The Oscars

[Kumquatqueen]

I remember the talk at that time was mostly about the CGI in Titanic. I've always believed that Oscar was largely about the cinematic and technical achievements, which really did advance the state of the art. Hollywood likes movies that prove concepts like that.

Sorta like with Gump, it wasn't that strong a year at the Oscars. LA Confidential was excellent, and it was a legit contender, but the other nominees were Good Will Hunting (which was also excellent, but wasn't going to conquer Titanic), then Full Monty and As Good As It Gets. And I think we can all agree that those two, while good movies, are not in the league of the other three.

Yes, almost all the coverage at the time in Britain was about the amazing special effects in Titanic (lots of references to previous Titanic films and the quote 'it would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic'), with several articles about the ridiculous plot and lack of understanding of class restrictions, and honourable mention to Leo's haircut and becoming the new teenage girl heartthrob. I did see it in the cinema, and yes, the effects were impressive. Hated that song very quickly, though.

Gump didn't really get UK coverage. Decent actor acts stupid and runs fast? Didn't compute. Only saw it because the local theatre was showing cheap films for a week, £1 I think. The Brit experience of late 40s and 50s is of rationing and bomb sites and poverty, unlike America where the American Dream was getting going - it wasn't turned round until the late 60s and even in the 80s, visiting the arse-end of the mid-West was a land of riches to this Brit child (39 flavors! Cheap new clothes! McDonalds! Microwaves!)

 

[MillieDynamite]

As Good as it Gets is fun to watch and rewatch. Never have seen the Full Monty. I've never seen Titanic in a theater. It just wasn't as good as I expected from the hype I'd heard about before I watched and already watch the others with Pops on the tube before he showed me the second coming of Titanic with all the 'special effects.' Billy Zane didn't take being cuckold very well, I'm sure the INCELS hated that she got away with cheating and cheered when Leo took the plunge into the deep blue.

I remember the talk at that time was mostly about the CGI in Titanic. I've always believed that Oscar was largely about the cinematic and technical achievements, which really did advance the state of the art. Hollywood likes movies that prove concepts like that.

Sorta like with Gump, it wasn't that strong a year at the Oscars. LA Confidential was excellent, and it was a legit contender, but the other nominees were Good Will Hunting (which was also excellent, but wasn't going to conquer Titanic), then Full Monty and As Good As It Gets. And I think we can all agree that those two, while good movies, are not in the league of the other three.

 

[Voboy]

As Good as it Gets is fun to watch and rewatch. Never have seen the Full Monty. I've never seen Titanic in a theater. It just wasn't as good as I expected from the hype I'd heard about before I watched and already watch the others with Pops on the tube before he showed me the second coming of Titanic with all the 'special effects.' Billy Zane didn't take being cuckold very well, I'm sure the INCELS hated that she got away with cheating and cheered when Leo took the plunge into the deep blue.

I don't remember anyone cheering when Leo went swimming. I remember a silent theatre with a few sniffles.

And... it was 1997. Incels weren't really a thing yet, at least not publicly. It was another ten years, at least, before I ever heard that term. I thought (and still think) Zane's over-the-top assholishness was played up in order to give Winslet absolution for her cheating. The point of his performance was that everyone in the audience could see why she was justified in cucking him (and I don't think that was a common term back then, either).

There was really no internet back then in which people could freely discuss things like Rose's motivation. It was a simpler time. We just watched the movie and then went back out into the sunshine and on with our real lives.

 

[ElectricBlue]

The point of his performance was that everyone in the audience could see why she was justified in cucking him (and I don't think that was a common term back then, either).

I'm not sure that cucking has the huge cultural significance that some people think it has. I think it's more limited thing, limited to certain denizens of Lit who seem to think it's a world view everyone shares. News flash, it's not.

 

[TheRedChamber]

As Good as it Gets is fun to watch and rewatch.

It's probably my favourite 'romantic comedy' of all time (designed for someone who doesn't like romantic comedies) - but some of his nastiness hits way different after twenty odd years.

I'm sure the INCELS hated that she got away with cheating and cheered when Leo took the plunge into the deep blue.

To be honest the proto-incels were probably still just highly confused as to why Cameron was making this soppy nonsense and not other Aliens film. I know I was.

 

[OffNSFW]

Cameron stuck a classical Hollywood romance and stuck it into the real life story of the Titanic. His rationale was that the audience needed something else to be happening so they're not just waiting for the ending they already know is going to come. I think he was right, and I think he did maybe a better job than he realized in portraying the social in-group as a prison that most people never realize they're in.

Having said that... yeah, I think I'd agree that his most vital work was behind him by that point. If there were one remaining print of Titanic and one remaining print of Terminator 2, I know which one I'd grab if the ship were going down.