Jepthah

I resigned myself long ago to the conviction that awards shows in general are a crock. I mean, our opinions are all so different, even professionals in a field never agree, so there's that to begin with.

I especially never had any faith in the Oscars actually "objectively" recognizing what a best anything was in any given year.

So I still maintain my opinion that ROTK will probably not win Best Picture, for reasons I've listed elsewhere. And I don't care. The film doesn't need recognition, it's great on its own, like the other two.

But I do have one thing I'd say right to the Motion Picture Academy's 'face':

If you don't give Peter Jackson the award for Best Director, you have made an undeniable mockery of everything that award stands for.

No one else could have did what he did as well as he did it. No other filmmaker on this planet.

That is all.

jaeufraser

Well, I don't know if it would make a mockery of the award. But count me in as someone who definately thinks he deserves it. While other directors have made goods movies this year, PJs directorial achievement across all three of these films is osmething to behold. But even if they don't award him...these movies are going to be remembered.

Spooky

Peter Jackson has a better chance of winning Best Director than the movie does of winning Best Picture. ROTK was excellent...but was it the best movie of 2003? IMHO, no...it doesn't hold a candle to Mystic River.

Supermallet

To hijack the thread a little, while I enjoyed Mystic River, I didn't think it was the best picture of the year, or Eastwood's best. I don't think it even had the best Sean Penn performance of the year. I think Return of the King has a better chance of winning the oscar than people give it credit for.

Tommy_Harn

I really don't like these LOTR movies at all, including ROTK.

In spite of my feelings about the film itself, I'd still give the Best Director award to Jackson (granted, I haven't seen Cold Mountain yet).

Neeb

Throw down.

No. While I think Mystic River is one of the year's best- I have two reservations.

1. Inappropriate music score in a few places- threw me off the narrative for a bit.

2. We're a smarter audience. There are a few things that could have been solved with DNA testing in the movie. Why do we know this? CSI is the top rated show on TV- we know, DNA testing works and could have answered a few questions posed by characters in that movie.

Right now, ROTK is my best of the year.

Snowlarbear

to be fair, ROTK as a standalone movie probably isn't best of the year.

as part of the LOTR trilogy, maybe it is.

PalmerJoss

I completey agree with you Jepthah. PJ definitely deserves Best Director, and I'm almost positive that he'll receive it. He did something that nobody has ever done before, and the Academy loves to reward efforts such as this.

If nothing else, then he deserves a special achievement Oscar, like Robert Zemeckis received for Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. I also believe John Lasseter received one for the first Toy Story film. My guess is that they will award something to PJ, but not the Best Picture trophy. That will probably go to Mystic River.

Spooky

Jackson is the front-runner for Best Director - especially considering the directors of COLD MOUNTAIN and MYSTIC RIVER have already taken home Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director in the past.

ROTK isn't, however, a front-runner for BEST PICTURE. But it's a strong second pick...it could pull the upset if Mystic River splits votes with another movie (such as Lost In Translation or Cold Mountain).

But remember, most Oscar voters are OLDER and non-fantasy people. They will be much more drawn to a movie like Mystic River or Cold Mountain than ROTK when it comes to voting.

jekbrown

agreed, my current best of the year goes to Seabiscuit... RotK may take the title though.. goin to see it on x-mas day...

j

tony_montana187

I would LOVE to see a special award given to Peter Jackson from the academy commemorating his achievement with the LOTR films. Something like Oscar holding the one ring or something along those lines. Each film may not have been the best film of their respective year, however no one can deny the impact that these films have had and will have in the future on the entire film industry. three cheers!

jekbrown

i have a sneaking suspicion that RotK wont win film of the year. why? mainly because its popular and a fantasy film... and snooty film critic dorks don't really like either one. Some $500 budget indie film from a film student in Zimbabwe about the migration of dung beatles prolly has a better chance of winning the award.

j

TCG

^^^
Well, dont forget Titanic DID win best picture of 1997.

And dont get me started on Mystic River. definitely NOT the bp of the year. i'd vote for ROTK or Kill Bill.

drunkrob

Mystic River was pretty good but I have seen better episodes of Law and Order. I haven't read the book but it seems like the author had to do take a few liberties to make the twists work. I haven't seen the ROTK yet so can't comment on it though I'm pretty I know what I'm going to get. I tried to go last night but when I went to buy tickets at 5pm for the 7:30 or 8:45 showing guess what? Sold Out.

raven56706

Oscars had plenty of mishaps


Saving Private Ryan beat out by Shakespeare in Love.

raven56706

Rotten tomatoes

Shakespeare in Love 77 Fresh- Rotten 4

Saving Private Ryan 99 Fresh- Rotten 1


ROTK has 97% but it seems like it wont be a factor