With the American Film Institute naming its Top 10 Films of the Year and the New York Film Critics Online naming its top film, the awards season is in full swing. (As an aside, I was thrilled to see that Thomas Haden Church won a Best Supporting Actor award from the NY critics, I've loved him ever since he was Lowell on Wings. I'm glad to see he hasn't dropped off the face of the earth).

The topic of the season is whether or not Fahrenheit 9/11 will be nominated and win the Best Picture Oscar. For many, a victory for Michael Moore will be a consolation prize (even if they do feel that Kerry "really" won). As Nathan from Slowplay says:

Full-page advertisements have been running in major newspapers in the country, urging members of the Academy – who are thought to be mostly liberal – to vote for Moore as a way of voting against President Bush. Somehow I doubt that Bush will resign his post if Moore wins the Oscar, but it would no doubt be a nice consolation prize for those on the Far Left who think of Moore’s “documentaries” (hey, they document Moore’s recklessness) as chiseled into stone tablets.

Predictably, many right wing bloggers are horrified that Moore could win anything this side of a pie eating contest. While I'm no fan of the man, I won't be particularly offended he wins. And here's why:

1. Haven't we established the fact that the Hollywood elite are far to the left of the majority of the American people? Given that, why should we care if they want to reward Michael Moore? It'll give everyone in America other opportunity to see what their favorite stars believe in. And so, in 2006 or 2008 when those same stars try to stump for politicians, voters will know exactly where they're coming from. Fine by me.

2. I haven't seen Fahrenheit 9/11 so I can't judge it, but maybe it deserves an award based on its artistic merit. I couldn't support the film as a documentary, but maybe it's worthy as a piece of fiction. There's nothing saying a film has to tell the truth to be great. I think there's two ways to evaluate a work of art. One way is to judge it on how it expresses universal truths (think Shakespeare). Another way is to judge it on the emotional reaction you have to it. Given the strong emotional reactions to F 9/11, it may very well be worthy of some kind of accolades.

3. I've read in a couple of places that F 9/11 doesn't deserve a place alongside all the other great films that have won the Best Picture Oscar. How dare the Academy play politics! Okay, this argument just makes me laugh a little. Look at the list of winners and you'll see that the Oscars aren't that different than the Grammys. Just as the Beatles never won a Grammy, none of these classics won a Best Picture Oscar:

• Citizen Kane
• The Wizard of Oz
• The Adventures of Robin Hood (the Errol Flynn version not the Kevin Costner one)
• It's A Wonderful Life
• Notorious
• The Searchers
• Singin' In The Rain
• Some Like It Hot
• Rear Window
• To Kill A Mockingbird
• Dr. Strangelove
• Taxi Driver
• Star Wars
• Raiders Of The Lost Ark
• Saving Private Ryan

An Oscar for Fahrenheit 9/11 only means that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences wants to bestow an award on the film. It doesn't magically turn it into a classic that'll be watched throughout the ages. It doesn't make it any less disposable. And, get this, it won't change the result of the election. So, as my Dad once said, it's time for us to be like The Beatles and just let it be.