Litle Miss Sunshine will take it?

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A very smart handicapper has passed along an interesting thought: the Best Picture Oscar will be won by either The Departed or Little Miss Sunshine, and the edge, right now, may be with the latter. LMS "is an ensemble piece that people just love...that's how it was with Crash, and you have to watch out for movies that people just love.

"It was inexplicable last year but the rank-and-file really loved Crash, while some of them -- obviously not all, but some -- felt a grudging respect for Brokeback Mountain. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris being named as Best Director nominees this morning means that people really love that film.

"If Little Miss Sunshine wins the SAG ensemble acting award plus the Golden Globe best comedy-musical award -- and I'm thinking more and more that this might happen -- Little Miss Sunshine will take the Best Picture Oscar."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 9, 2007 at 12:53 PM

comment #1

Kristopher Tapley says ...

I wish she'd just go on the record with that prediction already...

Posted by Kristopher Tapley at January 9, 2007 1:13 PM

comment #2

Noel Murray says ...

A friend of mine who *hated* LMS made exactly this same prediction to me back in early December, citing CRASH.

I think he might be right, though if a "little" film takes the prize, it could well be THE QUEEN, which has the added benefit of being "historical."

I don't know ... LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE stuck me as well-acted, well-shot, and obnoxiously facile, but like AMERICAN BEAUTY (and CRASH, to an extent), it seems to represent the self-image of an industry stocked with people who fled their "small-minded" hometowns for a place more accepting of "weirdness." It's a smug, we-recognize-our-own movie, and aside from the performances of Arkin and Carell, it never digs below the clichÃ©s in a way that would really shake anybody up.

Posted by Noel Murray at January 9, 2007 1:34 PM

comment #3

Mark says ...

i wrote the exact same thing on this website 10 days ago. i also wrote that once word spreads that LMS may actually win, people will turn on it (as they did w/ Crash) with some calling it the worst, most obvious movie of the year.

Posted by Mark at January 9, 2007 1:34 PM

comment #4

Goulet says ...

You know how we'll know that LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is really going at full steam? If it shocks everyone and it gets 3 or four Acting Oscar nominations, like an out of nowhere Steve Carrell or Toni Collette on top of the expected Arkin and Abigail.

Posted by Goulet at January 9, 2007 1:37 PM

comment #5

Rich S. says ...

Crash benefited more from the stigma that kept many of the old rank-and-file from watching or voting for Brokeback, rather than the fact that it was a pleasant ensemble piece. I still think Oscar likes prestige and The Departed has enough of that to pull it off.

Posted by Rich S. at January 9, 2007 2:05 PM

comment #6

bipedalist says ...

It's true that it's about time for the LMS backlash. It's the one place people can go to vote for something that doesn't have any negatives attached to it. In other words, the least "offensive"" of the bunch.

Posted by bipedalist at January 9, 2007 2:12 PM

comment #7

ThermosDay says ...

I'm with Rich S on this one. When Crash won Best Ensemble at the SAG awards, it became clear that it was the horse to back for the anything-but-Brokeback individuals, and there were many of them. Crash was already popular--half of Hollywood was either in it or lived with someone who was. This year I don't see an "anything-but" film in the mix, and Little Miss has ceased being an underdog. If anything, The Queen is the underdog, having lost its Best Ensemble SAG nomination to Bobby--which, by the way, half of Hollywood is either in or living with someone who is.

Posted by ThermosDay at January 9, 2007 2:16 PM

comment #8

bellepoitrine says ...

THE QUEEN will sneak in and win. Unless everybody in the cast of BOBBY votes for it, as happened with CRASH. No, really.

Posted by bellepoitrine at January 9, 2007 2:22 PM

comment #9

Craptastic says ...

LMS was simply "okay". And the only thing that brought it to that level for me was Arkin.

