2021 Calvin Awards: Introduction
By David Mumpower
April 1, 2021
Life has a funny way of providing perspective, whether you want it or not.
I've discussed lackluster movie titles in recent years and complained about the Hollywood studio system repeatedly producing cookie-cutter titles.
Well, if those were the worst of my problems, I didn’t know how good I had it.
All I needed was a pandemic to remind me how much better life was 18 months ago.
Now, as I write this, the pandemic is nearing its end, barring something unforeseen.
The Biden Administration has taken the vaccination process seriously. A new generation of Americans is finally learning about the importance of competent governance.
By the summer, the country could reach herd immunity and even allow for the return of box office, which is, you know, the primary reason this site exists.
Until then, we’ve had to make many concessions, one of which involves how we’re running The Calvins this year.
With a paucity of theatrical releases in 2020, we had to broaden the rules a bit. Also, we had to extend the deadline for releases.
This year’s movie titles reflect the period from the start until 2020 until February 28, 2021.
Without those accommodations in place, we wouldn’t have had enough titles worthy of nomination.
Even then, this year’s categories have caused more challenges than I can ever recall.
As such, we’ve recalibrated to allow for an extremely depressing year.
We’ve eliminated the Worst Picture/Actor categories because life’s been hard enough. What’s the point in talking about how bad something was?
Life’s had enough negativity for a while. If you disagree, go listen to some murder podcasts.
Personally, I’m on a romantic comedy kick and plan to stay that way for a while.
We also dropped some of the other categories to provide a more stripped-down voting process for our staff.
I honestly have no idea whether these decisions are one-off moves or permanent. That’s something we’ll address after the pandemic.
For now, we’ve selected ten returning categories that we believe carry the most significance and entertainment value.
My one regret is that we had to drop Best Scene this year. It just didn’t feel right since we didn’t experience these moments together in theaters.
Think about Captain America wielding Mjolnir for the first time in Avengers: Endgame. That wouldn’t have been the same at home, would it?
I promise you that category will return next year, though. And that’s significant, since we’ll celebrate the 20th edition of The Calvins in 2022!
Until then, I can offer you this modified version that keeps the streak alive and reflects that the future of media consumption is streaming.
If this point was in question during last year’s awards, it’s settled forever now.
In fact, one of the most popular choices this year was available for free on a streaming service.
As a reminder, some members of BOP’s staff are tracking the evolution from theatrical release to streaming on a podcast, Streaming into the Void.
Our show is available on all major podcast services, and now that we’ve done it for most of the year, it’s gotten pretty good.
Also, Kim Hollis hosts, and that’s reason enough for you to want to listen.
So, which 2020/early 2021 releases did we deem worthy of nomination for this year’s awards?
Click the links below to learn our selections for the 2021 Calvins.
PS: You’ll notice that we’ve added one new category this year.
Since we spent so much time streaming television shows during the pandemic, we felt like TV deserved another category.
Based on our results, we should probably split it into two for next year, but that’s a debate for 10 Months from Now David. Boy, I wouldn’t want to be that guy.
Seriously, the past year was absolutely terrible for everybody.
If you or your loved ones got sick, lost your jobs or loved ones, or faced any other hardships, I'm genuinely sorry.
If it helps any, I honestly believe that the worst is over. We should all feel more optimistic about the future now that we’ve survived the recent past.
BOP is grateful that you’re still reading after all this time and, you know, the deathblow that the field of box office suffered last March.
We happily present you with this year’s The Calvins Awards, along with a guarantee that we’ll return with the 20th edition next year.
Until then, please stay safe and smart, my many loves. I care about your health, safety, and happiness.
2021 Calvin Award Winners
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Cast
Best Director
Best Picture
Best Screenplay
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best TV Performer
Best TV Show
Best Use of Music
Print this column
