• Tony and Pulitzer prize winner "August: Osage County" landed on Monday's short list for the Evening Standard awards honoring the best of West End theater. Also vying for the top prize of best play are "Enron," "Jerusalem" and "Punk Rock." Deanna Dunagan earned a nod for recreating her Tony-winning performance as a manic matriarch in "August" and competes against three British talents -- Penny Downie ("Helen"), Juliet Stevenson ("Duet for One") and Rachel Weisz ("A Streetcar Named Desire"). Unlike the Oliviers in the spring which are akin to the Tony Awards, these prizes sponsored by London's top-selling local paper focus primarily on plays. The awards -- judged by a panel of theater critics -- will be handed out in a Nov. 23 ceremony at the Royal Opera House. THE GUARDIAN
• It is hard to believe but we are just weeks away from the end of the first decade of the new millennium. Tim Teeman, Kevin Maher and Wendy Ide have compiled their list of the top 100 films of the last 10 years. Their pick for the top pic -- "Cache." Of the nine best picture Oscar winners to date this decade, "No Country for Old Men" (2007) ranks highest at third right behind "The Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum." "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008) sits at sixth, "Gladiator" (2000) merits 32nd place, "The Return of the King" (2003) straddles the halfway mark and "Crash" (2005) clocks in at #98. Missing from this list are "A Beautiful Mind" (2001), "Chicago" (2002), "Million Dollar Baby" (2004) and "The Departed" (2006). TIMES OF LONDON
• Dave Karger regards this weekend's rave reviews and record-breaking opening numbers for "Precious" through the prism of the Oscar race. As he says, "Considering all of this was accomplished by a film by a relatively new
director with no big movie stars in it, it’s an amazing achievement. It
was well on its way to becoming a Best Picture nominee already, but now 'Precious' is seeming more and more like a front-runner." However, as Dave asks: "Can it distinguish itself from 'Dreamgirls' (which missed out on a Best Picture nod) and 'Brokeback Mountain' (which lost to 'Crash') and actually win? Between 'Invictus,' 'The Hurt Locker.' 'The Lovely Bones,' 'Up in the Air,' and 'Nine,' it certainly seems to have some stiff competition." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
• Steve Pond sounds a warning bell about the awards prospects for "Precious" with this report: "Among the viewers who saw the film over the weekend, incidentally, were
a group of Academy members and guests at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater
Sunday evening. I hear that the AMPAS members screening drew a smallish
audience (about 300 in the 1,000-seat theater) but played well, with
the largest applause going to the film’s lead actresses, Gabourey
Sidibe and Mo’Nique. (Director Lee Daniels, in contrast, reportedly
didn’t prompt as much enthusiasm.) The size of the crowd suggests to me
that the film’s biggest problem will get getting Oscar voters to see it." THE ODDS
• On Nov. 5, the British Academy of Film and Television Los Angeles' (BAFTA/LA) Britannia Awards feted film legend Kirk Douglas, two-time Oscar champ Robert De Niro, "A Single Man" star Colin Firth, "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle and up-and-coming screen talent Emily Blunt. Among those feting the fab five were Amy Adams, Ewan McGregor, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ben Stiller. THE CIRCUIT
• Michael Cieply calculates the cost of bringing James Cameron's "Avatar" to the screen at a staggering half billion dollars. As he explains, "Published reports have put the production budget at more than $230 million. But the price tag would be higher if the financial contribution of Mr.
Cameron and others were included. When global marketing expenses are
added, 'Avatar' may cost its various backers $500 million." But fear not News Corp shareholders as "a pair of private equity partners -- Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Media -- pick up 60 percent of the budget." And "in a further hedge, Mr. Cameron would give up part of his own participation in the film’s returns if production costs
exceed a specified level, according to those who were briefed on the
film. If final production costs exceeded $300 million, for instance, Mr. Cameron would effectively defer much of his payout until the studio and others were compensated, despite his years of labor on the movie." NEW YORK TIMES
• Greg Ellwood doesn't even have "Avatar" among his top dozen picks for best picture. His top choice -- "Invictus." As Greg explains, "It has only been seen by some WB execs, but the buzz so far is more than good. More importantly, it has all the elements to build a consensus from Academy members (which is what wins the final price): an inspiring true story, a beloved Academy-friendly cast and a filmmaker in Clint Eastwood who many in the industry believe can do no wrong. And if it's half as good as the trailer, it's in. If it's as good and moving as the trailer? It's the absolute frontrunner. For now, we're betting on the latter." The rest of his top five -- "The Hurt Locker," "Precious," "Up in the Air" and "Up." HIT FIX
• It seems only appropriate that Kris Allen -- who won "American Idol" via a popular vote -- is part of Tuesday's line-up announcing those in the running for this year's People's Choice Awards. The rest of the readers of nominations are Cat Deeley ("So You Think You Can Dance"), Johnny Galecki ("The Big Bang Theory"), Jeff Probst ("Survivor") and Sofia Vergara ("Modern Family"). ZAP2IT
This chat aired this morning on CBS' "The Early Show" and is noteworthy for several reasons. It reveals how vastly different Gabby is as a person from the character she portrays on film. Thus, she's really acting up on that screen, not playing herself, as many people suspect. Second, she tattles on how she sneaked into a screening of "Precious" on Friday night in New York so she could observe audience reax to the film. I'm sure she's referring to the 7:30 p.m. showing at the Lincoln Square Cinema, where I moderated a Q&A discussion with director Lee Daniels after the film unspooled. That's where many of her "Precious" cohorts were too, including Lionsgate reps.
