15 minutes ago, I was prepared to write an article about another predictable Oscars ceremony. Now I will write one of the most scathing Film Pie newsletters I have ever had to put down. I don’t care how late I have to stay up to type this.

 

Crash! WTF?

 

Crash won the best picture award tonight. I consider this the worst, most shocking decision in recent memory at any award show. I would like to tell Academy members to burn in hell but that’s “probably” going too far.

 

Brokeback Mountain deserved the best picture honour. Why?

 

The following critics associations awarded the best picture award to Brokeback Mountain:

Producers Guild of America

Golden Globe Awards

British Academy of Film and Television Arts

Los Angeles Film Critics Association

New York Film Critics Circle

Boston Society of Film Critics

Broadcast Film Critics Association

San Francisco Film Critics

Golden Satellites Awards

Dallas-Fort Worth Critics Association

Las Vegas Film Critics Society

Southeastern Film Critics Association

Utah Film Critics

Florida Film Critics

St. Louis Film Critics

Iowa Film Critics

Online Film & Television Association

 

The following critics associations awarded the best picture award to Crash:

Chicago Film Critics

 

Brokeback Mountain has now become the first film to win the Producer’s Guild Award, the Golden Globe Award, and the BAFTA Award and yet lose the best picture Oscar. On top of this, Crash has won despite winning fewer lead up awards than any other film in history.

 

What also does not make sense is why Brokeback Mountain won best director (and best screenplay) at the Oscars? Was the wrong winner printed on the best picture envelope?

 

Is it a coincidence that $2.3m was spent on Crash’s Oscar campaign? Is it a coincidence that the producers sent a record 30,000 copies of the DVD to Academy members to make sure they saw the film? Is it a coincidence that a further 100,000 copies of the DVD were sent to all the members of the Screen Actors Guild?

 

To throw oil on the fire, actor and Academy member Tony Curtis came out before the ceremony and said that he would not watch Brokeback Mountain because of its content and he knew of other Academy members who felt the same way.

 

Does that say enough for you? The Oscar is supposed to be the highest honour a film can receive and yet those that decide the winner refuse to watch one of the nominees because of its homosexual themes. Please pat yourselves on the back Academy! (note: heavy sarcasm).

 

Crash isn’t that bad a film (I gave it a B+ last May) but this decision is disgraceful! Crash has stolen the Oscar from a film far more deserving.

 

This travesty will be argued about for decades to come. Many think Marisa Tomei was a mistake for her win in My Cousin Vinnie. Well now I’ve seen an even bigger one.

 

Jon Stewart

 

While my blood continues to boil, let me talk about the rest of the show. Jon Stewart did a great hosting job and was almost as good as my favourite host, Steve Martin. He was funny and classy at the same time. He treated everyone with respect and I’d love to see him back next year (if Steve Martin is not available again). The opening skit was very funny by the way.

 

Other Awards

 

It was great to see Australian Dion Beebe win best cinematography. I raved about it in my review back in January and he deserves this Oscar very much. Sadly, he was the only Aussie to walk away with a win.

 

All the acting awards went with script. Hoffman and Witherspoon won for lead actor and actress. Clooney and Weisz won for supporting actor and actress. I know Giamatti was the lead-up favourite for supporting actor but few were tipping him in the final days. Clooney had the momentum.

 

Apart from Crash, the only surprise for me was Memoirs Of A Geisha losing best music to Brokeback Mountain.

 

Acceptances

 

The speeches were kept generally short but the ceremony did tend to drag a little.

 

Best speech belonged to Reese Witherspoon who nailed it perfectly.

 

Best acceptance had to go to the artists behind the song “It’s Hard Out There For A Pimp” which featured in Hustle & Flow.

 

My Own Performance

 

I finished with 15 out of 24. Not too bad.

 

Gambling wise, I finished the year ahead $350 thanks to the win of Reese Witherspoon for best actress. I was disappointed that Matt Dillon and Amy Adams didn’t win because I thought they both had good chances. Looking back, Matt Dillon must have been awfully close when you consider that Crash won best film. There was a lot of love for it.

 

My total Oscar winnings are now as follows. I’ve managed wins over the last 5 years so I’m on a good run. Total profit for the 11 year period has exceeded the $2,400 mark.

 

1996 – profit of $750 – won on Susan Saranadon

1997 – profit of $300 (cumulative profit $1,050) – won on Frances McDormand

1998 – loss of $250 (cumulative profit $800)

1999 – loss of $250 (cumulative profit $550)

2000 – profit of $620 (cumulative profit $1,170) – won on Kevin Spacey and Michael Caine

2001 – loss of $190 (cumulative profit $980) – won on director Steven Soderbergh

2002 – profit of $480 (cumulative profit $1,460) – won on Halle Berry

2003 – profit of $275 (cumulative profit $1,735) – won on Catherine Zeta-Jones and Adrian Brody

2004 – profit of $150 (cumulative profit $1,875) – won on Sean Penn

2005 – profit of $214 (cumulative profit $2,089) – won on Hilary Swank

2006 – profit of $350 (cumulative profit $2,439) – won on Reese Witherspoon

 

Matt’s Oscar Comp

 

Thanks to everyone who entered. The person who presented the best picture Oscar was Jack Nicholson who is 68 years of age. One entrant (Matthew Denne) nailed it perfectly.

Funnily enough though, the tie-breaker question was not required as we had a clear winner. Elspeth Hall won the four free movie tickets with a score of 4 out of 5. Her only miss was picking Paradise Now as best foreign language film over Tsotsi.

 

Those with 3 out of 5 were Sam Dagan, Nicole Sawyer and Chris King.

 

Thanks to everyone who entered and be sure to look for the comp again next year.