AFI chimes in on 2008’s “Moments of Significance”

In all of it’s list-making glory, the American Film Institute (AFI) released it’s picks for the Top Moments of 2008 on Sunday. Now, when it comes to movies, despite any reservations I may have, I accept the AFI having it’s face in the crowd and making it’s opinions heard. On the other hand, I wonder what kind of authority the AFI really expects to garnish by releasing a Top List that includes sports and politics… yeah, huh?

AFI’s “Moments of Significance” were chosen by a 13-person jury comprising scholars, film artists, critics and AFI trustees. Two juries, one for film and another for TV, deliberated for two days in Los Angeles.

The list includes the following moments deemed “Top of 2008 Moments of Significance” by the AFI. Some of these are so obvious that is begs the question of why they’d even bother…

• Tina Fey’s portrayal of VP candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. [Funny, but whatever…]
• The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. [Personally, I felt the “scandals” were the story here.]
• The Presidential race between John McCain and Barack Obama. [duh…]
• This one I simply have to quote, as it’s to difficult to explain:

The rapid changes in the TV distribution landscape were noted by AFI as being part of the “Age of Anxiety” for showbiz as traditional business models evolve. The org cited such examples as the growth of Internet website Hulu, DirecTV’s funding of a third season of NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” and the Peacock’s decision to move Jay Leno into a Monday-Friday primetime berth.

• The success of Joss Whedon’s Internet project Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. [OK, cool!]
• The downturn for indie filmmakers, as a result of a rise in studio specialty divisions such as Paramount Vantage, Warner Independent, New Line and Picturehouse. [Um, I’m not sure how an alleged stroke of bad luck for indie filmmakers is considered a good thing. Then again, we all know how the AFI is such a HUGE supporter of indie filmmakers, right? Besides, didn’t Paramount Vantage go under?]
• Finally, and what I would call both the best pick and only relevant pick for the AFI, Danny Boyle is honored for his triumphant film Slumdog Millionaire.

The pic “stands as a monument to the possibilities of cross-cultural storytelling,” the American Film Institute said Sunday.

So, what do you think? Good list? Bad list? Irrelevant? What are your thoughts, both of the list itself and of the contents of the list? What would your list of the 2008 Top “Moments of Significance” include?

[source: Variety.com]