Tuesday, February 11, 2003
The worst of the year - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER – Early today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will reveal their nominations for this year's Academy Awards. The Oscars will try to honour the best, but politics have buggered up the system, as multiple nominee and two-time winner Meryl Streep told us a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday however, the antithesis to the excellence embodied with the Oscars – The Razzies – announced their nominees for the worst films of the year. The awards themselves, will be handed out the day before the Oscars.
Who were nominated? Well, Britney Spears' Crossroads got 8 Razzie nods, followed by 7 nods apiece for Star Wars: Episode II and Madonna's Swept Away. It sounds cynical, but it's Hollywood after all.
The nominees for worst picture of 2002: The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Crossroads, Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio, Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of The Clones, and Swept Away. Pluto Nash, was of course the Eddie Murphy starrer that everyone has forgotten. Murphy scored a nomination for worst actor, and not only for The Adventures of Pluto Nash, but also for his turns in I Spy and Showtime. Murphy's fellow nominees are: Roberto Benigni for his adaptation of Pinocchio; Adriano Giannini, Madonna's co-star in Swept Away; Adam Sandler for his cartoon 8 Crazy Nights and Mr. Deeds; and the one and only dreadful Steven Seagal for something called Half Past Dead.
The Razzies also honour the worst in remakes and sequels. Those nominees: I Spy, Mr. Deeds, Pinocchio and Star Wars: Episode II. A new category for this year is that for ‘Most Flatulent Teen-Targeted Movie'. Adam Sandler's 8 Crazy Nights, Crossroads, Jackass: The Movie, Scooby Doo, and XXX, were the nominees.
The worst actresses of the year: Angelina Jolie for something called Life, or Something Like It, Jennifer Lopez both for Enough and Maid In Manhattan, Swept Away's Madonna, Winona Ryder for Mr. Deeds, and Britney Spears for Crossroads. Ryder is a former Oscar nominee, whilst Jolie is herself an Oscar winner. We also remember that Roberto Benigni is also a double Oscar winner. Among the other former Oscar winners grabbing Razzie nods this year include Robin Williams (for his supporting turn in Death To Smoochy) and Christopher Walken for his role in The Country Bears. Walken actually has a chance to take an Oscar nod for his role in Catch Me If You Can, later today.
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The Oscar nominations are to be announced later this morning at 5:38 a.m. (Pacific), and I'll have a rundown of that either this afternoon or tomorrow.
Here are my predictions, for whatever they're worth. I was called upon by Sasha Stone's website «www.oscarwatch.com » to contribute my predictions and I include them here:
Best Picture: Chicago, Gangs of New York, The Hours, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and The Pianist. The first three films are definite locks. I include My Big Fat Greek Wedding because of the buzz around it and The Pianist, because it is considered as that brilliant (not to mention a Cannes winner). I won't be surprised if either are replaced by Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, if only that some say it's a lock to get a nod, whilst others say it was nominated last year and will be nominated next year for the final chapter in the trilogy.
For Best Director, I mirror the nominees from the Director's Guild of America award: Stephen Daldry, The Hours; Peter Jackson, Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers; Rob Marshall, Chicago; Roman Polanski, The Pianist; and Martin Scorsese for Gangs of New York.
Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt; Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York; Adrien Brody, The Pianist; Nicolas Cage, Adaptation; and Michael Caine, The Quiet American, are my choices for Best Actor. I did not tap Richard Gere for his turn in Chicago, because I'm hesitant that the Academy will pick him. He's far too political for the telecast and conservative Academy members may be equally hesitant. If Gere does make the cut, then Sir Michael Caine may not.
For Best Actress the nominees may be: Salma Hayek, Frida; Nicole Kidman, The Hours; Diane Lane, Unfaithful; Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven; and Renee Zellweger, Chicago. I suppose that Nia Vardalos may have a chance, but the Academy may only spring for a screenwriting nod, which she's bound to get.
Best Supporting Actor: Chris Cooper, Adaptation; Dennis Quaid, Far From Heaven; Paul Newman, Road to Perdition; Ed Harris, The Hours; and Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You Can.
Best Supporting Actress: Kathy Bates, About Schmidt; Queen Latifah, Chicago; Julianne Moore, The Hours; Michelle Pfeiffer, White Oleander; and Meryl Streep, Adaptation.
Let's see how many of these pan out. Happy Oscar morning to all.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .