11 Oscar mistakes in my lifetime

I have been tinkering with this idea for awhile, and decided to just go ahead and publish it. There have been some questionable decisions by the voters in Oscar history, but I am going to highlight the films that have come out in my lifetime, and am only focusing on Best Picture. Some of these are purely Monday Morning Quarterback decisions, while some are validated by how the film has stood the test of time. Either way, these were mistakes that I will stand by and defend, although some may seem controversial. Let's start at my infancy and work toward the present.

1980 - Kramer vs Kramer. A remarkable film that showed a dark side of divorce that audiences hadn't seen before, and was really poignant in the context of where American family values were heading. However, Apocalypse Now is an absolute masterpiece that can't be compared. Perhaps the content was too graphic, and the subject matter too dark to fully appreciate at the time, but Coppola's harrowing vision of the bowels of Vietnam is visceral and frightening.

1981 - Ordinary People. Not to belittle this film about nothing more than a family struggling to cope with an untimely death, it was one of the more banal and uninteresting films to grace this list. This year should have been Scorcese's first Oscar with Raging Bull. To encapsulate the life of an aging boxer from start to finish, with perhaps the greatest physical transformation in cinema history by De Niro was an amazing feat. It was a daring movie, introducing audiences to the brazen violence that would become Scorcese's trademark, it pulled no punches, which is difficult for a boxing film.

1982 - Chariots of Fire. A truly heartwarming story of triumph over adversity. However, Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark came out this year and revolutionized the action film genre forever. We were introduced to a fictional hero of universal intrigue and esteem. A beloved hero worthy of Hollywood lore. For these reasons alone, Raiders should have broken the action film barrier and won the award.

1995 - Forrest Gump. Oscar did a commendable job through the later part of the 80's and the early 90's, but flubbed when it chose Gump. It was an epic dramedy, showcased some state of the art visual effects, and audiences loved it, but was it the best film of the year? No. Was it the second best film of the year? No. Quentin Tarantino hit the scene with his brilliant follow-up to Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction. It broke all of the rules of Hollywood, and incorporated obscure influences that revolutionized the independent film scene forever. The other film? Shawshank Redemption. Nearly 20 years later, it tops many critics list as the greatest film of all time. Outstanding all around, it should have been recognized at the time as the film of the year.

1997 - The English Patient. What is there to say about this film other than that it is terrible? Not a good choice in the slightest, and I'm not the only one who thinks that. Frequently cited as the worst best picture of all time, the Coen Brothers should have taken home thier first Best Picture award that year with Fargo. Quirky and dark, it had the cast and humor to lure audiences, hypnotize them and shock them with an unhappy ending.

1998 - Titanic. I have a hard time accepting that Titanic deserved a Best Picture, and Avatar didn't. This year, both LA Confidential and Good Will Hunting stormed the scene with reckless abandon, showing that writing and passion can make great film. People will argue that Titanic was, well, Titanic, but it was ultimately a disaster flick with good looking leads, and a $200 million budget.

1999 - Shakespeare in Love. My sentiments toward The English Patient can be repeated, although the runner up was much more deserving this year. Saving Private Ryan was a remarkably realistic look at World War II in a way that hadn't been done before, or since. It left the viewer with a flock of butterflies in the pit of his stomach, and was Spielberg at his finest. Shakespeare in Love? Just a decent film.

2002 - A Beautiful Mind. A great film, and a wonderful show of Crowe's acting, and Howard's direction. This is where my choices are a bit controversial. My contention is that for Peter Jackson's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, the initial installment, the Fellowship of the Ring, was the best of the three. It laid the groundwork for the conclusion that was exceptional, but not the best of the three. Obviously the awards bestowed on Return of the King were mostly for the entire body of work, but without Fellowship, Return of the King would not have been considered the masterpiece it is.

2003 - Chicago. This is perhaps the year that gave me the idea to make this list in the first place. Chicago was cool and clever, but in competition with Gangs of New York and Road to Perdition, it was not worthy of Best Picture. Road to Perdition is one of the most underrated films of the decade. Paul Newman's last feature length live action film portrays an old, conflicted man, and the collage of Tom Hanks, Daniel Craig, and Jude Law beautifully stirred by the magical hand of Sam Mendes is truly one of the most overlooked films around.

2004 - Return of the King. See 2002. Return of the King was emotionally charged, but due more in part to the enormity of the trilogy than the final installment. Mystic River was an exceptional film by Clint Eastwood that crossed the line of revenge and friendship in a haunting way. Sean Penn won his first Oscar for the film, and Tim Robbins one as well, and it was truly the best movie of the year.

2006 - Crash. Contrived and manipulative, Crash was a formulaic mosaic of cliche scenarios that came together in what was critically acclaimed, but in actuality was just an overhyped police drama. Much like Pay it Forward, the film was created with the intention of winning awards, which as we all know, isn't typically the way to win awards. The film that broke barriers in the most beautiful way possible was Brokeback Mountain. Ang Lee tackled a project that no other director would have been brave enough to take on, and Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall were cinematic magic. It is a shame that Brokeback Mountain wasn't more recognized for the artistic gem that it is.

Well, that's my list. I would love to hear what your thoughts are in response.

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids doesn't quite encapsulate the general them of the movie. A better title would be Kristen Wiig, comic genius.

In line with The Wedding Singer, and Wedding Crashers, Bridesmaids is perhaps the best wedding comedy I have ever seen. Kristen Wiig writes and stars in this film about a Maid of Honor who feels like she is losing her best friend, and whose life is falling apart piece by piece. She hates her job at a jewelry store, since her bakery went out of business, and her love life is dysfunctional, thanks to a comedic side of Jon Hamm we haven't seen nearly often enough.

Filled with raunchy jokes, and sharp, yet often disgusting dialogue, Bridesmaids is The Hangover for women, but the content is spliced nicely between the romantic woman wedding porn generally reserved for romantic comedies, and the typical fart jokes that men love.

The ensemble cast is wonderful, with alums from SNL, the Office, Reno 911, and other sitcoms. No true movie star graces the screen, but that's what makes it work nicely. The highlight of the film has to be Megan, the Zack Galifinakis character of the group, played by Melissa McCarthy. Given hilarious dialogue, she lightens up the screen with her presence, and owns the "fat girl" role. Coincidentally, she is Jenny McCarthy's cousin. Fun little fact.

The film of course, belongs to Kristen Wiig, who is arguably the funniest woman in entertainment. This film is a wonderful rebound some of the lesser parts she has played, and finally puts her into the leading lady category. She is an attractive woman, to go with her savvy and sharp comedic timing and tongue. She'll be around for awhile, and I would expect that she will have more highs and lows in film, as so many SNL alumni do when making their initial transition, but she brings an energy to everything she does that is undeniable.

The film straddles pure comedy and romantic, which is clearly indicative of the creative minds, as well as the intended audience. It's a smart move, but one which also creates gaps in the fluidity of the film. It reminds me of some of the more cliche comedies of the 80's and 90's with its story arc of pity, comedy, romance.

However, there are a handful of scenes that are gut-busting funny. The uncomfortably long Maid of Honor speech at the engagement dinner, the airplane scene, and Wiig trying to get a State Trooper's attention by driving by him multiple times and in multiple ways.

The character development is one of the reasons why the film seems so long. It could have been trimmed by 20-30 minutes easily, but the viewer develops a sort of attachment to Wiig's character through the slow times of the film, causing the audience to truly empathize with her barrage of hits, and her resilience to overcome her adversity, as trivial as it may be.

It is a fun movie, plain and simple, and more well done for a comedy than anything in recent memory. I can't say enough about how well this cast was put together, and how naturally each played his or her role.

I would recommend this movie as a great comedy start for the summer season, it is truly a good time at the theatre, and there are some extended laugh out loud moments, so make sure you use the restroom before you sit down. 8/10.

Thor

Kenneth Branagh has never been more than a Shakespeare aficionado who has directed some truly remarkable interpretations of the Bard's works, but he is trying something a little different. He takes the plunge into full-on Hollywood Blockbuster territory at the helm of Marvel's latest superhero flick, Thor.

Thor is the god of thunder, son of Odin, who is set to inherit the throne of Asgard, which is the protecting kingdome of the nine realms (still with me?). Thor however, is a warrior through and through, and is bent on getting revenge on the evil frost giants, a race of tall ice monsters who wronged his people once upon a time. Thor manages to get himself banished from the kingdom after making some rash decisions, and his conniving brother, Loki (god of mischief) takes control.

Meanwhile, on Earth, unbelievably hot physicist Jane Foster, played by Portman, stumbles upon some cosmic disturbances in New Mexico, only to run right into Thor. Romance ensues, battle to bring peace to Asgard, and the fight for humanity prevail.

The story itself isn't anything special, and the effects aren't anything we haven't seen before. However, this film has a certain fun feel to it that has been missing from the past couple of Marvel flicks. Reminiscent of the first Iron Man, this reminds us all why we go to movies in the summertime. To be entertained.

Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman headline with Anthony Hopkins rising from the Hollywood dead to play the greatest of all Norse gods. Hemsworth is exactly what you would expect Thor to look like, with the long blonde hair, scruffy beard, and chiseled physique. His acting is quite natural, and the dialogue is so sharp, that it almost looks too easy (for everyone). Hopkins owns the screen as Odin, but Hemsworth is captivating in every way. He was born to play this part, and flexes he chops as much as his muscles throughout the saga.

I saw this in 3D IMAX, and I have to say, since Avatar, there have been attempts at cinematic magic, but they have for the most part failed (animated films excluded). The 3D camerawork in Thor seems much more natural, and less forced or gimmicky. Most of the time, I actually forgot that the film was in 3D, which is a testament to Branagh's vision.

To keep the Marvel storyline and connections alive, there is a subtle and unannounced introduction of the newest Avenger, Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner. If you blink, you almost don't even notice, but he has been confirmed as a part of the much anticipated ensemble culmination, the Avengers. If past Marvel films have been any indicator, we can look forward to Hawkeye being the next hero singled out for his own film franchise.

I continue to be impressed by the network of stories and characters being developed in this superhero universe. They have taken each one individually and meticulously crafted a pure entertainment ride, although each has a fresh and unique feel. I am looking forward to Captain America as the next release, although the X-Men films are also spawning origins stories in a parallel, disconnected universe, and there will likely be many of them over the course of the next few years as well.

I would put my money on Marvel, they will be a Hollywood studio titan within 10 years. With endless material and characters to develop, the American audience just isn't getting tired of the genre anytime soon (Spiderman reboot, Superman reboot, The Dark Knight Rises).

With today's computer technology, anything is possible with a camera and a green screen. Look to these films to be the pioneers of the next generation of film. Seamless integration of live and CGI work, and fast, frenetic action with traditional themes.

I enjoyed this film more than I thought, and can't imagine anyone but Hemsworth wielding the hammer Mjollnir. Good start to the summer season. Looking forward to the others. 8/10.