How sneaky! If only I'd known Gabby was hiding in the packed audience, we would've lured her to the front of the theater to join our yapfest. Memo to Gabby: You better get over your shyness soon. Derby season has just begun!
• Greg Ellwood analyzes the boffo box office of "Precious" and observes that the Oscar contender, "made box office history this weekend by posting the highest per screen average for a film in more than 10 theaters. The acclaimed drama made $1.8 million in only 18 theaters for an eye-popping $100,000-per-screen average." As Greg notes, "Historically, the only live action films to ever have a bigger per screen were 'Dreamgirls' and 'Brokeback Mountain,' but both those films debuted on only three and five screens with averages of $126,000 and $105,000 respectively." Writing about the upcoming wide release of the picture on Nov. 20 against "New Moon" -- the "Twilight" sequel -- Greg says, "In many ways it's a very smart decision on Lionsgate's part. The film can dominate the African American and upscale audiences that aren't 'New Moon's' primary demographic as well as siphon off older audiences that may not be inclined to see the 'Twilight' sequel. Moreover, because of all the buzz and word-of-mouth, 'Precious' should be one of those 'three times a year' pictures that finds infrequent moviegoers making their way to the neighborhood multiplex." Hit Fix
• Dave Karger wonders who was the best host of the Oscars this decade. Analyzing the ratings for each Oscarcast, Dave says, "part of me thinks it’s more about the movies than the host. Steve Martin drew almost 10 million more viewers when the blockbuster 'Gladiator' emerged victorious than when 'Chicago' waltzed away with the prize. My hunch is that Billy Crystal is the populist choice, and while his opening songs are always chuckle-worthy, I’ll take Martin’s deadpan style any day." Entertainment Weekly
• Ken Tucker thought teen singing sensation Taylor Swift "proved to be this season’s best 'Saturday Night Live' host so far. Whether shrewdly letting her Kate Gosselin wig do most of the acting during a typically pungent parody of 'The View,' or gleefully screeching while wearing braces in a public-service commercial satirizing texting-while-driving, Swift was always up for the challenge, seemed to be having fun, and helped the rest of the cast nail the punchlines." Could such strong reviews land Swift in the Emmy race for guest actress in a comedy series? Another singer -- Justin Timberlake -- made Emmy history this year as the first "SNL" host to win when he took the prize for guest actor in a comedy series. Entertainment Weekly
• Among the tasty tidbits in Lane Brown's interview with "Up" director Pete Docter is the helmer's response to the questions, "How much are awards on your mind right now? Will you be disappointed if 'Up' is not one of the ten Oscar nominees for Best Picture?" Replied the four-time Oscar bridesmaid, "Well, I'm trying not to think about it too much, because I really can't
affect anything one way or another. My work is done, the film is
completed. I mean, it's been really gratifying to see it play so well
all around the world, so I'm mostly focused on the next film that I
have in development already. New York
• "Mad Men" ended its third season on a high note, writes Robert Bianco. "In Sunday's swiftly paced, wildly enjoyable third season finale, we saw more of the real Don than we ever have, driven by a performance from Jon Hamm that combined his usual subtlety with a more open, passionate exuberance." Robert does note, "No season is perfect, and this one wasn't
either. The show missed having Joan and Sal around, even if their
departures made real-world sense. Some of the plot twists were a bit
heavy-handed (the death of Betty's father springs to mind) and some of
the dialogue could be gratingly opaque." However, he concludes, "overall, it was a terrific season, capped by a suitably terrific and surprising finale. I can't wait to see what lies behind the next one." USA Today
Because of differing release dates, the nominations for the 2009 European Film Awards, announced over the weekend at the Seville filmfest, span three years of Oscars eligibility. Contending for the top prize are last year's Oscar champ, "Slumdog Millionaire" -- which earned six nods -- as well as best pic nominee "The Reader." Also on the list are this year's French and German Oscar submissions for foreign film -- "A Prophet," which also earned six noms, and "The White Ribbon" -- and one of next year's hot releases: "Fish Tank" from Britain. Rounding out the list is "Let the Right One In," which Sweden passed over last year as its official Oscar entry in favor of "Everlasting Moments."
"Slumdog Millionaire" helmer Danny Boyle and scripter Simon Beaufoy -- who both won Oscars last year -- are nominees at this year's European Film Awards, which will be held on Dec. 12 in the German city of Essen. The other nods for "Slumdog" are a bid by Oscar-winning cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle -- also recognized for his work on "Antichrist" -- lead actor Dev Patel and as one of the 10 pics in the people's choice category. Some awards purists would argue that last nod -- for a prize won by popular vote rather than being bestowed by the academy's 2,000 members -- shouldn't count in the tally, but the official nominations list includes this category.
