Oscar's glass is half full

Washington Blade - March 17, 2006
By Keith Boykin
'Brokeback' and 'Crash' inspired millions with their stories about homophobia and race relations.

WHEN IT COMES to movies, everybody's a critic. And when it comes to the Oscars, there's plenty of criticism to go around this year.

Some gays are upset that "Brokeback Mountain" lost to "Crash" for Best Picture. Others are upset that Felicity Huffman didn't win Best Actress for her performance in "Transamerica."

A few are concerned about the message sent by the selection of Philip Seymour Hoffman as Best Actor for his role as a manipulative gay writer in "Capote." And some blacks are upset that Three 6 Mafia won an Oscar for the degrading song, "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp."

That's a lot of criticism for an Oscar awards ceremony that was one of the most progressive in years. I understand the concerns, but let's not lose sight of the big picture.

I often disagree with the Academy Awards nominees and winners, and this year was no exception. But this year was also unusual because of the political content featured in many of the most celebrated films.

I understand the frustration expressed by gays who had hoped "Brokeback Mountain" would serve as a vehicle to wake up homophobic America, but the gay criticism really misses the point.

To complain about "Crash" beating "Brokeback Mountain" is like complaining about Martin Luther King, Jr., winning a Nobel Prize instead of Harvey Milk. They're both great films and they both offer radical challenges to the political status quo in this country, and that should be celebrated.

"CRASH" OFFERED A refreshing critique of racism in America, and "Brokeback" presented the effects of homophobia.

Other nominated films also pushed the envelope. "Good Night, and Good Luck" critiqued the right-wing fear-mongering that silenced free speech in the 1950s and today. "Syriana" exposed the corruption between government and big oil companies in the Middle East.

"North Country" showed us the dangers of sexual harassment in the workplace and the conditions of the American mining industry. Even "Hustle & Flow" showed us a more human side of life in the hood.

I can't ever remember a time in Oscar history when so many nominated films challenged the prevailing norms in society. But rather than celebrating the achievements of our allies, we too often find ourselves engaged in self-destructive battles that allow our conservative enemies to divide and conquer us.

We pit blacks against gays and women against labor, and we don't bother to see the connections that could align us.

"Brokeback" may not have won the top honor at the Oscars, but it did win others, and in the process it opened the door for other filmmakers to tell their own stories. "Crash" may have done the same thing by telling stories about race relations with its multiracial cast.

But even if neither film had won, they didn't need Oscars to validate their work. The millions of people who saw the films and were inspired by them have already done that. Now it's time for artists, actors, studios, writers and filmmakers to continue the tradition.