MovieChat Forums > The Birth of a Nation (2016) Discussion > Oscar for BOAN

Oscar for BOAN

posted 8 years ago by laxbro19
4 replies | jump to latest

I am interested in knowing if this movie has Oscar legs. A few months ago I would say that it would be a front runner for Best Picture maybe even Best Actor or Director statues. But know I am not so sure. There are many reasons for this. First it has not done so well in the domestic box office. Being a success is important considering how much the studio paid in Sundance. Second the topic might be tiring. People might be tired of the whole slavery subject. Third the rape accusations probably did not help.

Who knows maybe the academy will nominate the film for Best Picture? Maybe it will win. We will have to wait and see. Really what I am waiting for is Silence by Martin Scorsese. I think that is going to be the movie to beat.

Here is a link to what the LA Times says about The Birth of a Nation and its Oscar chances.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-mn-gold-standard-oscars-newsletter-20161013-snap-story.html

[–] IMDB_Vits 8 years ago

The Academy doesn't choose based on controvery or box office results.

The movie had its hype because it won at Sundance. While that festival has a big number of people (both judges and audiences), it's only a fraction compared to the whole country, let alone the planet. Now that more people have seen it, the consensus isn't as good (the same thing happened last year with ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL). That means it's no longer the frontrunner to win Best Picture, but I think that it still has a lot of chances of getting a nomination. These people think that too:

http://www.goldderby.com/odds/expert-odds/oscars-nominations-2017

[–] statuskuo 8 years ago

Have they made an Oscar for Biggest Heap Of Garbage?

[–] rkind1025 8 years ago

Rape is a big to do this election year due to Trump and Bill Clinton. It is finished as far as the oscars go. Movie should have been released a year from now when nobody any longer will get so worked up about rape.

[–] sparkyluv 8 years ago

First off, The box office is irrelevant. The only 2016 blockbusters that might be considered for an Oscar are "Finding Dory" and "Zootopia". Maybe "The Jungle Book" for technical awards. Oscar films tend to do better at the box office after nominations are released. Also, Oscar voters get DVD screeners in the mail, that's how they view movies and that's how they vote. That's why Selma was "snubbed" last year. They finished that film at the last minute and missed the guild deadlines and barely got it to the DVD screeners in time so a lot of Oscar voters didn't see it.

Second, I don't know why people were so hype over this movie at Sundance, but it's not getting nominated for anything. I blame the #OscarsSoWhite ignorance. Writing, direction, acting, cinematography, editing, it's all weak. The film looks like it was made by a big-headed guy who's directing his first film. The message and the story itself may be powerful, but that doesn't make it great film. Technique-wise, it's mediocre.