AND THE AWARD GOES TO

[file this under: “Pops’ Opinions No One Cares About”]

The Academy has announced the nominees for their awards for 2019. Again this year, they didn’t ask for my take on it all which is probably good since I didn’t see that many movies in 2019, but I’m not one to shy away from offering uninformed opinion.

For “Best Picture” the award should go to LITTLE WOMEN. It won’t, but it should. If I stay up past my bedtime and they announce the winner is JOKER, which they probably will, I’ll mutter, “What do they know?” and go to bed.

The Academy is off to a bad start with me anyway because Christian Bale is not even nominated for “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” for his portrayal of race car driver Ken Miles in FORD VS FERRARI. And in the category of “Stupidest Omissions By the Academy” the winner goes to their stupidity in not nominating Greta Gerwig for “Directing” for LITTLE WOMEN. I’m indignant about this not JUST because there’s not a single female director nominated, but because her work in this beautiful film deserves to be nominated. While we’re on the subject of LITTLE WOMEN, chances are if Saoirse Ronan doesn’t win the award for “Actress in a Leading Role”, I’ll probably push the off button on the TV real hard and go to bed and then read about the Academy’s other poor choices the next morning.

I’m doing some serious pre-judging here because I don’t want JOKER to win and I know nothing about it except for a bit from a reviewer I hold in high regard. Just as I do in my politicians, I like a little dab of redeeming value in my movies.

Speaking of jokes and jokers, I would buy a ticket to see Rudy G. testify before the Senate in that reality show to beat all reality shows kicking off on Tuesday. Better yet I would pay for a seat on the 50 to watch POTUS watch Rudy testify.

I heard an interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross with the producer, directer and co-writer of JOKER, Todd Phillips, who also did The Hangover movies. He seemed like a nice guy who seemed to be doing some searching of his own to find some redeeming value in his film:

“Oftentimes, you know, movies are mirrors, and they reflect what's going on whenever they take place. And that was something Scott and I really - was important to us, that we are addressing things that we feel or felt were going on in the world in 2016 and '17, as we were writing it.

“You know, we all know the big changes in this country that were happening then. Like, I can tell you when Obama was president, we wrote three "Hangover" movies (laughter). When everything changed, suddenly things felt darker, you know. Anyway, so the mental illness to us was a lot about, you know, what you hear about when social services get cut. What happens to these people? We really thought it was important to shine a light on the system. You know, I think, like a lot of people, the system is broken, and why not use a film to make a comment on that?”

If movies are indeed mirrors reflecting what’s going on; I long to look in the mirror and see TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. (Nominated for “Best Picture” in 1963. Gregory Peck for his portrayal of Atticus Finch won “Actor in a Lead Role”.)