Let The Awards Season Begin!

[SHAFTR]

JOHNNY ENGLISH?!!

I rented that just to see Natalie Imbruglia.

[MacGuffin]

Lonesome Stranger Scripts Lead WGA Nods  

LOS ANGELES - Five movies about culture clashes and strangers in strange lands collected nominations Thursday for best original movie script from the Writers Guild of America.

Among the contenders for best original screenplay were "Bend It Like Beckham," about the daughter of a traditionalist Indian Sikh family in England who dreams of playing soccer; "Lost in Translation," with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson as lonely Americans in a Tokyo hotel; and "Dirty Pretty Things," about a Nigerian immigrant who uncovers grim dealings in London's underbelly.

The other nominees were "The Station Agent," about an embittered dwarf who makes friends despite trying to isolate himself, and "In America," director Jim Sheridan's semi-autobiographical tale of an Irish immigrant family struggling to survive in New York.

Sheridan collaborated on the screenplay with daughters Naomi, now 30, and Kirsten, 27.

"What father wouldn't be happy to be up there with his daughters?" he said Thursday. "This gets me so many brownie points with the family that it scares me."

He said he let his daughters do their own drafts of the script, "basically because I knew when the vanity and egocentricity of doing your own story is difficult. ... It was humbling. I would urge any parent to get their children to write a script about them."

In the category for best adapted screenplay, the true-life racehorse drama "Seabiscuit" and the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" were picked to compete against "American Splendor," about comic book writer Harvey Pekar, and the novels-turned-movies "Cold Mountain" and "Mystic River."

"Seabiscuit" director Gary Ross, who adapted the screenplay from author Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling book, said he was grateful that other writers recognized his efforts to add a dramatic "spine" to the real-life story.

"It was such a famous and popular piece of history that it felt like a real challenge to make this a personal movie, which is the only way to move people," he said. "For me, it was about the interdependence of three people (jockey Red Pollard, trainer Tom Smith and owner Charles Howard) and how they pulled each other out of the depths of despair and crisis."

Winners will be announced Feb. 21, about a week before the Academy Awards.

[cine]

Chicago film critics pick 'Rings'

CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- In the awards runup to next month's Academy Awards, the 45-member Chicago Film Critics Association chose "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" as best picture of 2003.

Bill Murray, for his portrayal of a boozy actor in Japan in "Lost in Translation," and Charlize Theron, for her chilling turn as a serial killer in "Monster," were awarded best actor and actress, respectively, a posting on the association's Web site said Thursday.

"Lost in Translation," which won best screenplay for director-writer Sofia Coppola and best cinematography for Lance Acord, placed a close second in the best picture category to the final installment of New Zealander Peter Jackson's trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien's books. Jackson also won for best director.

Tim Robbins was awarded best supporting actor for his role in "Mystic River," and best supporting actress went to Patricia Clarkson for "Pieces of April."

"The Fog of War," Errol Morris' look at former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, won best documentary and "City of God," the tale of Brazilian street life by Katia Lund and Fernando Meirelles, won for best foreign language offering.

Howard Shore's music for Jackson's film was awarded best original score.

In the "most promising" categories, child actress Keisha Castle-Hughes won most promising performer for "Whale Rider" and Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini won most promising filmmaker(s) for "American Splendor."

[BrainSushi]

I'm rooting for the RZA to take home a Bafta Award this year.

[SHAFTR]

Some sure bets and wild cards for awards

January 26, 2004

BY ROGER EBERT FILM CRITIC

Shortly after 7:30 a.m. (CST) Tuesday, Motion Picture Academy President Frank Pierson and actress Sigourney Weaver will walk onstage at the Kodak Theater on Hollywood Boulevard and announce the nominations for the 76th Academy Awards, and this article will instantly become obsolete. But until that moment, we can guess and speculate and predict about this year's nominees, and here goes.

This will be the year of the coronation of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which will certainly be nominated as one of the year's best films and will very likely win. The awesome sweep of the trilogy has impressed Hollywood on every level, not least the profit level, and "LOTR" also will win many nominations in the technical and craft categories. It's an interesting question whether individual actors will be singled out, although Viggo Mortensen or Sean Astin may have a chance, and wouldn't it be interesting if Andy Serkis got nominated for his work as the body model and voice of Gollum?

Other likely titles for best picture include Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River," which has been gathering increasing respect for its power and craftsmanship; Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation," which made more critics' best 10 lists than any other title; Jim Sheridan's heartwarming "In America," reminding the academy of his equally touching "My Left Foot"; the naval epic "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," and, in the fifth spot, a surprise: Maybe "The House of Sand and Fog" or "Seabiscuit"? Miramax has been campaigning hard for its "Cold Mountain," and has a way of getting nominations for its titles, but is the movie that compelling?

