Yes, you’re fucking dead sick of hearing about “Slumdog Millionaire,” but whether you like it or not, the fact remains: Its story is definitively the Cinderella tale of the year. It almost didn’t happen… many times over.
“Slumdog Millionaire” is the winner of 4 Golden Globes, 7 Baftas, 5 Critic’s Choice Awards, and was named the best film of the year by The National Board of Review. The Danny Boyle-directed fairy tale is also the winner of every film Guild award this year including the producers, the directors, the writers, the actors (ensemble award), the editors, the cinematographers, the art directors and the sound mixers. “Slumdog Millionaire” ended up with a final
94% rating on rottentomaotes, and is currently rated 8.6
on IMDB. Finally, “Slumdog Millionaire” is on the cusp of sweeping the Academy Awards with a total of 10 nominations, and yet at one point it was almost headed straight to DVD! How did the film accomplish all of this? Well, almost every step along the way, good fortune followed. You could almost say the film was blessed with very unexpected fates.
The Luck: In early 2007, the ever eclectic filmmaker, Danny Boyle, was given the chance to read a script based on a book called “Q and A” about the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” The director initially brushed it off on concept alone, as he wasn’t interested in making a movie about a popular game show (we seriously can’t blame him). He only returned to it after finding out the script, titled “Slumdog Millionaire,” was written by Simon Beaufoy, who previously wrote “The Full Monty,” which turns out is one of Boyle’s favorite British films. Boyle loved the script and committed to the project, thus creating the first of many second chances this film would see.
The Hard Work: The projected budget for the film was an estimated $15 million dollars. Chump change to the big Hollywood studios, but a big deal to Celador Films, the company that owned the script. So they sought a distributor to share the costs, and got Fox Searchlight Pictures to make an initial $2 million dollar offer.
However, Warner Independent Pictures counter-offered with a reported $5 million dollar bid that Fox could not top. The cast and crew fell into place with Loveleen Tandan on board as one of the five casting directors. It was she who suggested they do some of the dialogue in Hindi to make the film “come alive,” which led Boyle to ask her to do the translations. As time drew closer to the shoot date, Boyle invited Tandan to co-direct with him, serving as a needed bridge between cultures.
The Irony: However, Once the film was completed, the ultimate bad luck struck: Like many mini-major indies last year,
Warner Independent Pictures went under and the film was thrown into limbo. WIP was absorbed by the bigger Warner Brothers proper, who suddenly doubted the commercial prospects of a film about Indian children growing up in the slums of Mumbai, and at one point ‘Slumdog’ was in
serious peril of being dumped straight to DVD. That’s when in August of 2008 —
overload by the number of films they had at the time — Warners attempted to sell off the film they were now only vaguely interested in and of course, the initial interested party,
Fox Searchlight, a mini-major with a keen sense for diamonds in the rough and a great knack for indie Oscar campaigns (“Juno,” “Little Miss Sunshine”),
came a knocking. The two entered a pact to share distribution of the film, with Fox Searchlight buying a 50% stake. As of now, the film has made $130 million dollars worldwide, therefore making Searchlight’s bank some multiple million dollars richer.
The Good Will: So with the film officially getting released finally, it was now time for a strategic marketing scheme. “Slumdog Millionaire” was first shown at the Telluride Film Festival in late August, and then at the Toronto Film Fest a week later. At both places, the film received unanimous praise and even received the
People’s Choice Award at the latter. This is where Searchlight was caught off guard and went, “Oh shit! Could this film really be good enough to be an awards contender?” They then planned a rush-release of the film slated for November 12th in major cities. A mediocre poster was thrown together, and an equally shrug-worthy trailer was cut. Then the film was slapped with an R rating from the MPAA, which they now didn’t have the time to appeal for the PG-13 they wanted. Which is a shame considering the story itself. “Slumdog Millionaire” is a modern Charles Dickens tale.
Not Of Hollywood, Still At The Party: The rags to riches idea appeals to everyone. What makes it more poignant is the fact that the movie was made on a shoestring budget by Hollywood standards, featured 1/3 of it in Hindi and yet has now come into both money and acclaim, overcoming the odds like the characters in the movie itself (not to mention seemingly overcoming a huge backlash campaign).
In other words, the major Hollywood studios must be pissed! Here they’ve spent their usual millions upon millions on their so-called Oscar bait films, and it will probably all end up in vain. As one producer said, “it’s like the other films don’t exist.” And who do they have to thank for this? Well for one, the film goers themselves (not to mention Warner Bros. – Boyle cheekily “thanked” them recently too) should be thanked. “Slumdog Millionaire” opened with a platform style release system across the country, allowing word of mouth to spread and the buzz to grow – without, it would’ve faded out and quit expanding. As it stands now, the film has played in almost every major market in the U.S., instead of sitting on the shelf at Blockbuster next to “Hard Cash.” Now that’s a success story.
Conclusion: If ‘Slumdog’ does outclass the rest of Hollywood at the Oscars, it can only be considered as an embarrassment to everyone else. Especially to bloated epics like ‘Ben Button’ that spent at least $150+ million to make. It already likely signals a titanic shift in what constitutes an Oscar film and is probably a huge wake up call to Tinseltown. Not everybody loves ‘Slumdog.’ Much like your favorite band that got too big, many indie film sites have abandoned the picture and moved on to other movies. An mild indie backlash was probably inevitable. But as champions of the little guy and smaller, indie films, with no stars and no marquee value, you’d be a fool not to see its almost pre-ordained Oscar victory as win for the little guy, no matter how huge it might have become. Even if it doesn’t win a thing, the game has irrevocably changed – Jonathan Helm
This treacly, contrived, schmaltz-fest has been overhyped to a lurid degree. This site is so full of backlashing film snobs who can’t help but piss on every crowd pleasing indie favorite of the last five years (The Wackness, Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, Garden State) yet gives Slumdog a free pass.
