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And
the winner is...
The
top 10 contenders to take home the gold for Best Picture
Drama
“A Beautiful
Mind”
Other nominations:
Ron Howard, Best Director; Russell Crowe, Best Actor, Drama; Jennifer
Connelly, Best Supporting Actress; Akiva Goldsman, Best Screenplay;
James Horner, Best Original Score
Other key players: Ed Harris; Christopher Plummer; Paul Bettany
Biographical films tend to be about war heroes, government leaders
and rock stars. Not this film. “A Beautiful Mind” is about
a more obscure individual: John Nash (Russell Crowe).
John Nash, a mathematician notable for some of his work in economic
theory, received a Noble Prize in 1994. Now, that’s the stuff
that good movies are made of!
Director Ron Howard presents an engrossing story of this man’s
life and takes audience members along for the journey. Howard makes
sure everyone’s performance is at their best, and the technical
aspects are not distracting but add to the wonderful performances
by Crowe and other actors. Crowe has continually done a remarkable
job at portraying unique characters, and this is the third year
he has been honored for his acting.
Howard is also at the top of his game. This is the best thing he
has directed since “Apollo 13.” This is a fascinating
movie, which will become one of this year’s prime award caliber
productions.
“In
the Bedroom”
Other nominations:
Sissy Spacek, Best Actress, Drama; Marisa Tomei, Best Supporting
Actress
Other key players: Todd Fields, Director; Tom Wilkinson; Nick Stahl;
William Mopother
The title of this film makes it sound like it is a steamy story
of lust and passion. The initial premise agrees.
It is a story of a college-aged boy (Nick Stahl)having a summer
fling with a married woman (Marisa Tomei) 10 years older than he
is. The boy’s parents (Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek) have
different feelings about therelationship their son is having.
This movie is not a movie about love and sex. Its title, “In
the Bedroom” is a term used by lobstermen. This title eventually
becomes a metaphor about some of the more dramatic events that occur
in this movie.
The film is well directed by Todd Field, who makes his directoral
debut. What really makes this film work is the role that the amazing
characterization done by Wilkinson and Spacek. We see these two
actors change and become more detailed and engrossing with each
passing scene. They push this film over the top.
 “The
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings”
Other nominations:
Peter Jackson, Best Director; Howard Shore, Best Original Score;
“May It Be”, Best Original Song
Other key players: Elijah Wood; Billy Boyd; Sean Astin; Ian McKellen;
Ian Holm; Viggo Mortesen; Orlando Bloom; Liv Tyler; Cate Blanchett
At this point it’s a little too early to tell, but it would
not be unforeseen if, when all is said and done, this adaptation
of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic book reigns over “Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer’s Stone” for the year 2001. Director
Peter Jackson takes his audience into a new world, as he turns the
landscapes of New Zealand into the fascinating places of wizards,
elves, ogres and hobbits. Yes, hobbits.
Yet the fascinating story deals with more then just a fantasy adventure.
Tolkien’s tale deals with greater truths about life and people.
Jackson’s magic comes with transferring these grander ideas
onto the screen in palpable ways. The story deals with power, humility,
honesty, friendship and will. Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a hobbit,
by a twist of fate finds himself leaving his home on a dangerous
adventure to destroy a ring which could allow undefeatable evil
to creep into the world.
At about three hours long, some people may get a little squirmy,
but the majority of viewers will be eager to see the rest of trilogy
unfold over the next two years.
Jackson and his crew has taken a number of risks in taking on this
massive production, and with the faithfulness to the story, and
the great deal of energy put into the technical production of the
piece, this film has found success that should transcend this year
and carry itself into the future.
“Mulholland
Dr.”
Other nominations:
David Lynch, Best Director; David Lynch, Best Screenplay; Andrew
Badalamenti, Best Original Score
Other key players: Naomi Watts; Laura Elena Harring; Justin Theroux;
Ann Miller; Dan Hedaya
This film has the potential of being one of the top movies for coffee
shop talk of the year. Pull up a chair, sip some latte, and maybe,
if you’re lucky you may even walk away having an understanding
of one of the strangest movies of the year. However, chances are
you missed it and never saw this film. It was released in October
and never went to wide release, and only recently with award season
has it recieved greater recognition.
The film comes from director David Lynch, and is actually a collection
of scenes that were regionally made as a pilot for a television
show to air on ABC. So needless to say, the movie was not filmed
with the intentions of which it was packaged.
The movie is the story of a woman (Laura Harring) who is abandoned
on Mulholland Dr. with amnesia after her limousine gets in a head
on collision with a drag racer, but this saves her from being murdered.
