Do the Oscars Overlook Movies About Young People?

Posted on February 26, 2014 at 3:59 pm

My friend John Hanlon has a thoughtful piece on CNN.com about the way the Oscars and other movie awards overlook stories about young people and performances by actors in their teens and twenties.

It’s unfortunate but undeniable that award shows — and the Oscars in particular — have a history of ignoring great movies made for and about young people.

In 2013 alone, several such films received raves from critics, earning spots on “best of” lists. “The Kings of Summer” and “The Way, Way Back” scored approval ratings of 76% and 85% of critics, respectively, on RottenTomatoes.com, while “The Spectacular Now,” written by the duo behind 2009’s underappreciated “(500) Days of Summer,” earned the approval of 92% of critics.Brie_larson

“Short Term 12” received a 99% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, a higher ranking than any of this year’s best picture nominees. “Spring Breakers,” starring James Franco and Selena Gomez, may have divided some moviegoers, but the film was also lauded for its provocative depiction of disaffected youth. And it’s not for nothing that “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” was the top grossing film of 2013.

Yet not one of these movies earned a single Oscar nomination.

And he was nice enough to quote me:

Film critic Nell Minow (the Movie Mom) also observed that “Oscar voters skew older.”

“They are more interested in stories about grown-ups and more likely to have relationships with actors and filmmakers who are 30 and older,” Minow said via e-mail.

Related Tags:

 

Awards Commentary Media Appearances Understanding Media and Pop Culture

Judy Garland’s Children Will Appear on the Oscars’ Tribute to “The Wizard of Oz”

Posted on February 24, 2014 at 6:38 pm

The Oscar broadcast this Sunday will have a special 75th anniversary tribute to “The Wizard of Oz” and all three of Judy Garland’s children will appear together: Liza Minnelli (an Oscar-winner herself for “Cabaret” and the daughter of Oscar winner Vincente Minnelli) and Joey and Lorna Luft.

Liza Minnelli’s second husband also had a parent who starred in “The Wizard of Oz.”  Producer Jack Haley, Jr. was the son of Jack Haley, who played the Tin Woodman.

Related Tags:

 

Awards
THE MOVIE MOM® is a registered trademark of Nell Minow. Use of the mark without express consent from Nell Minow constitutes trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of federal and state laws. All material © Nell Minow 1995-2024, all rights reserved, and no use or republication is permitted without explicit permission. This site hosts Nell Minow’s Movie Mom® archive, with material that originally appeared on Yahoo! Movies, Beliefnet, and other sources. Much of her new material can be found at Rogerebert.com, Huffington Post, and WheretoWatch. Her books include The Movie Mom’s Guide to Family Movies and 101 Must-See Movie Moments, and she can be heard each week on radio stations across the country.

Website Designed by Max LaZebnik