Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

The Original BJ wrote:

bizarre wrote:Most surprising to me is that Betty White is only now being invited, at 95 years old! (what an investment)

What film credits would suggest that Betty White would have been invited previously? She's got a long, long resume, for sure, but it's almost entirely tv.

Personally I'd have expected her to be invited after The Proposal's success, but there are lots of mainly-TV actors in the membership.

I remember you posting that link before Anonymous. Thanks gain.

Seems like more research has taken place since you first posted the link to the site and I suppose its as near was we will ever get.

Precious Doll wrote:Would love to see a list of their current members and all those that they have invited but declined.

This site will probably be the closest thing to a comprehensive list. It lists down every single Academy member based on invite lists (since 2004) and some resources including official records that were made public and various news articles. According to their site, they have identified 91% of the membership.

As for those that were invited but declined, famous names have included Woody Allen, George Lucas and Hayao Miyazaki.

Would love to see a list of their current members and all those that they have invited but declined.

Well, I'm delighted to see that they're reaching out more to filmmakers who have worked in foreign languages. For that, I will happily give a pass to the invitees with less than impressive CVs.

Same with Sharon Gless, BJ. It's all a matter of optics. They invite aging TV stars in to make it look like they are progressing with new female members, who then turn around and die in 5 to 10 years (or likely less in White's case).

bizarre wrote:Most surprising to me is that Betty White is only now being invited, at 95 years old! (what an investment)

What film credits would suggest that Betty White would have been invited previously? She's got a long, long resume, for sure, but it's almost entirely tv.

I know the film isn't popular but I loved Kikuchi's performance in Babel and it's one of my personal highlights from this century's nominations so far. She's developed a nice little portfolio of strong indie work both in the US and at home with some high-profile commercial films thrown in there as well, filling the kind of niche an actor like Youki Kudoh did in the 90s. Happy for her though it's disappointing it took her this long to get invited - she's clearly interested in working with maverick directors and surely has good taste.

Most surprising to me is that Betty White is only now being invited, at 95 years old! (what an investment)

Edit: I saw that Kira Muratova has been invited in the directors' branch. Another poor investment in age, but what an icon. One of my favourite filmmakers and easily one of the best auteurs whose work you've never seen - a genius of cinema. "The Asthenic Syndrome" is one of my favourite films and a true masterpiece - the defining film of Glasnost. There's no one else quite like her - her style can only really be compared to Bosch.

Bollywood is very well represented this year.

Chris Hemsworth??? Rebel Wilson????

Mrinal Sen - I wonder if this is the first time they have asked him. If so, it's utterly disgraceful that it has taken this long as he is one of cinema's living legends.

The Original BJ wrote:The outreach to the international film community seems increasingly promising.

So happy Brillante Mendoza and Lav Diaz were invited. I know there are Filipino-American Academy members but I'm not sure if there are actual Filipino Academy members in the past. (Although I did hear Eddie Romero might have been a member).

Has Viggo Mortensen been invited before and just rejected membership? It's strange to think that he wouldn't have been invited after the run of Lord of the Rings/History of Violence/Eastern Promises.

Yes, he has turned down membership in the past. He has been quoted as saying he didn't like to judge art. Don't know if he still feels that way now.

Rinko Kikuchi strikes me as another actor who might have been invited after her nomination a decade ago, though she's far less prominent. (It's probably understandable that the other performer nominated years ago, Hailee Steinfeld, was forced to wait simply due to age.)

I don't think it's due to age. Dakota Fanning was invited at the age of 12. Haley Joel Osment and Keisha Castle-Hughes became members after their respective nominations. In the meantime, nominee Abigail Breslin hasn't gotten an invite yet.

FYI: I'm surprised Franco Nero wasn't already a member. He's been around forever.

I think the one remaining criterion for Academy membership is two serious credits; it may be that Steinfeld and Kikuchi are getting in now because they didn't have that qualification at the time of their nominations. Plus, of course, they suit the current hunt for demographic change. (This does raise the question, how does Jordan Peele get into the directors' branch with only one credit? Does a $170 million gross tip the scale?)

I guess we're not even mentioning anymore that there are all kinds of people on the list who would never have been offered membership without the political context. (I happen to know one such person, and can attest she's smart and has good taste, but still...) Of course, they also threw in Lou Ferrigno, perhaps to give them a "See? We bring in unworthy white guys, too" alibi.

The outreach to the international film community seems increasingly promising.

Has Viggo Mortensen been invited before and just rejected membership? It's strange to think that he wouldn't have been invited after the run of Lord of the Rings/History of Violence/Eastern Promises.

Rinko Kikuchi strikes me as another actor who might have been invited after her nomination a decade ago, though she's far less prominent. (It's probably understandable that the other performer nominated years ago, Hailee Steinfeld, was forced to wait simply due to age.)