The Time Between the Oscar Nomainations Announcement and the Oscars- The things which are a given.

And we are off! Welcome to the official start of Oscar season!

Yesterday the nominations were announced for the 89th Academy Awards, which are to be held on Sunday February 26 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Today, all the talk has been about La La Land receiving an incredible 14 nominations, Meryl Streep once again beating her own record with her 20th nomination, the abolishment of #OscarsSoWhite in glorious fashion and tales of where all the nominees were when they found out the news. Our favourite nominee story is that of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who chose to watch the Roger Federer Australian Open tennis match rather than the nominations announcement.

It's an extremely exciting time for all who live and love film. The nominations announcement is like Christmas morning for film fans and the actual Oscars is the event of the year when you shed a tear at seeing your favourites honoured in the most amazing way possible.

However, what happens during the month between those two days is....how do I put it....interesting to say the least. There are certain things that happen and are talked about that are just a given in every Oscar season I'm not talking about how Hollywood and it's stars prepare for the big night and the parties that take place all week, but the things that you probably didn't even think about that take place every single year without fail.

Take a read and then try not think about this list next time you see an example of one of these!

Those who suddenly appear out of oblivion to have their say on EVERYTHING
Now everyone on social media will know exactly what I am talking about here. These are the people who show no or little interest in film all year until award season...then they all come out of the woods and have to vocalise their thoughts on all the nominees, the snubs, the Academy itself and then...why not....any conspiracy theory involving Hollywood and film because it just seems convenient.

To be honest, these people are generally the type to give their opinion on everything anyway so you shouldn't have too many problems identifying them. However, there is one thing an Awards Cynic will always say that makes them easy to recognise and this is:-

"I don't care about the Oscars, but...."

OK, if you are going to say something relating to the Oscars, you obviously do care enough if you feel you need to say something. If you really don't care about the Oscars, who don't you just roll your eyes and move along?! The internet has given everyone the ability to have a say about what they believe, but Oscars season always see's the appearance of those who are vocal film buffs for a month and really don't care about film for the other 11 months of the year.

These Award Cynics also flock to Twitter during the Oscars telecast to criticise everything about the event. The performances are terrible, the fashion isn't what it used to be, the winners aren't deserving, the host isn't funny.....etc,etc. Their pessimism is so overwhelming that paying attention to them almost puts you off the Oscars yourself...almost.

People start treating films like football teams
This is one feature of award season that I've noticed this year more than others, but it isn't by any means mutually exclusive to 2017.

So we have a pool of nine films in the Best Picture category. Right now, there are clearly two frontrunners and the dark horse. This doesn't sound to different to a football competition really. Seriously, people are either Team La La Land or Team Moonlight, with a few also being Team Manchester By The Sea. And this isn't just film fanatics taking part in this, the media has a large part to play in taking sides.This doesn't sound too bad, but people have been getting so passionate about these teams on social media that it is quite disconcerting.

In one instance, a friend of mine was not a fan of La La Land and was subject to a crazy amount of tweets from fans of the film who weren't happy about her dislike, despite her having justified why she didn't like it. I liked the film, but really...we are all entitled to our opinions and just like a football team we support, it isn't going to directly have any effect on our lives if La La Land, Moonlight or Manchester By The Sea wins Best Picture. And guess what? You can actually like more than one of these films and not base your awards happiness on whether one of them wins!

The outrage over Oscar snubs
This is an absolute given after the nominations are announced. Every year there is outrage from fans and media outlets alike (and last year from Jada Pinkett-Smith regarding her husband) about who has missed out on being nominated and who has received a nomination who shouldn't have. This year most of the Oscar snub talk has been surrounding Amy Adams missing out on a nomination for Arrival.

However, with five places available in each nominated category (besides Best Picture), people are always going to miss out. There have been some true snubs over history, but personally I think the word "snub" is often overused when talking about someone who has missed out on a nomination. Missing out and being snubbed are not the same thing. Sometimes other films or performances were just a little bit better. Yet, saying it was a snub sounds so much better and is always a talking point in the days that follow the nominations announcement.

