 4 has a 5.9, The Equalizer has a 7.3. This is the End has a 6.8, both 21 and 22 Jump Street has a 7.2, Boyz N the Hood has a 7.8, Friday has a 7.3. It’s really about entertainment value and I know a lot of people who hate Seth Rogen. These scores are not reliable in the least. Upstream Color has a 6.8, Under the Skin has a 6.2, The Master has a 7.1, Inside Llewyn Davis has a 7.5. Those are some “white” movies, arguably some of the best of the last decade that didn’t rate as high as they really should have.
Yes, I am Tara and Reed. I went to the trouble of completely changing my tone and use of correct grammar to convince everyone on this internet comment section that I’m three different people. *sigh* Oh, bless you. Then again, I wouldn’t put it past others.
“IMDB is so flawed I would never trust it. There are a bunch of racists on that site that always give black movies a low rating that is why Selma is rated so low”
–Maria
Well, it is overwhelmingly young, straight, white, men on IMDB. AwardsDaily wrote a great article about how the IMDB score for gay movies like Milk and Brokeback Mountain took a sudden dive when they were nominated for Best Picture:
http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2009/01/slamdogs-gaybash-milk/
I am not sure if the same thing happens for movies with large black casts. Below are some Best Picture nominees and winners with large black casts:
Django Unchained – 8.5 score (692,427 users)
12 Years A Slave – 8.2 score (287,236 users)
The Help – 8.1 score (257,156 users)
Crash – 7.9 score (323,379 users)
Ray – 7.8 score (92,907 users)
Precious – 7.4 score (73,040 users)
Beasts of the Southern Wild – 7.3 score (61,493 users)
For comparison:
Brokeback Mountain – 7.7 score (226,597 users)
Milk – 7.7 score (117,898 users)
why don’t we have an Adapted Score to match the Original Score?
They used to. The category was dropped in the 70s, I think.
Best adapted categories…good laugh for the day. Thanks, friends.
The actual box office numbers are in: Into The Woods four days $46.14M, Unbroken 4 days $46.06M
well then, that settles it. Rob Marshall wins Best Director.
The actual box office numbers are in: Into The Woods four days $46.14M, Unbroken 4 days $46.06M
Tara, Patrick and Reed sound like the same person…just putting it out there.
Rosamund Pike for Adapted Acting and Gone Girl for Adapted Visual Effects since they photoshopped Haley Joel Osment’s A.I. expressions onto her face.
289 Adapted Screenplays More Worthy of an Oscar Than The Theory of Everything’s (or The Expected Ignorance of the Oscar Race)
Otherwise, why don’t we have an Adapted Score to match the Original Score?)
Deakins and Unbroken could win for Best Adapted Cinematography since it looks just like Forest Gump.
Steven, I’m going with Zimmer for the Score win though I think Greenwood is the best remaining (Sanchez deserves it). Zimmer is the only other composer I’ve seen wins for, even with groups where Sanchez was still eligible.
I think Obvious Child or Still Alice could be dark horse contenders for adapted screenplay at the expense of maybe Theory of Everything. I’m not convinced Unbroken will make it for screenplay.
(Personally I think there should be one Writing category. I get that it’s a different task to adapt a screenplay than it is to create one from scratch, but like they’re both still the same talent of writing a script for film. Otherwise, why don’t we have an Adapted Score to match the Original Score?)
Benutty, you never know about Desplat. I remember when Greenwood’s There Will Be Blood score was disqualified when it won a handful of the critics awards. Then Dario Marianelli swooped in and won for Atonement. Since Sanchez isn’t eligible and Greenwood (Inherent Vice) and Mica Levi (Under the Skin) looking like longshots I’d say the race could potentially be down to Desplat for Imitation Game (though GBH is very likely at this point) and Hans Zimmer for Interstellar.
oh well jeez, I was talking about Unbroken like it’s competing in Original.
yeeeeeeeeeeeeah, it’s in for Adapted. That field is really, really, really depressing.
Ryan, some time ago I thought about that. If Deakins finally won an Oscar for an Angelina Jolie film but never for a Coen brothers film…lawdy lawd lawd I would shit a brick. I actually thought sometime last year Delbonnel had a very good shot at winning cinematography for Inside Llewyn Davis, which would have been funny too (Coen brothers movie wins cinematography Oscar without Deakins).
Benutty, Unbroken would not be nominated for original screenplay as it is an adapted work.
benutty, I agree with you that Adapted Screenplay is not a deep bench this year but it does seem as if the top 6 or 7 are close to being engraved = and Unbroken is outside that charmed circle of 7
Have to disagree about the strength of Selma’s screenplay. It’s packed with effortless complex exposition but always feels organic. The dialogue is inspiring without being preachy. Above all, Selma’s power, for me, resides in the fact that it’s one of the few movies this year that really tries to say anything significant.
[EDIT: oh wait, anyway, Selma is Original, not Adapted]
I think Original Screenplay will be Boyhood, Grand Budapest, Selma, Birdman, A Most Violent Year or (I hope) Nightcrawler
Reed, stop. You have no idea what Pitt would or would not do for his wife, neither do I. What makes her spoiled and egotistical and what makes him one to fuck over his own director? The way you type makes me think you came right over from Radar. Really though, we try to speculate the Oscars. You’re speculating personalities and trying to drum up some drama. Your comment is just as airy as me saying, “Brad Pitt didn’t produce Unbroken therefore he doesn’t love his spoiled bratty wife because I know so, yes huh I do know so.” Yeah…forget they make untold millions and do great humanitarian work and have given a number of kids a great life. Really…use some sense. Actually sit back and forget all the gossip articles, all the magazine covers and anything that makes you hate one or both of them simply because they’re exposed to your eyes and really think about how they actually are as real people. Sit back and truly wonder if Brad Pitt, one of the best producers working at the moment, would actually tarnish his reputation by trying to bump his own director for his wife. And yes he’s still a producer for Selma, as is his partner Dede Gardner. If he bumped DuVernay he’d have to answer to the entire Selma team. And I await the requisite “You’re a Jolie lover” shortly.
(I think Desplat gets nominated for The Imitation Game. He won’t win. He should be nominated for Godzilla.)
Yeah from what I can tell in the trailer, it looks nothing like the Deakins I’m familiar with. But that’s similar to how I felt (and still feel) about Lubezki’s work on Gravity. I’m still pissed that’s what he won for when things like Children of Men and The Tree of Life exist. I’m hoping Deakins shows up for and wins with Sicario (I have the same hope for both Villeneuve and Blunt as well).
As for the Coens–I’m not an avid supporter–so I won’t mind if they don’t squeeze into a Screenplay nomination, but I’d say it’s a tight race for the 4th and 5th slots in that field–Birdman, Boyhood and TGBH are probably solidly in, right? Whiplash seems like the best 4th, with Nightcrawler, Selma and Unbroken vying for the 5th. Nightcrawler is the most memorable script, and could fit in as a way of applauding a newcomer’s film that doesn’t fit into many (or any) other categories (a la Chandor’s Oscar entrance). Selma would get the nomination if there is broad support, but for me the script isn’t the memorable quality of the film–in the same way that it is for both Whiplash and Nightcrawler. Unbroken gets in on name recognition alone, not merit. But we’re also dealing with Mr. Turner, Foxcatcher and A Most Violent Year in this field, aren’t we? It’s really f-ing tough to call. I’d say that category depends highly on which directors and films show up with nominations, then the writing nomination will coattail.
I think Desplat and Deakins both have a decent shot at nominations
I think Desplat will be nominated. He’ll be nominated for The Grand Budapest Hotel.
🙂
Disnified Deakins winning an Oscar for that sit-com lighting in PrisonCampLand will be really funny to future Oscar buffs. Not so funny on February 22nd.
John, Deakins has the best chance to be nominated out of the 4 categories we’re both talking about. Personally, it doesn’t even look to me like Deakins shot Unbroken. It’s too candy. Doesn’t have the shimmer of Deakins poetry we usually see from him.
