Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

I'm thinking about jumping ship off the Les Miserables bandwagon after these early reviews. I wasn't really much looking forward to seeing it before but I'm really not looking forward to it now. I'm guessing it's the mammoth successful Hollywood production that gets in but nobody really thinks is art or (like Titanic) doesn't care because it's so crowd-pleasing. Those New York screenings seem increasingly like a joke. I had Les Miserables at twelve nominations, but Director, Screenplay, and Actor seem a little shakier. Regardless of which of those end up still making the cut, it seems likelier and likelier that Lincoln and not Les Miserables winds up the nominations leader. And I say this regardless of how many Golden Globes the movie is nominated for and ultimately wins.

rolotomasi99 wrote:While I think LES MISERABLES is going to earn a huge number of nominations, it will probably miss out on adapted screenplay since its mostly just the libretto from the stage production. While some screenplays which are almost word-for-word copies of the already written stageplay have been nominated and even won Oscars, I think the writers branch will not go for that this time.

Screenplays also contain descriptions of physical action; and, this could be much different for the movie version of Les Miserables than the stage musical. The trailers make it appear to be substantially "opened up." William Nicholson could very well get an adapted screenplay nomination just like Kenneth Branagh did for Hamlet.

Big Magilla wrote:I'm telling you this is going to do The Sound of Music/Titanic business - people all over the world are going to go to see this again and again and again.

I think if LES MISERABLES does win Best Picture, it will pass GREASE ($188 m) as the highest grossing live-action musical domestically, and possibly pass MAMA MIA ($609 m) worldwide. THE HOBBIT will have opened two weeks earlier and will still be going strong, but will not be direct competition. It was definitely a smart move to push the film back to Christmas Day. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be too violent for the family crowds and PARENTAL GUIDANCE is too stupid for just about everyone. LES MISERABLES will be the consensus choice for most groups on Christmas week. I think it easily makes $50 m from Tuesday thru Sunday. With hardly any big releases in January, the flick will be close to $200 m before Oscar night on February 24th, and will have a final tally around $225 m. Overseas will likewise be amazing, particularly in Europe. A worldwide gross around $700 m is not out of the question. It will be very interesting to track this film's box-office performance.

FilmFan720 wrote:

Big Magilla wrote:The Sound of Music 47 years on is not so impressive - they're purportedly remaking it as a TV movie with some country and western star. Nor does Titanic possess the same magic it did 15 years ago. They were both fims that captured the public's imagination in their day that few films ever do. I could be wrong, but I think Les Miserables has the potential to do the same.

Magilla, I hate do disagree but both of those movies still hold a lot of power, especially with younger viewers. The Sound of Music is still commonly watched by younger kids, and most of my students have seen it as children. When Titanic was rereleased earlier this year, I had high school students who saw it three or four times in the theater. Just because Sound of Music is being remade doesn't mean that it still isn't beloved.

At least as of last year, The Sound of Music was run on network TV in prime time during the run-up to the holidays -- only It's a Wonderful Life, maybe still the Wizard of Oz, and (at Easter) The Ten Commandments share that status among old films. I'd say it remains a beloved classic, whether that rating is earned or not.

FilmFan720 wrote:

Big Magilla wrote:The Sound of Music 47 years on is not so impressive - they're purportedly remaking it as a TV movie with some country and western star. Nor does Titanic possess the same magic it did 15 years ago. They were both fims that captured the public's imagination in their day that few films ever do. I could be wrong, but I think Les Miserables has the potential to do the same.

Magilla, I hate do disagree but both of those movies still hold a lot of power, especially with younger viewers. The Sound of Music is still commonly watched by younger kids, and most of my students have seen it as children. When Titanic was rereleased earlier this year, I had high school students who saw it three or four times in the theater. Just because Sound of Music is being remade doesn't mean that it still isn't beloved.

Good to know, but what I was referring to was the power those films had to excite contemporary audiences when they were new to theatres. Maybe Titanic if it were being released today for the first time could still draw in tmega-crowds - not so sure if The Sound of Music or even Gone With the Wind would have the same impact in today's jaded world.

Big Magilla wrote:The Sound of Music 47 years on is not so impressive - they're purportedly remaking it as a TV movie with some country and western star. Nor does Titanic possess the same magic it did 15 years ago. They were both fims that captured the public's imagination in their day that few films ever do. I could be wrong, but I think Les Miserables has the potential to do the same.

Magilla, I hate do disagree but both of those movies still hold a lot of power, especially with younger viewers. The Sound of Music is still commonly watched by younger kids, and most of my students have seen it as children. When Titanic was rereleased earlier this year, I had high school students who saw it three or four times in the theater. Just because Sound of Music is being remade doesn't mean that it still isn't beloved.

