And the Answer is …. Yes!
Last month we wondered if Dreamgirls would be aced out of a best-picture win for reasons similar to 2005’s shut out of Brokeback Mountain.
As Brokeback was a clear-eyed picture of gay men in love that accurately assayed an American landscape of self-loathing and violence, so too did Dreamgirls, in its seemingly lighter way, show the sidetracking of black talent in a culture that awards sameness over sharp-angled innovation, that can only superficially look at the sights, sounds, moans and screams of its Jim Crow heritage.
Well today, with the announcement of the Oscar nominees, we got our answer. Dreamgirls received the most nominations (eight to be exact) of any one picture in the field, but fell shy of a best picture run. The candidates for best picture are Babel, The Departed, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, and The Queen.
Why was Dreamgirls brought right up to the top and yet shut out from the ultimate award? After the jump we run our original reflections on the matter, from December 20, 2006.
Will secret prejudice chill Dreamgirls’ chances on Oscar night?
That’s what Tom O’Neil is wondering. He’s the L.A. Times’ expert on awards shows.
Knowing the backstage politics and campaigning for Oscars that kicks off during the Christmas season, accompanied by full-page ads in the industry trades, he looks into his crystal ball for Dreamgirls and sees the glass cloud over and darken.
Will there be a repeat of last year’s stunning upset, he asks. Last year, as Nightcharmers know too well, a good but forgettable film Crash snatched the Oscar away from a great, memorable — but ah, full frontally gay — one, Brokeback Mountain.
“Last weekend I had a long, leisurely breakfast with one of Hollywood’s most notable studio chiefs,” writes O’Neil in his blog for the awards-oriented L.A.Times site The Envelope. “While we chatted casually he said, in between the lattes and bagels, matter-of-factly what we all know but seldom admit out loud: ‘Of course, Brokeback Mountain didn’t win best picture because of the gay thing.‘”
O’Neil continues:
He’s an academy member, seasoned Oscar veteran, a “str8″ chap, as the lingo goes, and not affiliated with Brokeback.
“I couldn’t believe how many academy members even refused to watch it,” he added, shaking his head.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that we saw the secret, ugly side of Hollywood when the best picture winner was announced.
I’m not saying Crash wasn’t a great film, no, no, but that’s not why they voted for it. Look, I’ve been in this Oscar game long enough to know how to read these things. Believe me. What we saw was a disgusting display of anti-gay bigotry. Yep, in so-called liberal Hollywood.”
O’Neil reports that this is the conventional wisdom among studio insiders and cites the evidence of his own conversations with Oscar voters. “Many academy members both hip (Sarah Jessica Parker) and old school (Ernest Borgnine, Tony Curtis) admitted they didn’t watch Brokeback before voting.
“In toto, Brokeback received more best-picture awards from kudos organizations than any other film in history — 26 — but not the film academy. Odd, eh?”
Well, not really. We live in a culture that goes to the polls to deny rights to gay people. And Hollywood is ever the faithful Merchant of the Zeitgeist — as O’Neil himself realizes later in his piece:
“Over all, it’s clear to me how [Oscar voters] think: It’s OK to give Oscars to straight stars portraying gays assaulted with violence or AIDS (Hilary Swank, Tom Hanks), but, come on, Brokeback was a love story. By installing that into Oscar’s best-picture pantheon, they’d be embracing gay love itself!”
Yes, the culture prefers their gay men and lesbians safely dead or dying. Yet even by that measure, Brokeback Mountain should have sailed right through to the ultimate award. It was, in the end, a rather conventionally tragic gay love story ending in a brutal murder. It featured closeted men who recited all the sentimental pieties about marriage and family and macho swagger, while deeply denying the legitimacy of their true emotional lives. Just the sort of gay hardluck story Oscar should have been disposed to certify with its most commercially valuable award.
But the genteel bigotry of quiet good taste won out, concludes O’Neil. And his crystal ball is picking up a similar discomfort with black people, black music and a bodaciously forthright black culture — despite all the mountains of money that culture generates. Just the thing to queer it — if we may use a Brokeback metaphor — for all “those old, straight white guys who comprise the vast majority of voters.”
Writes O’Neil:
It’s no secret that the academy has been stingy to black films in the past. Prior to the 2001 derby … African-Americans had claimed a lead-acting award only once … and only 5 had prevailed in the supporting races…
When all of this erupted into a major hubbub five years ago and academy members were publicly accused of being prejudiced, voters scrambled to make good for past oversights and they gave both the lead-actor and actress trophies to black stars in the same year, shocking everybody: Denzel Washington (Training Day) and Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball).
