My Best Picture: Seth MacFarlane May Mock Ben Affleck, but 'Argo' Is the Year's Big Winner

I think I've seen Gigli. Between you and me, I know the truth ... but I won’t admit it. As you've probably read from just about every other article about the Oscars on Popculturology, it's very difficult to mention Ben Affleck without talking about Gigli in the same sentence. It very well could be the reason why Affleck was snubbed in the Best Director category for Argo, the movie I believe will be the recipient of the 2013 Academy Award for Best Picture.

Fans out there of this Sunday's host know that Seth MacFarlane once joked in an episode of Family Guy that Matt Damon did most of the work on Good Will Hunting while Affleck was on the couch smoking pot.



It could just be homage on the behalf of MacFarlane, but there have actually been numerous references to Good Will Hunting over the years. Whatever the case may be, there are many people who might share that same sentiment in their overall opinion of Affleck. But although we've come to know Affleck as a mainstream actor over the years, it hasn't been until recently we were introduced to Ben Affleck the storyteller.

When Gone Baby Gone came out in 2007, it not only garnered an Oscar nomination for Amy Ryan, but it made the case that Affleck could be considered a reputable director in Hollywood. The same could be said for The Town, where unlike Gone Baby Gone, Affleck wore three hats: writer, director, and actor. The culmination of this overall movement leads to what I think will almost certainly be another win for Affleck. We may have a jilted view of him when he's wearing the hat of an actor, but as a writer/director, we see his true talent.

The historical accuracy of Argo has been debated since its release, but what's more debatable is the relevance this plays in Oscar consideration. At the end of it all, Argo is a story. Accuracy of the events aside, it's a fantastically put together story. The script is well-crafted as it is able to mix-in real life scenarios while creatively embellishing certain elements of the story to hold true to the mounting tension behind the situation. Affleck was a solid performer as Tony Mendez, but where the Academy didn't screw up is giving a well-deserved nomination to Alan Arkin. Who really knows if Affleck cares about awards or not, but he's done his job of convincing everyone to see past Gigli … and Jersey Girl .... possibly Daredevil too.

With Affleck's snub as Argo's director in mind, and the film's sweep of many other major awards this year, the odds seem to be swinging in favor of Argo for Best Picture. Besides, any movie that George Clooney touches these days seems to turn to gold.