What do I know, I think they are both damn good actors.
Johnny Depp has a lot in common with Leo DiCaprio: they both started out as young, cute TV stars, and they’ve both made SOME huge mainstream hits. But both were ambitious enough to want to do interesting films, not just crowd-pleasing stuff. Depp hooked up with Tim Burton and Leo hooked up with Martin Scorsese because both wanted to prove they were real actors and not just Tiger Beat cover boys.
And like them or not, both have made movies and given performances their detractors never would have expected them to give.
Kate Winslet had the same crappy material and still did an okay job. Leo was quite noticeably doing a poorer job.
As a producer, he hires people to do those things for him. Do you not understand what a producer does? The director reports to the producer, not the other way around.
So, no, in his role as producer I don’t think Mr. Pitt was nailing sets together, discussing shots with the director, working with the foley artists, or any of the other thousands of tasks involved in the making of a movie. But I can be pretty damned sure that he was involved in selecting and hiring and paying those people who did build sets, made sounds, and established shots. He was also involved in pre-production and post-production decisions that had nothing to do with the making of the film and had everything to do with getting the film out to the audience so it can earn $50 milllion and get some Oscars.
A task at which he succeeded.
3, except in special circumstances. 2 people can count as “1 producer” if they’ve established a close working relationship, so you can actually have up to 6 people accepting the B. Picture Oscar (for example, produced by “Joel and Ethan Coen” can count as a single credit given their history.)
http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/rules/rule16.html
Ha, I was about to post almost the same thing. I’m pretty sure I first read that observation here on the SDMB, although I don’t remember if the poster was quoting someone else.
I know there was some criticism of the way Brad Pitt was used in 12 Years a Slave, because casting him in this small but important role meant it came off less as “Our protagonist finally meets someone who is willing to provide him with the crucial assistance he needs” than “A hero suddenly appears out of nowhere to save the day!” Of course the issue was partially just that Brad Pitt was far more famous than anyone else in the movie, but I think an actor who was very famous but less attractive might have seemed a bit less distracting.
Y’know, this thread occurs in the wake of an Oscar win by Matthew McConaughey.
I concur with this, for the most part.
When Mr. Pitt is asked to act by his director, he can act his ass off. 12 Monkeys and Snatch should be more than enough to show that to be true. BUT when he’s cast because he’s Brad Pitt, I agree that he’s kind of smirking and having that little joke with the audience. And finally, the truth is that he’s a much better supporting actor than a lead. In a support role, he can and will lose himself in the character. In the vast majority of his starring roles, he cannot do that, because that isn’t why they cast him (hint: it’s because he’s Brad Pitt).
DiCaprio tho has always been pretty awful to watch, except for Catch Me If You Can, where his boyish looks were an asset and where I did think he turned in a truly outstanding performance. I wonder if I’d feel more positively about DiCaprio if he were in a supporting role, but he doesn’t really seem to have any interest in being anything other than a movie star.
ETA: after posting I saw posts #46 (Lamia) and #39 (astorian), so I guess I’m just joining this chorus. Ah well, at least I’m in good company! 
According to Wikipedia, Brad Pitt became involved with 12 Years A Slave beginning in August 2011 with many of the roles and the director already chosen. Filming took place from June 2012 through August 2012. During that same time Brad Pitt…
- Produced Killing Them Softly (January 2011 - Unknown)
- Filmed Killing Me Softly (March 2011 - Unknown)
- Filmed World War Z (July 2011 - October 2011)
- Produced World War Z (July 2011 - Unknown)
- Produced Kick-Ass 2 (May 2012 - November 2012)
- Filmed The Counselor (July 2012 - September 2012)
So no, I don’t think he had much direct involvement with the movie’s production.
What about Django Unchained? I thought he was excellent in that, in a supporting role.
Talk about selective reading. Try this:
Pitt is the sole owner of Plan B.
Where are you getting that? That quote is no where to be found in the Wikipedia page for 12 Years A Slave.
And while Pitt may be the sole owner, your quote shows that there are a lot of other people involved with Plan B.
I got it somewhere other than Wikipedia. Try some googling!
And yes, the film has many producers. I’m responding to your comment that he wasn’t involved until 2012.
He had enough to fulfill the Academy requirements, to get his name in the credits, and to get credit. He’s been involved with the film for the past 7 years. What more do you need?
From a Reddit thread, “How Leonardo DiCaprio deals with not having won an Oscar.”
How Leonardo DiCaprio deals with not having won an Oscar. - Imgur (perhaps mildly NSFW for some workplaces)
So I selectively read something that I never actually read and never claimed to read? Good job, you certainly told me.
and this is how Brad Pitt deals with it - http://thefashionts.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/15oj79z.jpg
Exactly. And if you look at their entire bodies of work, Pitt and DiCaprio are far better actors than McConaughey.
As soon as one of them stars in a movie about the Holocaust and/or changes their appearance drastically in order to play a dramatic role, the Academy will FedEx them the statue.
Think I would lean towards the DiCaprio method.
No love for Blood Diamond? I thought Leo was great in that.