Should've been Nominated: The Road

A father and son walk alone, avoiding the roads, in a post-apocalyptic world. They learn from each other about love and life. The father and son "carry the fire"--a fire that cannot be extinguished by time or death.

This is the premise of The Road, a faithful and moving adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece.

Why this movie wasn't nominated for Oscars is really beyond us! I mean, why, why, why?!

The Road's cinematography was arresting. As Hedorah commented upon seeing the film, the devastated world, shot in bleak greys and whites, was actually beautiful. The scene where the father places his wedding ring on an overpass contains extraordinary visuals: the grey concrete against a grey sky evokes the father's relationship with his wife.

The acting was incredible. Precious was carried by the tour-de-force performance of Mo'Nique as Mary, the abusive mother, but The Road contained a bevy of impeccable performances. Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of the father conveyed the unconditional love he had for his son ("you have my whole heart" he says when dying). Kodi Smit McPhee's youth didn't hinder his abilities, of note is the scene where he cries to his father "I am the one. I am the one who worries." Even Charlize Theron did a wonderful job as the restless and depressed wife who one day walks away from everything, into the fiery black void. But the real scene stealer was Robert Duvall as the Old Man. Hearing him speak of the world before the cataclysm was amazing. His eyes teared up when he spoke of his son. He was angry, upset, and grateful all at once. Even the moment when he (humorously) vomits up a can of DelMonte peaches shows the toll the world has taken on him.

And who can forget the thrills of this movie? Whether encountering a bunker full of bodies waiting to be consumed (the gasp worthy scene of "help us" proves our point), a band of marauders consuming their dead friend, or a woman and daughter being chased near a set of skulls on spikes, this movie was thrilling. We lament the absence of a particularly grisly scene from the book, involving a pregnant woman, a fetus "extracted" therefrom, and a fire and spit.

This film deserved acting Oscar nominations for Viggo Mortensen (Lead), Robert Duvall (Supporting), Koti Smitt McPhee (Supporting), and Charlize Theron (Supporting). The cinematographers deserve Oscar nominations. We even wish it had been given Best Picture and Best Director nominations. And if anyone ought to have won, it would have to be Robert Duvall.

"Even if you knew what to do, you wouldn't know what to do."

[on death] "We can't afford such luxuries in times as these."