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Show IBLeell WgditM Park ( il News Thursday, April 7, 1983 Page B7 lv Kick Brciugli Our predictions for this year's Oscars I couldn't care less about the outcome of the Super Bowl, the World Series or the latest heavyweight bout. But you can bet that film critics are as interested as the Las Vegas bookmakers in the outcome of this year's Oscar races. It's time for "Reel World" to stick its neck out and try to second-guess the members mem-bers of the Academy. So, as Charles Latterner, the classical d.j. would say, let's get to it. Best Picture A year ago, the fight for Best Picture looked like a showdown between "Reds" and "On Golden Pond." My own theory is that they split each other's votes, allowing a comparative dark horse, "Chariots of Fire" to win the prize. The same thing could happen in several categories this year. The easiest flick to rule out here is "Missing," a low-impact low-impact film from last spring about South American revolution. But from there on, it becomes harder. Three nominees will be strong vote-getters. "Toot-sie" "Toot-sie" is popular, critically acclaimed, ac-claimed, and has won a score of nominations. "E.T." made a horde of money (which is enough right there to get it a nomination) and it enjoys a respectable reputation as the modern-day "Wizard of Oz." (It's my own preference prefer-ence for the award.) But Hollywood rarely gives Best Picture to a genre movie a comedy or a science-fiction fantasy. They like to honor a picture with a Noble Theme. This makes our fourth picture "The Verdict," Ver-dict," a strong contender. However, voters really love a Noble Theme combined with historic spectacle and thousands of extras. Therefore, Reel World predicts "Gandhi" will win as Best Picture. Best Actor First off, eliminate two strong actors in weak pictures. pic-tures. Peter O'Toole received a comeback nomination for "My Favorite Year," and Jack Lemmon was named for "Missing." Dustin Hoffman might have been a strong contender for "Tootsie," but he is a recent winner for 1979s "Kramer vs. Kramer." The possible upset winner might be Ben Kingsley for "Gandhi" (who is our preference). But Kingsley is an unknown and voters may figure he has plenty of time to win something. They will, instead, in-stead, choose to honor a long-time, much-nominated Hollywood figure. Reel World predicts that Paul Newman will win for "The Verdict." Best Actress This category has provided some of the most exciting Oscar races in recent years. It includes two - Alii- .iMYvNv :-. W 4 , w if Oscar is the special guest Monday night at the Egyptian for the meeting of Park City Performances members. After the membership elects their board of trustees at 6 p.m., the theatre will host the big-screen Academy Awards TV show at 7. Ballots and refreshments are on hand too. Cost is $5 per person, but new or renewed PCP members get in free. (The non-Oscars non-Oscars in this picture are, left to right, Steve Hunt, Don Gomes, and Bruce Beers.) big names this year who probably won't win Sissy Spacek for "Missing" (she won too recently in "Coal Miner's Daughter") and Julie Andrews for "VictorVictoria" "Vic-torVictoria" (a weak entry). en-try). Debra Winger was nominated for a fine job in "Officer and a Gentleman" but she's a little-known name and her picture was surprisingly weak in gaining nominations. (It missed both for Best Actor and Best Picture.) Pic-ture.) The real fight is between two highly-acclaimed ladies. Jessica Lange was the core of the movie "Frances," but it's her first time in the Oscar race. And voters may choose to reward her in another area. (She gets my vote, for what it's worth.) This year, I think the Academy will choose to admit ad-mit Meryl Streep to their gallery of great movie actresses. ac-tresses. Reel Wprld predicts Streep will win for "Sophie's Choice." Best Supporting Actor Who will win here? Not Charles Durning in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," even though he was the only good reason to see a bad movie. John Lithgow was nominated for his transsexual trans-sexual in "World According to Garp." But I think the picture pic-ture was liked more by critics than audiences. And I still don't understand why James Mason was nominated for a merely nice journeyman job of acting in "The Verdict." Robert Preston will be a popular nominee for his transsexual (another one!) in "VictorVictoria". But I don't think he'll be popular enough. Reel World predicts Louis Gossett, Jr. (our personal preference) will win for "An Officer and a Gentleman." Best Supporting Actress Glenn Close, as the mother in "Garp," won't win, for the same reason cited above. Leslie Ann Warren, in Victor Victoria" isn't a strong contender, con-tender, with her ebullient version of the tired old "dumb-blonde" routine. We do have two strong performances perfor-mances from Teri Garr in "Tootsie" and Kim Stanley as the stage mother in "Frances." (Stanley would be our own preference. ) However, this is where the Academy decides to reward Jessica Lange. She is nominated both for Best Actress, Ac-tress, and in this category for "Tootsie." (It's only the third time in Oscar history, I believe, that an actor has landed two nominations in one year.) Reel World predicts Lange will win this category. Best Director The real dark horse is German director Wolfgang Peterson, who got the token "art" nomination for "Das Boot." (The picture fell through the cracks, not getting get-ting a nomination for either Best Picture or Best Foreign Film.) Three more nominees are all strong Sydney Pollack for "Tootsie," Sidney Sid-ney Lument for "The Verdict," Ver-dict," and Steven Spielberg for "E.T." with perhaps an edge going to Spielberg. The Academy, I think, will choose to honor the director of "Gandhi," (our preferen ce) not just for helming a movie with an immense story and incredible logistics, but for pursing the project over a span of twenty years. Reel World predicts the award will go to Sir Richard Attenborough. Best Song This is the most interesting in-teresting of the smaller categories, because you'll hear the winner on FM Easy Listening stations for years to come. It's safe to say the award will not go to "If We Were In Love" from "Yes Giorgio," or "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" from "Best Friends." No one, except their composers, can remember what these songs sound like. Rock songs are generally not winners. That eliminates "Eye of the Tiger" from "Rocky HI." The Best Song outcome may depend on the Academy's mood this year. If they want to be uplifted, members will vote for the song from "Officer and a Gentleman," "Up Where We Belong." (The song was co-authored, co-authored, incidentally, by Buffy Sainte-Marie.) However, I think more people want to feel sorry for themselves this year. So Reel World predicts the winner win-ner will be the Barry Manilow-style weeper (and our favorite), "It Might Be You," from "Tootsie." Length of the TV program This is the only safe prediction. Even if the program starts at 7 p.m., we predict it will go past 10 o'clock. 1 lE". Ill 'lJifi - ' f y .' ' i if rm . ......... - - ljlll . ' 'I 1 4...- ' - SILVER KING The Silver King ... Distinguished Condominiums, priced from $170,000 to $600,000. Studio, One bedroom, Two bedroom and Penthouse units available, completely furnished and accessorized. Now open for viewing. Telephone 649-360(1 Park City LAND COAWANY Summer '83 LODESTAR ADVERTISING SPACE Call Jan or Bill 649-9014 now available 1 1 1 9 o 2nd Annual KPCW Talent Show Come and see some of Park City's most awesome, stupendous and incredible acts compete for the $1 50 grand prize. Three exciting categories: Musical Vocal Musical Instrumental a Variety Plus: Guest Celebrities Beer Tuesday night April 12 7:30 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre |