Everyone has been asking me for my take on the Oscars and
although I wasn’t planning to blog post-Oscar, I decided I would give the people
what they want. I don’t have a lot to
say because astonishingly everyone and everything I wanted to win actually
won. This by the way has never happened
before - ever.
It is quite amazing that all four acting awards and Best
Picture went to independent films. That is definitely an optimistic statement for the present and near future of
film making. There is a contingent of the industry that is still dominated by
big budget studio blockbusters with little artistic substance. However – there’s a current wave of smaller films
made possible by wealthy and powerful individuals who believe in the projects
and the filmmakers. In 2013, these
people included Brad Pitt (12 Years a Slave), Megan Ellison (Her & American
Hustle) and visionary producers like Cassian Elwes, who took a risk on a
project like Dallas Buyers Club after it had been passed on dozens of
times.
Also - I find it wonderfully ironic that Matthew McConaughey
received the highest honor in the industry for probably the smallest paycheck
of his career. Dallas Buyers Club was
made for 5 million dollars so nobody made a lot of money up front. But its critical success and 3 Oscars will
help it earn a lot more in DVD sales and beyond.
I am glad that the days of one movie sweeping the Oscars
seem to be behind us. Now it’s about the
work and spreading the wealth – and that’s a very good thing.
