JustJared has posted on set photos of Great Kate with director Stephen Daldry. Ryan brought up The Reader in the comments section and suggests it as our first Awards Daily Book Club selection. I’m inclined to agree! Hurry on over to Amazon and get your copy of The Reader.
The site described The Reader thusly:
The Reader is based on the best-selling post-WWII novel by German author Bernhard Schlink, in which a young man obsessed with an older woman is forced to face the awful truth at a war crimes trial. Kate, 32, and Ralph Fiennes, 45, star in the lead roles.
Ryan added:
In the spirit of Sasha’s “Oscar Bait ‘08″ entry yesterday, I’ll do what the Envelope did for other upcoming contenders but neglected to do for The Reader.
The Oscar credit pedigree:
Director: Stephen Daldry (The Hours, Billy Elliot)
Screenwriter: David Hare (The Hours, Damage)
Cinematographer: Chris Menges (The Killing Fields, The Mission, Notes on a Scandal)
Editor: Claire Simpson (Platoon, The Constant Gardener, Salvador, Wall Street)
Production Designer: Brigette Broch (Moulin Rouge, Babel, Romeo Juliet, Amores Perros)
Costume Designer: Ann Roth (The English Patient, The Talented Mr Ripley, Cold Mountain)
Producers? you betcha:
Anthony Minghella
Henning Molfenter
Redmond Morris
Sydney Pollack
Scott Rudin
Michael Simon de Normier
Bob Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein
I know that all noise around this artificially made events won’t help. Come on guys wake up! It’s a lie! But you keep posting! Nobody will hear!
DorothyPorker, thanks for the link to Extras. “Oscahs comin’ out of their asses.” Indeed. Go Kate (great and glorious).
🙂
I did guess, Nancy. And I have to say, as much as I like Tommy Lee Jones and thought he was great in The Fugitive, Fiennes truly blew me away in Schindler’s List.
Alison: If you haven’t guessed already…..I am one of those still fuming over Fiennes loss to Jones.
Very true, Nancy. And Fiennes was fantastic in Schindler’s List. There are many who are still fuming over his loss to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive. Although it’s not quite on the level of a certain other Oscar debacle which shall remain nameless.
I forgot about her “Extras” appearance. How wonderfully ironic. In the episode
she mentions how your guaranteed an Oscar if your in a film about the Holocaust. Although Schindler got
” a s#@t load of Oscars”…sadly it didn’t pay off for Ralph Fiennes. Maybe this time it will.
i really want her to win….i hope this is her year…if those two movies are great, who knows she could win TWO OSCARs next year!!!!
Why can’t there be some talk about THE BANK JOB? I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IT! Roger Donaldson can be a wonderful director!
it would be great if great kate would be double nominee!! she’s the most deserved actress for an oscar!!! please give it to her!!!
At this point she really can’t help it, but being the undisputed front-runner from the very start of the year, and not even just for lock status as a nominee but the presumed winner, cannot be good for anyone. She has two roles that she will no doubt excel in, but they will both be in films that are almost too ‘baity’ to be believed. They could both easily suffer from being so overtly oscar-friendly.
Although whatever happens to the films I think she is assured a spot amongst the nominees, if they do suffer she will take the knock, and in such a strong year with several other worthy winners such a strong front-runner is clearly very vulnerable from the get-go- especially if recent years are anything to go by.
I honestly couldn’t think of a single person I would like to see win an oscar more than Kate, but I fear she has reached a kind of status that plagued Meryl streep throughout the 80s/90s; the perennial nominee who will no doubt win someday, who consistently does commendable work that it is included while still being left by the wayside, only thing is she didn’t manage to start of with the early wins.
Also, because she has been in contention for so long, we forget how young she is. Amy Adams for example, is about the same age as her, and actresses I always think of being in the same generation, like Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, or even just a bit older like Laura Linney, or Julianne Moore, are around five or ten years older than her. I think the Academy realise that she is young and can always award her later (especially as many of these examples are similarly worthy of some recognition at long last).
I really doubt she will become a Peter O’Toole or Richard Burton, but I see her as a new Meyrl, who after years of respectful mentions, comes up for greater consideration now she has passed into a status of myth-like greatness for some people (like the original ‘Great Kate’ who after an early win had to wait around to become an icon before her later honours) (or even Martin Scorsese for that matter). Maybe Kate will just have to make do without the early award and wait until her AFI achievement award or something kicks the Academy into gear and she finally gets her glut of recognition.
However, despite my rambling -I’m bored, can you tell?- she probably will win,in her seemingly very strong position. But -my last conjunction I promise-, (minus the token win for the Aviator) the same could’ve been said for Cate Blanchett last year who seemed to have two very good options and both ended up failing -despite the lack of an all out backlash or any really strong competition, both of which I think Kate might come up against this year.
I’ll wait. I’m gonna read Blindness because I hear the movie isn’t that great ( from test screenings).
I don’t want to read the book first and then be picky with the film. So I’ll wait to read the Reader.
Kate’s Oscar search: http://youtube.com/watch?v=mGXLtFOQdMQ
Tell you what. Too much cooks in the kitchen.
I love Cate and Kate and the day they finally decide to award Winslet with an Oscar will be one of the greatest Oscar moments.
Oh and Ryan I wasn’t kidding when I said I was gonna join you on the AD book club. I got my copy of “The Reader” today. I prefer to read the books before the film comes out that way I can be outraged at how they’ve ruined a great story or marvel at how they’ve successfully translated the story from book to film. Ok and now to turn my attention to…”The Reader”…
Xavi, I can imagine a crowded line for the women’s room at the Kodak Theatre next year, if half that list gets real.
That’s one of the things I have always been curious about. When those people meet, what do they say? Hi, Jessica Lange, I’m Natalie Portman…I saw you in A Thousand Acres/ Really, did you? Mmm, I haven’t seen The Phantom Menace yet, but hey, you look great.
I digress (a lot).
It seems to me this movie, The Reader, sounds almost too perfect to be true. Let’s hope it doesn’t deceive the expectations.
P.S. I always thought Great Kate was Katharine Hepburn, but maybe Goddess Kate is more appropriate for her.
Looks like it’ll be Kate’s year. Now the question is, for which film, and which category? I think it depends on which movie is better: Revolutionary Road or The Reader.
I think Relph Fiennes looks good to get back on the Awards scene this year as well. It’s about time too.
Check out The Oscar Nazi for year-round predictions and analysis.
Kate winslet and Cate Blanchett, for me, are both my favorites actresses. Both are great and never repet two sames roles.
About that, I think Kate Winslet has more chances for this film (In the supporting category) that Revolutionary road in leading role (maybe if this film was released last year she could become the Actress Winner instead marion cotillard (The actual winner), and the fellow nominees Julie Christie and Ellen Page.
I have a little scare about Revolutionary road, but the most important factor: We have now a lot of conteders in this category. Most than last year.
-Meryl Streep: Dount/Mamma mia
-Julianne Moore: Blindness/Savage grace
-Angelina Jolie: The changeling (and we know how Clint Eastwood is beloved in Hollywood)
-Emily Blunt: Young Victoria (Pretty, talented-more that Knightley, british and intersting big role)
-Keira Knightley: The Duchess (I think the movie sucks) and The edge of love
-Natalie Portman: Brothers (Suffering wife, young, pretty, remake of a succesful foreign film)
-Drew Barrymore/Jessica Lange: Grey gardens (Depends who’s the lead, real carachter, remake of a sucessful musical play and a documental film)
-Uma Thurman/Evan Rachel Wood: Life before her eyes (Good reviews at Toronto last year, depends who’s the lead)
-Sally Hawkins: Happy-Go-Lucky (Winner at berlinale this year, Mike leigh’s film)
-anne Hathaway: Dancing with Sheba (Rising star, Demme’s film)
-Michelle Williams: Incendiary (Mixed reviews to the film, good to her performance)
-Joan Chen: The Home Song stories (Aussie film, but very beloved for her performance in Australia, Europe and Asia. possible first asian who get the leading Oscar nomination)
-Juliette Binoche: Disengagement (After Marion, nomination: possible, winning: I don’t think so. Good reviews of her at Toronto last year)
-Rachel McAdams: Time traveler’s wife (Like Ellen Burstyn’s Resurrection or Hilary Swank’s P.S. I love you?)
-Jill scott: The No. 1 Ladies detectives agency (One of the breakthoughs of the year)
-Summer Bishil: Towelhead/Crossing Over (more possibilities in Supporting for CO)
my god, how are they going to decide which producers’ names to put on the Oscar ballot? I can see the blood flying now…
There’s room for both…”Great Kate” “Glorious Blanchett”…
And Charles, the bit on “Extras” was GENIUS (I’m paraphrasing here: “And everyone is sitting around wondering, when are they going to give Winslet her Oscar?”).
And, of course, the ending, where she speculates on what kind of roles win the Oscars. I suppose she’s heeding her own advice!
I love that woman.
Saltire Flower Says:
I hope it will be Ralph Fiennes’year too. I recall the Constant Gardner snub which was just uncool.
I am right with you on that Saltire Flower. The Constant Gardener snub was painful….and he has given other fantastic performances over the years which were ignored as well like in Cronenbergs “Spider” and “Quiz Show”. Maybe this will be his year. Crossing my fingers and toes.
I love Kate… but I agree with whoever said “Great C/Kate” belongs to someone else…
Although for Cate, I like “La Blanchett.”
She’s like a young female Peter O’Toole.
I really hope not, Saltire Flower.
OSCAR
WRITTEN
ALL
OVER IT.
and by the way, does anyone remember that hilarious extras sketch with kate winslet a la WWII? this is too good to be true.
I hope it will be Ralph Fiennes’year too. I recall the Constant Gardner snub which was just uncool. And call me crazy but I think they love to not give Kate the Oscar. She’s like a young female Peter O’Toole.
Billy Elliot was fun. The Hours was not great.
My opinion. However, I always hope any movie will be WONDERFUL.
Go Kate, go girl, all the way !!
book club? I must have missed that suggestion, will have to look through the archives!
I too usually prefer to read the book after watching the movie ’cause whenever I do it the other way around I am practically always disappointed in the film… whereas after seeing the film I’m pretty sure there is always something more to discover in the book ;o)
I was searching all over the web for a still or on-location shot, and was about ready to go with a photo of the book cover for a post this morning. But this is much better.
In the spirit of Sasha’s “Oscar Bait ’08” entry yesterday, I’ll do what the Envelope did for other upcoming contenders but neglected to do for The Reader.
The Oscar credit pedigree:
Director: Stephen Daldry (The Hours, Billy Elliot)
Screenwriter: David Hare (The Hours, Damage)
Cinematographer: Chris Menges (The Killing Fields, The Mission, Notes on a Scandal)
Editor: Claire Simpson (Platoon, The Constant Gardener, Salvador, Wall Street)
Production Designer: Brigette Broch (Moulin Rouge, Babel, Romeo Juliet, Amores Perros)
Costume Designer: Ann Roth (The English Patient, The Talented Mr Ripley, Cold Mountain)
Producers? you betcha:
Anthony Minghella
Henning Molfenter
Redmond Morris
Sydney Pollack
Scott Rudin
Michael Simon de Normier
Bob Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein
Hmm, and here I thought it was the “Great Cate” moniker for a certain other lady with the same name, different spelling.
I just hope that this will be Kate Winslet’s year finally. It’s about time she won the little gold statue.
Be still, my heart. When will my fourteen-year affair with Ms. Winslet end? Will it ever ebb? Just looking at her makes me smile.
I like the “Great Kate” monicker a lot, by the way.
i generally prefer to see the movie first. i know, i know, but it’s always been this way.