这周是我们的狄俄尼索斯颁奖典礼。狄俄尼索斯奖颁发给年度最具哲学趣味的电影。有时，当我们喜欢的时候，我们也会尊重过去那些具有哲学意义的电影。

Unlike your average awards show, we accept nominations from the floor. So we’ll be talking to some of our listeners who wrote in with their suggestions, and to some special guests as well.

To win a Dionysus Award, a movie has to be interesting from a philosophical point of view. It could present a morally complex vision of human life, likeThe Reader,a winner from a few years ago. It may force us to think about our own prejudices and stereotypes, likeDistrict Nine,another previous winner. It may take us to the boundaries of reality, likeInception.Or challenge the line between appearance and reality, likeBlack Swan.Both winners last year.

我们颁给狄俄尼索斯奖的电影必须具有哲学上的野心和吸引力，但它们也需要是执行良好的电影。One thing theydon’tneed to be is successful at the Box Office – but of course it doesn’t hurt if they did attract a large audience.

I saw a number of movies I liked this year, some of which have gone on to be nominated for Academy Awards. Films likeThe Artist,which I loved,Moneyball,War HorseandThe Help. Some of these touched on philosophical themes, but that wasn’t what they were about. Fine for the Oscars, but not for Dionysus Awards.

The reception toThe Helpraised some interesting issues. Many in the black community thought it was yet another example of one of Hollywood’s bad habits. That is, supposing the experience of a minority must be presented through the eyes of a white person to be valid -- or at least to have a chance to be a mainstream box office success. Maybe there’s an interesting philosophical issue in there somewhere, but I don’t think it makesThe HelpDionysus-worthy.

The Iron Ladywas another case where the film’s reception was more philosophically interesting than the film itself. Everyone agreed that Meryl Streep did a great job playing Margaret Thatcher, and Americans seemed to like it. But the British didn’t. Those who liked Margaret Thatcher thought the film was completely inappropriate for depicting her as a dementia patient, while she’s still alive. Those who don’t like Margaret Thatcher thought the movie was despicable for not focusing on all the harm she did.

Another good movie wasThe Descendants-- George Clooney showing once again that he can act while looking pretty. It was an interesting exploration of family dynamics and dysfunction. But it wasn’t really very engaged with philosophical issues.

2011 seemed to be a good year for movies about violent children. Hanna,for example,was about a young lady raised by her father to be an extremely effective killer. Raised the issue of free will. But not, I thought, in a philosophically interesting way. We did give an aware to another movie from the violent children genre, however.

Those are some of the movies we won’t be giving awards to. Listen to the show to find out the winners.