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Will hollywood snub passion or fahrenheit 911 Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
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Will Oscar Listen?
'Fahrenheit 9/11' and 'The Passion' were the most electrifying movies of the year. Will Hollywood honor one—or snub the other—to make a point?
By Sean Smith
Newsweek
Oct. 25 issue - Millions of people surely believe that Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" and Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" deserve best-picture Oscar nominations. Unfortunately, most of them don't vote for the Academy Awards. Despite shattering box-office records and dominating headlines for months, these two films face real obstacles in the race for Hollywood's top prize. Of the many high-placed studio executives, producers, Oscar strategists, publicists and Academy members interviewed for this story, most think that "Fahrenheit's" chances depend on the results of the presidential election, and all say that a "Passion" best-picture nod is almost unthinkable. Hollywood, with its Jewish roots, did not experience "The Passion" as a transcendent religious and emotional event, as so many other viewers did. Some haven't forgiven Gibson for even making the film, let alone forgotten his father, Hutton, and his inflammatory statements about the history of the Jews. "I'll tell you why 'The Passion' won't be nominated," snaps one industry executive. "Happily, there are too many people in the Academy who believe the Holocaust actually happened."
While the rest of the country forked over $370 million to see "The Passion"—making it the highest-grossing foreign-language film, religious film and Gibson film ever—many within the industry did not, out of protest either over its alleged anti-Semitism, its explicit violence or Gibson's refusal to disavow his father. "A lot of older Academy voters, who are largely Jewish, refuse to even see this movie," says one Oscar-campaign vet. "There's a level of animosity toward this film that is very real. When I talk to the members, I hear it over and over and over again." Complicating matters, says one exec, is the sense, fair or not, that Gibson marketed the film as something Hollywood couldn't, or wouldn't, make. "It's a little weird to trash the establishment, and then to come knocking at the establishment's door during awards season."
Should "The Passion" get shut out, the Academy could be in for a PR nightmare. There's concern that some Christians could protest and—worst-case scenario—boycott the Oscars. "The born-agains will come out screaming that it's another case of censorship," says one source. "The whole Sodom and Gomorrah thing about Hollywood will come up again." The good news is that a complete snub of the film is unlikely. While the best-picture nominees are chosen by all Academy members, and therefore favor films that have broad appeal, nominations for most of the other categories are picked only by members of each discipline. Only actors nominate actors, for instance. Jim Caviezel could conceivably get a best-actor nod, and voters who have issues with the content of Gibson's film may still tip their hats to its art direction and cinematography.
Moore's "Fahrenheit" is facing an entirely different problem. Its anti-Bush, antiwar content plays like gangbusters in liberal Hollywood, but even people who love it wonder if it rises to the level of artistry and timelessness worthy of a best-picture nomination. "Even if they think Moore's the modern equivalent of Thomas Paine," says one executive, "that doesn't mean they think it's great filmmaking." The movie was considered almost certain to win the best-documentary Oscar until Moore decided he would rather broadcast the movie on pay-per-view television the night before the election, making it ineligible in that category, and put his chips on a best-picture bid instead. "It's thumbing your nose at a sure thing," says one rival. "Even I don't have that much gall." If Moore's gamble pays off, it could become the first documentary in history to get a best-picture nomination. It's already the highest-grossing doc ever—$119 million—and sold $4.7 million in DVDs its first week of release.
Most insiders believe its fate is inextricably tied to the election—but they can't agree on whether a Bush or a Kerry win helps Moore the most. "If John Kerry wins, 'Fahrenheit' gets nominated," says one exec. "Then it becomes 'the movie that changed the course of American history,' and the perception will be that Moore contributed to Bush's loss." Or not. "Its chances are zero if Kerry wins, because then the protest is over and everybody feels better," says another source. And, says one Academy member, "If Kerry loses, it gets nominated as a big 'f-- you' to Bush."
Lions Gate, which distributed the film after Disney forbade Miramax from releasing it, will be running the movie's Oscar campaign. Mention the above comments to Lions Gate president Tom Ortenberg, and he laughs. "We don't think its award possibilities are affected by the election at all," he says. "And based on what you just said, I'm guessing we're right." But will the Academy and the public be so sick of politics after Nov. 2 that the film will lose its sense of urgency? "The urgency may abate a bit," Ortenberg allows. "But the film had such an impact on people, the way it touched them will not disappear or dissipate." And at least one high-placed studio source thinks the fact that Disney CEO Michael Eisner blocked Miramax from distributing the film may give voters an additional incentive. "A vote for this is a vote against Eisner, and that's... appealing."
One reason there's so much chatter about "Passion" and "Fahrenheit" now is the lack, so far, of other solid contenders for best picture. "As each new movie is unveiled, their chances get better," says one source. "At least if one of them gets nominated, we might all wake up long enough to care about the Academy Awards. So far, this year feels like a real snoozefest."
Major nominations for Gibson's film could send ratings for the Oscar telecast to levels not seen since the year "Titanic" won. Even if it doesn't, at least one Academy member secretly hopes "The Passion" does make it into the final five. "I just want to see the musical number," he says. And if that's not must-see TV, what is?
© 2004 Newsweek, Inc.
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