Robbed By William

Rating: Null/10 (15 May 1999)

Watching the Oscars, it honestly never occurred to me that SPR would not win best picture. I had seen all of the other movies, including Shakespeare In Love and Life is Beautiful, and while both were good movies, Shakespeare in Love being, in my opinion, the weakest of the big three, I could not comprehend how either one could honestly compete with SPR. Ryan was not a movie as much as it was an experience. The first scene, the landing on Omaha beach, evoked an emotional response I have never felt during a movie before. I felt as if I were there, as if bullets were wizzing past my head and bombs were ripping my closest friends to pieces around me. When the opening scene was over I almost felt as if I were going to throw up, and I was happy the experience was over. Saving Private Ryan was, by far the best movie of 1998 and the Academy showed, once again, that the quality of the movie counts much less than the ad campaign one puts on to win the big trophy. Not only did the Academy rob Spielberg and all who were involved in the making of the production, it robbed the veterans of the war. By giving the Oscar to a cute little film that, quite honestly, would have made good ol' William gag, the Academy turned their back on the veterans as a whole. Now, did anyone who suffered through the horrors of that war lose sleep because of the award ceremony; not likely. But the Academy ruined their chance to honor those who died giving us all the right to live free as we choose. It passed up its chace to say thank you to all that served by honoring the best movie ever made about the terrors our men endured over there. So, the only thing left to say is, shame on you Academy for rewarding a vigilant ad campaign as opposed to a master piece of modern times. Saving Private Ryan; Best Picture of 1998, trophy or not.