Tag Archives: kate winslet
My Oscar Predictions!
The Oscars are finally here! I'm looking forward to seeing Hugh Jackman in a tux and hopefully shaking his money maker a little. There's a rumor that Anne Hathaway will be doing the opening musical number with him (click here to see him rehearsing, sans Anne). Hathaway can definitely sing (have you seen Ella Enchanted or her hosting stint on SNL?) and we have plenty evidence of Jackman's musical prowess so it should be entertaining if it does happen.
Now, I know everyone and his best friend's second cousin's lip waxer have already done predictions so I wasn't gonna do any more than the ones I already made back in December and January. But then I thought, Why not? Maybe I can help someone win fifty bucks in an Oscar pool to put towards next week's groceries. I've seen all the nominated movies, except for the shorts and foreign films (you're on your own there!) so I'm not making wild guesses based on hype. These are my (hopefully) informed opinions based on the actual quality of the films. I know—the Oscars are sometimes more about PR but I can hope, right?
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor: Sean Penn — Milk
Best Actor: Kate Winslet — The Reader
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger — The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz — Vicky Christina Barcelona
Best Director: Danny Boyle — Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animated Feature: WALL*E
Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black — Milk
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy — Slumdog Millionaire
Best Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt (Art Direction); Victor J. Zolfo (Set Decoration) — The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle — Slumdog Millionaire
Best Costume Design: Michael O' Connor — The Duchess (no contest—Keira's dresses were eye-popping)
Best Editing: Chris Dickens — Slumdog Millionaire
Best Makeup: Greg Cannom — The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Score: A.R. Rahman — Slumdog Millionaire
Best Song: "Jai Ho" — Slumdog Millionaire
Best Sound Editing: Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers — Slumdog Millionaire
Best Sound Mixing: Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty — Slumdog Millionaire
Best Visual Effects: Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron — The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Foreign Film: Waltz with Bashir
Best Documentary Feature: Man on Wire
Do you agree with my choices? Who are you rooting for? Post a comment then check back Monday for scoopy stuff from inside the Oscars from my sources who will be there!
Posted in Movies, TV
Tagged 81st academy awards, Anne Hathaway, Entertainment, hugh jackman, kate winslet, Movies, oscar predictions, sean penn, slumdog millionaire, the oscars 2009
Top 10 Performances Robbed of Oscars
Oscar Sunday is coming up this weekend and, though I'm really looking forward to it, I have a feeling at least one of my faves won't win. I think my predictions are pretty solid but there's always an upset. Last year, I thought Amy Ryan's fierce performance in Gone Baby Gone was the obvious choice for best supporting actress but no, Tilda Swinton inexplicably won for her one-note work in Michael Clayton (I like Swinton but didn't think she deserved to win for this).
Of course, it wasn't the first time that's happened. Over the years, many actors have been robbed of Oscars. I've narrowed this very subjective list down to the ten most egregious snubs (besides Ryan's) in the last twenty-five years, starting with the most recent.
Jackie Earle Haley for Little Children. Seriously, did voters watch this performance? He was both creepy and impossibly sympathetic as the pedophile who loved his mama, but Alan Arkin won for his performance as a grandfather who taught his granddaughter how to dance. Whatev. Haley is bouncing back as Rorschach in the sure-to-be-blockbuster Watchmen so I guess the Academy can suck it.
Judi Dench for Notes on a Scandal. Oh my gosh, she creeped me out in this. Like Haley, Dench pulled off a character that's both disturbing and sympathetic. Her schoolmarm with repressed desires for Cate Blanchett's character was incredibly manipulative but Dench also made her desperate loneliness palpable. I adore Helen Mirren and thought she was good as The Queen but her performance wasn't as complex as Dench's.
Heath Ledger for Brokeback Mountain. I recently read an article in Entertainment Weekly that claimed Ledger was relieved he didn't win. So maybe he didn't care but he made me care. His performance as Ennis Del Mar was simply devastating. Philip Seymour Hoffman always turns in good work but Capote felt like a very good impression whereas Ledger created an indelible character from just words on a page.
