The Battalion
onday • March 23, 1998
mint:
Weighing the Scales of Oscar
r Oth Academy Awards show
awards the best in film of ’97
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By Michelle Voss
Staff writer
' 1 tonight Hollywood will waddle along a red car-
' 1 j pet in Prada gowns and Armani tuxes to cele-
L brate the fact they have more money than most
1 intries in South Africa. Yes, this is the evening for
Lord of All Knickknacks — the Oscars.
1 In fact, the Academy Awards is basically a multi-
He;
ials
e of beautiful people who stuff themselves into an
alent room so they can reward themselves.
So, let’s cut the chit-chat and get down to bidness
lere’s my unofficial, unabridged version of
tight’s proud new owners of a little gold guy.
Nota bene: These are the winners that the Acade-
will most likely pick — not necessarily who I or
r other sane person might choose.
For Best Adapted Screenplay the list is as follows:
L.AlConfidential, Wag the Dog, The Wings of the
ve, Donnie Brasco and The Sweet Hereafter.
Usually reserved for great literature written by
id white people with settings in lavish mansions
i sheep grazing in the back ground, this category is
usually leaning toward L.A. Confidential. Critics
at /e been raving over Brian Helgeland and Curtis
nson’s adaptation of a novel thought unadaptable
the screen. By giving these guys the nod for Best
apted, it’s sort of like a warm, fuzzy hug that says:
m’re good enough, you’re smart enough and dog-
hf' tie it people like you” without having to hand over
y of the other major awards.
• Best Original Screenplay, which reads like so:
As Good As It Gets, Boogie Nights, Deconstructing
rryXThe Full Monty and Good Will Hunting.
.While Deconstructing Harry is constantly witty
d incredibly weaved together, perhaps the best
en in years, it is still just quintessential Allen —
lilism, sarcasm and cynicism.” Plus, the Academy
s shown America’s neurotic New Yorker much love
the past, so that’s a no go. Sure, As Good As It Gets
les through with some ’90s truisms, but really, the
igiOutshines the writing. Who remains but two
well-bred studs, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for
| eir heart-warming tear-jerker, Good Will Hunting.
lese guys are almost sure-fire bets for the Oscar,
unplex characters and realistic dialogue combined
th iron-melting, sassy smiles make these boys a
pd pick simply ‘cuz they’re bound to look hot while
Jking away from the stage.
• Moving on to the ladies, the nominees for Best
ppor ting Actress are:
Kim Basinger, L.A. Confidential; loan Cusak, In &
|tf;Minnie Driver, Good. Will Hunting; Julianne
tore, Boogie Nights; and Gloria Stuart, Titanic.
OK, 1 know what you’re thinking—Who the heck
Jloria Stuart? Well, exactly. She’s the old lady from
i< ; anic — ya know, the one who the whole stinking
try is about — and most likely, she will not be car-
ng home a little gold man in the basket of her mo-
ized wheelchair. Sure, Minnie’s cute and has a
te name, but her role in Good Will Hunting is
newhat scanty — she’s just a chemise and a warm
d for Damon’s character. Moving along, Cusak’s
irk in In & Out is respectable, even entertaining,
t an Oscar for a comedy is sort of like a cherry for a
irtini — it would just be odd. So, that more or less
ils it down to Kim Basinger’s hooker with a heart of
Id in L.A. Confidential. Basinger delivers on de-
ind as a luscious blonde who’s got troubles and
nts to be rescued.
• Then, we have the candidates for Best
pporting Actor:
Anthony Hopkins, Amistad; Greg Kinnear, As Good
Jt Gets; Burt Reynolds, Boogie Nights; Robert
" ster, Jackie Brown; and Robin Williams, Goodwill
Ynting.
'First off, Hopkins is not in good form as John
Quincy Adams in Amistad, too much overacting
leaves a sour taste even your box of Milk Dud’s won’t
cure. Anyway, his Hannibal the Cannibal from Silence
of the Lambs already garnered him an Oscar.
Kinnear is the token gay character nominee, but
his gay artist in As Good As It Gets just doesn’t have
the umph the Academy is looking for. Burt Reynolds’
sleazy role in Boogie Nights will not earn him an Os
car simply because the movie itself is just too raunchy
for the mainstream crowd. The umph comes along in
Robin Williams’ portrayal of a nurturing surrogate fa
ther/shrink in Good Will Hunting. We haven’t seen
Williams like this since Awakenings and Dead Poets
Society. He made me cry with his emphatic “It’s not
your fault” line and really brought depth to the film.
• Next, the women line up for Best Actress:
Helena Bonham Carter, The Wings of the Dove; Julie
Christie, Afterglow; Judi Dench, Mrs. Brown; Helen
Hunt, As Good As It Gets; and Kate Winslet, Titanic.
As much as I am an anglo-phile, this category is so
painfully over-stuffed with Brits that it resembles a
packed elevator at a Weight Watcher’s Convention —
it’s just getting claustrophobic. So, I’m going to opt for
the dazzling Yank — Helen Hunt as a struggling mom
with a forceful spirit and intoxicating beauty in As
Good As It Gets.
Please see Oscars on Page 6.
Titanic seeks ultimate merit
with regurgitated storyline
By James Francis
Aggielife editor
T lonight is the night when viewers all over the world
might witness a triumphant record-breaking 70th
Academy Award Oscar giveaway. On the other
hand, it also could be the night people remember as the
day Oscar dreams fell short for one ship-sinking film. Of
course the film in question is Titanic, starring the ever-
adored young adult actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate
Winslet and directed by the big-budget action guru him
self, James Cameron.
Yes, Titanic wiW surpass Star Wars as the all-time top
grossing domestic film ever. Yes, Titanic wiM give its actors
and director a leg up in the film industry due to its popu
larity. And yes, Titanic fans will see the film 10 times at the
theater and pre-order their very own personal copy once
it is released on video cassette. But, will Titanic score big at
the Oscars and take home all of its 14 nominated little
golden statuettes? Hopefully, that answer will be no.
Before everyone begins to question why anyone
would ever say anything bad about Titanic, especially be
fore the Academy Awards, here is an in-depth explana
tion covering the good, the bad and the reasons of why or
why not the film should receive so much attention and
critical praise.
The focus on Titanicbegyns with its cast, including
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Gloria Stuart, and
v .,
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m
ends with its director and Best Picture nomination.
• Leonardo DiCaprio
Although he can be a formidable force in the enter
tainment industry, his performance in Titanic was not
ground-breaking or earth-shattering. In essence, he was
not snubbed when Oscar decided to not give him a nod.
In the past, projects such as What’s Eating Gilbert
Grape, Total Eclipse and The Basketball Diaries warranted
praise for the young actor. From a mentally disabled
characterization of a boy by the name of Amie to an
angst-empowered literary figure with homosexual ten
dencies to a true-life portrayal of Jim Carroll, DiCaprio
has taken on roles that define an actor’s career—those
that break away from the cliche teenybopper scene.
In Titanic, however, as Jack Dawson, a young man at
tempting to break the social barriers between rich and
poor and win the heart of his delicate muse, DiCaprio
does a good job with the role he was given. Still, there was
nothing about the character of Jack or DiCaprio’s embod
iment of him that would merit an Oscar nomination.
Titanic fans be assured, even without a nomination
DiCaprio’s career will go on, as will the sappy lyrics of Ce
line Dion’s soundtrack tie-in song.
• Kate Winslet
Here is an actress with the power of Hollywood at
her fingertips. From her mind-altering performance in
Heavenly Creatures to the celebrated period piece,
Sense and Sensibility, Winslet is on a course for over
whelming stardom, although some people would say
she has already arrived.
In Titanic, Winslet is Rose, the high-class love interest
of Jack Dawson. Her performance is endearing and on
track with all of the other good work she has done, but
worthy of an Oscar nomination — no.
• Gloria Stuart
Nostalgia is the only word fitting for the eightysome
thing-year-old actress. Oscar looks back at her career and
the fact that Titanic is the only film Stuart has worked on
in over half a century. She appeared in the film for about
five minutes and suddenly she deserves a nomination?
This is where the Academy Awai ds shows its true col
ors, when someone is nominated only because she
might not be around to make another film before her ca
reer or life is over. Stuart seems like a nice lady and her
acting in the film was funny and serious at the same
time, but next time, nominate someone who had a
poignant role to offer.
• James Cameron and Best Picture
OK, here’s the deal. Cameron has finally made a film
that does not rely on action scenes to hold an audience’s
attention. Titanic does, however, depend on computer
graphics to make it larger than life. Cameron’s earlier
works, such as True Lies, Aliens and Terminator 2: Judg
ment Day were box-office hits and action films at their
best. In his direction of Titanic, however, Cameron must
have had water in his eyes. And as for the film’s Best Picture
nomination, As Good As It Gets is all that needs to be said.
• Titanic in the Long Run
In total, Titanic is a good film, but not great one.
Surely it will garner all of the technical awards hands
down, but it is not great in the sense that the plot is
unique or the acting is astounding. Titanic made its
mark and created a wild-and-frenzied craze of dedicat
ed fans because the film itself is enormous. From the
$200 million budget to audiences falling in love with the
tragic relationship between Jack and Rose to James
Cameron computer-generating actors’ breath in the
arctic wind, the film was the biggest movie undertaking
of all film history.
But think back to the black-and-white version, A Night
to Remember, which was declared a classic and a film many
people feel is superior to Cameron’s remake. Classics de
serve to be left alone. Retooling the story and history of the
ill-fated ship only calls attention to Hollywood’s never-end
ing search to do better.
Titanic may have gone down by the icy hands of a way
ward iceberg a long time ago, but the film and all of its un
necessary praise deserve a good splash in the face.
O
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AS ; I
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N\SC Visual Arts Committee
invites you to VOTE for the
Artfest ‘98 People’s Choice Award
Vote for your favorite work of art at the
Artfest ‘98 student art exhibition Monday,
March 23 and Tuesday, March 24 in the
MSC Visual Arts Gallery.
Artfest ‘98 is on display until April 10 in the MSC Visual Arts
Gallery(room 289 MSC, next to the Browsing Library) Winners will be
publicly announced at a free reception on March 25 at 7pm in the MSC
Visual Arts Gallery.
VAC is accepting applications for officer positions until April 1.
Contact: tel. 845-9251; e-mail: vac@msc.tamu.edu; http://vac.tamu.edu
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