9:03 One thing I should mention about Sally Field. I love that she referred to her fellow nominees (i.e. the losers) as "the cable girls." Heh. Whoever chose the clips for the TV Drama Actress category (which also included the great Holly Hunter looking ravishing as always) defines great acting as screaming. Every clip was pitched to the rafters. Is the editor a member of SAG too.It wouldn't surprise me. They're such suckers for the BIG moments.
9:04 Forrest Whitaker loves James Earl Jones's "mesmerizing deep valley voice". That's great. Maybe Whitaker should do this live-blogging because my descriptive powers have failed me. Jones is accepting a lifetime achievement award (the name I forget). Apparently Jones moved to Michigan at age 5 and his life changed after winning a poetry contest. (I won a spelling bee contest in Michigan but it did not change my life).
9:14 James Earl Jones is comparing actors to God. The camera cuts to Meryl Streep.
This might be the best single reaction shot decision ever made at an awards show and I think the director or the editor or whomever was responsible really should win a prize. Maybe they could remove Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon director nomination and replace it with this guy because that's genius.
9:24 Laura Linney won for John Adams again. Her fiancé told her not to fondle the statue. Ha! Oh you know Laura Linney has a great sex life. Think of how hilarious and relaxed she is as an actor in those sex scenes in Love Actually or The Savages. She just announced that she's moving to Chicago. Someone just freaked out.
9:30 Paul Giamatti won for John Adams. Can you believe there's only half an hour left of this show and they have given out only one movie award?
9:31 "In Memoriam" always make me so sad. The Cyd Charisse moment make-a my heart go boom. I love Van Johnson, too. sniffle. Pat Hingle. He's so loveable but remember that intense scene in The Grifters where he's threatening Angelica Huston with the bag of oranges? Jesus Christ that was frightening. What an actor. Eartha! Nina Foch. Paul Newman... "pure hard gold" to quote Geraldine Page in Sweet Bird of Youth... "pure hard gold"
That montage killed me. If there are no further updates you'll understand.
9:43 From the "In Memoriam" we move into Best Supporting Actor which is certainly no mistake if a bit... er... why am I always so uncomfortable with all the Heath Ledger tributes? Is it because I feel proprietary having recognized his worth before he died unlike so many voting peoples [cough * Capote * cough] . I don't know. Maybe I'm just not comfortable with public grief but it sure does hurt still.
Best Supporting Actor Heath Ledger as "The Joker" in The Dark Knight. Well deserved.9:49 On a totally superficial note I feel it's important to note that Kristin Scott Thomas announced that award and she was smoking hot in her French/British ice queen way. I bow down (and tremble in fear). She's been working a kind of a goth look this awards season and she's way more convincing than Evan Rachel Wood ever was at it.
Will Marilyn Manson be calling?
9:50 Best Actress in a Leading Role MERYL STREEP in DOUBT
As per usual La Streep brings down the house with her speech. Damn this woman rocks. She alone (or at least with very little company) understands that awards shows are for the audience watching. She mugs for the camera. Who me? No way! She kisses people. She runs around so much in the audience I half expected her to start singing. It's a lost scene from Mamma Mia!
She does clever shout outs to co-stars and makes them laughs. (Viola Davis is the happiest person in the room tonight. She was even joyful losing Best Supporting Actress). And she tops it all off with a hilariously self referential/deprecating speech "there is no such thing as 'The Greatest Living Actress'"I think Meryl Streep's birthday should be a Federal Holiday. Or maybe it should coincide with a week long arts festival all across the globe.
9:57 Best Actor in a Leading Role is presented by Katie Holmes. Why? Why does she get to do this?The Boyfriend says "that's like drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth". It's Sean Penn for Milk. He gives a confused speech with a gay joke (he's noticing the package on the statue. Perhaps Laura Linney's fiancé should have words with him afterwards). He also alludes to all the scuttlebutt surrounding his and Mickey Rourke's supposed animosity. He isn't pleased. He seems genuinely moved to win though which is nice.
