EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE—-the worst movie ever nominated for Best Picture?  My vote, and yes, I’ve seen The Greatest Show On Earth, Doctor Dolittle, Love Story and Airport and I would watch those back-to-back, for a week, standing on my head, rather than put up with the character scripted by Eric Roth and performance of same from Thomas Horn.

Off-putting doesn’t cover it, despite the pro work from Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max Von Sydow (also nominated, as Supporting Actor, maybe a nod to valor above & beyond just for being in the same scene–or room, as young master Horn), John Goodman, Viola Davis and Jeffrey Wright.

Poorly conceived (Roth’s script was based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer), and delivered with the subtlety of a leaf blower at a funeral. Directed for $40,000,000 by Stephen Daldry, along with those two nominations it scraped up $55,200,000. It’s not a good sign when you’re watching a movie about a damaged child and you find yourself actually wanting to damage the little &%$#@! tyke.

Max is not acting