The Oscar-winning Songs Countdown: 2005

Today we're going to talk about that year; you know, the year in which the Oscars most faithful clientele, gay people, said "enough is enough". Many left and never came back because of what happened that year. Some may call it the year Crash won, I call it the year Brokeback Mountain lost.

In the beginning of the awards' season, things looked rosy for LGBTI folks: There was a small movie called Transamerica, featuring Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives' Lynette Scavo) as a pre-operative male-to-female transgender who takes an unexpected journey when she learns that she fathered a son, now a teenage runaway hustling on the streets of New York. The movie was praised especially for Huffman's performance, as well as for the film's song, written and performed by Dolly Parton.

There was a movie based on Truman Capote's relationship with one of the killers of a Kansas family, Perry Smith, who was on death row, while Capote was researching for his novel In Cold Blood. Both the film and its director were lauded, but it was the film's star that was showered with the warmest praise. The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Capote represents something unique in cinema....Most eye-catching for critics and audiences in the weeks to come will be Philip Seymour Hoffman's brilliant metamorphosis into the persona of the late author." The film was also a hit: it made 4 times its frugal budget in the US alone.

Then there was Brokeback Mountain, a film that made so many grown men and women cry. It was the story of a forbidden and secretive relationship between two cowboys, and their lives over the years.

The critics were besides themselves; most awarded it top marks (100%). Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) wrote: "Brokeback Mountain has been described as "a gay cowboy movie," which is a cruel simplification. It is the story of a time and place where two men are forced to deny the only great passion either one will ever feel. Their tragedy is universal."

Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) wrote: "Ang Lee's unmissable and unforgettable Brokeback Mountain hits you like a shot in the heart. It's a landmark film and a triumph for Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal."

Rene Rodriguez (Miami Herald) wrote: "This poignant, wise and subtle picture -- which, yes, happens to be the best movie of the year -- should be approached with humble expectations. Lee's approach to this delicate material is suffused with melancholy, metaphors and small, telling touches that favor subtlety over exclamation points and rough-hewn simplicity over grandiloquence."

The audiences were enthralled as well. A man from Texas wrote: "I'm 23, and I find it hard to write this review. I saw the film exactly one week ago today and not a moment has gone by when I don't ache. It finds me in the shower; it haunts me in bed; it has filled my mind and clings to my thoughts, and it won't let up. I try to lie to myself, to find some solace by saying that it's just a movie, but I know better. Jack and Ennis are alive, and they represent so many aching people, so many untold stories. There is no contrivance, no manufactured importance; there are no tricks. Brokeback Mountain tells, with painful honesty and frankness, the story of two men's lives and nothing more. Whether you are gay or straight, it doesn't hit close to home: it hits you. Brokeback Mountain is a place we all most desperately yearn to go. It's where we can be free. It feels funny to say that Brokeback Mountain is my favorite film of all time, because I think it almost an injustice to call it a film at all, or to critique its incredible technical sophistication. Somehow Brokeback Mountain transcends that. I could hear a thousand speeches celebrating diversity or read a hundred love stories and not be absolutely broken in just two hours as I was after this film. I've never felt waves of nausea come over me as I did sitting in that theater, my face contorted as I watched truth and honesty spill from the screen and onto moviegoers who had no idea what they were in for. I am usually the first to point out bias, so I know my words might be mistaken for favoritism or blind loyalty. They should not. This movie will change your existence. I find so many things in my life trivial now in the wake of this film---for me, watching it was truly like having a near-death experience. And am I better for it? Yes. Broken and undone, but better. For once in my life, I feel hope, and I've seen love."

The film became a popular hit, with a worldwide gross of more than 12 times its budget.

Here's the Oprah interview with the Brokeback Mountain cast:

... And here's the amazing score by Gustavo Santoalalla:

From these three films, three straight men and one straight woman received Oscar nominations for portraying three gay men and a trans woman... Wouldn't it be great if there comes a time when four out LGBTI actors are nominated in a single calendar year for portraying straight roles?

There were other notable films in 2005: George Clooney's second directorial effort, Good Night, and Good Luck., was his best one. A direct tribute to broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow and his efforts to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy, it was also an indirect tribute to his father, journalist and anchorman Nick Clooney. Filmed in no-nonsense black and white cinematography and using a low-key screenplay, this was quality serious drama that Hollywood always appreciates come Oscar time.

Steven Spielberg was pretty much ruling Hollywood, so he had no trouble in getting the green light for his Munich project, although it contained no big stars and dealt with a difficult subject told in a non-sensational manner, based on the true story of the Black September aftermath, about the five men chosen to eliminate the ones responsible for that fateful day.

Some critics loved it: Kenneth Turan (Los Angeles Times) wrote: "Munich's even-handed cry for peace is not an act of equivocation but one of bravery. What Munich has to say, and its ability to say it to the widest possible audience, couldn't be more needed than it is right now."

On the other hand, others hated it. Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicle) had this to say: "An unlovable movie. It's morally ambiguous, which means there's no real rooting interest. It's episodic, with the same kinds of episodes repeated over and over, so there's little sense of forward motion. It feels philosophically and politically confused, so there's no message to take from it."

The film was a hit, but not on the scale that Spielberg was accustomed to.

Here's the reflective score from Munich, composed by Oscar perennial John Williams:

Then there was Crash, Paul Haggis' Altmanesque tale of Los Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives, who collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption. The reviews were mixed: Wall Street Journal wrote: "Ultimately, Crash succeeds in spite of itself. Its color war starts to feel obvious and schematic. Its coincidences and clichés become like a pileup on the 405 freeway, but there it is - you find yourself rubbernecking and can't manage to look away."

Also vying for Oscar attention were:

•  Walk The Line, a by-the-numbers biopic of Johnny Cash with strong performances from the two leads.

•  The Constant Gardener, an good adaptation of the John Le Carré novel featuring a strong cast.

Here's the dreamy score from The Constant Gardener, composed by Alberto Iglesias:

•  Sundance winner Hustle & Flow (or should I say Empire: The Prequel?) giving Terrence Howard and Taraji Henson a good push toward stardom.

•  Pride & Prejudice, a good adaptation of the Jane Austen classic, giving Keira Knightley a chance to shine brightly.

Here's the delicate score from Pride & Prejudice, composed by Dario Marianelli:

• Syriana, a rather confusing politically charged epic about the state of the oil industry in the hands of those personally involved and affected by it.

• Memoirs Of a Geisha, a proof that the sum isn't always greatest than its parts: good actors and great craftspeople were bogged down by a pedestrian screenplay and by the uninspired direction of Rob Marshall.

Here's the romantic score from Memoirs Of a Geisha, which is yet another John Williams' composition:

The Nominations

It was rare at the time for the Best Picture and Best Director categories to absolutely coincide, yet it was one of those years. Nominated in both categories were Brokeback Mountain (8 nominations), Good Night, and Good Luck. (6 nominations), Crash (6 nominations), Capote (5 nominations), and Munich (5 nominations).

The Best Actor nominees were Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck.), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line), and Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow).

The Best Actress nominees were Felicity Huffman (Transamerica), Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line), Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice), Judi Dench for the period piece Mrs Henderson Presents and Charlize Theron doing a version of Norma Rae in North Country.

The Best Supporting Actor nominees were George Clooney (Syriana), Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain), Matt Dillon (Crash), Paul Giamatti for the boxing drama Cinderella Man and William Hurt for the David Cronenberg film A History of Violence.

The Best Supporting Actress nominees were Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain), Catherine Keener (Capote), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener), Frances McDormand (North Country), while Amy Adams had her first Oscar nomination for Indie hit Junebug.

Other notable nominations were Woody Allen for Original Screenplay for Match Point, which was essentially a modern day remake of A Place In The Sun... Terrence Malick's The New World and Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins competing against Brokeback Mountain, Memoirs Of a Geisha, and Good Night, and Good Luck. for Cinematography... Spielberg's War of the Worlds, Peter Jackson's King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe competing for the Sound and F/X awards... While the Best Score nominations were Brokeback Mountain, The Constant Gardener, Pride & Prejudice, Memoirs Of a Geisha, and Munich.

The Best Song nominees were only three these year, an indication that the Academy considered the year's level of orginal songs in films rather low. These were:

From Hustle & Flow, It's Hard out Here for a Pimp, music and lyrics: Frayser Boy, Juicy J & DJ Paul (Three 6 Mafia).

Here's the song's video, featuring Terrence Howard and Taraji Henson:

Here's the Oscar performance by Three 6 Mafia, again featuring Taraji Henson:

From Crash, In the Deep •  Music: Kathleen York & Michael Becker • Lyrics: Kathleen York. It is performed by York herself:

From Transamerica, Travelin' Thru • Music and lyrics: Dolly Parton:

Here's Dolly's Oscar performance:

Also eligible were Remains of the Day from Corpse Bride, composed by Danny Elfman:

... Dicholo from The Constant Gardener, written and performed by Ayub Ogada:

... Wunderkind from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, written and performed by Alanis Morissette:

A Love That Will Never Grow Old from Brokeback Mountain was actually disqualified because it was felt it didn’t appear in the film long enough. Here's a moving version by the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, in a medley with He Was A Friend Of Mine and Wings:

The favorites were Brokeback Mountain for Picture, Director, Screenplay and Score, Philip Seymour Hoffman, George Clooney and Rachel Weisz. There was a close race in the Best Actress category, with Felicity Huffman and Reese Witherspoon going head to head.

The Awards

Best Foreign Film went to South Africa for the first time, for the tough and tender Tsotsi. Best Documentary Feature went to the majestic La Marche de l'Empereur (March of the Penguins).

There was a surprise in Animated Feature: competing against two very well respected films, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride and Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle, Britain's humorously weird The Curse of the Were-Rabbit took home the prize.

King Kong won three awards: for Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, and Visual Effects. Memoirs Of a Geisha also won three: Best Art Direction, Cinematography, and Costumes. The Chronicles of Narnia won Make-Up.

Gustavo Santoalalla deservedly won Best Score for Brokeback Mountain, while the Best Song award went to... It's Hard out Here for a Pimp, from Hustle & Flow. On the one hand it's good that a Hip Hop song from a black band won the Oscar, on the other hand... come on you guys, it's Dolly Parton! She had already lost once, for 9 to 5, this was a chance to celebrate this big-hearted girl and gay icon... but it was not to be: Transamerica went home empty-handed, since Huffman lost the Oscar to Witherspoon. The other acting awards went, as predicted, to Hoffman, Weisz, and Clooney.

The writing awards were split between Crash (Original), and Brokeback Mountain (Adapted). I worried a bit when Crash won Best Editing, but was on surer footing when Ang Lee won Best Director for Brokeback Mountain. Yet... when the time came to announce the Best Picture winner, most of us stared dazedly at our TV sets when they announced Crash as the winner.

It was later reported that this was mainly due to "the steak-eaters" which means the privileged straight white males who weren't ready to crown a gay movie with their ultimate prize. A lot of us were very bitter about this, and some stopped watching altogether. I kept on watching, but a big part of the magic was gone for me. It was regained in part this year with the Moonlight win. Especially in the way it happened, there was certainly magic in that. Some people call this year's ceremony a colossal fuck-up. I call it the most satisfyingly kooky Oscar broadcast I have ever seen.