Two years ago, 2006 best actress Oscar champ Helen Mirren ("The Queen") ended an amazing awards run with a win at the European Film Awards. Among this year's crop of best actress nominees are last year's Oscar winner, Kate Winslet ("The Reader"). Her competition includes one current potential best actress nominee -- Penelope Cruz ("Broken Embraces") -- but not another -- Audrey Tautou ("Coco Before Chanel").
For the full list of nominations, visit the European Film Academy website.
Only two roles have been nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie. One was James Coco in "Only When I Laugh." (I'm not laughing — that's an outrage! 'Twas a great performance. Just campy.) What's the other? To see the answer, click the "Continue Reading" link underneath the photos.
Can you spot the three films featured below that won Oscars for best director, writer and lead actor or actress, but nonetheless failed to win best picture? The other movie pictured here also lost best picture, but didn't pull off those three top, compensatory victories. To see the answer, click on the "Continue reading" link underneath the photos.
Last year Bloomberg News featured a terrif video that tracked the process used to manufacture an Oscar statuette plus ratted on how much each one costs to make. Can you guess? To see the answer, click on the "Continue Reading" link underneath the blue box below.
Two of these stars below are tied for suffering the most Oscar snubs among actresses: six defeats, no wins. Can you name them? To see the answer, click the "Continue Reading" link underneath the photos.
• Dave Karger thinks "Precious" has a shot at landing at least five Oscar nods -- best picture, director, actress, supporting actress and screenplay. And he thinks, "Once people get past the strange concept of [Mariah] Carey as an Oscar contender, they won’t be able to deny the power of her few scenes as a social worker. If you ask me, she more than deserves to be in this [supporting actress] race." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
• However, in the latest edition of the weekly series "Oscar Futures" Lane Brown wonders, "Are these the first sounds of the long-anticipated backlash? New York's David Edelstein didn't love it and Armond White's over-the-top pan got more attention than the raves (and some even agree with him, a little)." As for the other races, Lane likes the looks of "Precious" star Gabourey Sidibe and late entry Jeff Bridges ("Crazy Heart") while wondering which, if any, of the women from "Nine" will make it into the race. VULTURE
• The Latin Grammys earned boffo ratings for Univision, drawing 12.8 million viewers. This 10th edition of the kudocast was up across all demographics compared to last year. Indeed, "the broadcast made Univision the #2 network for the night among Adults 18-34, attracting 2.0 million viewers and beating CBS, NBC, FOX and CW in the process. In addition, the awards show attracted an average of 6.0 million Total Viewers 2+ and took the #3 spot among Adults 18-49 with 3.5 million average viewers, beating NBC, FOX and CW for the entire night in that demo. In key local markets such as Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, and Phoenix, Univision stations were #1 for the night, regardless of language, among Total Viewers 2+." TV BY THE NUMBERS
• The academy is screening a new print of 1953 best picture winner "From Here to Eternity" on Nov. 18. This blockbuster adaptation of James Jones' bestseller won eight Oscars, including trophies for supporting players Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed. Among the 13 nominations for the picture were unsuccessful bids by leads Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr. "From Here to Eternity" is one of only two best picture winners to boast nominations across all four acting categories, the other being 1942 champ "Mrs. Miniver." Also in the "Eternity" cast was Ernest Borgnine in his first significant film role. Now 92, Borgnine will join in a discussion after the academy screening. Two years after "Eternity," Borgnine won the best actor Oscar for "Marty," the 1955 best pic winner which was co-produced by Lancaster. AMPAS
• Peter Knegt offers his take on the Oscar race, noting that, "At this point, I think we can say with 99.9% certainty that three films are in: Kathryn Bigelow’s 'The Hurt Locker,' Jason Reitman’s 'Up In The Air,' and Lee Daniels' 'Precious.'" Beyond that Peter thinks, "there are roughly 17 films with something of a chance at the remaining 7 slots, some of them much better off than others ('An Education' and 'Up,' for example, are looking pretty good right now)." INDIE WIRE
• Paul Gaita reports that the winners of the inaugural AFI Fest New Lights Competition are Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" and Javier Rebollo's "Woman Without Piano," with a special jury mention given to Scandar Copti's and Yaron Shani's "Ajami." The competition was created to honor groundbreaking features by first- and second-time directors from around the world. The awards were presented by jury chair Angela Bassett. Other jurors included actress/director Julie Delpy, journalist Bill Krohn and filmmaker Yonfan. THE CIRCUIT
• "The Cove" -- Louie Psihoyos' controversial film about the Japanese dolphin hunt -- leads with seven nominations at the third annual Cinema Eye Honors. "Burma VJ" and "October Country" each earned five nods while "Food, Inc." has four and "Loot" landed three bids. These kudos feting the best in non-fiction filmmaking will be handed out Jan. 10 in Gotham. Nominees were determined by documentary programmers from various filmfests. CINEMA EYE HONORS
• Todd Martens reports that the Nov. 22 kudocast of the American Music Awards just added Rihanna to the lineup of performers. Other acts announced Friday for the ABC programming staple are Green Day, Shakira, Mary J. Blige and Keith Urban. Previously announced performers include Lady Gaga, Eminem, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Lopez, the Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry and Adam Lambert. POP & HISS
Following Tuesday's announcement of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin as co-hosts of the Oscars, Gold Derby noted that when the academy used multiple hosts most recently, there was at least one woman in the mix. So, we wondered, why aren't these two male costars of the upcoming "It's Complicated" going to be joined by their leading lady -- Meryl Streep -- in emceeing the awards?
Turns out that the all-time leader in acting nominations (15) was not invited to join in the fun, her PR rep Leslee Dart tells Gold Derby. Why wouldn't the academy have at least asked one of their favorites for a dance? After all, we know Streep can kick up her heels -- she certainly shimmied and shook in last years' box office smash "Mamma Mia!" -- and she can belt out a tune with the best -- she earned a 1990 best actress Oscar nod for her warbling in "Postcards From the Edge."
Twice in the recent past, Streep has shown herself to be quite adept at playing herself at the Oscar podium. At the 2005 awards, she and Lily Tomlin spoofed the trademark overlapping dialogue perfected by director Robert Altman when presenting him with an honorary Oscar. And three years earlier, she was charming as she feted Peter O'Toole with his honorary award.
And for those worried about mixing business with pleasure should Streep land her 16th Oscar nod this year for either "Julie & Julia" or "It's Complicated," remember that the last time the academy used multiple hosts -- in 1986 -- one of the trio of emcees was "Crocodile Dundee" star Paul Hogan, who was also a nominee that year. Hogan had earned an original screenplay nod for the hit comedy. When he and his co-writers were bested by Woody Allen for "Hannah and Her Sisters," Hogan made losing into a winning Oscar moment. Hogan's co-hosts were a pair of one-time costars -- from "Foul Play" Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn.
• Yvonne Villarreal reports from Thursday's 10th annual Latin Grammys held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and aired on Univision: Puerto Rican alt-hip-hop duo Calle 13 went five-for-five at the awards, winning both album of the year for their politically charged third offering, "Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo," as well as record of the year for "No Hay Nadie Como Tú." The duo -- René Pérez, who raps as Residente, and stepbrother Eduardo José Cabra Martínez, who performs under the name Visitante -- led this year's nominations. They also won best urban music album, best short-form music video for “La Perla" featuring Panamanian salsa singer Ruben Blades and best alternative song for "No Hay Nadie Como Tú," a collaboration with Mexico City rockers Cafe Tacuba. This brings their Latin Grammy total to 10. Other notable winners included Laura Pausini, who took home best female pop vocal album for "Primavera Anticipada"; Vicente Fernández, who won best ranchero album for "Primera Fila"; Luis Enrique, who won best salsa album for "Ciclos"; and Wisin y Yandel, who left with best urban song for "Abusadora." POP & HISS
• Steve Pond delivers a compelling read on the secret road to qualifying for the Oscars. Says Steve: "For filmmakers who want to be in the Oscar race and don’t have the clout of a big studio behind them, a handful of out-of-the-way multiplexes run by Laemmle Theaters and scattered across Los Angeles County may be the gates to the promised land." As he notes, "When director Raul Garcia and Kandor Moon wanted to get their film 'The Missing Lynx' into the Oscar feature-animation race, they ran it for a week at Laemmle’s Town Center 5 complex in Encino. When the makers of another animated feature, 'A Town Called Panic,' sidestepped a balky distributor to enter the same race, they did so by booking a week at the Claremont 5 complex in the San Gabriel Valley." THE ODDS
• Beyonce won over both the crowd and the voters at Thursday's MTV Europe Music Awards, wowing with a performance of "Sweet Dreams" and winning three trophies -- best song ("Halo"), best video ("Single Ladies") and best female. For the latter award, she edged out Leona Lewis, Lady Gaga, Shakira and the show's host, Katy Perry. While Perry may have lost her two bids, Veronica Schmidt says she made for a winning emcee, "making 12 costume changes, including a revealing red and black outfit, which her new boyfriend, British comedian and West Ham fan Russell Brand immediately claimed, via Twitter, was a nod to his beloved club." Perry skewered no-show Kanye West during the announcement for best urban act by interrupting his video clip to say she had one of the best nomination interruptions of all time. West went on to lose the award to Jay-Z. THE TIMES OF LONDON
• Richard Rushfield makes merry with the news that Oscar-winning helmer Danny Boyle is following up "Slumdog Millionaire" with "127 Hours" -- the story of Aron Ralston, "the hiker who spent five days trapped under a boulder until he amputated his own arm to escape." As Richard observes, "That pitch may not be the sort of thing people generally think of when looking for thrilling real-life stories brought to life on the big screen, but if Hollywood is now open to the great moments of tedium or mundanity of human experience, we thought we'd take a look around and find what other gems are sitting out there today, just ready for their close-ups." Among his saucy suggestions: "Hands Down" which he deftly describes as: "In a time of influenza, a former public health commissioner dares to speak the truth about people who don't cover their mouths when they sneeze." GAWKER
