| OCR Text |
r m I The Herald Journal Logan Utah Thursday January 14 1999 — Page 19 ONE BIG HAPPY After ‘Ryan’ best picture nominations an open race LOS ANGELES (AP) — The smoke had barely cleared from the battlefields of “Saving Private Ryan" last summer when the Oscar campaigns for best picture fired up “From that moment forward” said Mark Unnan president of Lions Gale Releasing “everyone was searching looking wondering what other four films would stand beside that particular monument" With Academy Award nomination voting in full swing part of the question appears to have been answered “Shakespeare In Love” gained enough critical and popular acclaim to make it a strong challenger to Steven Spielberg's World War II epic Now Hollywood is wondering which films will fill the remaining three of five nomination slots for best picture when the nods are announced Feb 9 With a dearth of prestigious releases from the major studios the critics all over the map and the Oscar juggernaut “Titanic” ufely in the past it's anybody's guess “There have been more conversations more debate about what would be a serious contender this year than ever before" said publicist limy Angel-lot- ti who is working on Miramax's Oscar cam-“Pictures that six months no one would K'gnplaced in the nee are now inago contention’’ That means that small films like “Gods and Monsters" and “Waking Ned Devine" have shots at best picture nominations So do two films in foreign languages “Life Is Beautiful” from Indy and “Central Station’' from Brazil That also means that the major studios may be nearly as outgunned at Oscar time as they were in the 1996 Oscars dubbed “Independents’ Day" because four of the five nominees were independent Ml TVL BEETLE BAILEY Auctions as was the winner “The English from Miramax This year two studio releases “Ryan” from DreamWorks and “The Tru- Ktient” man Show” from Paramount are die strongest contenders Here is a rundown of the top contenders far best picture at the March 21 awards ceremony: 1 “Saving Private Ryan" The brutally realistic examination of blood and bravery benefits from two elements dear to Academy voters: epic sweep and box office success HAGAR THE HORRIBLE “Ryan” also has tremendous' directing from Spielberg a strong cast led by Tom Hanks in anothy er performance and an equally Oscar-worth- impressive supporting lineup highlighted by Tom Sizemore in an Oscar-calibperformance But will “Ryan” win the big prize March 2 1 ? The film has dnmiMtwH — but not swept — the critics’ prizes It was behind “The Truman Show” and “Shakespeare in Love” in Golden Globe nominations Nomination outlook: A lock 2 “Shakespeare In Love” Back when “Saving Private Ryan” was riding so high that everybody was talking about simply giving Spielberg an armful of Oscars and calling off the awards show “Shakespeare” wu just a little film that publicists were having a hard time describer I ing (Comedy? Drama? Costume piece? Ralph J Fiennes has a brother?) But on the strength of strong reviews six Golden Globe nominations (a tie with “Truman" for the most) and packed theaters “Shakespeare" which still isn’t in wide release has emerged as the strongest contender for a best picture nod after “Ryan” The story of the Bard as a struggling playwright “Shakespeare in Love” stars Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow both in Oscar-worth- y performances and the writing by Marc Norman and Tom It also has one of the year's Stoppard is first-rate best supporting performances in Judi Dench's Queen Elizabeth Nomination odds: In the stars 3 "The Truman Show” Last summer “Truman" was riding high Jim Carrey was receiving loud praise for his perforTV show mance as the unwitting star of a Ed Harris was considered a certainty for supporting 24-ho- ur actor the writing was inventive the direction inspired the box office was going crazy Then everyone forgot about it It took a lead-tyin- g six Golden Globe nominations and the National Board of Review's supporting-actor honor for Harris to remind everyone what a good film “Truman" was Nomination odds: Almost as sunny as Seahaven 4 “Life Is Beautiful” Yes it’s in Italian Yes it's got comic scenes even though it’s about the Holocaust And yes it stars the guy who made a lousy replacement for Peter Sellers in the “Pink Panther" series But Roberto Benigni’s “Life Is Beautiful" is the real deal a touching crowd-pleasin- g import that has lit up the festival circuit taking honors at Cannes Toronto Vancouver Warsaw and the American Film Institute It continues to do strong business at the box office It has something else going for it: hundreds of the 5500 Academy voters live overseas where the film has been a smash (while many other contenders have vet to leave American soil) Nomination odds: If not beautiful certainly very best-pictu- re attractive 5 Too tough to call Will the Academy go for a second movie in “Pkasantville" a second World War II ra movie in “The Thin Red Line” or a second story in “Elizabeth?'’ Difill it think small and honor “Gods and Monsters” or think big and go with one of the kmgshot major studio releases such as “You’ve Got Mail" or “Patch Adams?” Will it look overseas and go for “Central Station" or “Waking Ned Devine?” Or will it peer into man's darker places and pick “Happiness” “A Simple Plan” or “Affliction?" Or will it rekindle its love for Warren Beatty and pick “Bui worth?" About the only thing anybody knows for sure about the predawn nomination announcement says Fox Searchlight president Lindsay Law is that “It's going be a wild morning" TV-them- ed Eliza-beth-e- ‘Blues’ penalized by lame script — )t On paper “Varsity Blues” sounds like a surefire score Mix attractive rebellious teenagers with the blistering passion of Texas high school football throw in a killer soundtrack then sit back and watch the box office dollars roll in Neither football nor movies are played on paper however and “Varsity Blues” will be lucky if it doesn’t get sacked at die multiplex after it opens nationwide Friday Instead of taking an intelligent look at the cultural phenomenon of high school sports “Varsity Blues” sinks into an teenage cinema formula with dumb behavior even dumber adults and ample amounts of sex and depravity The film is also penalized by a maddening lack of attention to football sequences detail in the well-filmStill teenagers may flock to the movie at least to see heartthrob James Van Der Beck best known for his role in the TV show “Dawson's Creek” Van Der Beek stars as Jonathan Moxon the benchwarming backup quarterback for die perennial powerhouse West Canaan Coyotes Moxon is decidedly different than many in football-craze- d Texas He cares more about his college (dans than he does about gridiron glory This doesn’t endear s I respect of his teammates his sweet girlfriend Julie (Amy Smart) and his little brother Kyle (Joe Pich-k- r) MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM & I ? 1 ' ed FOX TROT i him to his father or his coach but it earns the Julie and Kyle are likable characters but his teammates are barely tolerable kids It's hard to root for this bunch of brain-dewho are not just defiant but downright delinquent One of them assaults an older West Canaan alum laughs at him while a friend videotapes the attack t ad REAL LIFE ADVENTURES CLOSE TO HOME CLOSE TO HOME Wirt at JOHN MCPHERSON BvPhilp Alder Last year lb Lundby completed 25 years as editor of Dansk Bridge putting out his 250th go in rue closer I J issue m September Here is an interesting deal that he quitted How should the (day go in six diamonds? West’s lead was awful Leading a bid suit is a bad idea in the best of times but when you have the missing ace it is ludicrous (If partner gets in to give you a niff the contract is dying anyway) South knew the lead wu a singleton also he took careful note of the dub spots After winning l with dummy's ace declarer played a trump to hand getting the bad news Now be led the heart seven putting West on the Thu honeymoon In over when he randy dom want to gut you atone In dm dark to ahow you Ms watch copy! IuRsummo Imp IfrUMsdniu Mnmfr aIsa foaJl NIURRiy IHK MB MB MfWOy DWWII IMF driver's tost with her lousy puruHal parking Karan dscMod to have a Rids fun wttii the sxaminor spot If West had won with the ace ' declarer would have taken West’s return drawn trumps and cashed I v then steals a police car Another intentionally fires a ball at his dad's face breaking his nose When another isn’t guzzling syrup bottles he's either slogging down gallons of liquor or throwing it right backup Director Brian Robbins desperately tries to create some sympathy for the players by portraying every adult as either dimwitted bigoted or just plain despicable West Canaan’s coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Vbight) is the personification of a demigod Nothing will stand in the way of Kilmer's 23rd district championship not his players’ torn hMMtriwip nor concusaiona or even police intervention What Kilmer wants Kilmer always gets But Kilmer's kingdom is threatened when a season injury to the Coyotes’ first-striquarterback leaves die team in Max's inexperienced hands Surprisingly Mox steps in and learn die Coyotes to sts ng several wins often calling his own plays to Kilmer’s consternation Mox’s irreverent attitude doesn’t sit well with Kilmer setting up an unlikely locker room showdown in their final game — and an even more farfetched conclusion The game action is beautifully filmed showcasing both the athleticism and viciousness of football n in glory But the editing is disappointingly sloppy and unrealistic For example several somersault someplays ended with a bone-jarrithing that rarely happens even once a game A more glaring gaffe was made during the final game An announcer hays there is 8:07 remaining in the game but the scoreboard shows 7:03 Then after some action the scoreboard is shown at 6:00 But in the next scene it’s mysteriously back at In hindsight it would have been better if this movie's dock had run direedy to skw-motio- ng 7 0 bridgamgrSr the king-que- en Movie review at hearts discard- ing a spade and a club Then South would have led the club queen ruffing away East’s king and setting up dummy’s eight The contract would have come home with one spade two hearts six diamonds two clubs and a spade ruff in the dummy So ' : r' 'i 01809 by NEA Inc TGrtS 7 V K Q 4 A S 1 1 A Q S 4 I West ducked Now came a low club from dummy putting East in a quandary If Eut had won with the king declarer would have got two did) tricks in the dummy and succeeded So East ducked After South played the club jack West had an insoluble problem If he had discarded declarer would have drawn trumps ruffed out the club king and got 12 tricks as mentioned above So West raffed But now there were two spade raffs available in the dummy South was home A J I 8 V 7 4 KQ J S 4 8 J IS Vulnerable: Neither Opening lead: 9 |
