Oscar Discussion

Cafe Society
1

What, it’s almost 9am (Central) an no one has started on Oscar thread yet?

For the first time in a long time I am excited about this year’s Oscars. It seems that the Academy has finally decided to widen its horizons beyond the “traditional” Oscar fare and included the fantastic (“Lord of the Rings”), adventurous (“Master and Commander”), and even wacky (Johnny Depp’s performance in “Pirates of the Caribbean”) in their nominations. I personally think this is a good sign and I’m pulling for Depp to win the best actor award. Just because a performance is wacky and silly doesn’t mean it’s not a great performance – and in this case, I think it really was.

Comments? Discussion?

2

I am very happy that Depp got his first nomination - he has been overlooked for far too long. It is definitely nice to see that City of God get a few nominations, including best director (the best movie I have seen in a long time).
WTF is up with Seabiscuit getting a best pic nomination? Overblown piece of…Well at least the acadamy didn’t disappoint in confirming the notion that they can be clueless.

3

After all the buzz, I’m surprised to see Big Fish nearly shut out of the nominations, gaining only a nomination for Original Score.

4

BTW, here’s a link to all the nominations.

5

Did you hear that sound? That was Harvey Weinstein’s head exploding.

6

I was also happy to see Bill Murray’s Best Actor nomination – it seems unusual to have two actors from comedies amongst the five, but I’m sure someone will correct me on that misapprehension soon enough. I was glad Jack Nicholson didn’t get ANOTHER nomination, though I haven’t seen that film yet, so, who knows, maybe it’s not the prepackaged lunchmeat I think it is.

7

I was kinda hoping for Sean Astin for BSA (IMHO the most likely ROTK actor to get nominated)
Has any other movie won best pic with no acting noms?

Also no nom for Andrew Lesnie (Cinematography)

Ngilla gets 2 noms (ROTK and Last Samurai) wil they cancel out?

Pleasently surprised by Keisha Castle-Hughes (in that OTHER New Zealand movie)
Brian

8

My predictions, now that the list has been narrowed down:

Best Picture: TRotK, not because it was the best picture, but because the Academy finally has to acknowledge what an achievment this has been.
Best Actor: Bill Murray, because he’s gotten older and is so very different than the guy who did Caddyshack. The Academy loves that.
Best Actress: Charlize Theron. Typical Oscar performance.
Best Direction: Jackson
Supporting Actor: Ken Watanabe.
Supporting Actress: Holly Hunter. This will be the only award for Mystic River.
Best foreign: Not beacause I’m Swedish, but I really think ‘Evil’ will win, mostly because it’s the type of movie the Academy likes.
Adapted Screenplay: TRotK.
Original screenplay: Sofia Copppola for Lost in Translation.
Animated: Can enything stop Nemo?
Jackson will get a box full of technical awar5ds too, making the total 8.

9

I was happy with Depp’s nomination. He owned Pirates of the Caribbean.

Big suprise was City of God. It was a great film but all I expected it to get was a best foreign film selection. The Best Director, Cinematography and Editing nominations are well deserved.

10

At least these four movies have:

**An American in Paris ** (1951)

**Gigi ** (1958)

The Last Emperor (1987)

Braveheart (1995)

…

I think some older movies have also acheived this (Eve?)

11

Interesting comments so far. And it seems as tho it will actually be an interesting Oscar race. I know they are not important in the grand scheme of things, but they are the most remembered movie awards. So - I’m thrilled that Johnny Depp got nominated. I don’t care that he probably won’t win - it’s the recognition for him as an actor and recognizing a comedic role that counts. Also it’s great that Keisha Castle-Hughes was nominated - hopefully this will bring more attention to Whale Rider. I have my fingers crossed for Peter Jackson, Lord of the Rings, and Howard Shore, but am not counting my chickens. (But I really really really hope they win).

12

I was surprised but glad to see Keisha Castle-Hughs get recognized for Whale Rider. That was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen by a kid. It was hard to believe she was an actress and not really that character. The scene at the school recital when she performed through her tears for her absent grandfather was heartbreaking and didn’t seem the slightest bit staged or “acted.”

I’m surprised that Sean Astin didn’t get recognized for ROTK. I thought he was a shoo-in.

13

I’ll second your surprise about Astin. I didn’t mention it before because, well, I’m a bit of a LotR fan and thought perhaps my bias in the issue made me overlook the performances of the other nominees for BSA. If I don’t take my obvious bias into account, then Astin is the only possible winner for this category! :cool:

14

I’m surprised Nicole Kidman wasn’t nominated for Cold Mountain, but happy to see Samantha Morton recognized for In America.

And I’m ecstatic that Tom Cruise didn’t get a Best Actor nod. Bill Murray will definitely win this category.

Also glad that “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow” got a nom for Best Original Song. It really is a sweet song, and the best moment of the film is when Levy and O’Hara sing it together.

15

I’m shocked by the noms, more for who was omitted than who was included. Younger academy voters obviously got their hands in a bit more this year, but where the hell is Scarlett Johannsen? Two Golden Globe noms, two SAG noms, two of the most acclaimed roles of the year and she’s shut out entirely?

Where is Peter Dinklage, who did such an amazing piece of work in The Station Agent? Maria Bello for The Cooler? Jennifer Connelley, without whom Ben Kingsley would’ve sucked in HoSaF? Hope Davis for her understated luminence in American Splendor?

Where are the acting noms for Seabiscuit, William H. Macy if no one else – how can it (and Master and Commander get a Best Pic nom without any nominable acting?

And where, where, where is Big Fish*, Tim Burton and Ewan McGregor?!

It’s like Academy Voters didn’t go to see movies this year, they’ve dropped these noms based upon names that have gotten the most time on Entertainment Tonight or something. I’m gravely disappointed.

