“For your consideration” campaigns are a pretty standard part of awards season, but A24’s video promoting James Franco’s turn as “Alien” in Spring Breakers for Oscar consideration is a fun twist. Mostly because he’s got, like, braids, and a grill and stuff. Hey, it’s better than him playing a dyslexic holocaust orphan who learns the cello.
Regardless of how you feel about Spring Breakers as a whole (our review), and I wouldn’t try to convince you otherwise if you hated it – “I felt like I was trapped in a shitty music video,” said an Australian guy next to me at the SXSW premiere – James Franco’s “LOOK. AT MY SHIT.” scene is an undisputed classic. Is that one scene, certainly one of the most memorable of the year, worth a best supporting actor nod? Also, is he really “supporting?” If James Franco is a supporting actor in Spring Breakers, who’s the lead? Vanessa Hudgens’ pubic mound?
I’m not against Franco, but if it were up to me, the statue would go to Michael Shannon in Mud†. He’s only in the movie for about five minutes, but in that minutes, he emerges from a bedroom that a lady has just stormed out of after a bad sexual experience, and shows up wearing half a wetsuit. As she screeches away (in a Pontiac Fiero), Shannon, in his wetsuit, deadpans “Look out for that dog.”
Best damn scene of the year.
†Probably not going to happen, but I wouldn’t count out a nomination for the main kid. He was great.