Annie Proulx plays a sore loser--but not acting

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/14/D8GBLCC80.html

'Brokeback' Author Peeved About Oscar Loss

By SANDY COHEN

AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES

Annie Proulx, whose 1997 short story inspired the film "Brokeback Mountain," has penned a scattershot blast in a British newspaper unleashing her anger over the film's best-picture Oscar loss.

Proulx criticizes Oscar voters and the Academy Awards ceremony in the 1,094-word rant, which appeared in Saturday's issue of The Guardian, a liberal paper boasting 1.2 million readers daily.

The best-picture Oscar went to "Crash," which focuses on race relations in Los Angeles.

Academy members who vote for the year's best film are "out of touch not only with the shifting larger culture and the yeasty ferment that is America these days, but also out of touch with their own segregated city," Proulx writes.

The 70-year-old Pulitzer-prize winning author points out that "Brokeback," which was nominated for eight Academy Awards, was named best picture at the Independent Spirit Awards one day before the March 5 Oscars.

"If you are looking for smart judging based on merit, skip the Academy Awards next year and pay attention to the Independent Spirit choices," Proulx advises.

She even lashes out at Lionsgate, the distribution company behind "Crash."

"Rumour has it that Lionsgate inundated the academy voters with DVD copies of Trash _ excuse me _ Crash a few weeks before the ballot deadline," Proulx writes.

She decries the "atmosphere of insufferable self-importance" inside the Kodak Theatre, the Oscars site, and describes the audience as a "somewhat dim LA crowd." The show, she writes, was "reminiscent of a small-town talent-show night."

"Clapping wildly for bad stuff enhances this," Proulx writes.

She notes that "Brokeback's" three Oscar wins, for original score, adapted screenplay and direction for Ang Lee put it "on equal footing with King Kong."

When Jack Nicholson announced "Crash" as the best-picture winner, "there was a gasp of shock," Proulx writes.

"It was a safe pick of `controversial film' for the heffalumps," she writes, using the elephant-like "Winnie the Pooh" character to describe academy voters.

"For those who call this little piece a Sour Grapes Rant," Proulx concludes, "play it as it lays."

Calls by the Associated Press to Proulx's Wyoming home and her literary agent, Elizabeth Darhansoff, were not immediately returned Tuesday.

Note: By her ranting on being beaten in the Oscar race, Proulx has revealed herself to be a sore-loser chopf#ck!

[Dixie_Peach 1]

[CarolineM 0]

wow what a sore loser. Crash was a much better picture IMHO

[Fandango 1,440]

Interesting little nugget at the end:

As we waited for our number to be called we could see the enormous lighted marquee across the street announcing that the "2006 Academy Award for Best Picture had gone to Crash". The red carpet now had taken on a different hue, a purple tinge.

The source of the colour was not far away. Down the street, spreading its baleful light everywhere, hung a gigantic, vertical, electric-blue neon sign spelling out S C I E N T O L O G Y.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

At least since 1965 (when Julie Christie won Best Actress for "Darling"), the Oscars have not been something from which to expect sensible choices.

[faith 0]

I like the part where she b!tches about the makers of Crash passing out DVD's to the academy of the movie. DER... all movies are given to the academy members to watch prior to the voting. In fact, I have a copy of LOTR that was an "Academy" version. Every 5 minutes it flashes at the bottom of the screen "For your consideration".

What a sore loser!

[Miranda&James 8]

Wow, someone put their panties on wrong this morning!

[Autumnal 25]

A sore loser indeed! Yes, let's all watch the other film awards show because you won there, but didn't carry away the trophy you expected to win. To be honest, I didn't really even follow the Academy Awards because I wasn't terribly interested in seeing the industry pat itself on the back. The photos the next day and Go Fug Yourself's commentary on bad clothing is enough for me.

Truly, though, if she's so bitter about it as a Pulitzer Prize winner, why doesn't she turn her back on the whole establishment and be quiet?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I like the part where she b!tches about the makers of Crash passing out DVD's to the academy of the movie. DER... all movies are given to the academy members to watch prior to the voting. In fact, I have a copy of LOTR that was an "Academy" version. Every 5 minutes it flashes at the bottom of the screen "For your consideration".

What a sore loser![/

An ex-colleague whose dad is an academy member told me something along that line.

He also put that you have a bazillion academy members.

I guess each member will vote for the films (he/she) actually watched--but due to the number of films, cannot view ALL of the films given--so it becomes a "tally the numbers" game.

Proulx still gets no excuses for her behaviour.

[Reba 2]

every single nominated movie that is on DVD is distributed to Acadamy members "for consideration", this is standard practice for decades (VHS being the media before DVD of course). AFAik, even movies not yet released on DVD are also distributed, its up to the producers. If her Brokeback didn't get distributed then she should complain to them, not to the general public.

She really is a sore loser. If the only reason she sold the rights of the story was to make a movie and get an Oscar, maybe she needs to resort her priorities.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

It's almost like an Olympian getting a fourth-place finish in an objective event (such as speed skating, 100 m run, 400 m butterfly) ranting about not winning the gold--and then complaining that the numbers of the first three placers were fudged.

[almaty 19]

brother sriniv is correct..she is a sore whiny azz chopf##k loser..now, you 10 minutes of fame are over..crawl back under your rock.............i feel better now

[rclouse 0]

She really needs some cheese.

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

Who cares about the Oscars anyhow? They oughta just cancel the whole thing.

[Sister Fracas 5]

what a Miss Whiny pants numptie... tsk

Another consideration is that Crash HAD to be made available on DVD, since it's not been in the theaters for awhile. In fact I think it was released on DVD sometime last fall.

The thing that WAS refreshing about these Oscars was that the awards were spread across the categories...it's boring when one movie sweeps them...yawn ho hum. But yeah actually, the best reason to watch is to see the dresses and who makes a eejit of themself...heehee. I guess she did that after the fact. LOL