NEWS: Proulx's "Crash" Talk

CULTURE: Proulx's "Crash" Talk

Scientology is often the butt of most high profile Hollywood celebrity trash talking jokes. Now it appears it’s mutated into a legitimate scapegoat for embittered Oscar losers. (Loser as defined as “One who takes loss in a specified way” or “One that fails to win”). Annie Proulx, author of Brokeback Mountain and a tangentialy scorned “loser,” came out publicly bashing Crash’s win for Best Picture and its connection to Scientology (via Paul Haggis). In her Academy Awards commentary for The Guardian, she writes:

I was going to submit this, because it is so pathetic.

"do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law"

comes in handy no matter which side you are on

Hate Crash so much!

I'm not sure I understand what scientology has to do with any of this.

I will say, though, that while I think Crash is a trite and insulting piece of tripe, and that Brokeback Mountain is an infinitely better film, it is getting really tiresome hearing how the creators of Brokeback think they've been robbed. It is time to move on now. You just look petty.

Bad form.

Really bad form. Who fucking cares? They won tons of awards for the movie, and they didn't win one of the Oscars. Maybe people just liked Crash. A lot of people I know really love it.

She's a fantastic writer. The Shipping News is easily one of my favorite novels, ever. What the hell is she thinking?

i haven't seen either movie, but this just strikes me as extremely pathetic and ill-advised.

Ehhh...I'm on her team. It's pretty funny to lose and then blame Scientologists. I mean, fuck 'em, right? I really doubt that Scientology has enough of a stranglehold on Hollywood to influence the Oscars, but it is a great paranoid assertion to throw out there. Anyway, who says you have to be a good sport? Having "Academy Award Winner" attached to your name brings you a lot of cash and fame. She's pissed that she lost, and clearly doesn't care how she comes off. I didn't see either movie, but I applaud Ms. Proulx's moxy and lack of ass-kissing.

Now that I finally saw Brokeback Mountain I can honestly say it was one of the most overrated movies to ever get so much hype. Crash was pretty good...the message was there, the acting was there...good flick but nothing monumental...
Film of the year should have been "Walk The Line" if you ask me. Acting was fantastic, story was real and amazing, overall great, great movie.

Moxy? That's a funny way to spell whining sore-loser. (It is also a funny way to spell moxie)

they gave them dvd copies of the film. that may be more meaningful than scientology or racism. (different story about crouching tiger, though.) the medium is the message.

I'm assuming she wrote the script for the movie? 'cause Larry McMurtry wrote the book...

can someone say sore loser jesus you dont se joaquin phoenix bitching that he should have won instead of phillip seymour hoffman even if I think he should have won someone should tell her to get over it

Proulx wrote the short story. There is no book.

In 1977, Rocky won the Best Picture category over Taxi Driver, Network, and All The President's Men.

Of course, now everyone thinks that Rocky was by far the best of those movies because it won the Oscar. Right?

crash is an awsome movie

I read this piece - it was picked up by the Sydney press for no good reason. What an embarrassing, pathetic whingefest from a usually fantastic author. Why can't people deal with the fact that Crash might have won because a lot of people really, really liked it.

Aha! It is true that I can't spell moxie. But back on topic...Maybe it is whining (or whinging, lest our British friends accuse me of more poor spelling) on her part, but I guess I just have a soft spot for people who are grumpy about losing. And I'd also like to see Scientology become society's scapegoat.

but it was so bad.

Except it was actually really good.

McMurty wrote the sceenplay

Obviously you didn't see Capote.

(I did see Walk The Line so please save that retort.)

Perhaps it did. Or perhaps it won because it was a film a lot of people loved it. I saw it months ago, sans hype, and I absolutely loved it. A lot of my mates loved it. My mum loved it. I don't actually no of anyone who saw it and didn't like it. And only one of those people - my mum - has ever been to Los Angeles.