The King's Speech steals PGA Award

Oh shit. I was afraid this might happen.

Operating under the same voting procedure as will the Academy when it decides on its Best Picture winner, The PGA and that damned preferential ballot have determined The King's Speech to be the year's best. Does this mean there are more people who think The King's Speech is THE best movie of the year than people who think it's The Social Network? Somehow I doubt it. But it does mean more people prefer The King's Speech to The Social Network. It gobbles up #2 and #3 slots on that ranked ballot of theirs, whereas if The Social Network isn't in a voter's #1 spot, he/she probably didn't like it enough to even put it in his/her top five. I don't like this. Not one bit.

Meanwhile, the PGA vexes me further by handing their Documentary prize to Lesley Chilcott for Waiting for Superman, which, while not a bad film, is quickly becoming the most overrated film the year, having already taken the Critics' Choice and poised to swipe several other industry awards away from Inside Job before finally usurping the Oscar.

The organization's one right decision this year is the predictable awarding of their Animated honour to Toy Story 3 producer (and soon-to-be Oscar nominee) Darla K. Anderson. Congrats!

My Award nominations: Original Song

Best Original Song:

"Welcome To Burlesque" from Burlesque
(Charlie Midnight, John Patrick Shanley, Matthew Gerard, Steve Lindsey):

Dianne Warren's power ballad "You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me" may be the one making all the rounds on the awards circuit, but if you ask me, this glamourous number that introduces Cher and her posse of loyal burlesque tarts is much more memorable, and represents what I would have liked the film to be like.

"I See The Light" from Tangled (Alan Menken, Glen Slater):

I was already enjoying Tangled thoroughly up to the second act, but this is the moment when my heart melted. The song provides a well timed pause in the action for the characters to introspect. The lyrics may be a tad simplistic, but it's still gorgeously romantic in the old Disney tradition.

"Mother Knows Best" from Tangled (Alan Menken, Glen Slater):

Such a delightful villain ditty. And so catchy too! What a perfect way to subvert the usual badguy tropes with a faux lovey-dovey tone thinly veiling barbed condescension.

"Shine" from Waiting for Superman (John Legend):

An absolutely beautiful and moving song that draws attention to an important issue. Legend's lyrics are poetic and meaningful, effectively buttressed by his talented work on the piano. The film may not be a great one, but this song is, giving the movie a soulful and artful conclusion.

"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from Burlesque (Dianne Warren):

A rousing anthem about never underestimating oneself. And who better to belt this one than the immortal Oscar-winning Cher?

Just missed: "Coming Home" Country Strong, "Me and Tennessee" Country Strong

Review - Waiting for Superman

With Davis Guggenheim's Waiting for Superman we get to watch in disgust and horror as four bright kids get screwed over by the American education system, a labyrinthine tangle of bureaucratic red tape that seems to favour job security and convenience for educators over the well-being of the children.

You'll note that I did not include the word “shock” with the words “disgust” and “horror” in my opening sentence, and that's because nothing in this documentary really comes as a surprise. The problems of the public school system in America has been well publicized enough over the last ten years that the arguments made by the film (ie: the need for better teachers, longer days, higher standards), while irrefutable, are not all that eye-opening. The statistics Guggenheim cites to emphasize the dismal success rates of specific schools in the country become repetitious blanket statements that have less and less impact as the film moves along. Where the impact does come from are the “case studies” of five children, brimming with potential, whose families cannot afford the private education that would serve them best, thus placing them at the mercy of lotteries that determine the lucky few who get to attend successful out-of-district schools. Guggenheim milks these stories for sympathy very well, leading up to the nail-biting random draws that will decide the kids' fates.

Waiting for Superman is not quite as good as Guggenheim's previous Oscar-winner An Inconvenient Truth, but is still a reasonable guess for one of this year's Best Documentary nominees. Here's hoping John Legend's “Shine” can find room in Best Original Song, but since it's an end credit track, I wouldn't hold my breath.

**1/2 out of ****