Yes, we know the Oscars were three very long days ago, but there is much to unpack beyond the whole Best Picture envelope fiasco. The awards season in general was not short on controversy, most of it landing on “The Birth Of A Nation” director Nate Parker, who saw the frontrunner status of his film implode when details surrounding his 2001 trial for rape resurfaced (he was acquitted), and it was learned that his accuser later committed suicide. Meanwhile, simmering on a much lower level were Casey Affleck‘s sexual harassment lawsuits from 2010. A producer and cinematographer who worked with Affleck on his faux-doc “I’m Still Here,” both alleged he made aggressive and unwanted advances. Affleck settled both cases out of court.
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As the awards season played out, Parker and his picture were taken completely out of contention, while Affleck and “Manchester By The Sea” went all the way to the Oscars, where the film netted six nominations and won Best Original Screenplay for Kenneth Lonergan and Best Actor for Affleck (Buzzfeed has a pretty good breakdown of the various elements and optics that affected both movies and their controversial talents). The trophy for Affleck did not go over well in some circles, and even right on stage at the Dolby Theater, many noticed that Brie Larson, who presented him with the award, quietly refused to join in the applause.
My aesthetic: Brie Larson not clapping for literal trash hole casey affleck pic.twitter.com/Ci5LWXLkCr
— Tyler Struble (@tyler_struble) February 27, 2017
Throughout it all Affleck has mostly remained quiet about his 2010 cases. A few publications have asked him about it, but his comments were reserved, and he did not attempt any major PR moves, such as appearing on “60 Minutes” like Parker did. But following his win on Sunday night, Affleck addressed the allegations from 2010, and the concerns from folks like Constance Wu and B.J. Novak who publicly criticized his Best Actor win.
“I believe that any kind of mistreatment of anyone for any reason is unacceptable and abhorrent, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect in the workplace and anywhere else,” he told the Boston Globe. “There’s really nothing I can do about it. Other than live my life the way I know I live it and to speak to what my own values are and how I try to live by them all the time.”
It might not be the answer people are looking for, but let us know what you think about it all in the comment section below.