With Oscar trends being foremost on film fans and industry pundits minds this week, I came across this article at The Daily Beast that talks of a social faux pas committed on behalf of The Hurt Locker’s financier, urging Academy Voters
When director Kathryn Bigelow first heard that Nicolas Chartier, the Frenchman who financed and produced her film, The Hurt Locker, had sent out emails last week urging members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to vote for Hurt Locker and “not a 500M film”‘ (i.e., Avatar), the first thing she did was pick up the phone and call Jon Landau, who produced Avatar, to express her horror.
At least Bigelow did the classy thing and stepped forward distancing the film and herself from Charier’s actions before rumour and speculation buried this in some horrible grudge match.
The article goes on to say that despite their gratitude for their financial saviour (who without this film may not have been made) Chartier was a handful on the set, often prone to fits of rage and attempted to fire more than one crew member before he was politely asked to stay off the set.
Now the well meaning producer of the film has crossed the line and what he thought would be a plea for level heads has been received as an inappropriate smear campaign. Contacting the voters in any way to attempt to curry favour for votes is strictly against the Academy Rules.
Bookies are placing even odds on Hurt Locker and Avatar to win the Best Picture, and while I enjoyed Avatar a great deal for what it was, I hardly think it was Best Picture. But popularity and respect for Cameron among Academy Voters might just tip that hand.
I won’t be surprised if Avatar wins even if I think it doesn’t deserve it. This new 10 film process leaves too much room for vote sway instead of limiting the voters to the Top 5.
This fiasco is just the surface of the drama this film is stirring
On Friday, another blow came in the form of a front-page Los Angeles Times story—”The Hurt Locker Sets Off Conflict”—saying that several soldiers and Army veterans found the film an inaccurate representation of combat, and that the U.S. government had pulled its funding of the film after seeing the script.
Wait, suddenly NOW they decide to make a stink about this? So no one knew about the US Government pulling its funding from the film? This was a big secret?
Fortunately that mess hit the news AFTER the ballot deadline and can’t affect the voting.
Do you think Avatar has a shot at winning? Should it?
Comment with Facebook
I heard he sent a nude pic a la “Vanessa Hudgens” sayin’ if they vote for the film his “rear-door hurt locker” will be open for them.
Maybee that’s the whole smear thing?
who is that in the picture? is that from Hurt Locker?
Now I am not defending Chartier, but from my understanding contacting the voters is in itself not the problem it’s because he was smearing another movie at the same time which has caused all the issues.
But I hope his actions and what appears to be a poorly timed smear campaign in the Los Angeles Times does not have any affect on the outcome because for me The Hurt Locker should win it, not that I am knocking Avatar, I just didn’t think it was as good.
Actually, contacting voters and discussing your film is a SERIOUS offense regardless of what methods you use while contacting them.
Contacting the voting membership in ANY way is strictly forbidden, and his thoughtless comments smearing his competition just made it more of a douche move.
Everyone involved with the film is appalled by his actions on many levels.
I’m still holding hope for Inglorious basterds
Avatar was in no way the best picture of the year.
My bet is it’ll be between The Hurt Locker and Up In The Air, Both excellent films.
Avatar may have had brilliant imagery and looks to it, but the old, reused plot is a bit of a turn off for me.
What’s so big about the LA Times and the “Vets vs Hurt Locker” anyway?! The USA Today article was out long before then. It should be said that for the dramatic license taken for the film- what film doesn’t have it- there are some things that were right (such as the explosions). In any case, it sounds like this producer of Hurt Locker is being a jerk. I want Locker to win, but with these actions, I think it will be taken into account and might hurt the films chances in the long haul.
Avatar will win I think. But Kathy will win director for Hurt Locker.
wow its funny that people find avatar overrated…i mean serious have u seen the blind side….over acting at its worst and the story has so many plot holes that it hurts. I am a huge sports fan and the blind side is a joke of what really happened. Sad that they barely touched on the fact that the kid was exploited yet they tried to make it look like a do good movie!
Hurt locker was a good film but if you take all the hate away from Avatar (dances with smurfes yadda yadda) really it was a epic movie with great production and story. We live in an age where people love going on line and finding a common angle to hate on anything these days, and whats sad is even though Avatar clearly grabbed hold of the world, people still want to act as if it was a horrible film. w/e follow your shallow paths and be a lemming. Fact is if Avatar does not win the academy award then it just shows how foul the awards really are.
I have yet to see Avatar.I didn’t see Blind Side or Precious for that matter.
Hurt Locker is overrated.
Of the 7 I have seen I will go with Up in the Air.
But if I saw Avatar I am sure that would be the movie that had my vote. Sometimes going to the movies is just about having a good time. We all go see movies that are just for entertainment, why shouldn’t a movie be awarded for doing an excellent job at entertaining us? It really takes something to make a movie that can entertain so many people.
Avatar was a technicaly brilliant film, but best picture it is not. The Hurt Locker, on the other hand, was in my opinion the best film this year.
Loved A Serious Man, although I dont think it will win.
Haven’t seen Hurt Locker, it’s available on Demand but every time I go to push “buy now” something holds me back(weird). I really like the director she has made some good quality films that I’ve liked, but I dont know it’s hard to sit down and make myself watch this one(Slumdog was the same for me last year).
Avatar was amazing and I know Cameron’s the man and all but Best Movie? does it really matter at this point a gazzilion bucks in?
UP would shock everyone. so that’s what I’m rooting for!
You should press the button. You won’t regret it.
A serious man was good, but kind of depressing. Anyway, I think this hurt The Hurt Locker’s popularity..but since voting ended it had no effect on voter’s minds. It’s definitely between avatar and Hurt locker…I don’t even know who to vote for.
I’m worried that Avatar will win…I personally don’t think it should win anything past all the technical achievements that it has. It truly was an exceptional movie from the technical aspect but when it comes to the movie in general…it’s not impressive. I really believe that other films like The Hurt Locker, Basterds, District 9, and a Serious Man are better contenders for this award.