Man Made Movies is gunning for an Oscar nod for Sam Rockwell in Moon and has put up an online petition. With support from Slash Film and Jo Blo, they are reporting upwards of 1,000 signatures so far. They’re hoping for 1,000,000. The biggest problem here is that there aren’t enough much-needed reviews to back this up.
Unfortunately, these types of things, with the best of intentions, do not often result in Oscar nominations. This is as good a time as any to talk about Oscar voter psychology, which I think I’ve become quite good at over the years (read as: I have no idea what I’m talking about). Oscar voter psychology is not any different from general psychology of all people. But here are some things you should know if you’re hoping to sway votes.
1. Never strong-arm them into voting for someone or something. It doesn’t work at all. Matter of fact, it has the reverse effect nine times out of ten. The one time it does work, usually has to do with the person truly deserving to be nominated, in which case, they would have been noticed and nominated anyway. Psychology reasoning for this: people hate to be told what to do in general. No one wants to be thought of as stupid or out of touch. If someone suggests such a thing, a voter (or person’s) likely response is, to quote Anton Chigurh, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, do you.”
2. Make them think it’s their idea. Present all of the reasons a film or person is worthy without ever falling into the trap of saying “nominate them now because they deserve it!” A typical response to that would be, Chigurh again. You guessed it. Remember, they are the ones with all of the power. That means they can choose to wield it at any time, especially when others are insinuating that they don’t know what they’re doing.
3. Reverse psychology – it works quite well. The old “this is the best film of the year but no way will the Academy nominate it. It is the best film to come along in ten years but it’s too small, too dark, the genre isn’t right, no way will the Academy go for it.” That works ten times better than “of course they’ll nominate it. There is no way they can’t nominate it.”
4. Fans don’t get films or people nominated, if anything, publicists do. A good publicist can work magic. But usually if it is a crowded category, as Best Actor usually is, it’s tougher to squeeze in, what with all of those deserving candidates. Here are the best categories to work magic in, ie, it’s possible to jigger the results: Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Original Sound, Editing and occasionally Cinematography. By jigger the results, I mean that those categories aren’t always filled with the most proficient people/films, only the most popular – if they like the movie enough, those categories can reflect broad support.
5. There is no harm in trying but if you overplay your hand you hurt the contender’s chances. By the time the Oscars roll around, and all of the awards shows have spoken, everything and everyone feels stale. It’s a delicate line to walk — too much exposure can lead to an anti-climax. Not enough exposure and they’re left in the dust. The bottom line: it actually has to be not just a good performance, but an astonishing one. And if it isn’t, the person better be a popular star in Hollywood (like Clooney or Eastwood, etc.)
So there you have it. A quick and dirty, and quite lame attempt at deconstructing voter mentality. We will be keeping an eye on the Sam Rockwell Oscar Watch to see if it plays out. I haven’t seen his performance but I can tell you with a fair amount of certainty that if he is truly deserving, and better than the other Actor frontrunners, he will get in.
What do you think of grassroots Oscar campaigns? Success or fail?
Finally, let’s talk briefly about the Best Actor race. It is kind of impossible to talk about it since so many films have yet to be released with actors who may get noticed — Robert Downey, Jr., Morgan Freeman, Mark Wahlberg, etc. Still, we have Jeremy Renner (himself in a bit of a grass roots campaign by sites like this one and others), we have Matt Damon, we have Michael Stuhlbarg for A Serious Man, and we have Colin Firth for A Single Man. We should have Ben Wishaw for Bright Star but I’m not sure that is going to happen; his was among the most powerful performances I’ve seen this year. There is, of course, George Clooney and Viggo Mortensen.
It is more than possible for Sam Rockwell to get in there. But every year there are actors who give great performances but are in films no one ever sees. Remember Jeff Goldblum in Adam Resurrected? Frank Langella in Starting Out in the Evening? Jim Carrey in ….pick any movie. Oscar heat is Oscar heat, and sometimes there is nothing anyone, even the best publicist or most devoted fan can do about it.
Joe Morgenstern at the Wall Street Journal:
I won’t pretend to understand the movie’s deep meaning–if it has one–but I can say three things for sure: Mr. Rockwell gives a brilliant performance, the physical production is impressive and Moon made me think. Four things: It made me smile.
Bob Mondello:
The actor proves capable of embodying all sorts of contradictory impulses as his character becomes tragically self-aware. But he can’t overcome a plot that goes slack at precisely the moment it should be soaring, or a corporate-villainy premise that practically begs not to be looked at too closely.
AO Scott on Moon:
The film’s ideas are interesting, but don’t feel entirely worked out, and Mr. Rockwell’s intriguingly strange performance (or performances) is left suspended, without the context that would give Sam’s plight its full emotional and philosophical impact. The smallness of this movie is decidedly a virtue, but also, in the end, something of a limitation.
