by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer
Summer blockbuster season is in full swing now. Although the theaters and studios may not be too thrilled about the box office return they’re seeing so far, at least we’re getting some good movies. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was solid, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga delivers all the adrenaline. Hopefully we keep getting some more winners as the season rolls on. But before we get too excited about what’s coming up, let’s look back at another award season long gone. As a reminder, with our Oscars: What If series, we look at categories the Academy should be honoring, but for one reason or another, they aren’t, and we imagine what could’ve been regarding past Oscar seasons. Hopefully someday the Academy will do right by these creative talents, but until then we must do the Academy’s job for them. Let’s look back at the year Bill Gates stepped down as CEO of Microsoft, Michael Jordan returned to the NBA… again… but this time to play for the Washington Wizards, Metallica sued Napster for its digital peer-to-peer file-sharing, changing the music industry forever, Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP, which became the fast selling studio album in history, and George W. Bush was controversially elected to the Presidency of the United States. It is time to examine the films of 2000, celebrated at the Oscars in 2001. Let’s see what could have been!
Best Stunts and Choreography
Given to the best achievement in dance, stunts, related performances, and overall choreography.
And the nominees are… Billy Elliot, Bring It On, Charlie’s Angels, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Gladiator
And the winner is… Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!
This was kinda a no-brainer, right? Sure, the choreography in Billy Elliot and Bring It On is impressive, Charlie’s Angels has a surprising amount of solid stunts, and some of the stuff they pull off in Gladiator is exquisite. But, I mean, c’mon. This is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s gold. It’s not even just that there’s an impressive blending of wire-fu martial arts with a variety of different settings, weaponry, and performers, but that it also serves the narrative of the film so beautifully. Watching these movements feels organic, like observing flowing water. But when you take a step back and appreciate that there are people running on walls, jumping from branch to branch in a bamboo forest, or flying off mountains, it’s jaw-dropping. The craft displayed with the weapons is also next level as we see a ton of well choreographed fights involving swords, deer horns, monk spades, steel fans, and more. Every scene is well-constructed, choreographed to perfection, and performed exceptionally by talented stunt workers. Crouching Tiger easily takes home this statue.
Best Performance by Voiceover or Motion Capture
Given to the best off screen voice performance, or on screen motion captured performance.
And the nominees are… Jim Cummings as Various in The Tigger Movie, Mark Hamill as The Joker in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Eartha Kitt as Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove, Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Tweedy in Chicken Run, Patrick Warburton as Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove
And the winner is… Patrick Warburton as Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove!
This may be a bit of an unconventional pick. I’m sure some people are already shouting, “Wrong lever!” especially because I imagine most would award Kitt (or even Richardson) from this pool. I wouldn’t even argue with them. But I’ve got to give the award to Warburton. On the surface, this is just Warburton’s regular voice. He’s not doing anything special, it’s just… him. But it’s his quirky energy and comedic inflections that transform this voice performance into something special. His ability to create a simple-minded character that’s burdened by ADHD and naïvety makes for a surprisingly optimistic, hilarious, and wholesome voice performance that sticks with you long after the credits roll. So even though by all accounts it doesn’t make sense, congrats to Warburton for crafting such a funny oddball character who steals nearly every scene that he’s in. Enjoy some Oscar gold.
Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast
Given to the best overall ensemble cast performance.
And the nominees are… Almost Famous, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Quills, Snatch
And the winner is… O Brother, Where Art Thou?!
Dear Reader,
I am addressing you directly because I want you to know something. I want you to understand my dedication to the integrity of this column, and in trying to remain as objective as possible as to who I truly feel should win. Not necessarily who I want to win. I say all this because Almost Famous is one of my 100 favorite films ever made. Yet here I am, setting my love aside, and my overwhelming desire to give Almost Famous the trophy to instead award O Brother, Where Art Thou?.
Because O Brother is a phenomenal display of ensemble work. Obviously, the central trio of Clooney, Nelson, and Turturro is terrific, each rocking their ridiculous accents, but embodying distinct characters and perfectly bouncing off one another due to their great chemistry. But it’s all the other pieces on the chessboard that come in and out of the story that highlight the film in fun and unique ways. Goodman, Hunter, King, Badalucco, Root, and so many more accentuate the silliness and fun of this script to create a truly great ensemble performance that’s more than worthy of winning Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast.
You’re welcome, dear Reader.
Signed,
The Self-indulgent Writer of this Column
Best Directorial Debut
Given to the best achievement in direction by a debut directing talent.
And the nominees are… Stephen Daldry for Billy Elliot, Alejandro González Iñárritu for Amores Perros, Bong Joon-ho for Barking Dogs Never Bite, Peter Lord and Nick Park for Chicken Run, Gina Prince-Bythewood for Love & Basketball
And the winner is… Alejandro González Iñárritu for Amores Perros!
All of these nominees certainly put forth a solid showing, but this is definitely Alejandro González Iñárritu’s award, and it doesn’t feel particularly close. Iñárritu pulls off triple duty with this feature, not just excelling in his directorial debut, but operating as producer and co-story outliner as well. From his sense of pacing with this sweeping tale telling multiple stories about an ensemble of characters, to the performances he gets out of this great cast, to his framing decision, and the work he pulls off with Rodrigo Prieto as cinematographer to create some haunting scenes, Amores Perros will stick with you long after the credits roll. Iñárritu comes off like an experienced master of the craft right out of the gate in ways most directors dream about. Though I personally feel the film does get a bit wobbly in its constancy as it bounces from story to story in its larger anthology, each one of the stories, and the movie as a whole, is handled so damn well that it’s impossible not to walk away impressed.
Best Popular Film
Given to the best audience supported motion picture that earned a spot as one of the top 25 box office films of the year.
And the nominees are… Cast Away, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Erin Brockovich, Gladiator, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
And the winner is… Gladiator!
Alright, this one was actually surprisingly close. Cast Away was a box office smash, and it’s a truly great film. Erin Brockovich and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are also great, and pulled in impressive box office performances while also being largely awards decorated. But Gladiator edges them out by doing everything just a tad bit better.
Gladiator brought in a whopping $187.7M domestically and $460.6M worldwide. For a two-and-a-half-hour, rated R film, in the year 2000? Holy hell. Domestically, only Mission: Impossible II, Cast Away, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (yes, the live action one with Jim Carrey. I was shocked about this fact too) beat out this sword and sandals epic. Worldwide, Gladiator hit number two, only behind Tom Cruise, John Woo, and a bunch of doves once again. Audiences loved it. They clamored for it, and went back to theaters over and over again.
In terms of awards performances, nothing beat out Gladiator. It led the pool this year with 12 Oscar nominations, taking home the most gold with five wins, including Best Actor for Russell Crowe, and the coveted Best Picture. It also won Best Picture at the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes. Crouching Tiger was right on its tail, bringing home a lot of awards wins, but Gladiator kept eking out the big win. So, when it comes to Best Popular film, if you’re already arguably the best quality film to own the box office, and you are the most critically recognized film of the year, well, there’s one man I’m not going up against. His name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And he will take home this win, right here and right now…
Thanks for joining me on another trip down memory lane to see what could’ve been! We got to reminisce about Tom Hanks being stranded on an island, a wire-fu masterpiece that revived martial arts films for western audiences, and a sword and sandals epic that’s still beloved to this day (and is getting a legacy sequel later this year!). Be sure to come back next month when we look at films like The Royal Tenenbaums, Moulin Rouge!, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, as we return for the Oscars of 2002, celebrating the films of 2001!
You can read more from Heath Lynch, and follow him on Letterboxd