The Problem with Joaquin Phoenix

This blog post is not about how Joaquin Phoenix is everything that’s wrong with Hollywood. I will remain agnostic on the issue of whether or not Hollywood elite do something wrong when they use platforms like the Oscars or Grammys to “get political.” The issue that I want to briefly address in this blog post is Phoenix’s failure to express gratitude to those who helped make his iconic Oscars win possible. Phoenix in large part wronged those who dedicated so much of themselves to make his Academy-award-winning performance as the Joker what it was, but he also wronged himself by failing to cultivate a gracious character.

Let us first set out what characterizes gratitude. “Gratitude,” according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “is the proper or called-for response in a beneficiary to benefits or beneficence from a benefactor.” There is much disagreement in the literature about whether or not a benefactor must be an agent, or about whether the act of beneficence must be intentional, and so on. Regardless, I think that it is relatively uncontroversial to assert that winning an Academy award is something that demands gratitude. For as long as the Oscars have been televised, the time given to those who won awards has been dedicated almost entirely to thanking those who made their wins possible. Actors and actresses thank their directors, producers, colleagues, lovers, friends, and family for their patience, encouragement, and willingness to take a chance on them. In an industry as nepotistic and complex as film, it would be naive and narcissistic to take credit for all of your successes as an actor or actress.

When Laura Dern accepted her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the film Marriage Story, she thanked the many people in her life who brought her to that point:

“Some say, “never meet your heroes,” but I say, “if you’re really blessed, you get them as your parents.” I share this with my acting heroes, my legends, Dianne Ladd and Bruce Dern. You got game, I love you, thank you all for this gift. This is the best birthday present ever. I love you, I love my friends, you lift me up every day.”

Dern’s mother, Diane Ladd, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1975 for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, in 1991 for Wild Heart, and in 1992 for Rambling Rose. She did not win an Oscar for any of those nominations. Similarly, Bruce Dern was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1979 for Coming Home and was not fortunate enough to win. By using part of the time she was given by the Academy to dedicate her Oscar to her parents, Laura Dern expressed sincere gratitude to her mom and dad for helping her, however they did, to become the Academy-award-winning actress that she has become. She displayed humility, affection, and generosity in willingly devoting time that is meant to celebrate an achievement of hers to recognizing the achievements of others who have not been so fortunate as she is.

Bong Joon-Ho similarly spent much of the time he was given by the Academy to recognize the talents of those who were nominated alongside him for Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Todd Phillips, and Sam Mendes. Doing this shows that one knows what others are due, and that every great achievement is constituted by all the aid, support, and love given by others who played a role in making it attainable. I take for granted that demonstrating an awareness of these truths is a good thing.

Joaquin Phoenix did no more than proclaim that he is filled with gratitude and that he feels no more elevated than any of his other nominees, or anyone else in the room. He acknowledged that he was a beneficiary of love, support, and opportunity, but did not rightfully acknowledge by name the benefactors so they could get the recognition they deserved. The families of the makeup artists who made his portrayal of Arthur Fleck so haunting did not get to hear the names of their sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters. Those in Phoenix’s life who sacrificed whatever they did for him to have the career he has were erased from this monumental moment in Phoenix’s career. He did not demonstrate that he understood what others were due, and he left us with the impression that the gratitude he said he was filled with at the opening of his speech was an empty gratitude that acknowledged no other person as the benefactor of one of his greatest career achievements.

The Academy Awards are dedicated to celebrating film, and the hard work that goes into making great cinema. The obligation of those in attendance is, first and foremost, to do just this. This means giving visibility to those who fade into the background during the production of a film so their work can be appropriately recognized and appreciated. Beyond that, winners of Oscars have license to say whatever matters to them. And I’m thrilled as an animal rights advocate that Phoenix said what he said. I just wish that he did not make a political statement (one that would likely only be heard by those who are already in agreement with it) at the expense of embodying good character and appreciating the constellation of circumstances that made his ability to be heard, possible.