reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP (02/08/85)
Well, the Oscar nominations are out. I will only list the main category
nominies here. See a newspaper for a full list.
Best Picture: "Amadeus", "The Killing Fields", "A Passage to India", "Places
in the Heart", and "A Soldier's Story"
Best Actor: F. Murray Abraham "Amadeus", Jeff Bridges "Starman", Albert Finney
"Under the Volcano", Tom Hulce "Amadeus", Sam Waterston "The Killing Fields"
Best Actress: Judy Davis "A Passage to India", Sally Field "Places in the
Heart", Jessica Lange "Country", Vanessa Redgrave "The Bostonians", Sissy Spacek
"The River"
Best Supporting Actor: Adolph Caesar "A Soldier's Story", John Malkovich
"Places in the Heart", Noriyuki (Pat) Morita "The Karate Kid", Haing S. Ngor
"The Killing Fields", Ralph Richardson "Greystoke"
Best Supporting Actress: Peggy Ashcroft "A Passage to India", Glenn Close
"The Natural", Lindsay Crouse "Places in the Heart", Christine Lahti "Swing
Shift", Geraldine Page "The Pope of Greenwich Village"
Best Director: Woody Allen "Broadway Danny Rose", Robert Benton "Places in
the Heart", Milos Forman "Amadeus", Roland Joffe "The Killing Fields", David
Lean "A Passage to India"
A few comments.
The most noticeable omission, in my view, is Richard Burton for Best Supporting
Actor for "1984". I fully expected him to be nominated, particularly in view
of his recent death. Since I feel that his was the finest performance, male
or female, leading or supporting, of the year, I am disappointed. In his
absence, the category is a race between Richardson, getting the sympathy vote,
and Ngor. Ngor may never give another performance in his life, but he was quite
perfect for this role. Pat Morita might have won in a slower year for the
category, but not this year. Caesar and Malkovich did good, solid work, but
aren't in the same league.
As usual, the Best Picture nominations went to solemn, "quality" pictures.
Personally, I wouldn't place "Amadeus", "Places in the Heart", or "A Soldier's
Story" among the twenty best American films of the year. However, they take
themselves so seriously that apparently they fooled the Acadamy. I'd guess
that "The Killing Fields" will win over "A Passage to India", but both Lean's
film and "Amadeus" have a good chance. "Places in the Heart" and "A Soldier's
Story" can consider themselves lucky to get this far. They won't go farther.
A very slow year for leading performances, male and female, and the best ones
weren't nominated. Steve Martin (who won several critics' groups awards) for
"All of Me" and John Hurt, who was so good in "1984", both failed to make it,
as did Matthew Modine and Nicholas Cage, for "Birdy". Kathleen Turner wasn't
nominated for either "Crimes of Passion" (her best performance this year) or
"Romancing the Stone" (lesser, but better than some of what did get nominated.
Diane Keaton probably deserved a nomination for either "Mrs. Soffel"
(preferably) or "The Little Drummer Girl" (more likely).
From what we have, I'd guess that Albert Finney will win for "Under the
Volcano". No way in hell the Acadamy will give an Oscar to a kid who starred
in "Animal House" (Hulce wasn't that good anyway), but he should drain some
votes off from Abraham, who was pretty good. Sam Waterston's performance
isn't forceful enough to win. Bridges was very inventive in "Starman", but
not inventive enough, I think, to win.
Judy Davis just might win an Oscar by default. None of the nominated
performances are dominating work, and the other four ladies have already won
Oscars. Field and Spacek probably stand the best chances, after Davis.
Best Supporting Actress is a two woman race, between two different, excellent
performances. Peggy Ashcroft is integral to the story of "A Passage to India"
and gives a supporting performance in the fullest sense of the word. Geraldine
Page is peripheral to the main action of "The Pope of Greenwich Village", but
her performance is so entertaining and strong that she steals the picture.
The other actresses are along for the ride. (Apparently the Acadamy has a
bylaw which states that Glenn Close must be nominated for Best Supporting
Actress. I can think of no other reason her competent but undistinguished
performance was nominated.) I'd bet on Ashcroft.
In terms of who actually did the best job directing, I'd place it between
Allen, Lean, and Joffe. Only the latter two really stand a chance. Lean has
already gotten his Oscars, but this may be the last chance to give him another.
Joffe's direction was also good, but he did not dominate his film the way Lean
did. Giving the Oscar to Benton or Forman would be a crime. I'd guess Lean.
