The 1st Annual Asta Awards

Best-of lists.  Are you sick of them?  I'm sick of them.  See one more and what'll you get?  More of the same:  the usual suspects, mostly, with a sprinkling of another critic's "hip obscure movie I managed to see at a festival that won't even open here" selections to spice things up.  So much as I was tempted to join the millions (literally!) of bloggers who are dutifully tallying their top ten favorite whatevers of 2005, I decided to do something a bit more specific to this blog's concerns.

Announcing the 1st Annual Asta Awards for the Best in Romantic Comedy, 2005.  I've named the award after Asta (born "Skippy"), the charismatic, lovable wire-hair terrier who stole scenes from Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, and Kate Hepburn, among others, in such classic screwballs as The Thin Man, The Awful Truth and Bringing Up Baby, and you can picture the statuette as being a miniature golden casting of him, as pictured above.

After top secret balloting within the Academy of Living the Romantic Comedy (I didn't tell myself who won anything until tonight, I swear), the following awards have been bestowed upon those who in some way made a distinctive contribution to the genre this year.   All of these awards are entirely subjective to the point of perverse capriciousness, thus hopefully opening up the blog to controversy, i.e. comments of disagreement, incredulity and derision, etc. (and here I'll interject a special thanks to the brave lurkers who exposed themselves in my holiday post, making it a genuinely merry Christmas for at least one goofy romantic).

Okay, cue music, roll camera... bark, Asta... and...

The award for Best First Romantic Comedy, 2005 goes to Saving Face, written and directed by Alice Wu.  As a debut feature, period, this is pretty cool stuff, but Wu's conventionally crafted though determinedly unconventional project also earns the distinction of being (for the historical record) the first Asian lesbian romantic comedy, ever. 

Best Breakout Performance in a Rom-Com: Isla Fisher as Vince Vaughn's borderline psychotic girlfriend in Wedding Crashers announced the on-screen arrival of a gifted new comedienne, and we look forward to seeing The Pleasure of Your Company, where she's evidently got the female lead.

Best Cute Meet in a Rom-Com: It's nothing zany or outrageous, more one of those "wish I could be cool enough to pull that off" scenes, when Will Smith comes to the chivalrous rescue of an amused Eva Mendes in a bar in Hitch.  His slick but credible command of the situation and her wary acceptance of his job well done very neatly sets the scene for all that follows between them.

Best Witty Banter in a Romantic Comedy: No big shock that the craftiest rom-com dialogue exchanges this year came courtesy of Jane Austen (writer to watch, you think?), ace adapter Deborah Moggach (and the uncredited Emma Thompson) in Pride and Prejudice.  Movie conversation that assumes audience intelligence... What's the world coming to?

Best Comedic Set-Piece (in a Rom-Com/Action Pic):  Yes, it was painfully hilarious watching Steve Carell get his hair ripped off (for real) in 40 Year-Old Virgin.  But while I'm not going to defend the whole of a movie that's three-quarters gratuitous, the extended shoot-out between Brad and Angelina that has Mr. and Mrs. Smith fessing up to their respective true natures while trying to kill each other was for my money the year's major genre tour de farce.

Best Romantic Set-Piece:  There was a surprising dearth of genuinely romantic sequences in this year's crop of rom-coms, perhaps in part due to so many of them being male-centric (Elizabethtown gave it a good shot in the marathon "first date" hotel phone conversation between Bloom and Durnst, but you could feel the strain and the artiface of it).  Which is why the most romantic set-piece of 2005 showed up in a romantic drama: Naomi Watts and King Kong doing their own, poignantly private Ice Capades.   

Best Cinematography in a Rom-Com:  Peter Suschitzky, under the direction of Anand Tucker, achieved the near-impossible in Shopgirl, transforming Los Angeles into a beautifully, moodily romantic city.

Best Buddy in a Romantic Comedy: C'mon, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Kevin James.  His eminently lovable turn as clueless shlub Albert was the real weight behind Will Smith's putting Hitch over (the all-time most successful opening weekend box office for a rom-com, FYI).

Best Buddy Couple in a fairly crowded field was clearly Crashers' Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, who are looking good as our most franchise-able buddy-com duo of the decade.