Kate Winslet for Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. This isn't taking away from Hilary Swank's gutsy performance in Million Dollar Baby, which deserved to win. I just wish there could have been a tie that year (hey, it happened when Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn tied for 1968's Best Actress). Winslet's Clementine was a freewheeling, damaged soul but the actress also showed us her pluck and heart and never allowed us to feel sorry for her. Clementine might have been trying to clear her head of memories but, years later, I still can't erase Winslet's performance from my mind.
Julianne Moore for The Hours. Yeah, yeah, Catherine Zeta-Jones sang and danced very well in Chicago and looked great doing it. But this is an acting award and her acting was nowhere near as affecting as Moore's as the depressed 1950s housewife Laura Brown. Moore's dutiful smile hid her inner anguish from everyone but the viewer. Watching her, I just wanted to reach through the screen, take the poor woman away on a tropical vacation and give her some happy pills.
Russell Crowe for A Beautiful Mind. This movie won Best Picture, Best Director, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actress. Well, it wouldn't have won any of those categories if it hadn't been for Crowe, who carried this movie. Crowe's performance as John Nash elevated the work of everyone around him so it's rude the Academy gave them Oscars but sent Crowe home empty-handed (at least for this movie).
Haley Joel Osment for The Sixth Sense. C'mon, that little kid was so memorable, you can probably still quote some of his lines. His performance was subtle and poignant, which is doubly impressive considering his age at the time (what life experience did he tap into?!). But noooo, Michael Caine won for The Cider House Rules. Do you even remember what that movie was about or why Caine won? Exactly.
Leonardo DiCaprio for What's Eating Gilbert Grape? I've done a lot of volunteer work with mentally handicapped people and can tell when an actor's portrayal of a challenged person is realistic or just wrong. When I saw this movie, I thought DiCaprio was really handicapped, not an actor doing a great job. He didn't employ some broad, cliche mannerisms; he went inside Arnie Grape's head and skin. Though his work was a true transformation, the Academy gave the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Tommy Lee Jones for barking out orders in The Fugitive.
Michelle Pfeiffer for The Fabulous Baker Boys. Oh, I'm not hatin' on the late, great Jessica Tandy, who took home the Best Actress award that year. But that was more a lifetime achievement award because surely Pfeiffer's performance as Susie Diamond was more spectacular than Tandy's Miss Daisy. Pfeiffer's Susie was a gorgeous, tough chick whose looks didn't take her as far in life as she'd hoped, a diamond whose sparkle was becoming duller by the day. And who can forget her writhing on the piano in that red dress, purring her way through "Making Whoopee"? All I remember about Miss Daisy is she was a cranky old woman.
Holly Hunter for Broadcast News. As neurotic news producer Jane Craig, Hunter ran the gamut of being in charge to completely falling apart, sometimes within seconds. Jane was flawed, funny, frustrating—a full-bodied character. But Cher won that year for Moonstruck as a consolation prize for Silkwood.
So, do you think the Academy mostly gets it right or does it seem like they sometimes vote while high on crack? Which performances do you think were wrongly denied an Oscar? Comment away!
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Tagged actors robbed of oscars, Entertainment, holly hunter, julianne moore, kate winslet, leonardo dicaprio, michelle pfeiffer, Movies, Oscars, russell crowe, the sixth sense
81st Oscar Nominations are Here! My Predictions and Reactions
I can't believe I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to hear them announced live. I haven't seen this side of morning since…never. Here are nominees in some of the major categories (winners will be announced Feb. 22):
Richard Jenkins—The Visitor
Frank Langella—Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn—Milk
Brad Pitt—The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke—The Wrestler
Anne Hathaway—Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie—Changeling
Melissa Leo—Frozen River
Meryl Streep—Doubt
Kate Winslet—The Reader
Josh Brolin—Milk
Robert Downey Jr.—Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman—Doubt
Heath Ledger—The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon—Revolutionary Road
Amy Adams—Doubt
Penelope Cruz—Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis—Doubt
Taraji P. Henson—The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei—The Wrestler
David Fincher—The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard—Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant—Milk
Stephen Daldry—The Reader
Danny Boyle—Slumdog Millionaire
You can see the complete list of nominees here.
