In Contention

Tag: The Garden

  • Solid quote

    Scott Hamilton Kennedy

    “We’re an industry town, obviously, but we’re a lot more than trendy clubs and the Hollywood sign and surfers…It’s an enormous community of different cultures and different people, and through that I hope it becomes a universal story. Because when it comes down to it, it’s universal struggles and people trying to do right by themselves, by their community, and struggling with power and greed and all of these things that we’ll struggle with for the rest of our lives.”

    Documentary filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy talking his Oscar-nominated “The Garden” to The Envelope’s Reed Johnson.  I still can’t help but think “Man on Wire” is vulnerable here because this is a strong crop of nominees.  And as noted, “The Garden” is an activist film, VERY much a local story and could be a vote of purpose.  There are some folks out there sticking their necks out for “Trouble the Water,” but not many.

  • Oscar underdog ‘The Garden’

    I was just listening to this NPR piece on documentary feature nominee “The Garden,” an affecting film with a gut-wrenching conclusion that I’ve already said could be in the thick of the hunt for an upset with literally all the other contenders.  But what really caught my eye was this comment on the NPR page:

    Dear Carrie, I listened to this segment today and I was blown away. What’s more, I was surprised the story blew me away. I’m not much into the Oscars, but learning about the plight of these immigrant farmers in SoCal really opened my eyes. You are a skilled and talented story teller. I will listen more intently for your segments in the future. Thank you!

    And it made me remember just how much of an important and, keyword, LOCAL story this really is.  The doc has some celebrity appearances, since it was such an activist issue, so maybe there’s some industry support for the film lying in wait.  Just keep an eye on that category, that’s all I’m saying.  At least one person seems to be taking a dive for “Trouble the Water,” so who knows…

  • How did ‘Man on Wire’ become the favorite in a field of superior documentary features?

    Man on WireIt often seems that when there isn’t an obvious, populist pick in the Academy’s documentary feature category (such as “Bowling for Columbine,” “March of the Penguins” or “An Inconvenient Truth”), the field is rife for an upset.  Last year a number of awards watchers were sure that either “No End in Sight” or “Sicko” would walk away the winner, while maybe five of us new the power of “Taxi to the Dark Side” would prevail.  “Born Into Brothels” caught a few by surprise in a year that a great many thought would see “Super Size Me” take the gold.

    “Murder on a Sunday Morning” over “Children Underground,” “One Day in September” over “Buena Vista Social Club,” it seems there is always something of a surprise waiting to happen here, and I think it’s because the groupthink always takes such a vigorous hold in a category with little precursor clues as to what the actual film industry thinks of the field.

    This year, it’s a foregone conclusion that the critically acclaimed “Man on Wire” will win the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.  The film has nearly swept the circuit.  Only “Trouble the Water” (also nominated) and Guy Maddin’s “My Winnipeg” have popped up with this critics organization or that.  But I submit that, not only is “Man on Wire” quite vulnerable, but it may be the least likely of the nominated docs to win the Oscar in a little less than two weeks’ time.

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