Moon trailer:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuScTcDP_Q[/youtube]
34 Responses for "Grass Roots Campaign for Sam Rockwell"
Sam was stellar in Moon, but the film is too small for the Academy to notice, let alone acknowledge his wonderful performance in it.
This guy was so good in charlie’s angels. Mad cool and effortlessly dope. Drew Barrymore kicked his ass though. God! I love that movie. Especially Lucy Liu flicking her long, seductive, silky hair. Hmmmmm. Lucy Liu reminds me of the goddess Gong Li who was breathtaking in Curse of the Golden flower (a formidable performance which was snubbed by the Oscars…again)
It seems to me that the underdog actor with astonishing reviews, who’s been in a very well-reviewed film, and a high profile moneymaking film for a big studio, would be Sharlto Copley from District 9.
I can already see a problem with the fan-made “poster” for Rockwell… it doesn’t look like a classic “For Your Consideration” ad in the trades. It looks like… well… a fan-made poster.
meh, he will make a biopic about a singer who gets in drugs and then he will win da oscah.
I tend towards Ordinary Cow’s assessment, which admittedly sounds tongue-in-cheek. Whatever happens for Rockwell now will set him up for consideration in the future, when he gets a more Oscary role.
This post somehow reminds me of what I consider to be a perfect campaign that resulted in an Oscar for Marion Cotillard. She certainly deserved it, but it was the thoughtfully done campaigning that did it for her.
i finally saw moon yesterday and was disappointed, i thought it was going to be different than what it ended up becoming
that being said sam was very good but i dont know if he’ll get a nom
I’m pretty sure people saw the great Jim Carrey roles such as Eternal Sunshine, Man On The Moon and (especially) The Truman Show, they just pretended they didn’t when they got their ballots cause they’re racist to comedians.
One thing that Sam Rockwell may have in his favor is that there is the sentiment that he’s a really good actor and it’s just a matter of time before he wins a BA trophy. He works hard and is pretty darn consistent. As a champion of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, I sense a similar vibe with Rockwell.
PSH rode the road to the Oscars on a small, terrific film that had a wave of appreciation from many sectors. Although I saw and liked Moon, and thought that Sam Rockwell was incredible in it, I am thinking that this isn’t his year because that’s not the film to do it.
I don’t see this happening…
Instead, I’ll throw my support behind Paul Bettany in the underrated ‘Creation’.
Speaking of campaigning for Oscar buzz, supermodel Liya kebede deserves some buzz for her formidable performance in desert flower (based on the novel by somalian supermodel Waris Dirie). I’ve only read a few reviews from Germany, and while the reaction seems to be mixed (im basing this assumption on three or so reviews), the critics all praised her strong performance. It already opened in Europe, not sure about the US release date but it should be sometime this fall. Here’s the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLsFybvh4Iw
My worst worry about Rockwell’s Oscar potential is that the Academy might already feel besieged from all sides in a year of excellent science fiction films — their least favorite genre aside from zombie kung fu movies. Star Trek and District 9 are already among the best of the year, and Avatar is promising to pull everybody’s 3-D panties down. How much imagination can AMPAS handle?
Nothing would make me happier than to see this disrespected genre finally get some awards glory for all the billions of dollars it’s earned for studios in the past several decades, but Moon might play a little too much like The Best Episode Ever of The Outer Limits for voters to see what a tour de force performance Sam Rockwell has delivered.
This reminds me of the “The Dark Knight” campaign webstie. They were all so confident of the Dark Knight getting in.
Thanks for the really helpful tips Ryan. I’ll use them when I send my FYCs to Academy members.
[Note to Nick: This is Sasha's post and those are Sasha's smart tips. My strategies for dealing with AMPAS are based on the principles of passive-aggressive sulking outlined in Machiavelli's The Flounce.]
Not trying to start any more friction, but the metascore of 67 for Moon looks ok to me next to the 66 for Julie & Julie, the 66 for The Informant! and the 69 for Inglourious Basterds. Depatures won Best Foreign Language Film last year with a score of 67.
I know, I know, Sam’s not Meryl, Sam’s not Matt. But that’s the point, right? That’s part of the definition of dark horse. Terrence Howard got a nom for Hustle & Flow (68). Will Smith for Pursuit of Happyness (64). Tommy Lee Jones for Valley of Elah (65). These guys redeemed flawed films. They carried their movies, made them watchable.
Nope, what will hurt Sam Rockwell and Moon more than the reviews are the lunar setting and low-gravity box-office.
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Hal Holbrook, That Evening Sun
Viggo Mortenson, The Road
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Sam Rockwell, Moon
Isn’t that pretty? Never happen, I know. Not unless Perez Hilton has photos of George, Daniel and Morgan in bed together. With Sarah.
But a Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor looks good on an application for future Oscar.
“I can tell you with a fair amount of certainty that if he is truly deserving, and better than the other Actor frontrunners, he will get in.”
I’m baffled by this statement. When has this ever been true of the Oscar race?