Screenplay? I would say Unbroken’s downfall is its blunt Gutsiness For Dummies screenplay.
Ryan, I guess my comment was misleading because I don’t think Unbroken has an easy path to any Oscar wins either. But I disagree in saying that none of its crew will be nominated or win. I think Desplat and Deakins both have a decent shot at nominations and both have arguments to be made for their due-ness. I’d hate to see them win for work in a film that no one seems to like (I haven’t seen it yet, but don’t expect to like it).
In comparing Unbroken and Selma I was merely suggesting that history with the Academy is something that plays into nominations & wins, especially in the below-the-line categories that Selma sorely lacks footing in.
IMDB is so flawed i would never trust it. There are a bunch of racists on that site that always give black movies a low rating that is why Selma is rated so low
Unbroken will get Cinematography nod, that is the best thing abut the movie.
I actually really hope Unbroken gets a nod just to see the meltdown from a few people. sheesh you all act as if the Oscars has ever been about how good a movie is or the perfomance. Why would Pitt sabotage Selma when his own company PLAN BRAD is producing it. Why wouldn’t you want your production company to score more Oscar noms and wins, it builds clout. Brad dede and Jeremy are getting two awards at the PGA, Stanley Kramer and the Visionary award,
Sasha has talked about the critics vs. the audiences when it comes to determining how movies are being perceived by the Academy. Some Academy voters’ tastes align more with the critics, while others align more with the general public (and others a mixture of both). In that way, box-office can be important indication of how some Academy members might like a movie. Likewise, an IMDB score does not prove anything about a movie’s potential Oscar success, but is another tool to give us insight into the possible tastes of some Academy voters. I have looked through the IMDB scores of all the major films being considered for Best Picture. Obviously the more people vote for a film, the better idea we can have of people’s reaction to it. This proves nothing conclusively, but is an interesting indicator to examine.
Interstellar – 8.9 score (374,447 users)
Birdman – 8.7 score (19,631 users)
Whiplash – 8.7 score (11,052 users)
Boyhood – 8.4 score (86,604 users)
The Imitation Game – 8.4 score (15,914 users)
Gone Girl – 8.3 score (204,459 users)
The Grand Budapest Hotel – 8.1 score (219,288 users)
Nightcrawler – 8.1 score (52,735 users)
American Sniper – 7.8 score (2,382 users)
Inherent Vice – 7.8 score (2,009 users)
The Theory of Everything – 7.7 score (14,237 users)
Foxcatcher – 7.6 score (7,578 users)
Still Alice – 7.5 score (3,920 users)
Wild – 7.5 score (3,347 users)
Into the Woods – 7.3 score (6,783 users)
A Most Violent Year – 7.3 score (515 users)
Unbroken – 7.1 score (5,523 users)
Mr. Turner – 7.0 score (3,497 users)
Selma – 6.4 (1,003 users)
As you can see movies like Selma and Mr. Turner with incredibly high Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores are not doing very well right now with IMDB users. The demographic of IMDB users is overwhelmingly male, young, straight, and white. That reflects the demographics of the Academy except age. I think the older Academy members will enjoy Mr. Turner and Selma more than Interstellar and Whiplash.
rest assured Tara is from femalefirst.Some of you regulars may not be familiar with this but there is a small contingent of women who hate Angelina bitterly because of the aniston situation. They are all over the web spewing their hate from Angelina. they gather on a forum called femalefirst that has over 80,000 topics i kid you not 80,000 topics of hate against angelina. Sasha stone’s site was linked on that forum, thats why you have people like Tara getting so personal and upset. These people are upset because of Unbroken’s box office. You notice how regular people here are not resorting to using personal attacks against others. That THR rumor like someone said was startted on a bling gossip site. femalefirst the site i was referring to have taken that blind item as truth even though it sounds aboslutley ridiculous. Just want Ryan and Sasha to be aware of where this group is coming from. No problem if you don’t like Unbroken, seeing as half the critics didn’t but when you start resorting to talking trash about Angelina then thats when i know its not about the movie but the person. By the way Tara how i know you are clueless about the Oscars is box office does have an effect on Oscar biaty movies. You wonder why Oscar sites are now saying Unbroken is back in the race after the box office. it isnt just fans. You are so upset about Unbroken possible getting a nomination, get over it. The Oscars has been giving nominations to mediocre movies and performances for years. You ranting and attacking Angelina’s character isnt going to change a thing. Unbroken will probably get a nomination just like the mediocre Blind Side, The Reader, Extremely loud and close.
Ryan, you seem convinced that Unbroken isnt going to score nominations for Director, Writing, Cinematography, and Editing. How come? I mean, I can understand Director and Editing, but Adapted Screenplay is so weak this year. And I thought, for instance, that its expected that Deakins may contend for the win.
@ Jonny, Pitt name was attached as a major producer I think but now its been taken out and he is with the other not -so important- producers. I think this guy would totally bump his own director for his egoistical, spoiled wife. AJ looked like an outsider amongst those talented, well trained, crafted directors with years of experience at the Directors Round Table. She got defensive when one of them said something and started rambling about her children LOL! She doesn’t like to be questioned and can’t handle criticism like a spoiled brat with an ego.
“Also, I’ve heard those rumors about Pitt making calls to get Jolie on the Director’s Roundtable over DuVernay. Really shady, if it’s true. And that’s a big if, considering the source of the information. I’m probably not alone in wishing that Oscar season were less of a game.”
@PATRICK, it just seems so silly that he would bump the director of a film he produced rather than one of the other directors. Plus it just doesn’t ring true period. Not buying it.
Annica,
I think Sasha is saying that Ava DuVernay was on a totally different successful career path prior to making her first film at age 39.
After college Duvernay started out in broadcast journalism. Then she was involved in public relations for over 10 years, founding her own PR firm.
The leap from marketing/public relations to become an accomplished award-winning director in the span of 3 years is really one of the most impressive breakthroughs from background player to forefront preeminence that I’ve witnessed in recent years.
@ Ryan
Well what Monica was trying to tell me is that Unbroken is an Oscar contender based mainly in box office. Which is not totally true. It has to do with how good the film was overall. I think she is upset because Unbroken isn’t the front runner or being well received like tons of people thought it would be.
Also, I’ve heard those rumors about Pitt making calls to get Jolie on the Director’s Roundtable over DuVernay. Really shady, if it’s true. And that’s a big if, considering the source of the information. I’m probably not alone in wishing that Oscar season were less of a game.
You wanna what I find funny about Unbroken? This movie has a complete dream team minus the director behind the film. The script writers, cinematographer, composer, etc, are all either Oscar Winners or Nominees yet its still turned out to be a bad movie. The story is amazing and based on a best selling book and it should have been Oscar gold. I am not sure what went wrong but it probably has something to do with its director and her lack of talent/skills in terms of directing.
Selma is based on a true man and events too, but it didn’t have Oscar winners and nominies working behind the film and its a great movie. I think its a great movie because of who directed it. See the difference? Jolie had the best team money could buy and her movie was a stinker. DuVerny probably can’t even afford the Cohen brothers or Roger Dekins yet her movie is getting awards noms, great reviews and people who saw it loved the movie. Also, Unbroken was so heavily promoted. Angie did countless interviews, NBC gave a 1 hour special for her, she did so many magazines covers mainly talking about herself and her personal life( whilst ignoring her cast) and yet her movie still was garbage.
I think this is compassion is to show that money sometimes can’t buy everything. Jolie might have the star power, the connections, the money but she is no director.
Why do you say Duvernay turned her life around in her 40’s? What exactly does that mean?
“Selma isn’t getting the box office”
Selma is only showing in 19 theaters. Selma does not open nationwide until 2 weeks from now.
