Despite 'Best Picture' Snub, DREAMGIRLS Still Manages to Make Oscars History- Page 3

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 2:13pm

I forgot that movie even came out.


I agree with you Munk that JHud sang the sh*t out of that song, as did Beyonce, but I guess it was the fact that at the end of the song the lights started to do something, then they just stopped. The lights moving got me prepared for a big finale to the number, but then nothing happened. Oh well.

[sidwich]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 2:26pm

"Boy, did Condon get iced. It seems incredibly suspicious that the three awards for which he would have delivered an acceptance speech are the three awards which the film was not nominated for. I don't suspect foul play, but I can't help but feel sorry for the man, as it appears as if some greater force made sure everything was meticulously designed for him to be excluded from all other celebratory measures regarding this film. "

I have a hard time imagining that this was a case of foul play considering Condon's been both nominated ("Chicago") and won ("Gods and Monsters") in the not too distant past.

In my opinion, both the screenplay and the direction had some serious problems, and I didn't have any problem with Condon not receiving a nomination in either case. I think he's a fine writer, but he's done much better (or at least better-executed) work in the past and been recognized for it by the Academy.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 2:31pm

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is FAR from fluff. It is one of the best films of the year, and far superior to DREAMGIRLS.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 2:41pm

In my opinion, if anything, Condon should have been nominated for Director over Screenplay and the film getting Best Picture.

And while the screenplay was a GREAT adaptation from stage to screen...how many AMPAS voters have seen the stage production? I don't think the film really had a chance for that category, even though I was hoping.

Let's hope Condon's next project gives him an Oscar WIN to make up for his snubs for CHICAGO, KINSEY, and DREAMGIRLS.

While it's a great shame the film wasn't nominated for Picture, Director, nor Screenplay: folks, let's put that behind us. DREAMGIRLS is an amazing film and when it wasn't nominated the country and media went nuts.

Not only has the film received all the honors I mentioned in my article, we'll get to see THREE songs from the film performed at the Oscars!! We'll probably see Hudson and Murphy make acceptance speeches for their performances! We'll probably see Krieger make an acceptance speech for his winning song! AND think of all the jokes Ellen can make about "DREAMGIRLS: the film that directed and wrote itself."

Boycott the Oscars? That'd be foolish. Let's celebrate DREAMGIRLS and be glad the musical was preserved on film in the first place in such a masterful way.

[Ciaron McCarthy]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 2:47pm

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is FAR from fluff. It is one of the best films of the year, and far superior to DREAMGIRLS.

Agreed. LMS was one of the best films of the year. Just because it's small and doesn't make a huge fuss doesn't mean the quality is not there. Dreamgirls is not only an overrated movie but an overrated musical in general. It has some good songs and when cast right those songs can really soar. It's not that great though.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 4:02pm

"I have to ask the Academy voters. What were they thinking? Sunshine is minor fluff that is not in the same class as Dreamgirls"

While I really liked Dreamgirls, I totally disagree. Little Miss Sunshine was one of the most inspiring films I've seen in years. Bad Girls and Talladega Nights are fluff. I couldn't say the same for the poignant, touching, and surprisingly hilarious Little Miss Sunshine.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 4:23pm

Agreed. LMS was one of the best films of the year. Just because it's small and doesn't make a huge fuss doesn't mean the quality is not there. Dreamgirls is not only an overrated movie but an overrated musical in general. It has some good songs and when cast right those songs can really soar. It's not that great though.

I enjoyed LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE immensely, but as previously stated in this thread (many times) it was LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA that took the slot that DREAMGIRLS was expecting, not SUNSHINE. So, the chatter about whether or not SUNSHINE is deserving of its slot is kind of irrelevant to this thread.

Edited for clarity. Updated On: 1/24/07 at 04:23 PM

[IAMmyownMUSICAL]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 4:51pm

I really hope Anika and Eddie sing the song. Anika SO MUCH DESERVES to be recognized for actually being in the film. Eeveryone seems to just brush her aside...when SHE truly was the OUTSTANDING one in the movie.

