Once Again ... A Comic Book Snub!

2008 was a good year for films. Seriously, think about it! Did we not all run to the theater to laugh at Robert Downy Jr. in Tropic Thunder (with a terrific cameo by Tom Cruise)? Did we not all marvel at Meryl Streep’s portrayal of a nun with a secret in Doubt (some of us marveled at her performance in Mamma Mia … SOME!)? Did we not all trudge into theaters to see how they would actually make Brad Pitt’s Benjamin Button grow young? But, most importantly, did we not show up in droves to see the most anticipated film of the year The Dark Knight? Why then are all of the movies above nominated for awards such as Best Picture, Actor, and Actress and The Dark Knight snubbed for major awards (with the exception of Heath Ledger). Seriously, people, why was The Dark Knight snubbed when it came to Best Motion Picture of the Year?

First of all, Heath Ledger’s nomination is no excuse for the lack of a nod in the Best Picture category. He was beyond brilliant. This nomination should not be considered a make-up for Best Picture. Let us not lessen the performance by making such a claim!

Why are “Comic Book” movies always snubbed at Oscar Time? For what reason do we not take these movies seriously? Of course, there are comic book movies that have no business having Oscar’s on their mantles, but sometimes exploring the story of a comic book legend is worth awarding with the gold. The Dark Knight is a prime example. This film did not simply tell the story of Batman vs. The Joker, like we’ve seen before. This explored the psychology of two of fictions greatest characters and of the audience. Ask yourself the question: would you have blown up the other boat (those of you that saw The Dark Knight know what that's about)?

This is the biggest disappointment in Oscar history as far as comic book films are concerned. We’ve seen great films get ignored before, but this film went above and beyond the typical action and explosions of the past. In fact, did anyone walk out thinking, “Boy, that Bat-Pod was awesome!”? No! We walked out questioning ourselves and what we would do if we had the responsibility of Batman. We thought about how a savior can be challenged by one man. We questioned the theory of chaos and discovered it truly is fear.

It’s worth looking at some other films that have been ignored in the past. Audiences of 2002 were captivated by Marvel’s greatest hero, Spider-Man. In Spider-Man, director Sam Raimi delves deep into the famous quote, “With great power, comes great responsibility,” making Spider-Man not only a metaphor for teenagers to relate to, but a symbol of political figures all over the world. How much power is too much power? Taking on power and mixing it with love and villainy, Raimi gets a great story along with a vision masterpiece. He also gets two terrific performances out of Toby McGuire and Kirsten Dunce (possibly the best of their respective careers).

While Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman may not have dealt with the issues of The Dark Knight, it still reclaimed the Batman origin and brought back the darkness and depth that the 1960’s Batman had all but destroyed. In the year 1989, the nominees for Best Picture included Driving Miss Daisy, which won, Dead Poet’s Society, Born on the Fourth of July, My Left Foot, and Field of Dreams. All of these were terrific films with outstanding direction and performances. Field Of Dreams is a beautiful film about the common man and his family. It rarely fails to make even the strongest man tear up, but was it worthy of a BEST PICTURE nomination? It was definitely not better produced than Tim Burton’s Batman. Not to mention, the lack of nomination for Best Supporting Actor: Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Bringing together a clever mix of the 70’s Joker and Caesar Romero’s Joker, Nicholson gave us the Joker that was incredibly appropriate for 1989, taking us away from the comical interpretation of Gene Hackman’s comic book villain and bringing us into the 1990s.

After Burton blew us away with Batman, Warren Beatty saw an opening for the next great comic book blockbuster: Dick Tracy. At least the Academy has enough sense to award Al Pacino a nomination for this brilliant portrayal of Big Boy Caprice, Tracy’s main adversary (he deserving lost to Joe Pesci’s amazing performance in Goodfellas). The film, however, was ignored by the academy. Beatty’s vision of the film, mixing the 1950’s comic style with the 1990’s contemporary edge, revitalized a figure that had been lost of that generation of teens. The film was quite successful; it even brought back the cartoon, a presentation that would typically be considered corny and outdated. With stylized acting and a top-notch cast, Dick Tracy introduced the true “comic” detective to a new audience. The film is still a favorite among comic fans, though, oddly, no sequel was ever attempted. Where was this film in the Best Picture category?

Some other snubs from comic book films:
- Marlon Brando for Best Supporting Actor in Superman (come on!)
- Warren Beatty for Best Director of Dick Tracy
- Christopher Nolan for Best Director of The Dark Knight and (perhaps) for Batman Begins
- Tim Burton for Best Director of Batman
- Richard Donner for Superman (his cut of Superman II should be given an honorary Oscar)

And the award goes to … anything but the comic movie, even if the comic movie is actually a good movie! Let’s stop giving nominations and awards to the same type of films. Let’s look outside the box and give awards to the films that are encouraging audiences to think more intelligently about things they are already thinking about. Perhaps the decision makers are not ready to think inside the comic box.