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Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:28 am
by Big Magilla
The thing is we've been at war in Afghanistan since October 1, 2001 and Iraq since March 19, 2003 yet very few films have even acknowledged these wars. The Hurt Locker is the only one to be nominated for Best Picture in all these years.
We've been in economic hard times a least since 2007 yet no film has yet referenced this, let alone been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. The poverty in Precious is of an earlier time and the poverty in The Blind Side is not dwelt upon. It is shown as something to be overcome by the love of a good family.
Unemployment in Up in the Air does not extend to the main characters. What happens to the people who lose their jobs is not explored.
Crazy Heart is a fantasy film for old men. It doesn't have anything to do with poverty. Jeff Bridges' character may be emotionally broken but is never so broke financially that he can't find another bottle or another woman half his age.
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:40 am
by Okri
And of course there was 1998, which had three world war II films nominated for best picture (even if two of them weren't "war" films) and two Elizabethan dramas featuring the titular character.
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:51 pm
by Mister Tee
Well, off the top of my head, four of 1997's nominated five dealt fairly directly with class distinction -- Titanic's steerage and stateroom romance, Helen Hunt's rant about the HMOs in As Good As It Gets, Matt Damon's townie janitor taking on the Harvard gowners, and The Full Monty's on-the-dole-ers.
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:40 pm
by OscarGuy
Crazy Heart is about a washed up, has-been musician traveling around the country performing in crappy country bars living off the fumes of his earlier success. While I could see it touching a bit on the poverty element, the film is more a rumination on how he fucked up his own life to get himself to where he was and the kind, young woman whose love helps him break free from his depression and addictions and survive.
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:24 pm
by Greg
Big Magilla wrote:Crazy Heart dealt with poverty and unemployment? Am I missing something?
I didn't see the film. I'm going from the Oscar clip of Jeff Bridges saying, "I'm 57 and I'm broke!"
Edited By Greg on 1268256570
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:58 pm
by Big Magilla
Crazy Heart dealt with poverty and unemployment? Am I missing something?
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:37 pm
by Sonic Youth
Very interesting, but I don't recall A Serious Man dealing with poverty and unemployment. (Living in a motel because your wife threw you out of the house does not count as dealing with homelessness.)
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 1:40 pm
by Greg
As I have only minimal knowledge of the 5 nominees for Foreign Language, Documentary, and Short Subject categories (only reading their synopses at the Oscar.com website), I will concentrate on the other 19 categories.
Of these 19, 16 went to films that substantially dealt with either war (The Hurt Locker, Avatar, Inglorious Basterds, and Star Trek) or poverty/unemployment (Precious, The Blind Side, and Crazy Heart). Also, of the 10 Best Picture nominees, 8 substantially dealt with either war (The Hurt Locker, Avatar, Inglorious Basterds, and District 9) or poverty/unemployment (Precious, Up In The Air, The Blind Side, and A Serious Man).
This strikes me as the biggest domination of the Oscars by these topics of any year I can remember. What do you think?
Edited By Greg on 1268246462