• Pete Hammond weighs in on the double act of Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin to emcee this year's Oscarcast, as well as the Globes going with a host for the first time in a long time: "I think Ricky Gervais is an inspired choice for the fun, looser atmosphere of the Globes, and my take on Martin/Baldwin is totally positive. Martin has proved to be one of Oscar's wittiest and most urbane hosts in the two times he's been at bat, and Baldwin is a hoot. I did a Q&A with Baldwin last spring at the Landmark for his indie film, 'Lymelife,' and he had the place roaring. As he has proved many times as host of 'SNL,' he's a natural. By going to a two-host format for the first time in over half a century, Oscar producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman have tapped into a concept that's fresh but still within the Academy's DNA. NOTES ON A SEASON
• Dave Karger thinks the last-minute entry of "Crazy Heart" -- "starring Jeff Bridges in what’s said to be a career-best performance" -- into the Oscar derby could shake up the best actor race. As Dave observes: "'Up in the Air’s" George Clooney and "A Single Man’s" Colin Firth are the closest things we’ve got to locks at this point, while Morgan Freeman’s role as Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood’s "Invictus" seems quite promising as well. If Bridges is as much of a shoo-in as I’m hearing, then that leaves only one slot for the taking, meaning that most of the other top contenders -- "Nine’s" Daniel Day-Lewis, "The Hurt Locker’s" Jeremy Renner, "A Serious Man’s" Michael Stuhlbarg and "The Informant’s" Matt Damon -- could very well end up without an invite to the big show." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
• DVD screeners of "Trucker" -- starring best actress contender Michelle Monaghan -- were shipped to the acting branch of the academy this week. Screeners have also gone out to the SAG nominating committee as well as the HFPA and the various critics groups.
• Jeff Welles adds his voice to the debate about the merits of a late entry into the best actress race: "While I have concerns about aspects of Michael Hoffman's 'The Last Station,' I certainly understand and agree with the Helen Mirren-for-best-actress thing. Her performance as Sofya Tolstoy is a little florid and breathless, but I think that's appropriate given who she is, what she is and what she's up against. The role isn't the equal of Queen Elizabeth, but Mirren's spirit has a way of nourishing the moment. She's enormous fun to hang with, as well as the one to hang on to and believe in." HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE
Already our savvy forum moderators gave us their gutsy Oscars predix for best picture and lead actress. Now these pundits come out swinging over the lead actors' slugfest: Chris "Boomer" Beachum, Matthew "Boidiva02" Cormier, Darrin "DoubleD" Dortch,Robert "Rob L" Licuria, Andrew "andrew" Pickett and Paul Sheehan. Read the reax of our regular forum posters here.
Personally, my own picks are Jeff Bridges, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Colin Firth and Viggo Mortensen. I'd like to add Freeman to my lineup too, but I have a hunch that it's probably an emotionally reserved role, like Nelson Mandela in real life, and maybe even a supporting one. I have a sneaky suspicion that Warner Bros. is pushing Freeman in the lead category for "Invictus" so he doesn't compete against costar Matt Damon, who is being shoved down to supporting so that he doesn't compete against his rival lead performance in Warner Bros.'s "The Informant!" Just a suspicion. No proof — yet. But this Damon setup looks a lot like the same mess involving Leonardo DiCaprio caught between clashing Warner Bros. films "The Departed" and "Blood Diamond."
LEAD ACTOR
Beachum
Cormier
Dortch
Licuria
Pickett
Sheehan
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
X
X
X
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
X
X
X
X
X
X
Matt Damon, "The Informant!"
X
X
Johnny Depp, "Public Enemies"
X
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Nine"
X
X
X
X
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
X
X
X
X
X
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
X
X
X
Viggo Mortensen, "The Road"
X
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
X
X
X
Sam Rockwell, "Moon"
X
Michael Stuhlbarg, "A Serious Man"
X
Photos from left: Morgan Freeman in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.), Colin Firth in "A Single Man" (Weinstein Co.), George Clooney in "Up in the Air" (Paramount)
BEST PICTURE: After building up amazing early buzz, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" finally burst out of the derby gate this past week at the AFI Fest. And it emerged as a major contender in many top races. As Pete Hammond reported, "The gala premiere at Grauman's Chinese had all the trappings of an end-of-season victory party rather than an early November awards season launch. Stars like Jamie Foxx and Will Smith turned up on the red carpet, admitting the incredible advance hype about the movie drew them there." This weekend it opens in limited release in theaters in L.A. New York, Chicago and Atlanta, then gradually it expands nationally.
The Oscars have never nominated a documentary feature for best picture, but Michael Jackson's "This Is It" could be it in terms of a breakthrough, based upon the enthusiastic response it got at its packed-to-the-rafters academy screening this week. Personally, I don't believe that it can happen, but a spy reported to Gold Derby, "Audience broke into applause at least 10 times. They were 'mesmerized' and gave film an enormous reception as credits rolled."
