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Show 2011 OSCAR Nominations: things to know By KELLY CANNON Life Editor The Academy has cast its votes and the Oscar nominations have been announced. Now, there are some people who don't put much weight into awards in the entertainment industry. For the most part, I agree with them. The Oscars, however, are different, at least for me. These are the most prestigious of all movie awards on the planet Earth. They still hold a bit of clout. Now, I am not going to make my Oscar predictions here. There are still a lot of the films I haven't seen yet. The purpose of this article is to inform you, the reader, of important things you should know about the 84th Academy Award nominations. First off, there were nine movies nominated for Best Picture. The number of films allowed to be nominated over the history of the awards has fluctuated from three to 12. However, from 1945 to 2009, only five films were allowed to be nominated. This tradition ended last year at the 2010 Academy Awards when 10 films were nominated. Many people think having more than five films nominated decreases the value of the nomination; since they are able to hand out more nominations, they, being the academy, don't have to be as picky with their choices. For the most part, I agree with them. But last year, nearly all of the films nominated deserved to be there. This year, however, I don't feel it is the case. Gary Oldman was nominated for Best Actor for his work in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy." Many people feel this nomination was what is called a "Career Oscar." Essentially, Oldman's performance in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" wasn't phenomenal but the man has had a very prestigious acting career. Therefore, his Oscar nomination is more in commemoration of his entire career rather than just one film. The same thing happened in 1969 with John Wayne for "True Grit." Meryl Streep was nominated again for Best Actress for her role in "The Iron Lady." Streep has been nominated 14 times for Best Actress and three times for Best Supporting Actress, making her the most nominated performer in all the acting categories. However, she has only won twice: in 1979, she won Best Supporting Actress in "Kramer vs. Kramer" and in 1982, she won Best Actress for "Sophie's Choice." One more thing: Melissa McCarthy was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for "Bridesmaids." While some people may dislike the humor in "Bridesmaids," I just want to point out one thing Having an acting nomination for a pure comedy is rare. By pure comedy, I mean not a drama/comedy or a musical. "Bridesmaids" is a pure comedy. And to have Melissa McCarthy nominated for her role is fantastic. DUBAI FROM B4 They played FIFA like it was going out of style, ordered pizza at midnight (but no pork sausage for the Muslims, please and thank you) and consistently forgot the meaning of the phrase, "take out the trash." Yet, I reveled in absorbing the endearing characteristics encountered on a daily basis, especially the linguistic ones. Rashed, Khaled and Ahmed THE 'SECRET GARDEN' IS FULL OF ENCHANTMENT Secret Garden invites children and families to bring their imagination to the show By SIERRA WILSON, Asst Editor of the V COURTESY OF LYNDI BONE /UVUREVIEW The production focuses on the children in the story rather than the adults. Each day the bit of green pushes farther up: a stem, a leaf, a bud, and finally— a beautiful rose. The magic of life is silently exhibited in the growth of every tree and flower. Running through February 18th in Noorda Theatre, the theater department's production of The Secret Garden invites adults and children alike to unlock the magic and healing of a special garden. Even before the actors take stage, "The Secret Garden," a play based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, begins to call up the use of imagination. In the foyer sits a tin filled with crayons, another filled with lime green pushpins, and a third stacked with squares of white paper. Audience members are invited to draw a flower for the secret garden. A variety of colors and shapes then begin to populate the garden boards set before the tins. Inside the theater, the music of bird songs in spring plays while lighting that conjures up images of sunlight through trees dapples the stage. An idea of springtime and an atmosphere of nature evolve as audience members find their seats in the small, intimate, open-style Noorda Theatre. "The Secret Garden" chronicles the tale of a family whose life has been darkened by death and sickness, but who experience rebirth through the healing powers of a secret garden. Mary Lennox, a ten-year-old orphan raised in India, comes to live with her widower uncle, Archibald Craven, when her parents both die of disease. Craven is withdrawn and morose, burdened by the untimely death of his wife. His mansion in Yorkshire, England at first seems a dismal place to Mary, but with the help of friends, and possibly a touch of magic, Mary is able to unlock a series of secrets that bring herself, her new family, and a special garden to life. A major strength of the production is a simple, but engaging invocation of the imagination. The set is fairly minimal, My heart is warmed. KYLE ORAM covered in vines, two bits of wall, and a portion of a bedroom. Yet, with these few elements and the use of creative lighting, a world comes forth to meet the audience. One example of the creative lighting is that squares of the stage light up to show a path, a few panels at a time, mimicking the glow of candlelight as a person walks through corridors. Other creative elements include the