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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2021 12:44:36 GMT
What is the most pretentious Oscar Bait film you’ve ever seen?
Criteria:
A film that was made by an acclaimed director and/or with an acclaimed cast (or headliner) with a release during award season. Intended to be an Oscar contender, and it turned out terrible?
I’d say “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (2011)
Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock
9/11 Serious Drama. Falls so flat on it’s face.
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Post by Popeye Doyle on Feb 5, 2021 12:56:22 GMT
Radio (2003)
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Post by kolchak92 on Feb 5, 2021 13:03:27 GMT
Haven't actually seen it, but I'd say the 2006 remake of All The King's Men would qualify. A remake of a previous Best Picture winner, written and directed by the A-list screenwriter of Schindler's List and Gangs of New York and featuring Sean Penn, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, Patricia Clarkson, Kate Winslet and James Gandolfini. The movie wound up being a critical and financial dud.
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Post by kolchak92 on Feb 5, 2021 13:05:58 GMT
The trailer for it looks like something out of Tropic Thunder.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2021 13:50:19 GMT
Cuba Gooding Jr. is a good actor, but damn this feels like an SNL sketch of Black Forrest Gump. It shows just how amazing Tom Hanks did toeing that line in Forrest Gump. |
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Post by kolchak92 on Feb 5, 2021 13:55:09 GMT
Cuba Gooding Jr. is a good actor, but damn this feels like an SNL sketch of Black Forrest Gump. It shows just how amazing Tom Hanks did toeing that line in Forrest Gump. I've always felt like Forrest Gump was a pretentious Oscar bait movie that actually won the Oscars.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2021 14:35:49 GMT
Cuba Gooding Jr. is a good actor, but damn this feels like an SNL sketch of Black Forrest Gump. It shows just how amazing Tom Hanks did toeing that line in Forrest Gump. I've always felt like Forrest Gump was a pretentious Oscar bait movie that actually won the Oscars. It’s in my top 10 favorite films of all time. And part of that is Tom Hanks understanding how to play the part correctly. When to make jokes (his comedy background) but also dramatic ability. There are very few actors who can pull this off. You’re either fully engrossed in the drama, and you take it seriously... or you’re fully engrossed in the comedy. When people try to tiptoe that line, it’s usually a mess and feels fake or unearned. I’d say Bill Murray in Groundhog Day and Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump are the best examples of how to play Drama, Comedy, Romance, Pretty much an entire range and do it convincingly. They originally wanted Chevy Chase to play Forrest Gump. That would have ruined the film. |
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Post by kolchak92 on Feb 5, 2021 14:38:49 GMT
I've always felt like Forrest Gump was a pretentious Oscar bait movie that actually won the Oscars. It’s in my top 10 favorite films of all time. And part of that is Tom Hanks understanding how to play the part correctly. When to make jokes (his comedy background) but also dramatic ability. There are very few actors who can pull this off. You’re either fully engrossed in the drama, and you take it seriously... or you’re fully engrossed in the comedy. When people try to tiptoe that line, it’s usually a mess and feels fake or unearned. I’d say Bill Murray in Groundhog Day and Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump are the best examples of how to play Drama, Comedy, Romance, Pretty much an entire range and do it convincingly. They originally wanted Chevy Chase to play Forrest Gump. That would have ruined the film. I mean, I still like the movie, don't get me wrong. I find it pretentious in sort of a loveable way if that makes any sense.
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Post by vegalyra on Feb 5, 2021 14:52:40 GMT
I can’t remember when it was released but Collateral Beauty comes to mind. Definitely felt like it was made solely to win awards which it failed.
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Post by Mulder and Scully on Feb 5, 2021 15:47:08 GMT
I've always felt like Forrest Gump was a pretentious Oscar bait movie that actually won the Oscars. It’s in my top 10 favorite films of all time. And part of that is Tom Hanks understanding how to play the part correctly. When to make jokes (his comedy background) but also dramatic ability. There are very few actors who can pull this off. You’re either fully engrossed in the drama, and you take it seriously... or you’re fully engrossed in the comedy. When people try to tiptoe that line, it’s usually a mess and feels fake or unearned. I’d say Bill Murray in Groundhog Day and Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump are the best examples of how to play Drama, Comedy, Romance, Pretty much an entire range and do it convincingly. They originally wanted Chevy Chase to play Forrest Gump. That would have ruined the film. It also helps that Tom Hanks didn't go full retard. |
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Post by marianne48 on Feb 5, 2021 16:01:02 GMT
One of the worst I've seen: Grand Canyon(1991). The cinematic equivalent of that bunch of celebrities solemnly singing "Imagine" together on Zoom in the early days of the pandemic. A bunch of Hollywood/L.A. types impart their wisdom on the meaning of life; we know their every statement is profound because the camera closes in on them, and lofty music is heard, whenever they begin to pontificate. Then they all go visit the Grand Canyon at the end of the movie and make pronouncements about how vast the site is, and how little they are in comparison (more grandiose music). Wow, I guess nobody's ever realized that about the Grand Canyon until this movie came along. Siskel and Ebert went predictably crazy over it, but that couldn't prevent audiences from staying away in droves (except for people like me who went to see it based on S & E). After the film flopped, Lawrence Kasdan blamed audiences for being too dim to understand it. I remember he said something about "Civilians [audiences] just didn't get it." If audiences are civilians, I guess he thinks of the showbiz crowd as soldiers in the war of high culture, or something.
