6 minutes now pass 12 Hyannis good afternoon walking back to midday on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm here reactant. And of course tonight is the night. It's Oscar night 70th. Annual Academy Awards are being announced in Los Angeles tonight complete with all the glitz glitter and glamour that Hollywood can mustard the big question. Will Titanic sail blissfully in the movie history, or will it hit it hit one of those Silver Screen icebergs LA Confidential Good Will Hunting as good as it gets over before Monte rest of us will have to wait until this evening to find out which movie actually wins best picture but Minnesota Public Radio producer Stephanie Curtis already knows she joins us know in the studio complete with her crystal ball and is prepared to tell all are you not Stephanie I am. All right, Stephanie we should point out is a true movie Maven. She sees all the movies the new movies the old movies the forums the den. Sticks and Stephanie has joined us this hours. We get ready for tonight's big Oscar show. These would love to have you call in and join our conversation as well. Who do you think should go home with the Oscars tonight? Give us to call Twin City area number is 227-6002 276 thousand if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities 1-800. 242-282-8227. 6001. 800-242-2828 Academy Awards day here on midday start off with a rolled organist and what better way to get going. All right, Stephanie. Now, let's face. It is Titanic record-tying 40 nominations record bake breaking box-office receipts. Got to be a shoo-in for best picture. Right? We might be some kind of a backlash Hollywood thought that Titanic was going to flop wasn't going to do that. Well, well not slopped, but he wouldn't make that it's money. Well, it's certainly assailed on just fine doing really well and I think Set Hollywood is going to might leave it at that and that a lot of people would like to see something else when and my guess. I'm going to go out on a limb here. I think that LA Confidential win best picture. I don't think that Titanic is going to get it. I think that open. How can how can the academy maintain any credibility by naming any picture other than Titanic best picture of the year. Will LA Confidential was just a lot more sophisticated a great Ensemble acting and I think that the big thing in Titanic mean the special effects were incredible to ship was incredible going down but that they'll turn to a more human story the story about corruption a story where there are all kinds of fantastic performances and it's a little bit more adult and I think that some people are a little bit upset that Titanic is doing this well and that Hollywood, you know that they wanted the they will probably give James Cameron the best director oscar, but I think that they're going to 4 L a confidential despite the fact that teenage girls everywhere love love Titanic and loves Leonardo DiCaprio picture supposed to be what is that supposed to represent their two ways to be artistic achievement of the year of the people that were popular movie. It does it's kind of sparsely popularity partially artistic and partially this, you know, Hollywood can be kind of prudish and what they want what they think deserve to be the best picture. Is it Worthy? Is it about a serious topic and that's how movies like Gandhi which no one won best picture. No one wants to see that anymore. It's not all that great of a film that won best picture because was about a historical figure that everyone that they all. Yep. And he's a nice guy. So they all voted for it, even though it wasn't any good at all. And so I think that Titanic is incredibly popular and I think that's actually going to work against it now, And LA Confidential is just it's a lot more grown-up and doesn't seem as teenybopper ich as Titanic and I think that's going to win because Enzo artistically it's a it's a better film through the other three have any chance at all. I would be really surprised if the other three had a chance at all the full monty is a great movie but, he's usually don't win Good Will Hunting it's done by some young guys who probably have another chance to win a best picture. So they'll just kind of Let It Go and As Good As It Gets they didn't even nominate the director James L Brooks for a Best Director nomination. He wasn't even nominated that kind of shows that you know, the academy doesn't think it's all that great of a fill it probably doesn't have a chance. It's a little bit James L. Brooks came out of TV. He came out of TV sitcoms in the movie As Good As It Gets kind of feels like that. It really doesn't feel like a big feature film. It doesn't feel like an event and best. Pictures usually are some kind of an event that get your picture on it on your video at home. I mean, it's a big move your transport you it's it's kind of like that. She always hear well gee it takes you to another whole universe and stuff watching a videotape just so they can rewind it that who is that person again? Where did that guy come from a little bit confusing but it's it's a little bit more sophisticated male a brat and I think that LA Confidential as much of an event as Titanic is even if it doesn't have a giant ship sinking of the end. Is there any movie that didn't get nominated which is actually better than those that did get nominated one that I would have loved to have seen was the Sweet Hereafter by Canadian atom egoyan and it's about a bus accident can kids die and how the town react to it as a McGloin was nominated for Best Director, but the movie wasn't nominated for best picture. I think mainly cuz it's a real Downer it's and it's it's not an uplifting film and in Hollywood like their best pictures to be uplifting in some way. And then there's you do not leave the Sweet Hereafter with an E note of happiness at all, but it's a great movie and I really would have liked to seen nominated. I don't know if I necessarily want to see it when I would like LA Confidential to and not only do I think it will win. That's the one I'm that's what I'm really done in for strawberry Curtis's with us, Minnesota Public Radio producer, but her real love is movies or are movies I guess and she's been good enough to come by today to talk about tonight's Academy Award. You've already heard her March out on the limb as to which is going to be at with pictures going to be named the best picture tonight. I still to come of course we have best actor best actress without the supporting characters categories rather. Announce who's going to win best-director. That's the that's the Titanic guy because he kept a million dollar budget, you know kept everything going the ship people don't realize how hard it is for directors to make a good action film and the end of Titanic is an action film running around lot of water the ship going down. You see so many incompetent action films where people are running down dark hallways. You mean like Batman and Robin this year as an example, you could even if there's something seems you couldn't tell what was going on. You couldn't follow a fight their people everywhere. It's kind of dark and Hayes it was it was horribly directed and James Cameron keeps you gripped for the last hour watching that ship go down and he keeps you on the edge of your seat. And I really think they're going to reward him for that the big problem with James Cameron's directing is that he's horrible with actors. He wrote a screenplay didn't have anyone else put any input into it. The dialogue is abysmal. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio the two young ladies Kate Winslet is nominated for an Academy Award for best actress are good actors in horrible part that are under written and they really really try but James he's not good with actors. He's not good with lines is not good with words. What he is good with is gigantic sinking ship and I think he will get the best director despite his shortcomings because of that. Love to have you join our conversation. We're talking the Academy Awards this hour here on our midday program if you'd like to join into 276 thousand to 276 thousand in the Twin Cities outside the Twin Cities 1 800 to +422-828-227-6000 or one 802-422-8288, please Deputy I very much agree with much of what you're saying on the movie love her too and I think the LA Confidential movie It's a Wonderful ride. It's like a rollercoaster ride. That's really wonderful. I loved it even while 10 minutes into it when I turned with my friends if that's fabulous. I want to see this again. I want to see this again. You don't feel that way about a film where every aspect the acting the direction the set design production design the the authenticity of the costuming the writing. Were there a Back stories for all the major characters. They are cardboard characters. They're wonderful wonderful expected twists and turns because it turns it come out of the characters. Arbitrary plot that I'm committee put together. I really loved it, but it doesn't remind you it reminded me a lot of devil in a blue dress looks like a sister production to it even is he's a couple of scenes that I swear were shot the same streets that Devil in a blue dress was shot on Kelly does look like Devil in a Blue Dress which was a movie by that stars Denzel Washington Jennifer Beals, and it came out about 2 or 3 years ago and it was a good. Film and it had a lot of twists and turns it wasn't very popular. I I'm not quite sure why maybe people weren't attracted by Denzel Washington's character. Maybe it seemed a little bit dark. They made men men. I sold it well, but I think that it yeah, LA Confidential looked a lot like that, but I really thought that LA Confidential took on a bigger scope and all the characters were We're so well developed that it's a better filton Devil in a blue dress at the directing was incredible in LA Confidential and it really is one of those movies that you want to see again or some movies even good movies that you don't want to see more than once like how you lose gold with Peter Fonda. He's a dummy for best actor for that film. It's a good moving you enjoy it and keeps