The Reel Debate
Sep 29, 2017, 4:37 PM
Every Friday night, Tom Tangney and I take a deep dive into different film topics for an in-depth discussion. We call it The Reel Debate.
This week’s topic: The Worst Movie to Win Best Picture.
Tom’s pick: “Out of Africa” starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Won Best Picture in 1986.
It just took one supposedly romantic scene between Streep and Redford to drive Tom’s despise for the film. Meryl Streep plays a successful writer, Robert Redford what it takes to be one.
RELATED: Check out Tom’s movie reviews
She starts with a unique line, but then the scene cuts to a single lit candle (for some reason) and never comes back to her story. It is a hollow shell of a movie.
It’s about a writer, supposedly possessing a creative mind. But, right when she is supposed to flaunt her ability, it cuts away to nonsense. It’s romantic dreck that only won because it’s set in a gorgeous region of Africa. However, beauty can be vapid.
Speaking of beauty…
My pick: “American Beauty” starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. Won Best Picture in 2000.
Every scene, actor, and element in “American Beauty” deserves contempt, all the way down to its oh-so-precious film score. I hate voice-overs. It’s lazy filmmaking (except in “Goodfellas”).
Guess how “American Beauty” begins? Yup! Voiceover.
The characters live a supposedly blissful suburban life, until you look a little CLOSER. LOOK CLOSER. These people are struggling with things!
Ugh.
And this scene. This scene is claw your eyes out bad.
Tom finds it moving. Boo Tom.
Did we make the right picks? Comment below.