Those who Hollywood has condemned
This is another source of outrage that seems to happen if not every year, every few years. It's the notion of whether someone who has a past offence is worthy of becoming a nominee or an Oscar recipient. This year this nominee and probable Oscar winner who is the focus of this outrage is Casey Affleck. I'm not going to voice my opinion on whether or not the backlash he is receiving is justified, but this isn't anything new during Oscar season. Woody Allen has been subject to this backlash numerous times. There is also whispers about whether Mel Gibson should have been forgiven and received his nomination for Best Direction for Hacksaw Ridge this year.

Again, I won't give any personal opinions on this, but it is something many other people are happy to do. This is not anything new and often during this time the past lives of nominees get dragged into the spotlight.

The sudden rush to see all the nominees
The cinemas become alive again! Once a film becomes an Oscar nominee, they experience a whole new life at the box office. People rush out to see these films which are approved by the Academy as being award-worthy and therefore certified wonderful (although at the same time, many find out that just because the Academy nominates them, doesn't make them the type of film they will enjoy). Many films are re-released into cinemas once they are nominated for an Academy Award, so while many people will tell you that awards mean nothing, they certainly don't do any harm.

Let the betting begin!
So this is probably the most inevitable of the award season givens. Everyone likes the have a say about who is going to win each of the major awards and many like to hold tipping competitions. My advice is to follow the awards shows (particularly the guild awards) closely, as an upset very, very rarely comes out of nowhere. Avoid betting with your heart, as our personal favourites very rarely win. It's all about who takes the awards along the way.

Happy Oscars season everyone!

Oscars 2016 Predictions

The 88th Academy Awards is set to take place this Sunday February 28! This year we have made our Predictions via video! Please check them out and let us know what you think!

Katharine Hepburn at the Oscars

 



Katharine Hepburn was never a fan of the Academy Awards. In her eyes, awards meant nothing.

"My prize is my work" Hepburn once said.

Despite this aversion to film's night of nights, she still remains the actor who has won the most Academy Awards to date by winning four golden statues from her twelve nominations. Hepburn never once turned up to accept any of her awards. In fact, the only time Hepburn ever appeared at the Academy Awards was in 1974 to present the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial award to Lawrence Weingarten. Hepburn's Oscar wins are a representative of her truly incredible career. She won her first award in 1934 and her final in 1981, nearly 50 years after she won her first. With a background in theatre, her film career spanned over 60 years and despite being labelled box-office poison early in her career, is remembered for her strong female characters and incredible versatility.

It only takes a look at the roles in which Hepburn was nominated for and won in order to understand why she is considered one of the greatest or many will argue that she is in fact the greatest film actress to have lived. Her versatility and passion for the fascinating and strong characters which she wholly committed to remains an inspiration for many actors even today who still admire her as an actress and an incredibly strong woman.

As it is 108 years to the day that Hepburn was born in Hartford, Connecticut, let's take a look at what the Academy recognised as Hepburn's twelve greatest roles.

Morning Glory (1933) Won

Katharine Hepburn won her first Oscar with her very first nomination at the sixth Academy Awards. In Morning Glory (1934), she played Eva Lovelace, a young woman with stars in her eyes who desires to become a Broadway actress. This was only Hepburn's third film and was a role she could relate to having come from a theatre background herself. However, as she so often exemplified, being that she could relate to the film wasn't an excuse for not putting her all into the performance. As would become tradition, Hepburn was not there to accept the award.

Alice Adams (1935) Nominated
Even though Hepburn was considered box-office poison during the years 1934-1938, this wasn't reflected in the calibre of her performances during this time. Despite being considered an untrustworthy investment in these years, the Academy still acknowledged her performance in Alice Adams in 1936 and she was nominated for a second time. In this George Stevens directed film, Hepburn played the title character who is a young woman trying to climb the social ladder and will go to extreme measures to make sure her façade is not uncovered.

The Philadelphia Story (1940) Nominated
The Philadelphia Story is regarded as the film that marked the end of Katharine Hepburn's label as box-office poison and Hepburn herself said that it was Tracy Lord who gave her her career back. The Broadway play was written by Philip Barry especially for Hepburn and she backed and performed socialite Tracy Lord. Howard Hughes bought the screen rights as a present for Hepburn and she reprised her role on screen, in what was both a critical and financial success.