Didn't expect Kate Winslet to be nominated for Best Actress for The Reader, though it only reinforces my belief she'll win this category.
Overall, I agreed with most of the nominations. LOVED that Michael Shannon got a nod for Revolutionary Road. He was exceptional. The Supporting Actor category is ridiculously jampacked with really strong contenders. Last December, I picked Josh Brolin and I'm holding on to that for now, but Shannon just made this category impossible to handicap, Heath Ledger aside.
I also loved Robert Downey Jr.'s performance so I refuse to consider it a "surprise" nomination (the live audience at the announcements ceremony gasped loudly then chuckled). There's precedence for a great comedic performance to be nominated in this category: Kevin Kline for A Fish Called Wanda and he won. RDJ's feat as "the dude who played the dude who played a black man" in Tropic Thunder was astounding. He completely transformed himself into two different characters—even in the brief moments when he wasn't "black" in the movie, he was a platinum blond, blue-eyed Australian guy and there wasn't a hint of RDJ in either guise.
Loved that In Bruges got a Best Original Screenplay nomination for Martin McDonagh. I'll stop shoving that movie down your throats now.
Loved that WALL•E was nominated for Best Animated Picture though it could well contend for Best Picture, period. Then again, it's sure to win in the animated category. It also received a Best Original Screenplay nod for Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter and I wouldn't count them out but I think Dustin Lance Black will take it for Milk.
Other categories I'm calling (I already predicted acting winners last month): Best Director—Danny Boyle, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture—Slumdog Millionaire. I also think the film's A.R. Rahman will take Best Score and one of the Best Songs, and Anthony Dod Mantle will win for Slumdog's cinematography. When Mantle talked about shooting in Mumbai among the crush of people, running after children, trying to keep everyone from looking at the cameras, I'm amazed he managed to pull it off.
E!'s movie critic Ben Lyons, who annoys me because he can't even get titles right (at the Globes, he said "Welcome to the Golden Globe" at one point and then called Meryl Streep's next movie Julia & Julie when it's actually Julie & Julia), said right before the announcements that he thought Clint Eastwood would get a Best Actor nom for Gran Torino. I was vigorously shaking my head because I couldn't disagree more. Eastwood squinted and growled like a junkyard dog throughout the movie and I thought it was ridiculous. I kept thinking, "I get it, you're a tough guy, stop with the overly indicating." I'm glad Richard Jenkins got nominated instead for his funny, sweet performance but was disappointed to see Michael Sheen omitted from this category for Frost/Nixon. He was just as good as Langella.
What did you think of the noms? Any mentions really excited you? Any egregious omissions? Leave me a comment. I'm sure I'll have more thoughts but right now, it's roughly 6:30 and I'm amazed my brain is even functioning at all.
Tagged 2008 oscar nominations, 81st Academy award nominations, angelina jolie, best actor, best actress, best picture, doubt, Entertainment, frost/nixon, kate winslet, meryl streep, Movies, oscar nomination reactions, revolutionary road, robert downey jr., script giveaway, the curious case of benjamin button, tropic thunder
Your Obsessions This Week–Open Discussion
I'm trying something new today. I've written about what captured my attention these last few days so I was wondering: What bits of entertainment did you enjoy this week? Did you see/hear/read anything awesome/dreadful you want to rant/rave about? Tell me what you've been obsessing about and why.
