Oscars 2013, 2000, Seth MacFarlane and American Beauty

I'll refrain from commenting much about this year's Oscars, and the TV presentation, and Seth MacFarlane, other than to say it was nice, for once that three nominated movies were ones we'd actually seen already - never happened before, and Argo, was one of 'em, and won Best Picture among other awards. See HERE for post on that film. As for this year's host, Seth MacFarlane, he made the 4 hours-worth of communal back-patting much easier to take. I think Seth has yet to hit his perfect stride in entertainment. Family Guy isn't it, Ted wasn't it. His CD (now among my favourites) is inching a tiny bit nearer. I'm interested to watch how his career progresses, and perhaps evolves.

Regarding Seth MacFarlane's "We saw your boobs" song/skit, the one getting some women riled up - I'll say just this: if women weren't so eager to show their breasts, scarcely covered, in the course of TV and film appearances as a kind of fashion statement to see who can show most skin, I'd have more sympathy for the voices raised on this. I could've done another verse ...."We saw your boobs all but a quarter inch or so on (whatever) show on TV". Y'all get what you have coming gals! Disclaimer: I am not a feminist with a capital F. I unwaveringly support equality of the sexes and equal pay for women. We now are emancipated enough and strong enough to look after ourselves! It'd be a better plan to quit complaining and compose something as counterpoint, eg:"We saw your dingle dangles"

Enough about 2013.

A little time travelling, back to 2000 when the 1999 movie American Beauty (the one with red rose petals all over the place) won "Best Picture" award. As it happens this film came up in an online conversation with blog-buddy "mike" in commentary to an earlier post (here) on the topic of pedophilia and inappropriate sexual attraction. I'd seen the film years ago but had only a very hazy memory of it, so I acquired an old VHS tape and we watched it a couple of nights ago.

You know, I think American Beauty, clever and satirical as it may have been in 1999, hasn't aged all that well. I wasn't bored by it, but I certainly didn't think it was Oscar material in today's terms.

A laundry-list refresher for any other hazy memories. The film was a satirical look at American suburban life of the 1980s and 90s. Dysfunctional parents, obtuse teenage offspring, focus on materialism, a rather unpleasant portrayal of females, clumsy references to homosexuality, a middle-aged man's unsatisfactory relationship with annoying wife leading to his lusting after a teenaged Lolita-type friend of his daughter; an ex-marine overtly homophobic and controlling husband of a quivering silent wife, father of a teenaged, supposedly soulful and arty, drug dealer son......remember?

Characters and situations portrayed now seem like overly stereotypical caricatures. Much too much of everything. I could easily envisage the whole thing as a Monty Python sketch. Perhaps that was the creators' intention? Perhaps that was what life was like in America back then - a Monty Python sketch? I wasn't here, so I don't know. It wasn't like that in my neck of the English woods - that's for sure!

Best part of the movie, for me, was seeing some actors I've enjoyed in other roles since, doing what they did in earlier days: Allison Janney, the wife of the ex-marine in American Beauty came into her own in TV's The West Wing as White House press secretary and later Chief of Staff, C.J. Cregg. Chris Cooper, the ex-marine character, played numerous supporting roles before and since, he always does sterling work; for me he'll forever be remembered as "July Johnson" (in Lonesome Dove). Annette Bening, who I usually admire, rather over-played her part I thought, but she was nominated in Best Actress category, was beaten to it by Hilary Swank. Kevin Spacey, of course, was highlight of American Beauty, took Best Actor Award too. He has appeared in far too few movies recently in my opinion.....I shall now have to go back and find more of his old stuff.




America has moved on since 1999 and American Beauty. 11 September 2001 changed everything.

American Beauty has, in my opinion, lost whatever lustre it must have had to win the Academy Award. The same cannot be said of all Oscar winning movies, some remain timeless and relevant many decades later. Will Argo be one of those I wonder? Lincoln would've been, Les Misérables might have been.....but longevity is probably not a requisite quality a film must have in order to win an Oscar.

Comparing 2000's "Best Picture" winner with 2013's, is there a link of sorts? American Beauty afforded a critical look at an aspect of American life, Argo presents a story which might cause Americans, especially those connected to Hollywood, to feel proud of an achievement. Another nominated movie Zero Dark 30 which we deliberately didn't see, is also I understand, an attempt to present American, or CIA/military achievement in a complimentary light, and to draw feelings of pride. Different flavours, almost opposites in fact, one self-deprecating, t'other self-congratulatory.
Food for thought.

ARGO "the best bad idea we have, sir"

The Middle East has been a constant problem area for as long as I can remember (and I'm old - or old enough). There hasn't been a period in my life when something unpleasant wasn't going down in the ME. I do not release my old homeland, the UK, from responsibility for some of it. That attitude almost had me avoiding the newly released movie Argo.....almost.

If you enjoy an adventure movie in which the CIA hero doesn't shoot anybody, (James Bond was never like this) none of the main characters carries a gun, but all are involved in a real life escape from danger venture, then Argo is for you. We saw it at the weekend. I enjoyed it a lot. Husband did too, but said that he found certain scenes a lttle too uncomfortably tense and unsettling. I know what he meant, especially the last scenes of the movie, when I felt the urge to yell out "for goodness sake (cleaned up version) get a flippin' move on!" That's a sign of good direction, I guess. Ben Affleck directed as well as playing the lead.

The film tells the true story, sticking to the facts for - I dunno - maybe 80% of the time, depicting events during the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Most (film says 60) staff of the US Embassy in Iran were held hostage, as spies, for over a year by Islamic militants. Six members of Embassy staff managed to escape and were taken in by the Canadian Ambassador in Tehran. The tricky job of getting six escapees out of Iran was dropped into the lap of CIA expert getter-outer Tony Mendez; the movie is based on his book.

There are lots of sources online with more detail of the story, as well as the Wiki link above. I'll refrain from giving away more than any passing reader might already know if around in the late 1970s when the events happened. For anyone, like me, with no memory of what went on, there's a very clear introduction in the first frames of the movie, narrating background history and lead-up to the point at which the movie begins. I thought this was a very good way to introduce younger viewers to the history of what remains a very important on-going problem area of the Middle East.

The movie was well handled, in my opinion. I understand though, from later reading, that some Canadians weren't too happy about certain aspects of the way the story was presented, in relation especially to the Canadian Ambassador's role in events. Ben Affleck saw to it that at least one of the Canadian objections was addressed before wide release of the movie.

Argo was a movie, after all, not a documentary. There were scenes which didn't happen in real life, there was humour emanating from supporting characters, particularly when the Hollywood crowd hove into view. Situations and remarks which seemed comical when viewed from the safety of a cinema seat may not have seemed nearly as funny in the real life situations.

There's interesting information about the real Tony Mendez in this Washington Post Lifestyle article, with a photograph of him with Ben Affleck and the six escapees.

I'd love to know the birth date/place/time of Tony Mendez to see how well astrology fits. So far I've only been able to find "1940". Not enough. His talent for disguise, ingenuity, quick thinking and extreme adventure seems to me to be a blend of Gemini/Sagittarius with Neptune prominent.