the backlash against "Million Dollar Baby's" oscar

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 2:50pm

...has begun officially with the NY Times' Caryn James rumination on the Oscar show. She calls it safe and predictable--a reflection of the Old Fart aesthetic. Interesting, that the Times was an early and impassioned champion of the Eastwood film as the subtle cinematic antedote to bloated, high-concept Hollywood films (go back and read early December reviews...) You know, like maybe THE AVIATOR.

She opines that it's a safe choice compared to edgier fare like SIDEWAYS. That strikes me as a strained thesis, since the films in some ways are part of the same trend. I'm a big fan of both, but certainly see the Eastwood win as more of a celebration of the small, focussed very human story--a new, fresh appreciation of something that's classic in American cinema, rather than old hat. Remember, it was turned down by studios, and made on the relative cheap. It is also a director's film, and SIDEWAYS, with it's flat cinematography and indifferent soundtrack, is more notable for the writing and performances. Yes, Payne's influence is in every scene, but as pure cinema, BABY is in a long(er) tradition.

I don't think the people who voted for BABY were necessarily voting against SIDEWAYS. Hey, both are miles away from LORD OF THE RINGS. Isn't that more on point? I think we should be happier that both films were in the running. And if AVIATOR had won, well, Ms. James might have made a stronger case. When December rolled around, and we had both of those movies, and KINSEY, and VERA DRAKE to savor, I just felt like it was grown-up time again. Is BABY more mainstsream in its subject? Sure. But then, the moral fervor over its very dark 3rd act certainly took it out of the ROCKY feel-good Americana league.

I tend to agree more with Frank Rich, who found the film surprisingly UNLIKE the black/white good/evil Times we live in: complicated, offering no easy one-size-fits-all ending. And really, if it were the old fart entertainment James accuses of being, Eastwood's crotchety trainer would've bought a house or farm for Swank's character, and become the kindly 'daddy' she never had. Instead, the film offers a far more nuanced vision of surrogate parent/child relationships--one in which no happy fade out is inevitable, despite the presence of very real love. I think it strikes new ground within a traditional story. And for what it's worth, SIDEWAYS has the far more sentimental ending (that knock on the door...) I'm glad we've got 'em both.

Updated On: 3/1/05 at 02:50 PM

[WOSQ]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 3:32pm

It doesn't much matter what anyone says now, Million Dollar Baby won, and there are no hanging chads.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 3:34pm

What backlash? It has already won and is a financial hit. There is no backlash.

[ckeaton]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 3:36pm

I did appreciate Ms. Swanks hanging chads when she accepted her award.

[robbiej]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 3:40pm

But at least she wasn't hanging Chad out to dry like she did at the Oscars in 2000. She remembered to thank him this time!

(we could do this ALL day)

Posted: 3/1/05 at 3:42pm

Afterwards, it's always easy to ruminate on why people voted the way they did and it's almost always wrong. People vote for what they like. Period. No one sits and says 'I am against the facile ending of "Sideways" or the bloated budget of "Aviator"'

They vote for the picture they like best. The most votes win. Almost never does the Oscar winner get the Majority (51%) of the votes, so most people don't like the result. Life goes on.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 3:49pm

JoeK is right. 51% voted for the film of 5 they thought best. However, backlash against a choice is inevitable, as are the myriad theses on why.

Off topic, but not really: I believe Dame actually first alerted this board to the film in early December, predicting a win for Swank. I remember at the time thinking Dame must've had one too many Mo-hoohas, because the film wasn't even being whispered about, and who knew Hilary Swank (one hit wonder!) had a performance that was nomination worthy, let alone a win, on the horizon. The decision to release the movie in December, rather than this winter, was clearly wise.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 3:51pm

Yes. I saw a screening weeks before it was released. By that time I had already seen Sideways, Vera Drake, and Ray but not Aviator. I saw Aviator shortly after and still knew it was going to be Babys year.

Updated On: 3/1/05 at 03:51 PM

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 3:59pm

What's so daring about 'Sideways?'

