Academy needs to open its mind

March 21, 2011 — by Tim Rollinson

Film is an art that builds upon itself. Each innovation accelerates the industry and brings about new changes. With recent developments in technologies, it seems that the film industry is bursting into the future. It’s about time the Academy caught up.

Film is an art that builds upon itself. Each innovation accelerates the industry and brings about new changes. With recent developments in technologies, it seems that the film industry is bursting into the future. It’s about time the Academy caught up.

At this year’s Oscars on Feb. 27 it seemed as though the award givers were content with remaining in the middle of the last century while the industry pressed on. The Best Picture, Best Director, Best Leading Actor, and Best Original Screenplay Awards all went to “The King’s Speech,” a historical drama. While the film was praised by audiences and critics alike, it was once again the safe pick for the Academy, which largely snubbed films like “Inception,” “127 Hours,” and “The Kids Are All Right.”

Director Christopher Nolan was left out of the category of Best Director; he was also passed over for films “Memento” and “The Dark Knight” at previous Oscars. Nolan introduced amazing innovations in “Inception” and his absence from the list of nominees was considered by many to be the largest atrocity of the Awards.

Nolan’s night took another turn for the worse when he lost out to “The King’s Speech” in Best Original Screenplay. “Inception” was without a doubt the most creative and intriguing story, but apparently those hoping for a win were only dreaming.

Similarly, co-host and actor James Franco of “127 Hours” was passed over in favor of Collin Firth, from “The King’s Speech.” While the Academy chose Franco and fellow co-host Anne Hathaway to host the show in order to make it more youthful and exciting, instead of giving this weak consolation prize, maybe the Academy should more seriously consider young actors like Franco or Jesse Eisenberg, who played the part of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg incredibly in “The Social Network.”

Sticking to tradition, all major awards went to R-rated dramas, leaving equally qualified films like the animated “Toy Story 3” and comedy “The Kids Are All Right” to be doomed to the lesser categories. Annete Benning, who starred in “The Kids Are All Right” as an overbearing lesbian mother, was thought to be a dark horse in the Best Actress category, but the award predictably went to Natalie Portman, who played a ballet dancer in the drama “Black Swan.”

The Academy is given a difficult task in choosing from every film and determining only a single winner in each category, but it seems as though a formulaic pattern has developed in which only certain films can take home the gold. A memorable quote from the character Eames in “Inception” seems to be an appropriate statement to the current members of the Academy: “You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger.”

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