He won’t get nominated for this, even though sci-fi films this year have been better than the conventional Oscar bait films. Two of the best actors this year are Sharlto Copley and Sam Rockwell, and they don’t have a chance at all. It’s such a shame because Sam Rockwell is a phenomenal actor and he’s usually the best thing in his films.
Oh! My bad. I’m just so used to you posting stuff Ryan. Reading the author of the post sure does help, doesn’t it? :p
Thanks a lot for the tips Sasha.
As awesome as it’d be if he got nominated it’s not happening.
After listening and reading endless complaints about how James McAvoy is due a nominatation (following just two noteworthy films, King of Scotland and Atonement), I think this push to get Sam Rockwell recognized is more sensical, and less about who the viewer would simply like to fuck (or have a beer with). Moreover, I am glad Rockwell has been introduced to the mix because after a decade and a half of consistantly brave choices and good performances, well, that should count for something. Not to mention Moon itself, which is not only a film about corporate sociopathy, but a film that puts a whole new, modern spin on the Descartes dictum, “I think, therfore I am”. With that said, Rockwell plays himself magnificently.
I’ve known Sam for YEARS! Since he was a video clerk at the Video Store I used to go to back in the day. And “Box of Moonlight”, anyone? My favorite Rockwell performance. Sam’s ALWAYS been great and been a stand-out. Much stage work in his background, too. He’ll get there eventually, but not for this one.
Too small…
If people are saying the “Hurt Locker” doesn’t have a big enough campaign going for it, where does tha live “Moon”?
My most commonly heard Best Actor comment this year –
“If Morgan Freeman is as good as he should be in ‘Invictus’, he’ll win his second Oscar.”
Off topic, but Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott on “At the Movies” are doing a really cool countdown to their top 10 films of the decade, revealing one film each every week for ten weeks.
So far Scott has picked “Million Dollar Baby” as his #10 and Phillips “Minority Report.” Stay tuned next week for #9s!
How about his stellar but subtle performance in Jesse james a couple of years ago. I actually thought he was better than Casey Affleck to be honest. He is about as solid an actor out there now. He never disappoints. It a BIG longshot for him to get a Oscar nod for Moon ( which I have seen btw ) though… but I have a feeling his year is coming for an Oscar nod sooner than later.
Let’s be honest: it’s a weak year for Best Actor, with maybe 1 or 2 safe bets (Firth and Freeman) and Clooney & Day-Lewis hanging around.
I actually think the Golden Globes will set the tone. Because the actors nominating will have no one to put in the ballot, they might just look at who the Globes nominated, and get a bit of inspiration and reminder from there…
[...] -Here’s five tips on starting your Sam Rockwell Grassroots Oscar Nominatino campaign. [Awards Daily] [...]
Wow Natural! That’s awesome news. I gotta tune in to see that (and maybe do my very own rough list)
Good for them I say. I thought his performance in Moon was brilliant, and the movie was really interesting and thought provoking. Sam is also one of the most underrated working actors, and has been for years now. Really hope he gets the nomination he deserves.
Rockwell was great. And he’s criminally neglected.
Speaking of criminally neglected members of the Jesse James crew, when was the last time Paul Schneider didn’t steal a scene he was in? Finally saw Bright Star and loved it.
Having seen The Road, I think Mortensen will win. And he should. It’s a great actor giving a great performance in a great film.
BTW, they want a million signatures. Have a million people even seen Moon? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Moon is one of my favorites of the year so far, and Sam OBVIOUSLY deserved a nomination based on performances we’ve seen thus far. A saavy grassroots push could sneak him into the 4th or 5th slot on a Best Actor ballot. With Morgan Freeman, Colin Firth and George Clooney potentially locking up nods, the other two could go to quirkier films.
If there is going to be an underdog in this category, it needs to be Hal Holbrook. His performance in That Evening Sun is absolutely unparalleled. The film is a career highlight.
I agree with BCawthon! I saw “That Evening Sun” at SXSW this year and thought Hal Holbrook was incredible.
[...] The following post was written by Sasha Stone and originally appeared in AwardsDaily.com. [...]
I completely agree!!! I saw That Evening Sun at the Atlanta film festival and Hal Holbrook’s performance is amazing!! It would be crime if he was not nominated for an Oscar this year.
I FINALLY saw Moon last weekend and loved it. Rockwell was brilliant.
I agree with: SaltireFlower 100%:
October 24th, 2009 at 7:14 pm 16
He won’t get nominated for this, even though sci-fi films this year have been better than the conventional Oscar bait films. Two of the best actors this year are Sharlto Copley and Sam Rockwell, and they don’t have a chance at all. It’s such a shame because Sam Rockwell is a phenomenal actor and he’s usually the best thing in his films.
I’d also add Viggo Mortensen to this list, who was great in The Road. At least The Road apparently did have screeners sent to Oscar voters, which Sony did not do for The Moon.
However, it looks like Jeff Bridges has the buzz for Best Actor this year.
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