Perhaps the most troubling effect of the Academy’s decision to have 10 Best Picture nominees this season is that whenever any movie does at all well, people start talking Oscar. I for one am certainly guilty of that—remember my Hangover-for-Best-Picture item? And now it’s happening again with the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It, which the Associated Press‘ Sandy Cohen and the Hollywood Reporter‘s Steven Zeitchik have put forth as a possible Best Picture nominee. (Sony is submitting it for consideration for all the major races, though it’s too late to qualify for a Best Documentary Feature nod.) I have to say, I’m not so sure about this one. The film is something of a cultural phenomenon (though it doesn’t look like it’s going to bust any box office records after all), and considering how quickly it was put together, it’s a very impressive achievement. But it’s still essentially just a bunch of concert-rehearsal footage strung together. I can’t visualize voters in the acting, art direction, costume, writing, or makeup branches even considering putting it on their ballots, even with twice the nominees. I don’t think it’s going to be completely ignored: I would give it a decent shot at a sound editing or sound mixing nomination. But this, as they say, is it.
Image credit: Kevin Mazur
I totally agree. Wonderful film, but not worthy of a Best Picture Oscar.
I can’t believe anyone with half a brain would think this “movie” should be nominated for anything. Maybe if there was a dead pedophile of the year award…
Stop with the hate. If you don’t like the movie or Michael, keep your inane comments to your self.And please get a life.
Barf, why are you still reading stuff about a pedophile? Did you go see it? You have to stop this obsession with Michael Jackson and get a life. He’s been dead for 4 months get over it. Seek professional help.
People who go online to stir things up are called ‘Trolls’. They may or may not like the subject,,,,they are looking for attention
I don’t know. I think it qualifies because it’s actually a first rate concert film. So what if it’s just of the rehearsal process. It’s a intimate look at the process. It won’t get any acting nominations. Or writing. The song “This is It” might qualify for the song category. But I think it was an excellent film. It’s not going to break boxoffice records because it’s a concert film. And those usually don’t sell… But in the end…it’s going to do quite well. But back to whether it qualifies for a Oscar. I do think because it’s a great film. It explores the back stage process. Whether it would win I doubt it. But then if Heath Ledger can ride death to a Oscar win who knows… Since I didn’t think anything award worthy of that role. But time will tell. I am sure it will be included since there is 10 slots and as of right now there is not 10 movies that should knock it out.
I agree, I’d like to see it nominated. Maybe not win, but for sure nominated. I’d love to learn more about the costumes they planned to use and the special effects of the stage. Also it could win for Best Editing.. they edited more than 120 hours of footage into 111 minutes.
no way will this end up as a best picture nominee… just no way… The Hangover has a better shot…
Definitely not best picture material, but I think it could earn some kind of editing award, whether it’s sound or just regular film editing.
Ugh, that would be awful if it got nominated.
Why is it too late to be nominated for a Best Documentary?
To be considered for Best Documentary a film has to have had a run prior to August 31 – this film came out past the deadline.
If This Is It can get a nomination, then District 9 can get it without a doubt.
Or The Maid
I hate to be a hater, but in what sense is this movie “something of a cultural phenomenon”? It’s probably not even going to break the record for concert movies, let alone anything else.
It already did, genius. It has grossed the most $$ out of any concert film ever in the theater.
it was a good documentary, but no was this a ‘movie’ with all the qualities that the script/plot/cinematography/acting/sound that a best picture quantifies. I really enjoyed it, but no way should it be a best picture nominee.
it’s obvious this movie was not done for the love of making a movie. it was solely done with the purpose of cashing in on the phenomena of Michael’s death.
You can’t possibly be serious! You’re patronizing that perverted girly boy all in the name of the dollar. I’ve never understood why Americans worship pond scums like him. I’m really sick of hearing about that clown.
He certainly was ‘asexual’(you call it girly boy)…I think of it as harnessing his energy for his craft…historically, many famous, talented people were misunderstood, and sometimes tortured because they were different. I think of Michelangelo, Einstein, Mozart, Picasso..all these geniuses were not tolerated well by their comtemporaries
Heath Ledger didn’t win his Oscar because he died. He won because he gave an extremely powerful and creepy performance that would’ve blown away the other nominees that year even had he been alive to see it.
Heath won because none of the other nominees in the best supporting actor field did major campaigning. If Heath Ledger had not died, the award would have went to Robert Downey, Jr. (given his hot year). Heath did get the award (not undeservingly) because of his death. Hey, it created a new saying in Hollywood: “You have to die in order to win an acting Oscar in a superhero movie.” People don’t win by merely being superior. It’s all politics.
gorgeous film but for sure not for oscar!