My predictions:
Best Picture: TRotK, – wrongly so, IMO, this award should not go to this movie, but it will because they’ve been waiting to see how the whole trilogy played out before awarding it

Best Actor: Bill Murray – for the “turn around”

Best Actress: Charlize Theron – the absence of Scarlett in this category, her only real competition, makes her a complete shoo-in.

Best Direction: Peter Jackson – because Sofia Coppola is going to have to be screwed over in order to pacify the LotK people

Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins – with prayers that he won’t be political in his speech

Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger – for three reasons a.) to make up for last year, aka the Russell Crowe awarding; b.) she was the only believable part of the otherwise lackluster and pathetic Cold Mountain, therefore she stood out; c.) as a combination sop and middle finger to the Weinsteins who thought that they had multiple noms and wins bought and paid for across all of the awards shows.

Best Foreign Language: The Barbarian Invasions - Canada

Adapted Screenplay: American Splendor

Original screenplay: Lost In Translation

Animated: Finding Nemo (though Triplets of Belleville was amazing and may sneak through)

Original Song: “Into the West” from TRotK

Original Score: Howard Shore for TRotK

Documentary Feature: The Fog of War

Documenary Short: Chernobyl Heart

Animated Short Film: Nibbles

Live Action Short Film: Two Soldiers

I agree that technical awards will go to TRotK fairly across the board, though Girl With a Pearl Earring will get Art Direction if there is even the slightest bit of justice involved in this process (which is questionable).

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A total tally:

11: LOTR: ROTK
10: Master and Commander
7: Cold Mountain, Seabiscuit
6: Mystic River
5: Pirates of the Carribean
4: City of God, Finding Nemo, The Last Samurai, Lost in Translation
3: Girl with a Pearl Earring, House of Sand and Fog, In America
2: The Barbarian Invasions, The Triplets of Belleville, 21 Grams

The Best English-language films to get zero nominations: Kill Bill, Vol. 1; Elephant; The Station Agent; The School of Rock; The Magdalene Sisters; Raising Victor Vargas; Shattered Glass

The Good
[ul][li]Screenplay nods for American Splendor and especially Dirty Pretty Things[/li][li]Song nominations for the wonderful “Kiss at the End of the Rainbow” and “The Triplets of Belleville” (which should be kick-ass live)[/li][li]10 nods for Master and Commander[/li][li]Surprise acting nods for Keisha Castle-Hughes and Djimon Hounsou[/li][/ul]

The Bad (not much really, aside from omissions)
[li]7 nods, including Picture, for the insufferable Seabiscuit[/li][li]Brother Bear over Millenium Actress[/li][li]No Monster make-up nod (M&C? It’s a better film, but make-up?)[/li][/list]

Some random trivia: [list]
[li]The previous nomination for Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton were in films where Sean Penn received two of his other acting nods.[/li][li]Sofia Coppola (the first American woman director) also stands to be the second third-generation Oscar winner.[/li][li]An incredibly diverse (ethnically speaking) acting slate: In addition to your typical American/Brit delegation, we have nominees that are Japanese, Iranian, Australian, Puerto Rican, half-Indian, and half-Maori, as well as two Africans (one white, one black). Not to mention Irish, French-Canadian, and Brazilian writing nominees (plus, of course, a few New Zealanders).[/li][li]Actors Michael McKean & Annette O’Toole join rockers Elvis Costello, Sting, and Annie Lennox as Song nominees (plus Fran Walsh, writer/producer LOTR nominee)[/li][li]Christopher Boyes (Sound) and Ngila Dickson (Costume Design) are competing against themselves.[/li]

17

City of God wasn’t even Brazil’s official submission; there are some wacky rules regarding foreign films. So it technically wan’t eligible.

Too bad about Scarlet Johansson not getting nominated. While I haven’t seen Girl With a Pearl Earring (has anyone?), she was as important to Lost in Translation as Murray was. Probably a case of votes being split, and the “she’s young, she’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future” syndrome.

18

I’m pretty torqued off that Sean Astin didn’t get a Best Supporting Actor nod for his portrayal of Samwise in LOTR: ROTK; I’ve heard from many people that his performance really pulled the movie together for them. I agree, of course, with that assessment - his portrayal was skilled, dynamic & nuanced - it really allowed those of us who haven’t read Tolkien’s works to fall in love with the characters of the Fellowship & to root for them.

Thst being said, I suspect that Tim Robbins will win for his role in Mystic River.

I’m pleased that Johnny Depp & Bill Murray were recognized for their contributions; they’re both quite deserving. I suspect that Murray’ll pull it out in the end because the Academy will want to recognize his growth as an actor over a longer period of time than Depp’s been around.

Charlize Theron will, I’m sure, get the Oscar in her category; I’ve not seen her performance (it may well be Oscar-worthy), but I do know that the Academy loves pretty women who make themselves unattractive for a role.

Best Supporting Actress, I dunno; truthfully, I’ve seen very few of the movies from which the pool of actresses was taken. Same with Best Picture, though I simply loved ROTK.

I think that the LOTR trilogy will be recognized in the Best Picture category & suspect that Peter Jackson will get Best Director, though I wonder if it’ll split, resulting in ROTK getting Best Picture & Sofia Coppola getting Best Director for Lost in Translation.
The technical awards will, I’m sure, go to ROTK.

19

Actually, it was Brazil’s submitted film from last year, but didn’t even make it to the final 5 of 2002. It’s moments like these that make me wish I could see some of the members of that committee’s faces (since they tend to skew older and more conservative).

A little help with my failed coding in my last post would also be appreciated. :frowning:

20

I hope Triplets kicks Nemo’s behind, it was just a better animated movie. Best song, too! Also Destino should win just so Roy can slam Eisner! (well, that, and it is totally awesome!)