BEST ACTOR & ACTRESS: In the aftermath of the crash experienced by "Amelia's" Oscar hopes, Fox Searchlight mounted a brisk studio rescue mission by deciding to jam "Crazy Heart" in the derby at the last minute and cranking up its campaign support behind "(500) Days of Summer." Smart move. The academy is so crazy about Jeff Bridges that they nominate him for practically everything. Now, after four losses, he's overdue. Expect strong sentiment building for his role as a booze-addled country singer in "Crazy Heart," which could also reap a lead actress bid for Maggie Gyllenhaal as a journalist who, well, goes bonkers for him.
The heightened boost behind "(500) Days of Summer" is good news for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as awkward lovers in a romantic comedy so popular with viewers (it's getting major repeat biz in theaters) that Fox Searchlight hopes it might have another "Little Miss Sunshine" or "Juno" on its hands.
Suddenly joining the lead race is Sandra Bullock, who burns "up the screen as an upscale Southern woman who finds her heart and soul, who should finally earn some awards attention, according to Hammond's report on another late-derby entry, "The Blind Side."
Also surging forward in this homestretch in the closing weeks of 2009 is Saoirse Ronan, who, we hear, has overwhelming screen time in "The Lovely Bones" as a murder victim yearning for justice from the grave.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Speaking of Hammond, there was major news buried in his report on AFI Fest: he revealed that two more films — "The Missing Lynx" and "A Town Called Panic" — may qualify for Oscar considering, thus bringing the total to 17, one more than needed to expand the category to five nominees from three. Steve Pond of TheWrap did excellent, expanded reportage on "Lynx," "Panic" and what this latest news means to the battle over best animated feature.
• Hey Jude Law, don't look so sad. So what if your performance as "Hamlet" didn't make it onto Monday's long list of contenders for the Evening Standard kudos in London's West End. The Broadway transfer of the Donmar Warehouse production is a bona fide hit. Gordon Cox reports that the show already has recouped the $2.5 million capitalization with one month still to go in the limited run. As he notes, "Auds have never quite packed the house -- the highest weekly attendance figure posted so far is around 90% -- but average ticket price has been unusually high, indicating that the combination of Law and the melancholy Dane is something people are willing to shell out for." VARIETY
• And Jude, Darcel Rockett thinks the upcoming "Sherlock Holmes" looks like a smash, and not just because he is a huge fan of lead Robert Downey Jr. As he says, "In the new, much juicier trailer, Watson (Jude Law) shows why he's so invaluable to his crime-solving counterpart. It's not because he's the strong, silent type." And as Darcel notes, "Check it out and you'll see why there are already talks to do a sequel starring Brad Pitt as the Great Detective's nemesis, Prof. James Moriarty, a London criminal nicknamed 'the Napoleon of crime' in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. ZAP2IT
• Nicole Sperling dishes with producer Adam Shankman about pairing up two-time host Steve Martin with newcomer Alec Baldwin to emcee the Oscarcast: "The two of them have a fantastic, ongoing comic relationship, both through 'SNL' and they just did a movie together. And I know that they really adore and respect each other. Plus, I know
that they’ll be hilarious. I wanted there to be extra comedy in the
show. It will keep it high entertainment. People will just be really
curious as to what’s going to come out of Alec Baldwin’s mouth." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
• Sasha Stone has compiled an intriguing wish list of five would-be Oscars contenders she hopes don't get lost in the shuffle: the screenplays of "In the Loop" and "500 Days of Summer" and the performances of Jeremy Renner ("The Hurt Locker"), Sharlto Copley ("District 9") and Melanie Laurent ("Inglourious Basterds"). AWARDS DAILY
• Pete Hammond wonders whether, "this could be the year of Sandra Bullock." He touts Bullock's performance in the upcoming release "The Blind Side" -- "This could be her 'Erin Brockovich.' Just like the film that earned Julia Roberts her Oscar, this is a true life story about Leigh Anne Tuohy, an unstoppable force of nature who persuades her very white Southern family to take in a virtually homeless African American teen named Michael Oher (played by newcomer Quinton Aaron)." And Pete thinks, "It's entirely possible Bullock could even end up with two Golden Globe nominations this year if all the cards line up, one for actress in a comedy or musical for 'The Proposal' and one for actress in a drama for 'The Blind Side.' And in the ever-fluid lineup of best actress Oscar candidates this year she has a real shot if Warners gets it out there to the acting community. NOTES ON A SEASON
• That sassy Dave Karger remembers that three years ago his EW colleague Owen Gleiberman -- who gave an 'A' to "Precious" -- thought the director's first feature -- "Shadowboxer" -- merited a mere 'F.' As Dave observes, "If there were an Oscar for Most Improved Director, Daniels would be a lock. A nomination for plain old Best Director may just have to suffice." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
• The 41st annual NAACP Image Awards will be handed out Feb. 26 at the Shrine Auditorium with the kudocast airing live on Fox. Nominations for this awards show which "recognizes the artistic achievements of people of color while honoring projects and individuals that promote diversity in the arts" will be announced in L.A. on Jan. 6. NAACP
