Rolling Donuts
First Feinberg, now Edelstein! Another flying- fuck-at-a-rolling-donut scenario, I mean, in which the likable-but-equally- dreaded Juno may win the Best Picture Oscar.
"This is a year in which so much has gone to shit," Edelstein writes in New York magazine. "There is a sense among the enlightened that our way of life is about to change radically, that our economic system will collapse, our suburbs will fall, our environment will exact its revenge. With all the downbeat Iraq movies DOA at the box office (what a lesson was there!), No Country for Old Men might be the best way for Academy voters to signal that it's not show business as usual.
"Unless...unless...No Country and There Will Be Blood split the nihilist-horror vote and little old edgy feel-good smash hit Juno sneaks in. As one of the few critics to dislike Juno, I would be devastated -- but weirder things have happened in these silly awards. Or is the Juno backlash too strong? Or is there, as my New York colleagues have suggested, a backlash against the backlash?"
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 19, 2008 at 5:14 PM
comment #1
Balthazar
says ...
Oil closed over $100 a barrel today.
"There Will Be Blood" has it wrapped up. Period.
I'm finished.
Posted by Balthazar
at February 19, 2008 5:24 PM
comment #2
JD
says ...
While I certainly fear and agree with some of what Edelstein is forecasting, isn't it possible that some of the pessimism of "the enlightened" is a natural extension of their collective mid-life crisis? As you get older, your outlook gets bleaker. That's life. Every generation thinks the world is going to hell. This one may be more right than others, but when have prognosticators ever been more right than wrong in their predictions about the future?
Posted by JD
at February 19, 2008 5:41 PM
comment #3
Balthazar
says ...
Maybe all the "Crash" lovers realize that if Juno wins, the bashing of their movie stops and "Crash" suddenly looks like "The Godfather" compared to "Juno"
Posted by Balthazar
at February 19, 2008 5:43 PM
comment #4
Doug
says ...
Not a fan of "No Country..." but it's hard to imagine a film that's won DGA, WGA, PGA and SAG not winning the Best Picture Oscar.
Posted by Doug
at February 19, 2008 5:45 PM
comment #5
Kristopher Tapley
says ...
This stinks of when a bunch of people thought at the last minute that Moulin Rouge was gonna win Best Pic.
Lots of hot air. Edelstein is in NY, Feinberg is in Boston. Nuff said. Not to be all assy about it, but it kind of helps to be surrounded by this shit constantly, and much as it pains me to admit it, No Country is going to walk away with this thing scott free.
Posted by Kristopher Tapley
at February 19, 2008 5:49 PM
comment #6
insidah
says ...
Ugh, the Oscars are meaningless to me since Into the Wild's snub. P.S. Just watched Jesse James. Why does Bardem have supporting wrapped up? Affleck was way more complex and interesting. Oh yeah, because the Oscars suck balls.
Posted by insidah
at February 19, 2008 6:01 PM
comment #7
JHRussell
says ...
Hey Insidah:
I just watched JESSE JAMES yesterday myself, and I was stunned by Casey Affleck's performance. Your guess is as good as mine - I think Bardem was brilliant - but it is a shame that Casey Affleck has gotten so little attention for what I would argue is the best supporting performance of the year.
Posted by JHRussell
at February 19, 2008 6:13 PM
comment #8
Glenn Kenny
says ...
Wow. Edelstein actually, unironically, refers to himself, and those he considers like-minded, as "the enlightened." If you ever wonder why so many putatively ordinary people hate urban liberals, look no further. What a clot.
Posted by Glenn Kenny
at February 19, 2008 6:28 PM
comment #9
lipranzer
says ...
I'm just surprised he managed to write an entire Oscar post without mentioning MICHAEL CLAYTON once, and he liked it.
Posted by lipranzer
at February 19, 2008 6:33 PM
comment #10
Dave
says ...
"There is a sense among the enlightened that our ay of life is about to change radically, that our economic system will collapse, our suburbs will fall, our environment will exact its revenge."
