Deliverance (1972) was nominated for 3 and only 3 Oscars: Picture, Director, Editing.

Nominations U93 has a good shot at.

Four Weddings and a Funeral only received Best Picture and Best Screenplay nods.

In fact, looking deeper, it could just be like 1972 all over again:

1. Gangster movie The Godfather and the musical Cabaret lead the nominations; we have The Departed and Dreamgirls this year.
2. Utvandrarna was nominated for Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actress; The Queen fits right in.
3. Sounder was nominated for Picture, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay; switch actress out and director in, we got Letters.
4. Deliverance vs. United 93.

Well, there's David Lynch, but Greengrass isn't Lynch, is he?


I still don't believe this can be nominated either. At best, it's the 7th contender, ahead of Little Children, Half Nelson and Notes (which have zero chances) - and Little Children won in San Francisco, just like U93 won in New York. At best, it'll get Director and Editing. No acting nominees, obviously; the screenplay has a very slim chance; ditto for Cinematography...

So, basically, no acting support and no technical support (only Picture and Director noms at BFCA). Not even +100 #1 spots in the critics' top 10 lists can change that.


For me, it's down to these six:

The Departed
Dreamgirls
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Queen
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine

The first 3 are absolute locks, and the other 3 are right behind.


It just isn't Crash 2...

Hmm... but that one had known actors, at least. Actors with reasonable shots at Oscar noms. (EDIT: Voight got a Globe nom - just checked it ) It's slighty different.


Hey, if I'm wrong, I'll be here to admit it.



EDIT2: If U93 manages 5 GG nominations Thursday, I'll reconsider its chances...

Oh, and I just want to add that I'm being completely unbiased here, since I haven't even seen the film.

I liked United 93, but I'm hoping against a Best Picture nod as well (although I'm certain Loyal actually hates the movie). I appreciate a movie like Little Miss Sunshine or Children of Men more. United 93 is easy. You write a good movie about 9/11, and watch the nominations flow in. If it's nominated, I won't bitch about it like Loyal inevitably will, but I won't be happy if it gets in over Children of Men (a good possibility, sadly).

If United 93 gets a bunch of nominations tomorrow, people will celebrate like it's almost a lock. If United 93 gets snubbed tomorrow, people will point to last year's results as the inaccuracy of the Globes. The only way United 93 gets into best picture is if it gets a bunch of guilds nominations to indicate that there is actually support among actors, directors, writers, tech groups etc.

I found U93 to be a good but not great film, but i would rather this be the 9/11 film nominated than that boring piece of shit WTC.

I won't disagree with that. But, I most definitely agree with neo_wolf. If a 9/11 movie is getting a nomination, it should be United 93, not World Trade Center.

WTC was so unnecessary. Technically speaking the movie wasn't bad but I just thought it was horrible.

The only really great thing about the movie was Maggie Gylenhaal and Maria Bello

When I look at U93, I ask myself what makes this a good film? Is it the amateur acting and average screenplay? Is it the shaky cam cinematography? Is the complete lack of any narrative or plot other than the stuff we already know? Is it the fact that there are no characters or development in this film?

Greengrass has placed a camera on 9/11, and did his best to refilm the entire thing in its entirety, nothing more, nothing less. It seems the entire critical world is so wrapped up in being transported back to that day, or having their wounds ripped open, that they've completley forgot to realize what makes this a good film or not. Is 2 hours of a camera filming nameless people yelling at computers, and then nameless angry people on a plane, the best film of the year? Like loyal said, it doesn't even seem like a film, it's just a camera rolling on 9/11... like some made for tv special. Film is provided to tell narrative and stories, to get us wrapped up in characters and scenarios seperated from our own lives, and for some elaborate refilming to come along and win these accolades, I don't agree with whatsoever.

At least Crash despite it's manipulation and messages, was an entertaining film, it had good acting, it had people to care about, if you didn't look at the messages it was a good film. But United 93... it's dreck. It just isn't a good film, there's no narrative, there's no characters, the movie is just... there, and on top of that it isn't well made either in acting, screenplay, filming. What is the point of rewatching a number of people plunge to their death? It isn't enjoyable, it isn't entertaining, there's no-one to care about, I don't get it.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if U93 goes on to win Best Picture, just like Crash. fuck.

Loyal, I am saddened that we are on the same page with Dreamgirls but can't agree on U93. Whoops.

The funny thing about this thread is that the so-called haters seem far more obsessed about this than the people who like the film. The difference between this and Crash is that Crash had a group of people who were adamant it was in and going to get recognized. With United 93, you won't find anyone saying such a thing, except for perhaps Levy. Otherwise, everyone else, even the people who really, really love the film, are entirely sceptical and have not included United 93 in their predicted Best Picture line up. Those who like the film, like me, are happy for it's recognition so far, glad it hasn't been forgotten, but we know the reality: slim chance of United 93 getting a Best Picture nod at the Oscars unless the Globes (more so Guilds) indicate strong enough support.

So, this thread isn't saying much. It definitely can't reach the Crash Bash thread levels. I'm in an interesting position here because I HATED Crash, and LOVED United 93, and didn't just love or hate both. Heh.

Peace,
Mike.

I loved Crash (#2 of 2005) and United 93 (currently #1 of 2006), but I refooze to let the hay-tahs get me down and make me feel like a sheep.

Suckkkkkkk it

Are there Dreamgirls haters on here? Really?

I like Dreamgirls, and it's because of the actresses, especially Hudson. For one, I'm very happy (and so bloody impressed) that Jennifer Hudson came from being an American Idol contestant to producing a potentially Oscar winning role in a film. That's very cool (unlike most people here, I actually like American Idol). I hope she wins the Oscar; I still have a horrible feeling that Hudson will be snubbed because she doesn't have the history or the pedigree.

(Oh yeah, I just remembered Shack, who's been cheering every time Dreamgirls loses. Loyal, you should kick Shack out of your United 93 bashing club, because he also hates Dreamgirls! He's a traitor.)

Peace,
Mike.

You forgot the main problem of the movie

Haters of sung dialogue.
It is so god-awful, I felt ashamed in my seat when it happened. The movie was on such a good way with its musical numbers limited to the stage, but when they started to sing their dialogue...

What can I say, I'm a believer. Call me naive, but I can't imagine that in the year when 9/11 became a valid topic for movies, they wouls shut out the movie that mastered it

Haters of hypocritical films too ... don't forget those

Your basic argument that this film lacks substance really comes down to those statements. If you want to condense the narrative, which you find to be lacking, into "yelling" and "angry people," then yes, you probably won't get much out of this film.

As for my thoughts on its Oscar chances...

Like Mike said, I think of the 6 films (excluding Babel, which I think is safe to do) that are in contention, U93 is on the most tenuous ground right now.

I think if it does well at the Globes noms it'll be a safer pick than LMS, but right now, as much as I hate to say it, probably not.

I'm kind of backed into a corner this season, I don't want United 93, Dreamgirls, or another Oscar to Eastwood for Letters from Iwo Jima. In reality I guess Dreamgirls would be the lesser of the 3 evils, I would happy to see it triumph over United 93 or Letters if it came down to it. Departed and Little Miss Sunshine are my sanctions this season though.

There's part of me that wishes United 93 wouldn't be nominated so I don't have to read loyal's moronic thoughts about it any further.

This thread will never be a Crash Bash. Mine was funny, yours is just bitter.

Woooooooo!