March 26,i«;
Thursday, March 26, 1992
Lifestyl
The Battalion | yy)
Page 3
• eI< And the winner is...
»ed."
or P s by Timm Doolen, Kevin Robinson and Todd Stone
The Battalion
we will ret
the Brazos is:
he said.
b Cadets/Pa;-
idea, but di
rith the Maici
we have J The contention for the best picture Oscar pro-
)r r , aiS: vides some much needed excitement for an other-
£60 ood" Shi' ^ ise lack,uster y ear for m ovies.
we' have r i Then a 8 ain ' the Academ y hasn't been too wise in
•e we will” 1 " choosing its last few winners - neither "Dances With
rp Wolves" nor "Driving Miss Daisy" were even close to
being the best pictures of 1990 or '89.
I When it comes down to the final say of who will
win this year, it's a tough choice between Bugsy,
which is reminiscent of the old Hollywood-style film,
and Beauty and the Beast, a strong candidate because
of its uniqueness - it's the first animated feature to be
| nominated for the top prize.
f ~t •11 Both Silence of the Lambs and JFK have a chance,
but both are a bit too controversial in their own right.
L/HI "Lambs" is a horror film, only the second to be nomi
nated (along with "Exorcist" in 1973), and as such is
•itical to accul P robabl y not a P°P ular choice with Academy mem-
' bers. "JFK" has re-
enator KendJ ceiv ^ d a lot of crit j c jf m
Jally is doind in t he Press, and has
•vho push tlieBf n 1 ra , y brou S ht a
black cloud over cer-
; with th^Wn parts of the todj»-
*fry, so it also probably
won't get the award.
And finally
to review by
1 the Univeraij
led to the Te
■Prince of Tides" does-
a list of recoclf ha , v 1. lh !. mome,v
capons When i,
where the H c 7 es . d ?, w " tothefl -
tf |nal balloting, our
ess is the sentiment
will swing to Disney's
Beauty and the Beast.
! However the prin
ciple actor in Prince
seems a safe bet for the
best actor award,
though Hopkins' chill
ing portrayal of Dr.
nual
g Julius
fitor of the
>oks at DC
?, author of
series; Bar-
■ of the The
Those Who
Musyave,
ancefesW-
Predicted winners*
Picture: Beauty and the Beast
Director: Jonathan Demme
Actor: Nick Nolte
Actress: Laura Dern
Sup. Actor: Jack Palance
Sup. Actress: Dianne Ladd
Orig. Screenplay: John Sin
gleton, Boyz 'AT The Hood
Adapted Screenplay: Oliver
Stone & Zachary Sklar, JFK
* Disregard this if the Academy
goes into a "sweep" frenzy, as it
has often done, and gives one
picture, such as Bugsy or JFK,
most of the awards.
Hannibal Lecter in Silence might bring it to him.
Robert DeNiro, Robin Williams and Warren Beat
ty have all previously received numerous nomina
tions, with DeNiro winning it for Raging Bull in 1980.
The actress category is more difficult. Geena
Davis and Susan Sarandon may cancel each other out
for the actress award, but Sarandon has received a lot
of attention from Hollywood insiders.
Jodie Foster might repeat her 1987 award for The
Accused, but Bette Midler seems like a longshot, in
big part due to the fact that the movie. For the Boys
was a flop. When all the smoke has cleared, Laura
Dern might sneak in and take it from her older com
petitors.
A first for this year is the mother-daughter nomi
nation of Dianne Ladd and Dern. And though it's un
likely both will win, Ladd definitely outshines most
of her competitors in the supporting category.
The supporting actor category is another tough
one to pick. The two great performances of Ben
Kingsley and Harvey Keitel in Bugsy will probably
cancel out, leaving Jack Palance of City Slickers and
Michael Lerner of Barton Fink. Palance has a good
chance as a sentimental favorite. If he does win, it
will be the longest period of time for one person to
win two Oscars - the first was for his performance in
Shane 39 years ago.
The direction category is also close. First-time di
rector John Singleton could do what Kevin Costner
did last year - steal the Oscar from underneath the
noses of veteran directors. That included Barry
Levinson, who might be granted the award thi^ year
for his work on Bugsy. On the other hand, Jonathan
Demme might also be rewarded for his 20 years in
the film business which have gone virtually unrecog
nized by the major awards groups.
For original screenplay, John Singleton (Boyz 'N'
The Hood) seems a logical choice - he is the youngest
director nominated and the first black, but Academy
members will probably be more willing to give him a
screenplay award, which is honestly more appropri
ate for his talents.
Along similar lines, Oliver Stone will probably
not add to his collection of best director trophies, but
seems likely to earn one for the adaptation of two
books on Kennedy's assassination.
Ceremony details
Time: 8 p.m., Monday
Network: ABC (cable channel 13)
Place: Dorothy Chandler Pavil
ion, Los Angeles
Host: Billy Crystal
Lifetime achievement award: In
dian filmmaker Satyajit Ray
Irving J. Thalberg award: George
Lucas
Gordon E. Sawyer award for
technical achievement: special-ef
fects animator Ray Harryhausen.
