Docs' Day in the Sun
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 15, 2008 at 02:36 PM
To me, the most interesting thing about Caryn James' 2.15 N.Y. Times article about how the Oscar nominees for Best Feature Documentary are "where the action is" -- politically charged, focused on conflict, urgent messages -- is the flames-of-hell photo from Charles Ferguson's No End in Sight.
The richest quote comes at the end when James asks Ferguson if the nomination [is] having any effect on his film. He says he has no evidence of this but adds: "If the film wins, there will be one effect. I will have about 60 seconds to say something about Iraq to 200 million people, and I will."
Last updated: October 3, 2007
Obviously I'm light in several categories.
Suggestions and disputations are welcome.
BEST PICTURE: Australia (20th Century Fox), The Argentine (Focus Features), Guerilla (Focus Features), Milk (Focus Features), Seven Pounds (Sony), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount/Warner Bros.), The Soloist (DreamWorks), Body of Lies (Warner Bros.), Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage/DreamWorks), The Changeling (Universal Pictures), Frost/Nixon (Universal), Doubt (Miramax), Blindness (Universal Pictures), Defiance (Paramount Vantage), The Duchess (Paramount Vantage), Valkyrie (MGM-UA), The Reader (Weinstein Co.)
BEST DIRECTOR: Fernando Meirelles (Blindness), David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), Brian Singer (Valkyrie), Baz Luhrmann (Australia), Steven Soderbergh (The Argentine and Guerilla), Gus Van Sant (Milk), Gabriele Muccino (Seven Pounds), Joe Wright (The Soloist), Ridley Scott (Body of Lies), Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road), Clint Eastwood (Changeling), John Patrick Shanley (Doubt), Edward Zwick (Defiance), Saul Dibb (The Duchess), Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road), Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Ralph Fiennes (The Duchess), Hugh Jackman (Australia), Tom Cruise (Valkyrie), Harrison Ford (Crossing Over), Sean Penn (Milk), James Franco (Pineapple Express), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Synecdoche, New York), Heath Ledger (Dark Knight), Will Smith (Seven Pounds), Jamie Foxx (The Soloist)
BEST ACTRESS: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Keira Knightley (The Duchess), Nicole Kidman (Australia)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Leiv Schreiber (Defiance), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), John Malkovich (Changeling and Burn After Reading), Bill Nighy (Valkyrie), Robert Downey Jr. (The Soloist), Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic thunder), James Franco (The Pineapple Express), Alan Alda (Nothing But the Truth)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Meryl Streep (Doubt), Amy Adams (Doubt), Vera Farmiga (Nothing But the Truth)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (20th Century Fox)
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Charlie Kaufman (Synecdoche, New York)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Peter Straughan (How to Lose Friends and Alienate People)
SPECIAL EFFECTS: Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Inside Elsewhere...
Michelle discovers a couple of comedy films thanks to the power of Netflix.
Adam joins the Elsewhere crew from the Windy City and hits the ground running this week.
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Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
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A Very British Gangster
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Comments
Ferguson's film is a masterpiece and should win best documentary. Irrefutable evidence that Bush and his administration have lied to the world. This fact cannot be denied. I hope he wins and verbally crucifies Bush at the podium.
Posted by: actionman![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
February 15, 2008 02:56 PM
I haven't seen all the documentaries, but I'm a little bummed that IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON wasn't nominated.
Posted by: Geoff![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
February 15, 2008 03:16 PM
yes, that was an awesome documentary as well, should have been nominated. Also, leaving Crazy Love off the list is...well...crazy.
Posted by: actionman![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
February 15, 2008 03:23 PM
If the violence continues to ebb in Iraq, and the political reconciliations continue, can we expect a documentary sequel? "The End is Here" perhaps?
I know I'm rooting for that ... and I hope others are, too.
Posted by: C Toto![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
February 15, 2008 03:33 PM
The irony is that Ferguson could say the exact same thing Michael Moore did a few years ago, but be met with a standing ovation this time. I don't know if it makes Moore prophetic or Hollywood hypocritical, but there you have it.
And I agree with Geoff about Moon. It wasn't about a hot-button issue, but I found it very moving and I can't believe it wasn't included.
Posted by: lazarus![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
February 15, 2008 04:18 PM
The film is brilliant but dated. Like a film about how the British have not choice but to surrender to the Nazis after Dunkirk. (Christian, look it up)
It will probably win with the Hollywood Defeatocrats and Ferguson can have his 60 seconds of useless glory.
Posted by: mrmystery![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
February 15, 2008 04:22 PM
"Like a film about how the British have no choice but to surrender to the Nazis after Dunkirk."
Dunkirk was only 7 months after Germany invaded Poland. All of World War II, from the invasion of Poland to the surrender of Japan, was less than 6 years.
Britain fought Germany for about 5 years. The US fought less than 4 years.
In a little over a month it will be 5 years since Bush invaded Iraq, with no end in sight.
Posted by: nemo![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
February 15, 2008 09:19 PM
I'm as against the war as anyone, but I think this guy would be wise to take heed from the words of the late Paddy Chayefsky.
Posted by: ZayTonday![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
February 15, 2008 11:57 PM
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