I mean it's a cute flick and all but I hardly found it creatively bold.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 4:03pm

The backlash began on hate radio weeks ago.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 4:04pm

But namo. that wasn't backlash. That was stupidity in all its glory.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 4:06pm

The 'backlash' is only coming from the most inane talking heads on the planet and those that use them as sources. I know diehard Republicans who think Medved and Limbaugh are off their respective rockers on this one -- and these are NOT people open-minded to creativity exploring social issues, generally speaking.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 4:09pm

Medved? Is that ugly , nasty, publicity seeking queenstill around? i met him years ago at a NYU seminar. He is the perfect example of nastiness. Vile person.

Updated On: 3/1/05 at 04:09 PM

[Broadway_Bound_Star]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 4:12pm

I HATE time limits on award shows.. it makes a person look dumb when they are still thanking people and their time is over and the music starts playing....

Thats why when I win my Tony Ill just be thinking my mom and my fans..then WALK off

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 4:26pm

Yep, it's because of the right wing backlash several weeks ago -- resulting in Frank Rich's strong rebuttal -- that I found the new elistist dis so silly. The "it's not art" take. Elvis Mitchell went on the Today show this week and dumped on it, too. (Oh, please, so it's not "Z" or LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD. GLADIATOR and TITANIC won the Oscar, too.) The movie has managed to provoke "moralists" and cinema snobs alike. Blah blah blah. If anything, the movie's lack of pretension is its strength. Personally, I'll take its classic old school feel over some chilly blather like CLOSER any day. BABY is the kind of movie-movie that ol' Paulene Kael used to champion.

Updated On: 3/1/05 at 04:26 PM

[kangaroo]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 5:11pm

I think that the Aviator would have been more of the safe choice. Though it doesn't really matter... it's too late now anyway. It doesn't matter what anyone says, because it's already done and over with.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 7:50pm

I have not seen The Aviator.
I have not seen Sideways.
I have not seen Ray.
Quite honestly, I was not rooting for any picture in particular.
I was simply hoping that Million Dollar Baby would not win.

Due to a recent situation in my own family, I'm against the message that I feel this movie sends.
I am worried that the award will make the public agree with that message, as the movie has been validated by this honor.
I was disappointed by the win.
I sincerely hope that this film was the best in the category and did not win the award due to politics.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 8:12pm

I'm surprised Rush hasn't been shooting his big fat mouth off about the win.

[cvapb]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 8:15pm

I liked the movie a lot.. people need to suck it up, whats done is done

[DAME]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 8:16pm

Floweryfriend;
I can see your point. I didn't come away from this movie with that message. And I know from reading what the creators have said that the message you are implying is not their intention.

[thirdrowcenter]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 8:56pm

(spoiler)
As a right leaning voter, I found the backlash over Million Dollar Baby downright ridiculous and stupid. I was rooting for MDB to win. I found the decision made in the movie to be strictly unique and a personal decision between Clint and Hilary's characters (can't remember their screen names). Not at all condoning euthanasia. Updated On: 3/1/05 at 08:56 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 8:57pm

Different people will come away from MDB with different mssages

I enjoyed the most of the other nominees & found it to be the best in many catagories. The acting was first rate, the direction was great & the feel of the movie was outstanding . My wife originally was not thrilled about seeing a boxing movie but after it was over she loved it & was glad we saw it.

The ending was the right ending for the story that was being told. If you have a real life situation mirroring this, one can understand why one could come away feeling downbeat about the movie

[DAME]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 9:06pm

Bravo Mr Roxy. you said what I wanted to express.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 3/1/05 at 9:07pm

Million Dollar Baby is an excellent film and very deserving of the awards it got.

Politics should never play a role in deciding if something is good or not. What defines art has nothing to do with politics.

Art should be allowed to provoke thought--to ask questions. Art should be allowed to educate. People are so afraid. And the fact is that if your opinion is so easily swayed by a film or music or a play, then your opinion wasn't strongly defined in the first place. That's not to say that there is anything wrong with a film allowing you to restrengthen your opinions by engaging in mental or literal discussions or allowing you to discover new ideas and points of view, possibly changing your opinion on a matter.

Posted: 3/1/05 at 9:10pm

(Spoiler)

FF - but for those of us who are not bothered by that possibility - and yes, I have dealt with it in life - there's no reason not to broach the subject.