The Sound of Music 47 years on is not so impressive - they're purportedly remaking it as a TV movie with some country and western star. Nor does Titanic possess the same magic it did 15 years ago. They were both fims that captured the public's imagination in their day that few films ever do. I could be wrong, but I think Les Miserables has the potential to do the same.

I think it could certainly be talked about in the same breath as The Sound of Music in another 30 years, but I don't know if that will be because of box office or not.

It's a timely film, discussing revolution and the quashing of said revolution by the government (think Syria on the extreme end or Occupy Wall Street on the near end). It has a lot of cry moments that don't feel manipulated. I didn't have high expectations going in because I was rather unimpressed with the whole King's Speech hoopla, but I was very impressed.

I'm telling you this is going to do The Sound of Music/Titanic business - people all over the world are going to go to see this again and again and again. To quote E.Y. "Yip" Harburg from "The Begat" in Finian's Rainbow[/I, ]"it's bigger than bingo!"

Wow. New York Magazine is really excited about LES MISERABLES. They created an Advent Calendar for the film and everything. No matter how good this movie may be, I am thinking there is no way it can live up to people's expectations.

http://www.vulture.com/2012/11/les-mise ... lture.html

FilmFan720 wrote:

Big Magilla wrote:

rolotomasi99 wrote: This DRIVING MISS DAISY genre must be similar to the TITANIC genre -- also known as the only Best Picture winner in the past 50 years not to be nominated for its screenplay. While I think LES MISERABLES is going to earn a huge number of nominations, it will probably miss out on adapted screenplay since its mostly just the libretto from the stage production. While some screenplays which are almost word-for-word copies of the already written stageplay have been nominated and even won Oscars, I think the writers branch will not go for that this time.

Especially since the screenplay is credited to William Nicholson, whose previous credits include such crap as First Knight and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

The same William Nicholson who already has 2 Oscar nominations for writing?

Oops.

Big Magilla wrote:

rolotomasi99 wrote: This DRIVING MISS DAISY genre must be similar to the TITANIC genre -- also known as the only Best Picture winner in the past 50 years not to be nominated for its screenplay. While I think LES MISERABLES is going to earn a huge number of nominations, it will probably miss out on adapted screenplay since its mostly just the libretto from the stage production. While some screenplays which are almost word-for-word copies of the already written stageplay have been nominated and even won Oscars, I think the writers branch will not go for that this time.

Especially since the screenplay is credited to William Nicholson, whose previous credits include such crap as First Knight and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

The same William Nicholson who already has 2 Oscar nominations for writing?

rolotomasi99 wrote: This DRIVING MISS DAISY genre must be similar to the TITANIC genre -- also known as the only Best Picture winner in the past 50 years not to be nominated for its screenplay. While I think LES MISERABLES is going to earn a huge number of nominations, it will probably miss out on adapted screenplay since its mostly just the libretto from the stage production. While some screenplays which are almost word-for-word copies of the already written stageplay have been nominated and even won Oscars, I think the writers branch will not go for that this time.

Especially since the screenplay is credited to William Nicholson, whose previous credits include such crap as First Knight and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

The Original BJ wrote:

rolotomasi99 wrote:I definitely think Tom Hooper will be nominated, but I also think LES MISERABLES is the type of film that could win Best Picture even if it were not nominated for Best Director. I think CHICAGO could have won Best Picture without a corresponding Best Director nomination.

The type of film that can win Best Picture without a Best Director nomination is Driving Miss Daisy. That's the genre. It's called Driving Miss Daisy. The genre was developed in 1989, reached its peak in 1990, and then faded out almost instantaneously.

Scholars repeatedly anticipate the return of Driving Miss Daisy, but are repeatedly thwarted by Driving Miss Daisy's dormancy.

This DRIVING MISS DAISY genre must be similar to the TITANIC genre -- also known as the only Best Picture winner in the past 50 years not to be nominated for its screenplay. While I think LES MISERABLES is going to earn a huge number of nominations, it will probably miss out on adapted screenplay since its mostly just the libretto from the stage production. While some screenplays which are almost word-for-word copies of the already written stageplay have been nominated and even won Oscars, I think the writers branch will not go for that this time.

rolotomasi99 wrote:

criddic3 wrote:

rolotomasi99 wrote: I definitely think Tom Hooper will be nominated, but I also think LES MISERABLES is the type of film that could win Best Picture even if it were not nominated for Best Director. I think CHICAGO could have won Best Picture without a corresponding Best Director nomination.

The type of film that can win Best Picture without a Best Director nomination is Driving Miss Daisy. That's the genre. It's called Driving Miss Daisy. The genre was developed in 1989, reached its peak in 1990, and then faded out almost instantaneously.

Scholars repeatedly anticipate the return of Driving Miss Daisy, but are repeatedly thwarted by Driving Miss Daisy's dormancy.