It’s Spring Training for Baseball, and Oscar season for Hollywood.
Buster Posey was in attendance for yesterday’s 5-2 win over the Reds at Scottsdale Stadium, and I had the chance* to ask him a question.
Regrettably, the only question I could come up with was about the upcoming Academy Awards — specifically, who he thought would win Best Picture. I know, I know. In retrospect, I should’ve asked him what it felt like to annihilate Mat Latos’s soul. Or maybe even something about this year’s team. What can I say? I got nervous. I still think the Oscars (which air on Sunday night) are a notable cultural event. Anyway, he said he’d only answer that if Bryce Eldridge got a hit and lucky for me, Eldridge did. So, here it goes (edited lightly for clarity).
Okay, I’m not sure if you’re a cinephile, but have you seen all 10 nominees?
Gosh, I’m a huge cinephile. I see everything. Have you seen Juror #2? I just thought — you know — dang. There goes Clint Eastwood again. A master craftsman, you know? He’s a legend for a reason. That’s nominated, right?
Juror No. 2 is not one of the nominees.
Wow. Well, I guess that’s why they call it Hollyweird, right?
Haha. Yep.
What is nominated?
[I list the 10 nominees: Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, Wicked.]
Oh, okay, sure. Well, Kristen and I turned off Anora about three minutes in —
Ah. All the nudity.
There is a lot of swearing. I don’t think Brian Wilson or Madison Bumgarner even swear that much, and they’re a couple of dirty cusses, you know?
The Substance was grody, but it had a message.
The kids liked Wicked okay. “Defying Gravity” has been playing on a loop. But, I don’t like animal cruelty, and that’s like the twist of the story, you know? I thought Conclave was a lot like Dune: too nerdy for me. Brady Corbet screened The Brutalist for us in my home theater because we have a film projector, and he seems like a nice guy, but I’m a little baffled by the film overall. I think America is unquestionably good, and the movie suggests otherwise.
I’m a big fan of Zoe Saldaña going all the way back to Avatar, so that’s why Emilia Pérez stands out to me. Nickel Boys is a tragic story, but has a really interesting look. Gosh, well, you know, that’s about it.
That’s great. What’s your prediction?
(chuckles) Probably A Complete Unknown or I’m Still Here, because those are the two I didn’t get a chance to see. I still think it should be Juror #2.
Afterwards, I had the chance to poll some of the other Giants (players and coaches), and here are their responses.
Matt Williams
I don’t engage with that nonsense.
Musicals?
The visual arts.
Wilmer Flores
Gladiator II.
It isn’t nominated.
Oh. Then, The Brutalist.
Willy Adames
Gladiator II.
It isn’t nominated.
Why not?
I don’t know.
Go find out!
Matt Chapman
The Substance was a trip, man. Conclave was trippy, too — you see that one?
[I nod.]
Too bad The Beekeeper wasn’t nominated. That one rocked.
Mike Yastrzemski
Dang. I’m still mad that Top Gun: Maverick didn’t win.
J.P. Martinez
As an artist, I just can’t believe that AI was used for any part of The Brutalist. It’s a real shame, because a lot of that film’s painterliness got me excited. Anyway, I think Anora has the juice. That’ll probably win.
Robbie Ray
(grunts) The Wild Robot.
Justin Verlander
I don’t think Denis Villeneuve gets enough credit for so fully realizing the desert planet of Arrakis. And he certainly captures the spirit — the essence of Herbert’s seminal work. And the sandworm sequence — amazing. I really felt like I was riding shai hulud with Paul. Movies have come a long way. One of the first movies I ever saw in a theater was Who Framed Roger Rabbit? And now look at the moving pictures. They’re dazzling, aren’t they?
Hayden Birdsong
Uhh… what he said.
*-Of course this never happened. It’s completely made up. Why would I ever be allowed within 5,000 feet of Buster Posey? And I’m a blogger, not a journalist. I don’t disseminate news, I opine, and sometimes, in concert with actual newsbreakers, I try to synthesize information. This was for fun!