[Dibbledl01]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 5:27pm

ok..it's getting a bit annoying reading peoples comments about "this film took the spot from this film" or "they stole it from this or that". ENOUGH! The films and people nominated were nominated because they struck a chord with the majority of academy members, no one TAKES or STEALS anything from anyone else. They are there because of a majority vote. Please, enough already with the Iwo Jima stole this or Little Miss Sunshine took that. They are all brilliant films, each in their own way, and this country has been blessed with a terrific film season filled with breath-taking films and performances, many of which have been nominated and many others not nominated. It's done, it's over, we are all happy about some things, disappointed with others. move on and be supportive!

[Dibbledl01]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 5:27pm

double post...
Updated On: 1/24/07 at 05:27 PM

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 5:38pm

OK...Well, first of all, you're saying that we should "move on and be supportive," but, well, this is a discussion board, so of course we are going to discuss what we feel should or should not have been nominated instead of simply moving on and letting it go.

Also, we're not saying anyone "stole" a spot from this show or that. People predict which movies will be nominated for various categories. The slots for Best Picture that many people expected included DREAMGIRLS, not, in some cases, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, and in other cases LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. People hypothesized the spot that they thought DREAMGIRLS was going to get was filled by IWO JIMA. So when we say they "took the slot" we're saying that the slot that we were most expecting to be filled by one movie was filled by another.

That's how I feel about it, at least.

Updated On: 1/24/07 at 05:38 PM

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 5:58pm

Do LMS fans a Dreamgirls fans have to go at it like this? CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG??


I feel like the chubby chick from Mean Girls.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 6:00pm

Where's the fun of this whole website if we got along?

[Brick]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 9:43pm

Actually, the way the Academy nominates is not necessarily by "majority votes" as we often understand it to be.

The Academy is asked to give its five choices for the five slots.

Then instead of, say, counting the total times a movie appears on ballots, they are counted with the top slot weighted and the other four slots descending in weight.

So, a film with a small, passionate base that places the film as #1 on their list has a better chance for being nominated than a film that appeared at, say, #4 on the entire Academy's list.

So, it is quite possible that Dreamgirls was on many ballots but did not have the die-hard support from a large-enough group, or any: though I love the film, I would not have placed it as #1 either - probably, #3 or #2, tops.

So, it's failure might mean it was liked my many but not loved-to-death by even a few.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 10:51pm

Is that how they vote for the ultimate winners, too?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/24/07 at 10:59pm

Yes, StageManager. Everyone votes for 5 things to pick the winners.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/25/07 at 1:34am

What was Condon's work on Chicago? I wasn't aware of that.

And Dirty Rotten Scoundrel, I was referring to Mr Roxy's comment that Little Miss Sunshine was "fluff."

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/25/07 at 1:39am

Condon wrote the screenplay for CHICAGO.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/25/07 at 1:41am

Condon got an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for Chicago (and won for his screenplay for Gods & Monsters).

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/25/07 at 1:44am

It was Bill Condon's idea to have the musical numbers in CHICAGO be the fantasies of Roxie Hart, and that they are performances inside her head. A brilliant concept, IMHO. He lost the Best Adapted Screenplay award to AMERICAN BEAUTY (great film with a great script by Alan Ball, but in the words of Peter Griffin: "C'mon! C'mooooooonn!").

Updated On: 1/25/07 at 01:44 AM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/25/07 at 1:51am

Um...

AMERICAN BEAUTY and CHICAGO were not in the same year...

Harwood beat Condon for THE PIANIST. And I can see why he won, though both were worthy.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 1/25/07 at 1:52am

And wasn't the Pianist win a surprise because The Hours was the favorite?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/25/07 at 1:54am

I DO remember that being the case, yes. I also remember that I wanted THE HOURS to win, but I loved THE PIANIST so much that I was glad to see it win as well.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 1/25/07 at 2:13am

I personally would've given it to the film "Adaptation" which was a movie devoted to adapting a book into a film. It was my personal Best Pic of 2002.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/25/07 at 2:15am

I liked ADAPTATION, but it's a movie that never moved me or stuck with me. I own it, and I've watch it occasionally. But it just NEVER does anything for me up to a certain point. About half way through, I just don't care anymore.