10:02 Ensemble. Sir Anthony Hopkins introduces the movies and when he says Slumdog Millionaire the last few syllables are super rushed like it's Milinair. That's probably how I should say it to get Oscar season over with quicker. Save me 2009! Take me away from all of this. And yeah, they win. You weren't surprised, were you? Nah, didn't think so. Their acceptance speech is a weird list of names (though it's cute and wonderful to name the child actors) and lots of "we deserve this". This is like when I do affirmations in the mirror. One of these days I'll convince myself!
Posts
103 comments:
Actually at least two of the Best Actress clips were quite subdued: Hargitay and that girl from Mad Men.
But I know what you were getting at.
Please dedicate a bullet to seeing Claire Danes in public again. I miss her so much since the days of Shopgirl and Stage Beauty.
I think my one gripe with The Wrestler is how some of those douches treated Marisa Tomei in the strip club.
First of all, you're in New Jersey, you should love the fact that someone like Marisa Tomei's stripping for you.
Second of all, you're people living in New Jersey. Stop having a high opinion of yourselves.
Claire does look particularly lovely tonight.
Laura Dern looked unbelievably ugly.
I know, right? I will always love her so much. There honestly isn't an actress her age who's able to harness such subtlety and intelligence in her work. I really hope she gets some meaty film roles; her Christie-esque turn in Shopgirl is still my 2005 win and one of my favorite performances of the century.
Gosh, I adore her. I miss her. :(
Lol @ the Ron Howard comment.
I really loved that James Earl Jones speech -- short, heartfelt, and a shout-out to Paul Newman. Who could ask for more?
Also, and I realize not everybody loved the performance as much as I did, but how did he not get Oscar nominated for Field of Dreams that year? Legendary actor, plum supporting role, Best Picture nominee, loveable character...I'm kind of mystified.
And I have said it before elsewhere, I could watch Laura Linney accept an award every day for the rest of my life. I can only hope when she ends up winning her Oscar, the internet community won't turn on her like they have Kate Winslet.
RahulB. -HA. lmfao
Yeah ditto, RahulB! so so funny
Haiku of Meryl:
A nun, a bitch boss
Nothing at all she can't play
Meryl Streep is god
Another one for Heath. Surely the Oscar can't escape now...
Yeah the only question is who is going to accept for Heath. So far I believe it's been Chris Nolan, Gary Oldman and I guess his father early on in the season. Anybody I'm missing?
Meryl gets it. Oh man the Oscar is going to be so much fun to guess.
OMG Meryl is mocking Winslet - last attempt to win the Oscars! lmao
And Kate thanks the Screen Actors Guild for preventing a massive backlash against Winslet. Now, lets hope they do the same for Slumdog. Or not. It's earned it's victory lap.
"And to think awards mean nothing to me anymore."
What's the next level from loving a person...deifying them?
Love her.
Meryl and Kate in one night! It's been a good haul. Too bad it can't happen on Oscar night.
@Gustavo - Do you really think she was mocking Winslet? I think she was genuinely thrilled and breathless as Winslet was as well.
any show that awards the lovely laura linney, meryl streep, kate winslet and tina fey is ok by me
Penn definitely now has the edge for Best Actor.
It'll be an amazing race between Winslet and Streep, but I can't help but think that Winslet has the edge.
Sean's great - mocking O'Reilly and loving Che haha.
Wow, Sean Penn is classy. Loved that.
I'm waiting for the reactions of the "Mickey has the 'mo!" crowd. Does he still have it in the bag? I don't see how.
Meryl was awesome also. What a fun night.
YES! SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE!!!!!!!
Sorry Nat.
FUCK-UPS!
I'm sad for Anne, but going into Oscar night I really am hoping she doesn't win. Her career can go in so many directions with such an incredible performance on her resume, especially without the burden of living up to a Best Actress win. It's temporarily disappointing, but still for the best.
Let's hope she can settle for a Film Bitch win?
Except, uh oh. THEY WON.
How shitty is it that the SAGs picked an acting clip for Anne that totally ruins a pivotal plot point in the movie. It's so easy to go with crying, also. That wonderfully horrendous toast is so OBVIOUSLY her Oscar clip. Come on, people...