She can’t even remember her name, so upon entering a house
and meeting Betty (Naomi Watts), she says that her name is Rita
seeing a poster of Rita Hayworth.
Yet, the movie is dreamlike, strange and really reaches no conclusion,
as audience members ask about what is and isn’t real. This
movie scored big at the Sundance film festival and with critics,
but with average movie audiences, the same results are not so likely.
“The
Man who Wasn’t There”
Other nominations:
Billy Bob Thornton, Best Actor, Drama; Joel and Ethan Coen, Best
Screenplay
Other key Players: Joel Coen, Director; Frances McDormand; James
Gandolfini; Michael Badalucco; Tony Shalhoub
No one can expect the Coen brothers to tell a typical story or tell
it in a typical way. While this may not be a musical like “O
Brother Where Art Thou?” it is told as film noir — literally
a “black film” — and to accomplish this the Coen
brothers present their story in black and white. Film noir does
not try to glorify society, rather it tries to show its dirty underbelly.
Such is the case in this film. This is the story of Ed Crane (Billy
Bob Thornton), a barber who is shy and is willing to do some things
in life differently, even at the expense of others. Crane realizes
that his wife Dorris (Frances McDormand) is having an affair with
her boss (James Gandolfini). Crane gets a strange opportunity to
creatively add some change to his boring Santa Rosa, Calif. life.
He decides to blackmail Dorris’ boss in hopes of investing
in a new process called “dry cleaning.”
The story is somewhat fun, and it has its moments of excitement
and interest. Yet just as it has its high points it has it low points
as well. The acting and cinematography is great, but the screenplay
is a little weak (which makes me curious why it has received some
of its more recent nominations).
If you only see one movie this year, this is certainly one you can
do without seeing, but someone who is looking for something a little
different and unique should not be afraid to check this film out.
It’s creative and is a beautiful technical film to watch.
Musical
or Comedy
“Moulin
Rouge!”
Other nominations:
Baz Luhrmann, Best Director; Nicole Kidman, Best Actress, Musical
or Comedy; Ewan McGregor, Best Actor, Musical or Comedy; Craig Armstrong,
Best Original Score; “Come What May,” Best Original Song
Other key players: John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh
Most critics loved it. Audiences ranted while some complained. Yet
everyone agrees this film is different from anything else in 2001.
The story is simple, and almost typical. A young starving artist
(Ewan McGregor) falls for a woman (Nicole Kidman) it would appear
he can’t have.
What makes this film different? It’s a musical. But wait, it’s
not like “Sound of Music” or “South Pacific.”
Not this one. It takes place primarily in a burlesque house.
And as far as musicals go, this one only has one original song.
The rest of it is pilfered and revised. The songs range from Madonna’s
“Like a Virgin” to Nat King Coles’ “Nature Boy.”
So maybe to find the roots of this film we need to try to look toward
some of Australian director, Baz Luhrmann’s past productions.
Two seem very important. The first is his popular modernized take
of the classic tale of “Romeo + Juliet.” The second is
his musical where he rearranged “Shakespeare’s A Midsummer
Night’s Dream” to take place in India.
Yet the honors bestowed on this film belong to everyone involved.
Nicole Kidman is amazing, who knew she could sing? This is definitely
shaping itself up to Kidman’s year. In addition, the technical
opportunities this film provided allowed art directors, set designers
and other film artists take on a once-in-a-lifetime project. And
without a doubt, they did it well.
“Gosford
Park”
Other nominations:
Robert Altman, Best Director; Helen Mirren, Best Supporting Actress;
Maggie Smith, Best Supporting Actress; Jullian Fellows,Best Screenplay
Other key players: Michael Gambon; Eileen Atkins; Bob Balaban; Alan
Bates; Stephen Fry; Derek Jacobi; Kelly Macdonald; Jeremy Northam;
Clive Owen; Ryan Phillippe; Kristin Scott Thomas; Emily Watson
Mr. Green, in the conservatory, with a lead pipe.
Okay, well the story isn’t quiet the same as the board game
“Clue”, but this large British ensemble piece has a pretty
similar premise. Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and Lady
Sylvia McCordle (Kristin Scott Thomas) invite some very well-to-do
people to their home for a party. A slew of characters are presented
and when everything seems in place with the wealthy upstairs and
the servants downstairs, there is a murder.
Who did it? That is the question everyone’s asking and the
detective (Stephen Fry) is there to help. It appears there could
be two guilty parties as the murdered person is both stabbed and
poisoned. This unforeseen circumstance of course turns the house
upside down, as it seems that there are plenty of motives.
