"Crash" Sucks

Crash is simply the worst Best Picture ever, a meaningless fantasy of out-loud racial epithets with all the subtlety of an afterschool special.

Thank God MSNBC's Erik Lundegaard, for one, gets it:

Yes, we all bear some form of racism — that’s obvious. Yes, we all “stereotype” other races in some fashion — that’s obvious. (Particularly obvious in the Los Angeles of “Crash,” where so many characters are stereotypes.) But, no, we don’t easily give voice to our racist sentiments. And that’s why “Crash” rings so false.

...The most potent form of racism in this country is no longer overt but covert. Once upon a time, yes yes yes, it was overt, which is another reason why “Crash” sucks. It’s doing what simple-minded generals do: It’s fighting the last war.

Crash reminded me of John Singleton's Higher Learning, which thought it was a desperately-needed examination of the very real tensions created by college diversity, but instead was a ridiculous thriller about neo-Nazi skinheads trying to murder the minorities and lesbians on campus.

Why did Crash win the Oscar? It was a pedantic, wildly exaggerated statement about the racial situation in LA. What could possibly interest the Beverly Hills crowd more?

Comments

[Jon]

"Crash" won because it gives conservatives nothing to complain about.

[Freddy]

A Beautiful Mind was far worse, and probably the biggest lump of hokey garbled shit ever given an Oscar.

[Rick]

unless you live in the southern california/los angeles area, i guess it's pretty hard to identify with this movie. this is THE melting pot of the world. crash produced a great depiction of the type of lives that people in this area live out everyday.

[seamus]

Rick, I disagree. If you travel to SF, Houston, NYC, ATL, or pretty much anywhere in America, you'll see mosaics of diversity.

"Crash" sucks in theaters in all those regions.

[Catherine]

Seamus, I agree the movie did not live up to the hype. Racism exists on some level in any city because the populations are segmented either by choice or by economics. We have to solve the social issues, first.

Capote was a million times better.

[JD]

Most movies suck these days. Make "Brokeback Mountain" about a heterosexual couple and it would bore anyone to tears. Obviously Hollywood thinks anyone outside of the NE or the West Coast as hayseeds -- nothing's shocking anymore.

War indy films.

[Liz]

I thought I was the only one who thought Crash sucked. I think people voted for it because they thought they were supposed to. Personally, I thought all 5 movies this year were meh. Capote & Brokeback were the only ones that made me actually feel something. Capote = disgust at what a brillian piece of crap he was, Brokeback = convincing performances that those two were really & truly in love. But where is the creativity? Do something different people.

[John]

JD, Brokeback couldn't be about a heterosexual couple. A hetero guy who can't accept the fact that he likes women isn't remotely compelling. That doesn't mean it wasn't a good movie. What if Crash wasn't about race? It was an awful movie anyway, but you can't change one of the foundations of the plot of any movie and expect it to hold up.

[cedichou]

Worst best movie ever? I haven't seen it, but how about 'driving miss daisy'? It's worst than that?

[Dave]

I agree about Crash sucking... I didnt see Brokeback but I was still pulling for it to win Best Picture just because I thought Crash was so overrated after I saw it (and this was way before Oscar noms). Unfortunately, articles like this show you there's more to winning the oscar than really being the "Best Picture".

[ccw]

I'm no "Crash" advocate, but that piece of mierda christened "Titanic" gets my vote for worst Best Picture ever, or at least since I was born.

[cowpattie]

Crash was an average movie with about 2 good scenes in it. No risk taking, nothing provactive to think about.

I like looking at Thandie though...um yum. Bagging on the oscar choices is like writing an article on proving that bush is an idiot.

[BoredtoTears]

Hollywood = Garbage. Has for years. There hasn't been an original thought out of that holograph of a soul region for as long as I can remember.

[Kim]

Although I like this blog, I went to CAL and love SF - I am from LA, born and raised here also..and I have to say that I think the reason you all hate this movie is because it took place in LA. If it were based in SF you would've thought it a masterpiece.

xoxo - KIM

[seamus]

Well, it was no "So I Married an Axe Murderer."

[Victor Bautista]

It was no "Sucker Free City" either

[Cheryl]

Thank God people are realizing what a horrendous piece of shit this movie is....I don't care where you live, it was a opportunistic and poorly made. The Oscars should reward directors/writers/actors who make art. Crash is so far from art it hurts. I for one enjoy subtelty!!

[blah]

and after the "everybody loving it" phase..... comes the "i actually hated it, so i MUST be cool" phase....

so predictable, as soon as something does well.... everyone comes out and bags it, trying to be 'different'

[Sam]

This movie was horrible, but I sat there and watched the whole thing just so I could see its complete suckiness. My favorite actor was the Latin locksmith who was just trying to be a "good father" and happened to have prison tatoos and a shaved head but he was an innocent guy. He probably never commited a sin and he's just trying to make an honest living. GIVE ME A BREAK! All of these characters have no capacity for evil? How is that possible? Worst film I've ever seen by far.

[capolan]

I saw crash tonight and I felt insulted as a viewer. I felt that the movie pandered to the lowest common denominator of society in every way possible. From the horribly addressed dialogue lines to the "oh it must mean something" slow pans on "clues" to enlighten us the dumb masses, every piece of this film was contrived cliche filled garbage. Had I been 12 years old, and needed to view a well-produced public service announcement or a moralistic tale brought to me by the "church of the latter day saints" this would have fit the bill nicely. The fact that people are being taken in by this magnolia-esqe tale of obviousness and heavy handedness makes me sad enough to lose hope in western civilization and want to go live in a cave. "yes, we get it - Racism exists", "yes, thank you for pointing out that racists can be good and the good can be racists" Oh thank god this film came along to clairfy all the dark patches in my life - my neocortex was struggling to complete basic sentences until I saw that slow motion pan on the dumpster and I just *knew* it meant something!! sniff... God what a piece of drivel . I'm also sick of the whole "isn't neat how everything intersects" paradigm that is the trend of trends in films as of late - and this one just kicked a dead horse one more time. I would rather watch Armaggedon on a 24 hour loop than see this film again and be subjected to its BS pseudo intellectualism. The last film that tricked me into seeing it on the premise it was "smart" "edgy" or whatever else suckered me in was "contact" another vile piece of holywood intelligencia. The fact that this won an award over much MUCH better films is proof that there is no benevolent being in the ether above us - and we in fact upon death will merely be ejected into space.

[bob]

I know this topic is on the way out, it took me forever to watch this because I felt it would suck and my instincts were correct.

What was with that sappy ballad slapped on at the end as the car is burning? I started cracking up, the movie didn't make me feel reflective/emotional/like I learned anything. It was unsophisticated storytelling and desperate to make some point about racism, and it failed. It was just a bad movie. (But lets slap this ballad at the end of the movie so it feels like we've taught you something)

It felt hysterical, attention craved and juvenile. Like a high school filmmaker who thinks its way more important than it actually is.

And I'm not 'I hate LA'. I live here too and I don't want this movie to remotely speak for my city. This movie felt like it was saying your worst stereotypes of different ethinicities are absolutely true. (Except for the Latin locksmith, somehow he's an angel)

The definitive LA movie so far to me is HBO's Six Feet Under.

Brokeback was robbed. It unfolded beautifully and to me was classic storytelling at its best...and they were gay. Ooh, ballsy. Ang Lee & company are awesome.