Kings and Networks

If you've been following the Oscar race this year, you may or may not have notice the sudden shift in the balance of power of the coveted Best Picture and Best Director Oscars for the Sunday. When the race kicked off, it was as if The Social Network was being called the greatest thing to happen to mankind since Jesus resurrected Lazarus. Every critic, EVERY critic, named it the best film of the year. Some went as far to say it is the best picture of the decade, and a generation definer. Honestly, these last two are quite the stretch, because to me, you can't really tell what is going to "define" a generation until some time has passed. Also, we're only one year into the decade, so to say that nothing else is going to be better for the next nine years is not only far fetched, but disappointing as well; what could we look forward to then? The film coasted through the Golden Globes, taking home four honors, including Best Drama and Best Director, and only losing in two categories (Actor and Supporting Actor), which it really didn't stand a chance in to begin with.

Then came The King's Speech comeback. The film took top honors at the Screen Actors Guild, the Producers Guild, The BAFTA Awards (the British equivalent to the Oscars), and the most shocking, the Directors Guild. All of this hardware bolted The King's Speech above The Social Network as the Oscar favorite. But, in the weeks since the change, there has been plenty of backlash toward Speech. People comparing it to Crash, How Green Was My Valley, and Driving Miss Daisy as terrible Best Picture selections. Because of this, rumors are beginning to circulate that many voters are now turning back to The Social Network for Best Picture, making for one of the closest Best Picture races we've had in years, which will make the lesser categories preceding Best Picture all the more interesting.

To be perfectly honest, I don't understand the backlash of The King's Speech. Yes, it is formulaic and predictable, but it is also arguably the most uplifting film of the year, and one of the most enjoyable to watch. It is anchored by terrific performances, it has snazzy dialogue, nothing too offensive, and overall, you feel good about life when you finish watching it. Why does it surprise anyone that this could win Best Picture? You think of The Social Network, you think of that terrific opening scene, the dramatic score, the Citizen Kane like ending yes, but it is also not exactly the feel good movie of the year.

There's no question that The Social Network is the better film, but The King's Speech is the one that identifies with people better. It is a good film about someone overcoming their problem and persevering. It should be no surprise that The King's Speech has a very legitimate shot to win. What upsets me is the backlash to the film itself. If anything, it should be directed towards the Academy. Ironically enough, The King's Speech has a higher aggregate score on Metacritic (a site that pools critic reviews together and tallies up reviews for a consensus review) than recent Best Picture winners like Slumdog Millionaire, Crash, Million Dollar Baby, and Traffic. It's just a case of a very good film coming out the same year as a film that is widely praised, and getting flack because of it.

If The King's Speech does win on Sunday, my estimation is that it will be a quick and painful backlash, but as the years go on, many will reconsider their "hatred" and see that, while The Social Network may be more deserving, The King's Speech is nowhere near a terrible choice.