Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Cats" (2019)

Scene from Cats (2019)

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

R.I.P. Alan Parker (1944-2020)

Alan Parker

On July 31, 2020, filmmaker Alan Parker died at the age of 76 in London, England. Over the course of his career, he was known for his diverse body of work that ranged from everything including musicals like Fame and Evita to dramas like Bugsy Malone and Midnight Express. With a hung to continually push boundaries, his work reflects a filmmaker eager to tell engaging stories that he felt would matter for decades to come. The results speak for themselves, leading to several Oscar nominations for various members of his cast and crew. With a great and lengthy career, he leaves behind cinema that not only matters but will be talked about for decades to come. 

The Memory is Over as Universal Stops Campaigning for "Cats"

Scene from Cats (2019)

At this point, director Tom Hooper's Cats has been a universal meme of poor studio decisions and surrealistic nightmares involving Rebel Wilson's costume change. There are those who are going for a good time, while others have outright called it the worst movie of 2019. For a film that was once primed to get some Oscar traction, this has been a rough two weeks. Now, with only a single full week of release behind them, the worst news of all has come: Cats is bowing out of the awards race. Many saw it coming, but it wasn't until recently that Universal Studios removed Cats from its For Your Consideration page, and thus bids the end for the film. The good times have come to an end for Cats, and with that its status as one of the oddest Christmas releases of the decade (possibly ever) will forge ahead of its own legacy, whatever that may be. 

Review: "Cats" is at Its Best When Nothing Makes Sense

Scene from Cats (2019)

How do you adapt a musical like Cats into the cinematic landscape? That is the question that has been asked for almost 40 years as Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit show has existed in pop culture. It is to Broadway what the Transformers movies were to action cinema: relatively dumb to everyone except those who can appreciate the craft it brings to the medium. Even then, with feline/human Animorphs designs, how was it ever supposed to appeal to a general audience? It couldn't. Director Tom Hooper has made a film that feels as misunderstood as its opening moment when Victoria (Francesca Hayward) is thrown out onto Jellicle row in a bag. Those willing to look at it and see the craft may be able to appreciate what lies inside. Everyone else will give it a Razzie because, let's face it, even if it's a good adaptation of Cats, Cats is still Cats and you can only take a show about dancing cats so seriously. 

In an Unprecedented Move, "Cats" to Get Improved Effects After a Few Days in Release

Scene (?) from Cats

It was never going to be easy for the cinematic version of Cats. The film comes over 40 years after its Broadway debut that made it one of the biggest shows in its history. The reviews haven't been any more favorable, and that leads some to wonder if it's even in the Oscar race anymore. Well, for those who saw Cats in the first 48 hours need to know that the version they saw no longer exists. No, the film wasn't pulled out of theaters due to embarrassment (in fact, Twitter will have you convinced it's a celebration of poor taste enthusiasts and theater kids). It's just getting a small update. Yes, despite being publicly released the film is pulling the unprecedented move of creating an "improved" version with better visual effects. It's a fascinating call, especially since what exactly is "improved" for Cats?

The "Cats" Oscar Campaign is Officially Down to Its Last Life as Bad Reviews Surface

Scene from Cats (2019)

Well, it was a fun ride while it lasted. Whether it existed as a serious thought or was something of a joke, the Oscar campaign for Cats has officially been declawed. The past week hasn't been its finest moment starting with the near exclusion from major Golden Globe nominations (Taylor Swift *did* get a song nomination for "Beautiful Ghosts") followed by their new song not making the Oscar shortlist for Best Original Song. It was a terrible way to build-up to the world premiere of the film this past week, which promised to have a memorable reaction even if this film was miraculously a masterpiece. Sadly, the embargo has lifted and things haven't played out too well for director Tom Hooper's sophomore movie musical. While it may still get some tech nominations (though let's face it, that's not likely), it's all but over for this kitty. Let's pour one out for the film, sitting pretty at 20% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the Oscar campaign dream that is all but a memory now. 

Check This Out: "Cats" Enters the Best Original Song Category with Taylor Swift's "Beautiful Ghosts"

Scene from Cats (2019)

Somehow, everyone knew that it just had to happen. With director Tom Hooper's Cats marking the major movie musical of the Christmas season, it just had to sneak into the Best Original Song category somehow. With that said, the moment is finally here and the song that likely exists only for Oscar punditry is "Beautiful Ghosts." While there's still a long way to go until its premiere, there's at least now some sense of what the soundtrack will sound like. With Taylor Swift offering her vocals to the song, it is a curious little ditty that feels like it will be big on emotions, vying for a chance to win the category over whatever Frozen II puts forward. Still, it's a decent song and one that reflects a familiar trend for longtime fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber's film adaptations. 

If "Cats" Is Not Careful, It Will Miss Key Awards Voting Deadlines

Scene from Cats (2019)

Next to Avengers: Endgame and Joker, the film that most haven't stopped talking about are director Tom Hooper's Cats. It's hard to tell how much of that buzz is genuine excitement and how many wants to believe they're seeing the next big trainwreck. However, given that the last three films that Hooper has made (The King's Speech, Les Miserables, and The Danish Girl) all won at least one Oscar, it's hard to not consider him out of the race entirely. Even then, there's one factor that will play against him if things aren't so careful: time. Yes, time finds Hooper and his Jellicle cats finding a deadline that could hurt their Oscar chances if they're not careful. With the threat of missing deadlines for major awards branches like the Golden Globes, Cats may have trouble getting much traction. 

The First Trailer for "Cats" (2019) is Here to Get Stuck in Your Memory

Scene from Cats (2019)

It was seven years ago that director Tom Hooper managed to turn Les Miserables into an Oscar-winning movie. While many complained about the close-ups, the bombastic nature and sheer dedication to such an iconic musical made it one of the boldest films of his career. With that in mind, nothing is likely to compare to Cats, his next musical and the first film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber juggernaut. Considering how divisive his last musical was, it's not going to be easy for audiences to get on board with a film about singing and dancing cats. As the first trailer, dropped with much anticipation and months of build-up, finally arrives it asks the viewer to start expecting something weird and different, much like the stage show itself.

Legitimate Theater: #5. "School of Rock" (2015)

School of Rock

Welcome to Legitimate Theater: a column dedicated to movie-based stage musicals. The goal of this series is to explore those stories that originated in films and eventually worked their way onto Broadway and beyond. By the end of each entry, there will hopefully be a better understanding of this odd but rampant trend in modern entertainment. Are these stories really worth telling through song and dance? How can it even compare to the technical prowess of a camera and seamless editing? Join me on this quest as I explore the highs and lows of this trend on the third Wednesday of every month and hopefully answer what makes this Legitimate Theater.

Surprise! Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Legend, and Tim Rice are All EGOT Winners Now

Left to right: Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Legend, and Tim Rice

While the Emmy Awards ceremony that everyone knows and loves will be airing next week, last night was a night that's just as important to people who love TV. The Creative Arts Emmys are meant to honor the best in TV production in categories that aren't as interesting to audiences expecting more commercial categories, such as acting in dramas and comedies. However, it's a shame that the ceremony wasn't more of a big deal, as it marked a rare but exciting occasion for fans of awards history. With the win for Outstanding Variety Special, Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Legend, and Tim Rice all ascended to the status of EGOT winners, marking the most to win not only in a single year, but even a single night. It was quite a night, though the asterisks for accomplishment don't stop there.