http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041017/nysu013_1.html

Press Release Source: Newsweek


NEWSWEEK: The Oscars: Giving Best-Picture Nod to 'The Passion of the Christ' Is Almost Unthinkable, say Industry Insiders
Sunday October 17, 11:51 am ET
'There's a Lot of Animosity Toward This Film That Is Very Real,' says One Oscar-Campaign Vet; but Snub Could Lead to Boycott of Awards
Most Believe 'Fahrenheit' Nomination Tied to the Election


NEW YORK, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite shattering box-office records and dominating headlines for months, "The Passion of the Christ" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" face real obstacles in the race for an Oscar nomination for best picture. As Senior Writer Sean Smith reports in the current issue of Newsweek, many of the high-placed studio executives, producers, Oscar strategists, publicists and Academy members interviewed think that "Fahrenheit's" chances depend on the results of the presidential election, and all say that a "Passion" best-picture nod is almost unthinkable.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041017/NYSU009 )
"A lot of older Academy voters, who are largely Jewish, refuse to even see this movie," says one Oscar-campaign vet. "There's a level of animosity toward this film that is very real. When I talk to the members, I hear it over and over and over again." Complicating matters, says one exec, is the sense, fair or not, that Mel Gibson marketed the film as something Hollywood couldn't, or wouldn't, make. "It's a little weird to trash the establishment, and then to come knocking at the establishment's door during awards season."

But if "The Passion" gets shut out, there's a concern that some Christians could protest and -- worst-case scenario -- boycott the Oscars. "The born- agains will come out screaming that it's another case of censorship," says one source. "The whole Sodom and Gomorrah thing about Hollywood will come up again."

Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit" faces an entirely different problem, Smith reports in the October 25 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, October 18). Most insiders believe its fate is inextricably tied to the election -- but they can't agree on whether a Bush or a Kerry win helps Moore the most. If John Kerry wins, 'Fahrenheit' gets nominated," says one exec. "Then it becomes 'the movie that changed the course of American history," and the perception will be that Moore contributed to Bush's loss." Or not. "Its chances are zero if Kerry wins, because then the protest is over and everybody feels better," says another source. And, says one Academy member, "If Kerry loses, it gets nominated as a big 'f--- you' to Bush."



DAMN. :evil:

if Fahrenheit 9/11 get nominated for best picture and TPOTC isnt, im going to shot my self :evil: :evil: :evil:

Neither will get nominated, in my opinion.

GOOD!!but i rather see nominated Passions than that piece of crap,(although i hate bush!!)

I haven't seen Fahrenheit 9/11 yet (I will soon), but The Passion sure as heck does not deserve a Best Picture nomination.

:evil:
damn you!!!

:evil:
damn you!!!

I think the chance that people are already talking about nominations for either movie and having to write articles about how one or the other will or will not be nominated for Best Picture really means that they have much more of a chance then people are giving them.

They could be talking to TWO insiders and it would qualify as "insiders". A lot of Academy Members take the awards really seriously, and wouldn't be talking about it to begin with.

I think The Passion has a good shot at a nod, and I hope it gets one. F 9/11 on the otherhand I don't think (And hope doesn't) get a nod.

Uh-huh...They're not going to touch either of those puppies with a ten foot pole after the already decreased viewership of last year and the incredibly polarized current viewers of the awards. If either gets picked, half their population won't watch. That and they'll have to sit around defending their choices until Oscar 2010.

-Dolce

Agreed. It is to divisive. Some people loved it..some people hated it.

Any chance on the Passion getting a Razzie nod?

Hollywood had no problem nominating The Last Temptation Of Christ for an Oscar or two even though it offended many Christians, but I guess somehow that's different.

Passion won't get a BP nod.

Come down off your cross for a minute. Absolutely nobody thinks The Passion of the Christ will go away without a nomination. Score is assured (and will probably win), cinematography, make-up, costumes, art direction... they are all REAL possibilities.

They are talking about Best Picture category only. And The Last Temptation of Christ was not nominated for Best Picture. It was nominated for Best Director (Martin Scorsese) because it *was* like Passion of the Christ, it was incredibly devisive and controversial (more so than Passion IMO).

I understood the article perfectly. I'm not an idiot. My point was Hollywood was ready to defend something that most Christians found offensive. Many of those same people may not be willing to give TPOTC the same chance. I'm sure a lot of it does have to do with Martin Scorcese's involvment as opposed to Mel Gibson's with TPOTC.

I can fully separate my personal feelings about the film and The Passion's Oscar odds.

There's no precedent for a film with a history like The Passion being nominated for BP.

Now, had Sir Richard Attenborough directed this film at Warner or Dreamworks in English with Aramaic subtitles, then I would be first in line to shout from the mountains it's Oscar chances.

But that's not the case.

They said that about Lord of the Rings too.