I think Sally Hawkins locked up the film bitch win when she got the big snub. Anne's probably silver or bronze.
If Streep keeps giving great speeches, she can take the Oscar right out of Kate's hands.
And I thought Rourke would take this en route to the big one. Could end up being a fun year after all.
Slumdog? WTF? Dev Patel over Sean Penn, Frank Langella and Phillip Seymour Hoffman?
Nat... breathe buddy, just breathe.
And I can't even dispute Slumdog's win, because, Milk aside, I don't think ANY of the year's best ensembles were recognized. Where's Rachel Getting Married? Burn After Reading? Vicky Christina Barcelona? The Dark Knight?
OH I WAS SO MAD ABOUT ANNE'S SAG CLIP. I FORGOT!
Oh wow, that's true, I hadn't thought about how Anne's SAG clip was a TOTAL SPOILER. WTF, people? That is not a clip you show at award shows.
Slumdog for Best Cast is the most undeserving in SAG history, and proves that they vote for their favorite picture, and not cast.
Yay for Slumdog.
Hayden, wasn't The Dark Knight up for best ensemble?
jeez, that cancels out the linney/streep/winslet/fey kudos
what a terrible decision
Sigh. The SAG should really distinguish between Ensemble and Best Picture (i.e. create two separate categories). It's not fair to conflate the two, which is what the guild does every single year.
So Slumdog wins Best Picture at the Oscars?
I didn't care for Slumdog that much, but I'll always take any kind of Bollywood love people can dish out.
Reasons Why I Think Slumdog Millionaire won:
1. They saw it as a Best Picture award as opposed to an actual ensemble award.
2. The kids. THE KIDS. You can't NOT give them every single award you can give them.
3. They wanted to honor everyday non-mega star celebrities actors what with the possible strike and all.
4. The movie is too awesome they had to award it.
5. They thought Doubt and Milk deserved it but felt awarding Meryl and Sean was enough.
happy for the meryl and penn wins...fantastic
not so much for ensemble, although the speech was good particularly mentioning the child actors' names
And here I thought this was going to be the only Slumdog-free award night. How the hell did it win over Milk, Frost/Nixon, or Doubt?
It's a Slumdog world...we just live in it.
How appropriate was it that immediately after Slumdog Millionaire won Best Ensemble, Dumb & Dumber started.
slumdog won. good for sean penn.
Well, it's official. This season is a f****** joke. How can anyone think that Slumdog Millionaire has a better PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE CAST than all four other nominated films? It makes no sense at all.
It just proves that SAG needs to throw away the ensemble award and get a best picture award. That's what the voters vote for anyway. I just don't believe that the majority of thousands of actors can think the acting in SM is better than in Doubt, Milk, Benjamin Button and Frost/Nixon.
They vote for their favorite film. pure and simple.
What a joke.
fabulous MERYL STREEP!!!! finally...
too bad for the best ensemble...what was that all about? so now i can use slumdog millionaire as textbook reference in acting???
"Slumdog Millionaire" had ravishing performances. First, those actors were not creating characters, but becoming real human beings in front of our very eyes. Second, the three main roles are shared by three actors each, and one can see all those actors embodying/becoming the same characters. It was a true ensemble piece!
I was just forced to watch Frost/Nixon the other day and am curious why this wasn't more of a contender in the Ensemble Race ... Langella & Sheen were sensational. Bacon? Rockwell? Hall? and probably my favourite actor working today, Platt? Sensational. I was floored by the cast of Milk, but I'd have preferred a MILK vs. Frost/Nixon run to the finish line as opposed to Doubt v. Slumdog.
Oscar-wise:
Best Picture: "Slumdog Milionaire"
Best Leading Actress: Kate Winslet
Best Leading Actor: (to be solved by the BAFTA's)
Best Supporting Actress: (to be solved by the BAFTA's)
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Wow, Is Winslet still a shoe-in for Oscar or does the Meryl win add a big enough twist?
Oops, yeah, Doubt took The Dark Knight's spot.
