The Oscars may be over but it’s not too late to see some of the big winning films from last night.
One movie that has been getting a lot of buzz since last night’s ceremony is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as it was nominated for seven Oscars – including best picture.
Sam Rockwell and Frances McDormand also won for best supporting actor and best actress for their work in the film and since her win, Frances has been getting high praise for her acceptance speech in which she asked all the female nominees to stand with her and called for more inclusion in the film industry.
Too familiar: Someone suggested the plot for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was stolen from Billboard Dad in a tweet
Oscar nominated: Billboard Dad was never nominated for an Oscar but Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was nominated for seven
But despite the many nominations and wins, one woman believed the plot for the film sounded a little bit too familiar to the 90s Mary-Kate and Ashley classic Billboard Dad.
In a Twitter post, Jill Gutowitz of Los Angeles jokingly suggested that the story line for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was in fact stolen from Billboard Dad. The tweet said: ‘As the Oscars draw near, I feel as though something needs to be said about the irresponsibility of Three Billboards.’
She then goes on to explain how the plot and Frances McDormand’s character, Mildred Hayes, was inspired by everyone’s favorite twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
The tweet said: ‘Martin McDonagh stole the plot of Three Billboards from 1998 cinematic tour de force Billboard Dad, in which Mary-Kate and Ashley re-purpose a local billboard as a personal ad for their lonesome father.’
‘You might’ve been stunned by Frances McDormand’s brutal portrayal of Mildred Hayes. Many people don’t know this, but the character was actually inspired by MK & A’s Tess & Emily Tyler, two bull-headed women who stopped at nothing in pursuit of righteousness for their bloodline.’
Inspiration: The Twitter thread said that the real inspiration for Mildred Hayes came from ‘MK & A’s Tess & Emily Tyler’
Blazed the trail: According to the Twitter thread Mary-Kate and Ashley were the original ‘feminist warriors’
The thread then went on to acknowledge some of the criticism the movie has faced and noted that she couldn’t ‘hold my tongue any longer’.
The tweet read: ‘I’ve seen some very powerful and valid criticism of Three Billboards, but I can’t hold my tongue any longer: Mary-Kate and Ashley were the first women to erect a billboard demanding justice for a greater cause.’
‘I’m so glad we’re finally telling stories about persistent, driven, complex women, but let’s not forget the feminist warriors who blazed the trail for actresses like Frances McDormand. Thank you.’
Since the thread was shared it has gotten more than 1,000 likes and 358 retweets along with comments from people who also agree that the Billboard Dad is a timeless classic.
One person tweeted: ‘Billboard Dad: A true classic’ while another person 100 per cent agreed with the thread and said: ‘Honestly, where is the lie?’
And then there were those that took the time to clearly showcase the ‘cinematic parallels’ between the two movies by placing similar scenes from the movies side by side.
A true classic: People took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the Billboard Dad
No lie: Another person tweeted that there was only truth in the Twitter thread
Cinematic Parallels: Someone even shared scenes from the movies alongside each other
Never forget: Someone tweeted to never forget the time their grandma watched Billboard Dad ‘over and over again’
Impeccable taste: Another person tweeted that only ‘plebes’ liked Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Grandparents were even getting involved in the discussion over which movie reigned supreme. One person tweeted: ‘Recently asked my grandma if she saw three billboards yet and she said “no but I did see billboard dad over, and over, and over again” nvr [sic] forget.’
And lastly, someone even called out those who thought that Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was a better movie compared to Billboard Dad in a tweet that said: ‘You, a plebe: three billboards starring Frances Mcdormand.’
‘Me, impeccable taste: billboard dad starring Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.’
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri tells the story of Mildred Hayes, played by Frances McDormand, who, after months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, makes a bold move, and paints three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby, the town’s revered chief of police.
And while the plot for Billboard Dad isn’t as intense and was never nominated for an Oscar, fans believe that it is still a classic and that deserves praise and recognition.