Show Academy ca em Passes asses Over ver Politics 0 i ics an and Passion ass ion M Rachel Abramowitz Los Angeles Times The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9 11 might have been the years year's most talked about movies cultural watersheds that produced hefty lines at movie houses and a mother lode of pundits yapping about the inevitable divide between red America and blue America Yet one group that seemed curiously curiously curiously curi curi- uninterested in the religion politics and controversy the two pictures pictures pictures pic pic- pic- pic tures embraced were the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences which opted to leave both off the shortlist for best picture The Passion of the Christ which Mel Gibson financed out of his own pocket earned a staggering million at the domestic box office while Fahrenheit 9 11 took in million the most ever for a documentary making the omissions a particularly striking illustration of the notion that popularity does not necessarily correlate with Oscar success The combined total domestic gross of the five best picture nominees nominees nominees nomi nomi- nomi- nomi nees was just less than million Yet as with almost everything todo to todo todo do with both of these pictures few can agree about why they were left out While the vagaries of Oscar campaigns campaigns campaigns cam cam- and arcane academy rules seem to have worked against Gibson and Moore some insiders argue that Oscar balloting is a relatively straightforward meritocracy the community simply liked other pictures pictures pictures pic pic- pic- pic tures better Others point to a lingering distaste dis- dis distaste distaste dis dis- taste among some voters for Gibsons Gibson's public pronouncements during the films film's release publicity campaign There were pictures that people liked more mor than those The voters were looking at the list of all the eligible eligible eligible eli eli- gible nominees and there was some decent competition I would not read into it a political message said Martin Kaplan associate dean of the University of Southern California Annenberg Center for Communication Ive not heard of any cabal any underground whispering no sense of membership conspiracy Ive I've been involved with the academy for decades and this membership is so disparate they cant can't even agree what to disagree about said producer and former fonner studio chief Peter Guber Its more likely that Ray somebody somebody somebody some some- body who is a legend will win win because of sympathy than it will be because of some political maelstrom that's concocted around a film when it came out Yet others are not so sure such as Bob Berney president of Newmarket Films which handled the domestic release of The Passion of the Christ which depicts I I the last hours of Jesus Jesus' life I It It has always been a populist populist populist pop pop- w Hollywood anti-Hollywood movie It was a longshot with the academy for obvious obvious FAHRENHEIT 9 11 ous political reasons yi Berney said The film 4 b x ry didn't get reviewed or appreciated as much as it should have because they were reviewing Mels Mel's personal personal per per- a politics Hollywood spent more s time in the last year in trying trying trying try try- J ing to beat George Bush i ithan than trying to make a good I movie They lost and t th they're angry and they're r L 1 going to take it out on one i. i of the few good movies of O t the year said Washington DC D.C. advertising adver adver- UJo FAHRENHEIT Ml MORE THAN TAY UP TO TOm ITS copywriter Patrick Hynes who started a Web site devoted to getting The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9 11 together took in almost million However both films snubbed The Passion of the were by bythe Christ Oscar nomina- nomina the Academy Awa Awards ds with zero nominations n a that h hs ani AO him on the conservative talk-show talk circuit The fairly obvious response in what is now known as the Red States is that Hollywood doesn't share the values of mainstream and middle America While the academy left Gibsons Gibson's film out of the running for the top prizes it did honor other aspects of the movies movie's craft bestowing upon it nominations for cinematography makeup and original score Were honored by the academy's acknowledgment acknowledgment acknowledgment of their achievements said the director actor-director in a state state- ment Gibson chose not to campaign forthe forthe for forthe the award eschewing pricey Oscar ads and parties although he did send out to and sponsor screenings Some have wondered if this was a different kind of ploy Their little is indeed a campaign in itself said Tom Ortenberg president president president pres pres- ident of Lions Lion's Gate Film Releasing A number of Oscar strategists rival studio executives and academy i members cited factors that dampened dampened dampened damp damp- ened the chances for The Passion of the Christ such as strongly neg- neg See Oscar continued on page 6 Oscar continued from page 5 reviews subtitles and a weak central performance Several suggested suggested suggested sug sug- that many academy members members members mem mem- bers hadn't seen the film turned off by its violence A few who declined to be identified identified fied said they were dismayed by what they perceived as Gibsons Gibson's refusal to disavow his fathers father's public public public pub pub- lic statements M M denin n fl th the ma Y J U Of b g of the Holocaust There are enough people in inthe inthe inthe the academy who actually believe the Holocaust happened and the whole thing with his father that's beyond beyond one said By contrast Michael Moores Moore's film Fahrenheit 9 11 might have attracted political travelers in Hollywood but Moore scorched its Oscar chances by taking it out of the competition for its natural award best documentary feature It was Michaels Michael's decision and we supported him percent said Ortenberg whose company released the film domestically Fahrenheit 9 11 casts a harsh light on the Bush administrations administration's response to the terrorist attacks of Sept 11 Academy rules bar documentaries documentaries documentaries from running on TV for nine months after release so Moore who wanted to have a pay big-pay TV release of the film before the 2004 election chose not to submit his film in the documentary category said one involved with the film adding that Moore an Oscar winner for Bowling for Columbine wanted to allow the limelight to shine on other less-known less For a variety of political and business business business busi busi- ness reasons the TV event never materialized Moore had to settle for much smaller exposure on TV as well as competing for an Oscar in the more competitive arena of best picture where no documentary has been nominated Unlike Gibson the firebrand filmmaker campaigned vigorously with Hollywood play play- ers Weve Veve run a very aggressive seasons award-seasons campaign Ortenberg said Neither Moore nor Gibson has been much of a presence at any recent awards ceremonies with the exception of the Peoples People's Choice Awards where Fahrenheit won favorite movie and Passion won favorite movie drama The Peoples People's Choice Awards were determined by 21 million online voters and Moore for one one used his Web site to tell fans that a vote for forthe forthe forthe the film was a vote against President Bush In his acceptance speech Gibson who received a standing ovation welcomed the popular acclaim I depended on you and you were there Gibson said If it wasn't for you guys wed we'd be dead in the water |