shrinking oscar down to size

Oscar Night. At one point in my life it was a very exciting evening, but after too many years of my favorite films, actors and directors getting passed over in favour of the lastest film portraying the life of a terminally ill man, or some actor doing his best imitation of a mentally challenged person. It seems any departure from an actor's normal role or behaviour is immediate grounds for an Oscar win. Well I have an idea, how about an entire world that is a departure from the typical setting? Star Wars, probably the defining moment for a generation of Sci-Fi fans, lost to what, Annie Hall? And Sir Alec Guinness, one of the finest and most dignified actors to ever grace the screen was not given an Oscar for his Obi-Wan Kenobi performance. The man is an accomplished stage actor, yet completely humbles himself for the role of Obi-Wan and played it with such class and genuine charm, only to be denied at the 1978 Oscars.

Indeed, the 11 Oscar wins of The Return of the King brought about some very mixed emotions from yours truly. I never actually watched the show yesterday, mostly because I was preoccupied with getting my ass handed to me in The Sands of Time. Besides, everyone should know by now it's a forum for the political leaning of the day, or where some windbag of a sound editor gets to thank his fourth grade science teacher in his laundry list of a speech. So like everyone else I saw the results in the news today, and I am ecstatically happy for Mr. Jackson. Nevertheless, a part of me can't help but view this victory cynically, and brush off these token awards. Completely sweeping all 11 categories for which it was nominated was a grand feat, on the same scale as the Battle of Minas Tirith. But why for the past two years were Fellowship and The Two Towers neglected? Return of the King was a great film, but not the best as I've noted before. The answer is simple, really: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences knew that the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was an accomplishment unmatched by any production in recent years, and to ignore it once again, after the final act even, would be an embarrassment to the industry. Everyone clearly recognizes that the movies were fantastic, regardless of its genre, and so to avoid the risk of seeming out of date (which the Academy usually is) they handed out the awards almost apologetically.

Even Mr. Jackson's reaction to the whole affair was seemingly one of indifference. He knows what he has done. He has created new fans of the series (and even subject - it is said that the Fantasy genre is finally being tapped for its long dormant potential), and reaffirmed the adoration that existing fans have had for the timeless story. Getting formal recognition for the Lord of the Rings is almost trivial; he already has the fan credibility and public acceptance in hand. What's a bunch of gold statues as well?