Hollywood reactions on “Dark Knight” being snubbed for “The Reader”

by Blair on Jan.22, 2009, under NEWS

What a find most interesting is how baffled even Hollywood seems to be about the bizarre pick. How the hugely popular and critically acclaimed film got displaced by an unpopular bomb that received mediocre reviews continues to unravel. I’ll withhold judgment for the time being, but certainly by choosing such a strangely bland and unliked movie to replace “The Dark Knight” in the Best Picture race is raising eyebrows.

AP talked to “Benjamin Button” producer Frank Marshall:

(AP) BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is the Academy Awards heavyweight with 13 nominations, yet the shadow of Batman loomed large with the absence of “The Dark Knight” in the best-picture race. The Batman blockbuster “The Dark Knight” had picked up so much momentum from honors by Hollywood trade unions that awards watchers generally thought it would land a best-picture nomination.

“Benjamin Button” producer Frank Marshall said “it was a bit of a surprise” that his movie would not be competing with “The Dark Knight” for the top prize. “The fact that `The Dark Knight’ did so well at the box office was probably a good thing and maybe a not-so-good thing,” Marshall said. “People tend to think films as successful as that are not well made, but certainly, `Dark Knight’ is exceptionally well made.”

LA Times talked to Milk’s producer Michael London:

In the barest appraisal, “Dark Knight” was yet another summer sequel about a masked-man fighting crime. But after its July release, the film, directed by Christopher Nolan, started racking up so much box-office success (it now stands as the second-highest grossing movie of all-time in the U.S. behind “Titanic“) and such intense critical acclaim (only “WALL-E” scored a higher quotient of raves among the year’s wide-release films, according to Rotten Tomatoes) that Oscar talk began to gain traction. It’s telling that by the end of the film’s journey of credibility, Hollywood insiders were surprised when it wasn’t called out as a best picture nominee.

“People were surprised ‘The Reader’ got the fifth slot instead of ‘Dark Knight,’” said Michael London, a producer on “Milk” and “The Visitor.” “That seemed to be the biggest surprise. People are talking about it. I don’t know what it means. I love ‘The Dark Knight.’ It was a fantastic movie, but I suppose it’s difficult for successful popcorn movies to get serious attention from the academy. It’s a knee-jerk thing where smaller movies are perceived as more artistic.”

As for now it appears that “The Reader’s” baffling appearance in the Oscar race is due to the clever work of Harvey Weinstein:

‘Dark Knight’ snubs and ‘Reader’ triumphs — did Oscar get it right?

So the big question is, did Oscar get it right?

Obviously, Harvey Weinstein, who willed “The Reader” into this year’s race against all odds and the objections of original producer Scott Rudin (who took his name off the film), thinks so on the evidence of a triumphant five nominations, all in key categories like best picture, actress, screenplay, directing and cinematography.

UPDATE: Harvey Weinstein just called sounding deliriously happy about his latest Academy Awards success story and he’s just getting revved up with that old Oscar mojo of his. “I tell people its nice we got all the nominations but do not count yourself out. You have a real chance to overtake this all. We’ve seen that happen with ‘Crash’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’. It’s all great. The only thing I can say is the race ain’t over. It’s just beginning,” he said.

In the end, my only sense of loss as part of this campaign is the sense of loss of interest in the Oscars. Tomorrow “The Dark Knight” will be back in theaters and IMAX screens around the country. People will still agree it’s their favorite movie in years. And “The Reader” will still be an unpopular poorly-reviewed film that no one wants to watch.

25 comments for this entry:

Bruce Laerd
January 22nd, 2009 on 4:25 pm
Eight nominations with no best picture and best director. This is a great injustice… which reminds me of Eternal Sunshine.

Harvey Weinstein is the guy behind Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan.

Well, that’s it folks. It’s a great ride…

Don’t worry, Blair! The Dark Knight already cemented it’s legacy as the BEST FILM OF 2008.
Phil
January 22nd, 2009 on 4:28 pm
Batman’s Bad Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkOhlrr3Q-U
R W O
January 22nd, 2009 on 5:14 pm
They chose The Reader because because they’re idiots & were paid for it. So simply. No one wanna watch the fucking boring “Reader” . Damn.
Oscar always makes me feel pissed off.
Matt
January 22nd, 2009 on 5:17 pm
Yeah, I have to say that I was incredibly angered this morning, but you know what, I’m one of those guys who sees ever best pic nomination before the big night… I will NOT see the Reader, and I will NOT watch the oscars. Why bother when you can predict the outcome the day nominations are announced.
Anonymous
January 22nd, 2009 on 7:37 pm
the oscars can suck my dick. bunch of fucking retarded cunts. the reader literally got mixed reviews. I will not watch this ceremony (sorry heath, don’t worry though, I’ll watch your award win on youtube)
Eric
January 22nd, 2009 on 8:29 pm
the oscars cost themselves millions of viewers on this decision. I now have zero intrest in the oscars as it has become almost as pathetic as the joke of an award show known as the golden globes…Im all for just watching heath’s win on you tube thats about it…maybe by the time the next nolen directed batman comes out they will get a clue.
chris
January 22nd, 2009 on 8:47 pm
Boycott the oscars…

