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[Rob]

I remember back in the 80's one critic commenting on the win of Gandhi over E.T. by asking in 20 years, which movie will be remembered more fondly by people. And if you do a "Jaywalking" sort of thing and ask the average person they will remember E.T.

Well, to be honest with you E.T. dosen't hold up well in my opinion. Ghandi is one of those "important" films like Schindler's List. Some movies just aren't entertaining but they carry a greater purpose.


While we're on that subject I'll tell you another major snub is the fact The Passion of the Christ isn't nominated for ANYTHING. This is a real shame because whether you are Christian or not, this is indeed a well made movie and by far the most accurate depiction of Christ's crucifixion ever put on film (according to the scriptures) It's not best picture material but COME ON!! No best cinematography nomination?!? No nomination for best costuming?? No nomination for the guy who played Christ?!? (I forgot his name).

 

[ManaByte]

While we're on that subject I'll tell you another major snub is the fact The Passion of the Christ isn't nominated for ANYTHING. This is a real shame because whether you are Christian or not, this is indeed a well made movie and by far the most accurate depiction of Christ's crucifixion ever put on film (according to the scriptures) It's not best picture material but COME ON!! No best cinematography nomination?!? No nomination for best costuming?? No nomination for the guy who played Christ?!? (I forgot his name).

It was nominated for cinematography, score, and makeup. There's no way in hell the Hollywood power base will risk their pride and careers in giving it anything bigger.

 

[Rob]

It was nominated for cinematography, score, and makeup. There's no way in hell the Hollywood power base will risk their pride and careers in giving it anything bigger.

Well good! I didn't realise that it had infact been nominated for those things. The cinematography was indeed beautiful in that movie. And best makeup, geez how could I even forget that? Score, eh I'm not so sure about this one. But I do think best actor and best picture nominations should've been given. Perhaps even best actress to the woman who played Mary. Her emotion without saying anything was pretty incredible.

 

[Prospero]

the kids in E.T. acted like the rest of us kids did then... when I saw E.T. it resonated strongly with me because those kids were exactly how I was and the rest of my friends were.

Drew Barrymore's performance in E.T. is ace. Her comic timing is incredible for someone that young.

I think that E.T.'s reputation as a primarily "cute" film is, in some part, unearned. There's a good deal of harshness lurking under the surface of the movie--not as much as there is in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but a lot. Around 1982, a major American feature film that depicted a family being held together by a single mother that wasn't principally concerned with how the single mother held the family together was pretty rare (I can't think of another film from that period with the same characteristic). Spielberg and Melissa Mathison (the screenwriter) did a great job of showing how Elliott dealt without having a father in his life without hitting you over the head with a sledgehammer and pointing it out every three minutes. It wasn't the principal concern of his life during the film (that would have been E.T., of course) but it was always in the background.

Also--don't the doctors that are working on E.T. near the end of the film start making sarcastic wisecracks once he "dies"? I remember that they ad-libbed those lines, but not what their lines were.

 

[Warm Machine]

The place where the Oscars continually fuck up are in the Cinematography and Art Direction.

That Blade Runner never picked up either or was even nominated was ridiculous. Legend was never nominated and if any film that year had great Art Direction that was it.

Tron never was given a visual effects nomination because the academy said that they had cheated because they used a computer...

Whoops Blade Runner was nominated for Art Direction in 1982.

Top Gun or Aliens were never nominated for Cinematography in 1986. The only 2 that year that are on the same level that were nominated were The Mission and Platoon.

 

[ge-man]

Tron never was given a visual effects nomination because the academy said that they had cheated because they used a computer...

The irony of that arguement today is hilarious.

 

[Warm Machine]

It was nominated for cinematography, score, and makeup. There's no way in hell the Hollywood power base will risk their pride and careers in giving it anything bigger.

Last Temptation of Christ got a best director nom and there was bigger controversy over that movie than The Passion. Not to say you're statement is wrong though.

 

[brooklyngooner]

I find it unfortunate that John Sayles has been nominated very little for his work aside from a couple of screenplay nods when he is truly one of our national storytelling treasures. Limbo is one of the most underrated films of our time.

 

[Warm Machine]

Fight Club was never given a best adapted screenplay nomination. How that could have slipped through is anyones guess as that isn't exactly the sort of source material that is easily turned into a film. It didn't get cinematography or effects nominations either.

Se7en didn't get art direction or cinematography either.

Those 2 movies are probably as high quality and influential in their respective fields as you can get.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Sense and Sensibility was an amazing adaptation of a near-unfilmable/unmarketable book. It managed to be relevant and funny and dramatic despite taking place 150 years ago and being about, basically, poor little rich people. The acting is incredible, the script wonderful (it deservedly won), it's just a great, well-put-together production.

As far as the family film thing goes-- I meant that it's "only" a kids movie. Believe me, my collection has a ton of family-friendly fare in it, and I agree that Toy Story not getting a nomination over Babe and Braveheart at least is a crime.


Unrealted, I'm boggling at Alec Guinness being suggest as best supporting actor in Star Wars. For what, hsi accent? He barely acts in that movie. He can act-- but didn't, particularly, in that movie.

But Clevon Little, yes!


Prospero: My loathing of ET may in fact be an artifact of not seeing it until 5 years or so ago, out of it's cultural context. It certainly has aged badly, if it was that good at the time. It may have been-- the things you suggest seem like good points.

I still can't stand just about any of Spielberg's scenes involving kids, save Empire of the Sun.

 

[borghe]

see prospero's awesome givings for why ET worked and works as more than "just a kid's movie" above.

