Can’t ‘Bottoms’ Just Be a Fun Film Instead of an Awards Contender?

There was a portion of my teenage years where I, like a lot of other annoying but ultimately harmless gay adolescents, replaced a little thing called “having friends” with Oscars obsession. (Oscars obsession is a malady that is symptomatic of gayness, but not something that all gay men experience—as any chronic WebMD lurker will tell you: Sometimes those afflicted will show no symptoms at all.) Starting in November, I’d toss away most of my high school companions until the spring thaw to prioritize movies. It was a sacrifice, but one that was necessary to make if I was going to be able to see each and every potential Oscar contender possible before the ceremony sometime after the new year.

Over the years, I managed to temper that obsession. Now, when awards season rolls around, I’m almost fatigued. Don’t get me wrong: Being a critic means that I remain perennially invested in the journey that most films take. I just don’t get all worked up over it anymore. There are so many other, better things to spend my time worrying about than which film will be nominated or win any Oscar. Maybe that’s just part of growing up, but I’m not so sure, given how many adults I’ve seen online lately starting grassroots Oscar campaigns for just about every film out there.

There’s no real problem with being so passionate about a film that you want it to go all the way to the biggest stage that it can. But what happened to some films just being good enough to enjoy? Or, yet, a more pressing question: What happened to some films just being fun? With the violent, raunchy comedy Bottoms releasing nationwide this weekend after a sturdy one-week limited release—during which it already generated Oscar hype from a bevy of social media users—I’ve been pondering this more than ever. Our technologically saturated state has turned loving film into a compulsively documented sport, and Bottoms, of all movies, is now on the front lines of a race that I doubt its creators have given much thought to.

Read more at The Daily Beast.