I didn’t watch the Oscars last week. Not one moment of it.
There, I’ve said it. It’s off my chest.
Oh, it’s not just that I was relatively sure (like everybody else) that the Academy would fall all over itself to declare that a movie about gay cowboys set in the 1960’s was the best thing ever! which might have taken some of the drama out of the watching. And I probably would have been surprised (like everbody else) to learn that the best movie honors went instead to Crash – another movie I didn’t get around to seeing that apparently had some preaching to do lessons to teach about Race In America, a bold new subject that has never before been breached.
It’s just that between those two movies, I frankly couldn’t give a fig who won. I was aware that both movies are what is known as “phenomenons” by the opinion setting elite. But neither of them were – to me anyway – worth plunking down money for to see in a theater. In fact, I’m not sure I’ll get either one on DVD. They just don’t interest me.
Remotely.
I get preached at on Sunday mornings, and that pretty much fills me up for the rest of the week.
The thing is, I truly like movies. I enter the theater hopefully, quite willing to be pleased regardless of what the NYT movie critics have said, either way. If, that is, the material in itself will give me the slightest cause for hope.
Would I be surprised to learn that “the love that dare not speak its name” existed in the 60’s? Among cowboys? No, not particularly. And I decline to find that, in itself, an entertaining premise for a movie. I didn’t see that Robert Redford movie either, the one where he whispered to horses, while (I gather) pitching woo at a middle-aged female horse owner.
No, it’s just that if I’m to see a cowboy movie, I prefer that the cowboys fall in the mold of Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call. Swillin’ whiskey and battlin’ bad guys. Or maybe swillin’ whiskey and bein’ bad guys. Those are good too. Cowboy movies.
Not whispering to horses. Not cooing to each other.
And Crash? Surely I wanted to see Crash? Am I not aware that there are serious issues in this country of race and class?
I am.
Do I, on my Saturday evening out with those I care about, want to wallow in these issues?
I do not. Consider me a Philistine, if it suits you.
So it seems to me that in their urge to Make Something Important, Hollywood has simply lost the knack of making movies that I care to see. Or if they do, they’re not making them as “Serious” movies that I’d be likely to care about at the Oscars.
And while we’re on the topic of “Serious,” I’m just a little bit weary with people who have, in the words of Peggy Noonan, “read an article and then wants to tell us the truth, if we can handle it.” Who deign to teach us all about bravery, and racial justice and speaking truth to power. No matter how pretty they are.
But maybe Hollywood isn’t actually making movies for me. And maybe the Oscars aren’t designed for my entertainment either. But if they are not made for me, a normally avid movie-goer, it all rather does rather beg the question, in the context of declining Oscar’s viewership and ratings, and diminishing movie theater market share:
Who are these things for?
Who are these things for you ask? Their not for most of America, hence the decline in the box office we keep hearing about.
My biggest problem with Hollywood is that they’ve forgotten they are entertainers. Not much they produce anymore is entertaining so I skip it in favor of the cable channels and a few DVDs, which come to think of it are very old movies like Casablanca or TV shows like Firefly.
If they keep this up they’re going to be hard pressed to raise enough from ticket sales to pay those silly prices to people who have a knack of memorizing other peoples’ words. When the day comes that actors have to get real jobs and live in houses of less than 25 rooms, I’ll be cheering.
I confess to having seen none of the nominated movies and watching, as you, not one second of the Oscars, either.
“But maybe Hollywood isn?
I confess to having seen none of the nominated movies and watching, as you, not one second of the Oscars, either.
“But maybe Hollywood isn’t actually making movies for me.”
When you reach a certain age, and you’re almost there, you’ll find no one is actually making anything entertaining with you in mind.
Thank god, as the other commenter said, for cable and DVDia.
Hollywood: The perfect example of the Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone.
I’m not embarrassed to admit that I’ve seen “Crash” and “Brokeback Mountain”, both before Oscar nominations came out (not that it makes me smarter, just pointing out that I saw them both before all the hype). “Crash” was a wonderful ensemble film and it deal with issues of race head on. And though these issues are dealt with in other, lesser films, in “Crash” it’s not subtle, it’s in-your-face – white to black, black to black. It was an honest film.
“Brokeback Mountain” – about as perfect a movie as I’ve ever seen. Truly breathtaking in every sense – not a word, gesture or piece of scenery was too much or too little. Michelle Williams gave a stunning performance of understated anguish.
