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FILM FLAM FLUMMOX *EXTRA*
by Michael Dequina
February 13, 2003
That the biggest surprises in the nominations for the 75th Annual Academy Awards occurred in the screenplay categories should give one an idea just how predictable and hence humdrum this year's lot of nods were. The complete list of nominees follow, with some comments on most of the categories...
PICTURE
- CHICAGO
- GANGS OF NEW YORK
- THE HOURS
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
- THE PIANIST
The one nomination that sticks out as somewhat surprising when considered in context with the rest of the nominations is THE TWO TOWERS, as other films--namely, ADAPTATION., earned far stronger support in other high-profile categories. Alas, that critics' darling being left off of the top five isn't too surprising considering how odd and divisive it is; similarly, other high-profile contenders' absence can also be easily explained away. FAR FROM HEAVEN lost considerable steam as other awards hopefuls opened and ticket sales remained soft; ABOUT SCHMIDT has been celebrated more for the performances (or, rather, one performance) than the entire picture; ROAD TO PERDITION was released way back in summer, and time has done nothing to improve its liked-but-not-loved status; would-be sleeper ANTWONE FISHER was done in by Fox Searchlight's stunning inability to mount an effective marketing campaign, let alone an aggressive awards run; underdog and popular favorite MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING's boffo box office was in inverse proportion to its substance. So no surprises here.
ACTOR
- Adrien Brody, THE PIANIST
- Nicolas Cage, ADAPTATION.
- Michael Caine, THE QUIET AMERICAN
- Daniel Day-Lewis, GANGS OF NEW YORK
- Jack Nicholson, ABOUT SCHMIDT
And no surprises, here, either, regardless of what has been said about the non-inclusion of CHICAGO's Golden Globe winner Richard Gere. There have been a lot of theorizing about why he ended up being that film's only major cast member to not receive a nod, the most popular explanation being that his votes were split between this and the supporting category. What these apologists fail to acknowledge is one simple fact. CHICAGO is a musical, and unlike the rest of the principal cast, Richard Gere cannot. Fucking. Sing. At. All. Plain and simple. Listen to the soundtrack, and divorced from the images and Gere's hyped-up-over-the-years looks, he simply was outclassed by everyone else. As far as worthy contenders who were left off the list, again, each oversight is explainable. Fox Searchlight's ineptitude eighty-sixed the hopes of two deserving potentials (ONE HOUR PHOTO's Robin Williams; ANTWONE FISHER's Derek Luke); ROGER DODGER's Campbell Scott suffered from too low a profile; Hugh Grant's stellar ABOUT A BOY work seems like it was eons ago; and while the film and his performance was well-received, Leonardo DiCaprio suffered from the general lack of awards buzz for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.
ACTRESS
- Salma Hayek, FRIDA
- Nicole Kidman, THE HOURS
- Diane Lane, UNFAITHFUL
- Julianne Moore, FAR FROM HEAVEN
- Renée Zellweger, CHICAGO
This is a duplicate of its counterpart category in the Screen Actors Guild Awards, so no surprises at all. Hayek's spot seemed iffiest going into Tuesday morning's announcement, but she had the whole "shepherding a dream project" factor that helped Bette Midler snag a spot for FOR THE BOYS over a decade ago. The most noteworthy omission here is Kidman's HOURS co-star, Meryl Streep, but considering how her thread in the film is the least interesting, she would be the one of the film's three lead actresses to be ignored. Other potential candidates lost in the shuffle: SECRETARY's Maggie Gyllenhaal (newcomer + indie film + bondage = no Oscar nod), THE GOOD GIRL's Jennifer Aniston (another victim of Fox Searchlight), and MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING's Nia Vardalos, who received her token recognition in another category. (Aside: how hilarious will it be to see Lane's Oscar clip--that impressive crying scene on the train, which director Adrian Lyne fucked up by intercutting with ridiculous and highly distracting shots of her belly button being blown on?)
SUPPORTING ACTOR
- Chris Cooper, ADAPTATION.