I think what happened is Doubt and Milk split most of the actual acting-oriented votes, and both were blunted by the fact that they'd already won awards for lead acting. With their bases covered in the individual categories (spread the wealth), a plurality of the voters decided to just honor their favorite film and/or predict best picture. Oh well.
When was the last time a 13-time nominated behemoth was so obviously headed for a loss in the top category? A film with that many nods is always at least CLOSE to winning. Weird.
And with PGA/DGA/WGA/SAG, 4 golden globes, 4 (or however many) BFCAs, and the NBR, is Slumdog having like the biggest sweep in the history of awards season? This is nuts. EVERYONE but the most highbrow critics' groups is crazy for it.
Sideways was similarly large, except with all the critics awards.
So the only categories worth catching now is Actor, Actress and Supporting Actress.
Looks like Button is going to lose terribly.
Has any film with that many nominations been shut out completely during the precursors? Slumdog's going to grab Picture and Director.
Pitt and Taraji's chances are so slim and negligible. Original Score, no.
Adapted screenplay, well we have to wait for WGA next month.
Oh.. I forgot Makeup and Visual Effects.
btw, I think Meryl won some votes tonight. I don't think Kate has it in the bag. It'll be a Meryl v. Kate battle royale. But I think Kate will win it in the end.
I don't think Hathaway is out yet for Best Actress.
For some people the quandary of picking between Streep and Winslet may be too much to take and so they just decide to award it to the next best thing: Hathaway.
And their reasoning could be something along the lines of "Well Winslet and Streep has won so much already. Let's give it Anne and shake up this show!"
UGH. I hope it goes to Winslet though.
That's totally ridiculous. I would have never expected it in my wildest nightmares because, come on, is there really a possibility that someone saw these films and thought that "Slumdog" has better ensemble acting than "Milk"?
Jeez, even if they liked particular performances, there is no need for brains to see that there is no chemistry at all between these actors.
If they are so good, why was it so difficult for Patel and Pinto to pull of a believable, simple relationship? Was he afraid to kiss her, she didn't want him to or what?
David Kross in "The Reader" has to do something that's gazillion times more difficult, and yet his relationship with Winslet's character emerges totally believable.
I rarely say this because I believe that one can and should have their own preferences, but they are fuck-ups.
Maybe it didn't deserve best ensemble, but I will go on record as saying Slumdog is better than either best picture nominee with a chance of winning (Ben Button and Milk)
I think, even though Streep gave good speech tonight, that it'll be Kate who wins. Had Streep really had the big mo, she'd have won a Best Picture nomination for her film.
And I still say that Rourke has this one at the Oscars-Sean Penn's speech seemed a little bit awkward when it came to the whole Rourke controversy, and he already has one (he doesn't have a SAG-neither does Streep). Rourke's the better story-it'll be interesting to see how the BAFTA goes (I kind of wonder if it'll be Langella).
And I seriously think we could see a surprise at the Oscars for Supporting Actress-the BAFTA's don't really count there, and the BFCA's are terrible at predicting in Supporting Actress. We may have Davis, Cruz, or Tomei winning there.
I really don't understand the idea that Rourke is ahead in this race. Penn has won the NYFCC, LAFCA, NSFC, BFCA, and SAG. Rourke has the globe and some minor critics' awards. Yes, Penn has already won, but that's not the determining factor. Don't forget that Milk overperformed while The Wrestler underperformed. They're itching to give Milk something major, and everyone agrees that Penn was the best part of it. And it's not like Rourke is particularly overdue or well liked in Hollywood. And I personally think Penn's speech was great. A bit awkward toward the end, but totally genuine, respectful, and classy.
I say Rourke wins the Indy Spirit, Penn wins the oscar. That makes the most sense.
Also, sweet Jesus, Paul Newman is gorgeous.
Meryl = God. Wow, I totally didn't notice that when I watched it!
As always, she totally brought the house down with that speech. Even though she doesn't deserve it this year, I will be perfectly content if she wins the Oscar just to hear another speech. LOVE THAT WOMAN. :)
If Sean Penn wins the Oscar he'll get this reputation of being the guy who, after a long two-horse race, wins over an actor who gave their "once in a lifetime" performance.
I was sitting with people who hadn't seen Rachel Getting Married and I was super pissed! So many great scenes to chose form and you air a spoiler.
Also, The Wrestler is not underperforming...it just went wide. It will perform just fine.
I think Penn has the Oscar, he's Penn and he was great. But, no slighting Rourke or The Wrestler...a great film and a great performance.
Hathaway is happy she was nominated.
All the love for Patel should really be for David Kross in The Reader. Much stronger performance, plus he had to learn English in two months.
FUCK THE SLUMDOG BACKLASH.
I just needed to say that. Guess what? I believe when Patel said that he and Latika would "live on love" - as terribly corny as that sounds. I loved the goofball charm of the youngest cast and the criminal exploits of the middle cast. I believe that Jamal would remember the answers. I believed in the smarminess of the presenter and the wariness of Irfan Khan. I don't think it was the best ensemble of the year (Rachel Getting Married had that in the bag), but I don't think this is a bad award, a la Crash.
Sally Belle, I think he meant at the oscars. The Wrestler was a viable candidate in three categories where it was ignored. Milk at least matched expectations and exceeded a couple more.
adam k 10:02 -- i had already decided gold & silver actress before nominations ;) the only thing i haven't decided is the bronze. i'm still debating with myself. Myself is very argumentative.
the know nothing yeah, that pissed me off because the scene does not work out of context. you really need all the scenes leading up to it and you really need the scenes after it to appreciate what the movie and her performacne is doing.
DAMN THEM!
changetheworld that's my thing too. I am ALWAYS happy when Streep wins. The only way it would piss me off is if she were to beat Michelle Pfeiffer next year ;) not that Pfeiffer is winning next year. Remember I AM NOT EXPECTING THAT. EVERYBODY SHUT UP ABOUT THAT. I NEVER WANT TO EXPECT SUCH A THING. SHUT UP.
what? you didn't bring that up? er... sorry.
sally i don't hate ERW... i think my teasing is coming off wrong. I guess I'm just in a holding pattern with her. I want to be as amazed as I was in Once & Again or thirteen and it hasn't happened so I've gotten frustrated.
john t i think Cruz has it but I like the idea that it's up in the air since i think they always should be to some extent. I mean it's an important award. It goes in the history books and people 80 years from now will still care like how I care about who won in 1929 ;)
also IF Rourke wins (a big if) i guess I could see Tomei winning too since they seem to go hand in hand with every critics awards group. The urge to vote for him seems to bleed over.
@Arkaan: Thank you. I wholeheartedly agree. Now *I* believe that Milk deserved the award for best ensemble, but I too think that awarding Slumdog Millionaire tonight was no sham.
@Matt: As much as I LOVE Slumdog Millionaire, I agree with you on David Kross. It's pretty sad he hasn't gotten much attention. Very sad indeed.
Nat, I thought for sure I knew which three actresses were getting your medals! Just not the order. But I guess I'm wrong. Or at least I might be. Since you don't even know.
Funny how Meryl keeps winning so many globes, actors, Emmys and BFCA awards without getting that 3rd oscar. Weird, right? We keep seeing her accepting things, but no 3rd oscar. Not that I'm complaining. I love seeing her up there. But she also doesn't need to win this year.
And Nat, re: ERW... See Across the Universe!!! She's awesome in that. You say she hasn't impressed you lately, yet you haven't actually been checking out her work. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't believe you've seen this one yet. See it! Whatever you'll think of the film - it's quite divisive - I guarantee you you'll enjoy Evan's performance. It's not Thirteen-level amazing, but then, what is? It's still a great perf. And her singing is brill. It's not her fault you don't see her movies ; )
(I apologize if I'm wrong and you've seen it... but if not, shame on you!)
Crap... this stupid Indian/British movie sucks and I hated it.... Ahhh so stupid and cheesy!
