Little Miss Sunshine ~ A Closer Look

This movie can’t slow down, so you better just jump in and join the crazy ride! Little Miss Sunshine has taken the country as well as the world by storm, along with two very unlikely Oscar contenders, Alan Arkin and Abagail Breslin. Seven-year-old Olive dreams of winning a children’s beauty pageant and convinces her family to drive her from their home in New Mexico to California for the Little Miss Sunshine competition. Along for the ride are Olive’s father, a failed motivational speaker, her heroin-addicted grandfather, silent brother, suicidal uncle, and her increasingly frustrated mother. Now you talk about dysfunctional, this family puts the dys in funct…but you walk away loving the movie, loving the story and realy loving little Olvie played by Abagail Breslin.

The Queen ~ A Closer Look

One of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year has become one of the biggest surprises in the run for the Best Picture of the year. The Queen takes a revealing, witty portrait of the British royal family in crisis immediately following the death of Princess Diana. The setting for this fictional account of real events is no less than the private chambers of the Royal Family and the British government in the wake of the sudden death of Princess Diana in August of 1997.

Released in September, the chatter began much sooner. Talk was all amok about Helen Mirren’s role as the 2nd most familiar face in the world (second to the Princess who had just died). Her performance as Queen Elizabeth was soon hailed as the performance of the year, even before Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada. Most critics and reviewers at first only talked about Mirren, but as her performance gained momentum so did the movie and it’s director. Suddenly the reviewers and critics alike were calling it the best movie of the year and then came the awards.

The movie is cleverly put together, and does portray a real almost insider look at the royal family and all of the palaces and glory. At the same time it gives the viewer just enough to wet the appetite for more. The relationship between the Queen, her husband, her son, Prince Charles and her grandchildren are opened up for all to see, even if it is only a portrayal. One of the things that I enjoyed was the fact this wasn’t a movie bashing the royal family like I thought it may have been, but more of a story of a woman thrown into the spotlight realizing that in another time or another place, she herself could have been Diana. Although the British media continually branded the Queen as cold-hearted, the other side of Elizabeth poignantly emerged throughout the film: a good person who had been hurt by Charles’ infidelity, probably just as much as Diana.

One of the best scene in the entire movie was the little girl who handed over flowers to the Queen in front of the palace gates. The Queen humbly asked the little girl for permission to place the girl’s flowers with the rest of the flowers for Diana. The girl said no. There was a silence. Then the little girl said, “The flowers are for you.”

Best Actors ~ 1986 Oscars

Bob Hoskins in Mona Lisa

William Hurt in Children of a Lesser God

Dexter Gordan in ‘Round Midnight

James Woods in Salvador

Paul Newman in The Color of Money

Supporting Actors ~ 1986

Dianne Wiest ~ 1986 Best Supporting Actress

Dianne Wiest made her film debut in 1980, but didn’t make a name for herself until her performance as Emma, a prostitute during the Great Depression, in Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985). Her greatest work seem to always come under Allen’s direction, Wiest won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986).

She followed her Academy Award success with performances in The Lost Boys (1987) and Bright Lights, Big City (1988) before starring with Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, Keanu Reeves and Martha Plimpton in Ron Howard’s Parenthood, for which she received her second Oscar nomination.

In 1990, Wiest starred in Edward Scissorhands. She returned to Woody Allen in 1994 for Bullets Over Broadway, a comedy set in 1920s New York City, winning her second Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Helen Sinclair, a boozy, glamorous, and neurotic star of the stage.

Dianne is a great star and great actress, but this role should not have been a winner for her but was one of those after-thought wins that the acaedmy gives out to actors and actresses the year after they overlook them for a excellent performance.

Maggie Smith ~ 1986 Supporting Actress Nominee

Maggie Smith is of course wonderful as her thwarting chaperon, ‘poor Charlotte’, who is invariably mocked and labeled as uptight. She plays it to the hilt, in great Maggie Smith style. Her fifth nominated role should have got Maggie her 3rd win. This was at least her second best performance after The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

The Academy has always been somewhat generous to our great English Actors and Actresses but unfortunate for Dame Smith 1986 was not one of those years.

Predictions vs. My Choices

Okay I’m ready to make some predictions. I’ve got like a month to change my mind, but to be honest I think these are pretty sure winners. But as many of us do we prefer other people and movies to win rather than the favorites, or the sure thing. So I will list my predictions and the why behind my choice, but I will also share with you who or what I would like to win in each category and why. Just to make this years predictions a little more entertaining, because to be honest I’m a little bored with it at this point.

BEST PICTURE: PREDICTION ~ The Departed:
I just think over the other films nominated this is the clear winner. Of course Eastwood may do what he always does and pull out a trump card and walk away with the Best Picture, yet again. Letters From Iwo Jima, to me is boring. The Departed on the other hand is quite exciting, entertaining and pure cinematic perfection. And we know how Iwo Jim is going to end…but then again we knew the end of Titanic too but it won.

MY CHOICE ~ Here I really would like to see The Departed win. I love the movie, the performances, the whole thing. But I’m still pissed about Jack being over-looked.

BEST DIRECTOR: PREDICTION ~ Martin Scorsesee
Again, great movie, great performances and why? Great direction. I really think the Academy is going to give him his just due this year, at least I hope so.

MY CHOICE ~ Martin~ Again, this should be the winner, no question.

BEST ACTOR ~ PREDICTION ~ Forest Whitaker
Idi Amin never looked so bad. And I mean that in a good way. Whitaker is pure evil and pure perfection in this role. I’ve been a big fan of Forest for a long time and it is good to see him getting his just due.

