Brokeback Mountain loses to Crash

The gasp which could be heard upon presenter Jack Nicholson opening the envelope and announcing "Crash" as the Best Picture winner of the 78th Academy Awards in 2006 was indicative of the surprise a lot of people felt. Director Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" was the odds-on favourite to win that particular category, and "Crash's" win was ascribed by Los Angeles Time critic Kenneth Turan to Hollywood rewarding a film which allowed them to feel progressive on one social issue (racism) so that they would not have to deal with their discomfort surrounding another (homosexuality).