Joy and Pain: The Movies Were Grim, but Winners Found Happiness in Their Characters’ Sadness
By Chris Vognar, The Dallas Morning News
Feb. 25–It was a bad year to mess with Texas at the Oscars.
A pair of films with Lone Star roots took home major Academy Awards, including best-picture winner No Country for Old Men, which was based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of carnage on the prairie.
Both No Country and There Will Be Blood, whose Daniel Day-Lewis was named best actor, took advantage of the barren West Texas landscape en route to Oscar glory. Marfa hasn’t gotten this much movie love since the days of Giant.
“Joel and I have been making stories with a movie camera since we were kids,” said Ethan Coen in accepting the award for best direction with his brother, making them the first siblings to win the award. “What we do now doesn’t feel that much different from what we did then.”
Both movies were part of a dauntingly dark year for the Oscars. The dueling tales of bloodthirsty avarice led the way with eight nominations apiece; No Country led all films with four wins, while There Will Be Blood won two.
The shadowy field presented Oscar voters with some unsavory choices.
Let’s see: Do we like the misanthropic oilman who destroys all in his path (Mr. Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood)? The psychopath with the nifty cattle-killing device (best supporting actor Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men)? The homicidal agro-chemical counsel (best supporting actress Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton)? Or maybe the three-hankie tragedy of unrequited love (Atonement, which settled for best score)?
As host Jon Stewart put it in a nod to the fifth best-picture nominee, Juno, “Thank God for teen pregnancy.”
Juno wasn’t among the night’s big winners, but it did land Diablo Cody in the winner’s circle for best original screenplay. Official records aren’t kept on such matters, but she was very likely the first former stripper — or, at least, publicly acknowledged former stripper — to take home an Oscar.
“I want to thank all of the writers, but especially my fellow nominees,” said an emotional Ms. Cody. “I learn from you every day. Most of all, I want to thank my family for loving me for exactly who I am.”
There was a time when we could legitimately look at Juno as the little film that could: spunky comedy, surprise nominee, boutique studio. But it was the only one of the five best-picture nominees to crack $100 million at the box office.
Not coincidentally, it’s also the only one that leaves you with a shred of hope for humanity.
Though many of the big favorites prevailed, the night wasn’t without surprises. The first came when Forest Whitaker read Marion Cotillard’s name as best actress. Ms. Cotillard was a powerhouse as the tragic Parisian singer Edith Piaf, but Julie Christie was considered the favorite for her performance as an Alzheimer’s patient finding a second love in Away From Her.
Even the winner seemed genuinely shocked.
“Thank you life. Thank you love,” gushed Ms. Cotillard. “It is true, there [are] some angels in this city.”
It was also a night of great parity. The Bourne Ultimatum, which wasn’t nominated for a single major award, walked off with three Oscars, the second most of the evening. Though spreading the wealth can lead to low ratings — more viewers tune in when a Lord of the Rings goliath lurks in the auditorium — it’s always fun to see an array of films represented.
As for the prevailing shadows, they’re not all bad. This year the academy decided to reward what it saw as art instead of commerce. Yes, the Oscars may be a little more fun when everyone has seen the big winners. Then again, now that they’ve won, maybe they can find the audiences they deserve.
—–
To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Dallas Morning News
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.