March 31, 2002

OK, No Oscars... Yet!
Brett C.

I'm going to put myself right on the firing line here by suggesting that maybe the Oscar awards were not as bad as many article submitters have suggested.

Granted FOTR was a fabulous movie and I think PJ did a pheonomenal job at directing it but I think we would be fooling ourselves if we did not admit Ron Howard is also an inspired director who is long overdue for recognition at the Oscars. As far as best supporting actor goes, I have not seen the preformance of the winner but know him from other movies and do beleive he is capable of producing an oscar winning performance, given the source material [ a true story about a great mind ravaged by alzheimer's].

The thing is that I know that many fans of this site would argue passionately that the Ring's movies should sweep the pool for the three years they run but realistically we still have to acknowledge that great work is also being done on other performances.

As far a best adapted screenplay goes, how can the Academy be espected to vote for FOTR when so may Tolkien fans are divided over how good a job was done. Personally I love the screenplay, but then I haven't read the source material for A Beautiful Mind, so how can I mount an arguement?

My personal hope is that PJ WILL win the oscar for best picture/director, but for Return of the King, which I think would have had the most difficult aspects of the saga to direct, akin to Saving Private Ryan. Ian Mckellan may yet get best supporting for Gandalf the White, who really has more to do than the Grey.

And finally, spare a thought for Sean Bean, who I think was the stand out supporting role of the movie, and wasn't even nominated. Sigh.