But I thought Obama will give us all hope?
Posted by Dave
at February 19, 2008 8:12 PM
comment #11
K. Bowen
says ...
Judging by his criteria, I'm afraid he may be mistaking "the enlightened" with "guy on the street corner wearing a gas mask."
Posted by K. Bowen
at February 19, 2008 8:16 PM
comment #12
cobhome
says ...
um - actually JD - people hit major depression in their 40's but after that - it is all happy - in one's 50's and 60's people tend to develop a happier outlook - or so the research says -
Posted by cobhome
at February 19, 2008 9:44 PM
comment #13
Terry McCarty
says ...
After reading an issue of TIME this morning before having minor surgery, I'm wondering if Richard Corliss will throw a fit if JUNO does take Best Picture.
Posted by Terry McCarty
at February 19, 2008 11:20 PM
comment #14
Chris Willman
says ...
The Corliss fit will be if "There Will Be Blood" wins.
Posted by Chris Willman
at February 19, 2008 11:29 PM
comment #15
thehosemastergeneral
says ...
I hope that everyone knows that the lesson with all the downbeat Iraq movies being DOA at the box office is they were anti-America filims written by Bush haters who suffer from penis elbow (it's like tennis elbow, this affliction seems to occur mostly with the far left). BTW, This simplification of the red state/blue state leaves out the fact that people like Marlon Brando, Wlllem DaFoe, etc. are from the red states. And blue-hair people? I thought Neil Young defined them as old rich ladies at the Fountain Bleu.
Posted by thehosemastergeneral
at February 20, 2008 2:57 AM
comment #16
jse33
says ...
Not only has No Country for Old Men won all the major guild awards, it also has the all important Editing nomination. Juno lacks one of those, which means it has no chance in hell of winning Best Picture.
Posted by jse33
at February 20, 2008 4:06 AM
comment #17
EDouglas
says ...
Those getting behind Juno this year are the same ones who claimed "Little Miss Sunshine" would win for the same reason... and at least that had a SAG Ensemble under its belt... It's not a surprise that Juno got into the BP race but there's no way it will win... when has the Academy gone for a movie because it was cheery compared to the other offerings? Oh, I know... never.
Posted by EDouglas
at February 20, 2008 4:21 AM
comment #18
EDouglas
says ...
And as soon as I posted that, I remembered "Shakespeare in Love" but again, that had a SAG Ensemble win and 14 nominations including tons of technical categories, which Juno doesn't have but No Country does.
Posted by EDouglas
at February 20, 2008 4:23 AM
comment #19
George Prager
says ...
Coke officials promise that the old Tab isn’t going to be retired, which is good news for Edelstein. “For the last thirty years, through marriage, kids, fluctuations in my financial situation, Tab has been the one constant in my life,†he said. He was holding a glass of bourbon, but he swore that the taste of Tab lingered in his mouth. “Not to boast, but I’ve had eight cans today,†he said.
"Tab Scare" (New Yorker, February 6, 2006)
Why would anyone listen to a TAB-guzziling schmegege like Edelstein?
Posted by George Prager
at February 20, 2008 5:58 AM
comment #20
OtownRog
says ...
No, the
Corliss fit will be when Persepolis does a number on his Pixar pals/fellow stockholders.
Posted by OtownRog
at February 20, 2008 10:31 AM
comment #21
Jean
says ...
In a world where "Chicago" can win the BP oscar, anything is possible...
Posted by Jean
at February 20, 2008 11:00 AM
comment #22
siamesecat
says ...
"but it is a shame that Casey Affleck has gotten so little attention for what I would argue is the best supporting performance of the year"
But it WASN'T a supporting performance!
It's odd how the Academy can disqualify a score or a foreign film entry on a hair-splitting technicality, and yet be so flexible as to claim a supporting role status for what any fool knows is a leading role.
Posted by siamesecat
at February 20, 2008 11:25 AM