MY CHOICE ~ Ryan Gosling
Even though I love Forest Whitaker, it would be nice to see the Academy give an award to a fairly unknown that gave an outstanding performance instead of waiting for a few years and make up for it by giving them an award for a lackluster performance. Ryan is great in this film. I don’t think it will happen, but it would be nice. If Forest don’t win there is no question O’Toole will take home the little guy.

BEST ACTRESS ~ PREDICTION ~ Helen Mirren
Yes, Helen is great in this role, and she is so believeable I had to take a second look when the trailers first came out for this movie, but that’s just good make-up. But when the screen comes up and the acting starts, again you have to take a second look becasue she becomes Queen Elizabeth, or at least the only Queen Elizabeth we will really even get a glimpse of who she really is. Good movie, and a role of a lifetime.

MY CHOICE ~ Dame Judi Dench
This is by far one of the most powerful and differant roles Dame Dench has ever pulled off. And to be honest I’m rally tired of hearing about Helen Mirren. I mean come on it was good, but let’s put some suspense into these awards!!

SUPPORTING ACTOR ~ PREDICTIONS ~ Eddie Murphy
Eddie has it wrapped. Once they pulled Jack, Brad, Ben and Matt out of the race, the only other contender would be Alan Arkin at this point. Just give him the statue now please and we can avoid the acceptance speech.

MY CHOICE ~ Djimon Housou
Since I first saw this man in Gladiator I was impressed. He is a very good actor and one of the most talented “newer” stars to come on film. I never was a fan of Murphy, really, never and I do not think it is a stretch for him to play his charecter as opposed to his stand up on SNL. But Hounsou, this man can act!

SUPPORTING ACTRESS ~ PREDICTIONS ~ Jennifer Hudson
Again, just give her the statue already, please! I must say though I think she is deserving of it. It is great to see this young woman move up so quickly from a reality TV star that failed to Hollywood and a Oscar Nomination. She has talent Simon regardless of what you EVER said!

MY CHOICE ~ Abagail Breslin
As I’ve already said enough, we should have excitement to these awards shows. We all know who the winner is going to be before they are even announced as nominees this year. Yes, Jennifer is tremendous and will probably win, but once, just once I wish the Academy would give it to the kid instead of just hyping them up and then dropping the ball on them. Plus she is sooooo cute. And I also think it’s time that Tatum O’Neal’s reign as the youngest Oscar winner is toppled.

Surprise, Surprise

The votes have been tabulated and the results are in. I must say I was somewhat surprised. But I’ll get to that in a minute. Every year I wait in anticipation for the Oscar nominations and every year I seem to become more and more disappointed. Actually though this year I am more surprised than disappointed. Lets see how I did on the predictions first…

Best Film: Nominees are; Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine & The Queen.

I had four out of the five. I know that Bobby was a long shot, however I really didn’t think Dreamgirls would be booted out by Little Miss Sunshine. Surprise #1.

Best Director: Nominees are; Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, The Queen, & United 93.

Again, four out of five. And again surprised that Pedro Almodovar was overlooked for Volver. Surprise #2

Best Actor: Nominees: Leonardo DiCaprio, Rayn Gosling, Peter O’Toole, Will Smith and Forest Whitaker.

No surprises here as I got five for five! Now to see who wins, that will be the real surprise.

Best Actress:Nominees, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep & Kate Winslet.

I was four out of five again here, but I knew Maggie didn’t really stand a chance, even though she gave two powerful performances this year. But a name like Kate Winslet pulls a lot of weight. Not that it matters as Helen Mirren will walk away with it this year.

Supporting Actress: Nominated; Adriana Barraza, Cate Blanchett, Abigal Breslin, Jennifer Hudson, Rinko Kikuchi.

Three for five in this category is not bad. It is a shame though that Catherine O’Hara was again overlooked. She was great in this film, but a spoof of the Academy maybe wasn’t a good idea.

Supporting Actor: Nominees: Alan Arkin, Jackie Earl Haley, Djimon Hounsou, Eddie Murphy & Mark Wahlberg.

Now this is the big surprise! No Jack, Ben, Brad or Matt. Ben was a long shot. Matt was over-done this year too much exposure. Brad? Oh well there is next year in that Jesse James bio pic. But Nicholson? In one of the best roles of his career? I am really surprised. Maybe the Academy just could not see him as such a despicable character. Who knows, but I was 2 for five, my worst predictions ever.
So how did I do? 82% Not bad, but not good. Let’s see how I do February 25th…

I will ponder theses noms and give you my predictions in a few days.

HERE THEY COME

Yes, tomorrow the day has finally arrived, the Academy Awards will announce their nominations. Will there be suprises? Oh I hope so! Will there be the expected? Unfortunately, yes. So be here tomorrow and we will list the nominees and begin our countdown and predictions of the winners…

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio ~ 1986 Supporting Actress Nominee

The Color of Money, one of the overlooked films for Best Picture of 1986 received 2 Acting nominations, Best Actor nomination for Paul Newman, and Supporting Actress nominee for Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. A relatively newcomer, having only been in two film roles (Scarface & King of Comedy) prior to her role as Tom Crusie’s girlfriend, in King of Comedy her role was actually cut from the film.

Her performance in Color of Money was moving, and much better than Cruise’s. However as the movie progressed her character became less intriguing and believable, much like the movie. One of her best performances, this role catapulted Mary Elizabeth and soon everyone knew who she was, and what she was capable of doing. Unfortunately Hollywood has pushed her aside for less talented actresses.