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The Awards Season Band Wagon
by Lisa Johnson |
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12/29/2006 at 6:15:23 PM |
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Awards campaigners just seem to get cleverer and cleverer. The most recent intriguing move was made by Bill Condon, the man behind Dreamgirls.
Imagine my surprise when I recently opened my front door to find a special delivery packet containing DVDs of The Band Wagon with Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant and Nannette Fabray, as well as a copy of A Star is Born with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. It was accompanied by the following letter:
Dear BFCA Member:
One reason I always thought Dreamgirls could work on screen is that it’s a movie about performers, and as such fits into a tradition of backstage movie musicals that stretches back to the beginning of the sound era. For me, the backstage musical hit its peak in the 1950s, and it was to those movies that I looked for inspiration when I made Dreamgirls. I’m sending along two of my favorite films from that period -- Vincent Minnelli’s The Band Wagon and George Cukor’s A Star is Born. I hope you enjoy them.
Thanks for everything,
Bill Condon
Okay, it’s a little odd that he mentions the George Cukor version of A Star is Born and then sends the more modern Frank Pierson version, but still, you have to admit it’s a pretty savvy way to keep Dreamgirls in the collective voters’ conscious. And despite the film’s stunning opening, it looks like it might need some help. Most awards voting bodies are predominantly made up of men over 40, and they tend to gravitate toward manly man films such as The Departed and Letters from Iwo Jima, both of which received more sparkling reviews.
Still, the collective efforts of the gay and female voters, to whom musicals have vast appeal, are forces to be considered. Who can forget 2003, when Chicago won Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In the last category, especially, I think it’s safe to say that Catherine Zeta-Jones has nothing on Jennifer Hudson.
My colleagues in the BFCA (Broadcast Film Critics Association have nominated Dreamgirls for seven awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. On January 12th, the awards will be announced at a gala awards ceremony at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Meanwhile, Oscar nominations will be announced on January 23rd.
Will Academy voters be influenced by the Broadcast Film Critics? And will the Broadcast Film Critics be influenced by Condon’s clever campaign? Stay tuned for more details on the possibility of the Dreamgirls dream come true.
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