Michael C here. Wes Anderson’s films haven’t been ignored by awards season in the past, so much as they have been relegated to flitting around the edges. His films have received four total Oscar nods, two for Original Screenplay for Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom and one animated film and one score nod for Mr. Fox. His most high profile wins have been a Gotham Award for Best Film for Moonrise and two Indie Spirit wins for Rushmore for Best Director and for Best Supporting Actor for Bill Murray who is in nearly all of his films.
Wes & Tilda on the set
Now that has all changed with Grand Budapest Hotel. No longer the strange side dish, Anderson’s nostalgic remembrance of a Europe that never quite existed has just finished a rampage through the precursors that culminated with Anderson’s first DGA nomination. Over the past few weeks buzz for Budapest grew steadily from “It might pick up a few nods” to “It looks like a lock for a Best Picture slot” to “Hey, it just might snatch the screenplay Oscar away from Birdman”. And today, incredibly, it LEADS the Oscar nominations with nine (tied with Birdman)
For those of us who have been on board with Anderson since the 90’s and have grown used to Anderson being underappreciated it’s hard not to wonder what exactly has changed. Why did Wes break through now when his films have been as good or better in the past?
Five theories after the jump...
Explanation #1 - Grand Budapest is just too beautiful too ignore.
Sure, all of Wes’s films have been visually splendid, but even if Grand Budapest isn’t your favorite title from Wes's filmography you have to admit there was something extra dazzling about this confection. Inattentive voters might have missed the mastery of Tenenbaums or been confused by the wild imaginings of Life Aquatic, but there was no missing the glories on the screen this time.
Explanation #2 - Career Culmination
Wes Anderson has been a beloved figure among film lovers since the before the turn of the century but recent years have seen the director tip over into the realm of cultural touchstone. There was the SNL video, the coffee table book, plus the fact that GBH followed right on the heels his biggest success since Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, the snubbing of which lent Anderson a vibe of being past due for acknowledgment. Now that he has amassed a significant body of work, voters who previously found him too outré can embrace him confident that Grand Budapest’s greatness is not a one-off fluke.
Explanation #3 - The Fiennes Bump
This theory doesn’t really hold water since even with Grand Budapest dominating pre-cursors, Fiennes had a tough time breaking into the packed Best Actor field though at least BAFTA nominated him. But still, to have a widely respected acting powerhouse delivering a career high point at the center of the film can’t help but lend an air of credibility. Speaking of which...
Explanation #4 – Gravitas
Zubrowka may be a fictional country but the resonance Anderson finds in its collapse is very real. One could always find a current of melancholy in Anderson’s films if one was willing to look past the eccentric surface, but with Grand Budapest the heavy themes are much easier to spot. Plus, anything related to World War II, even in fictionalized context, equals instant dramatic heft.
Explanation #5 – It’s all about the $$$
Grand Budapest Hotel is Wes’s biggest box office hit to date (unless you adjust for Inflation, in which case Tenenbaums still holds on to the title domestically) Worldwide it has earned $174 million, which is more than his last three films combined. Wes has become a bankable brand name, and it is time to reward him accordingly.
Have any other theories? Think any of these are off the mark? Surely it is some mix of factors but in what percentage? Or are we overthinking it and everyone just loved the brilliant ski chase.