Why Oscar doc voters prefer war to Michael Jackson
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sea...biz-for-oscar-doc-voters-by-pete-hammond.html
This-is-it1 Yesterday was the deadline for voters in this year's Oscar documentary feature competition to submit their ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Four different groups of doc filmmakers watch 12 films apiece and rate them. The accountants then determine a "shortlist" of 15 movies that will continue in the race to the eventual five nominees. The shortlist finalists will likely be announced by the academy next week.
One doc/concert movie that won't be on it, Michael Jackson's "This Is It" just passed the $200-million mark at the worldwide box office, not bad for a reality movie. It opened too late to qualify for the doc race this year (absolute cutoff is Sept. 30) but distributor Sony plans to campaign it for best picture, sound mixing, editing and director for Kenny Ortega. They will send screeners, take out ads and have Ortega participate in a series of Q&A sessions. The rapturous response the film got at its packed official academy screening Nov. 1 has the studio jazzed, if not unrealistic about its long, long shot prospects in the best pic category.
Judging by the voting history of this branch it probably would have been a long shot as well for a documentary feature nomination. No show biz-related film or concert movie has been nominated in this decade. With precious few exceptions, there aren't a lot of examples of movies with a relationship to the entertainment industry that ever get into this club. (The last to win was "Woodstock" in 1971). Not one of last year's 15 shortlisted films had a showbiz connection and that's usually how it goes.
It isn't stopping backers behind docs like "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil," "Yoo Hoo Mrs. Goldberg" about TV pioneer Gertrude Berg, the rocker summit movie "It Might Get Loud" and others from hoping their film will turn the tide against the more serious-minded subjects that usually get preference in this race. Stuff like war, disease, disasters, poverty, the Holocaust, etc.
A sliver of hope came yesterday with the International Documentary Assn.'s nominations, where "Anvil," the story of aging heavy metal rockers hoping for a comeback, got named in the main feature category. Could it repeat at the Oscars and break the showbiz curse?
One diligent, but older, longtime voter and Oscar-winning documentarian told me last week he hadn't even heard of "Anvil" and showed little interest in finding out what it was. That's despite the fact that a screener was reportedly sent to every academy member. I also asked him about "Every Little Step," the Sony Classics release which explores the journey of a group of dancers auditioning for the Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line." Nope, never heard of it (and it wasn't in the group of movies he's judging this year).
It often seems many academy members just don't give the same amount of weight to subject matter that explores what is essentially about aspects of their own industry. Not lofty enough or too close to home? Many of them just don't seem to take show business as seriously as say, Iraq when it comes to awarding Oscar nods.
James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, the co-directors of the critically acclaimed "Every Little Step" (which just hit DVD last month), seemed to get that point when I spoke to them recently but they hope the Academy will keep at least an open mind.
"I hope they all see the film. That's all. It clearly had great resonance with people striving for their dreams, their jobs," said Stern. "It's not about Darfur or the Holocaust or Food Inc. or dolphin slaughter, no it's not. But it's also greatly connected to American society and I think there's something to be said for doing something that is about how the creative process comes to fruition."
In terms of documentaries, their film was not a blockbuster but did respectable business and should have a long afterlife on DVD and elsewhere. Recognition from the Academy though would mean a lot to them.
"More people would seek out the film and that's not to be overlooked at all," said Del Deo. "We just hope people look at it and judge it for what it is, not what it isn't. A lot of films have different merits."
We'll know soon enough whether the academy breaks with their own tradition or whether it's still (non) show business as usual.
If "Every Little Step" doesn't make next week's shortlist, it won't be necessarily over for Stern. He also produced the best picture contender, "An Education" but that's another story.
