At this point, with backlash after backlash having happened, it's going to be a tough road ahead for "Green Book" and its desire to snag that best picture Oscar. Peter Farelly‘s film did not make my ten best list this year, but I can’t tell you how great it would be if this film actually pulled off the Oscar upset. SJW heads would roll, tempter tantrums would unfurl, it’d be a wonderful sight to see. Owen Gleiberman puts it quite nicely in his latest Variety column, titled “What Each Possible 2018 Best Picture Winner Would Mean,“ he believes that "Green Book" winning best picture would no doubt be "a nice, big, friendly “kiss our collective ass” message to the woke thugs in the film critic community." [Thanks, Jeff]:
“Last fall, when I first saw this racially themed 1962 buddies-with-nothing-in-common road movie, I thought it had a clear chance to win best picture. It’s that kind of finely etched and wittily sincere lump-in-the-throat liberal crowd-pleaser. But its politics, in the eyes of some, are tainted by (it is argued) a certain patronizing quaintness that has lived past its cinematic sell-by date.
“So what will it mean if Green Book emerges from all that and wins anyway? It will mean not just that the movie strikes a powerful comedic-dramatic chord, but that the more traditional voices of Hollywood want the world to know that this is the sort of middlebrow humanistic movie that still resonates with them. It would represent, in many ways, a vote against the new wave of Academy members.”
I've been covering the dark cloud of controversy that's been looming over "Green Book" a film that, in all likelihood, will be nominated for Best Picture — all this despite accusations implying that it goes against the current grain of progressive thought, with the term "white savior" having been uttered more than a few times by film "journalists."
"Green Book" is well-loved by Joe and Jane popcorn, it has an A-grade cinemascore and an impressive 8.3 rating on IMDB. No, it is not the best film of 2018, but its backlash does feel discouraging enough that you want it to pull off the Oscar upset. In fact, I wish there were more films like this being made by major studios. It's a non-sequel and non-reboot that feels goodhearted and earns its emotions the right way. There is no racist bone in its DNA, contrary to what the haters would like to spew on social media and in endlessly moaning think-pieces.
Its Box-Office has slowly been picking up steam as well, another solid weekend just happened, with close to $2M made over the Christmas vacation. Its total is now at $31M domestically, but it has legs and come its inevitable Oscar nominations (Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, Screenplay and, maybe, Director) word of mouth will only build further more. This could be the movie that surprises, I haven't lost hope about its chances.
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.