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Post by kolchak92 on Feb 5, 2021 16:04:21 GMT
One of the worst I've seen: Grand Canyon(1991). The cinematic equivalent of that bunch of celebrities solemnly singing "Imagine" together on Zoom in the early days of the pandemic. A bunch of Hollywood/L.A. types impart their wisdom on the meaning of life; we know their every statement is profound because the camera closes in on them, and lofty music is heard, whenever they begin to pontificate. Then they all go visit the Grand Canyon at the end of the movie and make pronouncements about how vast the site is, and how little they are in comparison (more grandious music). Wow, I guess nobody's ever realized that about the Grand Canyon until this movie came along. Siskel and Ebert went predictably crazy over it, but that couldn't prevent audiences from staying away in droves (except for people like me who went to see it based on S & E). After the film flopped, Lawrence Kasdan blamed audiences for being too dim to understand it. I remember he said something about "Civilians [audiences] just didn't get it." If audiences are civilians, I guess he thinks of the showbiz crowd as soldiers in the war of high culture, or something. I remember a few people compared Crash (2005) to Grand Canyon. It does sound kind of similar actually. I don't believe Crash was a bad film however as most do.
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Post by DanaShelbyChancey on Feb 5, 2021 16:09:52 GMT
One of the worst I've seen: Grand Canyon(1991). The cinematic equivalent of that bunch of celebrities solemnly singing "Imagine" together on Zoom in the early days of the pandemic. A bunch of Hollywood/L.A. types impart their wisdom on the meaning of life; we know their every statement is profound because the camera closes in on them, and lofty music is heard, whenever they begin to pontificate. Then they all go visit the Grand Canyon at the end of the movie and make pronouncements about how vast the site is, and how little they are in comparison (more grandious music). Wow, I guess nobody's ever realized that about the Grand Canyon until this movie came along. Siskel and Ebert went predictably crazy over it, but that couldn't prevent audiences from staying away in droves (except for people like me who went to see it based on S & E). After the film flopped, Lawrence Kasdan blamed audiences for being too dim to understand it. I remember he said something about "Civilians [audiences] just didn't get it." If audiences are civilians, I guess he thinks of the showbiz crowd as soldiers in the war of high culture, or something. Grand Canyon had one of the best opening scenes I have ever seen. Kevin Kline in a bad neighborhood and Danny Glover rescuing him. Everything that came after was ordinary. When I saw it I kept waiting for it to get that good again, but it didn't.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Feb 5, 2021 16:10:25 GMT
Shining Through.
It was made as Oscar bait initially but the poor audience ratings killed the buzz. It ended up winning the Razzie for Worst Picture.
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Post by DanaShelbyChancey on Feb 5, 2021 16:18:55 GMT
This question reminds me of being at a friend's house for a Movie Night. They rented Stanley & Iris, starring Jane Fonda & Robert Deniro, directed by Martin Ritt, 1990.
As it went on, I remarked laughing, "If this was released in the 70's, it would have been nominated for Best Picture, Actor, Actress, all the big Oscars." It checked all the boxes, small town, middle-aged romance, man who can't read and woman who teaches him. Obligatory scene with him giving her a ride on his bike, set to music.
This kind of thing was very popular at one time, but by 1990 was made too late. It got no noms at all, or any kind of award.
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Post by politicidal on Feb 5, 2021 17:20:17 GMT
That Will Smith movie Collateral Beauty. The one which seemed like it had this magical realism quality until reviews revealed that Will Smith's friends are trying to make him look crazy by hiring actors to represent different abstract concepts he's been writing letters to since Smith is still grieving about his dead daughter. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2021 17:47:24 GMT
That Will Smith movie Collateral Beauty. The one which seemed like it had this magical realism quality until reviews revealed that Will Smith's friends are trying to make him look crazy by hiring actors to represent different abstract concepts he's been writing letters to since Smith is still grieving about his dead daughter. That’s a bad movie, but it’s sad because you can tell Will Smith is all in. Like you can tell he thought that was his Oscar moment, with that supporting cast. Too bad the story and plot were contrived and terribly put together. There were good moments, you can see where there was something there. However, they rush these projects. They need rewrites. |
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Post by Harmless elf on Feb 5, 2021 18:07:12 GMT
Most movies with Sean Penn or Kevin Spacey.
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Post by hi224 on Feb 5, 2021 18:19:46 GMT
What is the most pretentious Oscar Bait film you’ve ever seen? Criteria: A film that was made by an acclaimed director and/or with an acclaimed cast (or headliner) with a release during award season. Intended to be an Oscar contender, and it turned out terrible? I’d say “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (2011) Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock 9/11 Serious Drama. Falls so flat on it’s face. Hillbilly Elegy?.
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Post by Vits on Feb 5, 2021 18:28:58 GMT
I’d say “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (2011) I don't know if "failure" is the right term, since it did get 2 Oscar nominations (one of them being Best Picture).
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