Woman of the Year (1942) Nominated
Woman of the Year is remembered more often that not as being the first pairing between Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. It was a union which was repeated in eight films after this and symbolised the beginning of the great love affair between Hepburn and Tracy. One cannot argue that acting opposite Tracy did wonderful things for Hepburn, as was shown here in Woman of the Year. Here she played a political journalist who falls in love with a sports writer (Tracy) who works for the same newspaper. The chemistry between the two is unmistakable, but Hepburn's performance of the strong female character would not feel lost in a film in the 2000's.

The African Queen (1952) Nominated
John Huston's film The African Queen is regarded as a timeless classic in which both Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart were nominated for Academy Awards. Hepburn, once again showing her versatility, played a religious spinster who is accompanied up the African river by sea captain (Bogart).  The stories which were told of the time in Africa by Hepburn and close friend, Lauren Bacall became legendary, as has the film itself. This was Humphrey Bogart's only Academy Award win and Hepburn's fifth nomination.

Summertime (1955) Nominated
Summertime marked Katharine Hepburn's sixth Oscar nomination. The film, which was directed by David Lean, saw Hepburn portray a secretary who has resigned herself to living a lonely life and travels to Venice, Italy where she unexpectedly finds love. The film showed Hepburn in a vulnerable, but romantic light and this was a side to her acting that was celebrated by fans and critics alike.

The Rainmaker (1956) Nominated
After being nominated a year before for Summertime, her nomination for The Rainmaker the year after was her first time receiving two nominations in consecutive years. As "plain" girl in town Lizzie Curry who cannot seem to find a man until a drought brings Bill Starbuck to her life, Hepburn was endearing and incredibly likable.

Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) Nominated
Suddenly, Last Summer saw a different pace for Katharine Hepburn. She was honoured with her eighth nomination for her role as Violet Venable, the grieving mother who is now responsible for looking after her mentally unstable niece (played by Elizabeth Taylor). In this psychological thriller/ drama, Hepburn gave an extremely strong performance of a mother who could be quite terrifying and disturbing.

Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962) Nominated
Katharine Hepburn continued her nominations with the role of another mother with a harder edge in Long Day's Journey Into Night. The film, which was originally written as a play, was Eugene O' Neill's autobiographical work and Hepburn portrayed the drug dependant mother in a stirring, unsettling and very powerful role. Hepburn's nomination was the only Oscar nomination which the film received and the final time she would be nominated without winning.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) Won

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner gave Hepburn her long-awaited (but not by her) second Academy Award. The incredibly moving, yet still comical film saw Hepburn and Spencer Tracy pair up for the last time and play parents of a girl (played by Hepburn's niece, Katharine Houghton) who brings home her African-American fiance for the first time. This film was incredibly bittersweet for her as it was no secret that Tracy was a very unwell man and passed away 17 days after filming wound up. Tracy was also nominated for an Academy Award and Hepburn never saw the finished film as it was too painful for her. Her good friend, George Cukor accepted the award on the night on her behalf.

The Lion in Winter (1968) Won

 

Katharine Hepburn won back-to-back Academy Awards when the year after Guess Who's Coming To Dinner she won for The Lion in Winter, which she tied with Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl. Hepburn played Eleanor of Aquitaine, an historical figure which she admitted to finding absolutely fascinating. Playing one of the most outspoken and fiercely protective mothers in history, she gave a brilliant performance that was historically accurate of the queen as we know her and was a perfect match for Peter O'Toole's Henry II. The film's director, Anthony Harvey accepted the award on her behalf.

 

On Golden Pond (1981) Won

 

 

 

With her final nomination nearly 50 years after her first, Katharine Hepburn won her fourth Academy Award at the 54th annual show. She was at her loveliest in the play turned film, On Golden Pond where she played wife and mother, Ethel. Hepburn played opposite both Henry Fonda and his daughter, Jane Fonda. On Golden Pond is the only film to date in which both the lead actors who played husband and wife won Academy Awards, yet neither of them were there on the night to accept their awards.

 

This post is part of the 2015 Great Katharine Hepburn Blogathon as hosted by Margaret Perry.





What to Expect From The 87th Academy Awards

 

What can we expect from the 87th Academy Awards this coming Sunday?

Although first time host Neil Patrick Harris has this week been confessing to media outlets that he is unprepared and full of nerves, there is no doubt that he will deliver plenty of laughs and entertainment on the night. Harris, who has hosted the Tony Awards four times and the Emmys twice, is no stranger to this type of gig and as a triple threat with his acting, dancing and vocal talents he is sure to delight and have plenty of surprises up his sleeve.

If Harris does feel the nerves, he has plenty of company that will be joining him on stage to share the duties. Among the presenters of this years awards will be Terence Howard, Felicity Jones, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Nicole Kidman, Ansel Elgort, Liam Neeson, Jessica Chastain, Kevin Hart, Shirley Maclaine, Cate Blanchett, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong'o, Jared Leto, Marion Cotillard, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston and more.

One thing we will be expecting is a song and dance number early in the piece by Harris. The question remains, will this be an individual, joint or group effort? Past Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson has been named as a performer, as has Anna Kendrick, Jack Black and Lady Gaga. The five songs nominated for Best Original Song will also be performed live on the night by John Legend and Common, Maroon 5, Tim McGraw and Tegan and Sara and The Lonely Island.

The red carpet fashion is always a talking point, but promises to be incredible this year with some of the most fashionable actresses gracing the carpet. The ones to watch as they arrive are Marion Cotillard, Felicity Jones and Emma Stone, and although Keira Knightey's style at the Golden Globes has been scrutinized, she has since been forgiven and is sure to dazzle on Sunday night.

Now for the actual Oscars predictions. What to expect in regards to the best performance Oscars are no surprises. Attempting to predict the recipients of the acting awards this year is particularly easy as all four of the predicted have scooped up every award on the way that would point to a golden man victory. However, it is the Academy Awards for Best Film and Best Director which are the talking point this year and the awards which people are most interested in due to the unpredictability involved.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

 

Our prediction- Boyhood

It seems to be a race to the finish for Best Picture with the frontrunners being Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman and Richard Linklater's Boyhood. Things have been made interesting with Boyhood winning the highest award at the Golden Globes and Birdman winning big at the Screen Actors and Directors Guild Awards. However, Boyhood is still the frontrunner in our eyes for the fact that it has a greater universal appeal. It is true that the members of the academy are all involved in show business and many may relate to Birdman greatly, but the wonderful thing about Boyhood was that everybody could relate to growing up as seen through the eyes of a child. The film which is revolutionary in it's style and mode of storytelling is a loving tribute to the life itself.

Our Runner Up- Birdman

 

 

Best Director

Richard Linklater- Boyhood

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu- Birdman

Bennett Miller- Foxcatcher

Wes Anderson- The Grand Budapest Hotel

Morten Tyldum- The Imitation Game

 

 

Our prediction-Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu- Birdman

The Best Director battle reads much the same as that of Best Picture as it is between Richard Linklater for Boyhood and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Birdman. Yet this time we can see Inarritu taking the Oscar for his direction. Again it is very close as Linklater won at the Golden Globes and Inarritu won at the Directors Guilds, but considering it was him who won at the Guilds and many of the same people will be voting in this category at the Oscars a victory for him seems likely. However, Linklater really is not very far behind. This is certainly going to be an interesting moment of the night.

Our Runner Up- Richard Linklater for Boyhood

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Steve Carell- Foxcatcher

Bradley Cooper - American Sniper

Benedict Cumberbatch- The Imitation Game

Michael Keaton- Birdman

Eddie Redmayne- The Theory of Everything

 

 

Our prediction- Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything

Eddie Redmayne has won every major award leading up to this which is as good an indication as any that he will be the winner of this most coveted acting award, but one has only to watch the five performances nominated to realise that he is miles ahead of his competition. This is no light statement, as this category is perhaps the strongest of all the acting fields for the night. All five performances are terrific and had Michael Keaton or Benedict Cumberbatch been nominated in another year, either of them could well have been certainties. However, Redmayne's performance as Stephen Hawking is one of the best in years and wonderful on so many levels that he is about to turn his first Oscar nomination into his first Oscar win.