Best Bellamy in a Romantic Comedy: Named after the actor who was the model Mr. Wrong in the screwballs of his era, this award in our day goes to the most compelling, unstereotypical Wrong Guy character who poses a legitimate threat in the story (runner-up Bellamy, the arrogant Bradley Cooper in Wedding Crashers was ultimately too on-the-nose, and thus ineffectual.)  Special award for Bellamy Stealth goes to Steve Martin, whose intriguingly underplayed performance made you really wonder Who She'd End With in Shopgirl.

Best Future Julia Roberts: after her leading lady turn in Wedding Crashers, Rachel McAdams showed off some versatility, channeling Parker Posey in The Family Stone, but whatever -- she is clearly the contender to take on the Rom-Com Wide-Smile Top Femme Spot.   

Best Rom-Com Male Lead: In addition to being a brilliant comedian, what Steve Carell does in 40 Year-Old Virgin is give a quiet, center-of-gravity credibility and conviction to what's otherwise ridiculous, smirky farce, and that's no mean feat.  He's helped by this year's Best Rom-Com Female Lead, the ever-sharp'n'lovely (and over-40, gloriously) Catherine Keener, who matches Carell's sincerity with her own loopy but genuine gravitas.

Best Romantic Comedy Screenplay: It wasn't TV, it was HBO -- thus not making any box office waves this year, but in fact raising money for World Hunger -- The Girl in the Cafe, a turn in a new, bracingly sober direction for Richard Curtis, delivered the canniest, most adult and finely nuanced unlikely romance of the year, as sweet and funny as we've come to expect from this master of the form.  Curtis is best, I think, when he's not directing, and certainly in this case of

Best Romantic Comedy Direction: David Yates did a bang-up job, as The Girl in the Cafe could've been a bummer, given its subject matter.  Instead it's a beautifully modulated upper, with a truly romantic look and tone and exquisitely, deeply droll performances from Bill Nighy and Kelly MacDonald.  Evidently I'm not alone in paying attention to Yates, as he's just started the next Harry Potter, so if you missed this on TV... have a look on DVD.

Best Romantic Comedy of 2005:  Talk about unlikely -- I didn't see this coming, and I work for the studio that made it (which has nothing to do with this endorsement, I assure you, I'm just doing full disclosure) -- but you'll have to argue tough for runner-ups Crashers, Girl and Hitch, in the face of 40 Year-Old Virgin's obvious home-run charms.

Yes, Virgin is crude, lewd, and sometimes tacky in its geek/broad comedy aesthetic.  But it stands a notch above the rest on an unfortunately uncrowded playing field in that it reveals, at moments between belly laughs, a tender, lovelorn soul.  And the coupling of Carell and Keener passes that ultimate rom-com test: as they literally sing and dance their way into the sunset, we believe, on some basic pragmatic level, that these two well-matched lovers will make it as a couple.  And they've earned a life for themselves in our imagination.

However, I'd give Best Kiss to Will Smith and Kevin James in Hitch (you know, in the spirit of Brokeback Mountain), but that decision's gonna require more research; I haven't yet seen, among other late arrivals, Lasse Hallstrom's Casanova (which ought to contain some noteworthy snogging), so it looks like there may be an Astas Addendum post to come.  In the meantime... what do you think I got wrong or right?

Comments

[E.C. Henry]

Wow, do you really think Rachel McAddams has the persona to be the next Julia Roberts? I'd hitch my ticket on Jennifer Love Hewitt as far as that goes...

Hitch was awesome. My family loved it. For me, that was the best Rom/com I saw this year.

King Kong in the Rom/com field is a bit of a stetch. Is its primary plot romance? Not really. It's Jurassic Park a decade later. Still, you're right, Naomi Watts did do an outstanding job -- maybe she's the next Julia Roberts.

- E.C. Henry, Bonney Lake, WA

[mernitman]

Hey Henry: I also enjoyed Hitch, but felt Virgin had the edge, being less wholly formulaic. Re: Kong, read the award para again --I'm in no way suggesting Kong was a romantic comedy!

[Scott the Reader]

I agree on the Kong scene, and about Rachel McAdams; she was eye-opening in "Wedding Crashers".

(Jennifer Love Hewitt? Ack.)

Overall, nothing to quibble with here. Very good post :-)

[mernitman]

Thanks, Scott -- a quibble-free review from you is high praise, indeed. Meanwhile, I've become such a McAdams fan that I'm psyched to rent "Red Eye"...

[E.C. Henry]

Wow, you guys are really sold on this McAdam's chick. Interesting... I wonder why? Does she posess the mythical "it." The draw. The alure that inspires confidence in movie goers to go see a movie, just because she's in it.
Jurry's still out on that. But the "it" stars posess is the subject for another blog to, I think.