Presenters: Anjelica Huston, An
nette Bening, Audrey Hepburn,
Goldie Hawn and Kevin Costner.
Robin Williams (left) and Jeff Bridges in a scene from The Fisher King. This is Williams' third Oscar nomination in five years.
If we picked the Oscars
Staffers pick who they would like to see win top awards
'NIL-
r \'o,.
Vx*
Timm Doolen
Kevin Robinson
Todd Stone
Comments
Picture
Beauty and the Beast
JFK
Silence of the Lambs
Kevin: With JFK, I thought
Oliver Stone did something
unique with the way he crafted
the picture, merging documen-
tary footage and his own film.
They took what could have
been a dry collection of facts
and theories and molded it into
a gripping thriller.
Director
Jonathan Demme
Silence of the Lambs
Oliver Stone
JFK
Oliver Stone
JFK
Actor
Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Nick Nolte
Timm: Anthony Hopkins
played Hannibal Lecter so well
that it has revitalized his
entire film career.
Actress
Laura Dern
Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Todd: As a rookie FBI agent,
Foster comes up with her
strongest performance since
The Accused.
Sup. Actor
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel >
Jack Palance
Todd: Palance's gruff and gritty
cowboy is one of this year's
most memorable performances.
Sup. Actress
Mercedes Ruehl
Mercedes Ruehl
Juliette Lewis
Kevin: For a change, a support
ing character was one of the
most interesting people in the
film.
Original
Screenplay
John Singleton
Boyz 'N' The Hood
John Singleton
Boyz 'N' The Hood
Richard LaGravenese
Fisher King
Todd: Fantasy, romance and
the Holy Grail - in New York
City! The most imaginative sto
ry of the year.
Adapted
Screenplay
Ted Tally
Silence of the Lambs
Oliver Stone and
Zachary Sklar
JFK
Ted Tally
Silence of the Lambs
Timm: What more can be said
about a chilling movie from a
chilling original book.
les, the
: you
p you
hurt
sget
ove
elp
"■wx Nolte in a scene from Prince of Tides. Nolte is expected to take home the
acting Oscar, but the film itself probably won't win best picture. Director Barbara
! Streisand was notably left out of the nominations in the best director category.
Past winners on video
By Timm Doolen
The Battalion
Center
l
Ltd.
14
As the Academy Awards ap
proach, it's a good time to reflect
hack at some other great achievers
Academy recognized. In this
brief sample, we go back in time
every ten years, and pick some
other favorites through the years.
Chariots of Fire (1981) - One of the
tew British entries chosen by the
Academy, this was a surprise pick
ten years ago, and definitely the
n ght choice. The story of two de
voted runners who finally go up
against each other at the 1924
U1 ympics is beautifully filmed
and exquisitely acted.
The French Connection (1971) - One
o the best ever action films. Gene
ackman plays Popeye Doyle, A
ew York narcotics officer who
uncovers a major transatlantic
ru g deal. The action rarely lets
HP' ar )d the often imitated car
^ ase is worth the price of rental
°ne. Based on a true story.
^ Side Story (1961) - Possibly
e best choreographed musicals,
18 retake of Romeo and Juliet
swept the Oscars in '61 taking 10
°me. It's over-romantic, over-
r amatic and a little overlong -
but hey, it's also a lot of fun.
An American In Paris (1951) -
Along with Singin' in the Rain, this
was the kind of musical that Gene
Kelly will be remembered for.
This song-and-dance comedy is
loosely based around a love story,
but the best parts are the truly cin
ematic images of Kelly dancing in
a surrealistic dream world.
How Green Whs My Valley (1941) -
John Ford's tale of life in a Welsh
coal-mining town beat out the
classic Citizen Kane to win this
award. It's easy to see why direc
tor John Ford also went home
with the best director award.
Rebecca (1940) - Surprisingly, this
was Alfred Hitchcock's only
movie to take home the Best Pic
ture award - even more surprising
considering his best films were
made more than a decade later.
Nonetheless, this is a remarkable
telling of the Daphne du Maurier
novel.
My Fair Lady (1964) - Some of the
best songs and funniest comedy
are contained in this gem, adapted
from the stage play. The direction
by George Cukor, and Lerner and
Loewe's music have rarely been
better.
What did Oscar miss?
By Kevin Robinson
The Battalion
Most of the time, it's easy to recognize those films and stars nomi
nated for the big categories: they were the ones that made all money or
the press last year. But those that didn't generate controversy were
passed over by the Academy without a glance.
There were some great performances on the screen last year, but
the majority will be forgotten in the Oscar nominations. Some of these
were in films did not get the press that others received and only spent
one or two weekends in the local theater. Others were seen in pictures
that have been nominated for awards, but were passed over for nomi
nations in favor of the better recognized name.
In the category for best picture, the Academy made decent choices.
JFK, Beauty and the Beast and Silence of the Lambs were clearly top picks
for 1991. Some of the other nominations, though, are on pretty shaky
ground. Films like Prince of Tides and Bugsy are hardly best picture ma
terial when cdmpared to Kevin Branagh's thriller. Dead Again, Jodie
Foster's directorial debut in Little Man Tate, or more obscure pictures
such as Kafka.
