Countdown to the Oscars ‘12 – Best Picture Nominees (‘Extremely Loud &...

A lot has been written and said over the years since our country was attacked from within back on September 11, 2001. Even to this day, if you stop and think about, it just doesn’t seem real. But, to those in NYC that were there that day or lost loved ones, they know just how real it was and still is. Nothing will ever be the same and you know what, it shouldn’t. I’ve always felt that we should remember the fallen that day as it would be some sort of a disservice if we didn’t, so it’s in that spirit we have stories like the one in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.” So, say what you want about stories from 9/11 being pushed to the big screen, but to me, the more the merrier. It’s rare to find anything this real and utterly tragic, but great stories can be found within chaos. And to me, that’s what this film proves, as I couldn’t get enough of this human story carefully directed by Stephen Daldry. Sure, it’s tough to watch and for some, probably impossible, but I liked it for everything it was and wasn’t.  Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, I didn’t know what we would get when you figure just how many of these 9/11 stories get pushed under the rug without you knowing.  In fact, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” is the first film this closely related to 9/11 that I have seen nominated for Best Picture, telling us the tide might finally be turning.

I certainly hope it is, for I could stand to see more tragic, yet uplifting stories like this in the future. Because at the end the day, there are few events within our country’s history that can match what this was and still is to so many people. And I think that’s why we see stories like this slowly start to leak out, so I’m encouraged that Eric Roth and Stephen Daldry were able to sell this incredible story from Foer ‘s book as a major motion picture to Warner Bros. I guess I just can’t believe it snuck into the race at the last minute, as all indications were that it would be passed over given its late release date. Originally, Daldry wanted to release this around the tenth anniversary of 9/11, but couldn’t get it all pulled together pushing it off until Christmas. Too bad, as it could have seen a much bigger box office result had it come out late in the summer, rather than during the holidays when movies are so easily overlooked. Of course, I have a feeling this film was not made for some meaningless box office title, which is hard to find these days, making it even more of a hit in my mind and one that deserved more than two nominations. Not that there’s some unwritten rule on how many total nominations a Best Picture contender should have, but out of the nine that were nominated this year, seven had four or more nominations with only this film and “The Tree of Life” having three or less. So, going purely off those numbers might suggest we should have only had seven total nominees for Best Picture for 2011.

Which two would be removed is probably an argument for a later time, but it’s still good ‘food for thought’ in the grand scheme of things. Figure, no other award ceremony is scrutinized or worthy like this one is, so why not keep offering up ways to improve it? Fact is, the producers of this ceremony have been looking to draw more viewers in, but as history has told us, the only sure bet is for one of the fan favorites from the year get into the mix. You know, like when “Titantic” dominated this ceremony or when “Forrest Gump” walked home the big winner. Those nights yielded great returns for a TV audience, but ever since that time, there has been a great decline in the number of viewers. In fact, only twice have we seen that same number of viewers rise over 44 million, which over a span of 13 years is not all that great when you figure this ceremony use to average at least that. That’s not saying “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” was a fan favorite from 2011, but had it been released during a better time of the year, you never know how many more awards it could have been nominated for. I know it could have easily been in the mix in virtually all the acting categories and not just for Best Supporting Actor.

Now, that’s no slight on Max von Sydow, who was great not saying a single word essentially earning that Oscar nomination. But, to not give Thomas Horn a nod is absurd when you figure how difficult that role had to be. Here’s a kid, who believe it or not, was discovered taking big chances on the game show Jeopardy. And then the following year, he was starring in his first film with this cast? Wow, talk about striking the iron while it’s hot and clearly Horn was, as his performance shined through Eric Roth’s intuitive script.  I was impressed with this 14-year-old kid, who is already on his way to some pretty cool things if he chooses to accept them.  And had he starred in any film before this, I bet he would have been nominated because his age certainly should not have had any influence. I mean, sure, it’s been over 80 years since anyone younger than 19 has been nominated for Best Actor. But, it was just nine years ago we saw a then 13-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes get a nod for Best Supporting Actress and before that, Haley Joe Osment, who was just 11 back in 1999 when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for “Sixth Sense.” So it is possible, which is why I think the late entry killed any chance of Horn getting a well-deserved nod. Because let’s face it, balancing all the emotion in a story like this is not easy to do for a polished actor, so for Horn to do it with little to no experience is cool to see and I bet a joy for the veteran cast to witness.

To read the full review on “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” click here

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