Wednesday, January 9, 2002
‘It’s all politics’ - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
A note prior to the main Commentary. I hate to gloat, but last Thursday’s column which featured some predictions of mine for 2002, actually has one that’s come true already. Next week’s edition of Maclean’s (featuring Brendan Shanahan on the front cover) features a new feature on the back page, called aptly enough, The Back Page. Allan Fotheringham has been bumped from the page -- the space he’s inhabited for nearly three decades -- and has been moved to the middle of the magazine. Plus, Foth’s column will now appear biweekly rather than weekly. It probably signals an end of an era in column writing in this country, as well as a significant milestone in the history of the aged Maclean’s.
VANCOUVER -- Growing up, and to this day, I am very much a fan of award shows and the like. I never miss the Oscars, Emmy’s, Golden Globe’s, Tony’s and Grammy’s each year. There has been an overwhelming plethora of award shows in recent years, adding to the list above: the People’s Choice, the TV Guide awards, the Screen Actor’s Guild and most recently this past weekend the American Film Institute’s. Sure there are a ton of awards, and it’s often hard to keep track of them all -- we all watch and do so at times quite shamelessly.
The point of today’s diatribe is the innate role that politics plays in the seemingly shallow world of show business accolades. It’s often funny to see starlets who are known for their nudity on screen, appear nearly nude in costly Richard Tyler garb, staring blindly into the old TelePrompTer looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Politics plays a part in award giving, because those that receive awards often are the same of the lot that hand them out.
In the broadcasting business in this country, the myth is that awards are only given to those that the ‘Establishment’ deems deserving. Often those that get awards are those that are in step with the Establishment’s status quo. The same could be said of the Oscars. Julia Roberts’ win of the best actress award last year, was because it was ‘her’ year. Perhaps Ellen Burstyn’s turn in Requiem for a Dream was far superior than Erin Brockovich; but because Julia is a real hit in Hollywood, she got the Oscar. Ditto for Dame Judi Dench and her win for an 8-minute appearance in Shakespeare In Love. Perhaps the Academy -- an organisation of self-promoting industry insiders -- gave her that Oscar because they slighted her for a far more deserving performance as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown, the year previous.
It reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where George needs throat surgery, but at Kramer’s insistence, he decides to go to a herbalist. Jerry queries Kramer on his friend’s credentials, as he heard his licence had been revoked. Kramer says something to the effect that it was all the medical establishment’s fault and that it’s all about politics.
I guess this is all on my mind now, in light of last Saturday’s AFI dinner, after which I tried desperately to handicap the upcoming Oscar race. See, the Golden Globe nominations are out now and usually they are the signal as to what’s nominated or not at the Oscars. The race is so sparse this year that it truly was brain racking to this correspondent who’s been paying attention to the Oscars for nearly 9 years.
Will Lord of the Rings, as I suspect will, sweep the Oscar race, being the front-runner for best picture? Where will Ali wind up? With all its Oscar buzz prior to its opening, it’s ironic that it’s turned up empty at both the AFI and Golden Globe lists. How about The Shipping News? Lasse Hallström, has directed a best picture nominee every year for the last two years -- Cider House Rules and Chocolat.
Will past Oscar winners repeat this year? Will Sissy Spacek and Marisa Tomei (for In The Bedroom), earn subsequent Oscars? How about Denzel Washington for Training Day? Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums? Judi Dench for Iris? Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind? Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast? Jon Voight for Ali? The Oscar people have been kind to past Oscar winners, bestowing nods to those previously ‘Oscared’. One would think so, since most are probably members of the awarding Academy.
One is always wary of forces larger than them, especially those that aren’t part of any significant cabal. The announcement late Monday that Whoppi Goldberg would host the Oscars was an interesting story. First, after her critically ill-received Oscar turn in 1999, she swore she’d never do it again. Ellen DeGeneres was a possibility, but I think they tapped Whoppi, because she isn’t a ostentatious lesbian. Steve Martin, didn’t really have blockbuster ratings this past year.
Whoppi is also very much in the Hollywood establishment herself. She’s a producer, comic and an Oscar winner to boot. Her place in the industry was sealed when she received the Mark Twain prize from the Kennedy Center this year. Oscar telecast Producer Laura Ziskin admitted that in Army Archerd’s column in Variety yesterday. (The Twain prize, is an exclusive comedy prize given only three previous times, making Goldberg’s the first given to a female. The other three honourees have been: Richard Pryor, Jonathan Winters and Carl Reiner.)
Nevertheless, I’ll tune into the Oscars with keen interest as usual. It’s all shallow and meaningless, but what the hell. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
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