Ryan, in response to the comment you made way back, I’m not sure Million Dollar Baby is the best comparison, since the team behind that film got their screeners out in time and won two SAG awards. The film was also nominated for Best Cast. Anyway, I’m just pointing out a trend. Selma could very well break the trend. In fact, this new publicity could end up helping it, though it could also go the way of Zero Dark Thirty, which I thought was masterful, in spite of whatever inaccuracies it may have contained. Still can’t believe Bigelow wasn’t nominated for director that year! She should have friggin’ won the thing! Hopefully DuVernay doesn’t share the same fate.
@Monica. You can’t handle any other opinion of Jolie unless someone is sucking up to her. I said it was a rumour, but it could be true she had brad do some calls and had Ava kicked out for her to be there. Jolie is running the most shadiest Oscar campaign out of all the other directors and you can smell the Oscar desperation from her.
Box office doesn’t matter hughely in terms of Oscar. The Hobbit beat Unbroken, so does that mean the Hobbit should get Oscars? Selma isn’t getting the box office but it will likely go to the Oscars. Just because Unbroken had the box office for one day doesn’t mean its in the Oscar competition. It has practically been eliminated from the race due to the bad reviews and many people who disliked the film
You Angie fans are the reason why someone don’t like her or Brad Pitt. She is not a bone fide multi-talented woman like her fans make her out to be. She is not a talented director and people are afraid to admit because she is a female and she is a huge star too. I am all for supporting woman in film, but why should I support someone who is already famous and big and got this project mainly due to their popularity ? I would much rather support a person with talent and had to pay their dues as a director. This project should have gone to a more experienced and actual talented director.
“directed by Oscar winning actress, scripted by multiple Oscar winning writers/directors, shot by 11-time Oscar nominee, scored by 6-time Oscar nominee, edited by Oscar winner.”
None of whom are going to nominated. None of them. None. Of. Them.
“UNBROKEN: directed by Oscar winning actress, scripted by multiple Oscar winning writers/directors, shot by 11-time Oscar nominee, scored by 6-time Oscar nominee, edited by Oscar winner.”
With all the clout it has, Unbroken is still a mediocre movie. What a shame. If Kathryn Bigelow can recognize Selma’s greatness, other Oscar voters can too. I hope Oscar voters have dignity and integrity to award a movie by its merit not its clout.
Benutty,
I still don’t buy into the notion that this is a zero sum game between Selma and Unbroken. As you correctly point out Selma has a very difficult path to BP without a lot of opportunities for technical nods like Unbroken or Birdman. 12 Years had a tough road, but was helped immeasurably by a sure thing acting win and script win headed into the ceremony. While I thing Boyhood has a tougher chance for the script nod, its looking in great shape for editing, directing, and Supporting Actress. Maybe Selma shocks in Best Actor?
Selma isn’t going to win a single award at the Oscars, and it isn’t because of backlash, lack of stellar reviews, underperformance at the box office, smear campaigns, having a female director or any other reason I’ve seen in this post or in this comments section. Selma isn’t going to win an Oscar because it has stiff competition in the categories–and there are very few–it is viably contending in.
Let’s be clear–I LOVED Selma. It’s a near-immaculate film, actually. But what it lacks when it comes to Oscars is exactly what Unbroken has–clout, and THAT should be the basis of the comparison.
UNBROKEN: directed by Oscar winning actress, scripted by multiple Oscar winning writers/directors, shot by 11-time Oscar nominee, scored by 6-time Oscar nominee, edited by Oscar winner.
SELMA: multiple Oscar winning supporting actors/actresses, costumes by multiple Oscar nominee.
Selma will get nominations, but without the clout–especially below-the-lines–it won’t get a win. The cast and crew is too new to the game, but with their nominations this year they’ll start to make headway into their future races. What Selma could have made up for in lack of clout was the sort of long-gestating buzz that 12 Years a Slave benefited from, but entering the race this late means it’s too late.
Boyhood and Birdman are the only BD and BP contenders–one having lots of clout, one having all the buzz, and both having all the momentum.
“none had mentioned the depiction of any extramarital affairs.”
Selma doesn’t “depict” MLK’s extramarital affairs for the same reason Thirteen Days doesn’t depict JFK’s extramarital affairs: because neither movie is about that.
But the issue comes up in a sensitive scene in a way that enriches Selma without being gratuitous.
Other people in Selma whose extramarital sex lives are not explicitly depicted? LBJ’s numerous affairs and whatever it was that J Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson were up to.
Jonny, thanks for setting the record straight. I haven’t had the chance to see ”Selma” yet, which is why I said, ”I imagine …”’
But I also had read some very favorable reviews, and none had mentioned the depiction of any extramarital affairs.
You do wonder, though:
Does 12 Years doom Selma?
Does Argo doom Unbroken?
Does The King’s Speech doom The Imitation Game?
Does Cuaron doom Inirritu/Birdman?
Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Birdman, Selma. I would say Birdman might be second now, but I think it has the least chance of the four. That’s all gut, though.
Jesus Alonso, I meant i hoped Selma would win Oscar like Argo. Selma is a great movie and absolutely better than Argo.
OT: Anyone know how A MOST VIOLENT YEAR’s expansion will proceed? I haven’t been able to find anything. When do real Americans get to see it?
Selma is no way a challenger for Boyhood. I think it can only win the best actor depending on the level of love the Academy have for Birdman !!
this selma better be extremely good
saw 3 movies during the christmas stretch
big eyes – awful final act, rest of the film was so-so, christoph waltz was unbearable
the hobbit 3 – my problem with hobbit 1 was it was lord of the rings 1 redux, now hobbit 3 is lord of the rings 3 redux, lord of the rings 2 is so unmemorable that i can’t think of anything to compare it with hobbit 2, so i guess my fave of the hobbit flicks is hobbit 2 which was breathtaking & offered a lot of excitement
the imitation game – very interesting story, that’s it, & conventional, I don’t think keira should be nominated over rene russo for supp actress, cumberbatch is ok
unbroken was packed, ticket buyers were given fair warnings on how full the screenings are, so i have to wait til later this week to see it
@WW, Selma does deal with King’s extramarital affairs, so you’re incorrect about that.
“the movie doesn’t even make it in the top 10 of the critics top 2014”
Top ten? Try top 50! criticstop10.com. (Now, neither The Blind Side nor Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close were in the top 50 of their respective years either.) Into the Woods isn’t in the top 50 either.
Im sorry but i doubt Unbroken will make it, such a mediocre film with a 50% RT, the movie doesn’t even make it in the top 10 of the critics top 2014, if this not worthy film will then it will be a very sad day for cinema, that just proves that (talentless egomaniac ) star+money can do wonders, if you are looking at the box office aspect than Into the Wood got a better chance than Unbroken , it’s got the most important the critics with higher ratings than unbroken, plus the box office.
“I dont understand why there is this online movement to mention Selma’s raves (which they are!), but then tear down Unbroken’s quality with such exaggerated, damning ink. I dont get it. Really dont.”
Because even on this site, which is admittedly feminist and progressive, people still have this insatiable need to pit women against women-in order to bring one woman up you must tear another one down. Perhaps the dearth of female directors is so low (which is sad in 2014) that critics, pundits, and audiences feel like we should compare and criticize one female-directed film to another, even though there is nothing freaking similar about these two pictures other than being biopics. Have you read 1,200 pieces on the competing directors James Marsh and Morten Tyldum this season? Nope.
And I haven’t seen either film yet, but seriously let’s stop pretending Unbroken has Norbit-level reviews. That’s hyperbole at its worst. The reviews are similar to Crash and The Reader.
It just seems to me that Selma needs a lot more sustained hype and some BP wins at solid precursors to be considered a serious contender against Boyhood. At this point it’s hard to imagine anything overtaking Boyhood, because it is solidly at #1 in every list I’ve seen. Although it certainly seems true that if any movie is going to challenge Boyhood it’s Selma, which is cool. But not yet convinced it’s anything more than in a distant second place.
