Boy, that's a really graceless column by Proulx. I quite like her writing, but this really comes off poorly for her to write such a diatribe.

Racist! Perhaps it's time you sat down and watched Crash.

Wow, I take a few days off and come back to more of this shit? It's amazing to me that EITHER side is still talking about this. I'm in FULL agreement with Roeper -- get the fuck over it!

I totally agree with you about the five movies being the best of the year, they most likely were. I don't need the Acedemy award to think a movie is good, but it is good to see the movie I really wanted to win get it's credit, as everyone else does. A movie is good because it is good, not because the Academy says it is or not.

Sure it is, that's why I live in America. I think that you would also be singing a different tune if Crash had lost. It's hard to tell now but I think there would be a shit load of whining over Crash not winning best picture.

Anyway, I think the article does make Annie Proulx sound really bad.

Dude . . . you need to let it go.

Because I am interested in seeing it (though have not yet) I have read every post in this thread and the "modern classic" thread (yes, all 30+ pages) to get an idea of what people are saying about it. Because I haven't seen it, I can not make any comments on the movie itself, so I have refrained from doing so.

However, what this has also allowed me to do is observe peoples responses objectively since I don't have an opinion of it yet. I appreciate that the movie touched you and means something very personal to you, but no film deserves the vehemence with which you are defending this one. There have honestly been a few times when your posts have come off to me as borderline obsessive.

An internet forum should not be able to affect you this way . . . these are people you don't know and whose opinions really don't matter to you personally unless you allow them to. If it is going to make you this upset, I really would recommend that you take a break. It's just not worth it.

I think you are confusing me with other posters or something. I liked Crash . . . I liked it a lot in fact, but it certainly wasn't a lock for Best Picture in my opinion. I'm still in the process of seeing all of the nominees . . . I've seen Crash and Munich at this point and depending on the day, I have different opinions on which one is better. I've still got three to go before I'll give an "official" opinion.

As for the "live in America" comment, that may give you the right to whine, but it doesn't make whining itself any better.

Here we agree.

Thank you for your concern, seriously. I'm not going to pretend that I'm over the disappointment I felt March 5th. I am a bit obsessed with Brokeback Mountain, but in a purely fun way. BTW, if you check the number of posts I've made here (DVDTalk in general) since becoming a member you'll find that I don't usually spend a lot of my time on the forum or the internet for that matter. However, this film is more than just a movie in my opinion. It is the exception that has piqued my interest like no other film in many years. I won't try to explain my feelings, since you've read my posts.

Back to work for me.

I still can't believe that Batman Begins didn't sweep the awards.

F**k the Academy!

I was someone who was hoping Brokeback Mountain would win, but not because of any political agenda. I'm not gay and not particularly invested in the gay movement. I just found it to be the best written and directed film I've seen this year. However, I would have been totally cool with Capote, Munich or Goodnight and Good Luck winning because I respect those films. The sting is just that when I saw Crash (well before the Oscars), I felt that it was the worst film I've seen in years. Just such a purile piece of offensively condescending crap. That the worst film I saw all year won Best Picture is just mind-boggling to me.

Yeah. I thought Must Love Dogs should have won at least half a dozen. The academy doesn't know a good chick flick if it smacked 'em in the face!!

-p

I'm curious as to why Crash was offensive and purile?

Well, what I said was "offensively condescending" , not "offensive". But here's why-
There were no human beings in the story. Each character was at worst a racist stereotype, and at best a manipulative After-School Special spokesperson for an "issue". The characters were made to behave in completely unmotivated and illogical ways to service an unbelievable plot. Just the shot where the little girl was "shot", with the zoom in to the guy's face as he screamed and the slo-mo, and the dude with the gun making a slo-mo face as if he didn't realize he had a gun in the first place. That moment was so overwrought that it had the audience chuckling. It was like a Saturday Night Live sketch. The plot was clever because it was very intricately mapped out, but the characters had no logic and no credibility, which killed any intended effect the film should have had. Everybody had to lecture everybody else. The dialogue was like listening to people reading rejected letters-to-the-editor.
On a final note, the ending "catharsis" was ripped from Magnolia (complete with a "Save Me" sound-alike, and unusual precipitation) but lacked any of the actual human sentiment that Magnolia had. Just my opinion, but you asked for it.

