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In a new interview with Charlie Rose, Jim Cameron said he wants Avatar to win Best Picture for his team and Academy voters to give Best Director to Kathryn Bigelow, his ex-wife and helmer of The Hurt Locker. I can’t tell if this brazen campaigning hurts or helps his Oscar chances:
rtmp://streaming.deadline.com/ondemand/video/bc-archive/1379067645_67149019001_cameronclip.flvFor transcript,
Charlie Rose: So if someone sitting there says, ‘Look, I’m going to give it to Cameron, Best Picture, but Bigelow Best Director –
James Cameron: That would be a fantasy. That would be my fantasy outcome, absolutely.
Charlie Rose: That would be what you’d like to see?
James Cameron: That’s the best possible outcome… because I know how hard my team worked and how much they would — how proud they would be of that accolade, you know what I mean? And look, for myself, I have already got an Oscar. I’ve got a couple of them, you know. And I respect the whole institution of the Academy Awards because it’s the pinnacle of achievement in my chosen profession. But I don’t really need another one. But to be honored – you know, to have the team honored and for their accomplishment, that would mean so much to them. And I think that would be the fantasy outcome in all of this.
Charlie Rose: So you’re saying to the voters, please take a look at my team and go for us as Best Picture. But –
James Cameron: Yeah, and I –
Charlie Rose: — go for Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director.
James Cameron: I mean, all I can say is that that would make me very happy if that – you know, I don’t want to try to get –
Charlie Rose: Happier than if it was Best Director for James Cameron?
James Cameron: Honestly, yes.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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That actually would be the most logical and fair outcome. Spread it around. All excellent and very different movies. Avatar = picture, Bigelow = director, Bastards = screenplay.
Cameron is the man.
Nice one, Jim. Now if Kathryn Bigelow wins Best Director, you can act like you “gave” it to her, and take credit for being magnanimous. Am I the only one who finds this totally tacky and obnoxious? What a controlling prick!
Whoa whoa whoa, back up there, Cameron controlling?
Charlie suggested this and Cameron, to his credit, employed a level of humility whilst explaining that he wants his team to be honored… he was a gentleman and classy here…
People ask him everyday whether he thinks he’s going to win the Oscars. He tells them Kathryn should win. What do you want him to say…”No, Kathryn fucking sucks at what she does, and I deserve all credit”, or “I fucking suck at making the biggest films of all time, and I really don’t deserve anything”. He’s doing what anyone who wants to win is doing, finding a compromise.
you’re not the only one
Totally agree! Plus he knows it’s coming. I will be shocked if he won – especially after his idiotic acceptance speech at the Globes!
I think the only thing Cameron should be worried about is if his gigantic head can fit into the Kodak Theatre.
I’m pretty sure she’s going to win, and I’m pretty sure most people in Hollywood think she’s going to win. I have a feeling that Cameron is just doing this so when he loses he can say to himself “I didn’t lose, I gave it to her.” He just strikes me as that type of person… the type that knows they’re not going to win, but does something so they can have an excuse for losing. I’m not basing it on anything, just a gut feeling that I get from him.
Ego maniac to the end. Obviously Kate can’t win it on her own without him stepping away. And what of the other nominees — obviously only he and Kate are real contenders. He may have directed the original Terminator, but he is definitely the Terminator Salvation of human beings.
this is why i love james cameron. and his ex. oh who ever knew black eyed peas(cult hip hop band for years), Kathryn bigelow and a mormon celibate vampire saga would be huge 10 years ago. life is interesting. And who knew Nikki finke would be the go to no shit talking reporter and variety and the hollwyood reporter and to a lesser extent the agent system would be exposed thru the strike to be in the studios pocket. So kudos all around. oh and it could nto have happend to a btter studio. not since fox doing fight club has a project come from the most unexpected places, maybe FOX will now know not only conservative folks buy and make money. everyone needs culture even tree huggers.
Neither should win — the best picture of the year is Inglorious Basterds and it should be Tarantino, who is long overdue, who should win best director. For the simple reason that it is the best, most exciting, most thought provoking and above all the most satisfying movie of the year. If Christoph Waltz is the odds on favorite to win, it is because of the brilliance of Tarantino and the greatness of Inglorious Basterds. Academy members please vote for the best!
QT is overdue. Bit give it when it’s deserved. Not for Basterds. That said, JC thinks he’s JC, for chrisake, what’s wrong here. Someone help me…
That works. Now how about Cameron and Bigelow team up again and split duties on Avatar 2 and Battle Angel? Ideally let Cameron do Battle Angel and write/produce Avatar 2 with Bigelow directing. We gotta get these movies out faster so we don’t have to suffer through years of Michael Bay, McG, Stephen Sommers and Roland Emmerich hell while we wait. My God, do modern action movie directors ever suck donkey junk or what? Bigelow has proven to be the one director who can successfully “stunt double” for Cameron. She can get a mega-sized paycheck that way which is the last step in graduating to the big leagues after winning the Oscar.
Kathryn Bigelow a “stunt double” for James Cameron? Please join JC in the corner of shame.
Cameron’s hubris never ceases to amaze. I guess he wants an Oscar for that as well.
What a douche
So he’s a douche because he thinks his team should be honored with Best Picture, and his ex-wife who he’s still friends with should win Best Director?
He’s said before he really liked The Hurt Locker and thinks she should win, how is that being a douche?
Indeed.