you you're interested but you don't really need to go back and see it again. There isn't anything that keeps a group that when LA Confidential so there's so many layers and so many things happening. That's not that you miss them and you don't understand The Plot In You have to go back. It's more like it it you just feel like you can take it in again because there's so much to see in the film now. There's only one one of the main actors nominated though Kim Basinger for supporting actress in I have a first question for you since she's the only woman in the movie wouldn't she be the main the leading actress as opposed to the supporting who she supporting? She's supporting the main the lead actors, even though she's the only woman in it. She is just a supporting character and that's based on the size of the world. Sometimes they do get them wrong and they'll give someone a supporting actor nomination for rolled. It's clearly a 10 leave nomination, but she wasn't she wasn't on screen enough. Even if she was the one with the with the longest time on the screen. I was kind of surprised that no one else from the film was nominated for acting the two young at the two young leads Russell Crowe. Who's an Oster while they're both Australia Russell Crowe in Australian actor that we've seen in a couple films here. He was in Romper stomper a movie about white supremacist. He was in a Sharon Stone film quick and the dead horrible movie old man. That was bad and he's playing a gun-slinging priest. It would he was bad and he was bad in that but First big meaty part he's had an American film and the other Australian actor. Guy Pearce has been was in The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. He was a transvestite and and did a great job and you don't really realize what a great job. You didn't Priscilla Queen of the Desert till you see something say something completely different like these Straight A's at Exley and LA Confidential and I thought either one of those actors deserve the best actor nomination. They probably would have ever nominated both of them just because someone wanted them will probably would happen. Is that some people voted for them, but they split up the vote some people and said, well just I'll nominate one of the actors from LA Confidential and this with the boat. So neither of them got in and best supporting actor. I think that Danny DeVito in LA Confidential as the editor of the book the movie magazine hush-hush deserve denomination. I thought he was just fantastic. It's kind of sad that she was the only person nominated and I think that she will probably win. For best supporting actress Gloria Stuart, who was the the old lady in Titanic? She's up there so she could so she could stand up. She could speaker lines. She had a certain glow to her but it really wasn't all that incredible purpose of a performance and Kim Basinger has been in Hollywood for a long time. She kind of fell off the fell off the movie screen for a couple years while she was Raising her children and now came back so it's kind of a big comeback part and she's never really been that good before. I think that people were surprised and I think that she will get the that you will get the award over Gloria Stuart tonight Academy Award day here on midday today Stephanie Curtis Big Time movie fan has joined us. She knows all and tells most and we invite you to give us a call to 276 thousand or one 800-242-2828 Matt. What's your read? Turn on this heartfelt vote for Good Will Hunting is best picture, even though I agree that it probably won't win. I thought it was a wonderful when I was wondering if if I you're getting your screenplay or not. Yes, it is is that it's up for best original screenplay and it was written by the two young Stars, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck. And I won't win best picture. I don't think it deserved. What I think was one of the better films of the Year. Especially one of the better Hollywood films. It was it was very very good and the most interesting comparison in Good Will Hunting is the young actor's wrote it for themselves because they weren't getting any decent Parts in Hollywood. So Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Road, it give themselves a big big Parts, but they also gave other actors in the movie. Great Parts Robin Williams nominated for best supporting actor as a wonderful part of the therapist. There's a great part at the math professor. They are everyone around them. It is a strong character except for maybe Minnie Driver the woman's part and in comparison Robert Duvall who wrote him that and it was kind of dissatisfied with his own Parts wrote a movie called The Apostle which he's nominated for best actor for and he wrote a great part for himself and nothing for anybody else. Everybody else in the movie is kind of cardboard. You really don't know what there's no motivation for. Anything that they're doing the plot isn't very well-thought-out. It's not very compelling and then Robert Duvall gets himself while he's in every scene and give himself