St. Vincent Biggest Oscar Snub of 2015
The Academy has lost all credibility in my book. I’m starting to think all the Oscar voters are blind.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sunk to new lows in its continued condemnation of comedy and, specifically, Bill Murray. St. Vincent was easily the best film I saw in 2014. I wept the first time I saw it. I’ve seen it three times now, and I still cry at the end. Yet the Academy didn’t bother to nominate Murray or St. Vincent for anything — not a damn thing.
Bill Murray gives an impeccable performance as Vin, a Vietnam vet down on his luck and losing his wife to Alzheimer’s who babysits a new neighbor’s son. He not only plays a magnificent asshole but also gives a perfect portrayal of a man recovering from a stroke — learning to speak and use his extremities all over again. A spiteful man, Vin still manages to mentor the boy and have a positive impact on the people around him. Both Melissa McCarthy and Jaeden Lieberher give great performances, as does Naomi Watts as a Russian lady of the night.
The movie is comedic, but it’s also incredibly dramatic, especially in the final five minutes. It’s better than Lost in Translation and on par with Groundhog Day.
The Academy didn’t even pick the best war movie of the year. Fury was an absolute event in theaters. Brad Pitt, Shia Lebeouf, and Logan Lerman all should have received nominations for acting, but Clint Eastwood hangs with all those old Oscar voters who love patriotic propaganda – not to say Fury isn’t patriotic propaganda, but at least it’s not sending the message that the War on Terror should continue, which is what I feel American Sniper does.
The guy who wrote American Sniper died attempting to help a fellow veteran struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. You know what he thought would be therapeutic? Firing guns at a shooting range. The veteran he attempted to help killed him and his friend. That’s almost as bad as making Matthew McConaughey’s character in Dallas Buyers Club a homophobic cowboy to appease a Conservative audience. He was not homophobic, according to people who knew him, and was quite possibly gay.
One thing the Academy got right this year was nominating Michael Keaton for his portrayal of Birdman, the first big comic book movie hero turned broke stage actor. Keaton’s role is wonderfully ironic given the fact he created the comic book movie frenzy with Batman. If he loses to Bradley Cooper I’ll never watch another Academy Awards show. Ed Norton’s nomination for best supporting actor was also deserved, and although I haven’t seen it, JK Simmons’ nomination for Whiplash is probably warranted.
