James Hirsen
Tuesday, March 7, 2006

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THE LEFT COAST REPORT
A Political Look at Hollywood

Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Johnny Cash's Faith Censored 
2. Alec Baldwin's Guide to Divorce
3. Mainstream Critics Attack Academy Over 'Brokeback'
4. Spike Lee Disses Condoleezza Rice
5. Oscar Wrap-up

1. Johnny Cash's Faith Censored 

"Walk the Line," the Johnny Cash biopic that landed Reese Witherspoon a Best Actress trophy, curiously left out a gigantic aspect of the legendary singer's life, that being Cash's Christian faith.
 
Cash himself actually claimed that it was his faith that saved his life. He even took the stage at many of Rev. Billy Graham's crusades.

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Although the flick did show Cash auditioning by playing a gospel song for Sam Phillips at Sun Records, even here it omitted a momentous detail.

Cash split from Sun Records in the 1950s because he was not allowed to record a gospel album.

Also left out of the film was the dramatic moment when Cash entered a cave in Tennessee to die because of his drug addiction. According to the singer's autobiography, God stopped him from killing himself.

The Left Coast Report points out that an Oscar can go to a song about a pimp but a faith scene cannot be tolerated.

2. Alec Baldwin's Guide to Divorce

Alec Baldwin, who recently blogged that the vice president is a terrorist, liar and thief, is writing a book on a subject he arguably has some expertise on.

After the actor's much publicized court battle with ex-wife Kim Basinger, Baldwin apparently feels qualified to write a legal guide to child custody.

According to the publishing company St. Martin, Baldwin "will reveal the unimaginable pressures involved in fighting a high-conflict custody battle while continuing to function as a busy actor and public advocate. Baldwin hopes the book will create opportunities for healing, and inspire both public debate and changes in antiquated divorce laws."

Baldwin says that his book is not necessarily a memoir but "a survey of family law in this country from a legal and political stand point."

If the book is successful, Baldwin plans to conduct "divorce seminars" for parents who are calling it quits.

The Left Coast Report says Baldwin may be on to something since there's sure to be a market for his seminars in La La land.

3. Mainstream Critics Attack Academy Over 'Brokeback'

The same film critics who shoved "Brokeback Mountain" down the throats of American filmgoers have launched an attack on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for failing to toe the line and give the gay cowboy film the Best Picture trophy.

The expectation was that "Brokeback" was a shoe-in for Best Pic but, after sweeping the major categories in the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, would also get the lion's share of the other Oscars.

Jack Nicholson's eyebrows shot up even higher than normal as he announced "Crash's" upset victory over "Brokeback Mountain."

The Washington Post's Tom Shales wondered whether "film buffs and the politically minded will be arguing about whether the Best Picture Oscar to 'Crash' was really for the film's merit or just a cop-out by the Motion Picture Academy so it wouldn't have to give the prize to 'Brokeback Mountain.'"

The Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan observed that "despite all the magazine covers it graced, despite all the red-state theatres it made good money in, despite (or maybe because of) all the jokes late-night talk show hosts made about it, you could not take the pulse of the industry without realizing that 'Brokeback Mountain' made a number of people distinctly uncomfortable."

But the Left Coast Report thinks the New York Post's Lou Limenick is the one who got it right. He wrote, "Some may blame homophobia among the aging males who dominate the motion-picture academy's voters, but it is more likely 'Brokeback Mountain' suffered one of the great upsets in Oscar history because of sheer boredom."

4. Spike Lee Disses Condoleezza Rice

Spike Lee has decided to seek publicity by attacking the most prominent African-American in government, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In an upcoming issue of Stuff magazine, the overrated director sneers, "I dislike Condoleezza Rice more than [President] Bush. The thing about it is that she's gotten a free ride from black people.

"People say, 'She's so successful' and 'Look at her position as a black woman.' She is a black woman who grew up in Birmingham, Ala., and said that she never experienced a day of racism in her life," Lee hisses.

Lee then admonishes Dr. Rice with the dopey comment, "Condi, stop smoking that crack!"

He also hits her with a Katrina whack, saying, "I know you love your Ferragamo shoes, but come on. While people were drowning in New Orleans, she was going up and down Madison Ave. buying Ferragamo shoes. Then she went to see 'Spamalot.'"

The Left Coast Report notes that people were starving in Africa while Lee was out hawking Nikes.

5. Oscar Wrap-up

Remember when Hollywood had mystique and glamour and was the wellspring of entertainment? That now seems a relic of another era.

In its place sits a town where self-absorption has taken a lead role and superficial social messages predominate.

When it wasn't embarrassing, the 78th Annual Academy Awards show was generally a bore.

Host Jon Stewart was probably a bit surprised at the tepid response to his jokes, especially the one where he quipped about the awards show being a "place where you can watch all your favorite stars without having to donate any money to the Democratic Party."
 
Stewart also admonished would-be film down-loaders to think about the "women here who could barely afford enough gown to cover their breasts."

Many of the stars seemed incapable of laughing at themselves. But when Stewart let loose with a joke that was at the expense of Vice President Dick Cheney, the guffaws flowed freely.

"I do have some sad news to report," Stewart said. "Bjork could not be here. She was trying on her Oscar dress and Dick Cheney shot her."

Stewart got moderate chuckles when he took a shot at the news media. He praised "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Capote," describing them as films about journalism's "relentless pursuit of the truth," adding, "needless to say, both are period pieces."

The big laughs returned, though, with a reference to the war in Iraq. Evoking the memory of the toppling of the statue of Saddam Hussein, Stewart pointed to a giant Oscar image and said, "Do you think if we all got together and pulled this down, democracy would flourish in Hollywood?"

George Clooney won the first statuette for Best Supporting Actor for "Syriana," letting the world know that he was "proud to be part of this Academy, proud to be part of this community, proud to be out of touch."

Clooney claimed that Hollywood talked about social issues before anyone else. "We are the ones who talked about AIDS when it was just a gay disease," he said.

As expected, Phillip Seymour Hoffman won the Best Actor award for his portrayal of the gay central character in "Capote."

Rachel Weitz maintained the political pattern. She won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing a social activist in "The Constant Gardener."

It seems that a bit of "Brokeback" backlash may have created the surprise winner for Best Picture. After endless buzz about "Brokeback Mountain's" courage and brilliance and after it won virtually all of the pre-Oscar awards, "Crash" scored an upset win over the gay cowboy flick.

A few other observations: