They’re both boundary-pushing animated films. They both play equally well to kids and adults. And they both scored in the 90s on Rotten Tomatoes. So if there’s any movie can give Up a run for its money in the Best Animated Feature category, could it be Fantastic Mr. Fox? One crucial test for Wes Anderson’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book is its box office performance once it expands beyond New York and Los Angeles. In advance of its wide release tomorrow, I gathered Anderson and three of his cast members (Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray) for a spirited interview about their experiences doing the voices for the film and what it’s like to watch children watch it.
Steve & Alec: Should they sing at the Oscars?
The news today that ace composer Marc Shaiman will serve as musical director for the Academy Awards is fascinating, considering show coproducer Adam Shankman told my colleague Nicole Sperling earlier this month that “I don’t want musical numbers unless there’s an organic fit into the show.” Certainly the hiring of Shaiman (who worked with Shankman on Hairspray and has served in this capacity several times before, most recently when Billy Crystal hosted in 2004) indicates that the telecast will have some major musical component. Which is strange considering that unlike Crystal or Hugh Jackman, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are not known for their singing ability. Perhaps the guys are more comfortable with the idea of a musical number since they’ll have each other to lean on and won’t have to carry the tune by themselves.
But here’s the question: If Steve and Alec want to break the Oscar-telecast mold, should they sing at all? Or is the big-ticket musical number such a beloved part of the Academy Awards that they should put their own spin on it? At least it’s comforting to know that with Shaiman on board, the ditty will be witty—even if, coming out of Martin and Baldwin’s mouths, it doesn’t sound that great.
Image credit: Martin: Pixplanete/PR Photos; Crystal: Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Baldwin: Ben Hider/ Getty Images
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Oscar roundup: November 20
Two female-driven films — one aimed at art houses, the other at the heartland — hit theaters this week, and both have some awards hopes to speak of. Here are the categories where Broken Embraces and The Blind Side could be a contender.
BROKEN EMBRACES
Possibles
Best Actress, Penélope Cruz
The reigning Best Supporting Actress winner’s role in this Almodóvar film is not as dominating as was her part in Volver, which earned her a nod in this category three years ago. But she still brings her seductive mix of glamour and bite.
Best Original Screenplay, Pedro Almodóvar
As I’ve mentioned before, this year’s original-screenplay pickings are quite slim. And he’s won this category before.
Long shots
Best Picture
It’s got perhaps the best shot of any foreign film this year (along with The White Ribbon, perhaps). But is the Academy likelier to nominate an animated film or a documentary in its biggest race?
Best Director, Pedro Almodóvar
The film may not be as inventive as Talk to Her, for which he scored a nod in this race. But his singular touch should still earn some votes.
THE BLIND SIDE
Long shot
Best Actress, Sandra Bullock
It’s been a good year for one of this country’s top sweethearts (with the exception of All About Steve, of course). Comparisons to Erin Brockovich may help Bullock’s case, but she still seems like a better bet for a nomination at the Golden Globes.
Image credit: Emilio Pereda/Paola Ardizzoni
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Can 'Avatar' play on DVD?
Although the Academy hosts official screenings of all the big award hopefuls for Oscar voters, the fact remains that many Academy members prefer to watch the contenders in their living rooms on DVD. But this year, for the first time, we have a 3D film—James Cameron’s Avatar—with a decent shot at a Best Picture nomination. Obviously, Twentieth Century Fox will do all they can to ensure that as many voters as possible see the film in a theater with those funny glasses on. And they have not announced if and when they’ll be sending out For Your Consideration DVDs that will, of course, only feature two of the film’s three dimensions.
The question is: Will it matter? When I watched a 30-minute preview of the film a few months ago, Cameron’s gorgeous 3D visuals were certainly the most impressive aspect of the production. But the studio can’t force all 6,000-plus Academy members to show up at a theater to watch it. So for many voters, their choice seems to be either to have them watch Avatar on a regular television, or not at all. Of the two options, they may be smart to choose the former.
