Plot
News anchor Kent Brockman reports that Springfield is the least cultural city in the United States. In response, a town meeting is held to decide a course of action, where Marge proposes that Springfield host a film festival showcasing films made by the townspeople. Marge is made the head of the festival's judging panel, and invites New York film critic Jay Sherman to be a special guest critic. Upon his arrival, Sherman stays with the Simpson family, which becomes problematic as his popularity with the family makes Homer feel inadequate and overshadowed. Fearing that nobody respects his intelligence, Homer persuades Marge to put him on the festival's judging panel. Meanwhile, when Mr. Burns learns that his profits have dropped due to his bad image, Smithers informs him of the film festival, and Burns decides that an epic biographical film will endear him to the people. He hires Steven Spielberg's "non-union, Mexican equivalent," Señor Spielbergo to direct, deciding to play himself in the film.
The film festival commences at the Aztec Theatre, with entries including Apu Nahasapeemapetilon's Bright Lights, Beef Jerky (security footage from the Kwik-E-Mart), Moe Szyslak's musical number, Moe Better Booze (little more than a song-and-dance advertisement for Moe's Tavern), Bart's The Eternal Struggle (a home video of Homer attempting to squeeze into a pair of undersized pants), Ned Flanders' film about Moses, and Hans Moleman's, Man Getting Hit by Football, which features Moleman getting hit in the groin by a football. Festival attendees are particularly touched by Barney Gumble's artistic introspective film about alcoholism, Pukahontas, which Jay foresees to be the eventual winner. Burns' film, A Burns for All Seasons, is screened last, and is met by a negative audience reaction.
In the judge's room, Jay and Marge vote for Barney's film, while Mayor Quimby and Krusty the Clown vote for Burns' movie after heavy bribes. Left with the tie-breaking vote, Homer quickly and enthusiastically votes for Man Getting Hit by Football. Marge tries to convince him to change his vote, and a conflicted Homer later views Pukahontas again while reflecting on the two films' qualities. At the awards ceremony, Jay announces that Barney is the grand prize winner, and Marge tells Homer that he voted for the right film.
Flashing forward six months, Burns is at the Academy Awards, where despite having "bribed everyone in Hollywood," he loses out on an Oscar to George C. Scott in a remake of Man Getting Hit by Football.
Read more about this topic: A Star Is Burns
Famous quotes containing the word plot:
“We have defined a story as a narrative of events arranged in their time-sequence. A plot is also a narrative of events, the emphasis falling on causality. “The king died and then the queen died” is a story. “The king died, and then the queen died of grief” is a plot. The time sequence is preserved, but the sense of causality overshadows it.”
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