Now, for the first time ever, it looks like an African-American movie can not only win, but romp across most categories: Oscarologists everywhere are declaring Dreamgirls to be the clear frontrunner. If so, it should have an easy time of things at the Golden Globes, which have always embraced black artists and musical movies warmly.
But, hmmmm, what about those weird Oscars? Will voters display another secret flash of ugly prejudice?
Hopes now run high that this could be a milestone year for African- Americans at the Oscars. Much like hopes ran high among gays at the last derby. Will the same outcome occur?
There’s one hopeful sign that things may work out just fine this time.
Let’s recall that the film that beat Brokeback was about secret racial prejudice. Voters embraced Crash enthusiastically, but it featured many white stars like Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Phillippe. If many white voters feel shut out of Dreamgirls like many straight voters felt about Brokeback, they might respond selfishly again.
But will they?
Well, as the Wise Old Drag Queen used to say, we shall see what we shall see.
Having the double whammy (being Black AND Gay) I feel I had to respond to your provocative article. I’ve been worried for Dreamgirls myself for the same reason ever since all the oscar buzz began. Like Brokeback was a little TOO gay, I think Dreamgirls might be a little TOO Black (even though it was conceived, packaged, financed and realised by a bunch of white dudes). Ever since The Color Purple was nominated 11 times and walked away with nothing, I’ve not had much love or held out much hope for the Oscar machine. I was indeed doubly offended when Whoopi lost best actress for her captivating portrayal of Celie only to be “backhanded” with the award for Supporting actress for her vaguely funny, thoroughly stereotypical portrayal of Oda May Brown. I think after the Denzel, Halle, Jamie Fox thing, Hollywood (especially George Clooney) and the rest of the country was able to neatly put the decades of maids, blackface, etc. behind them. Hollywood had come around, saw the error of its ways and indeed had gone above and beyond to make up for all past injustices (real or not). America could now pat itself on the back and return to the movies and stretch out and relax and enjoy Black themed cinematic treats such as Big Momma’s House 3 and Booty Call 2.
All that being said, I’m sill cautiously optimistic about Dreamgirls’ chances. Before the recent “glut” of Black Best Actor/Actres recipients, I would have been both very doubtful about the films chances of taking home any major awards and easily able to pinpoint exactly why. Now, however, and it’s kind of a dubiously good thing, there could be any number of reasons for a movie like Dreamgirls being shut out…legitimate reasons as well as spurious.
And then there are all those gay white guys who put it together!
I though that Brokeback was a great film and I was stunned that Brokeback lost- in part due to the film’s across the board wins from numerous critic’s groups, festivals and film circles. Whereas, my opinion of Dreamgirls, based on my recent viewing, is that the film is very good and entertaining (like the new james Bond film) but it was not a great film. Some of the cast were excellent, including Jennifer Hudson and to my surprise Eddie Murphy, the film also had great cinematography (although a little heavy on condensed fast-action edits) but unlike Brokeback, thus far it Dreamgirls has won few national critic awards- therefore to me a loss would not be as big of surprise as thew loss of Brokeback.
Thanks for your presentation on this issue-
Where did you get this crazy and false idea that Crash was in any way a “good” movie?
Yeah…I don’t know. Brokeback was amazing and it should have won. Period.
But dreamgirls? Don’t get me wrong. It was a blast and I really enjoyed it…but it was flawed and there are so many other films this year that deserve the oscar over it (just as long as that doesn’t involve clint eastwood…im good.) I don’t think the film will get “brokebacked”, I just don’t think the film is GREAT enough to win in general. I’m sure Jennifer Hudson will get a nomination and it will win all of the original music awards…but I think considering it the best picture of the year is a bit of a long shot.
Personally I’m really hoping The Departed gets it. How ungay is that?
I thought that you guys would repost this after the Oscar nominations announcement, so I just wanted to chime in to say that I agree with Tracy and MD. Like James, I am a “double whammy” – or a “one-for” when it comes to federal equal employment rules, but still would not say that the Academy discriminated against “Dreamgirls.” So far, I’ve seen 58 (yes, a lot of money at the cinema) of the hundreds of films that were eligible for Oscar nominations this year, and would not list “Dreamgirls” in my top 20 favorites of the year.
I thought that the film had great production values, and was pretty surprised by the little amount of technical awards that it received. Without the three best song nominations, it would not have been the nominations leader. I really thought that the film could have been more – especially after seeing how Bill Condon adapted “Chicago.” For me, it was a lot like “Memoirs of a Geisha” – a lot of flash, but no substance. It was great to see “Dreamgirls” on the biggest screen in town, but I left feeling that so much more could have been done.
