Post-Oscars Thoughts
It occured to me last night, that the past couple of years have seen a sort of “browning of the Oscars” in terms of who gets nominated and who wins. Wins by Jamie Foxx and Morgan Freeman (who, in my opinion, should have gotten one long ago), as well as Foxx’s dual nominations, reminded me of Halle Berry’s and Denzel Washington’s win not too long ago. Of course, there have been others in my lifetime, Whoopie Goldberg and Cuba Gooding to name two.
But something in Chris Rock’s comedic remarks about the types of films African American actors sometimes have to make got me thinking. I was touched by Foxx’s acceptance speech, as almost anyone who watched it might have been. It made me think of Cuba Gooding’s acceptance speech for his Jerry MacGuire perfomance, but also about his post-Oscar career, which arguably reached its nadir with the making of Snow Dogs. It has me wondering just what the rest of Foxx’s career might hold. Morgan, veteran actor and Oscar-nominee that he is, will probably continue to get supporting roles. But a first-time nominee and winner for a leading role, like Foxx, might not fare so well, if other cases are any indication.
Gooding’s case is one to consider. Has he been offered a good script/role since his Oscar win? Not if his post-Oscar filmography is any indication: his most notable roles have been in the aforementioned Snow Dogs and the regrettable Radio. He has a few films in various stages of production or post-production, so his career may well rebound, but since his 1996 win, it’s been less-than-stellar. Berry, too, has had post-Oscar career issues, most notably Catwoman, for which she earned a Razzie award—something which, to her credit, she took in stride. She even showed up in person to collect her award.
Halle Berry staged an Oscar-worthy parody of her Academy Awards meltdown at last night’s 25th annual Razzie awards in Los Angeles. Breaking with tradition, the Catwoman star showed up in person to collect her award as the worst actress of 2004.
Explaining her decision to attend the event, Berry said: “My mother told me that if you couldn’t be a good loser then there’s no way you could be a good winner.”
Berry famously broke down at the podium upon winning the 2002 best actress Oscar for her role in Monster’s Ball. She mimicked that moment again last night, faking sobs on stage for a full minute while clutching her Academy Award in one hand and her Razzie (actually a spray-painted golf ball) in the other.
But her speech, when it finally came, went out of its way to spread the blame for Catwoman’s failure. “I want to thank Warner Brothers for casting me in this piece of shit,” she announced to tumultuous laughter.
Berry has also been pretty vocal about her post-Oscar career options in terms of the scripts and roles she’s been offered or at least gotten a shot at since her win.
Berry hoped she had made a major breakthrough when she won the Best Actress ACADEMY AWARD in 2002 for her role in MONSTER’S BALL, but she has had to resort to developing films herself to create the kind of parts she wants.
The 38-year-old says, “The struggle for the woman of colour to find good material is still very present, and it’s a struggle I fight every day. I try to make the best out of what comes to me but it’s going to be about making my own reality really.
** Article Continues Below **
** The Halle Berry article continues now **“I’ve been called a n**ger straight to my face…but there’s also much more subtle insidious ways that racism occurs here in Hollywood.
“I don’t care what anyone says - they may think it doesn’t exist, but it’s usually those who aren’t black who think that.”
Ironically, Berry—the first African American to win a Best Actress Oscar—is facing the same problems that Dorothy Dandridge—the fist African American to be nominated for Best Actress, and whom Berry portrayed on television to rave reviews and an Emmy win. As with the Dandridge pic, Berry has turned back to television—and the help of anotther black woman in Hollywood, Oprah—to find quality roles and projects.
It will be interesting to see how Foxx’s and Berry’s careers pan out post-Oscar. We might yet see second wins for both of them, but for the moment the jury is still out. I can’t help but wonder if they might be offered more and better roles, or at least considered for more and better roles, if they were just as talented as they already are, and white. It has me wondering why succesful blacks in Hollywood—names such as Ophra, Spike Lee, John Singleton, Halle Berry, and others come to mind—don’t just form their own production company (jointly rather than separately) and make the movies they want to make, rather than what the Hollywood powers-that-be want them to make.
February 28th, 2005 at 1:33 pm
It has me wondering why succesful blacks in Hollywood—names such as Ophra, Spike Lee, John Singleton, Halle Berry, and others come to mind—don’t just form their own production company (jointly rather than separately) and make the movies they want to make…
All of those people have their own production companies. That’s not the problem. Financing and distributing movies, is the problem. Anyone can call themselves a producer, but finding funding and getting finished films into theatres is a closed business controlled by a short list of players.
February 28th, 2005 at 2:27 pm
My question, what are these movies that they want to make? I mean, I’m African-American, and many of the films that I see coming out with African-American roles are either slapstick comedies or dramas about the “Man” holding us down. Rarely do we get treated to stories that explore the humanity between us as African-Americans, or even between Africans of other nationalities. Are these the type of movies we can expect to see?
February 28th, 2005 at 2:38 pm
Well, I am lightyears away from having any first hand knowledge of what it’s really like. I’m just guessing here. I hadn’t considered the distribution angle in my thinking.
On JW’s question, I have another question. How many of us would go to see movies that “expore the humanity between us as African Americans”? Though Chris Rock gave the “thumbs down” to movies like Pootie Tang, Soul Plane, and White Chicks in his opening monologue, it’s worth noting that most of the people he interviewed at the Magic Johnson theater enthusiastically went to see those movies. There’s clearly an audience for them. Would we turn out in similar numbers to see more uplifting fare?
February 28th, 2005 at 7:35 pm
Terrance, I’m not sure if those films would be seen by a majority of African-American film watchers. Much like traditional jazz music, they would probably be enjoyed and critiqued by more Anglo-, and other ethnic Americans, which (as we can assume) control much of the
power structure of the fim industry.
Boutique film screenings at events like Black Cinema Cafe can provide some spotlight, however those events aren’t attended by (or for that matter, promoted to) everyone.