Hey, did you know Hollywood really likes musicals? Every goddamn chance it gets, the Academy Awards like to trot out any musical that’s had measly success and exalt the rebirth of the genre. This happens approximately every two years. Stop trying to make musicals happen. They’re not going to happen.
And this is from a guy who begrudgingly likes musicals. Ok, begrudgingly loves musicals. Musicals are like the Downton Abbey of movie genres. They shouldn’t work, they’re way too ridiculous and corny to possibly work, and then before you realize it, they’ve worked and you’re smitten. I’ve grown to accept this about myself after years of reflection and counselling. But seriously, to see the Academy celebrating how it gave its highest award to Chicago ten years ago (beating out Gangs of New York, and others that weren’t even nominated like About Schmidt and Adaptation) was everything that is wrong with the show. The Les Mis song was enjoyable but kind of straightforward and a whole lot of fuss about a movie that didn’t really come close to winning Best Picture. What if the Academy Awards paid tribute to comedies in a serious way? Probably because before The Artist last year, which had to be a period piece with a Hollywood-friendly gimmick of being a silent movie, the last real comedy to win was Annie Hall in 1977. That was 25 years before Chicago.
What do you think the Academy Awards ought to do to improve their show? Is it hopeless? Or maybe you like the whole production and find this Oscar-bashing annoying. Let us hear from you in the comments section below.