I don't get why so many people consider it such a landmark film for this year. Its a quirky rip-off of "Vacation". Think about it... The do-or-die father, the somewhat apeasing mother, the moody kid(s), the dead grandparent, the car falling apart, when they get there they're forced to beg/fight their way in, the porn "got a stack of porn THIS high".... its amazing. I've not read ONE review that's compared the two.

Posted by Craptastic at January 9, 2007 2:59 PM

comment #10

YND says ...

TOTALLY agree with (sigh) Craptastic. In fact I'm pretty sure I posted a similar comment a while back citing that LMS was basically a thinly-veiled VACATION remake. It's likable, sure, but PLEASE! Best Freakin' Picture?! (And, I'm sorry, but "Holy cow, Steve Carrell just ran into the two people he wouldn't want to run into... in a convenience store in the middle of nowhere!"... that's lazy writing. As is the whole colorblind setup/"reveal". Are there ANY middle class kids in the U.S. who HAVEN'T been tested for colorblindness by the time they're 17?! I guess the ones who need to save the discovery for a well-timed crisis just hold off on that exam until their little sister can give it to them in the back of a van...)

Posted by YND at January 9, 2007 3:13 PM

comment #11

Craptastic says ...

Lol!

Those are points I also brought up after seeing it, (yawn) YND. (ha-ha, had to jab ya back there)

Did you read any reviews that caught onto that fact or do we stand alone on this (in my mind) pretty obvious comparison?

Posted by Craptastic at January 9, 2007 3:21 PM

comment #12

Bob Loblaw says ...

I still just can't see it for LMS. Maybe I'm nuts.

Posted by Bob Loblaw at January 9, 2007 4:06 PM

comment #13

K. Bowen says ...

I would love to have been on Hollywood Elsewhere in 1938. Can you imagine what some people here would say about Bringing Up Baby?

A pet leopard? Pffffff, yeah, right.

Did you see that last scene where Grant says he loves her? How phony was that? Like Grant really is in love with this nutcase. He just said it so they could set up the dino collapse. Freakin' Hollywood.

What's this idiotic trend with millionaire heiresses marrying Average Joes? (Thin Man, It Happened One Night) Look outside. It's the Depression, man. When does that ever happen?

Judging by the reaction to LMS, you would think peoople around here had never seen a screwball comedy before. Maybe they haven't.

Posted by K. Bowen at January 9, 2007 4:14 PM

comment #14

LYTrules says ...

Craptastic - I never wrote a formal review of it, but I definitely consider it a Vacation remake, and blogged such at the time; it's better than all the Vacation sequels but nowhere near as layered as the original, which is a much deeper movie than people remember.

I think David Poland may have made the Vacation reference too.

I'll be very surprised if it gets Best Picture, however. It just doesn't feel quite self-important enough. (but my track record for Oscar predictions is only about 60%)

Posted by LYTrules at January 9, 2007 4:15 PM

comment #15

Arran says ...

I just don't see it happening. I see LMS as sort of like The Full Monty...well-liked, very good little film, a surprise hit, sneaks into the nominations on sheer good will, and doesn't win a thing apart from maybe a token music or tech award.

Posted by Arran at January 9, 2007 4:16 PM

comment #16

austin111 says ...

I saw this last year and while it's entertaining enough, I couldn't quite get why people were so into it. It's really not THAT great. But Oscar being Oscar, it's very likely to get Best Picture, since it's fairly inocuous and all. The performances were okay. Frankly, I didn't find Arkin nearly as amusing as some did and his character wasn't really particularly believable to me. If it wins best ensemble over Departed or Babel, I think I will be calling RALPH loudly.

Posted by austin111 at January 9, 2007 4:23 PM

comment #17

Mike K says ...

Could the lightweight LMS really win the Best Picture Oscar in a the year that Pan's Labyrith, Children of Men, and United 93 were released?

Really?

Really really?

I guess after Crash, anything is possible.

Posted by Mike K at January 9, 2007 4:36 PM

comment #18

kyle21 says ...

Oh God. Another "Crash" year. Let the mediocrity reign. The Hollywood Club for the Odd and Old strikes AGAIN.

