‘Social Network,’ ‘King’s Speech’ battle for Oscars’ top prizes
Midway through “The Social Network,” Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) spreads his arms and exclaims to Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), “This is our time.”
The scathing drama about the rise of social networking website Facebook is, indeed, about “our time.” In a story of several lonely geniuses fighting for control over a bold concept that now defines how many of us interact with and experience our friends, our family and our world, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher made a film with ambivalence and complex cynicism that sticks a cold knife into a central nerve of contemporary culture.
And for the longest time, it looked like it was “their time” to be honored. “The Social Network” shot out of the gate like a cannon when it was released in October, earning more four-star, rave reviews than any other American film of 2010. When the dust settled at the end of the year, it would also hold top honors from the National Board of Review, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics, among dozens of other honors and mentions from regional film critic organizations and individual critics’ top 10 lists.
When it blasted through the Critics Choice awards and the Golden Globe awards in mid-January, taking Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Score honors at both awards shows, it seemed like “Social Network” would be a nonstop rocket straight to Academy Awards glory.
And if history is any lesson, it should prevail at the Oscars — when a film wins Best Picture prizes from the National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circles and Golden Globes, it has gone on to win Best Picture at the Oscars 100 percent of the time.
But don’t tune out yet, for this has truly been a tale of two races.
After the Golden Globes, the warm, spirit-soaring historical drama “The King’s Speech” finally roared to life. When “Speech” won the audience award at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, viewers were saying it would be a top contender for Best Picture, but it wasn’t until the tale of King George VI’s (Colin Firth) stammering speech therapy won the Producers Guild of America that people took that notion seriously.
Then, in two weeks, the race went in a whole different direction — director Tom Hooper won the coveted Directors Guild of America prize over David Fincher, the cast won Best Ensemble and Best Actor for Colin Firth at the Screen Actors Guild awards and “Speech” leads the Oscar nominations with 12.
“The King’s Speech” would be a worthy winner and one that would fit in well with the Academy’s preferences. It’s a stand-up-and-cheer, soul-stirring biopic that represents the major arrival of one of Britain’s best new directing talents in Hooper. It features three terrific performances in Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush, all three Oscar-nominated.
It’s also a beautiful bit of prestige history — draped top to bottom with beautiful shots, great costumes and immaculate production design. It’s about finding universal messages in the specificities of history.
To put into perspective how defining this year’s race for Best Picture will be, consider this: When a film wins the PGA, DGA and SAG, it has gone on to win Best Picture all but once — in 1995, “Apollo 13” won all three. and lost out to Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” at the Oscars.
“The Social Network” is the critics’ film — a dark bit of zeitgeist drama as much about our world as it is about verbal volleys and double crosses — while “The King’s Speech” is the industry’s film — a rousing bit of history with terrific performances and an uplifting message. The two films are almost polar opposites — “Social Network” has two friends who fall apart; “King’s Speech” has two individuals who come to be friends. Both deal with the possibilities of emerging technology — “Speech” with radio and “Network” with the Internet.
While most are predicting “The King’s Speech” to prevail, the British Academy had its own say two weeks ago, where “Speech” won seven including Best Picture, but David Fincher pulled out a shocking Best Director win, beating Tom Hooper on his home turf and setting up the possibility that this could be a rare “split year” — where separate films win Picture and Director at the Oscars.
In an even weirder way, this has been a tale of two comebacks. When “The King’s Speech” won the Toronto International Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award, it became the instant Oscar front-runner. When an avalanche of awards landed at “The Social Network’s” doorstep, “Speech” took a backseat.
When “Speech” made a one-two-three knock out of the top three guilds, the British drama seemed undeniable; it blasted its way to front-runner status. Like King George VI, it found its voice.
Now, “Social Network” is the front-runner-turned-underdog in one of the craziest races for Best Picture in years.
But as Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) might say, “The Social Network” isn’t coming back for 30 percent. It wants to come back for everything. It doesn’t just want Best Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. It wants Best Original Score, Best Director and Best Picture.
Come Sunday night, it may just get them.