Ethan Hawke takes aim at the Oscars
Ethan Hawke has branded the Oscars "destructive" and "fake" in a scathing criticism of the Hollywood awards season just days before the movie industry's biggest prizegiving.
The two-time Oscar nominee, who received nods for 2001's Training Day and 2004 romance Before Sunset, fears the annual tradition of handing out prizes is detrimental to the industry because it encourages such a fiercely competitive culture.
He is also convinced the Academy Awards have very little value
because they have been won by so many "stupid movies" and "mediocre
performers" over the years.
In an interview with Gotham magazine, which has emerged online just
days before Sunday's (24Feb13) Oscars ceremony, Hawke says, "People
want to turn everything in this country into a competition... It's
clear who the winner is and who the loser is. It's why they like to
announce the grosses of movies, because it's a way of saying, 'This
one is No. 1.' It's so asinine...
"If you look at how many forgettable, stupid movies have won Oscars
and how many mediocre performers have Oscars above their fireplace.
Making a priority of chasing these fake carrots and money and
dubious accolades, I think it's really destructive."