Lordy, lordy

It's impossible to convey how big a deal last night's big Oscar wins for Lord of the Rings are to New Zealanders. It's like when your country wins Olympic gold -- there's a tremendous amount of pride about it here.

And I really respect that fact that it's not just blind patriotism -- people are viewing this thing with some perspective. Consider this, from Wellington's Dominion Post:

Once, an Oscar for a New Zealander was an aberration. A cause of great delight and excited toasting. Well-deserved, naturally, but, like a cricket series win, still so rare as to be considered an aberration. It seemed that New Zealand actors and directors and others in the film world were boxing above their weight even to receive a nomination.

...

Now, as the rollcall of Kiwi Oscar winners grows ever longer, it almost seems as if the Academy Awards will become an annual fixture on our cultural calendar. That would be a dangerous presumption. Those New Zealanders who have made winning an Oscar seem, if not exactly easy, then certainly achievable remain a select group up against very fierce competition. It is likely to be many years, if ever, before another period as rich in Oscars for New Zealanders as the last couple of years comes along again.

I will repeat that while I found the films visually interesting, for me they lacked a certain something -- subtlety? restraint? acting? Nevertheless, there's no denying that Peter Jackson & co brought a whole bunch of jobs & tourism dollars into NZ. Let's hope more movies get made here.

PS: I was happy to see Lost in Translation take best original screenplay. I tend to like this category, and I loved the film.

-Dave