Posted by kyle21 at January 9, 2007 4:41 PM

comment #19

insidah says ...

Little Miss Sunshine was far and away my favorite film of the year. You can keep your Babeling Queen of Iwo Jima (oh look how small the world is! we're all connected! like, oh my god, and brad pitt and angelina jolie and george clooney are going to save us!). Children of Men is solid but pointless cinema. United 93 a really well made docudrama, not a real movie.

I like a good, smart American movie. LMS should win.

Posted by insidah at January 9, 2007 5:10 PM

comment #20

WKeane says ...

Bob Loblaw, there is a clear difference between screwball comedy and lazy writing. The gas station encounter and the color-blind test were not screwball moments. They were contrived dramatic moments.

The Oscars are silly anyway; it's just certain industry types patting each other on the back over their mediocre successes. Any sane mind would realize Children of Men is the only film actually deserving of awards, as it truly is a stunning cinematic achievement.

Posted by WKeane at January 9, 2007 5:11 PM

comment #21

Craptastic says ...

How was LMS smart? Its a rip-off and poorly written. Check out YND's remarks. They're RIGHT ON.

You know a movie is going to leave you wanting more when the funniest line is "I had 2nd degree burns on my dick".

Posted by Craptastic at January 9, 2007 5:14 PM

comment #22

WKeane says ...

insidah, how is Children of Men pointless, while LMS is not? I would argue Childen of Men makes some interesting statements, while LMS is shallow and simplistic. And how is United 93 not a real movie? What is a real movie anyway? I can only hope your post is a joke.

Posted by WKeane at January 9, 2007 5:15 PM

comment #23

dobbsy says ...

Noel Murray: You said it all for me. That's a first! K Bowen: You're comparing LMS with Bringing Up Baby? Oh dear..... It's not even It Happened One Night, which is a not-great film that won. It's definitely not Annie Hall which is great and dserved to win. Lots of great screwball comedies were never acknowledged. Just as today genre films face prejudice from awards nabobs and fest directors. But the knock on lms isn't because of the comedic nature, but...well, Noel said it most eloquently. Ain't much there, there, as art or as entertainment. Lots of recycling and appealing to the "knowest" common denominator.

Posted by dobbsy at January 9, 2007 5:17 PM

comment #24

Philp of New Hampshire says ...

Test message. Just created an account. Sorry all. Thanks.

Posted by Philp of New Hampshire at January 9, 2007 5:20 PM

comment #25

Craptastic says ...

WKeane, right on!

Children of Men and United 93 said more about life than LMS could hope to hold on its limp, little, pointless existance.

Posted by Craptastic at January 9, 2007 5:22 PM

comment #26

Chandler in Hollywood says ...

If the producers of Little Miss Sunshine really want to win the AA then they should follow what Lionsgate did and send each and every SAG member a screener DVD. Plenty of the old AMPAS fucks didn't go to see Brokeback Mountain because of the subject matter. However, an ensemble made in USA movie like Crash won. The only conflict is that everyone that wouldn't see BM will go and see Condon's Dreamgirls (like the did for Chicago). As a 'Mo, I feel used.

Posted by Chandler in Hollywood at January 9, 2007 5:31 PM

comment #27

Dan Revill says ...

The Departed should win the SAG ensemble. It's got something Little Miss Sunshine (which I enjoyed) doesn't have - pedigree. There are some of the best actors working right now on top of their game. Was there really a better ensemble piece this year?

Posted by Dan Revill at January 9, 2007 5:49 PM

comment #28

florida25 says ...

LMS=good film TD=great film

Posted by florida25 at January 9, 2007 6:03 PM

comment #29

K. Bowen says ...

For the record, I'm not equating LMS to Bringing Up Baby in terms of quality. That's a tall order. Merely pointing out that certain modern cinematic tastes, on display run against comedies (and frankly movies0 that aren't blatantly dark. And pointing out that that approach, applied to the 1930s and 40s, would end in some pretty odd results.