• Greg Ellwood was wowed by Jeff Bridges' performance as down-on-his luck country singer Bad Blake in Wednesday's screening of "Crazy Heart." The pic -- from first-time director Scott Cooper -- could be a late entry for Fox Searchlight in this year's Oscar derby. And says Greg, "the film's biggest asset is Bridges' charismatic and multi-layered performance as Blake. This easily could have slipped into caricature,
but Bridges makes Bad an incredibly real and sympathetic figure (even
with all his faults)." HIT FIX
• Anne Thompson was equally impressed with Bridges: "Like Nic Cage in 'Leaving Las Vegas' (which won him the best actor Oscar), Bridges lets it all hang out as a raging alcoholic who you care about." Adds Anne, "Bridges makes the most of playing musician Bad Blake: the role takes advantage of Bridges’ guitar-playing and singing (he’s performed songs in six of his movies). With engaging stars and an accessible country soundtrack (with five original songs) supervised by T. Bone Burnett, the movie has commercial potential between the coasts, with or without the Oscar." THOMPSON ON HOLLYWOOD
• With all the attention paid to the Oscars, it is easy to forget that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences works year-round to promote and preserve films. On Wednesday, the academy foundation announced $450,000 in grants to two dozen film festivals around the country. As the academy notes, "While the grants are awarded for a variety of festival programs, organizers are encouraged to submit proposals intended to make festival events more accessible to the general public, provide greater access to minority and less visible filmmakers, and help strengthen the connection between filmmakers and the general public." AMPAS
After piping in with their Oscars predix for best pix on Tuesday, our forums' moderators now stick out their thin, tender, trembling necks to forecast the best-actress race. Chris "Boomer" Beachum, Matthew "Boidiva02" Cormier, Darrin "DoubleD" Dortch,Robert "Rob L" Licuria, Andrew "andrew" Pickett and Paul Sheehan.
Only two actresses get the bets of all of these pundits: Carey Mulligan ("An Education") and Helen Mirren ("The Last Station"). Yeah, I'm sure they're right about that duo. Those not putting their derby dollars down on Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire") and Saoirse Ronan ("The Lovely Bones") will regret it later. Personally, my fifth pick is Marion Cotillard ("Nine"). Check out our forums to see who other Derbyites are betting on in general; read reax to these specific predix here. Early fave to win is Sidibe, I think. Here are the views of 16 film journos we polled on the best-pic race.
BEST ACTRESS
Beachum
Cormier
Dortch
Licuria
Pickett
Sheehan
Abbie Cornish, "Bright Star"
X
X
X
Marion Cotillard, "Nine"
X
X
Penelope Cruz, "Broken Embraces"
X
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
X
X
X
X
X
X
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
X
X
X
X
X
X
Saoirse Ronan, "The Lovely Bones"
X
X
Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
X
X
X
X
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"
X
X
X
X
X
Hilary Swank, "Amelia"
X
Photos: From left, Carey Mulligan in "An Education." Credit: Sony Pictures Classics. Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious." Credit: Lionsgate
Our forum commenters have been reacting to Tuesday's news that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are to host next year's Oscars. Unlike the Oscar bloggers -- who generally endorsed the academy's decision -- the commenters are more evenly divided as to the merits of these two men as co-hosts. We will get a sneak peek at how well Martin and Baldwin work together in the Christmas release "It's Complicated." They play rivals for the affections of Meryl Streep. While they might win over that Oscar darling, some of our commenters remain unconvinced.
seanflynn was the first to voice an opinion: Martin is a perfect choice, and Baldwin we'll see, but I have an open mind about him.
OnMyBirthday: the more I let it sink in, the more I can them having a nice rapport together. I just don't see how this gets Oscar those younger viewers it's after.
oscarnutlen: What a pleasant surprise to have steve and alec host the oscars..Doesnt
that bode well for Meryl Streep...since her 2 co-stars of "It's
Complicated" are hosting the oscars..wouldnt it be nice if she won her
3rd oscar...while steve and alec were praising her from the stage.
rl:emmy lover: i am very excited for this. i loved steve as host in the past and i
think these two will be great playing against each other. it will be
funny to see steve talk about not hosting alone this time.
LKMOscar: wouldn't be surprised if this was a very funny ceremony. Alec has been
great on SNL, so we know he can do live. I am just nervous that this
won't excite younger viewers.
puxzkkx: I loved Martin's hosting of the 75th ceremony. Hopefully this will be more fun than the last 6 years' shows.
awardshq: I don't like the idea of the two hosts and after Hugh Jackman did an
amazing job, I think that having a great showman host. Neil Patrick
Harris has been amazing the past 2 shows he has hosted and this should
have been his job, I guess I can take some comfort in knowing that Tina
Fey isn't hosting.
caresa: As much as I want this to work out, methinks this is going to be very
bad. Yes, they've both been really successful at hosting duties at SNL
but this is entirely an different animal. This is the Oscars! I don't
know it this A & B combo will work out. They both have big egos and
would want to have lots of air time. I know that at the end of the day,
they'll probably share equal time, but I can easily see trouble arising
ahead.
atypical: Steve Martin could have handled hosting duties alone. Don't like the 2 hosts idea at all.
