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Signs point to big Oscar upsets
24 March, 2009
Just five years ago it was unthinkable. Even one year ago no one could have conceived of it. Even last summer this kind of earth-shattering upset would have been labeled a pipe dream. But several years after all but being completely out of the business and all but forgotten someone out there thought he was worth one more shot. Now, shaggy hair and all, this natural and supremely gifted talent has come all the way back to the top to claim the ultimate honor in a profession he almost threw away. Sound like Mickey Rourke? Actually I was talking about the remarkable comeback last week of Stump, the 10-year-old Sussex spaniel who came out of a five-year retirement to become the oldest dog to win the Best In Show Silver Cup of the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Shortly after winning the sporting dog competition at Westminster in 2004, Stump contracted a mysterious illness and nearly died. But after a 19-day stay at Texas A&M Hospital, the vets saved his life and he retired to life as a house pet. That is until about a week before this year's Westminster event, the Super Bowl of dog shows. His owner decided on a lark to enter him and the rest is now history as he has become the toast of the town, appearing as lead guest on shows that wouldn't have even booked him a few months ago.
After all, everyone loves a comeback story. The crowd went wild when Stump won. It was just as the Fox Searchlight ads for "The Wrestler" trumpeting Rourke's return say, we had witnessed the "resurrection" of Stump. This Sussex spaniel came all the way back from the depths and the forgotten heap to regain the spotlight and respect that was always his until he threw it away for a life of fighting cats and begging for kibble. Now the dog world's most coveted award is his, where it belonged all along. Is this a sign the comeback gods have the same thing in store for Rourke? It's something to think about when filling out your Oscar pool ballots this week. And that's not all. Even though that other "dog," "Slumdog Millionaire," appears to have this Best Picture thing all sewn up there was a peculiar sign that occurred last week at the White House when, according to CNN, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," the Best Picture contender with a leading 13 nominations became the first movie officially shown there since President Obama took over three weeks ago. Even with all those nominations, "Button" is a decided long shot at this point but with Obama's special screening could that mean another stunning comeback surprise is in store Sunday night? After all a year ago Obama himself was in the position of the unthinkable underdog and look what happened to him!! Another eerie sign came this weekend when three, count 'em, three (older) academy voters whose opinions I respect all said the exact same thing to me at different times. They weren't voting for "Slumdog Millionaire" because "it's just not an Oscar picture." I thought it was very strange that I would suddenly be hearing virtually the same kind of reasoning out of the mouths of three different academy members, but there it was. All of them, by the way, had cast their Best Picture vote for "Button". Dare I say it? A SIGN???? Of course in all fairness I have to point out that like "Slumdog," the past five Best Picture winners have also not been what we might traditionally call "an Oscar picture." Consider: "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" -- the third film in a trilogy and no fantasy movie had won UNTIL THEN. "Million Dollar Baby," a small drama which came of nowhere to beat a textbook designed "Oscar picture," "The Aviator." "Crash" -- need I say more? "The Departed," an American remake of a Hong Kong actioner that even its own studio initially tried to convince journalists WASN'T an "Oscar picture." "No Country for Old Men," violent, offered no hope and was made by the Coen Brothers. Finally, the Oscars are being presented on Feb. 22 this year. That is the actual birthdate of our FIRST American president, George Washington. Could this be a hidden sign that an upset might be looming for Best Picture nominee "Frost/Nixon" or its star, Best Actor nominee Frank Langella, who played Nixon, our FIRST American president -- to resign? So see, the signs are everywhere. Mark your pool ballots accordingly and watch how the stars align. Can Stump, Obama and George Washington all be wrong? Yeah, probably. Even though I would love to, I don't really believe in signs, unless it's one that says "No U Turn." I am sticking with favorites Sean Penn and "Slumdog Millionaire." I want to win the Envelope Buzz Meter again this year. Posted by admin at 01:02 PM | View: (127) 
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