But do I like LMS? Yeah. It was the best comedy of the year. Which is hardly some radical position.

Posted by K. Bowen at January 9, 2007 6:07 PM

comment #30

dobbsy says ...

K Bowen: Thanks for the clarification on LMS vs Bringing Up Baby. So, yes, we agree that comedy is king everywhere except with awards voters who think "dying is hard and comedy is easy" (they've got it backwards, as the wit pointed out decades ago).

But genre films in general suffer the slings and arrows of those who fall for "seriosity" over creativity and personal expression.

So permit me to point out the following:

-----------------------------------

LONDON -- Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" has broken the record for opening weekend B.O. for a foreign-language pic in the U.K.
Released on 385 screens by indie distrib Icon, the blood-soaked Mayan epic grabbed $2,625,689 (including $40,144 in previews) for a $6,820 per-screen average. "Apocalypto" bow was particularly impressive given that last weekend was a competitive sesh at the U.K. box office.

-----------------------------------

Success fueled by positive reviews in the UK, I might add.....

Posted by dobbsy at January 9, 2007 6:29 PM

comment #31

Josh Massey says ...

I thought the "Crash" win would lead to "World Trade Center" taking the trophy. Guess not, but it's nice to know the Academy can still award blatant mediocrity.

"Little Miss Sunshine" was a better film than "Crash" by 100 miles, but while "Crash" was going against "Brokeback Mountain" and some other very-good-but-not-great films, "LMS" is facing some classics that will be remembered for decades.

Posted by Josh Massey at January 9, 2007 6:50 PM

comment #32

Zac Bertschy says ...

Little Miss Sunshine is The Royal Tenenbaums Jr. Edition.

And if it wins Best Picture I'm going to scream bloody murder and then get all caught up in the Oscars again next year anyway.

Posted by Zac Bertschy at January 9, 2007 7:15 PM

comment #33

le corbeau says ...

Apparently I'm the only one who sees a possible upset-- by The Queen.

But think about it. The Academy loves a movie about its own life-- hence Crash, a movie about driving in LA.

So which movie is most about being a wealthy Beverly Hills matron filling out your husband's ballot?

Posted by le corbeau at January 9, 2007 7:39 PM

comment #34

T. S. Idiot says ...

I know I'm just an Idiot, but I mentioned The Queen as a possible dark horse/wildcard/spoiler a couple of weeks ago. The Oscar rarely goes to the best movie but to the movie most appealing to the tastes/personalities/self-centeredness of the voters, many of sport uneasy heads beneath their tiarras, just like Betty.

Posted by T. S. Idiot at January 9, 2007 7:48 PM

comment #35

cobhome says ...

UM - all these cliches about AMPAS membership - blue haired - conservative - live in LA - etc - are they really true ?? I recall reading that quite a few BAFTA members were also AMPAS members - and surely some AMPAS folks live in places other than LA ( hey - Julia Roberts lives in New Mexico right ?) and aren't the "old" AMPAS members the same folks who brought us Hollywood's second golden age in the 70's??? Since we do not know how the voting went last year - Crash may have slipped in - with the majority of the votes going to say - BM and GNGL???

Posted by cobhome at January 9, 2007 7:48 PM

comment #36

austin111 says ...

The oscars aren't really that much about quality are they? Oh sure, they'll follow critics lead at times and vote a particular actor into the club who's a bit overdue (PSHoffman anyone?). This year it's Whitaker/O'Toole and Mirren. Supporting races are anyone's guess. Best Picture -- whatever seems entertaining and popular without being too violent, profane, different, or depressing. Best Director -- whoever is overdue (provided they did something reasonably decent and popular -- Scorsese, please!) or most popular at the moment; sometimes whoever is actually worthy of winning; oftentimes whoever directed the best picture winner. That's the way the game works. It's a bit of a joke and a lark to be sure. If you take it too seriously, you're likely to get a litle crazy. But really, you should just sit back, watch, drink a litle wine (or something stronger, if preferred), and go "Huh? %&*#, how'd they get to that decision?" or "Great, just who I'd have gone with!".