[prodio]

Hmm, Love Hewitt?! No way, she has peaked. Pun intended.

Agree that McAdams will be a HUGE star. I like her more than Julia Roberts because A-She's younger. B-Doesn't have that horse mouth (although Julia's still sexy, don't get me wrong). And also she nailed 3 pretty different roles (if you include Red Eye) this year.

40 Year Old was very good, and Steve Carrell really made the movie.

Also, I'd throw Just Friends into the mix. I went into it not expecting anything but was pleasantly surprised.

[christopher]

did i miss it or did you not say who the best bellamy was? you mentioned a runner-up and a special stealth award, but who gets the original?

not being a rom-com fan i haven't seen most of the films mentioned, but i was pleasantly surprised by your choice of naomi watts in kong. in a v-e-r-y long film that was one of the most unusual and interesting moments. does anyone know, was it in the original?

[Chris Soth]

Argh.

Made my guesses before I came over here over at Warren's (screenwritinglife.com)

FORGOT all about Hitch...have to give it my nod as the best screenplay, tho' both it AND Wedding Crashers, which I gave the nod to at Warren's (as Hitch had slipped my mind)...Both...

FALL APART IN THE THIRD ACT...

Or at least, are far less good there than they are in the earlier portion -- and shouldn't this be the best part. The challenge is, when WE KNOW boy must get girl, so much so the "boy loses girl" is often not convincing enough to carry the suspense between the two...Hitch suffers as the Kevin James plot holds our interest better than the A plot, Wedding Crashers does slightly better with the surprise Will Farrell cameo and the horrid carrying of its concept onto "Funeral Crashers", but still seems to be treading water till boy gets girl, alas. 40-yr. Old's Act III seemed like...a joke, and not a terribly funny one...a musical number? I don't know about anyone else, but it seemed like a cop out...

Bring it, Billy! Whatta we gonna do in act III?

My nomination for last really good act III in a Rom-com...?

Serendipity.

And Rachel Macadams -- INSPIRED CHOICE...I'm rooting for her.

chris
milliondollarscreenwriting.com

[mernitman]

Hey, Prodio -- Have to confess I didn't see Just Friends (got stalled by some bad word-of-mouth), but I will definitely check it out.

Hi Chris, sorry for the confusion, but "Stealth" was just an add-on qualifier; I believe Martin made the best Bellamy this year. Re: Kong and girlfriend on the ice, I don't recall there being any such scene in the original.

Hey, Mr. Soth -- a pleasure as always (I've been enjoying the serial Kong rant on your site).
I agree with you that Act 3 has been the Achilles heel in recent rom-coms (really felt the strain in Crashers, as they tried to Do Something With It). Technically the extended "chase" serves Act 3 functions in Virgin (the musical number is just a capper), and while it wasn't original, it worked for me (particularly liked the crash gag, and Keener and Carell's absurd/poignant reconciliation, following). I feel that both Eternal Sunshine and Lost in Translation had strong third acts (tho I know you're not a Lost fan) and I'd argue that Cafe's last stretch was unexpected and more satisfyingly "realistic" than the norm.
At any rate, HAPPY NEW YEAR and may your Million Dollar blog thrive.

[E.C. Henry]

Just saw "The Family Stone." Yes, I see it now; Rachel McAddams is rom/com lead material. She has an all-American girl appeal. Loved Sarah Jessica Parker's permormance even more -- now that chick can act!

McAddam's has an "it" angle to shine. But can she use that to her advantage and land roles a "Pretty Woman", like role that elevates her to superstar status?

Wish Jennifer Love Hewitt would get such a role (to see if she can can carry a Rom/com). Right after those slasher movies she did in the late 90s would have been a primo time for her to really break it big. But, she's still got time. Yes, she's been arround for a long time, but she's only 26 guys!

Jennifer Love Hewitt is still my top choice to be my maidern in a high tower. I've got an article James Brady did on her for Parade Magazine pinned up on my peg board. For my money she's the closest thing we've got to Meg Ryan, in the post Meg Ryan era.

I see a cuteness in Jennifer Love Hewitt, that Meg Ryan has. I just don't think its been fully realized yet.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

[onedaypastdead]

Enjoyed your assessment and hardily agree with you re: Rachel M. -- she's precious and at times reminds me of the young Lucille Ball -- love AMC.