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Today the Boston Society of Film Critics tied on their choice of 2008's Best Picture, splitting their top honor between Slumdog Millionaire and WALL*E. Except they also gave WALL*E their Best Animated Film award. Due respect, but this seems to me like muddled thinking.
If you're giving WALL*E your Best Picture award (along with Milk), you're saying, "This Chaplinesque robot movie is so good it deserves honor and glory outside the animation ghetto." Which is fine and good. But you can't then turn around and say, "Oh, and it's also the Best Animated Film." That's like a Catholic male convincing his Jewish wife to take vows as a Catholic so they can get married in St. Patrick's, and then turning around and getting hitched a second time in her father's synagogue as an honorary Jew.
One or the other, I say. Choose. If you need to answer nature's call, get it done inside one bathroom and in one toilet stall.
The BFCA also split their Best Actor award, giving it to both Milk's Sean Penn and The Wrestler's Mickey Rourke.
And of course Happy Go Lucky's Sally Hawkins -- this year's Amy Ryan -- won for Best Actress.
The Beantowners gave their Best Supporting Actor prize to The Dark Knight's Heath Ledger, and Vicky Cristina Barcleona's Penelope Cruz won for Best Supporting Actress.
A Boston-only award enthusiasm for Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park was revealed when the BFCA handed their Best Director trophy to Van Sant for Milk and PP, and when they handed their Best Cinematography award to Christopher Doyle and Rain Kathy Li for Paranoid Park
The Best Screenplay nod went to Dustin Lance Black for Milk.
The Best Documentary award went to James Marsh's Man on Wire , and Let The Right One In was named Best Foreign-Language Film. The Best Film Editing award went to Slumdog Millionaire's Chris Dickens , and the Best New Filmmaker award went to In Bruge director-writer Martin McDonagh. The Best Ensemble Cast award went to the Tropic Thunder guys. Does this mean Tom Cruise might fly to Boston to co-accept?
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 14, 2008 at 3:19 PM
comment #1
Dignan
says ...
Jeff:
It's an untenable position no matter what they do. Would you honestly object if they gave Che the award for best film and best foreign language film? It technically could be considered both. A lot of these groups try and spread the wealth a little bit but if they don't give Wall-E the animation award then you hear complaining that somehow the film was "good enough for best film but not best animated?"
Meanwhile inspired choices for cinematography and first feature.
Posted by Dignan
at December 14, 2008 4:18 PM
comment #2
Chase Kahn
says ...
you mean they didn't give it to 'WHAT DOESN"T KILL YOU?"...
Posted by Chase Kahn
at December 14, 2008 4:23 PM
comment #3
EDouglasCS
says ...
Man, serious fucking pain signing in tonight and had to create a new account to do so... NYFCO voted today and most of our awards are the same except there were no ties.. Sean Penn got actor and Slumdog got Picture, WALL*E still got Animated (though it was nominated for BP).. Sally got actress, supporting were the same. Boyle got director and Slumdog got music, cinematography and screenplay, too
Posted by EDouglasCS
at December 14, 2008 4:30 PM
comment #4
Dignan
says ...
EDouglas
I almost did the same thing till I realized there were 3 different sign in options and I was choosing the wrong one.
Posted by Dignan
at December 14, 2008 4:36 PM
comment #5
p.Vice
says ...
Toilet stall is an apt piece of imagery.
Posted by p.Vice
at December 14, 2008 5:02 PM
comment #6
byanyother
says ...
"you mean they didn't give it to 'WHAT DOESN"T KILL YOU?"..."
*LOL*
I don't get the Sally Hawkins thing. I wanted to throw something against the wall watching her in that movie. It is the weirdest thing, watching critics glom onto one performance. To choose her over all of the great female performers this year, oy.
Posted by byanyother
at December 14, 2008 8:29 PM
comment #7
LYT
says ...
I don't understand ANY of the love for Happy-Go-Sucky. It starts off okay but gets as contrived as any blockbuster by the end.
Posted by LYT
at December 14, 2008 11:12 PM
comment #8
cinefan
says ...
I still don't get the argument that Wall-E can't be both the Best Picture and the Best Animated Film. The category is Best Picture, not Best Live-Action Picture. If an animated film is excellent and gets glowing reviews from critics, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't garner as much consideration for Best Picture as a live-action film - I'm still waiting for a compelling argument against that idea.
Posted by cinefan
at December 15, 2008 5:40 AM
comment #9
actionman
says ...
Bravo for Sally Hawkins; I hope she wins every award in sight.
I just wish Eddie Marsan was getting more buzz for his work in Happy-Go-Lucky. And Bill Irwin in Rachel Getting Married.
Posted by actionman
at December 15, 2008 7:14 AM
comment #10
adaml
says ...
Best Animated Film award is a a complete waste of time akin to having awards for Best Romantic Comedy, Best Western etc.
How many animated films are made in 1 year? 10? 12? Just by being made they stand a 1 in 12 chance of winning.
Ludicrous.
Posted by adaml
at December 15, 2008 11:08 AM
comment #11
mark09
says ...
Looks like video no longer exists and lots of people wanted to see it. The video is most likely entertaining and fun hence the demand to put the video right back. project management diploma AND PhD economics
Posted by mark09
at October 10, 2009 12:07 AM
comment #12
mark09
says ...
Your life is proof that doing the right thing will payoff eventually. We need hope in the US too. Thank you. I will plant some trees for you. I wish you and your country peace. must university AND Corporate University AND educational consultants
Posted by mark09
at October 10, 2009 12:07 AM
comment #13
free games
says ...
It's an untenable position no matter what they do.
Posted by free games
at October 27, 2009 12:24 AM
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