'Hurt Locker,' 'Up,' 'The Cove' win Producers Guild Awards

After reading the posts, I have to say that you people need to judge a film for yourself & NOT what the critics say. I have been pleasantly surprised with many films that the so-called film critics didn’t like. And that’s coming from a person who’s seen many, many films. I’m usually drawn into a film that has a creative & different story approach to tell. THE HURT LOCKER did this. AVATAR did not.

inglourious basterds all the way! best movie of the year. liked avatar but lacked substance. hurt locker was great but no movie stuck with me like basterds, weeks after i saw it. star trek was a better movie than avatar.

To those debating Avatar’s worth, let it go. For those arguing that the Hurt Locker is not worthy of winning Best Picture due to it’s box office, let it go. Arguably, both sides have a point, based on the definition of the word ‘point.’ However, the reasoning for justifying either position is flawed. If you think Avatar will win Best Picture, you obviously do not understand how the Academy Awards work. First off, we’ll accept that Avatar is a good movie, not great, but good. However, it’s place in history has not been secured, and my guess is that long term, the film will become less impressive fast, much as Titanic did. The Academy is made up of individuals whom inhabit the film community, who actually have ties to making movies; They are actors, and producers, and composers, and every other walk of participant in the construction of a film. Box Office can actually be a turn off to those voters, who might see saturated acceptance as an admission of mediocrity. Add to that the fact of the ‘motion capture’ preaching Cameron has been extolling in interviews, claiming that it is the future of acting… Call me crazy, but most ‘real’ actors hate performance capture. They’ll play with it occasionally, but in no way will it become a norm.

The Hurt Locker on the other hand, is a small film, but it is big in ideas and execution. Prior to this, no Iraq war film has even emerged in positive critical circles other than documentaries. Look back to the 1980s, when films like Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July were best picture noms. That is what the Hurt Locker represents: a way to compartmentalize a war through film, which is much more appealing to a voting body than a film with big blue creatures, a weak script, and 500 million dollars of captial to play with.

What is more impressive: spending unlimited resources and taking as long as it takes to create a monster film that actually succeeds?… or a small festival film that has managed to saturate critical acclaim?

My prediction: Avatar will NOT be nominated for Best Picture. Cameron might get nominated, but I’m assuming the voting body will fail to send love in their direction.

The Academy has been trying really hard this last decade to actually nominate GOOD films. Yes politics can get in the way, but the last few years have seen the Academy move towards smaller films. The opening of 10 noms may allow Avatar to sneak in, but I’m assuming this will be the nominees:

Precious
Inglorious Basterds
Up In The Air
UP
Goodbye Solo
An Education
Crazy Heart
A Serious Man
Hunger
The Hurt Locker

Maybe: Star Trek, but not Avatar.

sorry for my horrible spelling, avatar not avat

The Hurt Locker
Are you kidding me?
This is literally one of the worst movies i’ve seen in 2009 (maybe of all time)and have no clue how it is getting all this attention. The movie has been out for what more than 6 months and no one talked about it then but all of a sudden it gets nominated for all these awards out of nowhere. It deserves nothing its so unrealistic and boring its laughable. I was laughing out loud several times wathcing this heap of trash that passes for a movie these days. I would rather cut one of my own fingers off then watch this joke of a again. Like its not god awful but it doesnt deserve any of this hype its getting. It should have gone straight to video and then atleast you wouldnt expect much.

Fine. Let’s do the opposite arguments:

1. Just because a movie does crap business at the box office doesn’t mean it’s Oscar worthy.

2. Just because a movie does amazing box office doesn’t mean it’s a crap movie.

All these snobs out here wizzing on Avatar are doing it because it’s popular and they are against anything that everyone else likes.

I’ve got news for you – movies don’t make 2.2 billion dollars because they have great special effects – they do it because they’re getting massive repeat viewings.
And you don’t get massive repeat viewings unless you connect to people on a personal level.
Avatar has struck an emotional nerve with the entire world and whether you like it or not, that is what the definition of great storytelling is.
Hurt Locker does not connect at anywhere close to that level and for the record it’s story isn’t terribly original or unique either.
*FYI to anyone who hasn’t seen it in 2D: it’s actually got more vibrant colors that way. I’ve seen it in 3D and 2D and while the 3D effect is impressive, it tends to mute the colors a little.

Avatar – Best Picture
Hurt Locker – Best Director (it would be nice to see a deserving female director finally get recognized – James already got one for Director so why not?)