As for Alec Guiness in Star Wars, without comparing it to other movies that year, his acting in their combined with his (surprisingly good) lines were off the charts. Some things to look for from old Ben in SW:

The expressions he shows when he first meets luke.

The look on his face when he tells luke what "happened to his father". Anyone who says lucas didn't have it planned for vader to be luke's father from the get go only has to watch that scene t oknow lucas DEFINITELY had something up his sleeve.

when ben says goodbye to luke in the death star (the last time they talk) before he goes to disable to tractor beam.

pretty much every expression he has while he and vader talk right before and during the duel.

the look he gives to luke before vader "kills" him.

hehe.. you picked the WRONG topic to argue here. For some odd reason Guiness' performance in Star Wars always struck a chord with me and I have studied it greatly.. maybe some of the stuff was accidental, maybe some of it incidental, but in the flow of the movie his acting in Star Wars is through the roof. Even Han, the second best role in the movie thanks to the actor, is a VERY distant second.. and generally Ford did an outstanding job with Han.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Hmmm.... next time I see it I'll look. No argument on Han, he was great.

I guess it would still be hard to imagine a best supporting actor nod for the role, even with what you say. Not that the acting isn't great, but what you describe is pretty subtle, and it's easy to miss. A case of an actor in excess of his part. If only Hammill were as good. (I have no beef with Carrie Fisher, either, although she seems a bit forved occasionally.)

(I just looked and Guinness was nominated. Haven't seen any of the other movies to judge the performances)

Yeah, I answered Prospero in my last post. I didn't see ET new, and if it was good, it hasn't aged well.

 

[Wendo]

Well, the Oscars are getting a little better. I mean, they finally acknowledged a "fantasy" movie for best picture.

 

[Bristow]

Ghandi over E.T.
Driving Miss Daisy over Born on the Fourth of July
Dances with Wolves over Goodfellas
The English Patient over Jerry Maquire
Titanic over LA Confidential
Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan
American Beauty over The Cider House Rules
Gladiator over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
A Beautiful Mind over Fellowship of the Ring
Chicago over Gangs of NY
Return of the King over Lost in Translation

 

[Rob]

Ghandi over E.T.
Driving Miss Daisy over Born on the Fourth of July
Dances with Wolves over Goodfellas
The English Patient over Jerry Maquire
Titanic over LA Confidential
Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan
American Beauty over The Cider House Rules
Gladiator over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
A Beautiful Mind over Fellowship of the Ring
Chicago over Gangs of NY
Return of the King over Lost in Translation

So how long have you worked for the Academy??

 

[Foreign Jackass]

E.T. is utter shit. You have bad taste in movies!

Let me point you to the incredible amount of respected critics who think that E.T. is a fucking masterpiece, and let me point you to the overwhelming mass of children and parents alive who thought that E.T. was a fucking masterpiece. And then let me point my finger to you, and say, you don't know fucking shit about what you're talking about.

Thanks.

Well, to be honest with you E.T. dosen't hold up well in my opinion. Ghandi is one of those "important" films like Schindler's List. Some movies just aren't entertaining but they carry a greater purpose.

Then they are shitty movies with a greater purpose. Schindler's List was important AND entertaining. A movie has got to be "entertaining", in the sense that cinema is all about emotion. Yes, it's great when a movie makes you think, but I believe the strength of cinema is to make you FEEL things. If you really want to learn things, read a book. No movie will be able to hold the same information anyway. And anyway, E.T. holds enough things to think about if you're looking for it.

I am a great fan of cinema, and I can perfectly see Ghandi as a great movie. But E.T. is a masterpiece. It holds up well enough for millions of people after more than 20 years. Ghandi is great, but it ain't no E.T.!

Well, the Oscars are getting a little better. I mean, they finally acknowledged a "fantasy" movie for best picture.

And how is this getting "better"? I won't be turning this thread to LOTR bashing, but...

 

[Bristow]

E.T. is in most respected critics list of top films. It is a masterpiece.

 

[Future Trunks]

Wow. No mention of the "The Color Purple" debacle? :O

 

[Dead]

The place where the Oscars continually fuck up are in the Cinematography and Art Direction.

That Blade Runner never picked up either or was even nominated was ridiculous. Legend was never nominated and if any film that year had great Art Direction that was it.

Tron never was given a visual effects nomination because the academy said that they had cheated because they used a computer...

Whoops Blade Runner was nominated for Art Direction in 1982.

Top Gun or Aliens were never nominated for Cinematography in 1986. The only 2 that year that are on the same level that were nominated were The Mission and Platoon.

Wasnt Blade Runner critically panned when it released

 

[impirius]

It was mentioned before, but:

Ordinary People over Raging Bull

 

[Matlock]

Oh yes, and I'm aghast that Texas Chainsaw Massacre didn't even get any noms for cinematography in '74.

That scene where the girl's walking towards the house...one of the most perfectly composed scenes in the history of film.

 

[Rob]

E.T. is in most respected critics list of top films. It is a masterpiece.

Ever notice just how much Star Wars butt-kissing is in this film? Go back and watch. There must be at least a half dozen SW references throughout the film.

 

[Rob]

Wow. No mention of the "The Color Purple" debacle? :O

I heard that!! What was it? Eleven nominations and not one single winner? Was Oprah nominated for supporting actress?? Man she was great in that film!

 

[Tarazet]

Edit: NM, I confused it with Purple Rain.

 

[Dan]

I heard that!! What was it? Eleven nominations and not one single winner? Was Oprah nominated for supporting actress?? Man she was great in that film!

The bigger controversy was that Spielberg wasn't nominated for Best Director. As the argument goes, how does a film grab 11 nominations without recognition for the director? He was pretty pissed, to say the least.