I can see Kate Winslet's turn in "The Reader" as more supporting than Cate Blanchett's in "Notes on a Scandal", Jennifer Hudson's in "Dreamgirls", and Don Murray in "Bus Stop" (he was clearly the leading man; he appeared in 98% of the movie).
After all, "The Reader" is Michael's story ("She liked to be read to"). It is Michael's story more than Hanna's. Although it is a romance, and someone has to tell the story. Let's see: Vivien Leigh ("Gone with the Wind") = David Kross ("The Reader") / Clark Gable ("Gone with the Wind") = Kate Winslet ("The Reader"). Maybe, this is a similar situation to that of Rachel Weisz in "The Constant Gardener", Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line", Kristin Scott Thomas in "The English Patient" and, most frequently, Philip Sheymour Hoffman in "Doubt".
MERYL STREEP... OMG... She's the one... She's THE QUEEN. And the Oscar goes to... MERYL STREEP.
Could Dev Patel have looked more like a ventriloquist's dummy in his tightest-suit-ever?
One thing I will agree with...ERW was amazing in Once And Again...so, amazing. But, as hard out there as it is for a pimp...it's hard out there for a young actress to find great roles. So many girlfriend roles and not enough women with substance.
My guess is, once she gets to start playing women...like Keira Kinghtly has...you'll see that actress is still there!
Still say if Aronofsky hadn't cut her first scene in The Wrestler...her performance would have resonated more.
I'm a fan...can you tell?
Also, I would like to see more of Claire Danes now that she can play real women too! I loved her in Shopgirl as well, and although Evening sucked, she was good. So, more Danes too!
I'm an Emily Blunt fan too. She looked classy in her very tight dress...the same type of dress that Megan Fox looked cheap in at the Golden Globes. Interesting.
Sean Penn had never won a SAG award yet, so he definitely had an edge here. Whereas, he won't at the Oscars since he won not long ago so I hope for Mickey Rourke then. Best Ensemble...uhh is Slumdog really an acting showcase? And what's up with Anthony Hopkins - he looked so thin. I hope it's for a movie role and not that he's ill.
Do you think 'Slumdog Millionaire's' gonna win Best Picture now???
And Meryl Streep had never won a film acting prize at SAG either.
"Second, the three main roles are shared by three actors each, and one can see all those actors embodying/becoming the same characters."
But therein lies the problem. An ensemble is supposed to reflect the way the actors act with each other in the film. Slumdog didn't have that.
There is a strong possibility that Kate & Meryl will cancel each other because of the overwhelmingly tough competition between these two, it is so close (Streep hasn't won an Oscar in years & Winslet hasn't won a gold guy.). It can be a situation very similar to Nicholson & Day-Lewis canceled each other. I wouldn't be surprised if Anne Hathaway is this year's Adrien Brody.
I agree , Hathaway is happy just to be nominated. She is one of the few young performers that I see mixing big commercial films with artsy & risky films. She took risks with Brokeback & Havoc. She works with top Actors & Directors. Also , she stated she has envied the careers of Winslet, Streep, Linney, & Weaver because she desires there rich & varied body of work and there artistic respect.
Yes, I would like to see more of Claire Danes. She needs to hire Hathaway's agent & manager to revitalize her film career.
Come on. Meryl wins the Oscar! Kate won supporting, Meryl won lead. If Oscar voters wanted to honor Kate so badly, they would have been fine with two nods.
And Meryl now has the SAG, the BFCA and the 15th nods. She was snubbd for great performances.
And just look at the clips:
MERYL Got a STANDING OVATION! Cheers from actors and lots of love, love, love!
KATE WINSLET got a mere applause.
Sorry, MERYL got the love factor!
Regarding Evan Rachel Wood, she's also great in Pretty Persuasion. I love it when she goes down on Jane Krakowski! :-D
Actually a pretty funny movie.
I felt bad for Kate Winslet. She seemed so non-plussed to be there last night, and you could tell that she's rather have won for "Revolutionary Road" in lead actress than that god-awful "The Reader" in "supporting actress." That trophy should have been Penelope Cruz's. Ugh, whatever.