In 1991, a Spike Lee film once again failed to get a nomination, al
though Jungle Fever matched or surpassed the quality of many pictures
nominated. Although Lee was passed over, the Academy did recog
nize that Boyz 'N' the Hood was a fine start to the career of 23-year-old
John Singleton.
In the best actor category, many fine performances were missed.
Jeff Bridges was Robin William's equal in The Fisher King. Bridges had
to play a convincing jerk and still make the audience empathize with
him. Robin just played Robin for most of the movie. Those that saw
Naked Lunch know that Peter Weller was great in that otherwise silly
adaptation. Anthony Quinn was convincing as the stern father in Jun
gle Fever, and last but not least, Larry Fishburne gave one of the best
performances of the year in his portrayal of the charismatic (and aptly
named) Furious Styles in Boyz ’N' the Hood.
In the actress categories, the academy offered good choices for
nominees, except for one goof. Jessica Tandy was nominated for sup
porting actress from Fried Green Tomatoes, but the nomination should
be for Mary Stuart Masterson, who offered a better performance.
The best director category should also have listed some outstand
ing newcomers. John Singleton used all the craftsmanship of a Holly
wood veteran in Boyz 'N' the Hood. Similarly, Jodie Foster's first direct
ing job in "Little Man Tate" was impressive, using a subtle touch in a
film that easily could have been turned into oversentimental tripe.
There were, however, some interesting variations in the awards this
year. The big profile movies, such as Terminator 2, Hook, and Tlie Ad-
dams Family were ignored in the top nominations. Oliver Stone hit big
with JFK but his earlier film of the year. The Doors was forgotten for
any mention (perhaps rightfully so).
Many of the pictures that received the major nominations this year
were those that created controversy or headlines. JFK produced a
wave of conspiracy mania. And "Thelma and Louise" kicked off a year,
that seemed to dwell on a battle of the sexes.
In 1991 for a film to be considered important enough for an Oscar,
it seems it had to generate a Time magazine cover.
Among the possible winners Monday night are (from I) Barry Levinson (director),
Mercedes Ruehl (sup. actress), John Singleton (director, screenplay), Lawrence
Kasdan (screenplay) and Bette Midler (actress).
Academy Nominations List
Picture: Beauty and the Beast, Bugsy, JFK
The Prince of Tides, Silence of the Lambs
Director: John Singleton, Boyz W the
Hood, Barry Levinson, Bugsy; Oliver
Stone, JFK; Jonathan Demme, Silence of
the Lambs; Ridley Scott, Thelma and Louise
Actor: Warren Beatty, Bugsy; Robert
DeNiro, Cape Fear; Anthony Hopkins, Si
lence of the Lambs; Nick Nolte, The Prince
of Tides; Robin Williams, The Fisher King.
Actress: Geena Davis, Thelma and Louise;
Laura Dern, Rambling Rose; Jodie Foster,
Silence of the Lambs; Bette Midler, For the
Boys; Susan Sarandon, Thelma and Louise.
Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones,
JFK; Harvey Keitel, Bugsy; Ben Kingsley,
Bugsy; Michael Lemer, Barton Fink; Jack
Palance, City Slickers.
Supporting Actress: Dianne Ladd, Ram
bling Rose; Juliette Lewis, Cape Fear; Kate
Nelligan, Prince of Tides; Mercedes
Ruehl, The Fisher King; Jessica Tandy,
Fried Green Tomatoes.
Original Screenplay: John Singleton,
Boyz 'N [ the Hood; James Toback, Bugsy,
Richard LaGravenese, Fisher King,
Lawrence and Meg Kasdan, Grand
Canyon; Callie Khouri, Thelma and Louise.
Adapted Screenplay: Agnieszka Hol
land, Europe Europa; Fannie Flagg and
Carol Sobieski, Fried Green Tomatoes;
Oliver Stone and Zachary Sklar, JFK; Pat
Conroy and Becky Johnston, The Prince
of Tides; Ted Tally, Silence of the Lambs;
Foreign Film: Children of Nature (Ice
land), The Elementary School
(Czechoslovakia), Mediterraneo (Italy),
The Ox (Sweden), Raise the Red Lantern
(Hong Kong).
Art Direction: Barton Fink, Bugsy, The
Fisher King, Hook, The Prince of Tides
Cinematography: Bugsy, JFK, The Prince
of Tides, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Thel
ma and Louise
Costume Design: The Addams Family,
Barton Fink, Bugsy, Hook, Madame Bovary
Film Editing: The Commitments, JFK, Si
lence of the Lambs, Terminator 2: Judgment
Day, Thelma and Louise
Makeup: Hook, Star Trek VI, Terminator 2:
Judgment Day
Original Score: Beauty and the Beast,
Bugsy, The Fisher King, JFK, The Prince of
Tides
Sound: Backdr^ift, Beauty and the Beast,
JFK, Silence of the Lambs, Terminator 2:
Judgment Day
Visual Effects: Backdraft, Hook, Terminator
2: Judgment Day
Other categories: Documentary Feature,
Short Documentary, Animated SHort,
Live Action Short, Sound Effects editing.
Original Song.