“too bad moderator Ryan isn’t doing his job by deleting some of the smears… “
Moderator Ryan has a night off, away from home, unplugged for a few hours.
Monica has shown that she knows how to stand up to unfair aggravations. No need for strict crowd control. It’s more interesting to see Monica handle the aggravators.
Good debate. Keep it up. Play nice.
Fiennes is still due an Oscar after the infamous 1993 upset…
WW
So far industry support suggests The Grand Budapest Hotel will be a top Oscar player…and if that happens I REALLY hope Ralph Fiennes makes the cut. For someone so consistently great and memorable, the Academy has sure managed to ignore him for almost two decades now, although he could have been a worthy nominee several times since The English Patient :
LEAD
1999 – The End of The Affair
2000 – Sunshine
2002 – Spider
2005 – The Constant Gardener
2011 – Coriolanus
2013 – The Invisible Woman
SUPPORTING
2008 – In Bruges, The Duchess, The Reader
2011 – Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II
DIRECTOR
2011 – Coriolanus
2013 – The Invisible Woman
I don’t know, Elvis, Unbroken becoming a big fat hit couldn’t have happened with more perfect timing (impressive weekend estimate released on Sunday, voting starts on Monday). This is how I see it right now (first 5 are my BD picks)
1. Boyhood
2. Birdman
3. Selma
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. Gone Girl
6. The Imitation Game
7. The Theory of Everything
8. Into the Woods
9. Unbroken
10. American Sniper
There are major threats (Foxcatcher, Mr. Turner, Interstellar, A Most Violent Year, Inherent Vice) that can’t seem to catch a break and potential beastsonthesouthernwildesque shockers (Whiplash, Wild, Nightcrawler, Still Alice) that I’m 90% sure won’t happen, but if I had to guess, that would be my 10 for BP…and I would consider Tyldum, Marshall and Eastwood VERY viable surprises in BD.
i don’t think American Sniper can sneak into the top 5, but very possibly American Sniper and Into the Woods get in BP nods, Unbroken is out. AMPAS loves musical, Into the Woods has the shot. American Sniper and Unbroken two war movies, American Sniper is a better movie that has a better chance into BP race.
…and while we are hellbent on comparing Unbroken and Selma, American Sniper may just sneak into the top5 in the end. Voting starts tomorrow and the most recent info voters will have about the film is that on top of the decent enough reviews, it had a very splashy opening weekend in limited release and earned a rare A+ Cinemascore. They have embraced their buddy Clint for a lot less in the past and they seem to be in love with Bradley Cooper nowadays (no other reason how he mustered one lead and one supporting nomination in the last two years….exactly the same for example the great Ralph Fiennes and brilliant Edward Norton mustered during decades-long careers) Bottom line : Watch out for this one, people!
P.S. Using the same logic, Big Eyes may be considered a flop now, a very recent one at that, still burnt into voters’s mind. That could cost Amy Adams her sixth nomination, although considering precursors are pretty set on five already, she was a long shot to begin with…having said that, if someone will be able to knock someone out of the consensus quintet (that second someone probably being Jones, Moore-Pike-Witherspoon-Aniston are too strong), than my guess would be Emily Blunt…her film is a big hit, her part is a famous one, she has been around for a while, came very close to a nomination twice (The Devil Wears Prada, The Young Victoria) and could be stronger than we think… I guess we’ll know for sure if a semi-unexpected Bafta nomination happens.
“people like you are the reason why others are so sick of your idol”
ditto
Americans, please, don’t nominate James Marsh and snub David Fincher, Wes Anderson or Bennett Miller for DGA. Same for the Oscars. Remember the shame you submited Fincher two years in a row. First by doing something that not even the BAFTAs were capable of and awarding the director of that Hallmark Original. Second by snubing his other film and nominating those other things instead. Now he deserves to be back. He made the best blockbuster that is possible to be nominated. Remember Wes Anderson is one of your most inventive filmakers and never received a nomination. Remember Foxcatcher. Just remember it. But if the mood is still for a British vote, bring old friend Mike Leigh back. His film got stellar reviews but very few seem to notice it.
In the end… no Jolie or Eastwood also. It was not a good year but you clearly have better options. Don’t be this little creative. Even Nolan, who doesn’t deserve this time but did three other times in the past would be a better choice.
According to my divine powers, I have foreseen the future. Selma that movie that is loved by many and is only going to be best nominated.
I saw Unbroken with an almost full house on Christmas morning. No, it was Christmas Eve…hmmm. There were a lot of old people. LOL anyway, the point is that the movie was excellent! I love it like I knew i would. Yes! People laugh and gasp..
Kudos to Jolie. Jolie has many more years to get her oscar. No biggie. SHe’s a winner in my book. End of story.
A few random thoughts:
Why are so many people predicting another split year between picture/director? A split is extremely rare, and because it’s happened two years in a row, suddenly people are going to predict it every year? I’m willing to bet money that this year there won’t be a split. AMPAS either goes all in on Boyhood or all in on Selma. I don’t think any other movie stands a chance. (I think they’re going to go all in on Boyhood, but we’ll see.)
“I think only Gone Girl and Interstellar, out of the likely contenders, would be a real threat to Boyhood.”
Interstellar won’t win editing. It just….won’t. I’m not convinced it’s even getting nominated.
And Angelina Jolie? Highly doubtful she gets a DGA nomination, and she’s not getting a director nomination by AMPAS. I feel more confident about that than I do that my name is Robert A.
“In the Academy, it’s purely about rich white liberal politics, and they already feel they’ve done more than enough last year.”
I’d say, about rich white male politics. And not nearly as liberal as they are painted to be. Too much to say in support of that remark to even get started.
MONICA:
Your comments are among the most informed and intelligent on this site. As I was just skimming thru some of the others, I am appalled by the remarks of some of the ignorant insults hurled your way, good for you for taking the high road. And too bad moderator Ryan isn’t doing his job by deleting some of the smears against you (though he’ll probably delete this!). In any event, thank you for your insights.
A small note: Selma has Paramount behind it. Let’s not lump it in the indie camp with Boyhood.
” If a superstar like Angelina Jolie wants to do a publicity event like that, the outlets will kill each other for the get, they won’t need any kind of convincing, you can bet on that.”
I wouldn’t exactly call the Directors’ Roundtable a forum which would kill to include an actress superstar. In any case, despite the fact the moderator kept sucking up to Jolie, Nolan and especially Leigh weren’t having it. Nolan’s contempt was thinly veiled and Leigh’s was flagrant. Linklater, nice guy that he is, said something kind to her when she started rambling on about her kids because he seemed to feel bad about the way the other directors were scorning her.
If you did watch the Directors’ Roundtable, it was obvious Leigh, Nolan and Tyldum were in awe of Boyhood. If three director-competitors were that obvious in their admiration, Linklater’s got it in the bag. The very cynical Leigh described Boyhood with a “Wow!” and Nolan pointed out that Linklater had directed “7 great films” while doing Boyhood.
@RK i have no problem with criticism of Jolie and Ryan and Sasha can confirm from my IP address i live no where close to Jolie lol. but when people like Tara write tabloid crap about Brad telling THR to kick Ava out, I will respond. ,Most people here don’t read gossip so just setting it straight., I love how you resort to calling me names just because I am refuting tabloid rumors. You don’t like the film, thats okay, but don’t sit there and say everyone hated it, which is what Tara and a few others say, You will be happy to know I am done with this discussion. But I will leave you with this from Angelina’s interview
If “Selma” gets a Best Picture nomination and so does “Unbroken,” you’re competing with your husband.
What a beautiful thing. We both care about these films. I care about “Selma” just as much.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/angelina-jolie-loved-problem-solving-unbroken-cant-wait-to-play-cleopatra-20141217
Monica,is that you Jolie ? Or working in her PR team??? Seriously i’ve never seen such a fanatic, how much are you getting paid to kiss her arse like that , how much time are you sticking here waiting to jump and attack anybody who dislike her film or find it mediocre, aren’t you tired lol ? You look pathetic get a life or something, people like you are the reason why others are so sick of your idol, you are doing any justice to her by acting like this. You have to accept different opinions not all people like that movie you’re not gonna force them for god sake, deal with it.
Some people think it’s impossible for Selma to win best picture a year after 12 Years a Slave won? Because the academy can’t reward a “black themed movie” 2 years in a row? I certainly remember people saying there wouldn’t be a best picture/best director split 2 years in a row…yet here we are possibly seeing a 3rd split in a row. Selma probably won’t win best picture but NOT because 12 Years a Slave won just last year.
Tara, next time before you decide to spread your unnecessary venom, please do some fact checking. The THR Directors’ Roundtable was recorded mid-November, before the Australian World Premiere of Unbroken and weeks before the reviews arrived (embargo) therefore THR couldn’t have possibly known the film won’t be the huge contender it was thought to be up until a few weeks ago. The “Pitt had to make a call to get poor Jolie into a THR roundtable’ story is also utterly, almost insultingly ridiculous. If a superstar like Angelina Jolie wants to do a publicity event like that, the outlets will kill each other for the get, they won’t need any kind of convincing, you can bet on that.
@John that is what I am wondering. The way Sasha and some people talk you would think Unbroken was getting Monuments of Men or Nine type reviews. The Reader somehow got in with a 58 metacritic score in a field of five and the Blind Side has a metacritic score lower than Maleficent lol. Let’s not even talk about Extremely Loud and Incredibly close. At the end of the day Unbroken may not even be nominated. I am sure Jolie is happy though that the public is responding well to the movie. When was the last time a female director had a $100mil hit, I think 5 years ago with the proposal. Also a win for Selma is a win for the Jolie-Pitt household. It just adds to PLan B’s collection of great films. Even though Brad is just EP i am sure he is thrilled at the success of Selma.
@Tara the roundtable was filmed BEFORE the reviews came out. It was filmed when Unbroken was a contender. I am bringing Ben Stiller up because he too was on the roundtable and his film didnt get good reviews nor did it even receive some precursor awards that Unbroken has. RDJ is not even top 10 on any list and he was at the roundtable so where was the outcry then. The “Rumor” you referred to came from a blind item site that specifically says they make up some stories. the only place i heard that crazy rumor was from gossip site. Whats to brag about is that despite poor reviews Unbroken is going to make a whole lot of money, hence why Sasha and co are so upset. They thought the mediocre reviews would translate to the public and didnt. Box office matters because now Unbroken has a shot(not saying it will happen) at a best picture nomination. That is why box office is important in this case. If it bombed it would be out completely.
Wonderful piece on Selma. Cant friggin wait to see it and this article has me even more antsy to see it.
One quibble. Unbroken is not a “bad” movie and it doesnt have “terrible reviews”. It has mixed reviews. 80s, 70s, 60s, 50s, 40s. Plenty of 3/5s, some 2/5s, a fair share of 4/5s. It is not getting Fs or 1 star or 20s. As mentioned elsewhere, plenty of films have been nominated for BP with worse reviews. I dont understand why there is this online movement to mention Selma’s raves (which they are!), but then tear down Unbroken’s quality with such exaggerated, damning ink. I dont get it. Really dont.
Lastly, how come people think that Birdman doesnt have a shot? It will make more $$ than Boyhood. The reviews are amazing. Keaton may win. Lots of actors will vote for it (the biggest branch). Directors and Writers admire Innaritu very much. It may very well win Cinematography. I see lottttts of support there.
@ Monica., Ben Stiller, RDJ, Channing were never rumored to do that o other people. Besides why are you bringing them up? You make no sense. A lot of folks were wondering why Angie was at the DRT when her movie is not a strong cotender in terms of anything nor does she posses any body or work as a director. Her movie is not a major Oscar contender thats why it looked odd and she looked like she did not belong there. It seems very supsicous why one ‘director’ had a movie with bad reviews was present and another director who has one of the best reviews for her film wasn’t there.
Yes, many people didn’t like Unbroken, Maybe where you were, but there were so many people in my theater who didn’t like the movie and a lot of them were the fans of the book. I have read the book and thought the film was very disappointing. I loved the book. Big deal this movie will make millions. Even the most crappiest films make way more money then Unbroken. Whats there to brag about? You’ve got nothing to talk about.
@Tara what are your sources on that. That rumor was started by a tabloid gossip site. Actually it came from a blind gossip website that says below that they make up their blind items. Why would Brad have to call to get Ava kicked out when Angelina could make the call herself. Audience didnt like it? The same audience that made it number one on Christmas and gave it an A- cinemascore and is about to make at least $130mil at the box office, okay. By the way Ben Stiller was on the THR directors round table last year for Walter Mittey did he get Scorsese kicked off?, Robert Downey and Channing Tatum were on the roundtable this year did they get Oyelowo kicked off as well.
The info on the contender tracker makes the most sense to me at this point in the season. 5 directors who will also be part of an expanded list for Best Picture. Nothing is going to derail Linklater, Innaritu, Fincher, Anderson and DuVernay – in a nice piece of history making for AMPAS. There’s still a panoply of films that could land in those final 2-4 spots. Unbroken may well nab one of those. But the battle is probably with Boyhood and Birdman.
Does anyone read Washington Post?
Bryce I’d like to think you are joking but I reckon anything’s possible. It’s disappointing if it’s true. Jealousy would have to play big time into that scenario for Linklater to not even get a nom.
Between the two films and its directors. I prefer Ava over Angelina. Angelina made a mediocre movie, she non-stop campaigned very hard for it and she got poor Ava DuVerny kicked out of the DRT. Jolie practically begged for that Best Director Oscar. She is pathetic. She had Brad Pitt do some calls and they kicked Ava out and put in Jolie. Thats is a very lowly, nasty and petty thing to do from Angelina to another female director. Well, the jokes on her since Unbroken reviews are not favorable and majority of the audience didn’t like the film. Selma is getting rave reviews and Ava is in for a Best Pic and Best Director lock
” ‘Selma’ is not a documentary.” I imagine the same can be said about ”Unbroken” … or ”The Imitation Game” or ”The Theory of Everything.” Just as ”Unbroken” doesn’t deal with Louis Zamperini’s alcoholism, I imagine ”Selma” doesn’t deal with Martin Luther King’s extramarital affairs, just like ”Theory” doesn’t deal with the reports that Hawking’s nurse (and second wife) physically abused him. Etc., etc. Even documentaries aren’t black and white about the facts and the ”truth.” More often than not, they have a point of view. In biopics, timelines often get telescoped, characters are fictionalized, and incidents are ”created” for the sake of drama. Heck, in ”Selma,” David Oyelowo doesn’t even get to speak King’s actual words from the civil rights leader’s iconic speeches because King’s estate guarded the copyrights to his words and wouldn’t give permission to ”Selma” to use them. Ultimately, my issue with biopics is: How can the audience know what’s real or not? And can the movie’s sense of the ”truth” be trusted? And that’ll vary from film to film.
Bryce, where exactly did you hear that about the DGA somehow being mad at Linklater? Calling BS on that without documentation.
Ailidh, we could have a long discussion on this topic and I believe we would find we have similar views on a complex topic.
Big picture, my hope is that watching Selma people will see how very hard it is to obtain voting rights and do everything to extend and protect them…. and see that even the most sympathetic politicians cannot protect those rights without grassroots sacrifice.
I don’t buy in Birdman is winning. It is three-horse race Boyhood / Selma / The Imitation Game for BP winner.
“I think what that person is saying is that the Academy may be reluctant to award a black theme movie two years in a row.”
Yikes, if that’s true that is pretty sad of the academy. They take place over a century a part. Plus they are completely different types of films. That is like comparing Argo with the The Hurt Locker.