"Slumdog" is rocking it hard right now. I love it. Go all the way to the Oscars for best picture!
Meryl's speech was priceless. She wants that third Oscar. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
I was rooting for Mickey, but Sean Penn was due, and his speech had the right mix of sentiment and his usual f-you attitude that so many seem to respond to.
Kate Winslet winning for "The Reader" almost ruined my night. But at least Heath's win, most of the television wins (Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, "Mad Men", Sally Field, Paul Giamatti), and James Earl Jones' tribute made up for it.
Good show this year.
I couldn't be happier. SAG picked exactly who I wanted!
Please, please, PLEASE let the Meryl win carry her to her 3rd Oscar!!
I love Kate but I love Meryl more and she is so overdue for her 3rd. (After all, we've got to fit in at least one more beyond 3, if not 2 more, before she retires! As an actress, Katherine Hepburn is no Meryl Streep!)
Rourke at the Globes - Penn at SAG - I still think the Academy won't give either one of them the Oscar and Langella gets it.
Ledger - God bless him.
And supporting actress - hmmmm...having not seen THE WRESTLER yet, I prefer Viola Davis.
For me it is difficult to fault SLUMDOG for its ensemble performances. There was such a consistency throughout the film and everyone filled their moments with power and clarity. I agree that MILK and DOUBT have flashier performances, but the quality in SLUMDOG was surprisingly high and all contributed to the exciting, emotional experience of the film.
Please, please, PLEASE don't let BENJAMIN BUTTON win best picture! I suppose, if I really had my way, I'd like to see MILK get best picture (for political reasons more than quality - although there would be nothing embarrassing about a MILK win.)
Poor Kate Winslet. Everybody was rooting for her to FINALLY win an Oscar and now, two Golden Globes and three lousy speeches( sorry Kate) later the tides have turned, and not only on this board.
Is a tie, like in 1968 Katherine Hepburn/ Barbra Streisand possible? That would make my day come Oscar night.
Indeed Lara, a tie would be a wonderful thing (and let one of Meryl's equal one of Kate's exactly). Let's let Meryl get her third and Kate her first - brava!!
Lara... just goes to show you the power of a good speech (or a bad one as the case may be)
I think part of the problem is also the build up to this event.
you had the tiny portion of people upset about annual category fraud already upset. You have the Weinstein haters annoyed that he's suddenly a force again (with those surprise nominations and his inelegant shoving of The Reader inot the season against the producer/direcotrs wishes.
and it all adds up to trouble for Kate.
I still think she's going to win though.
is it me or does meryl streep have absolutely horrific taste in clothing? OMG - it gets worse and worse.
I love when Streep showed us her slacks. Ha!
I think if anyone watches Streep in Doubt and Winslet in The Reader side by side, Streep loses.
Both of 'em would lose to Anne Hathaway in my book. Between Meryl and Kate, I'd pick Meryl if I was forced to.
I just like streep because she knows these award shows are supposed to be fun. She knows that Its your choices in scripts and roles, not a great awards speech that is going to make or break your career.
Oh, come on Nate. You know deep down that the Academy wants to give Meryl #3 --- the SAG was a momentum builder. She is now a real possibility to take home Oscar. Kate's wins for the Reader have all been in supporting. Moving her to lead confuses. I think Meryl takes it.
Just discovered your site so forgive my lateness here. I'm pretty sure Sir Anthony Hopkins' mispronunciation was intentional and tongue-in-cheek. It's exactly the way the host said it in the movie. Heck, *I* say "MILinaire" all the time now! Love the site btw. Keep up the good work.
Reading all these blogs I realize that I don't always assume the best performance must win the Oscar - I'm willing to allow other considerations to come into play. I suppose I'm a little cynical now -- for so many years I truly felt tortured when I thought the lesser performance won. Now I try to be a bit more pragmatic - just like I am about category fraud - since it is so much a part of the history of the Oscars. It seems almost self-defeating not to include such perspectives in your calculations (and dreams).
In any case, it truly does my heart good to read that a few more people seem to be climbing on the Meryl Streep bandwagon.