I too am an avid moviegoer, and I too agree, to a point, that Hollywood has forgotten who their paying customers are. But these 2 films were provocative for their own merits. They weren’t pushy about it, but rather very poignantly and quietly bring 2 huge issues in America – racism and homophobia – to a blistering awareness.
There – my 2 cents, for whatever they are worth. Lex, I hope you reconsider seeing both films – I think you’d be pleasantly surprised how “un-Hollywood” they both are.
Cap’n, I too haven’t seen Brokeback Mtn., BUT if I were to do so, it would be the allure of seeing a Larry McMurtry screenplay……Yes, he did the screenplay.”I God Woodrow—-Larry done missed the pint!”.
Or not.Seems Hollywood is entirely too self-serving to take the Oscars seriously.Any Org that glorifies whore-masters in song is too “outre” for me.
I confess that I neither saw the movies nor cared one whit about the Oscars. I still enjoy “The Quiet Man”, though…
Miss Birdlegs,
And a fine movie it is……
Five miles is – “Just a good stretch of the legs.”
“Here’s a nice stick to beat the lovely lady”
and one of the greatest fight scenes in movies.
Oh, for the days when John Wayne was the Man to be emulated, instead of —- Woody Allen.
Those days will return. After the first movie about Fallujah or Iraq gets made, and made well, and the American public spends billions to watch it, Hollywood’s greed will take over and their principles will crumble like the soggy cookies they are.
“Now when the Reverend Mr. Playfair and the vicar come down the road, I want you all to cheer like Protestants” — Father Lonergan
No pattyfingers, dear.
Subsunk
I’m with you Lex – I saw neither movie nor cared a whit for the Ugcars. When Hollywood quits trying to play on their own noble morality I may watch something again. There are plenty of well made movies with breathtaking scenery and provacative story lines. But playing the race card is no more original than renaming New Orleans “Chocolate City”. And why would I want to articulate on the “understated anguish” of gay cowboys?
What is Hollywood trying to call itself?
I, too, like a good serious movie. I like complicated plots. I like action, or romance (yea, I know, chic flicks), or even historical entertainment. But the gay cowboy idea doesn’t even start to interest me. And regurgitating the black white “conflict” over and over simply continues to insure the conflict status. Kinda like Abu Ghraib – just keep those photos coming every six months and we can keep pissing those folks off. For years.
Subsunk – the best line was “When I drink water, I drink water….when I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey” and it’s “No pattyfingers, if you please!” I love John Wayne but Barry Fitzgerald got the best lines.
Lex – they were sheep herders, not cowboys. LOL
Lex, you and my hubby would get on just fine! Do you mean that Hollywood doesn’t make your kind of movies any more, or that the Oscars don’t recognize them? My favourite films are generally ones that don’t get awards at all, such as The 5th Element or Blade Runner or The Right Stuff.
I loved Brokeback, but I know it’s not for everyone. I disliked Crash because of its heavy-handed sermonising and prozac ending, but loved Good Night and Good Luck.
There seems to be a widening polarity between quality films (with poor box office) and popular films (Big Momma’s House etc,) wherein lies the problem for both Hollywood and the Academy.
tblubrd, if you want a movie with a complicated plot, several of them in fact, look for ‘The Spanish Prisoner’. You’ll probably have to go to a non-chain movie rental place since I doubt Blockbuster would make room for it, and when I saw it it was on tape not DVD and I had to watch it again to get all the subtlties. Well worth the effort to find it.
As I understand it, the Brokeback guys were not herding cows(must confess I didnt go see it. dont much go for chick flicks …even if they have a unique twist…but got this on good authority)they were presiding over sheep. So why are they always being referred to as COWboys?
Oscars….yawn….
I thought artists were supposed to suffer for their art?
Apparently too many in Hollywood are not suffering enough these days. So instead all of us mundane folks are expected to gladly suffer artists and their endless narcissim forever. Until we stop paying attention to them.
Maybe that’s what the box office is quietly saying.
//obviously missing the hidden nuances and deeper meanings…
“I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people and I expect the same from them.” John Wayne (The Shootist)
“…So why are they always being referred to as COWboys?”
Sid – in the old westerns, were the “cowboys” always herding cattle? No, sometimes there was no livestock of any kind. Being a cowboy, to me, is a much larger thing that just herding cattle. It’s a way of thinking, a code of behaviour. While obviously “Brokeback Mountain” isn’t of the same mind as the old westerns, the imagery is iconic in that it DOES harken back to the old westerns – men being men. Men smoking, drinking, riding horses, being rough and tumble womanizing men (yes, womanizing occurs in Brokeback).