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124426815111&ref=mf
Eric
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:30 pm
I just made a facebook group called Boycott The Oscars for snubbing The Dark Knight…everyone should join and spread the word…we need to make the oscars pay for this bullshit…

http://www.facebook.com/groups/create.php?success=1&customize=&gid=58005142151#/group.php?gid=58005142151&ref=mf
paris
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:34 pm
What a travesty that A successful and critically acclaimed movie like the Dark Knight didn’t get that fifth slot for best picture. As far as I’m concerned it is the best picture. Heath’s performance was better than Brad’s, Sean’s and Mickey’s. In the end people will remember The dark knight before they remember the other flicks. people will quote The Dark Knight before they quote the other movies.
Kristin
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:56 pm
And yet again the Oscars have let me down. Just because a movie is an independent doesn’t mean it’s a GOOD movie. The only movies that should hold a Nomination are ones that were…. oh, I don’t know…. GOOD.

This is where we see Hollywood’s blinders get put on and they are afraid of Block Buster movies getting any true awards.

Rant=
I was always for the idea that getting Best Picture, meant the movie was Best Picture. Maybe that was TOO Obvious… I think it should be renamed “Best film that DIDN’T gain over 300m, because obviously a film that gains over that SUCKS”, that way, no one gets confused anymore.
Anonymous
January 22nd, 2009 on 11:53 pm
awww poor butthurt fanboys not going to see their crappy film up for Best Picture…deal with it you sad fuckers hahaha
Alex Leza
January 23rd, 2009 on 6:24 am
I’m so dissapointed that the only thing that would make me happy, would be see TDK teammates rejectig the Oscar in case of winning it: “Thanks to the members of the Academy, but I can’t accept this award. We were a team, and if the TDK and Chris weren’t good enough for deserving a nomination, consecuently my work shouln’t be good enough for winning this award”. Then, he/she/they, leaving the stupid golden statue on the floor. That would be a sweet demostration of how much wrong the Members were for not consider them for Best Picture and Director.

It´s just a dream, but It’s time for shocking the limited brain of Academy Memebers, who surely consider Picasso’s legacy not good enough just becasue is not convencional painting.

What do you think Blair?
Evo Morales
January 23rd, 2009 on 6:29 am
The Dark Knight live in my heart forever The Oscars is the lie and son of the ………
messi
January 23rd, 2009 on 10:48 am
it was expected but this awards show has been irrelevant since Citizen Kane lost. But yeah this awards show can eat all the dicks.

The Bank Robbery was the best directed scene of the year, hell some of the best directed scenes of the decade were in The Dark Knight. But whatever, remember Alfonso Cuaron wasn’t nominated for best director for Children of Men. HAHAHAHA. Fucking lost cunts.

What’s funny is how little viewers this awards show will get, the awards show where people who make too much money kiss their own asses for choices based on movies they might not have seen. And Billions of viewers? Idiots. It’s not the Champions League final, or a derby between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Stop thinking it’s that important. No one gives a shit.

Remember history is the real decider. History has made sure movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future and The Dark Knight meant something to people.

Still, The Academy needs to eat all the dicks.
FUCK
January 23rd, 2009 on 12:27 pm
HEY ANONYMOUS FUCK YOU GO TO HELL DICK HA HA HA!
Nelace
January 23rd, 2009 on 12:30 pm
“TDK” being snubbed is some real bullshit!!!! Man, that’s a low blow. I’m STILL pissed off about the Best Pic/Best Director snubs!
DarkDevil
January 23rd, 2009 on 6:06 pm
People, stop with the venom already. I was as disappointed as anyone else about how TDK got snubbed.

But I can’t stand all this Reader hate. I haven’t seen the movie so I can’t say whether it’s bad or not but if you’re main point of view is that TDK should’ve been nominated in place of the Reader because TDK got better reviews and made more money then I think you’re argument is weak.

I’d prefer it if TDK were nominated for its artistic merits rather than its financial merits. If those same snot-nosed critics said TDK sucked, would you still love the movie as much as you do now? I know I would because believe it or not…a critic’s word isn’t the defining word.
N.K.
January 23rd, 2009 on 9:40 pm
I hate Harvey Weinstein. That bastard cares about nothing but money. The only way “The Dark Knight” would’ve been better is if Weinstein burned atop that pile of money, and not Lau.

