Haggis set to 'crash' the Oscar party

Hopefully when the Oscar nominations come around at the end of the year, we'll be seeing a lot of the movie "Crash." Then it will finally get the recognition it deserved.\nThe Paul Haggis überdrama was relatively quiet in terms of box office revenue. Released at the beginning of the summer, most people were eagerly awaiting blockbusters like "Batman Begins" and "War of the Worlds." The only area where the film did make some noise was among the critics, who gave it rave reviews and deemed it one of the best films of the year.\nDon't think that you didn't hear about it because it's some hipster indie flick either. "Crash" has an ensemble cast that features Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Esposito, Terrence Howard, Brendan Fraser, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges (yes, that Ludacris) Ryan Phillippe and even a cameo by Tony Danza. It sounds cliché, but all of them give stellar performances, even Ludacris and Tony Danza.\nThe film -- which was also written by Haggis -- takes place over two days in Los Angeles, and revolves around several characters whose lives become interconnected. These confrontations between them usually involve race, but not your Sunday morning "Cosby Show" race issues. The characters believe in racial stereotypes that are evident today (only they're a little more forthcoming about it), and their actions reflect their feelings. Haggis doesn't get preachy with morals either. He lets the characters' actions speak for themselves, and it's up to you to decide how you feel about them. \nWhile I won't rule out a possible special edition DVD release in the future, this DVD has ample features to go along with an excellent movie (remember the old days where we would buy videos just to have the movie? When did we get so greedy? This movie is worth having in and of itself.) Special features include English and Spanish subtitles, Dolby surround options, a DVD introduction by Paul Haggis, behind-the-scenes footage, commentary with Paul Haggis, Don Cheadle and Bobby Moresco (co-screenwriter) and original trailers. \nIn the end, if this were a movie review I'd give Crash an A. But you're reading this because you want to know if the DVD is worth buying. The answer is a resounding yes. "Crash" is a must see, a should own and a few more special features away from being an A DVD. Nevertheless, I suggest you buy it.