Our Runner Up- Michael Keaton- Birdman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Marion Cotillard- Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones- The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore- Still Alice
Rosamund Pike- Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon- Wild

 



Our Prediction- Julianne Moore for Still Alice
With her fifth Oscar nomination, it seems as though Julianne Moore will finally make the conversion from nominee to winner. Nobody else's name has even been mentioned as a true contender in this category and Moore has won every award leading up to the Oscars so there is really no doubt that this is her year. Moore's performance spoke to those touched by a disease that is often ignored in popular culture and is receiving a hero's reception as a result of her superb performance.
Our Runner Up- Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Robert Duvall- The Judge
Ethan Hawke- Boyhood
Edward Norton- Birdman
Mark Ruffalo- Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons- Whiplash

Our Prediction-J.K. Simmons for Whiplash
Much like the rest of the categories, there has only been one name uttered for Best Supporting Actor. J.K. Simmons is in a field with some fine performances, but his performance as the formidable music teacher, Fletcher in Whiplash had everyone talking. His character was the man that haunts you in your nightmares because of his unpredictability and damaging style of motivation. Simmons has, like our other predicted winners, won all the awards leading up to the Oscars and it will be a huge surprise to hear someone else's name besides his called out on Sunday night.
Our Runner Up- Edward Norton for Birdman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette- Boyhood
Laura Dern- Wild
Keira Knightley- The Imitation Game
Emma Stone- Birdman
Meryl Streep- Into The Woods

Our Prediction- Patricia Arquette for Boyhood
Patricia Arquette has become the crowning glory performance-wise of Richard Linklater's Boyhood. Arquette played Olivia, the woman so many mothers could relate to and so many children could see their mothers in. It was a fine performance and that along with the twelve year commitment factor look to have secured her her first Oscar.
Our Runner Up- Emma Stone for Birdman

An interesting point is that if our predictions are correct, we will have a pool of first time winners and more than half of the winners will be winning with their first nomination.

Join us in the days following the Oscars for our recap of Oscars week in Los Angeles and of the night itself and it's winners!

Happy Oscars everyone!

In Their Shoes: Oscar Winning Performances of Historical Figures

As part of the 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon hosted by Aurora of Once Upon A Screen, Kellee of Outspoken and Freckled and Paula of Paula's Cinema Club, we are looking at the interpretations of real life historical figures in film that have seen the actor win an Academy Award for their performance.

With this year marking the 87th year of the Academy Awards, the much sought after golden man has now been presented to over 330 actors for their outstanding performance in a motion picture. In the film year leading up to the awards, there are always roles which people like to dub "Oscar bait" and more often than not these are in films based on real life events. However, from the incredible number of awards which have been handed out over the years, only 54 of them were awarded to actors playing characters based on historical/ real life figures. A great deal more have been nominated for Oscars, but an actor's ability to perfectly channel a real life figure in a film is worthy of the ultimate prize.

Of the 54 performances of this type, 29 winners were males and 25 were female. 36 were for a lead role, while 18 were for supporting. It may not come as a surprise to many that the type of character most represented in this group was one involved in show business, with royalty and nobility not far behind. Both Daniel Day-Lewis and Jason Robards have won two Academy Awards each for roles in which they were playing historical/ real life figures.

With the next Academy Awards coming up on February 22, there is a high probability that one of the winners will be rewarded for portraying someone who is a noted member of society. Here we will take a look at the past winners and most admired performances in this category since Oscar was first awarded on May 16 1928.

Charles Laughton as Henry VIII in The Private Lives of Henry VIII (1933)
One of the most notorious and formidable monarchical figures in history, King Henry VIII has been the subject of dozens of portrayals in both film and television, yet it was Charles Laughton's performance in The Private Lives of Henry VIII that set the benchmark and won him the Academy Award. A fun fact about this film is that Laughton's wife of four years at the time, Elsa Lanchester ( who is widely remembered for her role in The Bride of Frankenstein) played Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Unlike the marriage between their characters which lasted only six months, Laughton and Lanchester were married until his death in 1962.

Luise Rainer as Anna Held in The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
Luise Rainier won the Academy Award for playing the Polish/French stage performer wife of Florenz Ziegfeld, Anna Held in The Great Ziegfeld. Rainer showed her incredible versatility in this role with her extremely impressive acting performance and musical talent. Until very recently, Rainer was the oldest living Academy Award winner (she passed away on December 30 2014 at the age of 104) and was the first actor to win back-to-back Oscars when she won her second Oscar for The Good Earth the year after The Great Ziegfeld.

