Two varying views on what, if anything, should be made of last night. Did Crash win the older vote? A reader muses:
"I’d be really curious to see a breakdown of Oscar votes by age. I suspect we’d see that Crash cleaned up among the old guard, while Brokeback was the choice of younger Academy members. My evidence is only anecdotal, but as a straight, white, male GenXer (I’m in my early 30’s), I can tell you that almost all of my friends had the same reaction to both films. We loved Brokeback not because we viewed it as a gay film — we didn’t — but because it was simply a very strong, moving, adult love story (albeit with some cheesy dialogue), in an age where that is becoming increasingly difficult to pull off effectively. We weren’t very impressed with Crash, however, because although we viewed it as a well-made film, we thought its vision of race-relations was hopelessly outdated. I’m a New Yorker, and even I find it difficult to believe that the LA Haggis presents bears any resemblance to the real place. I took Haggis’ LA the same way I now take Woody Allen’s New York, as a work of nostalgia. Even among critics, it’s been my observation that the old guard (like Roger Ebert) seem much more enamoured of Crash than the younger generation. Perhaps this says something positive about the direction of race and sexual orientation relations among the younger crowd."
Or did Crash win the "subversive" vote (as understood by boomer liberals):
"If anything, I think last night may indicate "Brokeback" went a little TOO mainstream for the Academy’s tastes. Like when "Shakespeare In Love" won over the movie everyone was talking about in 1998, "Saving Private Ryan." Or in 2002 when "Chicago" won, probably solely on the merits that nobody talked or cared about it. The problem with "Brokeback" was that too many regular folks turned out for it, related to it and liked it. It was too conservative!"
I thought, for what it’s worth, that Crash was a marginally better movie than Brokeback, but BBM was the better, and more truthful, narrative. Still: I have to say I couldn’t care less who wins the Oscars. I enjoy them for their meaninglessness more than anything.
The Dish 