"I thought we had made big strides last year, but apparently not big enough," the Oscar-winning ("Rain Man") producer told Foundas (who referred to the omission of "4 Months" as "a date that shall live in Academy Awards infamy").

We spoke with three foreign language committee members to get the other side, and all were perplexed by the outcry at their choices.

"I voted for Austria, Canada, Italy and Poland among the films that made the final list, and I saw over 50 movies," one voter who has been on the committee since 1993 told us. "I did not like '4 Months.' I thought it was depressing. I've lived through the whole abortion thing. I didn't get anything out of it."

This same voter gave low scores to "City of God" as well saying, "I thought it was so violent. Who needs to watch 11-year-old kids killing people?"

When asked if the committee needs an overhaul, the member was adamantly opposed.

"I don't think theycan change the committee. It takes such a big commitment. Anyway the list (of nine finalists) did not disappoint me. I am very proud of the group and my work on it. I do it diligently and I care."

Because of the time commitment, many members are either retired or between jobs.

There is no "peer group" within the academy for Foreign Language so it is strictly a volunteer group, broken into four sections that view the entries, a minimum of 12 per person in order to have their votes count.

One publicist and academy member who has represented many foreign films in the past agrees it would be tough to change the way foreign films are selected and get younger, more active members involved on a larger canvass.

"Look, the majority of the academy probably doesn't care enough about foreign films to put in that much time judging them," he says. "They aren't employed by them. I'm amazed they get as many people to show up as they do."

Ah, The Season wouldn't be The Season without a little controversy.