Cate Blanchett, on her way to winning an Oscar for her portrayal of Jasmine in Blue Jasmine is going to be feted tonight at the Santa Barbara Film Fest. At the same time, a personal open letter by Dylan Farrow has just been published at the New York Times accusing Woody Allen of having an inappropriate relationship with her, assaulting (molesting) her one day, and marrying her sister Soon-Yi to cover it all up. Moreover, she points the finger right at those who have participated in his success, starred in his films, been his friend over years. This is a war that has been going on with Ronan Farrow and Mia Farrow on Twitter, then defended by the Daily Beast, and finally, put to rest by Dylan Farrow.
Now everyone wants to know, does this hurt Cate Blanchett’s chances? On the one hand, who wants to talk about any of this in the face of something so awfully tragic to the family. On the other hand, voters are going to have to make a choice. Woody Allen should have been convicted in a court of law for those crimes. The letter states that Farrow dropped the charges because she feared for Dylan’s emotional health. Either way, we are now trying Allen’s guilt in the court of public opinion. That puts the Academy squarely in the position of being complicit, as Dylan Farrow has now charged. In short, anyone who honors or works with Woody Allen is a supporter of child abuse.
So I’ll put it to you, Oscarwatchers. Not worth discussing because the context trivializes the accusation? Worth discussing? Does it make any difference at all? Who stands to gain? If you’re asking me I will say I believe it will have a negative impact on Blanchett. It is very likely an opportunity for Amy Adams to be the one winner from American Hustle’s four acting nominations. I just wrote an article about how the shit always hits the fan right before ballots go out. This open letter is meant to finish the protests by Ronan and Mia Farrow, that Woody Allen, and any film he makes from here on out, not go unpunished.