Jassan: Steve Martin was on my list of possibilities. I figured with his album
out and his current press tour, he wouldn't be opposed to getting back 'out there'. Glad to see him in the mix. Baldwin is hit and
miss for me. Always has been. I hope Martin is the clear lead in the
hosting duties. But I imagine they'll break it up pretty evenly.
outsider: I am disappointed with these choices. Alec Baldwin is often
insufferable. His presence will probably diminish my enjoyment of the
show. Of course my opinion doesn't mean anything. He is beloved in
Hollywood and people here really like him. I just wonder why Adam
Shankman thinks he has "such a young following". I was excited when I read they were going for a two-host format, but I never expected they would choose two white men over 50.
Bondzz: It will be interesting to see how these two will work together. I'm
delighted that Steve Martin is taking up hosting duties again. Pairing
with Baldwin might either be good or not. I'm sure that they will pair
off well, if they have a healthy relationship off-screen. We have
people like Billy Crystal/Robin Williams who could be a riot when
paired up.
Photo: Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin and Lake Bell in "It's Complicated." Credit: Universal
Like lots of Quentin Tarantino flicks, "Inglourious Basterds" has so many outrageous, quirky elements that it could easily qualify in the comedy categories at the Golden Globes, but the Weinstein Co. will opt for drama. Ultimate classification will be determined by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.'s qualification committee, but it usually defers to what Harvey and Quentin want. Both installments of "Kill Bill," Vol. 1" and "Vol. 2," plus "Pulp Fiction" were entered as dramas and rubber-stamped by the committee in years past.
Steve Martin has hosted the Oscars twice in the past — 2003 (honoring films released in 2002) and two years earlier. He did a superb job both times. His shining moment came in 2003 when he singled out Mickey Rooney — who was situated far back in the audience — and said during the opening monologue, "I'm sorry we couldn't get you a better seat, but Vin Diesel is here!"
• Shira Levine caught up with last year's Oscar host Hugh Jackman Tuesday night and got his first response to this year's double act of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin: "I had no idea they were. You are breaking the news to me. They are both fantastic. Steve actually gave
me a lot of funny hints last year. I rang him and he was really
helpful. He is really funny and he knows what he's doing. He's done
this before. Alec Baldwin is also a true genius. I think the both of
them together have hosted 'Saturday Night Live' like 100 times, so you know they must be funny." NEW YORK
• Steven Zeitchik reports that Fox Searchlight is gauging reaction to Wednesday's screening of the country-music drama "Crazy Heart" before deciding whether to push this planned 2010 release into this year's Oscar race. Based on Thomas Cobb’s novel, the pic -- dubbed the singing "Wrestler" -- from first-time director Scott Cooper tells the story of "a washed-up country
singer (Jeff Bridges) who gets his life back on track thanks to the help of
a female reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and a close but complicated relationship with a
younger country star (Colin Farrell)." RISKY BUSINESS
• Steve Pond is keeping a close eye on the animated feature Oscar race and reports that it just got entry No. 17 -- "A Town Called Panic." As Gold Derby reported last month, Zeitgeist Films -- the American distributor of the French-Belgian co-production -- had not scheduled the required L.A. qualifying run. Steve tell us that filmmakers Stephane Aubier and Vincent Patar took matters into their own hands, signed the Oscar submission and booked the film into the Claremont 5 -- "a
low-profile, out-of-the-way theater, to be sure, but one frequently
used for Oscar-qualifying runs. It’ll play there between December 11
and December 17." But remember, even crossing the threshold of 16 entries doesn't guarantee there will be five films that pass muster with the screening committee. THE ODDS
• "Everybody's Fine" certainly doesn't reflect the thinking of Greg Ellwood who reports: "Before tonight's premiere at Los Angeles' AFI Film Fest there was hope
the tale of a widowed man who travels the country to reconnect with his
children could put Robert De Niro back in the Oscar game, but that's a pipe dream now. The movie is a mess in so many ways that neither the
legendary actor or the stars who play his children -- Sam Rockwell,
Drew Barrymore and Kate Beckinsale -- can save it. In fact, the more the picture goes on you start to wonder 'What convinced any of them
sign on to this?' " HIT FIX
• According to Mariah Carey, director Lee Daniels originally wanted his "Shadowboxer" leading lady Helen Mirren to play her part of the social worker in "Precious." Paul Gaita found this interesting tidbit in an interview that the Grammy winner and possible Oscar contender gave to the UK's Sunday Mirror. THE CIRCUIT
• While Dame Helen won't be in the running for a supporting nod for "Precious," Dave Karger says she could well make her way into the best actress race. He considers her work in "The Last Station" to be the strongest from the trio of last-minute contenders, the others being Brenda Blethyn ("London River") and Bryce Dallas Howard ("The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond"). Says Dave, "Of the three, I’d give Mirren the edge; her performance as Leo Tolstoy’s wife, Sophia, is fiery and intense, and she’s got Sony Pictures Classics releasing the film. But with other promising contenders yet to be seen ('Nine's Marion Cotillard, 'The Lovely Bones' Saoirse Ronan), scoring a nomination as a last-minute contender is definitely going to be an uphill battle." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Subscribe
