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Michael Moore, Anvil and Mike Tyson Left Off Oscar Short List

Posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta

Michael Moore

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled their list of 15 films that will vie for the Best Documentary Academy Award Nomination. And while the list includes well-known titles such as Food, Inc. and The Cove, it is more surprising to look at some of the high profile docs that have not been included on the list, such as: Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story and James Toback’s Mike Tyson biodoc Tyson. The Academy obviously doesn’t like Rock music, as both Anvil! The Story of Anvil and Davis Guggenheim’s It Might Get Loud were also slighted from the short list

The full listing of the 15 documentaries up for consideration can be found after the jump. And because you haven’t seen most of the selections, I’ve also included the trailers for all of the films for your viewing pleasure.

  • The Beaches of Agnes
  • Burma VJ
  • The Cove
  • Every Little Step
  • Facing Ali
  • Food, Inc.
  • Garbage Dreams
  • Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders
  • The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and The Pentagon Papers
  • Mugabe and the White African
  • Sergio
  • Soundtrack for a Revolution
  • Under Our Skin
  • Valentino The Last Emperor
  • Which Way Home

And here are the trailers for all 15 films:

The Beaches of Agnes

Burma VJ

The Cove

Every Little Step

Facing Ali

Food, Inc.

Garbage Dreams

Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and The Pentagon Papers

Mugabe and the White African

Sergio

Soundtrack for a Revolution

Under Our Skin

Valentino The Last Emperor

Which Way Home

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  • PrincipalMarks
    Didn't expect Anvil to get a nom, but it's a real shame because it's a really great piece of work.
  • lotta221211
    I expected "Must Read After My Death" to be on the list, but it hasn't even been mentioned.

    http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/must_read_after...
  • Hutch B.
    ANVIL was a great story but sadly way to small on the radar.
  • GreatBigLion
    No Capitalism makes me sad. He's made his most informative, emotional, entertaining movie yet, and it gets no love.
  • existenz
    I don't know. I think Sicko, Fahrenheit and Bowling were much better films. Capitalism had good parts here and there (such as the revelation that pilots are so poorly paid) but the takeaway message wasn't as strong.
  • Way too convoluted and sprawling a movie. Glad he doesn't get a free pass, just cause he's Michael Moore. Surprised they omitted We Live In Public.
  • freemachine
    Mike Tyson describing how he performed "fellatio" on a woman is at least worthy of a nomination.
  • I suspect that this is The Cove's race to lose at this point.
  • shadow
    The Cove isn't even on the list! What the hell?
  • Poland626
    Wow, epic fail. IT IS. Double check it.
  • shadow
    whoops. Heh, I"m glad it's on, I'm rooting for that to win.
  • Thrillhouse
    Now, not that I have a problem with Michael Moore or his opinions, but being left off makes perfect sense.

    The #1 thing you hear from the Moore-side of the annual arguments about him is that "if you think he WASN'T going to be biased, then why are you watching his documentary anyway?" and "they are meant to be more entertaining than informational"

    He makes good films. I can see why he didn't qualify for a documentary Oscar, however.
  • Thrillhouse
    I don't mean to say "didn't qualify" - I mean, obviously they ARE documentaries.

    I meant I can see why he wasn't chosen to make the cut here. :P
  • Being perfectly impartial is not a fundamental part of documentary filmmaking.

    Doucmentary /= Journalism

    A good example from last year would be Dear Zachary. It was inherently one sided but still easily qualified as documentary.
  • Anrkist
    Moore, while I enjoy his work is far to polarizing. Only one side sees what he has to say. I think a documentary should simply document all events pertaining to the subject or as best it can. You gain nothing new from watching his movies other than simply agreeing with him. That doesn't really compel me any more as a person.
  • While I do call Moore films documentaries they are more like essays on the subjects at hand. Some dramatic (F 9/11) but his best work is the comedic pieces such as Columbine and Roger and Me.
  • freemachine
    @ Anrkist Exactly. To me, the perfect example of a documentary is The Fog of War. Unlike Fast, Cheap, & Out of Control, The Fog of War dealt with a highly polarizing subject, yet remained completely neutral. But for one moment, there was no interference from the documentarian (Errol Morris). For the most part McNamara was allowed to speak freely without being prompted or heavily edited. Moore on the other hand is constantly making quips and editing people out of context in order to suit his argument. I hate that fat turd.
  • Harry Lime
    what about Chris Smith's Collapse?
  • fucking seriously
  • thisguy
    FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-- Food Inc is the best out of that bunch, although I've only seen 10 films on that shortlist.