And sometimes movies are just about entertainment – sometimes being out of touch with the masses isn’t a bad thing.
Nice comment on Hollywood! I still read, and the only movies I catch are on TCM and the very rare DVD. (Well done is only said when ordering steaks!)
Maybe the Hollywood elites should return to the “Studio” system, with contract players and a steady stream of work–A list, B list, etc.
I never tire of watching the unremembered films of the 30’s, 40’s. There was some real quality in those films, and most were meant for a family to watch. That system spawned some very fine actors, many of whom did not make the big time.
$0.02-
I watch TMC. Don’t go to the movies much anymore (last time 1990 or thereabouts). I like the ole stuff. Just got a VHS copy of a 1939 movie , “The Biscuit Eater” (just so you know where my old head is at). Check it out, if you can find it. The 1972 Disney remake is a bunch of PC BS BTW.
Lonesome Dove and Gus Macrae are my kind of movie heros. As a matter o’fact, in btwn b-ball games last weekend I watched all 8hrs on Hallmark Channel! I think life should be lead just like they did- if’n y’all can get away with it. Especially how they handled that surly bartender. LOL. Brings a smile to my face every time.
Now that being said I did see a movie (DVD) put out last year. It was called “Cinderella Man”. I thought it was outstanding, presented great family values and was true. I also liked Master & Commander, but I reckon that was last year. IMO, they don’t care what a man like mee wants to see….why should they- they want me to go extinct, eh? When they make more pictures like “Cinderella Man” and quit touting silly PC, slickly presented stunts like “Brokeback MT” or all of them silly hi-tech mumbo-jumbo unreality movies I may attend more. Homo cowboys- ain’t that one of those oxy-Maroons?
B2
I imagine you might appreciate this then:
http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=273
Scott
Cap’n Lex – you don’t _want_ Hollywood making a movie about Fallujah.
Just take a moment and think what they would do with it.
Not what they could.
What they would.
BTW, Walk The Line was a pretty decent movie. But I happen to also think Reese Witherspoon is a pretty decent actress.
Wait! If we are throwing out favorite John Wayne lines……..
“I thought you were dead.” “Not hardly.”
And later.
“Something happens, your fault, my fault, nobody’s fault, no matter what else happens, no matter who else dies, I’m gonna kill *you*”
Big Jake
Skipper,
I can’t even tell when the Oscars are, as they seem to have a self congratulatory award show every week. I am now unable to seperate the loud mouthed, America hating, Commie Lib “artists” that I see on news shows, from the characters they are supposed to be portraying.
I haven’t gone to a theater to see a movie since it became acceptable for most of the audience to behave like they were in a holding cell during the show. I have always enjoyed movies where I don’t know any of the actors. I guess they are called Independent Films by the elite. I like them for originality.
I for one, will not go to see a movie that was made to destroy the image of the American Cowboy. Sure, they herded sheep. In Oklahoma they’d be called Goat Ropers. But the image of the West, and the men who tamed it, is one I don’t care to see tarnished.
One of my favorite lines, “A man’s GOT to know his limitations.” – Dirty Harry Callahan
‘Good Night and Good Luck’ and ‘Syriana’ were both worth the cash. Yeah, both were somewhat preachy – the first directly and the second indirectly. But each was a story of substance.
“I for one, will not go to see a movie that was made to destroy the image of the American Cowboy. Sure, they herded sheep. In Oklahoma they?
“I for one, will not go to see a movie that was made to destroy the image of the American Cowboy. Sure, they herded sheep. In Oklahoma they’d be called Goat Ropers. But the image of the West, and the men who tamed it, is one I don’t care to see tarnished.”
Even if that image you hold so dear has proved to be utterly false? Hundreds of ‘cowboys’ wrote to the author after the book was released, grateful to her for telling ‘their’ story. These cowboys do exist. They’re not made up.
If you prefer to hang on to a false image, then fine. Your right. But be aware that’s what it is. I would argue that the iconic image of the American cowboy that you wish to preserve is tarnished in itself, by not admitting to a truth acknowledged by thousands who actually live their lives as cowboys. This image could well do with demolishing.
“Hundreds of Cowboys wrote”…..
“Thousands who actually live their lives as cowboys”….
What next, gazillions of cowboys???????????????????
Yes, don’t bother arguing any points I’ve made, Greg. Easier to fixate on a mistake I wrote – that demolishes the whole argument, evidently, so you don’t have to bother stating your views.
If you have something meaningful to counter what I wrote, then write it.