2011 Best Picture Oscar

I understand the whole "safe" argument; I even heard Peter Travers give the same argument today. But you see I don't particularly agree that it is so "safe." Others are saying this is the "oscar bait" type film, yet, if we really look at it, isn't a miracle that some small film about a King who stutters has gotten all this attention at all? BOttom line, it's a wonderful movie and I just don't see where The Social Network is any better.

It's a biography of a guy who starts something, betrays his friends, and moves on. It's a wonderfully made movie, but I don't see how it is even being considered that great...

I see Powered Water jumped in! You said what I wanted to say. Thanks, PW.

I do think The King's Speech isn't forgettable at all and is in my top ten favorites of this decade.

I need to make a new smiley that obnoxiously groans

I'm not sure the film's unlikely path to box office success refutes the idea that it's "Oscar bait." It totally is. Period piece, costume drama, World War II, royalty, experienced ensemble cast. It's about as Oscar bait-ish as you can get. That's not to say it isn't good, or even great, but it definitely deserves that particular label.

I'm not sure how to persuade someone that The Social Network is a great film. You certainly can't dismiss it based on a loose plot summary. A lot of people in other threads have pointed out that you can make lots of films sound simplistic and silly (and well-tread, too) if you boil them down to their barest plot elements. Movies aren't made great by whether or not you can give a great one-sentence pitch describing them. If anything, this kind of judgment would seem to reflect far worse on The King's Speech, no? The very things that make it such an unlikely success -- like an unusual, niche premise -- indicate that it's not a terribly compelling idea at its core; if it wins, it'll be because of the way in which it is executed. It's the same as The Social Network in this regard.

Anyway, arguing taste is pretty futile, but the argument for The Social Network is that it's brilliantly edited, very well acted, incredibly witty, and manages to make computer programming and legal proceedings feel like shoot-'em-up action sequences. Does anyone disagree with those claims, except for maybe the last one?

Honestly, I can't really answer anyone's gripes about the film, because 99% of the time those gripes are people just saying they didn't like it, for some unspecified reason. If it didn't do it for ya', to each their own. I found it very compelling, though, and even more impressive on a technical level. I love sweet films that make me feel good, but I also tend to think that it's a lot easier to make a film that does that sort of thing than it is to do all that The Social Network does.

Yea, I probably didn't phrase my argument very well. I happen to think both films are great executions of their premise. I really do admire both films, but one of these films I love. I cannot wait to see it again and I can't say that about The Social Network. But please don't interpret me as one of those that doesn't like or admire this movie.

I guess what I don't agree with is this argument that TSN is so great that a win for TKS will be on the list of terrible crimes in Oscar history.

And I will make the same argument with regard to The King's Speech:

Using almost your exact words, Yoda, I'd say that TKS is brilliantly acted, very well edited, incredibly witty and heart-warming, and manages to make speech therapy feel like action sequences. Does anyone disagree with those claims?

Can't say; haven't seen it yet. But like you, I wasn't making the case against one so much as for the other. But I realize there are TKS fans who dislike TSN, and others who just like TKS more.

Really wanted to see The King's Speech a couple weeks back -- particularly as it became clear it would be the favorite -- but just didn't get around to it. D'oh. Definitely in the next couple of weeks, though.

I've been hoping whenever I come here to hear if you saw it and liked it... I guess I'll keep checking back.

I've changed my pick from TSN to TKS but sticking with Fincher for Dir. Gonna play numbers this year, not favourites.

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Seeing as The Hurt Locker won last year, I think they'll go for something a little more mainstream. They've given The King's Speech twelve Oscar nominations- if they weren't seriously considering it for Best Picture, they wouldn't've done that. However I reckon Fincher will get Best Director as a consolation prize. If you get Best Director, it implies that your film must be pretty good.

I'd love for Black Swan to get Best Picture but that seems unlikely. I'm sure it'll win Make Up and I'm hoping it will win Best Cinematography. Portman ought to win Best Actress but if she doesn't, I reckon Black Swan will get some of the art awards.

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You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never. (The Red Shoes, 1948)

Black Swan is not nominated for Makeup. I expect it will win one award.

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Really?! If any film deserves a make-up award, it's that one. I can't think of any other recent film in which anybody cared about the make-up.

The Wolfman will most likely win makeup.

Yeah, that seems to be the consensus. I'm thinking most of the voters who don't really know much about the process just go with the closest thing to a creature feature.

When they announced Best Director out of its usual order ahead of Best Actress and Best Actor (which wound up a full half hour before Best Picture), they drained what minimal suspense was left in the evening. As should have been crystal clear the instant Tom Hooper's name was read, The King's Speech won Oscar's top prize, Best Picture!

As presenter Steven Spielberg pointed out in one of the shockingly few scripted bits that wasn't absolutely dull or irrelevant, The King's Speech joins "a list that includes On the Waterfront, Midnight Cowboy, The Godfather and The Deer Hunter" while The Social Network and the eight others join "a list that includes The Grapes of Wrath, Citizen Kane, The Graduate and Raging Bull!"

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

It was kind of strange how they used the King's Speech voice over to announce the candidates. They could have given a little more love to each film individually.

Yes, but the words of the speech itself, talking about the battlefield and committing to what one believes is right, obviously was a perfect fit for the competition of the Academy Awards, yeah? There were certainly fewer visual clips of The King's Speech used, only four total, and two of them were of Firth as the King reading the speech. True Grit and Winter's Bone were in there much more visually.

It was about the only thing in the whole night I thought was well produced, from a TV point of view.

No doubt the words of the speech fit the clips. But I guess with all the great candidates this year they might have shown some notable clips from each of them. But yeah, gotta give the producers credit for a little originality.

They did. They just didn't use any sound clips, except for one.

I liked the montage better than a single ten or fifteen second clip from each individually, in alphabetical order. At that point in the show they don't even do that, anyway, ESPECIALLY not with ten nominees now. I thought the montage was a nice and effective way to bring every single one of the ten to life again before the winner was announced.

By NOTABLE I meant with SOUND. Anyway, I wish they could have found more originality by coming up with a unique way to include all the candidates. But hey, if you liked it, great. To each his own my friend.

I loved the montage. It seems like it was the most creative thing I've ever seen produced at the Academy Awards. Quite a few times the clips matched what the King was saying.

I'm very happy today. I also loved what Spielberg had to say that Holden quoted. Seemed like they read this thread when they wrote those lines.

Great.