..Gary Dretzka
..Noah Forrest
..Leonard Klady
..R.J. Matson
..David Poland
..Douglas Pratt
..Ray Pride
..Michael Wilmington

Week Nineteen - 10 Days to Go
Dead Horse Beating 101

The wrap-up, now ten days away from "the envelope please," of the 2006/07 season really isn't about the movies. It's about the frou-frou. It's about the media plays that failed, the "Oscar bloggers" who had less to do this year than in most, the flight of the Dartees, the laid-back success at Warner Bros, the producers who get Oscars (word has it that all five Little Miss Sunshine producers will be allowed to take the stage at the Kodak if the film wins, by anointment of the Oscar powers that be), the three nominations that Dreamgirls didn't get, and far too few stories to go around.

But what about the movies?

Well, everyone liked something. Generally, the hate levels were down. And while nothing particularly unexpected is expected a week from Sunday, there really isn't much opportunity for anything remarkable to happen.

Really… think hard. I know that the Royal You will be royally thrilled if your personal favorite wins a major award or two. But what could possibly happen this year that would blow the roof off the place? The Departed could win along with Marty… but it's been so about Marty that the occurrence would be "nice." Little Miss Sunshine could win Best Picture and Best Screenplay… nice. Babel could win Best Picture and Best Score. The Queen could win Actress, Screenplay and… nice. If Letters From Iwo Jima wins anything, it will be a bit of a surprise… but where is the constituency for the film in a nation that hasn't seen the film?

It will be a nice Oscar ceremony. The biggest danger is that Laura Ziskin will overproduce the show, chasing an audience of under-30s who wouldn't know to tune in if there was something remotely hip worth watching.

You want a starter list for next year? Here you go ...

Charlie Wilson's War, Che, Elizabeth 2: The Golden Age, Things We Lost In The Fire, The Savages, American Gangster, Margaret, Sweeney Todd, Love In the Time Of Cholera, Reservation Road, The Kite Runner, The Other Boleyn Girl, Youth Without Youth, Synecdoche, New York, Lust, Caution, The Feast Of Love, The Brave One, Margot At The Wedding, Eastern Promises ...

… and I didn't even look that hard.

But 2007 may well be remembered as the year that the Academy unjumped the shark, which is to say, the indulgence of The Season may actually be ready to hit the rear view mirror. Of course, this doesn't mean that people who smell the potential of victory won't still lose their mind every year, spending more money chasing a statue than they will ever net on the movie. But for all that is wrong with the system and for all that will always be wrong with this high school beauty contest… the event seems to have forgotten about promoting itself this year and people just voted for movies and performances and work they liked. Short on love… big on like.

Maybe next year only 75% of the contending films will hire the Dartees, suddenly aware that only Cynthia Swartz' favorite (see Crash, The Queen) will actually get a Best Picture nod out of the hire. Maybe Tony Angellotti will get a reputation for good-mouthing movies. Perhaps Michele Robertson will have a karma reversal, though I don't know why she would. Maybe Terry Press will be the hot new consultant in town, a Jet to the Dartees' Sharks. Could Lisa Taback push Harvey or Sony back into the Oscar winner's circle? Perhaps Karen Fried will see what it's like when Focus actually has a movie that could work. Could Murray and Ronni and Nadia do anything but keep delivering for their myriad clients? Will Block-Korenbrat and MPRM and BWR merge to make MMBBRKWRR?

And will Alan Nierob leave Mel Gibson after Mel goes on the wagon and starts attending schul? Can Tom Terrific rehabilitate himself? Is John Travolta in a dress just a little too much information? Will Viacom A and Viacom B finally get back together for the sake of the kids? Will Benecio del Toro be next year's mortal lock for Best Actor? Can Johnny sing? Can Cate Blanchett finally win Best Actress for playing another Queen Elizabeth, her second time at bat?

These are the important questions… right?

Or perhaps we should all spend the next week prepping to really enjoy Oscar night the way we haven't in a while… a celebration of good movies and good people with a lot of talent. Who wins? Who cares? It's a joy just to be there!

Sure, there will be some sleepless nights for the poor schlubs (neither poor nor schlubs) who actually have to worry about getting up and making speeches… or worse, not getting up and not making speeches.

Me? I'll enjoy the prospect of falling in love all over again. Bitch and moan all I want, it's the love that keeps bringing me back, the hatred in the media that makes me sorry I did, and the movies that linger on that keep reminding me… I was right in the first place. And that's all that really matters.

The Charts
Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Screenplay
Best Director

Week Sixteen: And Now For Something You'll Really Like .. Again
Week Fifteen: Pow!!(er)
Week Fouteen: Everything Old Is Neew Again
Week Thirteen: Outside Looking In
Week Eleven The Great Settling
Week Ten: The Search For Meaning
Week Nine: Inside Out
Week Eight: The Season That Couldn't Shoot Straight
Week Six: Dreamgirls Wake
Week Five: Isn't It Romantic?
Week Four: The Rules - Episode One
Week Three: Channel #2
Week Two: Hope Floats
Week One: Ready, Steady ... Gold, Cat, Gold!
The August 11 Preview

- Email David Poland