Veteran director Robert Altman, adds a new film to his collection
of well regarded films, from “Mash” to “Short Cuts.”
Critics applaud his effort as he takes so many characters and intricately
interlaces them into this enjoyable film.
The challenges don’t necessarily bring out the best qualities
of the characters in the film, but the challenges certainly bring
out some great performances by the actors playing these characters.
“Legally
Blonde”
Other nomination:
Reese Witherspoon, Best Actress, Musical or Comedy
Other key players: Luke Wilson; Matthew Davis; Selma Blair
The submission of this film running as a best picture candidate
may make you laugh. But then again, this is the comedy category
and this film fits the bill wonderfully.
In the tradition of movies like “Clueless,” this film
tells the story of the beautiful, popular, sorority girl Elle Woods
(Reese Witherspoon).
Elle Woods was convinced that her boyfriend Warner Hutchington III
(Matthew Davis) was going to propose to her, but instead he dumps
her because she’s not the right type of girl to fulfill his
goals and dreams in the world of public politics. Elle Woods is
the type of girl that gets what she wants, so she dedicates herself
to becoming Warner’s perfect match, at any cost.
This leads Elle to pursue admittance into Harvard, thinking that
will win Warner over. During the course of the film we see a little
luck and little strength of will can lead a girl through any series
of obstacles.
And when push comes to shove, it’s clear that it all comes
down to a little bit of heart. Well, a little bit of heart, and
the perfect outfit (duh!). Witherspoon gets critical praise for
everything she does, despite the fact it’s usually not typical
award fodder. Nevertheless, she was amazing and succeeded in this
role.
It’s a formula film were everything happens exactly as you
might expect it to, but some how, in this film it’s okay. In
a time when so few movies play to their audiences, and they all
try to spice things up with a surprise end.
“Bridget
Jones’s Diary”
Other nominations:
Renée Zellwegger, Best Actress, Musical or Comedy;
Other key players: Colin Firth; Hugh Grant; Gemma Jones; Jim Broadbent
With its British feel, Bridget Jones’s Diary strives off the
acting of Zellwegger, a Texan who excels at a British accent. This
movie comes from a popular book by Helen Fielding who wrote a fictional
diary of a woman named Bridget Jones (Zellwegger).
In this story, Bridget Jones records her thoughts in a diary after
she turns 32 and realizes that her life is nothing like she would
choose it to be. She records in her diary how much she eats, drinks
and smokes, as her love life takes interesting twists as two men
enter and re-enter her life. The first man is Mark Darcy (Colin
Firth) who her mother trys to set her up with at a Christmas party.
The second man is Daniel Clever (Hugh Grant), her boss, who she
begins to get a little frisky with, starting with some office e-mails.
The movie gives us a chance to laugh at some funny, yet sad, situations
that Zellweger’s character falls into. Everything from her
playboy bunny costume at a child’s party, to her debate over
the appropriate underwear to wear on a date. The story has its cute
turns, and doesn’t fail to create its share of giggles and
surprises. Who knows, there may be even more with a sequel currently
in discussion?
“Shrek”
Other nomination:
none
Key players: Mike Myers; Eddie Murphy; Cameron Diaz; John Lithgow
The popular success story of a children’s movie that entertains
adults has struck again. This time in the story of a funny green
ogre named Shrek (voice of Mike Myers). The film takes the newest
innovations in animation and some of pop culture’s comedy icons
and send the jokes flying, while Robin Hood roams, the merry men
sing and the gingerbread man is tortured. For different people,
the magic of the film seems to come from different places. Is it
the Smash Mouth rendition of the Monkee’s classic “I’m
a Believer”? Or then again, maybe it’s the love story
that reminds viewers of “Beauty and the Beast.”
Yet, it seems to me that the success comes primarily from the attention
to detail on behalf of everyone’s part. Mike Myers re-recorded
the lines after he decided the script might work better with a Scottish
accent.
Computer animation moved from capturing opaque objects like toys
and bugs, and moved to fleshy objects like this shiny green guy
(who even offers an occasional blush). The writing team was as creative
as they come, offering jokes on every level and even being so creative
as to name their title character Shrek in the first place. Few know
it, but the word shrek actually means monster in Yiddish.
This film is all about entertainment, in whatever way you want to
enjoy it. But it’s a pretty sure bet that you won’t go
home disappointed. Unless of course, you’re a heartless midget
king.
The Golden
Globes are 7 p.m. Sunday on NBC KXAS Channel 5
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