The biggest shock in the Oscar nominations this year was certainly Jason Reitman’s bid for Best Director. In fact, it’s such a given that the Juno helmer won’t win the Academy Award that even the kids know it. One brave brat from the Santa Barbara Middle School Teen Press even tells Reitman to his face that he has no chance, in this slightly amusing video that’s circulating the interweb. Many are suggesting the clip was actually set up by Reitman himself, though the fact that he posted the video on both his Myspace and YouTube pages only makes it clear that he’s probably responsible for the thing showing up on the net at all. Either way, he at least has a good sense of humor regarding everyone’s doubts that he deserved the nod.
My favorite question, and one that I wish he had a better answer to, asks what his actual role was as director. That’s something I’d actually like to know. The acknowledgment of Juno having first and foremost a great script and great actors seems to indicate this is indeed an inside joke, but at least the question is a bit better when asked a second time: “but what did you do?” Anyway, the reference to the director’s father, Ghostbusters helmer Ivan Reitman is a bit sloppily handled by the kids — the fact that they are aware of Papa Reitman but don’t know Jason Reitman didn’t write the Juno script is further evidence that this is all a pre-written gag by someone other than middle schoolers. And meanwhile I still don’t really know what kind of great, Oscar-worthy contribution Reitman really made to the film.
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