No stranger to the headlines, Joaquin Phoenix became the talk of Tinseltown once again last week with a controversial interview in, well, Interview magazine.
The actor, once the butt of the joke for his hoax of a yearlong “hip-hop career” for brother-in-law Casey Affleck’s mockumentary “I’m Still Here,” has been regaining fame and praise for his emotionally intense turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master.” When asked in Interview about how he was going to promote the movie for awards season, Phoenix responded in typical outspoken form.
“I don’t want to be a part of it. I don’t believe in it. It’s a carrot, but it’s the worst-tasting carrot I’ve ever tasted in my whole life. I don’t want this carrot. It’s totally subjective. Pitting people against each other … It’s the stupidest thing in the whole world.” This hasn’t been the first time an artist has spoken against the awards, and the responses were typical. You’ve got people on one side saying the actor is ungrateful, that he’s hurting his career and the chances of his movie. On the other end of the ring you’ve got the supporters, whose argument is, “Hey, we’re all thinking it anyway.”
Behind all the glitter and the glamour of Hollywood’s award season is a long and arduous campaigning process, which goes relatively unnoticed for the casual fan, who merely checks in when it’s on television.
The award season campaign, much like the presidential election, has become its own art form. Production companies like The Weinstein Company have whole divisions devoted to a movie’s fall promotion, coming up with ads for Variety, posters, screenings, anything to get that film shoved down enough Academy voters’ throats.
And the thing is that the campaign can, and does, work. “Shakespeare in Love” is widely believed to have beat out “Saving Private Ryan” for the Best Picture Oscar in 1999 on the strength of its Weinstein campaign. The two Weinstein brothers were also behind getting Kate Winslet a surprising Best Actress nomination (and eventual win) for “The Reader,” even though she had won a Golden Globe for the same role in the supporting category (and likewise winning the lead actress Golden Globe for her role in then-husband Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road”).
But for all its politics, the campaign can do amazing things for small movies. Julia Roberts almost single-handedly got Javier Bardem a Best Actor nomination for the small Spanish film “Biutiful,” setting up screenings in L.A. and New York to get more eyes on the film.
But let’s be real, you can’t really go anywhere without dealing with some kind of inner politics. It’ll be a part of our lives whether we go into the entertainment industry or just join our future kids’ Parent Teacher Associations and neighborhood book clubs (because that’s what middle-aged people do for fun, right?). So even though a part of me gets where Phoenix is coming from, the other part of me just wants to say, sorry, dude, it’s part of the job. At least you get a swag bag afterward.
But I’m not worried about Phoenix’s chances. As of right now he’s a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination (though a number of major Oscar players still have yet to be released, so don’t quote me on that).
And the Academy has a long and honored history of actors who say they don’t care about them, and still win the golden man anyways. Woody Allen can’t even be bothered to show up to the ceremony, and he’s the most nominated screenwriter in its history. Marlon Brando despised the awards show so much he sent American Indian Rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather in his place when he won in 1972 for “The Godfather,” having her state the reasons why he refused to accept the award.
The Academy responded by nominating him again a year later. So Phoenix, whether you like it or not, when the Academy likes you, they really like you ““ and they’ll show it no matter what.
Think Joaquin Phoenix is crossing the line or just walking on it? Email Konstantinides at akonstantinides@media.ucla.edu.