Ben Affleck's Iran hostage rescue thriller, "Argo," gained more Oscar momentum Sunday with best film, best director, and best editing honors at the British Academy Film Awards ceremony in London.
Affleck dedicated his directorial award to "anyone out there who's trying to get their second act," according to the Associated Press. Producer George Clooney immediately replied:
"I don't know what you're going to do for a third act."
Affleck has been honored as best director by all of the major awards shows, including the Broadcast Film Critics Association, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, and the Directors Guild of America -- but he was snubbed by the Oscars. "Argo" was nominated in seven categories, including best picture, but Affleck was overlooked by the Academy.
Affleck's awards sweep is “embarrassing to the Academy,” movie critic and self-proclaimed Oscarologist Thelma Adams told Fox News. Adams said the snub may have been a scheduling fluke.
“They had already voted for their nominees by January 4, while the DGA didn’t announce their nominees until January 8th,” Adams told Fox. “In other words, the Oscar-voters didn’t have their usual crib sheet.”
Critics and pundits definitely have noticed the fact that, with less than two weeks left until the Oscars, "Argo" already has won 47 awards. New York Post columnist Cindy Adams put it bluntly:
"Internationally, the movie industry is razzberrying the Oscars for dissing Affleck’s Best Director nom. Everyone loves the turn-around actor-cum-director. Like Clooney, whose company made the film, he’s friendly, approachable, charming, likable. The actors even love Ben Affleck."
Affleck joked about the situation at the Screen Actors Guild awards on January 27, Fox reported:
“I’m sorry,” he joked to a reporter trying in vain to get a question in backstage at [the] SAG Awards. “I know what it feels like to be overlooked.”
The 2013 Oscars red carpet and awards show airs live February 24 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time/4 p.m. Pacific Time on ABC.
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