The Patriot Post® · The Academy Gets It Wrong — Twice

I know you were shocked — S-H-O-C-K-E-D — to learn that an outstanding film based on a true story of unprecedented heroics and faith lost its top Oscar nomination to a movie about gay black folks enslaved on urban poverty plantations.

The heroics and faith film, “Hacksaw Ridge,” is based on the incredible tale of Desmond Doss, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for arguably the most significant acts of bravery of any award recipient in history. It was rightly among the small list of films nominated in the top three categories — Best Picture, Director and Actor, but of course, it lost all three. However, it did receive two obscure secondary editing awards.

Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway errantly announced that “La La Land” won Best Picture, a gaffe being heralded as the worst in Academy Awards history — unless you consider most of the other awards given in this and previous years. Once all the celebrity La La Land hugs and kisses were done, the hosts corrected their error, announcing that “Moonlight,” which The New York Times described as “a movie about growing up poor, black and gay,” won best film. Moreover, Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim actor to win a trophy for his supporting role in that big screen screed.

Fact is, the Academy got it wrong twice — “Hacksaw Ridge” should have swept the awards. If you would like to read about Desmond Doss, whom I knew personally as a neighbor for many years, I invite you to read my column on the incredible life story of this most heroic of genuine heroes.