We are missing one important piece of this Passion puzzle (hey, and I think either it or F 9/11 will be nominated!) is that, in my opinion, and in the objective opinion of many of the people around me (who are all rational cinephiles, Christians and non-Christians, who I trust)... the Passion just isn't as fantastic of a movie that the much of the Christian populace thinks it is.

It doesn't have a fantastic screenplay, dialog, the acting (especially by the smaller parts) doesn't always hit the mark. If you are not invested into the story via your committment to your religion, it is an incredible distant and exploitative film.

I don't buy the whole "Jew conspiracy" angle that tries to sell papers. The picture is as good as Seabiscuit in my eyes, I just don't think a picture like Seabiscuit was good enough for Best Picture if I was picking the nominations.

I see a lot of my thoughts for the movie reflected in most critics reviews (which were dismissed by the Christian populace, which is fair for them to do) which could reflect some in Hollywood. I bargain that for everyone in Hollywood who can vote with the Academy who is boycotting The Passion there is someone in the Academy who will give it a harder look BECAUSE of those reactions. But it may just be that The Passion of the Christ just isn't a great enough film to deserve a nomination for Best Picture.

You fell into my trap. I was waiting for someone to bring up LOTR.

Actually, Star Wars set a Oscar nomination precdent for Lord of the Rings when it was nominated for Best Picture.

In terms of an Oscar win, many academy voters were able to look past the fantasy aspect of the film, and focus on the grand epic nature of the film and it's use of the medium, which is something the AMPAS has looked for in some of its Best Picture winners since it's inception.

Furthermore, one could argue that the AMPAS in awarding BP to numerous musicals over the years had already set a precedent of awarding films beyond the usual drama rooted in reality. Not to mention Beauty and the Beast's BP nomination.

There's a shadow of a film in The Passion, a whisper of something worth nominating. Add to that, how the film was created. The AMPAS won't award an outsider.

It's pretty simple really.

So your saying Ebert and Roper think its one of the best films of the year because they are christian but infact its not that great of film and that we who say TPOTC is the best or one of the best films are saying it because we are biased fundie christians?

And i thought it was just because people have diffrent taste in movies and that some actually think TPOTC is a damn great film.

No, I'm saying that its appeal is FAR from universal and that there would be incredibly valid reasons for not nominating it that have absolutely nothing to do with religion.


And some people like Mean Girls and Alien vs. Predator. That doesn't mean that there is a conspiracy

Let me state again: I think The Passion of the Christ fits within the realm of films that should be nominated for Best Picture and either it or Fahrenheit 911 should be nominated for Best Picture because they are representative of the advances and quality in independent cinema in 2004. However, I do not support the notion that a no-nomination for Passion is a signal of some wacky Jewish conspiracy.

What "trap"? People said that about Lord of the Rings! If you are going to play that game then Star Wars sets as much of a precident to Lord of the Rings as The Ten Commandments could to The Passion of the Christ.

I won't disagree with that, as I've said on numours occassions, but that doesn't mean that if it doesn't happen it is some sort of conspiracy!


Who is the outsider? Mel Gibson an outsider? Do you think Mel Gibson's actor friends are going to consider an Oscar winning director an "outsider"? Because his film couldn't get distributed?

He fought the long hard fight to get his film shown. That will get his film noticed. Personally, I think this will help him get a PGA award from the producers, and I don't see why the directors would deny him.

I don't think he will consider himself an outsider, but I look forward to him (or his boosters) casting himself as the martyr if the film doesn't pick up major awards attention.

A few years ago I skimmed a copy of Michael Medved's book Hollywood vs. America. Michael Medved is a movie critic who defends Judeo-Christian ethics and values and hosted Sneak Previews (don't know if it's still on or not). He also is Jewish.

He tells a story about the controversy that erupted around The Last Temptation Of The Christ. It's been a while since I read this, so I'll try to remember it. As a movie critic he and several other nationally known critics were invited to a screening of the movie. During the screening, he observed many of the critics laughing out loud because they thought the movie was so bad. One nationally known critic who laughed the loudest gave a glowing review to the film. Hollywood rallied around the film because it was Martin Scorsese's film and conservative Christians were upset. It was all about 'artistic freedom'. How many have defended Mel Gibson the same way? Ebert and Roeper were positive about the film and some people like Kevin Costner have defended Gibson. I'm not saying there's a Jewish conspiracy, but it does seem there is a double standard in Hollywood.

Maybe I'll be proven wrong and the Oscars will embrace the movie. I'm sure it's going to get many technical awards. I don't doubt that. Who cares? We all know the Oscars don't usually honor the best film and it's all political.

I liked the movie very much, but, hey, I'm a Christian and that influences my viewpoint and opinions. But when do our beliefs and experiences not influence those things? Every movie I watch I see it through what makes me who I am. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. So I guess I'll just 'stay on my cross' and keep defending this movie.

I've never even seen TPOTC!

Don't know if I would ever

want to! :?

You're not missing much