Small Movies Getting Huge Oscar Push.A horde of films is being rushed into release by year-end to ensure eligibility for Oscar consideration. Getting the lion's share of attention and creating great Oscar buzz are several small films. One is "You Can Count on Me." The screenplay was written by Kenneth Lonergan Kenneth Lonergan (b. 16 October 1962) is a playwright, screenwriter, and director born in the Bronx, New York City, New York. He began writing in high school, later graduating from the NYU Playwriting Program. , whose earlier works include "Analyze This," "Rocky and Bullwinkle" and forthcoming "The Lost Army." Both stars of "You Can Count on Me," Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo Mark Alan Ruffalo (born November 22, 1967) is an American actor. Biography Early life Ruffalo was born in the industrial town of Kenosha, Wisconsin, the son of second-generation Italian American parents Marie Rose, a hairdresser and stylist, and Frank Lawrence , are being touted as sure-bets for Oscar nominations. "This is such a small picture, we never imagined it would have gone this far," says Linney. The film is indeed small when compared with "The Truman Show," in which she co-starred with Jim Carrey “James Carrey” redirects here. For the murder conspirator, see James Carey. James Eugene Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian actor and comedian. . That blockbuster has grossed $126.6 million worldwide. Linney says that when "You Can Count on Me" was picked up by Paramount Classics for distribution, the cast and crew were ecstatic. The film was shot in four-weeks on a $1 million budget and has been out five weeks in limited release (at 59 theaters). As of last week, it had grossed $2.4 million at the box office. "That is very good considering its initial classic-platform release," says Erica Blitz of Paramount Classics. Paramount officials feel the film has great potential and are putting it into wide release after Dec. 22. "It will be in the top 25 markets on multiple screens," including L.A., 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 and San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , says Blitz. Linney's competition for the Best Actress Oscar could pit her against actresses in bigger-budget films with behemoth behemoth (bē`hĭmŏth, bĭhē`–) [Heb.,=plural of beast], large, fanciful primeval monster, like Leviathan, evoking the hippopotamus mentioned in the Book of Job. hype machines behind them, like Julia Roberts in Universal's "Erin Brockovitch," Joan Allen in DreamWorks' "The Contender" and Juliette Binoche in Miramax's "Chocolat," a mid-range-budgeted film directed by Lassee Halistrom. Recently released, "Chocolat" has shown great strength in its first week out on eight screens, grossing $157,624 -- 45 percent better than Hallstrom's "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," which debuted in a similar small release strategy last year. According to Amanda Vincent at Miramax publicity, "Chocolat" is also slated for wider release after the first of the year. Yet another small film in the running for Oscar consideration is "Shadow of a Vampire," executive produced by Nicholas Cage and directed by E. Elias Merhige ("Begotten be·got·ten v. A past participle of beget. begotten Verb a past participle of beget Adj. 1. "). It stars John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe, whose performances are generating Oscar buzz. With a budget of less than $6 million and a shooting schedule of 18 days, Merhige says there was much pre-planning needed. "John (Malkovich), who resides in the South of France South of France south n the South of France → le Sud de la France, le Midi , took a great interest in the movie and graciously invited me to Paris to plot out the movie beforehand," he says. Merhige says, luckily, he got the use of an old castle in Luxembourg and shot at night, sometimes for up to 18 hours at a time, usually being forced to quit only because of daybreak. Contributing reporter Anita Talbert can be reached via e-mail at anita@la.com. |
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