(I still can't believe the director of the SAG show cut to Streep at that God moment during the James Earl Jones speech - how absolutely perfect!!!)
My only concern is that THE READER and not DOUBT is a best picture nominee and that is a very valid point on behalf of Winslet - it worries me. Dammit! Please, please, PLEASE let it be Meryl!
I also think everyone is forgetting that Meryl has that worldwide super hit this year too - a female who is almost 60 years old headlining a worldwide hit?!?!
And talk about versatility - whether you liked Streep in MAMMA MIA or not - compare her in that to her work in DOUBT. Versatility? Hell, can you get much more versatile?
Sorry - but I can't believe if you compare Winslet's 2 performances this year to Meryl's two, you come close to the same level of versatility.
For the 100th time, I haven't yet seen THE READER but even when I do, I'd be very surprised if it would sway me enough to want Kate to "steal" Meryl's third Oscar. That's the way I see it and I pray that most of the academy agrees.
I don't think Streep has much of a chance at all for that role. Actors love her - and this one was just actors voting. I think there is probably just a will to reward Winslet. That her film managed inexplicably (although its one of the best nominated) to get Picture and Direction nods helps so much.
And I don't think Kate is so rude or presumtious to be grumpy for winning for the 'wrong role'. She's has such stick here in the UK from the press for those speaches at the globes - which were pretty out of character - she wanted to be her usual composed self.
There was almost a sense of disbelief - that this is finally happening for her. And its delicious that its for one of her best roles.
To billybil: I actually thought of you last night when Streep won.. I don't know if you read my previous blog that I thought I was the radical Streep fan ... but you over take me.
Streep all the way ... I know you said you have not seen The Reader.. well, even when you do, it will still be a Streep victory in your eyes ( and mine ).... The Reader is a very unfulfilled movie IMO... Kate is not at all a complete person and I had loads of problems wth her situation!
The Reader = Weinstein
Kate = Winestein
Conversation after Oscars with Kate and her kids:
"Darlings, mummy got the Best Supporting Actress for The Reader at the Golden Globes... and Mummy got the Oscar for Best Actress at the Oscars ...
The Darlings: Mummy, we just got the math... 1+1 = 1
Dear Rick - it's not our fault we have such great taste and are so damn perceptive. I am flattered you thought of me. I will look for your previous blog (I can hardly keep up around here!) and you can bet I'll think of you now when Meryl wins in February!!
Hey Rick - I found it!
"To: billybil: I think you love Streep even more than I do ... I thought that was impossible.
I also must add one thing ,that IMO, Streep never plays the same role twice ( that was evident when she won the AFI award )... Kate seems rather a one note actress in some of her roles... Eternal... being her best performance ... aagain, IMO."
I kind of agree with you, Rick. Meryl is so damn versatile! People say Meryl is always Meryl but it just doesn't jive. She's certainly less herself all the time than Bette Davis was or Katherine Hepburn was and Susan Sarandon is and, yes, even Kate Winslet is. Marvelous as they all were and are - Meryl has just shown so much range!!
Thanks again Rick for the thoughts during SAG.
Hope Meryl wins!!! She deserves a third, fourth, fifth... Oscar.
I always love your live-blogging Nathaniel. Between you and Nick Davis its just gold everytime with them.
Also, can I just say the whole SLUMDOG think is getting plain gross now… I mean, Best Ensemble Cast?!?
MILK (and the un-nominated RACHEL GETTING MARRIED) were both fucking robbed.
I’ll take solace in Penn’s first SAG win. (God, I hope he wins the Oscar too.)
Plus, how could Streep’s speech not put a smile on one’s face. The woman truly is a Goddess. (Particularly loved her shout-out to Rudin who DOES go out of his way to find interesting/female/gay oriented projects.
Oh and let us not forget the divine Kristin Scott Thomas. (God I so LOVE her) Quite an improvement over Demi f-ing Moore in terms of presenting my boy with his posthumous award.
No they were not, watch Slumdog a couple of times and you will see that its an acting masterpiece. Everyone is spot on. From the kids to the adults.
Post a Comment