It’s not about money, it’s about… sending a message.
mustafa
January 24th, 2009 on 4:37 am
If your very disappointed join me

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46341127434
T.H
January 24th, 2009 on 9:33 am
Having read many of the posts, watched the movie (TDK) a million time and having just watched the reader, I must say what a travesty. But in hindsite, we as fans shouldnt really care about what some simple minded hollywood a-holes think. The Oscars are really a subjective award, not based on what is right in the eyes of those who watch the films, but on what out of date dinosaurs view as “good” filmaking. Christopher Nolan, his crew, and the great actors of the film have made a timeless film that will never be forgotten. The Reader will go down as what it was “a film pushed by a man who doesnt care for anyone but himself”. The reviews by fans and movie critics a like speak to this. The Dark Knight, with its stunning sets, intelligent acting, and brilliant concepts will forever change the way filmaking will be done. Kudos to the fans. I will in no way watch the Oscars (didnt really to begin with, other than LOTR when it was nominated) and pretty much wont from now on.
hdog
January 24th, 2009 on 11:12 am
BOYCOTT BOYCOTT BOYCOTT
Popular People » Blog Archive » Hollywood Reactions on “Dark Knight” Being Snubbed For “the Reader …
January 24th, 2009 on 12:47 pm
[...] I love ‘The Dark Knight.’ It was a fantastic movie , but I suppose it’s difficult for successful popcorn movies to get serious attention from the academy. It’s a knee-jerk thing where smaller movies are perceived as more artistic.” …[Continue Reading] [...]
Rayne
January 26th, 2009 on 9:40 am
INTERVIEW WITH THE ACADEMY ITSELF!!!!

Ok folks, I just got off the phone with Leslie Unger. She is the Director of Communications/Media Relations For the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences. My true name is witheld from this site. I use my screen name here instead. Here is how the phone Interview went:

Good Morning Leslie. Thank you for speaking with me.

Leslie: It’s not a problem. What can I do for you today?

Rayne: I am calling on behalf of an online campaign called DarkCampaign.com. And I was was wondering if I could get a comment from the Academy on the Snubbing of the Dark Knight for Best Picture, and Best Director?

Leslie: We would hardly call a film that gets nominated for 8 Awards snubbing.

Rayne: But for a film the likes of “The Reader”? how is that justified?

Leslie: The nominations are created by a panel of professional Film-Makers that know what they are doing. Just because “The Dark Knight” didn’t make the cut, doesn’t mean WE didn’t think it was a great film. Unfortunately, the nominations are not up to us specifically.

Rayne: So it’s the Panel itself and not the Academy as a whole?

Leslie: Exactly. And Heath did get nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

Rayne: An award we are sure he will win. You may not remember, but we spoke a while back in regards to “The Dark Knight” getting equal consideration.

Leslie: I remember you. And after speaking with you, I payed a visit to the Darkcampaign Website. Again we would like to say that we appreciate the fans dedication to this film, But there is nothing that can be done at this point in the game. Please let the fans on your site know that.

Rayne: It is not MY site, i am just writing for them. So the fact that it is in essence a comic book movie had nothing to do with the Nomination decision?

Leslie: As I stated a moment ago, the nominations are decided by a Panel of Film-Makers not us. We have little to no idea what helps them in thier decision.

Rayne: Well thank you for your time. I am sure people will find this of interest.

Leslie: You’re welcome. Please offer our apologies to the fans on your website. It is not in our nature to diliberately upset the public. Also let them know to tune in on Sunday, February 22nd to see who wins. Good Luck!!!
END OF INTERVIEW

There you have it everyone, the explanation you all were wanting. I know it brings little comfort, and I am sorry.
TheAgentOfChaos
February 5th, 2009 on 7:58 pm
NO matter what they says, THE DARK KNIGHT will be remembered as one of the greatest, if not THE GREATEST FILM of all time, along the lines of Shawshank Redemption, God Father etc….

As for the Oscars, they aren’t bigger then “The Dark Knight” and the fact is that they will lose a lot of creditability for shamelessly masturbating in public.
Sim
February 7th, 2009 on 6:53 pm
Just having watched The Reader, I can say with all honesty, it was one of the blandest collage of film making and acting I’ve ever seen. Nothing screams Oscar worthyness other than a Weinstein backing (and even then I dont mean it DESERVES it).

I’m not going to boycott watching The Oscars (I’m not even in a country where they care about advertising to), but I will say I’ve lost a bit of respect for the validity of the claim “The Greatest Film Award on Earth”.