PROBLEMS FOR PRECIOUS?
Earlier this week, New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick suggested that the Gotham Awards’ total snub of “Precious” (Lions Gate, 11/6, trailer) was indicative of a backlash against the high-profile campaigning that exec-producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry have been conducting on behalf of the film.
Tom O’Neil, my former colleague at the Los Angeles Times awards blog “The Envelope,” found the snub “shocking” and wrote a lengthy rebuttal in which he states, “I agree with Lou that a backlash is brewing against [the film], but among some film critics, not among Oscar voters or other industry folks and not as a result of Oprah’s or Tyler’s embrace… I think critics are starting to resent the fact that their darling flick’s gone mainstream… ‘Precious’ is obviously Oscar-bound.”
When Tom asked for my thoughts on this today (along with several other awards pundits), I responded as follows:
I think the folks behind “Precious” need to worry a lot less about an Oprah-backlash than about a violence-backlash. I guarantee you that a large segment of the Academy — much of which is still comprised of older and fairly conservative folks — will leave screenings, turn off screeners, or not even check out the film at all because of its shocking violence, vulgar language, and upsetting scenarios. The thing that attracted Oprah, Tyler Perry, and others to the film is the message that the film leaves you with: that no person is bound by their circumstances and every person has the power within themselves to rise above them. That’s a message that nearly voter would embrace… the problem, I suspect, is that they may never get far enough into the film to hear it.
Do I think “Precious” will be totally snubbed by the Academy (which is composed of thousands of industry insiders) as it was by the Gotham Awards’ nominating committee (which is apparently made up of only four critics)? No — support younger voters will probably secure it a spot among the ten best picture nominees, along with two or three other categories — but I also don’t think it’s likely to be the awards juggernaut that Tom (and a few others whose views I also respect) seem to think it will be.
I can tell you this much: if the film and/or director Lee Daniels and/or lead actress Gabby Sidibe and/or supporting actress Mo’Nique (whose character will pose the chief problem for many of the aforementioned voters) are snubbed by the Academy — which is honestly not inconceivable to me — there will be an uproar that could make past Oscar controversies — think “The Color Purple” (1985, lost all 11 nominations it received, including one for Oprah), “Do the Right Thing” (1989, no best picture nod), “Brokeback Mountain” (2005, lost to heavy underdog “Crash”), and “Dreamgirls” (2006, not nominated for best picture or best actress) — pale in comparison.
Photo: Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, and Gabby Sidibe at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of “Precious.” Credit: C.J. LaFrance (Getty Images North America)
Pale? (Sorry: Couldn’t resist.)
just wanted to say,why is brad pitt not nominated for best actor,but a crappy actor like george clooney,who plays the same role all the time,with the same expression(no range at all),all he do is smirk throughout his movies,keeps getting nominate???best actor should be brad for inglorious basterds,or clint eastwood for gran torino..brad should have got it for benjamin button & angie for changeling,but academy aways gives it to crappy actors,winslet & penn,nuff said.
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