great speeches and he's a Hellfire and brimstone preacher and in the movie just doesn't work because he gave short shrift everybody else in the film and I think that the young actors in Good Will Hunting one wrote a compelling story to it was a lot more sophisticated than most of the stuff that's coming out of 20 25 year old writers in Hollywood and mostly want to do Quentin Tarantino gangster style films, but I don't think it deserves best picture. Anyway, the biggest problem with it is the main character played by Matt Damon a math math math. Medical genius is a very troubled soul and in one scene. If the conflict is is resolved very easily and seemed almost to easily like they really wanted to wrap everything up and really had you a happy ending so I don't think it deserves best picture of those a great movie Carol. You're coming, please. Carol Book Smile. I think she gave up on us there. Let's move on to her next to call her Mary movie The Apostle because I think that he did a tour-de-force and then whether if you prefer showing or not, I do think that the bowel is was superb, although I personally hope that the Peter Fonda will get the war but I wanted to comment on them on the the role that the name Judi Dench played in mrs. Brown. I've heard everywhere that all four of the the Brits are probably going to cancel one another out and and thereby, you know letting it go to Helen Hunt but I think that's that the that is another film that has not been the same by an awful lot of Americans and I thought she was superb and what do you think of her? I thought you was wonderful and it's such a it's such a sedate roll and it's so quiet and she really she was playing Queen Victoria who was grieving for Her husband and she was in the morning for years and the movie is about her finally being drawn out of morning by her horse this man who keeps her horses played by Billy Connolly who's as Scottish comedian who in the seventies was known for being kind of a dirty comedian it and here he is in this. Film and he still he gives a very rough great really fun performance and Judi Dench but Judi Dench really carries the film. However, it's not me. It's a it's a good film it I enjoy it while I was watching it. And then when I thought about it afterwards other little bit bored, it felt like it was a little bit Masterpiece Theater like but Judi dench's is incredible in it. I don't think that she will win because their other birds involved in because there's so many other British women nominated and also because the movie not many people saw it. I don't know if meant many people in the academy saw it despite her performance if you're if you're voting against Titanic because too many people Call shot then she should win because nobody saw this picture, right and I don't think it really you can't have too many people see your film and have it be too popular. Otherwise are human beings are there people that hold grudges who are jealous and I think they're jealous of Titanic and and they're just like everybody else nice. He's moving that goes about Queen Victoria. So I really want to see that film. I don't think so and they'll stay home just like everyone stayed home and no one's on this is brown. What's your who is going to win best actress? Then? You've got you got this Judi Dench Julie Christie return from the past year of the comeback Helen Hunt Mary mentioned of the only American involved Kate Winslet of Titanic. And then Helen have we agreed on Helena or Helene? I guess Helena, Helena. Helena Bonham Carter who's going to win the best actress award I think will win it because she's she's been around for a long time. She's been in Hollywood a long time. She did a good job. She's the only American they're not going to give the film any other Awards. I don't think and so this will be the nods the film like you did a good job James Brooks Jack Nicholson all you guys and and Helen will take on the statue for it. It was a good I don't she's not all that incredible of an actress but she's good at this who's good at that like comedy. She's good at it's kind of an old-fashioned like Jean Arthur used to do or Carole Lombard and she can tell a joke and she's very funny, but you can still be attractive and she think she did fine job. I don't think I don't think she deserves the World by think she'll get it because she's an American and because I want to give the the movie some kind of an award and then I'm going to give it anything else you're coming, please. Yes, Stephanie, since we're in the Oscar mean in here. I have an Oscar trivia question. And the question is worded this way what two oscar-winning actors tied as least likely to succeed in acting as acting school classmates. Least likely to succeed. I know there's a story about Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood, but I don't think they were both told that they were not going to become movie stars because Clint Eastwood's Adam's Apple was too big and Burt Reynolds couldn't act and they both went on fine, but I don't know about least likely to succeed to Oscar