And if he actually wins the Oscar, what are the chances Cameron would actually back up his empty words and refuse to accept it — since he doesn’t need another one — and offer it to Bigalow instead?
[obligatory James Camera arrogance comment here]
[addendum about sky being blue]
What a pompous ass. Here’s hoping he wins nothing.
I don’t get why you think he’s pompous since he’s basically saying he shouldn’t win Best Director. Let me guess, you think he’s somehow trying to mind-control the Academy to give it to him, right? Jesus fucking Christ.
Could be heartfelt, could be patronizing, or just good be whistling past the graveyard. Who knows.
So now if Kathryn wins, it will not be because she deserves it, but rather because you felt that since you already have one, and you are the best director on the planet, it should go to the chick? Oh THANK YOU “King of the World”! Thank you for assuming it would have been you, so let pretty little Kathryn have it because she couldn’t possibly win based on her own talent or accomplishment. No wonder she divorced your ass. Don’t know what she could have possibly seen in you in the first place.
Well, no one will ever accuse James Cameron of being humble. That’s real noble of pleading for people to NOT give you an award. This smacks of “naturally you all think I’m the best director, but I don’t need ANOTHER best director award. Find it in your hearts to give my statue to this other great director.”
I agree that Hurt Locker is the better movie, and better directed movie, than Avatar. But honestly, Basterds is FAR better than either of them, and I would love nothing more than for Tarantino to say “screw both of you: give it to me” and walk out with best director oscar.
Talk about arrogant. Here’s hoping The Hurt Locker sweeps to best picture and best director next month.
James Cameron is rich, famous and incredibly talented. Not to mention the most financially successful director in Hollywood since Spielberg and Lucas. I’m pretty sure he has the right to be arrogant. Tough shit if you don’t like it.
I think everyone’s wrong about calling James Cameron egotistical on this one. When looking at the Academy, they only honor those with name it seems like. He’s simply trying to help the underdog and ex wife Bigelow to be recognized because she’s only directed a couple films that didn’t become blockbusters, so it’d be harder for her to be recognized as the winner. And obviously taking into account that they were married, whether or not they ended on good terms, he would want the best for her.
Why is Hurt Locker even in the running for best director? It was like an episode of Generation Kill but without acting or dialogue or storyline.
Where is the hype for this movie even coming from?
I agree 100%. I still don’t get all the hype behind that movie… There was really no point. They disarm bombs. Yes, it’s dangerous. Yes, it’s happening right now. But still, it just didn’t blow my mind or anything. It was good, but nothing spectacular. Inglorious Basterds was a much more memorable film to me with excellent performances and it deserves the praise and hype that Hurt Locker is/was getting
Jim is the best. you losers are just envy.
If Avatar flopped and only made a few hundred million, there is NO CHANCE it would be up for Best Picture. That’s all you need to know right there.
The logic here is ass backwards. The Hurt Locker was basically warmed-over Paul Greengrass from a directional standpoint. Avatar is the epitome of a director’s film – nobody else on the planet could’ve pulled it off. True, the cgi artists deserve a lot of the credit, but there’s something intangible that Cameron brings to the storytelling table which speaks to audiences and enraptures them. The bottom line is that Hurt Locker isn’t strong enough to justify giving it the top prize, and Bigelow was going to win with or without Cameron’s endorsement solely because of the novelty factor.
Going to have to agree with you there. People are really shortchanging Cameron’s ability as if its some kind of fluke that he directed two of the biggest movies in history in the last 15 years. As if people worldwide just like to look at pretty pictures and people, and that’s the sole reason his films have done well. None of the haters like to talk about the message from the film that seems to resonate with a global audience.
exactly! exactly! Hurt Locker is a wannabe Greengrass movie. Bigelow is just celebrated cos she is a woman. But Avatar: NOBODY could pull that of.
Haters are just so simple: JC has a big ego so they hate him. But come on! The guy is intelligent and emotional. Not like Michael Bay. You have to have a big ego if you wanna push your ideas through Hollywood.
JC rocks!!
“Avatar is the epitome of a director’s film – nobody else on the planet could’ve pulled it off.”
Cecil B deMille did it. JC is this era’s CB deMille. With CGI.
Well Jimmy, looks like you’ve ensured Bigalow will get Director and made doubley sure you WON’T get Best Picture.
Thats why i love James Cameron,he is realistic,he is sincere and he thinks of his fellows,either it is his ex-wife or his movie-team.
Cameron is still a very good friend with Bigelow,he even has produced and written scripts for her movies,and when he got the director GG,he said that Bigelow deserved it.
Now the people above who call him names,like egoistic,douche-bag,arrogant etc obviously they live in the Matrix
and i agree that the best thing that it should happen in these Oscars,is for Avatar to win best picture and Bigelow for best director.but i am afraid that the overrated Basterds might do the suprise,after all its about Jews in WW2.oh well.
he’s so arrogant. if you look at miyazaki’s movies, castle in the sky, princess mononoke, you have all the “screenplay” of avatar there, the forest, the mountain, people’s connections to nature… HURT LOCKER deserves best film, best director, Cameron’s best movie was Titanic ten years ago! not this year!
I suppose it’s reasonable that Hollywood wouldn’t recognize magnanimity when it’s demonstrated. Given Cameron’s success though it’s even less surprising to see people tear him down every opportunity they can, even if they have to manufacture the opportunity.