Get ready for political lectures at the Oscars — unless stars get the hint that we don’t care
H’wood wins and whines
Marlon Brando declined his 1973 “Godfather” Oscar to protest Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans. Stars have since used shows to stow, snow or blow about politics.
So, should 2025’s Academy Awards be involved in political discourse?
“One voice can spark change,” says producer Linda Ann Watt. “Celebrities have a responsibility to address societal issues. Art’s an avenue for social change. Reflects society. Politics is part of that reflection. The political theater of ancient Greece, Shakespeare or modern Hollywood pushes societal change.”
I explained this is not ancient Greece.
Having challenged Ricky Gervais who once told Golden Globers, “Thank your agent, your god, then f —k off,” she said, “Storytellers should use their platform to speak on issues they care about.”
My issue is they should shut up. Just thank God for big cars, big homes, big egos, big salaries, big iron gates, big opportunities, big holidays, big designers, big divorce lawyers — and big dinners with their psychiatrists.
So, what now? Cranky to sway public opinion, there to hustle their movie, they’ll copy Robert De Niro and maybe face fallout after his 2018 anti-Trump remark at the Tonys.
One day a gorgeous skinny famous rich protected goddess like Nicole Kidman could lecture us about Gaza. Living in Nashville, how better to inform us of the Middle East crisis, right?
They know how to make a killing
Fear of being out of touch with the mainstream is rampant — so many new films have stabbing, shooting, maiming, killing, torturing — and they’re the musicals. And with anti-Semitism making headlines, we should not forget Hollywood once produced winners like “Gentleman’s Agreement,” “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Schindler’s List,” “The Pianist.”
“September 5” revisits 1972’s Summer Olympic Games hostage crisis. In case you missed Spielberg’s “Munich.” They swear this Israel/Hamas shooting killing maiming kidnapping conflict makes this stuff timely, especially when stars stand up at awards shows with their naked parts hanging out and tell us how deeply they feel for mankind.
Watch list
So how about the new “Mission: Impossible” coming this summer? And this year’s genteel award contenders like “Conclave,” “Anora” and “Wicked.”
And “Captain America: Brave New World” has a brave new president, Harrison Ford, who then says: “Taking over a character someone else has done never occurred to me but it happens in the Marvel Universe. I’m appreciative for the groundwork once laid as the character.” Wow, great.
Yeah, OK, whatever that means. This “Captain” takes flight on loving sweet romantic Valentine’s Day at theaters everywhere. Co-stars Anthony Mackie, Liv Tyler, Giancarlo Esposito. Bring your own shield and hammer.
Other stuff. There’s “The Brutalist,” starring Adrien Brody as a Holocaust-surviving Hungarian architect who finds sanctuary in Pennsylvania. Why Pennsylvania? Figure all that out and you’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.