For best actor: You can bet the house on Bill Murray, whose work in "Lost in Translation" showcases a deeper, more tender side of the beloved actor.

Three other sure bets: Ben Kingsley, an academy favorite (he won for "Gandhi," was nominated for "Bugsy" and even the obscure "Sexy Beast"); Sean Penn, a great actor in a great role in "Mystic River," and Russell Crowe for "Master and Commander"; he took a year off in 2003 after being nominated for "The Insider" (1999) and "A Beautiful Mind" (2002) and winning for "Gladiator" (2000). That leaves a fifth slot for ... I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that Johnny Depp's work in the enormously successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" was so goofy and mannered, it attracted enough attention and grins to get a nomination. But Sean Penn will win the Oscar.

Best actress: Apart from "LOTR," the one sure thing at this year's Oscars looks like Charlize Theron, for "Monster." I called it "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema," and so I believe. That sounds like one of those hysterical blurbs you see in the movie ads, but I believe it is literally true. Theron will be nominated, and she will win.

The category will also honor Naomi Watts, who is gaining increasing respect, for her work in "21 Grams," and Diane Keaton, because the academy likes her and she portrayed a sex life they could identify with in "Something's Gotta Give." (Keaton's co-star, Jack Nicholson, will be passed over for once, but with three Oscars and nine additional nominations, he'll get over it.) Nicole Kidman is being mentioned as a possibility for "Cold Mountain," but I'm lukewarm on the film and think the other three nominees will be Jennifer Connelly, for "The House of Sand and Fog" (they respect her transition from sexpot to serious actress) and Patricia Clarkson for the low-profile but much appreciated "The Station Agent."

Best supporting actress: Here's where Scarlett Johansson will be honored for the wrong performance: The academy will nominate her for "Lost in Translation," where she was indeed wonderful as the young newlywed who becomes Bill Murray's late-night soul mate, instead of "The Girl With a Pearl Earring," where with only a handful of spoken words, she tells us everything we need to know about a young woman who could have achieved anything, if only she had been born in a different time and place. Also sure to be nominated: Renee Zellweger, whose helpful and pushy neighbor brings "Cold Mountain" to life, and Marcia Gay Harden, who has an almost frightening presence in "Mystic River."

After those three, it's up for grabs, but I'm guessing Sarah Bolger has a chance as the young daughter who holds the family together in "In America," and that the academy, which always gives us one big surprise in this category, will also nominate Shohreh Aghdashloo, who plays Kingsley's wife in "The House of Sand and Fog." Winner: Zellweger.

Best supporting actor: The sure bet is Tim Robbins for "Mystic River," where he has a monologue about how he feels persecuted by vampires, because vampire movies on TV have given him his only vocabulary for describing how he feels. Benicio Del Toro, very respected for his recent work, will be honored for "21 Grams," and look for Crowe's co-star Paul Bettany, for "Master and Commander." The academy loves Albert Finney (five nominations), and may name him for "Big Fish," although it was not one of his great roles. And someone from "LOTR" may be nominated; I'm guessing Viggo Mortensen, but maybe Sean Astin. Winner: Tim Robbins.

Best director: Clint Eastwood ("Mystic River"), Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation"), Peter Jackson ("LOTR"), Peter Weir ("Master and Commander") and Gary Ross, for "Seabiscuit." But I'm cheating. Those are the nominees for the Directors Guild of America Awards, and the academy follows them between 80 percent and 100 percent of the time. I have a hunch Ross will be replaced by Jim Sheridan ("In America"). Winner: Eastwood.

Overall, "Mystic River" will lead in top-category nominations, and "LOTR" will lead in total nominations. And we will know if that is true at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, when most of the morning programs will cut away to the academy's news conference.

Copyright © Chicago Sun-Times Inc.

[Pubrick]

yep, In America will get heaps more recognition, especially for those adorable little girls.

and wtf no one is mentioning American Splendor, i will cry if it goes unnoticed. and this seabiscuit crap is stupid, that's just the movie u think about during the year while u wait for all the good stuff to come out in the final month. seriously the golden globes always suck cos they promote these "place holder" movies and ignore the best ones that come out late.

what else, dogville and city of god, totally ignored.. and it's funny that matrix films will be only a footnote this year if they manage even a special fx nom. at the beginning of last year i thought the conclusion to the series would be a revelation and render every subsequent year of my life worthless.. now i can barely remember what the point was.

2003, u taught me a lot. we laughed, we cried, we disillusioned.. most importantly, u reset my focus to what really matters in life: low expectations. this is why i love u 2003, the first "future" year.

