BEST PICTURE.AMERICAN BEAUTY American Beautyn. A type of rose bearing large, long-stemmed purplish-red flowers. (DreamWorks) Awards: Golden Globe (drama), National Board of Review. Nominations: Producers, Directors, Writers and Screen Actors (cast) guilds; most Oscar nominations (eight). Pros: Dark but popular, funny yet serious, smart and accessible. Academy feels guilty for Best Picture snub of distributor's ``Saving Private Ryan'' last year. Cons: Sometimes too sarcastic. Certain moments border on kiddie porn Noun 1. kiddie porn - the illegal use of children in pornographic pictures or films child pornography, kiddy porn erotica, porn, porno, pornography, smut - creative activity (writing or pictures or films etc. . Outlook: Front-runner is looking good. < THE CIDER HOUSE A cider house is an establishment, often little more than a room in a farmhouse or cottage, selling cider only, for consumption on the premises. The cider sold is usually brewed on the premises, from apples grown in a local cider orchard. RULES (Miramax) Awards: None. Nominations: Producers, Writers and Screen Actors guilds. Pros: Miramax marketing machine stands behind it. Cons: Least worthy nominee in the bunch. Critics and audiences greeted film with a shrug. Outlook: Film has grossed $22 million. If Miramax spends that much money on an Oscar campaign (and they might), it could pull off a win. < THE GREEN MILE (Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) .) Awards: None. Nominations: Directors and Screen Actors guilds. Pros: Superior story-telling, outstanding acting ensemble, cute mouse. Cons: Story takes too long to tell, and some found its racial subtext sub·text n. 1. The implicit meaning or theme of a literary text. 2. The underlying personality of a dramatic character as implied or indicated by a script or text and interpreted by an actor in performance. to be insulting. Cute mouse gets way too much screen time. Outlook: Will have to content itself with its box-office riches and a possible win for supporting actor supporting actor n → attore m non protagonista Michael Clarke Michael Clarke may refer to:
< THE INSIDER (Buena Vista) Awards: L.A. Film Critics. Nominations: Producers, Directors and Writers guilds. Pros: Impressively cerebral yet involving expose of corporate weaseliness. Takes strong, brave stand on issues it's easy to take strong, brave stands on. Cons: Fudges the truth to make stand stronger. Box-office disappointment. Outlook: A little too inside baseball for MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. designation. < THE SIXTH SENSE (Buena Vista) Awards: None. Nominations: Writers and Directors guilds. Pros: Everybody saw it. Such awareness sure didn't hurt ``Titanic.'' Cons: Might be perceived as too commercial by some. Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is an American actor and singer. He came to fame in the late 1980s and has since retained a career as both a Hollywood leading man and a supporting actor, in particular for his role as John McClane in the Die Hard series. was in it. Outlook: There's genuine momentum behind it. Could pull off an upset. BEST DIRECTOR Lasse a. & adv. 1. Less. Hallstrom ``The Cider House Rules'' Background: Third nomination. Pros: Prior experience will help him sincerely fake his appreciation for the actual winner in this category. Cons: No Directors Guild nomination, no win. Outlook: Category's most surprising nominee will have to content himself with the hoopla hoop·la n. Informal 1. a. Boisterous, jovial commotion or excitement. b. Extravagant publicity: The new sedan was introduced to the public with much hoopla. 2. and the parties. < Spike Jonze ``Being John Malkovich'' Background: Directors Guild of America nomination. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Directed year's most inventive film. A master prankster, people might vote for him just to see what he'd do at the podium. Cons: Year's most inventive film might be a little too inventive for some tastes. Movie wasn't nominated for best picture, either. Outlook: Probably won't win, but his mere presence should make the ceremony much more fun. < Michael Mann Michael Mann is the name of:
``The Insider'' Background: Directors Guild of America, Golden Globes nominations. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Quantum leap quantum leap n. An abrupt change or step, especially in method, information, or knowledge: "War was going to take a quantum leap; it would never be the same" Garry Wills. in artistic maturity. Kept nearly three hours' worth of arcane blab about science, legalities and corporate ethics gripping. Cons: Writer-director twisted truth to achieve much of that effect. The mass audience didn't care anyway. Outlook: Could win, but that's hard to believe. < Sam Mendes ``American Beauty'' Background: Won Golden Globe (drama), Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Film Critics, Directors Guild of America nominations. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Impressive sense of pacing, tonal balance, visual composition and storytelling - and it's only his first movie. Cons: Wasn't the year's only outstanding first-timer. More than a whiff of condescension con·de·scen·sion n. 1. The act of condescending or an instance of it. 2. Patronizingly superior behavior or attitude. [Late Latin cond at work here. Outlook: Convinced the public that his movie was both entertaining and had something to say. < M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliattu Shyamalan (born August 6, 1970), known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, /'ʃæ.mæ.lɔːn ``The Sixth Sense'' Background: Directors Guild of America nomination. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Directed category's most popular film. Cons: His writing achievement (love that twist ending This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details. This article has been tagged since September 2007. !) tends to overshadow o·ver·shad·ow tr.v. o·ver·shad·owed, o·ver·shad·ow·ing, o·ver·shad·ows 1. To cast a shadow over; darken or obscure. 2. To make insignificant by comparison; dominate. his directorial work. Outlook: In two competitive categories, may go home empty-handed. But then, that $10 million check Disney gave him for his next movie might provide some consolation. < BEST ACTRESS Annette Bening Annette Carol Bening (born May 29, 1958) is a Golden Globe-, BAFTA- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American actress. Biography Early life Bening was born in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Shirley and Grant Bening, an insurance salesman. ``American Beauty'' Background: Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild nominations. Second Oscar nomination Pros: Well, she's in ``American Beauty.'' Academy notices extreme performances. Cons: Work leans toward caricature in otherwise naturalistic ensemble. Outlook: Perfect color coordination not same thing as Oscar gold. < Janet McTeer Janet McTeer (born May 8, 1961) is an award-winning British actress from Newcastle upon Tyne, England. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts Janet McTeer began her successful theatrical career with the Royal Exchange Theatre. ``Tumbleweeds'' Background Won Golden Globe (comedy), National Board of Film Review awards. Screen Actors Guild Nomination. First Oscar nomination. Pros: British but persuasive as Southern floozie floo·zy also floo·zie n. pl. floo·zies Slang A woman regarded as tawdry or sexually promiscuous. [Origin unknown.] Noun 1. . Academy loves seeing lots of technique on screen. Cons: One voter's lots of technique is another voter's shameless overacting o·ver·act v. o·ver·act·ed, o·ver·act·ing, o·ver·acts v.tr. To act (a dramatic role) with unnecessary exaggeration. v.intr. 1. To exaggerate a role; overplay. 2. . Movie underseen. Outlook: Film career just getting rolling; Oscar may wait for better things to come. < Julianne Moore Julianne Moore (born December 3, 1960) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress. She has been nominated for four Academy Awards. Biography Early life Moore was born Julie Anne Smith in Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville, North Carolina,[] ``The End of the Affair'' Background!off Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globes nominations Second oscar nomination. Pros: Hardest-working actress in show biz, not to mention hardest- working quality actress in show biz. Plays a martyr. Excellent faking of English accent and earth-shattering orgasms. Cons: Character was more interesting in the book. Academy honored a fake English accent in this category last year. Outlook: Great performance, but only the second-best martyr of the season. < Meryl Streep Noun 1. Meryl Streep - United States film actress (born in 1949) Streep ``Music of the Heart'' Background Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild nominations. 12th Oscar nomination. Pros: She's Meryl Streep . . . Cons: and she's been there and done that - in better movies. Outlook: Hilary Swank will recognize her from the podium. < Hilary Swank ``Boys Don't Cry'' Background: Golden Globe (drama), Los Angeles and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Film Critics associations awards. Screen Actors Guild nomination. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Plays a martyr. Not only convinces small-town rubes Rubes is a syndicated newspaper single panel cartoon created by Leigh Rubin in 1984. Leigh Rubin began making and distributing his own greeting cards in 1979 through his company Rubes. in movie that she's a boy, often makes audience forget she's female, too. Cons: While Oscar accepts alternative lifestyles now, it has yet to reward anything as strange as this. Outlook: Prejudice not strong enough to deny obvious best performance of the year. Plus, everyone wants to see if she'll cry during acceptance speech. < BEST ACTOR Russell Crowe ``The Insider'' Background: Won awards from National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics, L.A. Film Critics Association. Received Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild nominations. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Australian actor remarkably convincing as unstable American whistleblower whis·tle·blow·er or whis·tle-blow·er or whistle blower n. One who reveals wrongdoing within an organization to the public or to those in positions of authority: "The Pentagon's most famous whistleblower is . . . Cons: Movie still smooths over character's rough edges, but that's hardly Crowe's fault. Outlook: Not the hottest, but definitely smokin'. < Richard Farnsworth Richard W. Farnsworth (September 1, 1920 – October 6, 2000) was an Academy Award-nominated American actor. Biography Early life Farnsworth was born in Los Angeles, California to a housewife mother and an engineer father. ``The Straight Story'' Background: Won New York Film Critics award. Golden Globes nomination. Second Oscar nomination. Pros: Sentimental favorite. Touching, masterful performance. Cons: His movie may be too offbeat off·beat n. Music An unaccented beat in a measure. adj. Slang Not conforming to an ordinary type or pattern; unconventional: offbeat humor. in a year where the academy seems to be squarely in the mainstream. Outlook: Deserves to win, but likely won't. < Sean Penn (``Sweet and Lowdown'') Background: Golden Globes nomination. Second Oscar nomination. Pros: An actor's actor. Has spent the last few months loudly complaining about the academy's taste and calling the Oscars a dog-and-pony show dog-and-po·ny show n. Slang An elaborate presentation orchestrated to gain approval, as for a policy or product. [From the razzle-dazzle of trained animal acts at circuses.] , which shows he doesn't care. And that's cool. Cons: Unless you're Brando, you need to care to actually win. Outlook: He'll still hate the academy. < Kevin Spacey spac·ey adj. Slang Variant of spacy. Adj. 1. spacey - stupefied by (or as if by) some narcotic drug spaced-out, spacy unconventional - not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles" (``American Beauty'') Background: Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild nominations. Second Oscar nomination. Won supporting actor in 1995 for ``The Usual Suspects.'' Pros: Expert balancing of sardonicism, outrageousness and touching self-examination. Provides role model for every academy guy contemplating a midlife crisis midlife crisis n. A period of psychological doubt and anxiety that some people experience in middle age. midlife crisis . Cons: No matter how richly detailed, character still a lech Lech (lĕkh), river, c.175 mi (280 km) long, rising in Vorarlberg, W Austria, and flowing NE into S Germany past Augsburg to the Danube River. The Wertach River is its chief tributary. . Outlook: In good, if not quite championship, shape. < Denzel Washington (``The Hurricane'') Background: Won Golden Globe (drama). Screen Actors Guild nomination. Fourth Oscar nomination. Won supporting actor in 1989 for ``Glory.'' Pros: Plays a martyr. Trained for a year to get into fighting trim. Captures every aspect of Rubin Carter's personal development. Academy feels guilty about ``Malcolm X'' snub. Cons: Those who know say Carter started out even meaner than shown here. Outlook: Knockout. < BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Michael Caine ``The Cider House Rules'' Background: Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild nominations. Fifth Oscar nomination. Won for ``Hannah and Her Sisters'' in 1986. Pros: Reverse English accent factor. Popular among his peers. Miramax will have him out stumping for the film. Cons: Plays an ether-inhaling abortionist abortionist /abor·tion·ist/ (ah-bor´shun-ist) one who performs abortions. . Not in the movie that much and his scenes don't really stick in one's mind. Outlook: Dark horse, but Miramax wants him to win and will spend accordingly. < Tom Cruise ``Magnolia'' Background: Golden Globes award. Screen Actors Guild nomination. Third Oscar nomination. Pros: Worked against superstar persona to boldly portray year's biggest jerk. Consistent source of energy in a film many felt needed all it could get. Cruise Oscar long overdue. And, oh yeah, it's the best acting he's ever done. Cons: Character so obnoxious, voters may actually hate him. Some undoubtedly hate movie, may not watch it all. Outlook: Regardless of caveats, it's a spectacular stretch. Cruise's chances finally bloom. < Michael Clarke Duncan ``The Green Mile'' Background: Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild nominations. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Who doesn't love a tearful, childlike, giant Jesus? Cons: Well, maybe people who resent an African-American character defined by condescending stereotypes. Outlook: Maybe. Some will want to see if the big guy cries during acceptance speech. < Jude Law ``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' Background: Golden Globes nomination. first Oscar nomination. Pros: Talented actor; probably should have played Ripley. Cons: His movie was ignored in most major categories. Outlook: Chances are about as good as his character's. < Haley Joel Osment ``The Sixth Sense'' Background: Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globes nominations. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Movie wouldn't have worked without this talented tyke's performance. Role required tremendous intensity in practically every scene. Spawned catch phrase. Cons: Too much, too soon? Outlook: ``I see gold people.'' But then it is a very competitive category. < BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Toni Collette ``The Sixth Sense'' Background: First Oscar nomination. Pros: Harrowing, heartfelt performance as the spooky kid's mom. Everybody saw the movie. Cons: Her turn tends to get overlooked by audiences who focus on the spooky kid. Hasn't been nominated for any other awards. Outlook: If Osment wins, she can act like a proud mom. < Angelina Jolie ``Girl, Interrupted'' Background: Golden Globe award. Screen Actors Guild nomination. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Made the most of showy-psycho/bad-girl role. Cons: Some may not think she was acting. Outlook: Longtime cable TV favorite could graduate to the big time. Crazier things have happened. < Catherine Keener ``Being John Malkovich'' Background: New York Film Critics award. Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globe nomination. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Deserving, paid her dues. One half of the hottest, weirdest lesbian scene in (mainstream) film history. Managed to be prettier than Cameron Diaz. Cons: The lesbian scene might have been a little too weird for academy's mainstream tastes. Outlook: Chances are as good as anyone's. Could split the sexually confused vote with Chloe Sevigny, however. < Samantha Morton ``Sweet and Lowdown'' Background: Golden Globe nomination. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Supporting actresses in Woody Allen films tend to do well, as do people who tend to play mutes. Cons: Some people have issues with Woody making his leading lady a mute. Some people just plain have issues with Woody. Outlook: Wouldn't you like to hear her talk? < Chloe Sevigny ``Boys Don't Cry'' background: National Society of Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards. Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild nominations. First Oscar nomination. Pros: Every bit as good as co-star Hilary Swank, and she wasn't even pretending to be a guy. Cons: Because of that, her performance could be overshadowed. Actual woman she portrays hates the movie. Outlook: Subtle specificity could actually stand out in a year when most actresses are shooting for the moon. CAPTION(S): 30 photos Photo: (1) "American Beauty" (2) "The Cider House Rules" (3) "The Green Mile (4) "The Insider" (5) The Sixth Sense" (6) Lasse Hallstrom (7) Spike Jonze (8) Michael Mann (9) Sam Mendes (10) M. Night Shyamalan (11) Annette Bening (12) Janet McTeer (13) Julianne Moore (14) Meryl Streep (15) Hilary Swank (16) Russell Crowe (17) Richard Farnsworth (18) Sean Pean pe·an n. Variant of paean. Noun 1. pean - (ancient Greece) a hymn of praise (especially one sung in ancient Greece to invoke or thank a deity) paean (19) Kevin Spacey (20) Denzel Washington (21) Michael Caine (22) Tom Cruise (23) Michael Clarke Duncan (24) Jude Law (25) Haley Joel Osment (26) Toni Collette (27) Angelina Jolie (28) Catherine Keener (29) Samantha Morton (30) Chloe Sevigny |
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