Though I’ve seen neither Selma nor American Sniper yet, I would think Selma has a much better chance at a Best Picture nomination than American Sniper. The A+ Cinemascore rating mentioned above? Who is going to see this film? Frankly, it would be the last film on my list I want to see. Eastwood’s most recent films have been disappointing, I hate his politics and I have no tolerance for gung-ho militaristic jingoism. I assume the Academy’s tastes are closer to mine than to the Tea Party’s and the audiences so far are probably made up of staunch members of the GOP.
I think Boyhood will win, Birdman will get a nomination, Imitation Game (though I don’t like it) will get a nomination, Gone Girl and Interstellar will get in as the only two box office hits with decent Metacritic scores. I think Selma will get in before Unbroken, American Sniper or Nightcrawler but all of the last 3 do have a chance. Whiplash’s box office has been pathetic: critics may love it, but apparently no one wants to see this film. Makes me doubt Academy members do too.
Birdman is winning this thing.
Bob,
“LBJ wanted to do anti-poverty, not civil rights. It isn’t that he was opposed but his heart was in his Great Society programs. I’ve seen it before. You walk into a politicians office talking rights and they offer money for programs instead. If you want a politician to do civil rights you have to make em, even when they agree with your civil right goals”
Read Caro’s Master of the Senate and Passage of Power. No one has ever accused Caro of being LBJ’s hagiographer (unlike Schlesinger-Sorensen and the Kennedys). Caro is very clear that it was LBJ who insisted on pushing passage of the Civil Rights Act to the fore (the Kennedys had stuck it on the back burner, too politically liable to do them damage). When LBJ’s legislative aides insisted he not waste his political capital on civil rights, LBJ memorably replied “What the hell’s the Presidency for then?” President Obama quoted LBJ at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act this year.
I am rooting for David O to win Best Actor, he is remarkable in Selma.
American Sniper got A+ cinemascore and set box office record for limited release . It is going to do great box office once opens wide. so American Sniper and Into the Woods more likely get in BP nods than Unbroken, both are box office hits and have better reviews than Unbroken.
@Johnny I think what that person is saying is that the Academy may be reluctant to award a black theme movie two years in a row. I know its stupid and unfair, but I wouldn’t put it past AMPAS. I sort of wish Selma had been released next year so it wouldn’t be too close to TYAS and actually have a chance at the win. I could see AMPAS saying didnt we award a movie like this last year. The only reason I bring this up is because last year some members were comparing the Butler to TYAS saying they had already seen this type of movie even though they have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Two white movies can win back to back but God forbid a black one wins again.
@Selma, and Oprah Winfrey will be featuring Selma on her own network for a whole month. When TYAS came out, BET did an hour special on the movie as did its sister company Centric. They will probably do one for Selma as well. Universal is part of NBC so of course they would use it as its advantage. For the record I am rooting for Selma and will definitely see it next month. As a woman of color I am so proud of Ava and what she has accomplished. But i will point out the double standards.
Ryan and Sasha, Unrelated but related since it has to do with trying to take down a film (I love SELMA and think the argument made by the LBJ library director is being made by someone who wishes to rewrite Johnson’s presidency and canonize the SOB), what did you think of THE IMITATION GAME? I ask because I have already read 3 articles that are trying to take that film down as well. Some of my LGBT colleagues have expressed concern about what they see as a bastardization of Turing’s life as a gay man. Just curious as to your thoughts as I respect both your opinions. I know the film is flawed but I do think it’s worthwhile.
“I doubt the Academy membership will give to Selma. They rewarded 12 Years A Slave last year (to compensate for not rewarding Lincoln). In the Academy, it’s purely about rich white liberal politics, and they already feel they’ve done more than enough last year.
Back to their comfort zone. Boyhood or some historical biopic.”
But what dies Selma have to do with 12 Years A Slave or Lincoln besides the production company? Plus isn’t Selma a historical biopic?
I think this year is a no-split. Boyhood takes the two. Even in a scenrio of a surge by Selma, I see no split and a Du Vernay win. Right now I see a Best Actor win more possible for Selma, what could change the outcome of the Supporting Actor since Birdman is a contender for both and is likely getting an acting win.
To Monica
When Tom Brokaw dedicated the whole one hour show as movie trailer , then you say something about it.
I doubt the Academy membership will give to Selma. They rewarded 12 Years A Slave last year (to compensate for not rewarding Lincoln). In the Academy, it’s purely about rich white liberal politics, and they already feel they’ve done more than enough last year.
Back to their comfort zone. Boyhood or some historical biopic.
I don’t think there’s been much resistance to this film. It’s done quite well and I think will continue to do so. Duvernay herself says that the SAG omission was due to not enough time to get screeners out. I think she will get nominated as will the film and Oyelowo – and some other nominations as well. I think you’re stirring the pot for no reason. Instead of complaining about there not being enough female filmmakers – write a screenplay. Make the change.
it happens every year to films released at Christmas – people doubt their strength in the race because they’ve no concrete financial evidence to back it up. It’s a lot easier to predict the films that are flying high at any given moment than to shun them and put your weight behind an unknown entity.
Wait until Selma starts really making money. You can bet your arse the haters will properly start trying to tear Ava DuVernay down. They’re only starting to cower now. But the buzz shouldn’t be too toxic, hopefully, and thus won’t have enough time to gestate in voters’ minds – its box office success will be more potent in the run-up to nominations. I think it’ll be fine in the end.
Yeh, that’s the angle they’ve taken against Boyhood. They’re trying to convince voters that Richard Linklater took a whole twelve years to make one film. Basically, they’re appealing to voters who’ve never even heard of any of the the nine films he’s made since he started shooting Boyhood.
Joy Hegele… not a prediction, but the kind of scenario I can see, if Selma wins. Not a sweep, they can’t really ignore Boyhood, so Selma has to lose either Director or Original Screenplay to Linklater. Arquette is locked as the 2nd Boyhood win, and I think that the key award of the night might be Film Editing… if Boyhood wins that one, it would be a 5 Oscars win (Picture, Director, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay and Film Editing) at least. If any other film wins editing, than Selma, Birdman or Boyhood… anything goes.
I think only Gone Girl and Interstellar, out of the likely contenders, would be a real threat to Boyhood. Even if I think The Lego Movie is one of the biggest film editing challenges I’ve seen in ages. Seriously, that movie is a marvel at every single aspect.
“Personally, I think Selma is too far behind to catch up”
Oscar “race” is actually just a metaphor. There is no racetrack or number of miles to cover. Seems as if Million Dollar Baby opened in theaters pretty much on Oscar Night and it had no trouble “catching up”
🙂
Selma missed one single guild precursor. This is not going to be a tragic hurdle.
There are some really stupid fuckin’ takedowns of Selma and Boyhood coming out right now
You guys haven’t heard? Apparently, the directors’ branch of The Academy is furious that Richard ‘ricky’ Linklater had the luxury of a 12 year schedule to make a freaking movie! You know, because of course that sounds very clever and is totally intelligible, feasible and believable — so don’t be surprised if he gets snubbed on nomination morning.
I think Linklater had director in the bag. Not only was the film created in an extraordinary fashion over time but he has a directing history of wonderful films for back up. Neither lady has a stellar film resume behind them. Unless of course Hollywood actively dislikes him.
“This blog and its God almighty-i-know-everything about movies-yet-I just write this blog owner does not Give any little support to a movie directed by a woman, even though they shamelessly talk about the lack of female movie makers! They dont mind tearing apart a female director who just directed her second movie…but then they also dont mind getting paid by having that movie’s for your consideration banner in this blog. Wouldnt it be better if you could say no to that banner on your little blog if you think that movie is that bad???? Same old tricks as always! Must be hard for someone whose only expertise in life is the stupid movie awards!”
