Will 'Once' Lose its Chance at a Best Song Oscar?
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Awards, Oscar Watch
As if the Best Song category wasn't already completely ridiculous, the lone fresh breeze in that race might lose its spot. If you remember, the Academy selected a ridiculous three songs from Enchanted, one from August Rush, and then the excellent "Falling Slowly" from Once. Now, according to the New York Times, Once might see its song removed. It seems that there are eligibility issues (one would think that would've been sussed out before the nods) -- songs should be written specifically for the film, and since some of the songs were played after the film started to come together, but before it was released, it might be ineligible. That's just a stinking load of offal and baloney.They should just axe the Best Song category at the Oscars. It's never an accurate portrayal of the original songs that come from each year of film, and it almost never focuses on what's really important -- the song in the context of the film. Sure, one song may be more technically challenging than the other, or have more widespread appeal. However, fact of the matter is, the Oscars are about film -- so the Best Song should really not only be a good song, but reflect the material it is played in.
Sometimes the Academy seems to get that, but most of the time it just falls into this ridiculous rut -- one that this year made Enchanted some example of musical perfection, shadowing the other songs from Once, Kimya
[via Anne Thompson]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-29-2008 @ 2:19PM
dana said...
And don't forget Walk Hard -- those songs were damn good.
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1-29-2008 @ 2:34PM
DAVID F said...
I couldn't agree with you more Monika! It's disgusting enough that "Enchanted" gets 2 noms whereas "Into the Wild", "Juno" or "Walk Hard" are snubbed. If "Once" gets excluded as well now....I'll be REALLY ticked.
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1-29-2008 @ 2:35PM
DAVID F said...
Guh! Make that a digusting 3 NOMS!
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1-29-2008 @ 3:19PM
AJ said...
You're a fucking retard!
"It's never an accurate portrayal of the original songs that come from each year of film, and it almost never focuses on what's really important -- the song in the context of the film."
THATS HOW THREE SONGS FROM ENCHANTED GOT IN! SAME FOR AUGUST RUSH!
Kimya Dawson's work wasn't done specifically for Juno thus not being original no matter how well it works in the film. And allegedly the NYT brought this up because the song was on an album before the movie, but it's been said that the Academy knew this but since the song was written for the movie (unlike Kimya Dawson's) it is still eligible.
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1-29-2008 @ 3:36PM
Monika said...
Ah, yes. AJ -- You're right about Kimya. I'd read something somewhere that said it was both.
Thank for so graciously pointing out the error.
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1-29-2008 @ 5:25PM
David said...
Frankly, I was surprised that "Falling Slowly" was nominated at all, since it appeared on their duet album "The Swell Season" a year before the movie came out. The rules clearly say that a song has to be written FOR the movie, and I don't know how this one slipped through. I hope it isn't disqualified, however, because I for one would vote for it without any hesitation.
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1-29-2008 @ 5:28PM
David said...
The song was recorded before the film was shot not intended for the film. The song, once heard, inspired the idea of making of the film. Which came first? The song. End of story. It was re-recored on set for the film. It's a great song and a great film but someone messed up and this must be eliminated. Good luck to its replacement.
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1-29-2008 @ 7:29PM
gottacook said...
I agree, time to kill the award. Hasn't meant much since at least 1978, when the Kander & Ebb song "New York, New York" wasn't even nominated!
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1-29-2008 @ 7:54PM
fadetowhite said...
Not only does it appear on their duet album, it appeared in full-band form on The Frames' album The Cost, which was released wide on February 20th, 2007. That album was actually released in Ireland on September 22nd, 2006.
So, the real question is "When was it written?" The timelines are very close (the film opened in July of '06) - it could have been written during the making of the film, and then reworked for their record.
But, as I recall on the "making-of" feature on the DVD, the director mentions liking some of the Frames' songs, and calling Glen up to see if he could use them in the movie. Was "Falling Slowly" one of these tunes?
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1-30-2008 @ 1:53PM
David said...
UPDATE! (Does anyone read these stories when they're three pages down?) The Academy has ruled that the song IS eligible, that it was written for the movie even as it was being recorded earlier, and it will indeed compete for the Oscar.
Eddie Vedder was unavailable for comment.
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1-30-2008 @ 2:54PM
kevjohn said...
They can replace it with Lies, Say It to Me, or any of the other songs from the terrific soundtrack. You know, the songs that should have been nominated over that crap from Enchanted.
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1-30-2008 @ 4:35PM
fadetowhite said...
@David: Awesome news.
@kevjohn: unfortunately, a lot of those tunes would be in the same boat. "Say It To Me Now" was released on 1996's Fitzcarraldo.
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2-03-2008 @ 5:38PM
David said...
Cograts that it has been kept.
Im in Irleand. I heard this song in 2002. It was written in 2001. It has been on other films prior to Once. Once was first shown publicly in the galway film festival 2006.
Its in but its wrong. It wasnt written for the film. I like the film and I like the song but again its the luck o the irish.
It will win but wasnt written for the film. It inspired the film to be made. We all know it over here. Its a small industry. At least the oscar will open a few bottles a beer. I bet Glen gets drunk at oscars and Marketta who isnt old enough to drink will be drinking cordial orange will accept the award. Cant wait to see it!
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