****I first posted this for Virtual Occuquan on Sunday, the 8th. With the Oscar's in three days, I wanted to repost this with a few enhancements.****
Best Picture
Nominations: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Lost in Translation; Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Mystic River; Seabiscuit.
Who do I want to win? Return of the King
It would be remiss of me not to highlight Peter Jackson’s Return of the King, the last film in the trilogy Lord of the Rings. Here is a trilogy that has surpassed anyone’s expectations, taking one of the most loved works of literature and bringing it to life so convincingly on screen. Indeed, this trilogy is one of the greatest masterpieces of our time.
Return of the King, on its own merit, employed not only masterful visual effects (especially in the battle scenes) but a classic sense of epic storytelling.
Scenes that may prove timeless include Aragorn’s descent into the realm of the dead to persuade the ghastly spirits to fight against Sauron’s legions in order to gain redemption for their treason and receive eternal rest; Frodo being lead into Shelob’s lair by Gollum and the subsequent scenes in which Shelob hunts down Frodo; and Pippin singing a song of mourning in Denethor’s court as Denethor’s son Faramir rides to his death outside the gates of Minas Tirith.
To not honor this trilogy this year would be most disappointing, especially after failing to honor the first film The Fellowship of the Rings, which deserved the award that year.
Who will win? Return of the King
Return of the King struck gold at the nominations, garnering eleven of them, the most nominations by any film.
Return of the King has been the favorite so far by the film critics associations. Six film critic associations have awarded King best picture honors__ the New York Film Critics, Southeastern Film Critics, Online Film Critics and Broadcast Film Critics Association, Golden Globes, and Chicago Film Critics Association.
Lost In Translation has been honored as best picture by the Toronto Film Critics Association and San Francisco Film Critics Circle. Mystic River by the Boston Society of Film Critics and National Board of Review.
In all, the buzz for King sweeping the Oscar’s has been said to be as strong as the year Cameron went on to win, touting himself as "King of the World" for his epic retelling of the sea tragedy Titantic.
One thing you can count on. If Return of the King fails to pick up this award, expect darkness to cover Middle Earth and all of America along with it.
Best Director
Nominations: Fernando Meirelles, City of God; Peter Jackson, Return of the King; Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation; Peter Weir, Master and Commander; Clint Eastwood, Mystic River.
Who do I want to win? Peter Jackson (Return of the King)
Someone once said that anything done right is done by focusing on the details. Jackson’s approach to bringing Lord of the Rings to life seems to have this theory at its core. From the rarely seen Hobbit feet to the distinguishable characteristics of all the peoples of Middle Earth to the expansive landscapes and battlements in which the characters play out this story are made completely believable because of Jackson’s focus on the details.
This can also be said for his stellar directing skills over the vast assembly of actors and extras that graced these films. The performances, though in some moments a touch melodramatic, were for the most part wonderful and memorable. Though no one particular actor has been recognized, these films have been nominated for best ensemble cast honors, a reflection of good direction.
Who will win? Peter Jackson.
Jackson won the Director’s Guild Award (February 7th). It is nearly certain he will win the Oscar. It’s nearly that predictable. There has only been five or six times when the winner of the the DGA doesn't win the Oscar. Last year was one of those times, when Roman Polanski (The Pianist) beat out Rob Marshall (Chicago).
Jackson, like his film, has been the favorite by the film critic associations, being honored as best director by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Toronto Film Critics Association, San Francisco Film Critics Circle, Online Film Critics, Broadcast Film Critics, and Chicago Critics Association.
Other directors honored for Best Director thus far include: Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation (Boston Society of Film Critics, New York Film Critics, and Golden Globe) and Clint Eastwood for Mystic River (National Society of Film Critics).
Best Actor
Nominations: Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean; Ben Kingsley, House of Sand and Fog; Jude Law, Cold Mountain; Bill Murray, Lost In Translation; Sean Penn, Mystic River.
Who do I want to win? There are three performances that blew me away: Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, Sean Penn in Mystic River, and Bill Murray in Lost In Translation. But I’m completely torn between the latter two, Penn and Murray. Penn was remarkable as the father trying to cope with the violent murder of his 19 year-old daughter.
Bill Murray was also remarkable as the movie star on assignment in Japan, who suffers from jet lag and a sense of loss in a culture, language, and city so unfamiliar, in-your-face, and immense.
But I guess if I had to choose just one, I would have to vote Bill Murray because his comedic nature brings a humanity to his character that is delightful to watch, sad, touching, and seemingly timeless.
Who will win? Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)
Murray has literally dominated the awards circuit this year, garnering 10 out of the 11 or 12 best actor honors thus far. Here’s the list: Boston Society of Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics, New York Film Critics, Toronto Film Critics, Southeastern Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics, San Francisco Film Critics, Seattle Film Critics, National Society of Film, and the Golden Globe (Best Actor in a Comedy).
In comparison, Sean Penn was honored as Best Actor by 2 organizations, the National Board of Review and the Golden Globes (Best Actor in a Drama).
The Screen Actor's Guild shocked everyone by voting Johnny Depp the best actor of the year. Could Depp have pulled this off because Penn and Murray were splitting the votes?
The Academy tends to favor dramas over comedies. Sean has a great chance at winning.
Best Supporting Actor
Nominations: Alec Baldwin, The Cooler; Benicio Del Toro, 21 Grams; Djimon Hounsou, In America; Tim Robbins, Mystic River; Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai
Who do I want to win? Tim Robbins (Mystic River)
Tim Robbins had one of the toughest psychological roles of the year and he played it masterfully, having to play a man (Dave Boyle) haunted by an event when he was an 11 year-old boy. He kept this experience a secret, not telling anyone about it, not even his wife. But when an event happens at the local bar one night, something is triggered inside of him and his experience floods to the surface, sweeping his psychological and emotional grounding off balance. Robbins plays the role with a thoughtfulness that seems both so instinctual and sincere. He’s a broken man that yearns to be whole yet knows he will never be.