ARAGORN, Shouldn’t we be praising a person who doesn’t hold a double standard in filmmaking. Why should Sasha praise a piece of film making if she doesn’t think it is worthy? The amount of films an artist makes shouldn’t change her critique on a film that is campaigning heavily to be part of the top ten movies of an exclusive awards club. Ms DuVernary has only made only one more film than Jolie and she is praising her and very nicely stating why she deserves to be a part of this discussion. Everything Sasha says on here is about the work and the campaigning of the work. She has said nothing negative personally about Jolie. She has never said Jolie shouldn’t be making film. Why on earth are you reading a awards blog if you have so much anger for the person who produces it? Your comments about the ads are silly. She doesn’t say people shouldn’t see these films. She is not for censorship. Do you think every production team of a tv show believe the products they have ads for are the best product of their kind? No.
Meh. Only once has the Oscar winner for Best Picture not been nominated for anything at the SAG awards in the SAG awards’ 20+ year history. (That film was Braveheart, which was more of a spectacle than anything else.) In fact, the vast majority of BP winners get nominated for Best Ensemble at the SAG awards. That’s not to say Selma wouldn’t have been nominated if the screeners were sent in time, but the trend is still against the film winning BP. Personally, I think Selma is too far behind to catch up, even if it ends up being the 2nd-best-reviewed-film of the year. DuVernay has an even slimmer shot of winning Best Director, where Linklater is an even bigger lock for a win than Boyhood is for Best Picture. I would, however, bet on Selma getting BP and Director nods. I’d be surprised if it misses out on either of those.
LBJ wanted to do anti-poverty, not civil rights. It isn’t that he was opposed but his heart was in his Great Society programs. I’ve seen it before. You walk into a politicians office talking rights and they offer money for programs instead. If you want a politician to do civil rights you have to make em, even when they agree with your civil right goals.
.
This blog and its God almighty-i-know-everything about movies-yet-I just write this blog owner does not Give any little support to a movie directed by a woman, even though they shamelessly talk about the lack of female movie makers! They dont mind tearing apart a female director who just directed her second movie…but then they also dont mind getting paid by having that movie’s for your consideration banner in this blog. Wouldnt it be better if you could say no to that banner on your little blog if you think that movie is that bad???? Same old tricks as always! Must be hard for someone whose only expertise in life is the stupid movie awards!
kick ass essay! thank you.
I was in a movie theater last night here in Birmingham, Alabama. When the Selma trailer came on the theater went dead silent. In the midst of everything that ones sees at the movies, there was this, the Selma trailer. It was real and very threatening.
Never experienced anything like that in a movie theater. Been trying to think back about anything close. Not even horror trailers, not close. Those images have extraordinary power, to me anyway.
Yes Ava got that job because Brad Pitt gave it to her. Brad Pitt. Angelina Jolie husband. Oh irony irony.
Lee Daniels was going to direct the movie and Ava was working as the movie publicista. When Daniels steped out Pitt invited Ava.
This post is exactly the reason why I hold on to this site and not the rest. Sasha is unlike any critic/awards watcher that I know of.
Really looking forward to Selma.
@Pete huh? I dont think Unbroken has anything to do with Selma. I don’t think Unbroken will be nominated for best pic(well maybe if it pulls an extremely loud incredibly close) or director and if Selma wasnt there it still wouldnt get nominated. I know that Linklater is winning and prob Boyhood too. I am just saying that Sasha keeps talking about how Unbroken is at an advantage because it has a big star but Selma too has a big star campaigning for it. I never for once said that Unbroken would have gotten nominations if not for Selma. I dont even like the two films being compared. Just pointing out that Selma isnt exactly at a disadvantage when you have one of the most well known women in the world supporting you and using her network to suport the film.
Sasha, articles like this keep me coming back to your site.
Fun note though: this movie is playing in only one theatre in the whole DC area, and it’s not at either of the the Landmark Theatres in the area that typically get a movie first when it rolls out like this, it’s at an AMC Theatre that has a predominantly African American audience. Is this the case in other cities as well? I think it’s a really great and thoughtful release strategy.
Monica, this is the fourth or fifth post where you have vented your spleen about Oprah potentially campaigning on behalf of the film that she actually appears in. What exactly is the problem here.
By the way, your bizarre assumption that if not for Selma that Unbroken would be running away with Best Picture/Director would be somewhat comical if not for your fanaticism. If Selma falls short, I can think of at least four other movies that have a legit shot at best picture.
By the by, Monica, what I do find comical is your apparent obliviousness to the existence of one Richard Linklater, who is leading the Director race by a country mile.
@Jesus Alonso
Are those your predictions or a wishlist?
My predictions are:
Best Picture: The Imitation Game
Director: Boyhood
Original Screenplay: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Adapted Screenplay: The Imitation Game
Lead Actress: Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Lead Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Supporting Actress: Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
Editing: Gone Girl
Cinematography: Unbroken
Set: Into The Woods
Costume: Into The Woods
Score: The Imitation Game
Sound: Interstellar
Sound Editing: American Sniper
Visual Effects: Interstellar
Make-up: Guardians Of The Galaxy
So we are just going to pretend that Selma isnt backed by a major studio Paramount. We are going to pretend that Oprah with her big influence, 20mil twitter followers, and her own network is nothing, Sasha you forget to point out that Oprah is campaigning hard, She is just as big of a superstar as Jolie and is always listed on the annual most admired peoples list. In Januray Oprah’s network will be dedicated to promoting Selma. how is that any different than Unbroken. Would love if you all can tell me the difference.
ANY movie based on a historical person or event can be picked apart, since obviously all of these movies are taking some artistic liberties. In fact, virtually every historical movie IS picked apart in some article or another, whether it’s a Best Picture contender or not. It’s way too soon to overreact to one little article and claim that there’s a big media narrative against Selma. It’s not like LBJ is some “sainted” president whose reputation must be protected at all costs (like the Republicans do with Reagan), I think most of the general public is ready and willing to realize that Johnson had some dirt under his fingernails politically.
Minor fact check: Zamperini didn’t get married until after WW2, so he was being verbally abusive to his wife “after” the war and not before. (An inaccuracy in a FOX News article? No kidding!)
“One has a giant studio and a superstar behind it and one has a wing and a prayer. One opened big in 3100 theaters with terrible reviews, one opened soft in 19 theaters with rave reviews. It isn’t about pitting them against one another – it’s about noticing how differently they are being treated by the public, the press and the fans.” And i will add the Coen Brothers, Deakins, Desplat.. and more than a 65 million budget…a best seller book..all that help all that money and it still mediocre , that what i call one huge difference, very well said Sacha i couldn’t agree more. You speak the truth that’s why the fanatics of the overexposed celebrity jolie can’t handel it . The big PR machine for that mediocre film unbroken is incredible every tv show every magazine wow , and it’s more about jolie her kids her husband than the hero of the film … we hardly see the actors too..it’s just HER . Selma is one of the best movie of the year even without all the big PR we all see it , no matter how hard jolie is trying to cut the others of her road , she definitely can’t overshadow the pure greatness of Selma , Selma is such a deserving worthy film that all people should fight for it , you see only once or twice a movie of this calibre a year.
Don’t worry, from what I understand, that is NOT what Ava DuVernay and Paul Webb do at all. So nobody is in trouble.
I’m going to be watching Selma this afternoon, so in a few hours I’ll report back on my own impression of what’s causing the stir for LBJ protectors.
If Selma depicts LBJ as having hesitation and being conscious of not doing himself any political damage, then that seems to me to be an absolutely valid aspect of his carefully-considered support.
If Selma shows that LBJ had limited control over whatever Hoover wanted to do, that’s a well-documented reality.
If Selma shows us, as Sasha says, that LBJ underwent a change of heart to some degree, then that too is part of the historical reality — and if that transformation of conscience needed to be expressed in shorthand for dramatic purposes, I think I’d much rather see a conflicted complex LBJ than another simplistic White Guy coming to rescue Black People with an easy stroke of his presidential pen.