Other notes of interest: Robert Towne's dog, P.H. Vazak was nominated for
best adapted screenplay. The cinematography nominations are very well chosen,
not a loser in the bunch. If there is any justice (there isn't), the editors
of "The Cotton Club" will win for that film. "Dune" was nominated for sound,
but not for visual effects. "Amadeus" and "2010" are destined to lose the
makeup award to "Greystoke". The Acadamy always loves seeing actors turned
into monkeys.
--
Peter Reiher
reiher@ucla-cs.arpa
{...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiherjimc@haddock.UUCP (02/11/85)
But isn't *1984* a 1985 film? Remember that the Academy dates the films by release, not by production. As I recall, *1984*, though made from April to June of 1984, was not released until late January of this year. Jim Campbell
wenn@cmu-cs-g.ARPA (John Wenn) (02/11/85)
I believe the official rules state that a film must be released by December 20th (or there abouts) in Los Angeles. You therefore see several late films released in LA late in the year, and released around the country sometime in January or February. /John
ecl@ahuta.UUCP (e.leeper) (02/12/85)
REFERENCES: <345@haddock.UUCP>
No, *1984* was released in 1984 in L.A., in order to be eligible for the Oscars
for that year. Its *general* release was in 1985.
Evelyn C. Leeper
...{ihnp4, houxm, hocsj}!ahuta!eclleeper@ahuta.UUCP (m.leeper) (02/13/85)
REFERENCES: <345@haddock.UUCP> The film 1984 was released thoughout most of the world (including Los Angeles) in 1984. That is why it is eligible for this years Academy Awards and not next year's. Mark Leeper ...ihnp4!ahuta!leeper
steven@ism70.UUCP (02/13/85)
Following is a list of the nominees for the 57th annual Academy Awards: Awards will be presented Monday night, March 25. BEST PICTURE "A Passage to India" (Columbia); John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin, producers. "Amadeus" (Orion); Saul Zaentz, producer. "The Killing Fields" (Warner Bros.); David Puttnam, producer. "Places in the Heart" (Tri-Star); Arlene Donovan, producer. "A Soldier's Story" (Columbia); Norman Jewison, Ronald Schwary and Patrick Palmer, producers. BEST DIRECTOR David Lean, "A Passage to India" Roland Joffe, "The Killing Fields" Woody Allen, "Broadway Danny Rose" (Orion) Milos Forman, "Amadeus" Robert Benton, "Places in the Heart" BEST ACTOR F. Murray Abraham, "Amadeus" Jeff Bridges, "Starman" (Columbia) Tom Hulce, "Amadeus" Albert Finney, "Under the Volcano" (Universal) Sam Waterston, "The Killing Fields" BEST ACTRESS Sally Field, "Places in the Heart" Judy Davis, "A Passage to India" Jessica Lange, "Country" (Touchstone) Vanessa Redgrave, "The Bostonians" (Almi) Sissy Spacek, "The River" (Universal) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Peggy Ashcroft, "A Passage to India" Glenn Close, "The Natural" (Tri-Star) Lindsay Crouse, "Places in the Heart" Christine Lahti, "Swing Shift" (Warner Bros.) Geraldine Page, "The Pope of Greenwich Village" (MGM/UA) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR John Malkovich, "Places in the Heart" Noriyuki (Pat) Morita, "The Karate Kid" (Columbia) Adolph Caesar, "A Soldier's Story" Haing S. Ngor, "The Killing Fields" Ralph Richardson, "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan Lord of the Apes" (Warner Bros.) BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Daniel Petrie, Jr. (screenplay); Daniel Petrie, Jr. and Danilo Bach (story), "Beverly Hills Cop" (Paramount) Woody Allen, "Broadway Danny Rose" Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas, "El Norte" (Island Alive/Cinecom) Robert Benton, "Places in the Heart" Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel and Bruce Jay Friedman (screenplay); Bruce Jay Friedman (screen story); Brian Grazer (story), "Splash" (Touchstone) BEST SCREENPLAY ADAPTATION Peter Shaffer, "Amadeus" P.H. Vazak and Michael Austin, "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" Bruce Robinson, "The Killing Fields" David Lean, "A Passage to India" Charles Fuller, "A Soldier's Story" BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Miroslav Ondricek, "Amadeus" Christopher Menges, "The Killing Fields" Ernest Day, "A Passage to India" Caleb Deschanel, "The Natural" Vilmos Zsigmond, "The River" BEST EDITING Barry Malkin and Robert Lovett, "The Cotton Club" (Orion) Donn Cambern and Frank Morriss, "Romancing the Stone" (Twentieth Century Fox) Jim Clark, "The Killing Fields" David Lean, "A