I’ve been holding a bitter grudge against the Weinsteins for nine years. It all started when Shakespeare in Love pranced away with the 1998 Oscar for Best Film thanks to a marketing coup, “stealing” it from Saving Private Ryan– a film which actually meant something. I know it’s frivolous. I just can’t shake the injustice- which makes news items like this warm the cockles of my petty heart.
In the midst of a robust awards season and on the eve of a wide release, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reversed its decision to allow The Weinstein Company’s Arthur and the Invisibles into the animated film category. Something about 75% of the film needing to be animated to qualify. Wha? An animation qualification dependant on animation? What kind of mischief will the Academy pull next? (Take that, Weinsteins.)
Back in the reality that exists outside my silly vendetta, however, this decision probably won’t matter a bit to the steam-gathering Weinstein juggernaut, who have bigger, Bobby and Beatrix Potter shaped fish to fry. The real disappointment undoubtedly comes to Luc Besson (I’m telling you, the guy is everywhere) and company– especially with the wide release of Arthur this weekend receiving a critical ass-slapping. Ah, well. There’s always France, where the film is raking in the kiddies and all kinds of cash.
Arthur’s snub aside, the Academy’s wishy-washing also bodes poorly for other eligible films in the category. See, the inclusion of Arthur and the Invisibles made 16 animation eligibilities and thus five nominations. With its removal, 15 are now eligible, which reduces the nominations to three.
Sorry, Ice Age 2.