MADER'S 'BRANTS The George Lucas Oscar Petition May 24, 2005 - I think George Lucas deserves an Oscar. And for years he has gotten snubbed by them. I know some you are going to say that he already got the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1992, but let’s be honest. The Thalberg is the conciliation prize of the Academy. Hell even the chick that carries it to the winner is the least attractive one out of the bunch. The Academy gives it to people they have overlooked over the years and yet they have to recognize some how because their presence is just so influential on the industry. Some of you will also point out that the Star Wars films themselves have won Oscars for technical things like best visual effects or costumes or sound effects editing etc. This is true, but they do not get recognized for the creative genius behind them. The writer/director for whom without which there would be no movie. I know some of you will say his dialogue is clunky. It’s true, yet there are many writers that do great dialogue and have no imagination. That imagination makes his dialogue memorable. Walk down any street in America and mention any major character from a Star Wars film - or simply say the "The Force is with you" - and people know what you are talking about. Try that with any of the films that have won best picture in the last 20 years. You will be lucky to find someone that can name the past 20 winners of the best screenplay or best picture award, let alone quote it or name 4 main characters in the movie. We won't even talk about the minor bit characters Lucas has created that have ingrained them selves into American pop culture. I also realize that some of the films have not been as popular as others. In George’s defense, I would say that episodes 1 through 6 are not stand alone films. I would say that Star Wars is actually one huge film with 5 intermissions in it. Once you think of it in those terms it all makes sense. It really is one film that is over 13 hours long. So I humbly propose that we start an online petition to get George the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay to be awarded in 2006 for the 2005 season. Email me at jmader@7mpictures.com to add your name to the petition. And to start it rolling I will to put my name first: John W. Mader, Columbus, Ohio - 5/22/05 Carson Cook, Arizona - 10/25/05