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Final Note * March 2nd, 2006:
If Brokeback were to lose --which would be a total miracle (and not a good one)-- I would probably need to be hospitalized. I'm very used to the Oscars not going to my favorite film of the year. Happens all the time. I'm completely new to this feeling of anger that comes with backing the favorite and having to watch all the attacks happening. (More on my feelings about the supposed Crash "surge" earlier here...)

Earlier February, I wrote
So here we are.

In the end Munich, Steven Spielberg's tense exploration of the Munich Olympic massacre aftermath, pulled out of its PR tailspin to win the coveted nomination from Walk the Line. Still, the Oscars are to-be-owned by the great Ang Lee gay tragic romance Brokeback Mountain which leads with 8 nominations. It's also soon to have the highest gross of the Best Picture pack and be the most profitable. Currently Crash, Paul Haggis' word-of-mouth hit on racism in LA film has that distinction. But Brokeback Mountain is less than $1 million behind at the theaters and still widening. Heath and Jake's forbidden romance will soon have quintupled its production costs at the box office and will obviously be pulling in millions more with Oscar's free advertising.

The big story this year? Political content. With the exception of Capote, the latest member of Oscar's extensive family tree --make that forest, family forest-- of biopic nominees from its 78 year lifespan, all of the films are political statements of some sort. Though Brokeback is currently at the center of America's tiresome debate about homosexuality

[You know the one. The debate about whether or not homos are worthy of the same rights, love, and happiness as other people --Duh! What is there even to debate about? A more valuable debate would be "why are we still debating this and what can we do, as a society, about the huge factions of people who refuse to acknowledge the inherent equality of others and will always fight for a tiered misery-producing social structure. What should we do as a society about the people who don't want a kind and inclusive society?" That's the debate we oughta be having people. / End Rant ]

... it's actually the least overtly political film in the mix beyond Capote. Crash has very obvious messaging as does George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck. which explores the war between civil rights threating government forces (sound familiar?) and a passionate journalist willing to stand against their climate of fear. And finally we're back again to Munich, which wants us to debate the direction of politics in reaction to terrorism.

All in all, this is an abnormally meaty/thinky lineup for the good folks at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Key: Box Office Rank comes from box office mojo's yearly chart . Critical Rank comes from the year end topten list chart from geninn My grade comes from reviews or screenings detailed here