There is no question that LBJ had mixed feelings and a checkered past of sending mixed messages over the course of his political career. I think it’s silly to the point of sickness that some of his defenders are demanding that we pretend LBJ was some sort of white knight saint who made Civil Rights happen out of thin air, all by his lonesome.
Ryan Adams
For what it’s worth, I agree that if the backlash/anti-campaigning has already started, at least we now know without a shadow of a doubt that Selma is a major contender…and the competitors are clearly aware of it, too.
After reading this, I’m even more excited about watching Selma than I was before. Shame it will only come out in Italy end of January.
Sorry, but i’m still not buying into Ava winning best director. I think the 12 years in the making narrative is simply too much for anyone to overcome. Linklater is a 100% lock for the win. However its possible this could be another split year with Selma winning BP.
Long story short, I don’t see why we should think Selma is in trouble.
Agreed. We don’t think Selma is in trouble. Sasha says a couple of times in this post that Selma has emerged to such acclaim, it’s really a very viable challenger to Boyhood to take top Oscars.
I also don’t consider that 31K PTA soft, it is actually a very good number.
ok, good point about the familiar (and somewhat negative) connotations of “soft opening” — we’ll change that to “low-key opening” or “exclusive opening”
I am really sick of seeing Angelina face everywhere on the TV. With the book’s popularity,they didn’t have to push it so hard, it would still do well, I have never seen a movie being pushed this hard before, and her fans are the worst.
“One has a giant studio and a superstar behind it and one has a wing and a prayer. One opened big in 3100 theaters with terrible reviews, one opened soft in 19 theaters with rave reviews.”
I kind of get the point you made about the Unbroken-Selma comparison at the end of this piece, Sasha, but frankly, especially BO-wise it won’t fly, not for me at least. It is not a case of David and Goliath, Selma – like Unbroken – is from a BIG studio (Paramount), not to mention the producing team (+Oprah!) of the reigning BP winner, so it can rely on a massive marketing blitz just like Unbroken could, they are just waiting with it until the wide release in a few weeks. Also, I still think Oyelowo will win Best Actor and frankly, DuVernay could take Best Director, as well…Linklater could split votes, he will be up for three Oscars (picture, director, original screenplay) so voters may think that if they gave him screenplay, they can spread the love and give director to someone else.
Long story short, I don’t see why we should think Selma is in trouble. I don’t think it is. It didn’t open in 19 theaters because they couldn’t get it into more, it is simply a platform release strategy, standard for awards hopefuls. I also don’t consider that 31K PTA soft, it is actually a very good number. Silver Linings Playbook and Saving Mr. Banks did less in less theaters during their limited opening weekends and both turned into proper hits later on (132M and 83M respectively in the US alone, and ‘Banks’ didn’t even have Oscar-support in the end), and so will Selma in my opinion.
P.S. Unbroken has a 59 on Metacritic, that is neither “very bad” or “terrible”. Just mediocre. The Reader had 58…
Antoinette,
I’m watching her on French TV right now! She’s like everywhere! Jack O’Connell and Miyavi are on the set too but not saying anything. I’ve been watching the show for 10 minutes and I didn’t even know they were there. The camera never found them somehow. It’s all about Angelina: her career, her parents, her family, her life in France, her interest in French literature (lol! thank God the presenter did not ask her to mention authors or titles), her flying lessons… The latter might explain why she seems ubiquitous. The French actors on set say the film was fantastic and she’s a great example that women (magnificent women!) can do the same things as men and express themselves with the same poise and intelligence as men do.
Sasha: Are you gonna do a top ten films by female directors this year or not? I would find a list such like that, very interesting
And merry Christmas by the way to you and Ryan 🙂
I saw Selma on opening day – a truly great film. For me, it stands alongside Boyhood as the best of the year.
Ok. So here’s my thing. I can’t turn on the TV without seeing Angelina Jolie. NBC has been pushing Angelina on America in every newscast. The Today Show, the Nightly News where they went and got Tom Brokaw to interview her over days and platforms to make this so important to that “Greatest Generation” crowd that he controls (and that the Academy is made up of.) Not to mention the entertainment programs where that stuff belongs. God tried to give her chicken pox but that didn’t even stop it. She’s being forced on us. She’s worse than fracking and GMOs. She’s an inevitability.
I’ve complained about where I live and what gets released a gazillion times here. This year is the absolute worst for Oscar fare not appearing by Christmas Day. Here are the movie times for my location. This place where Unbroken opened on Christmas and Selma did not was the home of Frederick Douglass. The school I went to to learn to read and write so that I could come here and bother all you people is named Sgt. William H. Carney Academy. And somehow, in this place, Jolie’s movie is available on Christmas Day but SELMA isn’t. And it’s not going to be here for at least two weeks, if then. How come is that? How come people keep royally screwing up the release of these movies? How will Angelina stop sucking the air out of the room if no one else is allowed to breathe? If all you hear is the cacophony her movie is making because SELMA isn’t playing almost anywhere what can normal people who pay money to see films do about it? People show up to the theater expecting to see movies they’ve heard about. But when they get there they have to choose from what’s actually showing. Once people go back to work after Christmas break and have credit card bills to pay, do you really think they’re going to have time or the pocket money to go see SELMA and the other Oscar fare that’s still not out yet? I really don’t think so.
Sasha is pro-woman. Unless you’re pretty. Or young. Or pretty and young. Because then that’s the only reason for your success.
Into the Woods did so much better than Unbroken, Unbroken had 700 more theater counts than Into the Woods.
one thing i love about sasha is that she is very direct when confronting the bullshit out there. especially with regards to women and minorities. i’m not saying other oscar forecasters do not do it, but its always i find it a lilttle limp. it gets mentioned, and sometimes explained, but it isn’t confronted with the rigour sasha brings. she confronts it, attacks it and makes a judgement call on it. no leeway to the nonsense. basically i just want to thank you for this piece.
“One opened big with terrible reviews, one opened soft with rave reviews.”
Unbroken opened on over 3000 screens, Selma opened on 19
Thanks Dylan, your very pertinent details had already been added in 2nd draft revision, right after this post was published. Appreciate you underlining the circumstances.
Jolie won’t get in DGA, general audience don’t know, DGA knows better it is a not great movie.
“One opened big with terrible reviews, one opened soft with rave reviews.”
Unbroken opened on over 3000 screens, Selma opened on 19, of course Unbroken was gonna make more you can’t compare then on that level and Selma actually had a higher per screen average than Unbroken.
Do you actually think Jolie gets a DGA nom? Save us all from her fans if she does…
Bryce… once that Selma started to appear, we all knew it was going to be Selma vs. Boyhood, unless The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, or even Birdman, surprised at some (PGA, DGA and SAG Ensemble). It’s an Oscar-candy film (the candiest of the year) vs. the critical darling that, at this point, some might think is enough rewarded. It may very well end with
Picture: Selma
Director: Ava Du Vernay, Selma
Actor: Michael Keaton, Birdman
Actress: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Supp. Actor: JK Simmons, Whiplash
Supp. Actress: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Original Screenplay: Boyhood
Adapted Screenplay: Gone Girl
… with Selma winning one or two technicals. Maybe costume? Film Editing? Cinematography? Score? and that’s it. Oyelowo may be a dark horse for Actor, though.
I predict Selma and Boyhood split Best Pic and Best Director
I predicted weeks ago in my #finalpredictions that it’s going to be SELMA vs. BOYHOOD.
Another fantastic writeup! Thanks Sasha!!!
It’s sad that you had to put that disclaimer at the end.
The DGA is really going to settle this one way or another.
I don’t know if it will. I have no idea how this will end up. It’s rare to have such a big star in the Oscar race — the halo effect is a real thing.
Selma is threatening for sure. Wasn’t Argo also accused of its accuracy? I hope Selma turns out to be Argo not Lincoln.
It’s sad that you had to put that disclaimer at the end.
The DGA is really going to settle this one way or another.