The Broadcast Film Critics Association announced earlier this week that Star Wars: The Force Awakens would be added to their Best Picture lineup – and people are not happy about it. By rights, the film shouldn’t be a part of the lineup since it didn’t screen early enough for consideration.
According to a previous press release, a meeting was held to determine if the film should be included. “In the wake of an unprecedented cry out from you – the BFCA Membership – the Board of Directors has decided to poll the membership on Monday to determine whether we should add “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to our list of Critics’ Choice Award nominees for Best Picture. The question will be: If you had seen “The Force Awakens” before casting your Critics’ Choice Awards ballot, would you have included it in your five choices for Best Picture?”
Their decision to include the highly popular film in their lineup has sparked an outcry. Now, (current and former) members are speaking out and criticizing the organisation for using the Star Wars: The Force Awakens nomination as a ploy to gain more viewers – which will work considering that the film is a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, many view this decision as disrespectful to the organisations guidelines.
Eric Melin, a former BFCA voter, sent in his resignation following the decision and then posted it to his website. “In order for a professional critics body to have integrity, nomination and voting guidelines must be consistent with the way they were laid out at the beginning of the process. Nominating “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” for Best Picture does not follow those guidelines, and re-ignites a loophole for this kind of thing to happen every year…” Head on over to his website to read the letter in its entirety. Here’s what other people are saying:
Sent. Buh-bye, BFCA. pic.twitter.com/Ptth6Ng2Pq
— Scott Renshaw (@scottrenshaw) December 22, 2015
Looks like many BFCA members are choosing the right answer…#NO to the “Star Wars” awards do-over. Very impressed.
— Clayton Davis (@AwardsCircuit) 21 december 2015
BFCA humiliates itself by adding Star Wars after the vote. So much for pretending to have integrity.
— David Poland (@DavidPoland) 22 december 2015
For the record, I do not know a single fellow BFCA member who petitioned Board of Directors to add ‘Star Wars’ as 11th Best Picture nominee
— Mike Sampson (@mjsamps) 18 december 2015
#Peace.Love.CriticsChoiceAwards
