It's IMPORTANT. None of the other five soon-to-be-nominees are. It once again allows white people to pat themselves on the back for their understanding and superior humanism. Did I mention how IMPORTANT it is? Like, real IMPORTANT and stuff.

Don't believe me? The real evidence for fear of Babel comes from a quote by quintessential-middle-of-the-road-white-liberal-Academy-member-who-would-write-a-column-for-the-Huffington-Post-if only-he-had-the-time-between-developing-his-latest-Oscar-bait-and-sucking-the-life-out-of-genuinely-interesting-projects-and-generally-just-being-insufferable Brian Grazer.

Asked by The Envelope about his favorite movie of the year, he responded:



"I so got it." You see, Brian Grazer understands cultural differences and stuff. He's so compassionate. He would personally never act like those folks in the movie. Darn fools. Did Brian Grazer also mention that he has more than one friend of a non-WASP background? Really. More than one. And he's not just talking about the help.

Luckily, it's made by a few brown guys and has lots of subtitles and frustrating cinematography, so the older Academy members may shy away. But we need to beware the Grazer types. They're the ones who pushed Crash over the top.

No, I haven't believed for a minute that Babel can win and will stick with that all the way to the end. Crash didn't win just because it's Crash, but also due to the specific circumstance. And especially with Crash winning, I can't see academy award a similar film two years in a row, not when Babel has a smaller appeal and doesn't have the backing of Ebert and Oprah.

The film is still probably waaaay too out there for the same people that cost BBM Best Picture. Can you imagine Tony Curtis going for Babel over say, The Departed or Little Miss Sunshine?

I think we can rest easy.

I wish it would. It's deserving. If it does win, it won't be for any of the, to be blunt. lame reasons in the first post of this thread. It'll be because Alejandro González Iñárritu crafted a wonderful film.

In addition, Crash was a frontrunner for screenplay all along, while Babel isn't. It won't surprise me if it wins that category, but currently it's a heavy underdog to The Queen and Little Miss Sunshine.

Babel needs to win GG first to think about winning Oscar. Also, I will have my eyes on Editing; whichever film wins will have a good chance (didn't turn out that way with The Aviator, which I thought had enough strength after winning editing early on the oscar night).

I hope Babel wins Best Motion Picture -- Drama at the Golden Globes on Monday night and the prospect of it winning the Best Picture Oscar becomes even more real. ***fingers crossed***

This was not a prediction, but something I think is seriously worth thinking about. Brian Grazer seems, to me, to be perfectly indicative of a certain generation of the middlebrow Academy.

I'm still picking Departed Monday, but Babel could easily walk away with the GG.

I'm sticking with The Queen for GG Drama.

So, according to Grazer:

A. People love it
B. People don't get it

There's no other options? I see.

Yes, Brian Grazer's a pretentious twat (I'll never forget his discussion of the 'granulation of the cultural zeitgeist' on the Inside Man DVD), but it's so unfair to say (or imply) everyone rooting for Babel this award season is on his level. I personally responded to the film. I became engrossed by the storyline(s) and thought it was beautifully crafted. I loved it because it thrilled, moved, and entertained me (what I crave from a cinematic experience), not because I am a white person patting myself on the back for my understanding and superior humanism.

Where the world is going if Babel wins, I won't need shoes.

Wrong. Mr. Grazer taught us that there's those who like it, and those who don't get it.

So appreciation of Babel is, IYO, defined by melanin and airline miles. Riiight.

Yes, I am. Alright, alright, you're correct. I didn't love Babel as a film. I loved it because I'm an ignorant white who hasn't set foot in every nation of the world. It made me feel so good about being a member of the Master Race.

I wonder if everyone who loved Children of Men did so because they're turned on by the helpless black being saved by the gallant White. Yep, I bet this is true.

Please don't make me throw up. I don't doubt that you liked the film, but can you honestly think it is worth a best pic nom let alone a win? How can you honestly say that?

Did you see A Beautiful Mind? He also totally gets mental illness. Like, really understands and is sympathetic, man. Me? I guess I just hate the mentally ill. That's what he'd tell me, anyway.

And Gunslinger, no, it would not be fair of me to accuse you of such offensive self-gratification. And I'm not. But I am accusing the Academy Crash voting types (i.e. Brian Grazer...nice call on 'pretentious twat'). God, one look at his filmography would tell you that. Hollywood's advocated this condescending attitude since Stanley Kramer's run of 'socially important' flicks in the 60s.

I just don't get it. None of it. How can you have 45 minutes of a story line that does nothing do advance the movie? The entire Mexican wedding was a filler. We got to watch a chicken die, a band play, two fat people making love, a drunk moron trying to cross the border and then a woman getting deported. ARRG..YUCK.

See, I loved the Mexican wedding. Maybe by saying this I fit the profile the Babel detractors describe, but I found it very colorful and full of life.

I'm wondering... Could anyone give an example of the supposed cultural ignorance in Babel? I didn't see it. I am sorry, but I didn't.

I feel kinda bad making this thread now. I just got enraged by the sheer smugness on display from Brian Grazer. As much as I didn't like Babel, I didn't hate it. It's not a Crash. Inarritu is incapable of making a film as devoid of genuine human feeling and behavior as Crash.

I would have loled so hard had you said "...I'll eat yo shoe." In fact, I did, when I thought that you should have said it. :O

If you want to see a film truly devoid of feeling, rent The Da Vinci Code..... produced by Brian Grazer.

C'mon... you just crossed a line.

Yep, definitely Satan.

Babel won't win. It had nowhere near the love/press/box office/audience response Crash did.

It's pre-Oscar performance this award season would suggest it is held dear by many.

I predict many tunes will be quite different come Tuesday morning.