Image credit: Fox
Oscar roundup: November 13
An indie drama with three impressive performances and a quirky animated film with a dream cast are the two Oscar-baiting entries to hit theaters this weekend. Here’s how The Messenger and Fantastic Mr. Fox might fare in this year’s awards races.
THE MESSENGER
Possible
Best Supporting Actor, Woody Harrelson: He’s the biggest star in the cast and also has the good fortune to be a contender in this year’s weakest major race. He’s also quite impressive in the film’s roughest scenes.
Best Original Screenplay, Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon: With most of the big Oscar guns in the adapted-screenplay race, Moverman and Camon’s understated script could find itself in the running alongside Up and A Serious Man.
Long shots
Best Actor, Ben Foster: The standout from Alpha Dog and 3:10 to Yuma turns in another raw performance as a soldier forced to tell military families their loved ones have been killed. But he may have a tough time competing with his more seasoned competitors.
Best Supporting Actress, Samantha Morton: She’s one of the few actresses who seems to be able to score acting nominations for quieter work—witness her Best Actress nod for In America. And she’s typically stoic as a recent widow. Too bad Precious and Up in the Air may hog most of the slots in her category.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Best Bet
Best Animated Feature: With five slots in this year’s race (compared to the usual three), Wes Anderson’s whimsical take on Roald Dahl’s book stands a great chance of competing against the likes of Pixar and Ponyo.
Possible
Best Original Song, “Petey’s Song”: Jarvis Cocker’s countrified ode may not be the most beautiful track in competition this year, but the music branch often goes for the non-traditional choices.
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George Clooney and Matt Damon: The double showdown
Only two men in Oscar history have ever received acting nominations for two different performances in the same year: Al Pacino (for 1992’s Scent of a Woman and Glengarry Glen Ross) and Jamie Foxx (for 2004’s Ray and Collateral). Though I don’t expect anyone to join that list this year, I do find it funny that good buddies George Clooney and Matt Damon are competing against each other in this season’s Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories. In the lead race, Clooney headlines Up in the Air with a quintessential star turn, while Damon shows off his droll comedy stylings in The Informant! And in the supporting contest, there’s Clooney’s goofball performance in The Men Who Stare At Goats, while Damon gets serious as a South African rugby player in Invictus. I’ve only seen three of these four performances, but my hunch is that Clooney’s stronger shot is for Best Actor while Damon seems a better bet for Best Supporting Actor. But that doesn’t mean a little trash-talking isn’t in order. Back in Toronto, Damon told me how he plans to take down his pal as the awards season progresses.
Image credit: Richard Young/startraksphoto.com
'Precious' lives up to the hype
While big-studio releases like A Christmas Carol and The Fourth Kind topped the box office chart this weekend, all OscarWatchers’ eyes were on Precious. After dominating this year’s film-festival prizes, the indie drama opened on Friday to very strong reviews, resulting in an 85 grade from Rotten Tomatoes. EW’s Owen Gleiberman rated the film an A, while the New York Times‘ A.O. Scott said that lead actress Gabourey Sidibe was “extraordinarily poised.” But the critics weren’t the only ones going crazy over the film. Playing in just 18 theaters, Precious grossed a phenomenal $1.8 million, according to studio estimates. If those numbers hold, Precious will become only the third live-action film to score a per-theater average of over $100,000, following in the heels of multiple Oscar nominees Dreamgirls and Brokeback Mountain. Considering all of this was accomplished by a film by a relatively new director with no big movie stars in it, it’s an amazing achievement. It was well on its way to becoming a Best Picture nominee already, but now Precious is seeming more and more like a front-runner. The question now: Can it distinguish itself from Dreamgirls (which missed out on a Best Picture nod) and Brokeback Mountain (which lost to Crash) and actually win? Between Invictus, The Hurt Locker, The Lovely Bones, Up in the Air, and Nine, it certainly seems to have some stiff competition.
Did any of you see Precious this weekend (or before it opened)? Do you think it deserves its front-runner status?
Photo credit: Anne Marie Fox
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