'The Aviator' Receives 11 Oscar Nominations
By SHARON WAXMAN
"The Aviator," Martin Scorsese's sweeping tale of the genius and phobias of Howard Hughes, took a lead in the Oscar race with 11 nominations, including nods for best picture, best director and best actor.
"Finding Neverland," about the man who wrote "The Adventures of Peter Pan," and "Million Dollar Baby," an underdog boxing tale, received seven nominations each, including best picture.
In a year that started with few clear front-runners and many small films vying for honors, voters in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences turned back to what they have traditionally embraced - movies with inspiring themes and heartfelt stories. "Ray," about the singer Ray Charles, and "Sideways," about a middle-aged man's life crisis played out in the California wine country, were also nominated for best picture.
Controversial films like "The Passion of the Christ," directed by Mel Gibson, which had three nominations but none in the major categories, and Michael Moore's political documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," which received no nominations, were largely ignored.
"The Aviator," which won nominations for Mr. Scorsese and the actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda, as well as the screenwriter John Logan, was the most ambitious film among the nominees: a three-hour tale of Howard Hughes's personal demons that also reflected Hollywood in the 1940's and the history of commercial aviation.
"It wasn't an odds-on favorite to even get made," said the film's producer, Michael Mann, noting that at one point eight films about Hughes were being planned. "We decided on the right story to tell, specifically to try to externalize the internal Howard Hughes. To take his struggles against mental disease on the one hand and his being swept away by his visionary aspect on the other - to tell the promise of the man."
Mr. DiCaprio said: "This is one of those films that deserves to be recognized. It's not the kind of film we get to see every week, or every month or year. It's an epic character study. It's encouraging to me that more people may finance fascinating character studies on this budget scale."
The nominations for "The Aviator" and "Finding Neverland" - plus a best foreign film nomination for "The Chorus" - represented a bittersweet victory for Miramax, the New York-based art house studio whose corporate parent, the Walt Disney Company, is poised to sever ties with Miramax's co-founders, Harvey and Bob Weinstein. Miramax was a co-distributor of "The Aviator," which had a budget of $112 million and received backing from both Warner Brothers and Initial Entertainment Group.
"As I said to Harvey a few week ago, 'If this is the last supper, let's eat,' " said Richard Gladstein, a producer of "Finding Neverland." "And he'll have an Act 2. No one's had an Act 1 like this."
Through a spokesman, Mr. Weinstein said, "We congratulate our nominees and are thankful that the focus is finally where it should be - on the movies."
"Sideways," a droll comedy directed by Alexander Payne, garnered nominations for best picture and best director, as well as supporting acting nods for Virginia Madsen and Thomas Haden Church, and a nomination for its screenplay, written by Mr. Payne and Jim Taylor. A darling of the critics, it had been expected by many to dominate the awards but failed to win a nomination for its lead actor, Paul Giamatti.
Jamie Foxx, who portrayed Ray Charles in "Ray," was nominated for best actor, as was Don Cheadle, who played a real-life hero who saved Tutsis during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in "Hotel Rwanda." Mr. Foxx was also nominated for his supporting role in "Collateral."
Other nominees in the best actor category were Johnny Depp, as the playwright J. M. Barrie in "Finding Neverland," and Clint Eastwood for his performance in "Million Dollar Baby," which he also directed.
Imelda Staunton was nominated for best actress for her role in "Vera Drake," one of the least-seen films in the race, as a British woman who defies the law and social convention in the 1950's by performing abortions. The other nominees in the category were Annette Bening for "Being Julia," Catalina Sandino Moreno for "Maria Full of Grace," Kate Winslet for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and Hilary Swank - a previous Oscar winner - for "Million Dollar Baby."
Ms. Winslet was nominated for portraying a kooky American who is erased from her boyfriend's memory. "She was such a difficult part to play," said Ms. Winslet, who is British. "I had to find the right balance of madness and subtlety, which is very, very hard to do, and an American accent, completely changing myself in order to be Clementine."
Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for best supporting actor for playing a wise ex-boxer in "Million Dollar Baby," Mr. Eastwood's boxing drama, said that it was a last-minute addition to the 2004 release schedule and that Warner Brothers had initially declined to finance it. "It was the subject matter, I would think that was the main reason," he said, referring to a surprising plot twist with political undertones that has not generally been discussed in the media so as not to spoil the ending.
The film was ultimately co-financed by the production company Lakeshore Entertainment and Warner.
Taylor Hackford, the director of "Ray," observed that having two African-Americans, Mr. Foxx and Mr. Cheadle, nominated for best actor, along with supporting nominations for Mr. Foxx, Mr. Freeman and the black British actress Sophie Okonedo, might be a sign that racial stigma is becoming a thing of the past in Hollywood. "It's an important time; people don't talk about 'African-American,' " he said. "We shouldn't look at it that way; when there are great performances on film, they should be recognized."
This year's directing nominations represented something of a triumph for Hollywood's old school. Four of the nominees are at least 60: Mr. Hackford, nominated for "Ray"; Mike Leigh, nominated for "Vera Drake"; Mr. Scorsese; and Mr. Eastwood, the oldest of the group at 74. Among the film industry's newer directors, only Mr. Payne, 43, was nominated.
Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me," a chronicle of the filmmaker's fate when he went on an all-McDonald's diet, was among the nominees in the documentary category. (Mr. Moore asked that "Fahrenheit 9/11" not be considered in that category.)
A year ago Mr. Spurlock brought "Super Size Me" to the Sundance Film Festival. "We made this little film for $65,000; now it's played in 60 countries," he said. "I don't have one debt in my life now, and that's a beautiful thing." He added that he was making an "educationally enhanced" version of the film to play in schools in the spring.
A documentary in competition at this year's Sundance festival, "Twist of Faith," about a Toledo firefighter's childhood experience of abuse at the hand of a Roman Catholic priest, was also nominated. The film was directed by Kirby Dick.
The 77th Oscar ceremony will take place at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on Feb. 27.
By SHARON WAXMAN
"The Aviator," Martin Scorsese's sweeping tale of the genius and phobias of Howard Hughes, took a lead in the Oscar race with 11 nominations, including nods for best picture, best director and best actor.
"Finding Neverland," about the man who wrote "The Adventures of Peter Pan," and "Million Dollar Baby," an underdog boxing tale, received seven nominations each, including best picture.
In a year that started with few clear front-runners and many small films vying for honors, voters in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences turned back to what they have traditionally embraced - movies with inspiring themes and heartfelt stories. "Ray," about the singer Ray Charles, and "Sideways," about a middle-aged man's life crisis played out in the California wine country, were also nominated for best picture.
Controversial films like "The Passion of the Christ," directed by Mel Gibson, which had three nominations but none in the major categories, and Michael Moore's political documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," which received no nominations, were largely ignored.
"The Aviator," which won nominations for Mr. Scorsese and the actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda, as well as the screenwriter John Logan, was the most ambitious film among the nominees: a three-hour tale of Howard Hughes's personal demons that also reflected Hollywood in the 1940's and the history of commercial aviation.
"It wasn't an odds-on favorite to even get made," said the film's producer, Michael Mann, noting that at one point eight films about Hughes were being planned. "We decided on the right story to tell, specifically to try to externalize the internal Howard Hughes. To take his struggles against mental disease on the one hand and his being swept away by his visionary aspect on the other - to tell the promise of the man."
Mr. DiCaprio said: "This is one of those films that deserves to be recognized. It's not the kind of film we get to see every week, or every month or year. It's an epic character study. It's encouraging to me that more people may finance fascinating character studies on this budget scale."
The nominations for "The Aviator" and "Finding Neverland" - plus a best foreign film nomination for "The Chorus" - represented a bittersweet victory for Miramax, the New York-based art house studio whose corporate parent, the Walt Disney Company, is poised to sever ties with Miramax's co-founders, Harvey and Bob Weinstein. Miramax was a co-distributor of "The Aviator," which had a budget of $112 million and received backing from both Warner Brothers and Initial Entertainment Group.
"As I said to Harvey a few week ago, 'If this is the last supper, let's eat,' " said Richard Gladstein, a producer of "Finding Neverland." "And he'll have an Act 2. No one's had an Act 1 like this."
Through a spokesman, Mr. Weinstein said, "We congratulate our nominees and are thankful that the focus is finally where it should be - on the movies."
"Sideways," a droll comedy directed by Alexander Payne, garnered nominations for best picture and best director, as well as supporting acting nods for Virginia Madsen and Thomas Haden Church, and a nomination for its screenplay, written by Mr. Payne and Jim Taylor. A darling of the critics, it had been expected by many to dominate the awards but failed to win a nomination for its lead actor, Paul Giamatti.
Jamie Foxx, who portrayed Ray Charles in "Ray," was nominated for best actor, as was Don Cheadle, who played a real-life hero who saved Tutsis during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in "Hotel Rwanda." Mr. Foxx was also nominated for his supporting role in "Collateral."
Other nominees in the best actor category were Johnny Depp, as the playwright J. M. Barrie in "Finding Neverland," and Clint Eastwood for his performance in "Million Dollar Baby," which he also directed.
Imelda Staunton was nominated for best actress for her role in "Vera Drake," one of the least-seen films in the race, as a British woman who defies the law and social convention in the 1950's by performing abortions. The other nominees in the category were Annette Bening for "Being Julia," Catalina Sandino Moreno for "Maria Full of Grace," Kate Winslet for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and Hilary Swank - a previous Oscar winner - for "Million Dollar Baby."
Ms. Winslet was nominated for portraying a kooky American who is erased from her boyfriend's memory. "She was such a difficult part to play," said Ms. Winslet, who is British. "I had to find the right balance of madness and subtlety, which is very, very hard to do, and an American accent, completely changing myself in order to be Clementine."
Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for best supporting actor for playing a wise ex-boxer in "Million Dollar Baby," Mr. Eastwood's boxing drama, said that it was a last-minute addition to the 2004 release schedule and that Warner Brothers had initially declined to finance it. "It was the subject matter, I would think that was the main reason," he said, referring to a surprising plot twist with political undertones that has not generally been discussed in the media so as not to spoil the ending.
The film was ultimately co-financed by the production company Lakeshore Entertainment and Warner.
Taylor Hackford, the director of "Ray," observed that having two African-Americans, Mr. Foxx and Mr. Cheadle, nominated for best actor, along with supporting nominations for Mr. Foxx, Mr. Freeman and the black British actress Sophie Okonedo, might be a sign that racial stigma is becoming a thing of the past in Hollywood. "It's an important time; people don't talk about 'African-American,' " he said. "We shouldn't look at it that way; when there are great performances on film, they should be recognized."
This year's directing nominations represented something of a triumph for Hollywood's old school. Four of the nominees are at least 60: Mr. Hackford, nominated for "Ray"; Mike Leigh, nominated for "Vera Drake"; Mr. Scorsese; and Mr. Eastwood, the oldest of the group at 74. Among the film industry's newer directors, only Mr. Payne, 43, was nominated.
Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me," a chronicle of the filmmaker's fate when he went on an all-McDonald's diet, was among the nominees in the documentary category. (Mr. Moore asked that "Fahrenheit 9/11" not be considered in that category.)
A year ago Mr. Spurlock brought "Super Size Me" to the Sundance Film Festival. "We made this little film for $65,000; now it's played in 60 countries," he said. "I don't have one debt in my life now, and that's a beautiful thing." He added that he was making an "educationally enhanced" version of the film to play in schools in the spring.
A documentary in competition at this year's Sundance festival, "Twist of Faith," about a Toledo firefighter's childhood experience of abuse at the hand of a Roman Catholic priest, was also nominated. The film was directed by Kirby Dick.
The 77th Oscar ceremony will take place at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on Feb. 27.
posted by ZZ at
2:33 a.m.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home