Posted by austin111 at January 9, 2007 7:58 PM

comment #37

le corbeau says ...

"all these cliches about AMPAS membership - blue haired - conservative - live in LA - etc - are they really true ??"

Here's the thing. Once you're in, you're in for life. But you don't get in until either you've been nominated, or somebody says "Bill's really turned into a heck of a sound editor, maybe it's time for him to be in the Academy."

So sure, you can get in in your 30s or 40s. But you don't have to leave even if you're still in your 80s or 90s-- and your last credit was a Doris Day starrer in '64.

That's why the Academy skews older even when they make a concerted effort to add younger people.

Posted by le corbeau at January 9, 2007 8:16 PM

comment #38

austin111 says ...

Yeah, but those older folks do die at some point, do they not? And besides who says all older folks are necessarily conservative, senile, or are incapable of an intelligent and/or informed decision anyway? And some probably don't even bother to fill out a ballot or even let anyone else do it for them. Oscar has always been about glamour first, quality second as far as I can tell.

Posted by austin111 at January 9, 2007 8:34 PM

comment #39

dobbsy says ...

Some reasons for a Queen upset:

Third largest block of Acad voters is in London;

Phenom response across the board from Acad voters;

Actors branch: Mirren is in pretty much in, right, but the rest of the cast are ACT-ORS, with Brit accents. No Yanks? Could work for or against as the Brit act-ors are so esteemed;

critics' lists;

yes, demographics - the film skews old, the Acad skews old;

one more thing: CHARIOTS OF FIRE!!!!

It can happen here. Oh, and I bet Miramax would love to have a Best Pic Oscar without Harvey around. Spend, spend spend...can't hurt...

Posted by dobbsy at January 9, 2007 9:49 PM

comment #40

Mike Schaefer says ...

"Here's the thing. Once you're in, you're in for life."

But doesn't the Academy occasionally weed out the dead wood, so to speak? Didn't they do exactly that in 1977, and wasn't that considered to be one of the reasons that "Annie Hall" won that year's Best Picture award?

Posted by Mike Schaefer at January 9, 2007 9:58 PM

comment #41

Terry McCarty says ...

I have a feeling THE QUEEN will win. Some older people (and I'm assuming they include Academy members) probably are viewing it in simplistic
terms e.g. rooting for Queen Elizabeth II to
give Tony Blair his comeuppance and thinking
that Diana didn't really deserve the adulation
of the public.

Posted by Terry McCarty at January 9, 2007 11:39 PM

comment #42

bipedalist says ...

Yes, some older Acad. members do "retire." They don't vote anymore but they're still able to go to screenings. Back in the early days anyone could join. Many of them, as one old timer told me, "poll their children," maybe even their grandchildren to get the votes out. I hung out with a guy who used to routinely vote for his father. Yes, many are very old but more than that, they come from all walks of life - they aren't just Sofia Coppolas and Tim Robbins - they're crafts people. This one guy told me they are as ordinary as you can get. They also make movies as opposed to worship them - which means, they have a different outlook than fans or critics. After years of analysis that has amounted to absolutely nothing, I can tell you that most of the time they vote with their hearts. Every so often they are pressured into picking a "too big to ignore" frontrunner, like Return of the King. This Academy member I spoke with said all they're thinking about most of the time is how do I have to sit here and watch this movie while I have to piss like a racehorse.

I would imagine, year after year, the romance and "duty" of it wears off and you're left with, "I just liked that one better."

Posted by bipedalist at January 9, 2007 11:53 PM

comment #43

Larry says ...

It Happened One Night is a great film. Certainly better than anything that's gonna be nominated this year.

Posted by Larry at January 10, 2007 12:12 AM

comment #44

MarkVH says ...

Bowen, you're generally right about modern Academy tastes running against comedies, but you're off on this whole Bringing Up Baby thing (don't know if you'll recall, but Bringing Up Baby was a huge flop at the time of its release - right in the middle of Kate Hepburn's "box-office poison" run).