Gary Cooper as Alvin C. York in Sergeant York (1941)
As World War II raged on, the Academy awarded Gary Cooper for his role as the war hero Alvin C. York in Sergeant York. It was a role that was acclaimed for Cooper's emotional performance, but also one that many people could relate to at the time. York was a pacifist that became a hero in the first World War and there were thousands around the world that believed that war was not the answer, but had to take part in some way.

James Cagney as George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
James Cagney is mostly remembered for his tough guy roles in films such as The Public Enemy and White Heat, but it was Yankee Doodle Dandy that won him his first and only Academy Award and proved that he was a true triple threat with his singing and dancing talent. Cagney portrayed George M. Cohan, the American entertainer, composer and producer, in the entertaining, enjoyable and loving way that caught the Academy's attention and made cinema goers fall in love with both the character and the actor.

Jennifer Jones as Bernadette in The Song of Bernadette (1943)

No matter what faith you believe in, your heart would have to be one of stone if you were not moved by Jennifer Jones' Academy Award winning performance in The Song of Bernadette. Jones played Bernadette Soubirous, the young peasant girl who witnessed visions of the Blessed Mary in a cave in Lourdes with such beautiful innocence and incredible purity. Jones was awarded her Oscar on the evening of her 25th birthday.

Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke as Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962)

1962's The Miracle Worker was a powerful film that explored the relationship between Helen Keller and her companion/helper, Anne Sullivan and earned both Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke Academy Awards. Bancroft and Duke were outstanding in performances that were intense emotionally and physically and had tremendous on screen chemistry. When Duke won the Oscar, she was only 16 years old which made her the youngest recipient of a competitive Oscar at that point in time.

Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter (1968)

Playing the 12th century monarch Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter, Katharine Hepburn earned her third Academy Award. Hepburn became the domineering mother and formidable, hot-headed queen in every way.Hepburn currently holds the record for winning the most acting Academy Awards (she was awarded four Oscars, all for leading roles), but was not present at any of the ceremonies to accept them.

George C. Scott as General George S. Patton Jr. in Patton (1970)

General Patton had a larger than life personality in life and on film George C. Scott brought this personality back to life in spectacular style in Patton. Although Scott was indeed awarded the Best Actor in A Leading Role Oscar and Patton's producer, Frank McCarthy accepted the award on the night on Scott's behalf, he refused the award as he did not want it to feel as if he was in competition with the another nominees. The studio returned the award the day after to keep with Scott's wish.

Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980)

Robert De Niro's brilliant transformation into former boxing champion, Jake LaMotta was truly remarkable and earned him his second Academy Award. He portrayed LaMotta on screen in such a way that was incredibly entertaining and intriguing, a fine tribute to a fascinating life. Raging Bull is one of nine films which De Niro has completed with director Martin Scorsese and he was nominated for three of these nine films. De Niro has currently been nominated for seven Academy Awards and won two.

Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)

The Academy Awards of 1980 saw both the male and female leading role Oscars taken home for performances of real life characters. Sissy Spacek gave an absolute powerhouse performance as country singer, Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter. Spacek's character of Lynn develops a great deal throughout the film and the way in which she portrays these changes was wonderful, as was her musical ability.

Ben Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi (1982)

Richard Attenborough's Gandhi could not have worked without a phenomenal performance by the actor in the title role. Ben Kingsley was absolutely superb as Mahatma Gandhi. His performance was incredibly inspiring and perfect in every way, as it should have always been out of respect for the great man. The film itself was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won eight, including Best Picture. 

Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood (1994)

The public always prefers to remember the stars of Hollywood's Golden Age in their prime, as their lives were not as spectacular as they aged (for the majority). However, Martin Landau's portrayal of Bela Lugosi in his later years in Tim Burton's Ed Wood is as respectful as it is heartbreaking. Landau gives a brilliant and incredibly realistic, loving and sympathetic portrait of the original Dracula actor and was awarded Best Supporting Actor by the Academy.

Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2003)

Charlize Theron made the incredible physical transformation into serial killer, Aileen Wuornos for Monster, but it wasn't just her change in appearance that won her the Academy Award. Theron's performance was absolutely superb as it was haunting, unsettling and intimidating in the same way that Wuornos was in life.

Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray (2004)

Jamie Foxx gave a brilliant portrayal of arguably the greatest rhythm and blues musician of all time, Ray Charles and showed that his talent stretched from the dramatic to the musical in Ray. Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Performance in a Leading Role, but the same year was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Collateral.

Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator (2004)

In The Aviator, Cate Blanchett completely channelled an actress who also had an Oscar winning role as a real life character in her lifetime, Katharine Hepburn. Blanchett conquered every mannerism and the pronunciation of Hepburn to take home her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Blanchett has now been nominated for six Academy Awards and has won two.



Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in Capote (2005)

The role of the eccentric writer, Truman Capote has been played many times over the years and has proved difficult to perfect. However, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman channelled him to perfection in Capote and was awarded his only Academy Award for his wonderful ability to play an eccentric character in a subtle, but powerful way.

Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006)

Helen Mirren's portrayal of our current monarch in The Queen was incredibly mesmerising and earned her her first Academy Award. Mirren eerily physically resembled Queen Elizabeth II, but her performance brought a greater understanding of the emotions that are displayed only in private in the royal family and evoked sympathy for the monarchy in harsh times.

Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose (2007)

Marion Cotillard shot to international acclaim with her incredible portrayal of French singer, Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose and was acknowledged by many as the surprise winner of that year's Oscars. The role of Piaf was extremely dramatic as her life was marred by tragedy and Cotillard gave an incredibly powerful performance. Cotillard is also nominated for an Academy Award this year for her performance in Two Days, One Night.

Colin Firth as King George VI in The King's Speech (2010)

Colin Firth gave the performance of a lifetime as King George VI in Tom Hooper's The King's Speech and received the highest honour from the Academy in receiving his first Oscar. Firth's performance showed the private life of the king and the battles he fought within himself and was not only widely acclaimed, but also praised by the Queen and the royal family.

 

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln (2012)

There have been over 300 portrayals of Abraham Lincoln in film and television over the years, but Daniel Day-Lewis as the much loved president in Lincoln has set a new benchmark for performances. Day-Lewis became Lincoln in every way and the Academy awarded this incredibly realistic and loved performance by presenting him with his third Academy Award. Day-Lewis has been nominated for five Academy Awards and won three from those five.

 

The remaining performances not already mentioned are:-

George Arliss as Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli in Disraeli (1929)

Paul Muni as Louis Pasteur in The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936)

Joseph Schildkraut as Capt. Alfred Dreyfus in The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

Anthony Quinn as Eufemio Zapata in Viva Zapata (1952) and as Paul Gauguin in Lust for Life (1956)

Susan Hayward as Barbara Graham in I Want To Live! (1958)

Shelley Winters as Petronalla Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

Peter Ustinov as Batiatus in Spartacus (1960)

Paul Schofield as Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons (1966)

Estelle Parsons as Blanche Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Jason Robards as Ben Bradlee in All The President's Men (1976) and Dashiell Hammett in Julia (1977)

Maureen Stapleton as Emma Goldman in Reds (1981)

F. Murray Abraham as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus (1984)

Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy Brown in My Left Foot (1989)

Brenda Fricker as Mrs Brown in My Left Foot (1989)

Jeremy Irons as Claus von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune (1990)

Geoffrey Rush as David Helfgott in Shine (1996)

Hilary Swank as Tina Brandon/ Bradon Teena in Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich as Erin Brockovich (2000)

Marcia Gay Harden as Lee Krasner in Pollock (2000)

Jennifer Connolly as Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in The Hours (2002)

Reese Witherspoon as June Carter in Walk The Line (2005)

Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk (2008)

Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side (2009)

Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund in The Fighter (2010)

Melissa Leo as Alice Ward in The Fighter (2010)

Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (2011)

Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyer' Club (2013)

 

 







Academy Award 2014 Predictions as Movie Critical Heads To Hollywood

Today marks the official beginning of Oscar Week 2014. This time of the year is always very exciting for film enthusiasts. Even if you don't consider yourself a movie buff, it is still the day when you sit down and pick your favourites to barrack for in the night of nights and discuss who is wearing what best.