- Ed Harris, THE HOURS
- Paul Newman, ROAD TO PERDITION
- John C. Reilly, CHICAGO
- Christopher Walken, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Forget Gere in the lead category--the true shock omission of the acting categories is that of FAR FROM HEAVEN's Dennis Quaid, who earned reviews that were just as strong as co-star Julianne Moore's. Reilly's inclusion just proves just how far-reaching the CHICAGO love is (not to mention how singing talent played a crucial factor); Newman's nod for a film that is more admired than genuinely loved proves that you can never count out beloved veterans. As much as I liked Quaid's work, the snubs that upsets me more are that of Alfred Molina, whose FRIDA work was just as important to the film's success as Hayek's; Ray Liotta in the too-gritty-and-violent NARC; Robin Williams in the long-forgotten INSOMNIA, which could've contended in a number of categories had it been released later in the year; and THE TWO TOWERS's Andy Serkis, who really had no chance at all, considering his character was CGI.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Kathy Bates, ABOUT SCHMIDT
- Julianne Moore, THE HOURS
- Queen Latifah, CHICAGO
- Meryl Streep, ADAPTATION.
- Catherine Zeta-Jones, CHICAGO
Another unsurprising category (yes, I'm sounding like a broken record). The noteworthy snubs are that of WHITE OLEANDER's Michelle Pfeiffer, whose film was too little-seen and buzzed-about (though her SAG nomination made me think she had a fighting chance); TADPOLE's Bebe Neuwirth, who couldn't overcome obscurity despite Miramax re-releasing the film twice (it would've been a kick to see the stage Velma Kelly duke it out with the film incarnation, alas); FAR FROM HEAVEN's Patricia Clarkson (love for the film apparently not widespread--witness Quaid's shocking snub); ABOUT A BOY's Toni Collette (read my comments about Hugh Grant, above); and Samantha Morton in MINORITY REPORT, a very well-received film that all but completely fizzled with the Academy (it must've been that third act). My sincere hope is that Latifah's presence in this category doesn't upset the chances of Zeta-Jones, who was the true star of CHICAGO.
DIRECTOR
- Pedro Almodóvar, TALK TO HER
- Stephen Daldry, THE HOURS
- Rob Marshall, CHICAGO
- Roman Polanski, THE PIANIST
- Martin Scorsese, GANGS OF NEW YORK
True to history, this category did not match up completely with the Best Picture nominees, and the name left off was a shocker: Peter Jackson of THE TWO TOWERS, a film arguably more director-driven than, say, THE HOURS. But the person taking his place isn't as big of a shock as maybe some others are saying; Almodóvar's nod is obviously partly in reaction to his well-regarded film being out of nomination contention for the Foreign Language Film race, much like how Krzyzstof Kieslowski earned a directing nod for his non-Foreign-Language-eligible RED back in race for 1994.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
- ABOUT A BOY - Peter Hedges and Chris Weitz & Paul Weitz
- ADAPTATION. - Charlie Kaufman & Donald Kaufman
- CHICAGO - Bill Condon
- THE HOURS - David Hare
- THE PIANIST - Ronald Harwood
And here we have what I feel to be the one true shock snub of the lot: that of Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor's script for ABOUT SCHMIDT, which not only won a number of critics' awards but the Golden Globe to boot. In its place is a pleasant surprise, the screenplay for ABOUT A BOY. Otherwise, nothing odd here, though the snub of THE TWO TOWERS, when added to the directing and acting oversights makes it Best Picture nod appear that much more peculiar.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
- FAR FROM HEAVEN - Todd Haynes
- GANGS OF NEW YORK - Jay Cocks and Steve Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan
- MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING - Nia Vardalos
- TALK TO HER - Pedro Almodóvar
- Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN - Carlos Cuarón & Alfonso Cuarón
The quirks of the writers' branch continue to show here, with not one, but two Spanish-language scripts taking slots over more high-profile English language screenplays, such as the Writers Guild-nominated ANTWONE FISHER or even more off-the-beaten-path choices like PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, IGBY GOES DOWN and ROGER DODGER.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
- THE CRIME OF FATHER AMARO (Mexico)
- HERO (China)
- THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST (Finland)
- NOWHERE IN AFRICA (Germany)
- ZUS & ZO (Netherlands)
While the exclusion of the quirky French musical mystery romp 8 WOMEN wasn't surprising, the snub of the other arguably most high-profile entry, Brazil's CITY OF GOD, was. I am disappointed, but not at all shocked, by the failure of India's DEVDAS, which is too strong a dose of Bollywood to appeal to westerners. The nod for Zhang Yimou's all-star martial arts epic HERO reveals Harvey Weinstein's one major awards campaign miscalculation this year. If Miramax had released the film in 2002, the studio could have been looking at widespread nominations on par with CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. Instead, the studio threw all of its foreign category muscle behind CITY OF GOD, obviously counting on HERO not getting nominated, as the film is currently slated for release this coming November--in obvious striking distance for consideration for *next* year's non-Foreign Language Film Oscar categories. But now that HERO did get the nod this year, it's ineligible to compete for any Oscars next year. Ironically, with CITY OF GOD not making this cut, that film is now eligible for widespread consideration for next year's Oscars, having been released domestically in January.
ANIMATED FEATURE
- ICE AGE
- LILO & STITCH
- SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON
- SPIRITED AWAY
- TREASURE PLANET
Nothing surprising here (but boo to TREASURE PLANET getting in instead of THE POWERPUFF GIRLS), but a certain fear comes over me with both LILO and TREASURE being nominated here--will Disney then favor these two homegrown productions in their campaigns over the mere distribution acquisition that is (the far, far worthier) SPIRITED AWAY? Stay tuned.
ART DIRECTION
- CHICAGO - Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gord Sim
- FRIDA - Art Direction: Felipe Fernandez del Paso; Set Decoration: Hannia Robledo
- GANGS OF NEW YORK - Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Art Direction: Grant Major; Set Decoration: Dan Hennah and Alan Lee
- ROAD TO PERDITION - Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
Notable omissions: 8 WOMEN, FAR FROM HEAVEN, MINORITY REPORT.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
- CHICAGO - Dion Beebe
- FAR FROM HEAVEN - Edward Lachman
- GANGS OF NEW YORK - Michael Ballhaus
- THE PIANIST - Pawel Edelman
- ROAD TO PERDITION - Conrad L. Hall
Notably absent: CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, FRIDA, MINORITY REPORT, THE TWO TOWERS.
COSTUME DESIGN
- CHICAGO - Colleen Atwood
- FRIDA - Julie Weiss
- GANGS OF NEW YORK - Sandy Powell
- THE HOURS - Ann Roth
- THE PIANIST - Anna Sheppard
It's disappointing, yet understandable, to see this category skew toward more stylized and/or blatantly period wardrobe when there were some noteworthy contemporary-set costume design choices, such as the duds in PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE and ABOUT A BOY. It's also disappointing to see some truly undistinguished period work being recognized here; are the costumes in THE PIANIST really all that special, particularly compared to the snubbed '60s chic of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN or--this category's truly criminal oversight--the gorgeous mock Sirk-wear of FAR FROM HEAVEN or 8 WOMEN?
FILM EDITING
- CHICAGO - Martin Walsh
- GANGS OF NEW YORK - Thelma Schoonmaker
- THE HOURS - Peter Boyle
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Michael Horton
- THE PIANIST - Hervé de Luze
The one category that completely matches the Best Picture nominations.
MAKEUP
- FRIDA - John Jackson and Beatrice De Alba
- THE TIME MACHINE - John M. Elliott, Jr. and Barbara Lorenz
To twist a phrase often applied to the Film Editing category, most makeup doesn't necessarily mean best makeup--case in point, Jeremy Irons's ridiculous chalk white glam rock gone horribly awry look in THE TIME MACHINE. Please, oh please, vote for FRIDA, Academy peeps.
ORIGINAL SCORE
- CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - John Williams
- FAR FROM HEAVEN - Elmer Bernstein
- FRIDA - Elliot Goldenthal
- THE HOURS - Philip Glass
- ROAD TO PERDITION - Thomas Newman
Kudos to the Academy for picking the right John Williams score to recognize. It's hard to argue with any of these choices, but I can't help but be sad over the snubs of Jon Brion's memorably percussive PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE music, Peter Gabriel's evocative RABBIT-PROOF FENCE, or Cliff Martinez's appropriately haunting tones for SOLARIS.
