Brokeback Backlash - Some Academy Members Won't See it!- Page 2

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 12:59am

I thought Crash was excellent, Kringas--#2 on my Top 10. Only a loud minority think it was a bad film.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 12:59am

Well, I didn't think so. I thought it was okay and desperately overhyped. For much the same reasons people here are sick of Brokeback- it's being thought of as a political tool rather than a work of art.

ETA- WOOHOO! I'M A LOUD MINORITY! Updated On: 2/3/06 at 12:59 AM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:01am

No, Plum, you didn't say it was bad.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:01am

Isn't "loud minority" an unfortunate choice of phrase when talking about Crash?

[Luscious]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:02am

For the record, I don't think CRASH is a bad film. I liked it. It's a little contrived and heavy-handed for my tastes, and I don't think it's one of the five best films of the year, but I thought it was a good movie.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:03am

Well, then I'm the loud minority cheering for The Constant Gardener.

[Jilani]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:06am

Add me to that minority. I thought Crash had promise, but its execution was disappointing - it was just so heavy-handed and contrived. I've seen four of the five Best Picture nominees now (all but Munich), and I thought Crash was the least impressive of the four I've seen. Just one person's opinion, obviously.

EDIT: I used the words "heavy-handed" and "contrived" before seeing Luscious's post above. Updated On: 2/3/06 at 01:06 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:06am

That's both racist and cowboy homophobic in some way, I'm sure.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:07am

I just don't understand how it's some inconceivable to some that it could be voted Best Picture, when many of us have mentioned we feel that way about Brokeback Mountain. Any threat to BM seems to be taken a little too personally by some.

[Luscious]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:07am

The Constant Gardner is another film that I liked, but didn't love. As I stated on another thread, I think the one film that really got screwed out of a Best Picture nomination was A History of Violence. But I never really thought it stood a chance with the Academy.

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:09am

IMHO - CRASH was slick and for the most part well-acted (though I usually like Brendan Fraser), but it was also preposterous. The way people spoke and acted in the circumstances of the movie bore no relation to the real world that it was pretending to portray - the movie had a point and used a sledge-hammer to make it where a quill pen would have done, and did it over and over. The bad characters were really good, the good characters were really bad, etc. Yes - we get it!

Of course, I understand there are many people who really like this film - it definitely has its strong proponents, but it isn't close to being of the quality of BBM, or Capote for that matter (or A History of Violence too). I do find it interesting that CRASH is the film that is getting the "push" and not GN&GL or Capote - I think it is because CRASH has easy sentiment - it says "racism is bad - can't we all get along?" and we all feel good about ourselves.

No offense - this is just the way I see it. DO THE RIGHT THING, while just as hard hitting and in-your-face, is a much better film about race relations. (This could be an east coast/west coast thing too.)

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:09am

Let me just say again that it was the year of love it or hate it films. Almost EVERY film mentioned here and in the rest of the nominations and those snubbed have been love it or hate it films. So, depending on who you ask, it was a great year in film, a crap year in film, or a so-so year in film.

And this isn't my opinion--it's a concrete fact!!

[Luscious]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:16am

Well... I, for one, think is was very good year for movies. I just don't think the five best films (as I see it) got nominated. As I said before, my favorites don't usually get nominated, let alone win, or receive the majority of nominations. So, the fact that BROKEBACK recieved 8 nominations is cause enough for celebration.

But I won't be awash in tears of joy and pride unless it wins.

Updated On: 2/3/06 at 01:16 AM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:23am

I'm usually the same way. Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Requiem for a Dream, Billy Elliot are just a few of the recent films that I wish had made the cut. I'm just surprised because these 5 are in my top 7.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:24am

I'm sick of BBM and its only January. It seems that some kind of backlash on a bigger scale is inevitable by March when the Oscars are aired.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:25am

Actually, Bennett--it's February. 3rd.

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:32am

Well, I didn't think of Capote or A History of Violence as love them or hate them movies.

But BBM definitely brings out strong feelings, if you use the IMDB poll as a guide. 73.6% of voters give BBM a 10 or a 9 (60% give it a 10). This number compares with LOTR-ROTK. 11.7% give it an 8 or 7. BUT a whopping 9% give it a 1. If you read the comments, it becomes clear that many of the people giving it a 1 have not seen the movie. So people with their own reasons for hating BBM made sure to participate.

CRASH didn't initially cause such passion - only 40% give it a 10 (205 less than BBM), and 65.6% give it a 9 or 10. Another 24.2% give it a 7 or 8, and just 2.8% give it a 1. The difference of course is that most of the people who judged CRASH probably saw it, and those who liked it were more likely to participate in the poll when the movie came out.

You can also see that younger people liked CRASH more than older people. Women rate BBM higher than men (straight men with hang ups, of course.)

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:35am

(straight men with hang ups, of course.)

!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:36am

A History of Violence is def a love it or hate it film! lol I loved it.

Crash had amazing word of mouth when it opened--only reason I saw it.

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:42am

Yes, Kringas - if you look at the article linked to my original post, that is what this thread is about - some straight, or "straight" men with hang ups who aren't going to see the movie in which two guys play cowboy with each other.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:46am

Are they the ones voting on IMDB? Cause that's where we were in the discussion.

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:59am

I personally DIDNT think Crash was saying 'racism is bad' as much as it said 'racism is inevitable in such a diverse country like America' and that it is often innocent cultural barriers that cause 'racial tension', something no one can be blamed for.

Ive seen them all but Capote, and for me, at the end of the day, the overall presentation of Crash just blew me away...it had as profound effect on me as I think BBM did on many of you (and others).

I just think that the fact that multiple movies this year had profound effects on people (and that we can argue over which was the best) says great things about hollywood today.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 3:59am

That's it. I'm done. I have just read my last thread about Brokeback Mountain and this is the last post I'm going to make on it. I saw the movie, I loved the movie, but it's a movie. All this guff about it is just making me tired.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 5:03am

I wish I knew how to quit posting about it.

[Sing a Song With Me]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 8:17am

Guff indeed, Popcultureboy.
In my own opinion (and opinion it is), I will also go on the record as Crash being the least-worthy of the nominees.
While I will throw in my support for, as FindingNamo calls it, "the BM," I would be very pleased, perhaps even awash with tears of pride and joy, should Good Night and Good Luck or Capote surprisingly win the trophy.
But not Crash. That will only make me angry.