[MacGuffin]

'Gigli' Receives 9 Razzie Nominations  

LOS ANGELES - Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's real-life romance crashed and burned. Now, the two are front-runners for worst on-screen love affair.

Affleck and Lopez's mob-comedy bomb "Gigli" had a leading nine nominations - among them worst picture and worst screen couple - for the Razzies, an annual spoof of the Academy Awards that mocks the year's most awful movies.

Mike Myers' storybook adaptation "Dr. Seuss' the Cat in the Hat" and "From Justin to Kelly," featuring "American Idol" stars Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, came in second with eight nominations each, including worst picture.

The other worst-picture nominees announced Monday were the crime romp "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and the reality-TV adaptation "The Real Cancun."

"Gigli" also was in the running for worst actor and actress, supporting actor (Al Pacino and Christopher Walken), supporting actress (Lainie Kazan), and worst director and screenplay (Martin Brest). Affleck's worst-actor nomination also cited his performances in "Daredevil" and "Paycheck," while Walken's nomination also was for his role in "Kangaroo Jack."

A spokesman for Lopez said last week that she and Affleck had broken up after a year and a half of tabloid gossip about their wedding plans, which they abruptly called off last September. The roughly 500 Razzies voters probably were swayed by rumors about Affleck and Lopez's relationship.

"Ostensibly, we're talking about their on-screen performances, but I'm sure all the endless twaddle about their personal lives played into their being nominated," said Razzies founder John Wilson. "But it is an embarrassingly bad movie, and unfortunately, it's not a fun bad movie."

Nominations for the 24th annual Razzies, organized by the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, were announced a day before the Oscar nominations. Razzie "winners" will be announced Feb. 28, a day before the Oscar ceremony.

Myers and Guarini joined Affleck in the worst-actor lineup, along with Cuba Gooding Jr. ("Boat Trip," "The Fighting Temptations" and "Radio") and Ashton Kutcher ("Cheaper by the Dozen," "Just Married" and "My Boss's Daughter").

Besides Lopez, the worst-actress category included Clarkson, Angelina Jolie ("Beyond Borders" and "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life") and "Charlie's Angels" co-stars Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz. Barrymore's nomination also cited her role in "Duplex."

The $100 million hit "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over" brought another nomination for all-time Razzie champ Sylvester Stallone, who was cited for worst supporting actor. Stallone has a record 30 Razzie nominations and nine wins, including worst actor of the 20th century.

"He plays five different characters, none of them well, in `Spy Kids 3-D,'" Wilson said. "He can claim he was in a movie that made $100 million, but he's still Sylvester Stallone."

Besides Stallone, Pacino and Walken, supporting-actor nominees were Anthony Anderson ("Kangaroo Jack") and Alec Baldwin ("The Cat in the Hat"). Joining Kazan in the supporting-actress category were Demi Moore ("Charlie's Angels"), Kelly Preston ("The Cat in the Hat"), Brittany Murphy ("Just Married") and Tara Reid ("My Boss's Daughter").

[SHAFTR]

yep, In America will get heaps more recognition, especially for those adorable little girls.

and wtf no one is mentioning American Splendor, i will cry if it goes unnoticed. and this seabiscuit crap is stupid, that's just the movie u think about during the year while u wait for all the good stuff to come out in the final month. seriously the golden globes always suck cos they promote these "place holder" movies and ignore the best ones that come out late.

.

P, i'm with you again.  American Splendor and In America were 2 of my favorite films from this year and American Splendor better get atleast 3 noms from the Academy (actor, actress & screenplay).

[SoNowThen]

yep, In America will get heaps more recognition, especially for those adorable little girls.

and wtf no one is mentioning American Splendor, i will cry if it goes unnoticed. and this seabiscuit crap is stupid, that's just the movie u think about during the year while u wait for all the good stuff to come out in the final month. seriously the golden globes always suck cos they promote these "place holder" movies and ignore the best ones that come out late.

.

P, i'm with you again.  American Splendor and In America were 2 of my favorite films from this year and American Splendor better get atleast 3 noms from the Academy (actor, actress & screenplay).

Yep, a year of many great movies. None of which will get nominations. American Splendor, Kill Bill (well, maybe it might get a few), Elephant, All The Real Girls. Maybe City Of God will pick one up, due to its raping last year. Anyway, I hope LOTR cleans up, based on the whole trilogy, even if I think that ROTK is a piece. Because honestly, I couldn't give a fuck less about any other films mentioned.

[SHAFTR]

yep, In America will get heaps more recognition, especially for those adorable little girls.

and wtf no one is mentioning American Splendor, i will cry if it goes unnoticed. and this seabiscuit crap is stupid, that's just the movie u think about during the year while u wait for all the good stuff to come out in the final month. seriously the golden globes always suck cos they promote these "place holder" movies and ignore the best ones that come out late.

