"It is written." ~Slumdog Millionaire
I stopped watching the Oscars 3 years ago, after "Brokeback Mountain" won Best Director but not Best Picture because, Academy members later revealed, they couldn't bring themselves to vote for a film about gay cowboys (as if it wasn't about anything else...)
And I didn't watch last night except for the first half-hour or so, because I thought the same thing would happen with "Slumdog Millionaire." I mean, who would vote for an independent film about India with no-name stars, that's partially subtitled, when you have Brad Pitt on the ticket?
But sometimes the right thing really does happen. Slumdog picked up 8 total awards last night, as it should have, and was the darling of the Oscars this year - as it should have been. I hadn't realized how close the movie came to not even releasing in this country; it almost went straight to DVD. Now it's the Best Picture of 2009!
I have had people say to me that this film is violent. I didn't walk away the first time thinking that. I tried to understand, the second time I saw it. Yes, there is violence in the movie. It is part of the plot, part of the point, that half this world lives in extreme, unpleasant conditions -- and yet hope and love can triumph there as well. The violence is not in this film for gratuitous reasons. It's there so that the happy ending is that much more sweet when we get to it.
Anyway, I'll step off my soapbox now. Anyone else watch the awards show? Did you make it through the whole thing? Whose dress was the best?
3 comments:
You know I actually didn't watch the red carpet stuff. It just is a soapbox for big egos. And I am not a clothes horse. I'll look at the dresses when they hit people magazine.
But I was please to see a movie win purely because it was the best movie on the ticket, and it's content teaches us all things we had no idea existed. Heads up on this one.
I watched it and it was one of the better Oscar presentation. I fell asleep but taped it so I plan to watch the rest later tonight.
I watched it start to finish, starting with the red carpet. My favorite dress was Anne Hathaway's -- gorgeous! I enjoyed Hugh Jackman as a presenter. Lots of fun.
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