The 83rd Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon will be streamed on Oscars.org, Oscar.com, http://www.livestream.com/academyawards and www.facebook.com/TheAcademy. The stream will feature footage from the Interview Room, the Class Photo, and certificate presentations.
Dear Oscar Watchers, from here on out there will be no more Oscar whining. ¬†This, after our pal Marshall Fine wrote a piece about how we’ve turned him off of the Oscar race for the entire season:
Some have speculated that a win by “King’s Speech” would be comparable to such ignoble past Oscar picks as “Crash” over “Brokeback Mountain” and “Ordinary People” over “Raging Bull.” Personally, I don’t see it as that stark a contrast. Unlike my friend Jeffrey Wells, who has called “The King’s Speech” the “best film of 1993,” I don’t see it as old-fashioned and comfortable. Traditional? Yes. But it’s still a movie of great emotional range and vitality featuring what is doubtless the best acting performance of the year, by Colin Firth.
But as for the world ending if “King’s Speech” wins? Gee, folks, get over yourselves. It’s the Oscars – and the Oscars nearly always get at least some part of it – if not all of it – wrong. Sure, they’ve gotten a few right in recent years – “No Country for Old Men,” “The Hurt Locker” – but it’s as conservative and middle-brow a group as any of them out there.
If anything, I’d be worried if the Oscars picked “The Social Network.” To me, that would be the true harbinger that Fincher’s film isn’t the great leap forward that so many touted it as being. Winning an Oscar doesn’t make it a great movie – and losing one doesn’t mean it’s not.
So, for the sake of your sanity and mine, there will be no more whining. ¬†Mea culpa: yes, I was wrong. ¬†To David Poland who said The Social Network would never win Best Picture, I apologize for mocking that declaration, which was spot on. To Anne Thompson, Dave Karger, Kris Tapley, Steve Pond, Tim Appelo, Pete Hammond and all of the other Oscar peeps who said The King’s Speech would win early on – you were right. I was wrong. ¬†To our readers who have been pissed off at me now for weeks – I will stop, I promise. ¬†No more whining. ¬†Let’s get on with the show.
There have been some magnificent films in the Oscar race this year.  In this case, we really can acknowledge that the films they chose for Oscars Big Ten are all pretty great.  There is no Blind Side this year.  Surely that has to count for something.
People are taking sides. ¬†Fans, voters, bloggers. ¬†What’s an Oscar watcher to do?
The way this year is going to go seems all but a certainty: a King’s Speech near-sweep. It’s time to take a look at what rivals may yet challenge The King’s Speech in the various categories, and what some of the most emotionally divisive races are. First, we have to wonder why we take sides on films at all. ¬†The answer: because we do. ¬†What we like defines who we are. ¬†We want what we like to win because maybe that validates it somehow.
Having said that, what are the more contentious races this year?
More photos of Kidman at JustJared
Festival director Roger Durling interviewed Ms. Kidman for over an hour, with film clips in between and several montages set to pop songs like Katy Perry’s Firework (Perry is a Santa Barbara native, it’s worth noting). By selecting moments throughout Kidman’s many varied roles, while avoiding the way the critics have shaped her career path, allowed us, I think, to see the different dimensions of the actress emerge.
(thanks Drew)
BONUS CLIP: Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) reunite on last night’s SNL for a special Oscar episode of Wayne’s World, after the cut.
We included the notorious Melissa Leo ads — although, frankly, I’m not going to be one of those who sits in judgment at what Leo has done in creating ads for herself, despite the way they have been portrayed. ¬†Look, it’s a dirty business, the Oscar race. For some, a win is more valuable than others. ¬†More of my thoughts on this latest Awards Daily sure-to-be-shitstorm, after the cut.
Meanwhile, here’s a sampling of the new gallery update (thanks Dora!)
