Three Stars to the Academy

First, a gripe. The Oscars are supposed to be a celebratory event, people. I know everyone has their favorite films, performances, and achievements that they’d love to see recognized, but I hate the annual negative tone that poisons this day. Forget for one minute that Christopher Nolan, Andrew Garfield, Mila Kunis,, or whoever will not become Oscar nominees this year. If they continue their exemplary work, their time will come.

I know the typical kneejerk reaction to the Oscar nominations is to bemoan one or two surprising decisions, but you can’t be perfect. No set of nominees will please everyone, so instead of dwelling on the negative, look at the positives. There are a lot of them this year.

I’d like to use the rest of this space to praise this year’s Oscar nominees and offer praise to the Academy voters. It was a terrific year and even though today’s announcement doesn’t perfectly reflect my dream ballot, I applaud voters for doing a great job capturing the film year that was 2010.

I used to go to a lot of hockey games in high school, and our local minor league team (what up Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins!) used to do something at the end of every game. They’d single out three players and offer them “stars.” All my stars today are going to the Academy, but for three different and equally important reasons.

First Star: Variety
Take a look at the ten films nominated for Best Picture. We’ve got a gritty psychological drama, a brilliantly acted boxing biopic, a visionary sci-fi blockbuster, an insightful family dramedy, an uplifting tale of friendship and determination, an inspiring survival story, a sensationally written zeitgeist picture, a touching animated threequel, a throwback to the old West, and a little indie that could. How’s that for variety? There’s something for everyone there, and the variety doesn’t stop with Best Picture.

The costume branch stunned many with a nomination for I Am Love, a film I hated. That being said, I love this nomination, not just because the film admittedly had good costume work, but because the branch stepped outside its comfort zone and went contemporary.

The sound categories—which so often overlap with three, four, even five of the same nominees—acknowledged eight different films in the Sound Mixing and Sound Editing categories respectively.

Finally, I applaud the animated branch for recognizing not the three highest-grossing films, which many anticipated, but perhaps the three most highly regarded films on the shortlist. I haven’t seen Sylvian Chomet’s The Illusionist, but I think the Academy’s recognition of it will allow me the chance.

Second Star: Originality
Dogtooth is an Oscar nominee. Dogtooth! Who would’ve thought a few weeks ago that this would be possible? Full disclosure, once again: I haven’t seen the film. But I still think it’s worth pointing out this bold move by the foreign-film branch, which will hopefully give many others the chance to see the film. I know I’ll be watching it now.

Exit Through the Gift Shop was the best documentary of the year, in my opinion, by far, and I’m so happy the reportedly insular Documentary voters went for something so outlandish and fascinating.

Hereafter, I thought, was Clint Eastwood’s weakest film in years, maybe ever, though I thought the opening sequence was a marvel. More than that, however, I love what this move in the Best Visual Effects category represents: A choice to look at more than just the biggest, most outrageous blockbuster action films of the year. Dramas can have good effects, too.

Third Star: Vision
In the best director category, we’ve got four nominees who are some of the most visionary directors of their generation: Darren Aronofsky, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, and David Fincher. I for one never thought Aronofsky would be an Oscar nominee, and though I wish it had come ten years earlier for Requiem for a Dream, I’m still thrilled for the opportunities this might open up for him. The Coens have already taken home this prize, but I’m never tired of seeing them recognized. Then there’s Fincher, who it looks like will finally win an Oscar.

That’s not to take away from Tom Hooper and David O. Russell. Hooper took material that could have been incredibly saccharine and turned it into a vision that’s smart and earns its emotional payoff. David O. Russell, on the other hand, is someone who’s no stranger to vision—Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees are terrific films that bear the mark of a true artist. The Fighter is more straightforward, but his direction shouldn’t be discounted, and I’m thrilled for what this nomination will do for his career, as well.

Nicole Kidman’s vision of a woman torn apart by tragedy in Rabbit Hole was astonishing and gut-wrenching. Her nomination was the best of what’s a great crop of recognized actors and actresses this year. I’m thrilled to see James Franco, Jesse Eisenberg, Jennifer Lawrence, Mark Ruffalo, and Amy Adams, among many others, acknowledged for their tremendous work.

Finally, there’s the vision that is 127 Hours. Danny Boyle’s picture floored me in oh so many ways. I hoped others would feel the same, and while the director’s vision was not nominated, the film picked up six nods, more than I anticipated.

There you have it. Was I happy with everything? No, of course not. But I’m happy for a whole lot today. And if you’re a film lover, you should be too.