The closest comparison folks seem to making for LMS is Sideways. I have to believe that very few people on this board have a problem with the latter film, or did when it was released in 2004 (it was, for me, the best of that year's five nominees and should've won handily). But to paraphrase Samuel L: LMS ain't in the same league. Ain't in the same ballpark 'neither. Man, it ain't even the same fuckin' sport.

Larry - right on about the Capra film. It's a terrific movie.

And re: The Queen upsetting - honestly, I don't think I'd mind if it did. It's right up there with The Departed as film of the year for me. Far better than Babel (which I don't hate, but I do think Innaritu/Arriaga drastically overextended themselves) and LMS (which is cute but ridiculously overpraised). Still haven't seen Dreamgirls.

Posted by MarkVH at January 10, 2007 5:45 AM

comment #45

nola says ...

I would not be upset if THE QUEEN pulled an upset. I really enjoyed the movie, but LMS? Please. It's not that deep.

Posted by nola at January 10, 2007 6:01 AM

comment #46

vansmith says ...

who cares who wins, i think only after the awards you can have the real discussion as to why certain films won what, otherwise you're just jerking yourself off with conjecture..

Posted by vansmith at January 10, 2007 6:08 AM

comment #47

EDouglas says ...

""If Little Miss Sunshine wins the SAG ensemble acting award plus the Golden Globe best comedy-musical award -- and I'm thinking more and more that this might happen -- Little Miss Sunshine will take the Best Picture Oscar.""

Didn't Sideways (also Fox Searchlight) take both those awards before losing Best Picture to Million Dollar Baby?

Posted by EDouglas at January 10, 2007 6:51 AM

comment #48

bipedalist says ...

I don't get the Sideways comparison - other than as a whisper campaign against LMS. And the marketing. The films couldn't be more different from each other. Sideways is an elitist comedy that only the critics really loved. LMS is a movie for everybody. Not saying it's definitely going to win but I think it gives the two other frontrunners some serious trouble.

Posted by bipedalist at January 10, 2007 7:23 AM

comment #49

Rich S. says ...

POTC:DMC just swept the People's Choice Awards. Jeffrey's always complaining that he has to keep typing the same names as winners all the time. Where's the love, people?

By the way, bi, I'm not an elitist critic and I really liked Sideways. I know a lot of guys like T.H. Church's character and they got him dead-on.

Posted by Rich S. at January 10, 2007 7:49 AM

comment #50

The Movie Man says ...

I'm not an elitist critic and I think Sideways is one of the most humane, moving, accurate comedies ever made. The comparision to LMS is insulting. LMS is fun and pleasant, I enjoyed it, but its a cliche fest, a synthetic "feel good" movie with all of the contrivances that phrase implies.

Posted by The Movie Man at January 10, 2007 8:02 AM

comment #51

EDouglas says ...

"I don't get the Sideways comparison - other than as a whisper campaign against LMS. And the marketing. The films couldn't be more different from each other. Sideways is an elitist comedy that only the critics really loved. LMS is a movie for everybody. Not saying it's definitely going to win but I think it gives the two other frontrunners some serious trouble."

Oh, I dunno.... seconds after seeing LMS for the first time, I knew that Fox Searchlight had their Sideways for 2006, that is a very dark comedy with characters and situations that a wide variety of people can relate to that they could theoretically take all the way to the Oscars with the right marketing. (I guess American Beauty is in that same category.)

Posted by EDouglas at January 10, 2007 8:09 AM

comment #52

EDouglas says ...

Oh, I guess bipedalist just gave away who the "smart handicapper" is :) (But everyone in my family and my non-critic friends loved Sideways, which I recommended highly... my sister couldn't even get through Little Miss Sunshine--like someone else said above, it's really only a little better than the typical family road comedy)

Posted by EDouglas at January 10, 2007 8:11 AM

comment #53

Colin says ...

bipedalist, my very non-elitist dad loved Sideways and only thought that LMS was okay. It's probably an exaggeration to say that a lot of older, non-elitist men liked Sideways a lot and were just okay with LMS, but I think there's some truth to it.