    Anvil is still one of my top films for the year, but I guess its not the kind of movie in the Academy's interests
  • buckdiddy
    you would think ALL movies should in the interest of the Academy but i guess not. once again many of the great movies will get snubbed.
  • My vote is for Valentino: The Last Emperor... because it's the only one on the list I've seen. Plus, I loved it.
  • Doug
    Unfortunately, this is how many oscar voters vote. Probably thought "Shakespeare in Love" was the best move EVER as well.
  • I thought that about Shakespeare in Love? That would be "Uh. No." Them? Well.. who knows.
  • Nick1
    Moore's film is one of the best of the year. It's omission is a mark against the meaning of the award.
  • DorienG
    Sux Tyson's doc didn't get a nom. I always thought he was insane/stupid...after the doc tho, I knew he was really a hard working misunderstood genius, like da vinci!
  • Taft207
    What about No Impact Man??
  • The Cove, FTW. That's my early prediction. Possibly Burma VJ, but The Cove is easily the most discussed doc of the bunch.
  • okayflint
    ehh, I feel the three you mentioned in the title were more deserving than Food, Inc. Which I felt didn't say anything new or interesting and it came off like a rather boring organic food commercial.
  • was hoping "the way we get by" would make it, but i guess it played on pbs or something.

    that stinks. un-be-lieveable film.
  • Doug
    VERY surprising! Great film, great subject matter, right in the Academy's wheelhouse. Did great at the film fests this year. I wonder what happened... You can see this film online at PBS.org. It aired on POV last week.
  • Very disappointed to see that Anvil: The Story of Anvil didn't make it. I had to opportunity to see it earlier this year, and after watching the movie and listening to a Q&A with the band members afterwards, I was really moved by their constant dedication to their music.

    It's a great story that I wish more could have experienced, but it seems that the Academy Awards weren't as focused on the uplifting side of documentaries.
  • What about Chris Rock's "Good Hair"?
    Didn't personally see it, but heard it was very well done.
  • existenz
    Wow, I haven't seen any of those movies.
  • existenz
    I think "Michael Jackson's This Is It" should have been up for the award. No, I don't think it's the year's best (The Cove appears to be the consensus) but it is very well reviewed and one of the top grossing docs of all time. And yes, it is a documentary, about as pure as one can get.
  • It couldn't of been nominated because it missed the qualifying release date of Aug. 31
  • topheavy
    I wish that someone would give that oscar an enema.
  • Rick_Dickulous
    Man I don't get why Moore's Capitalism was such a dud. I really thought it was his best documentary yet. He must have royally pissed off the committee with his acceptance antics and the stipulations he put on 9/11.
  • Hutch B.
    TYSON was absolutely atrocious. A very poorly made film. I'm way into experimental cinema but I have no idea what Toback was thinking in the editing room. The format he chose to tell what could have been a very engaging story was ridiculous. He completely kicked the audience out the theater and decided to make... I actually cant even think of a way to describe his warped sense of multi-screened madness of overlaying dialogue with images. It was a complete mess. How you think that deserves a nomination for any award is beyond me.
  • Doug
    "The Cove" (out on dvd on Dec. 8) will lead the pack because most have seen it, but "Burma VJ" may overtake, as it's a bigger global issue. Any of the first 6 listed have the best hopes of making the final cut, but suspect the "Sin Nombre"-like "Which Way Home" will as well. Not surprised about "Capitolism...", too rambling. Too bad about "Anvil", but again, not surprised. They just don't get it...
  • diana2
    Loved "Garbage Dreams" when I saw it at SXSW. It is nice to see a film about arabs that is not about war make it on the shortlist. It is such a human story.

    I was also sad that "The Way We Get By" never made it on the Oscar list!
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