The Young Turks

Once again, the Academy Awards lately has choosen films in the Best Picture slot that will not be memorable for any average movie goer. Ask any movie goer if they remember "Crash", "A Beautiful Mind", "Shakesphere In Love", "Chariots Of Fire", "Ordinary People" or even "Kramer vs. Kramer". Don't get me wrong, I'm sure these movies are good, but the average person who goes to the movies won't remember these kind of films because Hollywood sometimes:

(A) Dosen't have any insight of what's going on right now in this country and the world in general.

and

(B) Dosen't have any forsight of this country and the world in general.

A+B=C--Hollywood's Disconnection.

Think about this for a moment, most people talk more about "Brokeback Mountain" than "Crash"; "Lord of the Rings" than "A Beautiful Mind"; "Saving Private Ryan" than "Shakespheare In Love"; "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" than "Chariots Of Fire"; "Raging Bull" than "Ordinary People"; "Apocalypse Now" than "Kramer vs. Kramer" and dare do I say "Pulp Fiction" than "Forrest Gump".

Why is that?  Maybe people talk about how some of these movies I mentioned connect to themselves on a personal level and when that happens it can evolve into the collective consciousness of a society. I'm no expert on art, but I think when art makes a connection on a personal level, instead of for the masses, that work of art can have a current relevancy and hopefully becomes still relevant in the future. 

MMMM?  Hollywood and Washington DC do have something in common, just take out art and insert the world of politics instead...think about that for a moment...mmmmm?

Another reason, is that Hollywood has a tendency to make its picks on someone with tenure instead of new and bold creative expression. I am big fan of Martin Scorsese, it was nice that he won for direction in "The Departed", but he should've gotten it 18 years ago for "Goodfellas" or 32 years ago for "Taxi Driver". This is one of the reasons why I think the Coen Brothers won instead of Paul Thomas Anderson for "There Will Be Blood".  I betcha Anderson may get one for direction in 15 or 20 years for a future film of his. (Personally I thought Clooney should have won Best Actor than Day Lewis, but that's for another discussion)  This is one of many examples...I think you get the picture.

I just run into more people, who talk more about "There Will Be Blood" or "Juno" than "No Country For Old Men". I don't know, I guess people can personally connect more to a girl going through a pregnancy than a mass killer with a bad Luke Skywalker haircut.

It also doesn't help that about 80 percent of Hollywood films are made to the lowest common denominator (especially during the summertime) and when people are exposed to this movie going environment, how can someone be exposed to anything challenging...or maybe people are afraid to be challenged....nawww, I'm still hopeful that people are still suckers for the truth and like to pursue some form of intelligence when going out to the movies.

And when a film like "No Country For Old Men" has an ending that's pretty challenging to the average moviegoer, most people can be turned off and may not want to talk about a film like that. Probably, because the audence can't remember the last time they were challenged to think outside of the box when they go to their local multi-plex. 

This is what happens when Hollywood abandons its great promise into that familiar 1980's phrase, "diminished expections" 

The reason why I think "There Will Be Blood" should've won and will be talked about more is that it has a memorable performance from Daniel Day Lewis, its also a great tale of an individual who goes down a path of loss morality, how capatialism and religion intertwine to bring out the worst in human nature, and even though it's set in the late 19th century and earlier part of the 20th century United States, it clearly displays the rami fications of "The Gilded Age".....in some ways 21st century America is going through that right now as we speak.

Check it out for yourself
http://www.opinionjournal.c om/columnists/pnoonan/?id=1 10010385

http://www.nytimes.com/2007 /10/14/magazine/14wallstree t-t.html?_r=1&oref=slog in
 
http://www.j-bradford-delon g.net/movable_type/archives /001477.html

Hollywood can sometimes make some good choices for Best Picture (The Departed, American Beauty, Schindler's List, Platoon) but most of the time it makes some pretty lame picks (Chicago, Gladiator, and lets not forget 1952's "The Greatest Show On Earth").

It's as if Hollywood is speaking from a 3-5 second delay on a really bad cell phone. Time for Hollywood to upgrade and get new batteries, or else it will be about as useless as a 8 Track tape or a HD DVD.