Posted on 01/10/2005 10:08:17 AM PST by missyme
Good news/bad news time.
The good news is that despite being snubbed by several critics and pre-Oscar award granters, Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” was the overwhelming winner at the Peoples Choice Awards for Favorite Movie Drama. Gibson’s film beat "The Bourne Supremacy," "Collateral," "Finding Neverland" and "Ray" by an unprecedented lopsided margin. The presenter of the Favorite Movie Drama award was Rene Russo, one of Gibson’s former co-stars. The acclaimed producer-actor-director received a standing ovation for his win.
Gibson told the audience that the award "means a lot more to me this time than anything before."
He added a reference to the fact the Hollywood establishment had refused to finance or distribute his film, saying, “When you circumvent the system, I depended on you and you were there. If it wasn't for you guys, we would have been dead in the water.”
Unfortunately, Michael Moore’s "Fahrenheit 9/11" also beat out the competition, which included "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Incredibles," "Shrek 2" and "Spider-Man 2, snagging the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie.
The presenter of the Favorite Movie award, believe it or not, was Martin Sheen. As he accepted Moore exclaimed, “I’ll take this as an invitation to make more ‘Fahrenheit 9/11s.’”
This year’s 31st Awards ceremony included some new categories, among them being Favorite Movie Drama (won by Gibson) and Favorite Movie (won by Moore). Unfortunately, the Most Deceitful Documentary category, which “Fahrenheit 9/11” would have won hands-down, was not yet available.
Mel Gibson did not campaign, promote or advertise to garner any award. This stands in sharp contrast to the political P.R. machine of Michael Moore et al. In fact, Moore had even posted a letter on his Web site urging his followers to cast their votes for him.
Moore’s letter, which as of this writing has curiously been pulled off his Web site, had stated: “The People's Choice Awards are considered, among all the awards shows, to be the one which most accurately reflects the ‘mainstream’ public opinion in the United States.”
After touting the credibility of the awards Moore went in for the close. “OK, now, here's the best part: YOU get to vote! Online. Now. Just go to http://www.pcavote.com/voting/film/f01.shtml, click on the little circle next to ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ in the ‘Favorite Movie’ category and press the ‘vote’ button.”
For some additional motivation, Moore cited a group of leading Republicans who had taken out ads in USA Today and Daily Variety. Moore claimed the ads included “a not-so-subtle threat to the Academy Awards voters that, in essence, said don't even THINK about nominating 'Fahrenheit 9/11' for Best Picture.”
He promised that if he were to win the People’s Choice Awards he would give a “nice and polite speech.”
True. It held the record for the largest return proportional to investment until The Blair Witch Project came along 20 years later.
Hell Polar Express was recently released and it has already made Worldwide: $260,273,000 LOL
When my brother was a kid he collected Spiderman Comic Books in fact he had all the Superheroes, Thor and I cannot remember the rest of them. Anyways if adults spend billions of dollars seeing Comics of Old then they must be having all the drug flashbacks from OLd.
I just don't get it, I would rather go see a Clip of Andy Griffith on the Silver Screen rather than Shrek or Spiderman..
"Peoples'" shmeoples. Your post points out the obvious. Movie receipts speak louder than internet votes. The "peoples' choice" for favorite movie last year was Shrek 2, and there were about 15 other films that ranked ahead of Michael Moore's propaganda piece.
When will the Grips and Gaffers Unions start picketing Moore's "documentaries" for using unpaid interns?
Nope he heaped praise on Michael Moore's movie.
great analogy!
Does anybody know if "Team America" won the award they were Nominated for.
Right on !! HURRAY MEL !!! God Keep ya!
Facts are a waste of your time, as the real fact is the win was simply an easy way to take a swipe at George Bush. Conservatives are above this sort of foolishness (as are my more intelligent liberal friends) but the sort of putz that follows Michael Moore - naaaan fugeddaboudit aready, dere in dere with the ballots aready.
You know, the sort of people who are no sporting bumper stickers saying "4 more wars" and so on.
(The next Dem pres to run for reelection can use a sticker that says "4 more years of queers", right?
I'm hoping the interview was taken out of context.
Welcome to FR ;)
You heard an interview -how can an interview be taken out of context?
Considering F9/11 Had no interesting points -what interesting points do you suggest Gibson raised?
Mel makes gold wherever he goes. He's just that kind of guy.
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