use of live music, such as violin and flute, to aid in characterization and create various atmospheres. Morgan Fenner, accompanied by flute music from Jordan Hall, played the character of the robin admirably. Fenner wore a brown vest with a red front and operated a small puppet bird, generating the playful character of the robin. Fenner's engaging facial expressions and light-footedness made the robin a captivating including a garden gate and magical character. Other noteworthy characters included Mary, Colin, and Dickon played by Heather Ashton, Jordan Kramer, and Christian M. Richards Jolley, respectively. These three actors played the roles of the lead children, capturing the expressions, excitement, curiosity, and even the tempers of childhood. Kramer was particularly impressive in his delivery of a spoiled, demanding, yet lovable (and comical) invalid. All of the characters donned various British accents, and many of them did so convincingly, such as Kaela Hernandez, who created an endearing Yorkshire servant speech to accompany her portrayal of Martha, a servant who helps in the children's journey. Still, some of the characters did struggle to maintain their accents consistently, though none of the key leads exhibited difficulties. Overall, the play delivered a simple, yet magical message of healing and love, as a family and a garden both bloomed and grew. "My heart is warmed," said student Kyle Oram after watching the play. FOR TICKETS OR INFORMATION visit uvu.edu or call 801-863-7529 Students are Weber State bound Over 50 theater students were invited to participate in the 44th Annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for region eight up at Weber State College By KELLY CANNON Life Section Editor Every year, thousands of students participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in eight regional divisions. These regional festivals not only give students a chance to showcase their work but also vie for the coveted four to six productions that will travel to the Kennedy Center in Washington -CHRISTOPHER CLARK D .0 . This year, Weber State College in Ogden will host 50 universities, UVU included, for the Region Eight festival. Students will compete in various categories including acting, design and technology and di- rection. Each university will perform one play in its entirety and a few selected scenes from other productions. This year, "Eurydice" will be performed while scenes from "Elephant's Graveyard," "Tea with Mint or Lemon," "Short Attention Span Theater," "Oklahoma!" and "Othello" will also be showcased. Since the festival is invitation only, the opportunity alone to compete is quite an honor. This is not UVU's first time going to regionals. In 2004, students competed with "Farewell to Eden," in 2007 with "The Tempest," in 2009 with "Nosferatu" and last year with "She Stoops to Conquer." "This is a big honor for us to be invited," said theater Me judges] want [the plays] to look and feel professional. That's what we strive for in our work." thoroughly enjoyed eating "the sea chicken" (tuna) for dinner and regularly dined at "Red Lo-bastard." Accustomed to the very feminine fashion of the womenfolk in the Middle East, my predictable wardrobe of jeans and t-shirts made me the target of mostly good-natured digs about my appearance. One particularly chilly day when I was sporting winter boots and a cozy plaid flannel shirt, Ahmed took one glance and confidently declared I looked "100 percent lezibian." I may have been offended if I wasn't laughing so hard. I moved the last of my effects into my new home early this past December. Living with three men, Arab or not, I still occasionally ponder if I've lost it - but don't we all wonder that sometimes? I'm always quickly brought back by the sonorous voices of my pupils, my roommates, my friends, asking, "Leigh. Come professor Christopher Clark. "It speaks volumes about the theater department." UVU has never won the regional competition, though in 2009 "Nosferatu" was chosen as a national alternate. "This means it was the fifth best production in the country that year," Clark said. When it comes to the performances, the judges are looking at everything from performance to design to directorial concept. "They want it to look and feel professional," Clark said. "That's what we strive for in our work." Although KCACTF is a competition with awards and potential scholarships on the line, students like to focus more on the festival aspect of the event. "Rather than just trying to beat a school or a particular production, we want this to be something that celebrates everyone's work," Clark said. For more information , visit www.kcactf-8 .org/index.html or kcactf.org . sit. You will help me now?" ENGLISH CONVERSATION CLUB englishconversationclub@uvu.edu PHOTO COURTESY OF THEATER DEPARTMENT Students will be performing "Eurydice" in its entirety and select scenes from "Elephant Graveyard," "Oklahoma!" "Othello" and others. ENTREPRENEUR FROM B4 Keyes champions the nearimmediate availability of new releases as his business's biggest asset. "Because [Redbox] is under contract with Hollywood companies, some new releases take up to 28 days to reach the consumer," Keyes said. Keyes also converts the rental to a sale after just 10 days. "There's always the option to rent or buy," Keyes stated. Keyes said the benefits to using Film Flixs include the option to make online reservations, a return deadline of midnight, monthly promotions and subscriptions and free weekend rentals. Although Keyes doesn't fancy himself a career entrepreneur, he said, "I'm always looking for opportunities to better myself," and that "business is good. We hope it stays that way." |