Passage to India" Nena Mandevic and Michael Chandler, "Amadeus" BEST ART DIRECTION Patricia Von Brandenstein (art direction); Karel Cerny (set decoration), "Amadeus" Richard Sylbert (art direction); George Gaines (set decoration), "The Cotton Club" Angelo Graham (art direction); Bruce Weintraub (set decoration), "The Natural" John Box (art direction); Hugh Scaife (set decoration), "A Passage to India" Albert Brenner (art direction); Rick Simpson (set decoration), "2010" (MGM/UA) BEST COSTUME DESIGN Jenny Beavan and John Bright, "The Bostonians" Ann Roth, "Places in the Heart" Patricia Norris, "2010" Theodor Pistek "Amadeus" Judy Moorcroft, "A Passage to India" BEST ORIGINAL SONG "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" from "Against All Odds" Music and lyrics by Phil Collins. (Columbia) "Footloose" from "Footloose" Music and lyrics by Kenny Loggins and Dean Pitchford (Paramount) "Let's Hear it for the Boy" from "Footloose" Music and lyrics by Dean Pitchford and Tom Snow. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from "The Woman in Red" Music and lyrics by Stevie Wonder. (Orion) "Ghostbusters" from "Ghostbusters" Music and lyrics by Ray Parker, Jr. (Columbia) BEST SONG SCORE OR ADAPTATION Prince, "Purple Rain" (Warner Bros.) Kris Kristofferson, "Songwriter" (Tri-Star) Jeffrey Moss, "The Muppets Take Manhattan" (Tri-Star) BEST ORIGINAL SCORE John Williams, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (Paramount) Maurice Jarre, "A Passage to India" Randy Newman, "The Natural" John Williams, "The River" Alex North, "Under the Volcano" BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM "Beyond the Walls" (Israel) "Dangerous Moves" (Switzerland) "War-Time Romance" (U.S.S.R.) "Camila" (Argentina) "Double Feature" (Spain) BEST SOUND Mark Berger, Tom Scott, Todd Boekelheide and Chris Newman, "Amadeus" Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Kevin O'Connell, and Nelson Stoll, "Dune" (Universal) Graham Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Michael Carter and John Mitchell, "A Passage to India" Nick Alphin, Robert Thirlwell, Richard Portman and David Ronne, "The River" Michael J. Kohut, Aaron Rochin, Carlos De Larios and Gene S. Cantamessa, "2010" BEST MAKEUP Paul LeBlanc and Dick Smith, "Amadeus" Rick Baker and Paul Engelen, "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" Michael Westmore, "2010" BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Richard Edlund, John Bruno, Mark Vargo and Chuck Gasper, "Ghostbusters" Richard Edlund, Neil Krepela, George Jensen and Mark Stetson, "2010" Dennis Muren, Michael McAlister, Lorne Peterson and George Gibbs, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" BEST SHORT FILMS Animated: "Charade" "Doctor Desoto" "Paradise" Live Action: "The Painted Door" "Tales of Meeting and Parting" "Up" BEST DOCUMENTARIES Features: "High Schools" "In the Name of the People" "Marlene" "Streetwise" "The Times of Harvey Milk" Shot Subjects: "The Children of Soong Ching Ling" "Code Gray: Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing" "The Gardens of Eden" "Recollections of Pavlovsk" "The Stone Carvers"
reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP (02/14/85)
The rules on eligibility for Acadamy Awards say that a film must play either
one or two weeks (I think two) in a theater in Los Angeles during calendar
year 1984 to be eligible for that year. The result is that a lot of films
play two weeks in December in Los Angeles (and sometimes New York, perhaps
to avoid offending the critics out there) so that they will be eligible.
This year, this was done for "1984", "Mass Appeal" (which didn't really open
until early February), "Birdy", and, I think, "Mrs. Soffel". The idea is that
the studio thinks that the films are of Acadamy Award caliber, but also thinks
that they'll go belly up in the very competetive Christmas market. This way,
they retain eligibility, but don't have to spend much on advertising and don't
risk having a serious film get blown away by Christmas fluff.
--
Peter Reiher
reiher@ucla-cs.arpa
{...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiherjimc@haddock.UUCP (02/15/85)
I guess I was wrong. I called up the Academy and a secretary to the features department officer said that *1984* was on the eligibile list for 1984 films. Why it was overlooked by the nominating committee I will never know; *1984* was clearly the best film I have seen in many months. Jim Campbell