Here are some topics to maybe spark some thoughts: Kelly Clarkson's new single "My Life Would Suck Without You" (listen to it in the video below), news coverage of that amazing US Airways plane landing, Watchmen lawsuit settled, Joaquin Phoenix releasing a rap album produced by P.Diddy, The L Word getting a spin-off in prison, Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser teaming up for a movie with no swashbuckling whatsoever, Grisson's CSI goodbye, Kate Winslet winning two Golden Globes, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, your early American Idol faves, the inauguration—where/how will you be watching it?
C'mon, the floor is yours, tell me what captivated you, share a guilty obsession and maybe find out you're not alone. Don't be shy—promise I won't judge!*
*Unless you're addicted to porn or The Hills
Tagged Entertainment, joaquin phoenix, kate winslet, kelly clarkson's new single, open discussion, paul blart, watchmen
They Said What?! Stars' Quotes Not Televised During 2009 Golden Globes Ceremony
These tidbits were heard during press, on the red carpet and at after-parties.
"Beer, but I think someone put a little bit of crack in it." — Ricky Gervais explaining what was in the glass he was drinking from on stage while presenting the Happy-Go-Lucky clip.
"I had my first sober blackout, can't remember a thing." — Colin Farrell describing what it was like to win the best comedic movie actor award.
"I want to learn how to read." — John Krasinski discussing his new year's resolution.
"I want Salma Hayek's boobs." — Megan Fox talking about her insecurities and poor body image.
"Don't worry, I won't have to stand up again." — Kate Winslet to someone who spilled a bottle of water all over her dress after she won her first Globe of the evening.
"Kate Winslet is my girl crush." — Angela Kinsey talking about the Globes' new poster girl.
"I'd call Jack Nicholson." — Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto saying who she'd call if she could use the Call a Friend lifeline as a Who Wants to be a Millionaire? contestant.
"He was kind of a pain in the ass so that's why he was so fun to play." — Paul Giamatti describing John Adams.
"I decided to be rude, push him around, and it worked…He respected that." — Evan Rachel Wood explaining how she dealt with Mickey Rourke on the set of The Wrestler so she wouldn't be intimidated by him.
"I haven't seen the movie." — Rourke saying he never watches anything he's in until 4-5 years later because he's too critical of his performances.
Posted in Behind the Scenes, Movies, TV
Tagged 2009 golden globes quotes, colin farrell, Entertainment, evan rachel wood, kate winslet, megan fox, mickey rourke, ricky gervais, the wrestler
2009 Golden Globes Winners
Let's get the official winners out of the way and then I'll give out my own awards for the best and worst of the evening (click here for my reactions). My Globes mole took this photo.
BEST DRAMA: Slumdog Millionaire (click here for a discussion with the filmmakers)
BEST COMEDY: Vicky Christina Barcelona
BEST ACTOR – DRAMA: Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA: Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road
BEST ACTOR – COMEDY: Colin Farrell – In Bruges
BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY: Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Kate Winslet – The Reader
BEST SCREENPLAY: Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire
BEST SONG: "The Wrestler" – The Wrestler (written & performed by Bruce Springsteen)
BEST ANIMATED FILM: WALL•E
BEST FOREIGN FILM: Waltz with Bashir – Israel
BEST DRAMA SERIES: Mad Men
BEST COMEDY SERIES: 30 Rock
BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TV: John Adams
BEST ACTOR – DRAMA: Gabriel Byrne – In Treatment
BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA: Anna Paquin – True Blood
BEST ACTOR – COMEDY: Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock
BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY: Tina Fey – 30 Rock
BEST ACTOR – TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES: Paul Giamatti – John Adams
BEST ACTRESS – TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES: Laura Linney – John Adams
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TV: Tom Wilkinson – John Adams
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TV: Laura Dern – Recount
What did you think of the winners? Who do you think deserved it and who just happened to coast by on popularity and/or past achievements? Leave me a comment!
Tagged 2009 golden globes, 30 rock, alec baldwin, Entertainment, heath ledger, john adams, kate winslet, Movies, slumdog millionaire, tina fey, TV