Annie Proulx (BBM author) lashes out!!!

strandinthewind · #1 03-15-2006, 01:02 PM

Go get em darlin'

'Brokeback' author: We were robbed
Annie Proulx rips 'Crash,' Academy

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Annie Proulx, whose 1997 short story inspired the film "Brokeback Mountain," has penned a scattershot blast in a British newspaper unleashing her anger over the film's best-picture Oscar loss.

Proulx criticizes Oscar voters and the Academy Awards ceremony in the 1,094-word rant, which appeared in Saturday's issue of The Guardian, a liberal paper boasting 1.2 million readers daily.

The best-picture Oscar went to "Crash," which focuses on race relations in Los Angeles.

Academy members who vote for the year's best film are "out of touch not only with the shifting larger culture and the yeasty ferment that is America these days, but also out of touch with their own segregated city," Proulx writes. (Read her Guardian column here.)

The 70-year-old Pulitzer-prize winning author points out that "Brokeback," which was nominated for eight Academy Awards, was named best picture at the Independent Spirit Awards one day before the March 5 Oscars.

"If you are looking for smart judging based on merit, skip the Academy Awards next year and pay attention to the Independent Spirit choices," Proulx advises.

She even lashes out at Lionsgate, the distribution company behind "Crash."

"Rumour has it that Lionsgate inundated the academy voters with DVD copies of Trash -- excuse me -- Crash a few weeks before the ballot deadline," Proulx writes.

She decries the "atmosphere of insufferable self-importance" inside the Kodak Theatre, the Oscars site, and describes the audience as a "somewhat dim LA crowd." The show, she writes, was "reminiscent of a small-town talent-show night."

"Clapping wildly for bad stuff enhances this," Proulx writes.

She notes that "Brokeback's" three Oscar wins, for original score, adapted screenplay and direction for Ang Lee put it "on equal footing with King Kong."

When Jack Nicholson announced "Crash" as the best-picture winner, "there was a gasp of shock," Proulx writes.

"It was a safe pick of 'controversial film' for the heffalumps," she writes, using the elephant-like "Winnie the Pooh" character to describe academy voters.

"For those who call this little piece a Sour Grapes Rant," Proulx concludes, "play it as it lays."

Calls by the Associated Press to Proulx's Wyoming home and her literary agent, Elizabeth Darhansoff, were not immediately returned Tuesday.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movi....ap/index.html

JazmenFlowers · #2 03-15-2006, 01:06 PM

I agree with some of what she says, but, to me, she comes across as a bitter, sore loser. Let it go. The movie is a milestone already. What she's saying doesn't help it's fight.

wondergirl9847 · #3 03-15-2006, 01:11 PM

How very klassy of her.

Why a British newspaper...why not an American newspaper?

How we act in defeat shows our true character.

strandinthewind · #4 03-15-2006, 02:02 PM

Interestingly, even if she is having her sour grapes (which she sort of admits), is what she said true?

carrie721 · #5 03-15-2006, 02:13 PM

yikes. she's entitled to her sour grapes, but i really don't think brokeback's loss detracts from the huge impact it's had on our culture.

cliffdweller · #6 03-15-2006, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

"Rumour has it that Lionsgate inundated the academy voters with DVD copies of Trash -- excuse me -- Crash a few weeks before the ballot deadline," Proulx writes.

This? Poor form.

I agree, Crash was pretty bad and unworthy of the best picture Oscar, but she really just sounds like a bratty 11 year old here, and it does not help her crusade at all.

Rickypt · #7 03-15-2006, 02:38 PM

I'm already on record that picking Crash as Best Picture was a disgrace, and I believe that discomfort with homosexuality played a partial role.

However, I find Proulx's rant to be in extremely poor taste. She has every right to express disappointment and her belief that BB was a better film, but this is not the way.

I've read her entire piece, and she implies that the message of BB Mountain is more important than that of Crash. This is untrue and I think a very unwise statement to put out. The messages are equally important; it's just that BB Mountain was a far better movie.

Moony · #8 03-15-2006, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

This? Poor form.

I agree, Crash was pretty bad and unworthy of the best picture Oscar, but she really just sounds like a bratty 11 year old here, and it does not help her crusade at all.

You are definitely on point. I can see why she would be frustrated, but Proulx is making a huge deal of nothing really. Sure, Crash was a ****ty film. Yes, in my opinion, Brokeback Mountain deserved Best Picture. But in all honesty, who gives a crap what the Academy does these days? It's not to be taken that seriously (at least, in my view).

JazmenFlowers · #9 03-15-2006, 02:42 PM

I haven't seen Crash so I can't really compare. I agree with RickyPT that the problem lies in her high school note swapping way of taking jabs at someone else's work in such a derogatory way...resorting to this kind of stuff makes me really look at her in a different light.

It would serve Proulx and BBM far better if she had made her point in the same fashion she made her point about love with her short story.

cliffdweller · #10 03-15-2006, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickypt

I've read her entire piece, and she implies that the message of BB Mountain is more important than that of Crash. This is untrue and I think a very unwise statement to put out. The messages are equally important; it's just that BB Mountain was a far better movie.

I disagree a bit. I tend to believe that BB's message is more relevant, timely, and problematic, therefore the more dire message to be addressed in the here and now. Racism, while not eradicated from the face of the earth by no means, is still not as prevalent an issue right now. Homosexuals are being denied basic, human rights just because of their sexual preference, it is mandatory that this issue be dealt with immediately just as Civil Rights was such an issue back in the 60's and 70's. Homosexual liberation is this era's new Civil Rights debate and it needs to be treated as such.

strandinthewind · #11 03-15-2006, 02:51 PM

I think BBM's loss was not totally or even significantly due to the gay theme. I think Crash garnered more votes for two reasons:

1. The others siponed some of BBM's votes and

2. Crash had an all star cast and many votes for say Bullock or some other ensemble player.

So, I do not see BBM's loss as an insult to gaydom.

cliffdweller · #12 03-15-2006, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I think BBM's loss was not totally or even significantly due to the gay theme. I think Crash garnered more votes for two reasons:

1. The others siponed some of BBM's votes and

2. Crash had an all star cast and many votes for say Bullock or some other ensemble player.

So, I do not see BBM's loss as an insult to gaydom.

"gaydom"

What is more all-star than Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal? Crash had some tired, sorry-ass actors like Sandra Bullock (whom you've mentioned as a "star") and Matt frickin' Dillon who I loathe (sorry Livia!). Sandra Bullock's okay, but yeesh, she ain't that great.

JazmenFlowers · #13 03-15-2006, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I think BBM's loss was not totally or even significantly due to the gay theme. I think Crash garnered more votes for two reasons:

1. The others siponed some of BBM's votes and

2. Crash had an all star cast and many votes for say Bullock or some other ensemble player.

So, I do not see BBM's loss as an insult to gaydom.

plus it dealt with a lot of Hollywood-ish themes, from what I understand.

JazmenFlowers · #14 03-15-2006, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I disagree a bit. I tend to believe that BB's message is more relevant, timely, and problematic, therefore the more dire message to be addressed in the here and now. Racism, while not eradicated from the face of the earth by no means, is still not as prevalent an issue right now. Homosexuals are being denied basic, human rights just because of their sexual preference, it is mandatory that this issue be dealt with immediately just as Civil Rights was such an issue back in the 60's and 70's. Homosexual liberation is this era's new Civil Rights debate and it needs to be treated as such.

I disagree a bit. Racism is just as prevelant now as it was then. I think the public's consciousness of racism is just watered down.

I think they are both issues that are very important and very prevelant.

strandinthewind · #15 03-15-2006, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

"gaydom"

What is more all-star than Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal? Crash had some tired, sorry-ass actors like Sandra Bullock (whom you've mentioned as a "star") and Matt frickin' Dillon who I loathe (sorry Livia!). Sandra Bullock's okay, but yeesh, she ain't that great.

Well, like her or not, Bullock is very popular

ALso, Cheadle is popular amongst the academy set as well. I think the presence of those stars (Dillon, Bullock, Cheadle all have appeared many times with their names above the title which is the def. of star

) siphoned enough votes. I think that along with Crash being an LA movie and the the others feeding off each other for votes, enabled Crash to win. Surely, some people refused to vote for the gay cowboy movie, but I think those were not that many. i wish we could see the voting.