Explain that to me. (Oh right, it’s set in India. How innovative and fresh.)
The first third of this film is interesting (actual Indian children, non-actors) but the realism gives way to a bland, naive protagonist and overtly sentimental love story devoid of any complexity or character.
She’s beautiful. He loves her. His luck gets him the girl and the money.
I’m sorry but any film guilty of committing the following ham fisted dialogue is worthy of absolute ridicule:
Jamal: “Run away with me.”
Latika: “But what will we live on?”
Jamal: “Love.”
GAG.
This film is a poor bastard’s City Of God.
Que Lindo, i think you’ve totally missed the point.
You may be right.
But I’m calling it this year’s Crash.
Lindo. Hype and expectations are a bitch. Don’t let them ruin you. There’s genuine answer to why every critic in north america loved the film at Telluride and TIFF and why some of the more tuned in ppl of the world shrugged months later.
Slumdog Millionaire was a piece of shit. I have no idea how a thinking person could think otherwise.
The erudite Walter Chaw FINALLY took time out to put the film on blast… http://filmfreakcentral.net/screenreviews/gomdog.htm . He’s 800% correct, wording my emotions about the film in ways I could only dream.
Again, missing the point with a wild, ungainly swing.
Not much of a defense, friend, in regards to a film that has nothing to say about today’s world, nothing to say about the human spirit, and everything to say about the callow, idiotic manner in which today’s youth worships the intellectual bankruptcy of TV culture. It’s not uplifting, it’s not romantic, and it’s laughably simplistic. Even in an iffy year like this, “Slumdog Millionaire” is a film of zero integrity.
wow Lindo and Gabe did Danny Boyle violate a close family member?
Love Slumdog or hate it, I’d rather see a lower budget film, with no name actors, that struggled to get released get the attention of an Oscar than the bloated oscar bait Benjamin Buttons of this world.
For me that was $150 million spent with truly nothing to say.
Ah, but you forget, when discussing the “Benjamin Buttons” of the world, that this year had pretty much only ONE “Benjamin Button,” and it was “Benjamin Button.”
I fail to see the “little movie that could” thing from “Slumdog Millionaire,” which, picked up by WB or Fox, was still going to be released by the “indie division” of a megahuge conglomerate, and backed by Eurodollars and directed by an A-List (B+ at least) director like Danny Boyle, who I still like. Also, the “no name actors” you mention are fucking HUGE in India, and did not come cheap. Not to mention the fact that it emerges from one of the biggest movie markets in the world, and features music by platinum selling artist M.I.A. I mean, champion it all you want, but I call bullshit on “the little movie that could.”
Last time I checked there are no “little indie” companies capable of nationally releasing a movie without a studio backing them. If there are name them…
MIA multi-platimun? Not on this planet she isn’t. Outside of NYC, London and Los Angeles she couldn’t get arrested. Selling out many gigs in Bosie?
Danny Boyle “A” or “B” list? I don’t think so, his last movie Sunshine got a limited release, and basically went straight to video, and no one saw it.
and how much do you seriously think those “huge” Indian name-actors got paid? Brad Pitt type money?
the biggest movies in Bollywood have around a $25 million budget, so figure what the actors get paid from that.
and ask any American to name an Indian actor? Means less than zero here.
It’s widely reported that the budget on Slumdog was $15 million.
love it or hate it, fact is it had 1/10 of the budget of Button and was passed through studios, and nearly went straight to video, because they could figure out how to market it. Which in itself is a reflection of the state of the US film market.
and so yes, compared to $150 million Button, with an “A” name director, the writer of Forest Gump, probably the biggest movie star in the world and Paramount treating it as their prestige picture of the year,
yes fact is, even if you think this is creatively a turd of a movie, facts are facts, and maybe it is the little movie that could.
Well, since we’re discussing apples and oranges (you don’t seem to be making a defense of how good a movie “Slumdog” is, but instead, railing against “Benjamin Button” for committing a crime in being one of the most expensive movies ever made- which I guess is ok), I’ll tackle your points one by one…
-This is sorta true about the death of the mini-mini studios and the rise of the mini-major. It’s also irrelevant in shooing away the fact that Fox Searchlight sure has a lot of money to market a film like “Slumdog Millionaire” to a likely $100 million gross. Was word of mouth going to do that on its own?
-Danny Boyle is still considered a guy studios are interested in. He’s got a solid body of work that speaks for itself. He’s a B list guy because he may not do big blockbusters, but his movies generally make money and are well-liked by critics. Before Slumdog, if you were to tell people Boyle was directing Benjamin Button, or X-Men 4, or whatever property is out there, most would be very pleased.
-Obviously Americans have no fucking clue who Anil Kapoor or Irfan Khan is. But could a guy like Mark Duplass afford them? Do you think they could be convinced to star in a microbudgeted Harmony Korine film? I don’t have the numbers, and if someone does they can correct me, but there had to be some generous sums of Eurodollars to convince these guys to play second banana in an English-financed movie made in India.
-“Widely reported” budgets are unreliable. But “Slumdog” probably wasn’t an expensive film. The marketing was probably upwards of $30 million, though, you can count on that.
Plus, this wasn’t exactly the most CHALLENGING material. I’m not singing hosannas because a small movie made it through if the small movie wasn’t as good as a number of big movies produced in 2008.