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gromit |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 3:19 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9008
Location: Shanghai
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I thought I was the only around here who didn't like Alda's Senator.
Just seemed mostly cliche and really distracting, taking me out of the film every time he appreared.
But now I guess I'm obliged to put together a list of some sort.
Ordinarily I pay little or no attention to all of the end-of-year awards, except to get hipped to any films that might have escaped my notice. I have watched alot of 2004 films in the last several weeks, with Spanglish at the front of the Q. |
_________________ Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 8:34 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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When I started reading this thread and saw Virginia Madsen's name put forth a handful of times for Supporting Actress in Sideways, I disagreed with it at first blush because I thought of her as the lead actress.
Earl et al--It's a measure of the power of Madsen's exceptional performance that you could think of her as a lead actress when her actual screen time is near-miniscule. She only has three or four scenes and only one of them could be considered anything like lengthy. It's just that when she's on screen she defines the words "star, "incandescent," and "great," In my pantheon of female supporting performances, she's up there with Jean Hagen in Singin' in the Rain and Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate.
P.S. Both Hagen and Lansbury were nominated for the Oscar and lost; hope Madsen doesn't follow suit. |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 8:41 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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POSSIBLE SIDEWAYS SPOILER
Of course, Madsen also delivers an off-screen voice-over for the ages, which is a major part of her performance. The last scene of the movie depends 75 percent on the beauty of her delivery of the phone message, a life-changer if there ever was one. My God, I love this movie and this woman!!! |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 8:46 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Alan Alda in The Aviator can be accused of chewing the scenery a little bit, but that's what he's been hired to do. You love to hate him, and you love to see Hughes shoot him down. Alda makes him believably hateful, and what's interesting to me is that in his first scene I sort of sympathized with him having to deal with the very scattered presence of Hughes in his home and at his table. I never liked Alda in M*A*S*H either, but on Broadway in earlier years he was a professional and rather charismatic presence, and he was aces opposite Meryl Streep and Barbara Harris in The Seduction of Joe Tynan. |
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chillywilly |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 9:47 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8250
Location: Salt Lake City
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censored-03 wrote: Chilly you are right I was thinking of Best Actress with Wright Penn's role in A Home at the End of the World
I will add Cloris Leachman in Spanglish for my third Supporting Actress.
What a start! Sorry 'bout that folks.
I really need to see Spanglish, mostly because I like James L Brooks' movies. But also didn't realize that Cloris Leachman was in the movie.
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"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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chillywilly |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 9:51 am |
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Location: Salt Lake City
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Private Joker wrote: censored-03 wrote:
Man! After all the bitching you did at Chilly this is a pretty far-fetched stretch...did the guy pay you off or something? Or maybe just an Academy Award like nod to his lifetime achievements ?
I've defended Grant's performance in that film on here several times. I refuse to do it again. Furthermore, I provided ample reason why Alda sucked. When you can find a reason why Grant is undeserving, then maybe I'll listen.
I questioned this as well, but left it alone because I've not seen the movie. When it comes out on DVD and gets put on my Netflix list, then I'll post my opinion.
I do like Hugh Grant in most of the movies I've seen him in, espeically Notting Hill.
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_________________ Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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chillywilly |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:41 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8250
Location: Salt Lake City
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billyweeds wrote: Chilly--No need to explain yourself to Joker. See my Alda nomination below.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (alphabetically):
Alan Alda, The Aviator
Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
Mos Def, The Woodsman
Thanks, billy. Good to see another Alda nom.
The Woodsman hasn't shown up in any theaters here in Utah yet. I'm hoping once Sundance finishes up on the 29th, it will make it's way to the Broadway (our independent theater downtown).
I read a piece in the NYT about Bacon and Sedgewick and how they made the film and it sounds like their performances are incredible.
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_________________ Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:42 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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chillywilly wrote: Private Joker wrote: censored-03 wrote:
Man! After all the bitching you did at Chilly this is a pretty far-fetched stretch...did the guy pay you off or something? Or maybe just an Academy Award like nod to his lifetime achievements ?
I've defended Grant's performance in that film on here several times. I refuse to do it again. Furthermore, I provided ample reason why Alda sucked. When you can find a reason why Grant is undeserving, then maybe I'll listen.
I questioned this as well, but left it alone because I've not seen the movie. When it comes out on DVD and gets put on my Netflix list, then I'll post my opinion.
I do like Hugh Grant in most of the movies I've seen him in, espeically Notting Hill.
I haven't seen the Bridget Jones sequel in question, but Grant's performance in the original was one of my nominations that year. He really shines as a scumbag. |
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chillywilly |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:46 am |
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Location: Salt Lake City
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billyweeds wrote: I haven't seen the Bridget Jones sequel in question, but Grant's performance in the original was one of my nominations that year. He really shines as a scumbag.
I agree. I did like the first Bridget movie performance of Hugh Grant. That "loved to hate him" statement very much applies.
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_________________ Chilly
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:57 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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...their (Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick) performances are incredible.
The whole cast is astonishing, including Mos Def (see above nomination) and, amazingly, a pre-teen girl named Hannah Pilkes. She's incredible. |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:03 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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ehle64 wrote: Best Supporting Actress Nominations:
Natalie Portman - Closer
Laura Dern - We Don't Live Here Anymore
Lily Tomlin - I Heart Huckabee's
I would have thought Dern's perfomance was in the Best Actress (not supporting) category. She's certainly excellent, whatever category she's in. |
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chillywilly |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:17 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Salt Lake City
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billyweeds wrote: The whole cast is astonishing, including Mos Def (see above nomination) and, amazingly, a pre-teen girl named Hannah Pilkes. She's incredible.
I didn't catch all of the Golden Globes, but did Mos Def win or was he nominated for his role in The Woodsman?
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_________________ Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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yambu |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:24 am |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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billyweeds wrote: ....I never liked Alda in M*A*S*H either..... Boy, I just don't understand this. For years I looked forward to seeing that show every week, and he was 90% of the reason. My son, now 31, mentioned just last week what a role model he was for him. Hell, I said, he was a role model for me, too. |
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Kate |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:26 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 1397
Location: Pacific Northwest
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yambu wrote: billyweeds wrote: ....I never liked Alda in M*A*S*H either..... Boy, I just don't understand this. For years I looked forward to seeing that show every week, and he was 90% of the reason. My son, now 31, mentioned just last week what a role model he was for him. Hell, I said, he was a role model for me, too.
Same here. As I was reading the MASH dishes I was thinking how it was a must see in my house, I loved it. |
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chillywilly |
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:35 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Salt Lake City
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Kate wrote: yambu wrote: billyweeds wrote: ....I never liked Alda in M*A*S*H either..... Boy, I just don't understand this. For years I looked forward to seeing that show every week, and he was 90% of the reason. My son, now 31, mentioned just last week what a role model he was for him. Hell, I said, he was a role model for me, too.
Same here. As I was reading the MASH dishes I was thinking how it was a must see in my house, I loved it.
I guess billy and I are the exceptions, but that show never took with me. The only real character I liked when I did watch the show was Mike Farrell's (I forget his character name). He seemed to be the most sincere about his role.
My g/f also loved that show and we have our discussions about my dislike for the show.
To add insult to injury, the show airs here in Salt Lake 5 times a day - two times more than The Simpsons. I'll take Homer and Burns over Hawkeye and Burns anyday.
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_________________ Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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