ORIGINAL SONG
- "Burn It Blue," FRIDA - Music: Elliot Goldenthal; Lyric: Julie Taymor
- "Father and Daughter," THE WILD THORNBERRYS MOVIE - Music/Lyric: Paul Simon
- "The Hands That Built America," GANGS OF NEW YORK - Music/Lyric: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen
- "I Move On," CHICAGO - Music: John Kander; Lyric: Fred Ebb
- "Lose Yourself," 8 MILE - Music: Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto; Lyric: Eminem
I am shocked--quite pleasantly so--that the normally staid music branch of the Academy made the giant leap in nominating Slim Shady. Now that should be the highlight of the telecast. However, where's the love for the movie song of the year: "My Stepdad's Not Mean (He's Just Adjusting)" from DEATH TO SMOOCHY? Okay, so that wasn't a realistic possibility, but the eerie "Gollum's Song" from THE TWO TOWERS was, and it didn't make it (again making that Best Picture nomination look that much more peculiar). Kudos to the Academy for not recognizing any of Bryan Adams' truly awful "tunes" for SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON.
SOUND
- CHICAGO - Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella and David Lee
- GANGS OF NEW YORK - Tom Fleischman, Eugene Gearty and Ivan Sharrock
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges and Hammond Peek
- ROAD TO PERDITION - Scott Millan, Bob Beemer and John Patrick Pritchett
- SPIDER-MAN - Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Ed Novick
SOUND EDITING
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Ethan Van der Ryn and Michael Hopkins
- MINORITY REPORT - Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom
- ROAD TO PERDITION - Scott A. Hecker
VISUAL EFFECTS
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook and Alex Funke
- SPIDER-MAN - John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara and John Frazier
- STAR WARS: EPISODE II--ATTACK OF THE CLONES - Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow
Now, I think SPIDER-MAN was one of last year's best films, but the visual effects was one of the film's biggest shortcomings. MINORITY REPORT deserved the slot more.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
- BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE
- DAUGHTER FROM DANANG
- PRISONER OF PARADISE
- SPELLBOUND
- WINGED MIGRATION
While the most popular documentary of the year, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, made the cut, a few other leading contenders tanked, namely STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN and THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE.
LIVE ACTION SHORT
- FAIT D'HIVER - Dirk Beliën and Anja Daelemans
- I'LL WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE... (J'ATTENDRAI LE SUIVANT...) - Philippe Orreindy and Thomas Gaudin
- INJA (DOG) - Steven Pasvolsky and Joe Weatherstone
- JOHNNY FLYNTON - Lexi Alexander and Alexander Buono
- THIS CHARMING MAN (DER ER EN YNDIG MAND) - Martin Strange-Hansen and Mie Andreasen
ANIMATED SHORT
- THE CATHEDRAL - Tomek Baginski
- THE CHUBBCHUBBS! - Eric Armstrong
- DAS RAD - Chris Stenner and Heidi Wittlinger
- MIKE'S NEW CAR - Pete Docter and Roger Gould
- MT. HEAD - Koji Yamamura
The Sneaky Smart Awards Jockeying Prize goes to Disney for MIKE'S NEW CAR, which was touted as an "exclusive premiere feature" on the MONSTERS, INC. DVD but actually had a fairly under-the-radar big screen run prior to the disc's release during a Hollywood-only reissue of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT last year.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
- THE COLLECTOR OF BEDFORD STREET - Alice Elliott
- MIGHTY TIMES: THE LEGACY OF ROSA PARKS - Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston
- TWIN TOWERS - Bill Guttentag and Robert David Port
- WHY CAN'T WE BE A FAMILY AGAIN? - Roger Weisberg and Murray Nossel
MULTIPLE NOMINEES
- CHICAGO - 13
- GANGS OF NEW YORK - 10
- THE HOURS - 9
- THE PIANIST - 7
- FRIDA - 6
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - 6
- ROAD TO PERDITION - 6
- ADAPTATION. - 4
- FAR FROM HEAVEN - 4
- ABOUT SCHMIDT - 2
- CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - 2
- SPIDER-MAN - 2
- TALK TO HER - 2
The Academy Awards will be handed out on Sunday, March 24 at 8PM Eastern/5PM Pacific on ABC, beginning with the official Oscar pre-show.
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