Movie By Imprudence

Hmmm, there is some interesting new info about Elinor Burkett the "dreadful woman" (as was my impression) who stormed the Oscars stage while Best Documentary Short director Roger Ross Williams was in the middle of accepting the award for his film Music By Prudence. 

It turns out she was the producer of the film and was the one who came up with the idea for it in the first place. However, her idea had been for a movie all about an entire band called Liyana and apparently the director and HBO favored a focus on Prudence Mabhena, a disabled singer-songwriter who is a part of Liyana. So Burkett sued and removed herself from the film—except she was able to remain as its producer and therefore was a legitimate co-nominee. So Ms. Burkett didn't exactly "Kanye" Mr. Williams—she was an Oscar winner, too.

The reason for the awkward stampede seems to be that Williams would not communicate with Burkett after their lawsuit (which she thinks was settled "amicably"—dictionary, please!), so she'd been left out of some other festivities and there had been no discussion as to whom would be the sole person to speak on stage. (She also claims Williams's mother had blocked her with a cane, which seems far-fetched, and that Williams had sprinted to the stage so as to leave her behind, which seems 100% true if you watch the clip.)

When all is said and done, if only one person had been allowed to speak, it should have been the director! And even though he was wrong not to have in some way communicated with Burkett about this—and to have involved the Academy if need be so that she could go on stage with him and stand silently—I have to say I still think Burkett did the wrong thing. If she settled her lawsuit, then she settled her lawsuit, and rehashing those differences spontaneously on the Oscars stage really was dreadful after all.

P.S. They apparently did the press room together after that!

Comments

[soulbrotha]

Like I said before, she was wrong no matter what. It was crass and rude. And like you said, she was only the producer; the director gets the mic!

And if she went so far as to SUE to have her name removed from the project, then why would she want to even be RECOGNIZED for it in the first place? Was her "artistic integrity" blocked by his mama's cane,too? Bitch please.

[David Ehrenstein]

"Dreadful women" is putting it mildly. Hateful cunt is more like it.

[soulbrotha]

One more thing: had this shit happened in reverse, it would have been the biggest scandal since "Kanyegate!"

[Matthew Rettenmund]

You're reaching, soulbrotha. Nobody cares about Best Documentary Short, but even so, it's gotten PLENTY of attention and she HAS been called Kanye.

[soulbrotha]

Matthew, you are entitled to your opinion. I stand by what I said. It has not gotten the attention that it would have if the situation was reversed. The media has always been racially biased in it's reporting and always will be. So I have no reason to believe that they'd treat this story any differently.

[SteveDenver]

According to a salon.com report, Burkett sued and PULLED OUT OF THE PROJECT A YEAR AGO. She does not have "producer" credit on the film and Williams owns the film outright. She was included as "producer" at the Awards, because after the film was nominated her attorney contacted the Academy.

She didn't like the direction of the film, sued and settled and withdrew from the project. But then when the film became a winner she jumped back on board.

She's disgusting.

[jcksincty]

She's established herself as the most rude woman in America. I wouldn't want that to be my legacy.

[Matthew Rettenmund]

Steve: I don't think Salon makes it clear, but she did not come back after the nom; on the contrary, her name was listed alongside Williams's name when the Oscar nominations were announced in early February. As such, she is a co-winner (she has her own Oscar for this) and deserved to be on the stage alongside Williams.

What I took from that timeline was she had the idea, he went to Zimbabwe on his own to research it, then when he had some interest from investors he decided to invite her to be a part of it officially (which he obviously regrets, and which shows he is a fair person). She didn't like the direction and entered into a lawsuit, which was settled. I couldn't find evidence of this, but it seems fair to interpret that at the time the lawsuit was settled, she was removed from having any say in the film's direction BUT was kept as the film's official producer and was, I'm sure, guaranteed the proper status that eventually allowed her to win an Oscar for...having a great idea. (I don't see any evidence she did much more than the idea.)

All of that said, she and he should have communicated and decided to go to the stage together and of COURSE he should have been the designated speaker. The way she handled it was not right and will forever brand her as that dreadful loud-mouth. (I think he knows this, because he's handled it all so well. He knows she is not making out well with this, while he is gaining sympathy along with having gained instant recognition for his great work.)