Posted by Colin at January 10, 2007 8:15 AM

comment #54

christian says ...

LMS is one of the best pix of the year, but it's not an earth shaker. it's just a smart likable above average american comdy with some terrific performances.

the bringing dead granpa gag tho was straigt outta the 80's (or NL's VACATION)and the dancing scene at the end goes on WAY too log. thirty seconds would have been perfect, instead it's stretched out to bad hollywood film moment.

but i shed tears twice during it. so what do i know?

and frankly my dear, if this was 1939, we'd be talking about that racist civi war soap opera getting all the attention...

Posted by christian at January 10, 2007 9:05 AM

comment #55

ArchiveGuy says ...

I think there's one big obstacle to LMS winning the Best Picture Oscar: I honestly don't think it's going to get a Director's nod. DGA very rarely matches 100% with AMPAS (last year was an exception), and the one that usually falls by the wayside is the "lighter", crowd-pleasing candidate ("Finding Neverland", "Seabiscuit", "Moulin Rouge!").

LMS fits in this category perfectly. Could it pull off a "Driving Miss Daisy"? Sure, but I think the lack of a Director's nod will make enough of the AMPAS membership to second guess how "special" LMS is, and whether, as fun as it is, if it's Best Pic material.

Posted by ArchiveGuy at January 10, 2007 9:50 AM

comment #56

ASD says ...

As much as I love the talk shifting away from "it's Dreamgirls' to lose" as Dave Poland would have you believe, isn't a bit of a stretch to assume that LMS has any real strength with the HFPA where it received only 2 nominations (as opposed to Dreamgirls' 5) or for that matter SAG where its 3 nominations were matched by Babel. Is it really more of an actors film than The Departed? Or Babel? Or hell even Bobby which seemingly employed half of Hollywood (the half that hasn't been working much since 1997 mind you, but still...)?

As for the DGA, that particular guild is notorious for rewarding sitcom-esque comedies and the directors who stage them (James L. Brooks and Cameron Crowe are perennial nominees) and also have a real hard-on for anyone who started off in television. I think you are all making too much of a film that could end up as this year's 4 Weddings and a Funeral (ie: picture and screenplay nods).

Posted by ASD at January 10, 2007 12:49 PM

comment #57

K. Bowen says ...

MarkVH, you're right about Bringing Up Baby - it wasn't actually a hit at the time, but obviously has lasted through the years. I use it more to illustrate that 1) as you seem to agree, modern cinematic tastes favor darker themes over lighter comedic tones, and 2) responding to the complaints of "contrived" (one of the chief complaints) by pointing out that there's an entire genre of classic films that were built largely on contrivance.

Posted by K. Bowen at January 10, 2007 12:53 PM

comment #58

YND says ...

Convo's probably dead by now, but just to clarify in regard to my earlier post about the lazy writing (read: contrivances) of LMS. I LOVE screwball comedies. Love them. Easily my favorite film genre. LMS isn't satisfied to BE a screwball comedy and the plot contrivances I have a problem with aren't contrived to generate laughs, they're contrived to generate PATHOS. The laughs are there and they're fun and fine and whatever. But the colorblind thing, for instance, has nothing to do with laughs. It's a shorthand attempt to generate a resonant emotional reaction to a character's plight -- a reaction that should be earned by the REALITY of the character not the contrivance of the situation. Nowhere in classic screwballs like BRINGING UP BABY, TWENTIETH CENTURY, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, etc., are you going to find the contrivances sincerely mined for sentiment. The RELATIONSHIPS are mined for sentiment, the situations are designed for laughs. Otherwise, the whole enterprise is corrupt. Hence, LMS. Just one man's opinion...

Posted by YND at January 10, 2007 4:35 PM

comment #59