VFX society chastises Oscars for cheap Cats joke

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

So at this point I think we are all fully aware that the Academy Awards doesn't necessarily award the "best" films of the year. That's not to say that it doesn't occasionally happen, but I lost most of my faith when SAVING PRIVATE RYAN lost out to SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. Essentially it's Hollywood congratulating itself so it shouldn't be taken too seriously. However, I don't mean to belittle the awards themselves. For many it's the culmination of years of toil and strife in the industry and it's nice to be recognized.

Having said that, I'm pretty sure the group behind the visual effects for 1917 didn't expect the circumstances surrounding their win to occur. This past Sunday James Corden and Rebel Wilson presented the award for Best Visual Effects in cat costumes. Both Corden and Wilson starred in Tom Hooper's universally panned musical CATS. The two joked that no one understands the importance of good special effects than them, an unsubtle dig at the VFX issues surrounding CATS.

While the joke was met with general good humor (I laughed) the Visual Effects Society of Hollywood was not in the least bit amused. The 4,000 member group flashed their claws and pounced on the situation issuing the following statement:

“Last night, in presenting the Academy Award for outstanding visual effects, the producers chose to make visual effects the punchline, and suggested that bad VFX were to blame for the poor performance of the movie 'Cats.' The best visual effects in the world will not compensate for a story told badly. The Visual Effects Society is focused on recognizing, advancing and honoring visual effects as an art form — and ensuring that the men and women working in VFX are properly valued. On a night that is all about honoring the work of talented artists, it is immensely disappointing that The Academy made visual effects the butt of a joke. It demeaned the global community of expert VFX practitioners doing outstanding, challenging and visually stunning work to achieve the filmmakers’ vision. Our artists, technicians and innovators deserve respect for their remarkable contributions to filmed entertainment, and should not be presented as the all-too-convenient scapegoat in service for a laugh,”

Ouch.

On the one hand I completely understand where the VFX Society is coming from. Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy worked extremely hard on 1917 to bring a high level of realism to the film. At the very least it must have been awkward for them to receive the highest honor imaginable from people in cat suits. There's no getting around the fact that it diminishes the moment. On the other hand was it really necessary for the VFX Society to throw shade at Tom Hooper and Lee Hall for direction and writing, no matter how justified? Seems to me you can criticize the situation without having to bring other people down, especially when they had nothing to do with the joke.

So what do you guys think? Was this an overreaction by the VFX Society? Do the Oscars carry any weight in your mind? Did you think the joke was funny? Sound off in the comments below!