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Letters to the Editor

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Nolan's Newsstand

The Oscars

March 19-25, 2000 edition

Late letters and supplemental

below:

On the front page of this edition of "Nolan's News", published only 24 hrs. ago (3-23-00), I challenged everyone to make predictions regarding the upcoming Academy Awards.

from Matt Drinnenberg

This got in just under the wire. (3-26-00) Matthew is an old friend and crazed movie fan.

from: Michael A. Smith

Old and dear friend, lifelong movie fan, and manager of a theatre in Leavenworth, Kansas. His was the first response (3-24-00):

Nolan,

You have definitely conquered the world wide web......(Gee, thanks!--N).......hell, I'm still trying to get a web page together. I was able to actually submit some votes on an official Academy ballot this year (a friend of mine is a member of the Academy) and here are my choices (I have put a * next to the 3 awards I actually voted for. If they win by one, they owe me): (I'll let 'em know!--N)

BEST PICTURE: "American Beauty": what a great movie! A super cast and a script that is, as Al Pacino says, "actor proof." And, if I may borrow from the great Jack Warden in "Shampoo" to describe the bedroom antics between Annette Benign and Peter Gallagher, "Now that's what I call fucking!" "The Insider" was just too damn long, "Cider House" and "Green Mile" were better books and I figured out the "secret" of the "6th Sense" long before it was revealed.

(You're one up on me---the "secret" was a MAJOR mindblower for me! That's why I'm a softie for it. I'm sure you've already met resistance dissing Green Mile.--N)

BEST ACTOR: Kevin Spacey*: Is there anything this guy can't do? Already a winner for "The Usual Suspects," this guy goes from bad to good better then anyone in film today. Got to meet him a couple years ago and he is as easy going in person as he appears on film. By the way: two words to the Academy: Jim Carrey! Russell Crowe should have been nominated for "L.A. Confidential." Sean Penn and Richard Farnsworth picked the wrong year to do great work. Denzel is a close second in my book, but Spacey is still my choice. Once the nominees are set, you can't write in votes. Otherwise my choice would have been Roy Scheider in "Jaws."

(I agree with you about Penn and Farnsworth. Jim Carrey's arrogance may cost him, even tho I agree Man in the Moon should not be overlooked. Was it too "artsy" also?--N)

BEST ACTRESS: Annette Bening: Overlooked for her work in "Bugsy" and "The American President," Bening will finally get her due come Oscar night. Julianne Moore should have won for "Boogie Nights" (then again, so should have Burt Reynolds), Janet McTeer is to "theatrical, Hilary Swank is still the NEXT Karate Kid to me (tho she was incredible in "Boys Don't Cry") As far as Meryl Streep.........great as she is, I think she could submit her X-rays and get a nomination.

(Agreed--N)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Haley Joel Osment*: ok, so the fact that I know this kids agent pretty well may have swayed me. But then again, this kid made the movie the hit it is! Without his believability, the movie is in the toilet. Props, as the expression goes, to Michael Caine for losing his Cockney accent for "Cider House." Caine already has an Oscar, tho he was too busy filming "Jaws the Revenge" to show up to accept it. Just being associated with that film should have kicked his ass out of Hollywood. At least Louis Gossett, Jr showed up while he was making "Jaws 3D." Tom Cruise should have won for "Born on the Fourth of July," but he may be a dark horse winner for a showy role. Jude Law? Not today. Even if he is named for a Beatles song. As for Michael Clarke Duncan.............as big as this man looks on screen, he is even bigger in person. Got to meet him this past October and he seemed impressed that I knew his name and didn't just say "Hey, you're the guy from "Armageddon!"" I'd like to thank the Academy for recognizing his performance.

(Altho I think Haley Joel Osment is a shoe-in, this category, for the first time in years, is going to be a real blood bath. Touching, if a child takes it from these heavy-weights. Yet, he deserves it. You're being awfully hard on "The Sixth Sense"!--N)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Angelina Jolie: ok, I almost took points away because she's Jon Voights daughter and he really acted like a prick when I met him. But then I took into consideration that a friend of mine worked with him in Baltimore when they filmed "Enemy of the State" and took a picture with him. That plus the fact I cried when he died in "The Champ" evened out my thinking. It's rare when a supporting actor steals a movie from the star (think Joe Pesci in "Goodfellas") and Jolie does that here. Samantha Morton has a chance because it's a known fact that Woody Allen knows how to draw great work out of his actresses. Ask Diane Keaton and Dianne Wiest to show you their Oscars if you don't believe me. Hell, he got an Oscar nominated performance out of JENNIFER TILLEY for God's sake! Catherine Keener is the "token" nomination for "Being John Malkovich." I'm sure it was hard to separate all of the great performances in this film. While she was good, my nod would have gone to Cameron Diaz. Not to mention Malkovich himself. Toni Collette didn't have that much to do in "Sixth Sense," so cross her off. As far as Chloe Sevigny, if her work in "Boys Don't Cry" is any indication, she will have plenty of opportunities in the future.

(Yep.--N)

BEST DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes*: straight off his Tony award winning work on Broadway's revival of "Cabaret," Mendes scores with his film debut. Like Bob Fosse before him, he has managed to use his theatre skills to draw out the best of his actors and create an instant American classic. Once again, Frank Darabount got hosed out of a director's nod even tho his film is considered one of the "Best Pictures" of the year. However, Spike Jonze is a worthy nominee for the most creative and original film of the year. In a perfect world, there would be six nominees, and both Darabount and "Being John Malkovich" would receive their due. Michael Mann is a surprise here. This guy knows how to move the camera, and could have been nominated for "Last of the Mohicans" or "Heat." It's ironic that he gets his first directing nod for a film that features lots of talking and no weapons! Making Don Johnson a star on "Miami Vice" gets him points. Trying to make Philip Michael Thomas a star on the same show cancels them out! Lasse Halstrom is another "actor's director." He pulled a nominated performance out of Leonardo DiCaprio in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," and should have gotten a nomination for Richard Dreyfuss in the little seen "Once Around." As for M. Night Shyamalan, I think his main contribution to "Sixth Sense" was his script, and the academy may throw him the screenplay prize for his effort, tho that's not my pick.(You're probably going to be right about "Sixth Sense", but you continue to underestimate the manipulative direction. Otherwise, you've got an outstanding summary here!--N)

THE OTHER CATEGORIES

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: American Beauty

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Election

ART DIRECTION: Sleepy Hollow (Yes. A shoe-in. At least for this category--N)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: All About My Mother

CINEMATOGRAPHY: American Beauty

MAKEUP: The Patriot (foreshadowing next year!) Actually, Austin Powers (It's between this and "The Mummy" and some George Lucas movie.--N)

ORIGINAL SONG: When She Loved Me (tho I'd love to see "Blame Canada" win!)

ORIGINAL SCORE: for some reason, they have dropped the separate Drama and

Musical/Comedy categories. My choice: American Beauty

VISUAL EFFECTS: The Matrix (Waitaminnit! What about "Phantom Menace"??--N)

EDITING: The Matrix (Don't get me wrong. The effects were pretty groundbreaking. Might very well take it for editing.--N)

These are the important ones to me. Besides, I don't see enough documentaries or short films to vote properly. Enjoy! (I did. And I will! Thanks for writing!--Nolan.)

Nolan,

If only I could be the deciding voice in the Oscar selections......Roy Scheider would have won by now... alas...another year without a nomination.

Here are the Oscars as I see them:

BEST PICTURE: The Sixth Sense.

BEST ACTOR: Kevin Spacey. I must agree with the assesment of my counterpart in movie fanatacism that Spacey is in a league of his own. The way he effortlessly moves from one character to the next, with such diversity......AMAZING.

BEST ACTOR(SUPPORTING ROLE): Michael Caine. I have a difficult time not selecting Tom Cruise in this category, but Caine was simply mezmerizing.

You actually forget you're watching Michael Caine...and isn't that the point! Cruise

could take this Oscar as he was impressive in his own right....but Cruise most always is.

BEST ACTRESS: Annette Bening. How Spacey didnt throw that plate in her face instead of against the wall, I'll never know. One of the most impressive performances

overall, for any actor, in possibly the last 10 years...

BEST ACRESS(SUPPORTING ROLE): Toni Collette. Every facet of emotion shown here.

A very impressive performance. Part of me is saying Catherine Keener but I'll stay with Toni.

BEST DIRECTOR: M. Night Shyamalan. "Sixth Sense." Enough said.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Sleepy Hollow.

ORIGINAL SCORE: The Cider House Rules

ORIGINAL SONG: Magnolia

VISUAL EFFECTS: The Matrix.

SCREENPLAY - ADAPTED: The Green Mile

SCREENPLAY - ORIGINAL: Being John Malkovich. How ANYONE could come up with such a premise is overly impressive. Right when you think originality is just a recyclable spin, along comes something this extreme. KUDO'S

That's about it. Good luck to all, and oh yeah.....THANK GOD FOR BILLY CRYSTAL.

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