March 9, 2006
Ric Robertson, Executive Administrator
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Dear Mr. Robertson:
To this day, I remain shocked, stunned and disappointed by the results for “Best Picture” at Sunday’s Oscar Awards. How it is that those who so shamelessly promoted “Crash” did not transgress the Academy’s very own regulations regarding “campaigning” borders, no, is, truly Rove-esque in its degree of evil. Jack Nicholson, as its messenger, couldn’t have been more obvious in his contrived “surprise.”
These results, suspicious to all, are deserving of a thorough investigation by every enforcement agency with jurisdiction over organizations such as yours chartered under the laws of the state of California.
For years, there has been some element of “wink-and-nod” among voting members of the Academy, but this time, it has gone too far. To paraphrase an old saying, “hell hath no fury like a bunch of queens scorned.” When and where voting members are so bold as to state publicly that they will not screen a nominated film, their vote, and the votes of many other like minded members cannot help but have been influenced, and they should all be disqualified. It is time that your regulations clearly require that where ANY nominated film is sent by DVD or any other method to any voting member by anyone for purposes of screening to determine the Oscar worthiness and ultimate selection of that film, all films so nominated for the same Oscar must be sent together with that DVD by that same company to the same recipient for receipt at the same time in the same package.
Under the circumstances, it is apparent that many of your own members think themselves above your own rules and regulations. They campaign with apparent impunity with regard to the promotion of films nominated for Oscar, and results such as Sunday’s are the consequence. Is this what the Academy wants? If so, it is seriously symptomatic of nothing less than the most blatant form of institutional denial. The ethical obligation to “maintain a high degree of fairness and dignity in the process by which films eligible for Academy Awards are promoted to the Academy Membership,” is here, totally flouted. This general state of organizational malaise, as it currently exists within and among the members of the Academy, demonstrates that these members are incapable of making “fair” assessments of the films they for which they are privileged to vote. These members, as in the case of the movie “Crash,” have run amok, and the results are literally, incredible – that is, they are without credibility.
To the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.: “the whole world is watching.”
I look forward to the results of any external investigation regarding this matter.
Sincerely Disappointed,
Lawrence H. Cook