Personally, I am hoping that Rinko Kikuchi wins the supporting actress Oscar for her amazing and quiet performance as a deaf girl exploring her sexuality and coming to terms with her mother’s death in “Babel.” Her story was the only one that really kept me interested in “Babel.”
Like MD, I’m all for “The Departed” for best picture. And put me down for Scorsese for Best Director too. I really loved “The Departed” – even more than “Goodfellas.”
Personally, I was very disappointed with the movie DreamGirls after all the hype and hearing some of the fabulous new renditions of the sourcematerial by Jennifer Hudson. The movie just sucked major ass, the only redeeming features were Jennifer (what a voice, and such raw talent in the acting department!) and the fabulous production values. But the pacing was off, the cutting of some scenes were either irritating or underwhelming (e.g. the And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going scene – should have been a highpoint of the movie bud didn’t do anything for me in the visual department).
Oscar for Best New Actress (if there is such a nomination)? YES! Give it to Jennifer, NOW!
The rest? Uhm…hell no!
Yeah, I agree with others: Dreamgirls was good, but not great. Great acting, yes, especially by Eddie Murphy, who should get the Oscar for his incredible performance. But not the best film of the year. Hey, but when did the best film of the year ever win the Oscar?
“Hopes now run high that this could be a milestone year for African- Americans at the Oscars. Much like hopes ran high among gays at the last derby. Will the same outcome occur?”
What? Dreamgirls got Brokebacked? Hardly. I think the Academy gave it recognition where recognition was deserved. It didn’t deserve a best picture nod simply because it wasn’t that good. Eddie Murphy’s performance was the best thing about it and although I have issues with calling Jennifer Hudson’s performace “acting”, her singing was powerful. But much about the film is inflated and overhyped; a lot of flash with little soul.
It is not a milestone. It is a musical about opportunitsts and not very likeable ones at that. It glosses over many issues, treats the struggle for civil rights in a shallow, reductive way, more as a costume change than the vital movement is was, and even guts its own source of much dramatic power.
I think its import is this: it was another Broadway musical brought to the screen. That’s it. Bill Condon was more successful with “Chicago” and thus, the nominations reflected that decrement.
To compare it to Brokeback Mountain is ridiculous. Brokeback, as a film, is far superior. Brokeback, as a milestone, was overhyped itself. Its loss at last year’s awards was a crime, yes, but hardly surprising.
There is prejudice in the Academy but I think the mistake is to hinge hopes on a film of medocrity like Dreamgirls. Saying it was “Brokebacked” is just blowing smoke up my ass. Stop it.
It COULD just be that Dreamgirls wasn’t all that good. Because it wasn’t. A few notable performances (with J.Hud being the most over-rated) and plenty of dazzling design work, but beyond that it was shallow, uneven, badly acted, and just plain disappointing. Not everything we like is all that, boys, and there doesn’t need to be some big bad conspiracy to keep this one from winning every statue in the land.
“Brokeback Mountain” was really great and significant in a lot of ways. It was an artistic, cultural and commercial success. It remains relevant. Hence I don’t understand why “Nightcharm” had to always drag it along the same lines along this “Dreamgirls” picture. No point of comparison. I wish the author of this piece get over it — it ain’t that great. No, it’s not “great” at all.
i’m a certified Dreamgirls head, as Nightcharm denizens know, and i don’t at all disagree with all the previous posters about the flaws of the movie. but i just have to say — LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE? best picture? puh-leeze! i’m all over THE QUEEN, clearly a better film than DREAMGIRLS. i’m willing to see LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, even though clint eastwood is so NOT my dress size. i’m intrigued at the raves in this column for THE DEPARTED — i’m a big scorsese fan, a big non-fan of Jack Nicholson, was disappointed by Gangs of New York, so i was thinking i could skip this one…but maybe not?
I loved “Dreamgirls.” i thought it really was a good lighting on african-american culture and what we went thru in the 60’s. Its disappointing but no surprise that the movie only won 2 oscars. I personally was mad when Eddie Murphy didnt win Best Supporting Actor after his incredible performance in Dreamgirls. Jennifer is a little over-rated, i agree. She is an amazing actress and singer, no doubt, but Anika Noni Rose who played Lorrell (the other dreamgirl) had an unbelievable voice and no one would know that, Beyonce is already an very powerful established singer, but this was her best acting yet, finally a decent acting job by Miss Knowles. I love her, im a huge fan. Its too bad about BrokeBack too. that also was a disappointment.