It is with great excitement that we announce that Movie Critical is once again heading to Hollywood to be part of the excitement! Over the next week we will be posting photos of Hollywood Blvd. as it gets ready for the night and other exciting events. Last year we had a great time being at the centre of the Academy Award universe and we are expecting this year to be even better. We are leaving Sydney for Los Angeles today so the coming days will see lots of Oscar here at Movie Critical!

Before we leave, we can't talk Oscars without predicting who will take home the big awards on the night. Here are the nominees for each of the big awards and our predictions as to who will win these awards come Sunday night.

Best Motion Picture Of The Year

Nominees
The Wolf Of Wall Street
American Hustle
Nebraska
Captain Phillips
Philomena
Dallas Buyers Club
12 Years A Slave
Gravity
Her

Prediction - 12 Years A Slave
Steve McQueen's haunting and confronting film about a free man who was sold into slavery, 12 Years A Slave  will be hard to beat. The film is exceptionally well rounded with a solid screenplay, brilliant performances, amazing cinematography and beautiful musical score, as well as being emotionally driven and very powerful.


Best Achievement in Directing

Nominees
David O. Russell- American Hustle
Alfonso Cuaron- Gravity
Alexander Payne- Nebraska
Steve McQueen- 12 Years A Slave
Martin Scorsese- The Wolf of Wall Street

 

 

Prediction- Alfonso Cuaron Gravity

Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity truly is an incredible achievement in direction. While the film really only stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, Cuaron had to direct as though in zero gravity in space with the aid of CGI and mechanical apparatus'. Gravity maintained a high level of tension for the entirety of the film. An ambitious film and exceptional directing achievement.

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

 

Nominees

Christian Bale- American Hustle

Bruce Dern- Nebraska

Leonardo DiCaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor- 12 Years A Slave

Matthew McConaughey- Dallas Buyers Club

 

 

Prediction- Matthew McConaughey Dallas Buyers Club

It's shaping up to be the year for Matthew McConaughey. Although he has tough competition from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leonardo DiCaprio, McConaughey has had a superb run with his choice of films and with Dallas Buyers Club he is at the top of his game and fans and peers alike are responding. His portrayal as Ron Woodroof was brilliant and completely intriguing.

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

 

Nominees

Amy Adams- American Hustle

Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock- Gravity

Judi Dench- Philomena

Meryl Streep- August: Osage County

 

 

Prediction- Cate Blanchett Blue Jasmine

This category has pretty much been a one woman race from the start of award season. Cate Blanchett plays an extremely unstable and disturbed character in Blue Jasmine and did so perfectly. There has been talk of late by many that her chances for the Oscar have been derailed by the Woody Allen controversy, but the Academy surely acknowledges that Blanchett has nothing to do with these happenings and shouldn't be punished for giving the best performance of the year in one of his films. Blanchett is a certainty for this one..

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Rolw

 

Nominees

Barkhad Abdi- Captain Phillips

Bradley Cooper- American Hustle

Michael Fassbender- 12 Years A Slave

Jonah Hill- The Wolf of Wall Street

Jared Leto- Dallas Buyers Club

 

 

Prediction- Jared Leto Dallas Buyers Club

Like Blanchett, Jared Leto is pretty much a sure thing to take home this award. After a six year hiatus from film, Dallas Buyers Club has been the comeback from heaven for Leto.  His performance as the transgender Rayon was incredibly natural and avoided all cliché and stereotypes. Although McConaughey was incredible and will more than likely win the Oscar in his category, Leto overshadowed McConaughey whenever he was on screen and the film was at his best when he was involved.

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role



 

Nominees

Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle

Lupita Nyong'o- 12 Years A Slave

Julia Roberts- August: Osage County

June Squibb- Nebraska

 

 

Prediction- Lupita Nyong'o 12 Years A Slave

This is the category that is presently creating the most interest as it seems to be a race to the finish for both Lupita Nyong'o and Jennifer Lawrence. Nyong'o has taken home the Screen Actors Guild Award while Jennifer Lawrence has won both the Golden Globe and the BAFTA. Yet, it seems hard to go past Nyong'o. She was heartbreakingly exquisite in 12 Years A Slave and deserves the award. However, Lawrence was certainly fun to watch and isn't far behind Nyong'o...if she is at all.