There’s a scene in the beginning in which the boys are writing their names in wet cement. Dave, the last boy to write his name, was only able to write the first two letters before he was kidnapped. This image represents how Dave felt about himself, only half there. Robbins understood this and played Boyle accordingly; it made for one incredible and memorable performance.
Who will win? Tim Robbins (Mystic River)
Best Actress
Nominations: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider; Diane Keaton, Something’s Gotta Give; Samantha Morton, In America; Charlize Theron, Monster; Naomi Watts, 21 Grams
Who do I want to win? Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider)
Keisha is nominated for her role as Paikea, a girl who fights tradition to become the leader of her Maori tribe. One aspect of playing Paikea is not well known. Keisha had to do her own stunts, which included riding a life_sized replica of a whale 12 miles off the shore of Auckland; she had to hang onto the whale even while it was being pulled under the surface by the tow boat it was attached to, despite the fact that she was terrified for her life.
I like to think that Keisha's presence in this list is backed by supporters who have fallen in love with a performance that captivated the hearts of hundreds of critics and film festival goers at Sundance and Toronto (where it won the Audience Awards). Once your heart is won over, it is hard to vote against it. This might just be her winning ticket Oscar night. Don't count this battle over until the envelope is open.
Keisha was awarded the Best Young Actor Award by the Critic’s Choice Film Awards and Most Promising Actor by the Chicago Critics Association.
Who will win? Charlize Theron (Monster)
Charlize Theron's incredible performance as the serial_killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster should be the winner. Theron transformed her body and face to play Wuornos, gaining 30 pounds and changing her facial features, a feat that never stays unnoticed by Oscar voters. Heck, Nicole Kidman put on a prosthetic nose and walked away with an Oscar. So why not Theron? Actually, some critics (Roger Ebert one of them) feel that Theron has given one of the best performances in film history.
Out of the nominees in this category, Theron has been the most recognized of the nominees by the film critics, followed by Naomi Watts, and then Diane Keaton.
Best Supporting Actress
Nominations: Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog; Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April; Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River, Holly Hunter, Thirteen, Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain
Who do I want to win? I was impressed by Holly Hunter’s performance in Thirteen as the mother of a daughter who is struggling with the pressures of being a teenage girl in our modern society. One of the most memorable scenes in film this year is from this film, near its end. Hunter has just discovered the razor cuts on her daughters wrists. Rather than freak out or turn to lecturing, she grabs hold of her daughter (who is fighting to be let go), wrestles her to the floor, grabs hold of the arm scarred by multiple wounds, and kisses them until the daughter relaxes and breaks down sobbing.
I greatly enjoyed Renee Zellweger’s performance in Cold Mountain. Her thick, back-woods talk and personality give the film its life and humanity. She’s the center of the film; it’s grounding.
But I would cast my vote for Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic River) who plays Celeste, the wife of Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins). She is forced to deal with a truly horrific scenario—her husband comes home late one night with blood all over him; his story keeps changing; and this same night, her cousin’s step-daughter is murdered. Her realizations and conclusions lead her to reveal what she thinks she knows to her cousin’s husband, Jimmy Markum. In many ways, she plays a modern Judas, betraying her husband but only because she’s confused and frightened. The closing scene, in which she is walking up and down the streets of the neighborhood trying to find her husband who has gone missing (with the knowledge that she is the reason for the disappearance) is simply haunting. Harden is simply amazing!
Who will win? Renee Zellweger (Cold Mountain)
Adapted Screenplay
Nominations: Robert Pulcini & Sheri Springer Berman (American Splendor), Braulio Mantovani (City of God), Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, & Peter Jackson (Return of the King), Brian Helgeland (Mystic River), Gary Ross (Seabiscuit)
Who do I want to win? Brian Helgeland (Mystic River)
Brian Helgeland’s adaption of the crime thriller is complex and thought-provoking. It is more than a murder mystery; it is as intelligent as a great Shakespearean tragedy.
Who will win? At the beginning of February, I said that the award would be given to Braulio Mantovani (City of God), whose plot revolves around gang warfare in the slums of Rio. My thinking was that the film was one of the most critically-acclaimed films of the year and thus would be picked to win, especially since the film wasn't nominated for best foreign film nor best picture. This could still happen.
And I still think that the there are chances, though slim, that the award could go to Walsh, Boyens, and Jackson to recognize the writing for all three Lord of the Rings adaptations.
But Robert Pulcini & Sheri Springer Berman (American Splendor) won the Writer's Guild award for this category.
Original Screenplay
Nominations: Denys Arcand (The Barbarian Invasions), Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things), Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, and David Reynolds (Finding Nemo), Jim Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan, & Kirsten Sheridan (In America), Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation)
Who do I want to win? Jim Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan, & Kirsten Sheridan (In America)
Here is a script that has "heart" written all over it. It is a story of a young family who move to America to make a new life. They are also trying to leave behind the memories of their young son, who died from a cancerous tumor. Sheridan, co-writing the script with his daughters, shows that imagination and believing in something help us conquer the pains of death and the trials of life.
Who will win? Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation)
Honored by five film critics associations, winner of the Golden Globe, and winner of the Writer's Guild award for best screenplay, Sofia is bound to win the Oscar about two people trying to cope while visiting Tokyo. An incredible film; an incredibly unique and clever story.
VIEW and/or PRINT the list of all of the Academy Award nominations.
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