.

P, i'm with you again.  American Splendor and In America were 2 of my favorite films from this year and American Splendor better get atleast 3 noms from the Academy (actor, actress & screenplay).

Yep, a year of many great movies. None of which will get nominations. American Splendor, Kill Bill (well, maybe it might get a few), Elephant, All The Real Girls. Maybe City Of God will pick one up, due to its raping last year. Anyway, I hope LOTR cleans up, based on the whole trilogy, even if I think that ROTK is a piece. Because honestly, I couldn't give a fuck less about any other films mentioned.

The films I am really hoping for nominations are....
Kill Bill
Lost in Translation
The Station Agent
American Splendor
All the Real Girls
In America
Finding Nemo
21 Grams

[Chest Rockwell]

All The Real Girls probably won't pick up any nominations. Station Agent will probably pick none up either, maybe an Actress nod. 21 Grams will hopefully pick some up, at least some acting nods. American Splendor should pick up a few. Finding Nemo will certainly be nominated for/win Best Animated feature. In America will probably pick up a couple. Kill Bill might gain a few, but i wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't. And Lost in Translation will certainly be nominated for quite a few, and probably a lot of the main categories. Hopefully it will win most of them.

EDIT: Just for the record, As I have said many a time, I'm backing Lost in Translation.

[MacGuffin]

'Rings' Director Takes Guild's Top Prize



LOS ANGELES - The Directors Guild of America saved its best for last when it came to honoring "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, giving its top award to Peter Jackson for the story's final chapter, "The Return of the King."

In the 56 years since the guild began presenting its top honor, the winner has gone on to receive the Academy Award for best director all but six times.

Jackson became the first filmmaker ever nominated for the prize three years in a row, and this is the first time he won. He spent seven years putting the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy books on film.

"We live in an age where people write books about nightmarish experiences on film sets - and I didn't have one of those - I had the most amazing time," Jackson said Saturday night.

Also honored was director Mike Nichols, who took the award for TV movie direction for HBO's two-part "Angels in America."

Nichols is a previous lifetime achievement award winner for his work on such films as "The Graduate," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," "Catch-22" and "Working Girl."

The guild previously nominated Jackson in 2002 for the first "Rings" installment, "The Fellowship of the Ring," but gave the prize to Ron Howard for "A Beautiful Mind." His bid last year for "The Two Towers" lost out to Rob Marshall for "Chicago."

The consensus in Hollywood is that many voters - for both the directors guild and the upcoming Academy Awards - took a wait-and-see approach to honoring the wizard, warrior and warlock story, about a diminutive Hobbit on a quest to destroy a malevolent ring.

Now that the mythology-and-magic tale is told, Jackson and "The Return of the King" are regarded as front-runners for many of the movie industry's top prizes this awards season. He already collected best director at the Golden Globes and the movie won best drama there.

[MacGuffin]

Top ASC nod to Schwartzman

"Seabiscuit" director of photography John Schwartzman found himself in the winner's circle at the 18th annual American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards gala Sunday night at the Century Plaza Hotel. Schwartzman, ASC nominated for "Pearl Harbor" in 2002, was one of two American DPs along with John Toll ("The Last Samurai"), nominated in a five-film race that included three Australians: Russell Boyd for "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," Andrew Lesnie for New Line Cinema's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," and John Seale for Miramax's "Cold Mountain."

[MacGuffin]

'Master and Commander' Wins British Critics' Awards

LONDON (Reuters) - "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" sailed to victory at the London Film Critics' Circle awards Wednesday, beating Oscar favorite "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" to the best film title.

The sea-faring tale also scooped prizes for Paul Bettany as best British actor, and for John Collee and Peter Weir as best screenwriters.

"The British are an island race, which is probably why 'Master and Commander', a rip roaring tale of life at sea in the age of sail, swept the board in our awards," said William Russell, chairman of the Critics' Circle.

Just days before Sunday's Baftas, known as the British Oscars, the Americans also scored well, with Clint Eastwood taking the best director accolade and Sean Penn named best actor for U.S. murder story "Mystic River."

British romance "Love Actually" took some honors with Emma Thompson winning best British actress in a supporting role and Bill Nighy scooping best British actor in a supporting role.

But despite being tipped for Oscar glory after winning four U.S. Golden Globe awards last month, the final installment of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was overlooked by the 100 British critics who make up the Critics' Circle.

[©brad]

'Master and Commander' Wins British Critics' Awards

LONDON (Reuters) - "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" sailed to victory at the London Film Critics' Circle awards Wednesday, beating Oscar favorite "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" to the best film title.

what the hell... i thought brits had good taste.