Article for Hanover Post13February 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ACADEMY AWARDS – READ THE MOVIE
Well, for some of us the Academy Awards is a bit like Hallowe’en: lots of great costumes, familiar faces looking way different than usual, some thrills … and some scary bits. And, like Hallowe’en, at the Oscars sometimes the cleverest or most original efforts aren’t those that get all the attention.
Looking at the Oscars over the last eight decades, it’s fascinating to see who’s gotten what, and trends in movie-making and their reflection of western Culture. And it’s interesting to see how many non-winners have retained a place in cultural history… sometimes far beyond the shelf life of the winners.
There is a natural connection between books, plays and movies, both classic and contemporary. From Robin Hood(Durham Branch) to Gone With the Wind(Durham) and Les Miserables(Durham, Ayton), to Silence of the Lambs (Durham), Forrest Gump (Elmwood) and the Lord of the Rings’ multiple franchise (Durham, Elmwood, Neustadt), Hollywood knows more about literature – and trashy novels – than we sometimes give them credit for.
And it’s pretty interesting to see an era’s zeitgeist through the nominations. In 1970, for example, when the Viet Nam war, protests and sexual liberation made the headlines, the nominations for Best Picture were pretty depressing – aside from Barbra Streisand’s vanity musicalHello Dolly – including Anne of the Thousand Days, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Midnight Cowboy and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. (Midnight Cowboy took it.)
And it’s a real eye-opener to look at a listing of what DIDN’T win. In 1976, Rocky took the Best Picture Oscar, beating out, among others,All the President's Men, Networkand Taxi Driver– pretty stellar company. And in 1948, Best Picture went to Gentleman's Agreement (?), over Great Expectations, Miracle on 34th Street, Life with Father and The Bishop’s Wife (any one of which would have had my vote).
I guess it’s like the old saying: don’t judge a book by its cover – or by its awards. Or maybe it’s a bit of Shakespeare’s wisdom that could work for both Hallowe’en and the Oscars: 'Tis now the very witching time of night.
For more Oscar-related books and DVDs, contact your local West Grey, branch: Durham (519-369-2107), Elmwood (519-363-3321), Ayton (519-665-2342) or Neustadt (519-799-5830).
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