Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Cool Ped Stuff # 20: Awards Season

Here in LA, it's hard to miss the fact that the Oscars are upon us (what, you mean your town hasn't been inundated with billboards pleading for Academy votes?). The stars might be celebrating by being driven around in shiny black limos, but Carbusters is shining the spotlight on movies that don't feature automobile travel. In its first ever No-Car Oscars, the site rates the nine Best Picture nominees for their portrayal of transportation modes. And the winner is...Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (hard to beat a  movie set in a city as walkable and rich in public transportation as New York).
Check out the Carbusters site for more info or click on the links below to see the scorecards for each movie.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (20.5)See Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow and child actor Thomas Horn all use alternative
transportation.

War Horse (10.5)
When a motorized vehicle shows up, it’s usually bad news.

Tree of Life (8.5)
Recreates a neighborhood where kids play in the street without fear of being hit by a car.

The Descendants (8)
Includes the memorable scene of George Clooney leaving his Honda at home and running through his suburban neighborhood to get to his friends’ house.

Hugo (7.5)
Celebrates the social interactions and intersections at a train station.

Midnight in Paris (3.5)
A writer revels in walking the streets of Paris while his fiancée and her parents view walking as suspicious behavior.

The Artist (2.0)When you’re a star you’re chauffeured in a car. When you’ve given up all hope, you give away your car.
The Help (0.5)The white heroine drives a convertible; the black domestic help ride the bus.
Moneyball (- 10)
From watching this movie you’d never know the San Francisco area is rich with public transportation.

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