I’ll just let the press release speak for itself, in part:
Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that, should “The Hurt Locker” be announced as the recipient of the Best Picture award at Sunday’s ceremonies, only three of the picture’s producers will be present for the celebration. The fourth of the film’s credited producers, Nicolas Chartier, has been denied attendance at the 82nd Academy Awards® as a penalty for violating Academy campaigning standards.
Chartier had recently disseminated an email to certain Academy voters and other film industry figures in which he solicited votes for his own picture and disparaged one of the other contending films. Academy rules prohibit “casting a negative or derogatory light on a competing film.” The executive committee of the Academy’s Producers Branch, at a special session late Monday, ruled that the ethical lapse merited the revocation of Chartier’s invitation to the Awards.
The group stopped short of recommending that the Academy governors rescind Chartier’s nomination. If “The Hurt Locker” were to be selected as Best Picture, Chartier would receive his Oscar® statuette at some point subsequent to the March 7 ceremonies.
Comments
21 responses to “‘Hurt Locker’ producer locked out of the Kodak”
Ouch.
Way too much smoke over a moist match.
Hopefully this will be the end of it.
I’m guessing they felt the pressure to do something after it got so much publicity, even though most of everything that goes on in an Oscar season is all about wining, dining and coaxing votes. It just isn’t put so bluntly as he did with his emails, but it’s not that much different either.
I’m glad this is treated as a personal punishment though, I’d hate to see the cast and crew that actually made the film get punished for what he foolishly did, though I suppose it might already have hurt it’s Best Picture odds.
And he’ll still get his Oscar if (when) “The Hurt Locker” wins. Some punishment…
Its depressing for him, but makes perfect sense.
What did I miss? What had he sent? Sounds interesting.
i think it’s fair.
he’s still getting his award, so missing the ceremony seems like a deserved punishment.
^ Agreed.
Damn, I thought they would have just taken his name off the nominees. I get a feeling that this whole scenario could have hurt the movie’s chances of winning, but I hope I’m wrong.
I can think of a few others who should be locked out of the Kodak Theater.
Jim T… I think you’re kidding.
Why do you guys think this isn’t that big a deal? It’s one thing to subtly hint, “watch our movie” with all the wine-and-dine publicity events. It’s another to practically beg actual voters (and subtly threaten them), “please vote for our movie if you ever want to work again, because you know you won’t if Avatar wins”. This was not a simple lapse of judgement. It was really really dumb.
By the way, I’m not anti-Hurt Locker. It would be my second choice, after Serious Man. (I won’t reveal what my third choice would’ve been, in case there’s still Bullock haters around.) But this “incident” isn’t gonna make it look pretty.
The Z: Why remove him as a nominee? That’s pretty stupid. It’s not like a series of emails eliminates what you contributed to a project. Additionally, you’re kidding yourself if you think this is somehow isolated. This is just the guy that was stupid enough to get caught. AMPAS’s press release is a laugh riot in its language. By these terms’ measure, Harvey Weinstein should have been locked out of the show a number of times.
The best decision.
When i saw an interview of Chartier saying he didnt knew about the rules, i laughed so much.
How ignorant or stupid do u have to be ? Its not the rules of space traveling, its only the Oscars. Any idio would know sending that kind of letter is wrong.
I think its great to know that he would get his prize days later, at home.
I think the news, as reported by Finke’s site, that Martin Short and Neil Patrick Harris will be performing the opening song is far more damaging to the Academy’s reputation then this. Feels like Snow White/Rob Lowe all over again.
I hope the second paragraph isn’t related to me because my question was totally honest.
Sasha Stone over at AwardsDaily believes that Chartier did what he did because he was upset at rumors that Avatar supporters were telling members to put their movie at #1 and The Hurt Locker at #10 (using whatever crazy justification), and he wanted to retaliate and even the score.
Academy voters are beginning to sound worse than IMDb users. Sheesh!
Well, I don’t think it’s fair.
Because in 2003 Harvey Weinstein still made it to the Kodak and was eligible to get an Oscar in a case Gangs of New York gets an Oscar!
Alrighty. That’s over with.
If (and it’s obviously likely) that Hurt Locker wins, the man still gets an award.
So boo-friggidy-hoo.
[rubs thumb and forefinger together, playing tiny violin Steve Buscemi-style]
So now that that’s over with, we still have five days to cram some eleventh-hour drama in.
Maybe Alec Baldwin will really lose it and microwave a kitten or something.
Wait… so the punishment is that he’s not allowed to attend the Oscars? He’ll be forced to watch in the comfort of his own home or some swanky hotel lounge surrounded by his friends and family, where the food will be plentiful and snarky comments will flow toward the screen just as champagne will flow through the glasses, and bathroom breaks will be permissible at all times? No red carpet self-promoting? No tuxedo and uncomfortable shoes? No inappropriate exchanges during commercial breaks with Garey Busey? Not to mention that EVERYONE there will be rooting loudly for him, and when he does win, he’ll still get his statue at the end of the day?
I bet more nominees wish they had been “punished” by the Academy too.
Jim T – the second paragraph wasn’t against you. I just assumed that you knew what was going on, and went on with my comments from there. Have you read into what happened yet? (I don’t have a link for you, but you shouldn’t have to look that far back. Essentially, Chartier sent out emails to voters saying “vote for Hurt Locker and not some $500 million film”. Obviously he meant “Avatar”.)