Well... it did win the awards for Best Directing and Best Adapted Screenplay, so I really don't see what you are upset about.

And I'm really suprised that someone hasn't already posted something like:

"Ms. Proulx should just bend over and take it like a man!"

... and for the record, I haven't seen any of the films that were nominated for Best Picture, so I have no clue what I'm talking about.

I'm not upset in particular about Brokeback Mountain. I'm upset that 4 deserving films and 1 piece of crap were nominated, and the crap won!

I'm no more upset than I was when Chicago (which was crap) won, or when A Beautiful Mind (which was crap) won, or when Oliver! beat 2001. Or that Scorsese still hasn't won for directing. It's just particularly unfortunate that the Academy had a 4 out of 5 chance to pick a great film for Best Picture, and STILL picked a crappy one.

Richard Roeper should understand that Brokeback Mountain isn't about "two gay cowboys". It is about homophobia and the terrible consequences thereof. As far as I'm concerned, Roeper is a sleaze who doesn't deserve the time of day.

It's all about agendas and sour grapes. If another movie besides Crash had one, these same people would be ripping it to pieces.

Humph. I disagree with you, but I'm sure it's pointless to argue the point. I liked it and liked what the movie suggested and it affected me emotionally. Movies are subjective, of course, but I would say of all of the trained film watchers who vote on these things, the majority seemed to disagree with your assessment, as they voted it best picture. Of course, they did vote Gladiator best picture as well... Finally, there is no story that hasn't been told, so 'ripping' other movies off is kind of a silly thing to say.

Yes there is! I'm working on a script about a monkey who becomes paralyed after being hit by an ice cream truck. Its a Love story. Oh, there are Zombies to. And a talking turtle who gives advice. Original? Yes

DAMN! I'm going to have to trash the one I was working on...too many parallels between the both of them!

you're talking about members of the academy right? good one!!!

I smell a Golden Globe, but it'll probably get shafted at the Oscars.

It was about two irresponsible PEOPLE, one of whom was massively confused about his sexuality and ruined their lives and the lives of others because they had no balls.

Roeper was dead on.

Yeah, Julia Roberts' hairdresser no doubt has impeccable taste in cinematic art.

Call me crazy, but I'll continue trusting my own judgment (and that of respectable critics whose opinions I trust...Roeper would not be among those).

No offense to any of the "mega" fans of Brokeback, but over the course of the Academy Awards, there are far greater films that have been denied. Be grateful that it at least got nominated, and actually won three - one of which being one of the main awards on the entire show.

Ang Lee is an Academy Award winning director, yet Martin Scorsese is not. It sucks that I am even able to type that truth, and I'm not happy about it but I'm not going to bitch about it forever.

My favorite film of all time is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and it wasn't even nominated for best picutre or director. Sure, that didn't sit too well with me last year, but it isn't like it really matters. Why should I care if a select group of people votes for it or not? Why should any of the huge Brokeback fans really care about it not winning? No matter what, the film will always remain, and if it's really as great and as impactful and as important that so many people claim (I don't think so personally), then history will be the real judge. For all we know, in 10, 20, 50 years from now hardly anyone will remember Crash and Brokeback will be the true "classic" that is really remembered (I don't think so either, not for either one of them). If that ends up being the case, isn't that more important than if it won a single award, in a single year?

Brokeback Mountain is a film about two cowboys who enter into a gay love affair. That's the plot. Thematically, it may be about how horrible homophobia is, but I don't think you're painting the full picture. It's also about the consequences of their love affair on their home lives. I think that Roeper is smart enough to recognize the difference between plot and theme. Munich is about an Israeli hit squad, but about much more than that. I don't think it's offensive to say that Brokeback Mountain is a "gay cowboy" picture. That's what it is. That's what the film explores.

I'm pretty sick of the preachy fans of the warring films. I know that I'm a terrible monster because I didn't like either film. Get off your high horse(s).

And even though I thought Brokeback Mountain was a far better film than Crash, neither were even close to being the best film of 2005. The Academy seldom gets it right, and it shouldn't rile any fans of any film. We're talking about a popularity contest.

I'm gonna go watch Shaun of the Dead...WHICH WASN'T NOMINATED FOR ANY OSCARS!!!!! HOW CAN I GO ON LIVING??!?!!

cheers,

-the Jesus