winners. I'm sorry. Well Burt Reynolds is actually nominated for a part that he made fun of he really didn't want it. I think he thought it was a little bit too Sleazy and I just can't imagine this man has posed nude in Cosmopolitan saying that anything is too Sleazy and he did a wonderful job. He really did and I actually like Burt Reynolds I liked. Some of the older films in the deliverance and then a great romantic comedy that everyone should rent starting over with Jill clayburgh from 1979's just me and he doesn't wonderful Charming park. I think he I don't know if he's going to get it the best the best friend actor. I'm not quite sure what's going to happen Burton might get it is Robert Forster. He won't he won't now. I think he's one of those people Hollywood wasn't very good in the movie. He's completely wooden. He's no good at all. He's a good match for for Pam Grier who did a horrible acting job in that movie the movies fun, but they're they're both. They're both terrible. So he won't get it just because of that and I think you got dominated because how they would like to see an underdog get nominated, but I don't think one who's going to win the answer to I don't think this is the start of a new big career for Robert Forrester. Anthony Hopkins has been nominated best supporting actor for Amistad, which it was supposed to be a big Blockbuster and fennel. How to fold is old? I think that people thought it looked kind of boring. They didn't really look like I have a lecture film in it was worried. It was good for you to see this and so many people are saying having fun with Titanic and other things I didn't really need to go to office down to be lectured at the Beautiful film. Their the cinematography is great and there's some fine acting but it it's it's not all that good of a film. I'm Anthony Hopkins is really good in it. I think that he's not going to get it because no one really no one really saw the movie. No one really. He's been nominated before he's one before. I don't think he'll win these two other nominees then we either Greg Kinnear As Good As It Gets By Williams Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting plays Matt Damon therapist and usually Robin Williams. And Robin Williams is famous for his manic Persona and in this he's really low key. Plays it straight very sensitive. I hate to use that word in any kind of talk about acting but it's a very sensitive portrait of a man and it's good Ensemble acting he went to interact with the other actors. Well, and I think they want to give him something. I think it's time for him to win rewards. I think he'll win and any deserves a timeout not really I'm not very happy with any of the supporting actor nominees. I think that they overlooked a couple of Great Performances one for the movie Hercules animated film James Woods played Hades the king of the Underworld the god of the underworld and he was hysterical really the bright spot in the film. It's only his voice but it's a great performance anyways, and the other person that they overlooked was Rupert Everett in My Best Friend's Wedding with Julie play table that Julia Roberts as her best friend who supports her through this wedding pretends to be he's gay and he pretends to be her fiance and anytime he's on the screen. He's hysterical. He's people people wanted So badly test audiences wanted him back. So badly that they re shot the final scene to bring him back, and he wasn't supposed to be in the movie again, but test audiences where would happen to that character. We need to see him again. It's not just popularity. It's all if he didn't cuz he's a talented actor who really knows how to bring Charisma to the screen. I think he should have been nominated. I know every movie that's ever been made. That's probably not quite true, but it's very close to it big big big movie fan when she's not going to movies. She works here as a producer in Minnesota Public Radio. We had her come by today this being Oscar Day Academy Awards day to share with us her thoughts on all the nominees, and if you'd love to like to join our conversation, give us a call. I'll be here from 2 to 7 6020 area number 227-6031 800-242-2828 and if you tuned in late The big Blockbuster right out of the Chute Stephanie has predicted that Titanic will not win best picture will not win best picture. She is going with LA Confidential we shall see another Stephanie is on the line for Mankato. Go ahead Stephanie. Get any nominations at all and wondered if you might want to comment on that. I have no idea why I didn't get nominated for anything. There was some great acting and it's a wonderful little family picture. It it did surprisingly. Well, they didn't think it would do. It was an independent film cost about a million dollars to make and it made 14 million, which it mean is nothing compared to Titanic but it but it's pretty good couple of people have chosen as the best movie of the year. I know that Rodger Ebert did and it made a lot of other top-10. I'm I'm completely mystified maybe some people didn't think anyone saw it. Maybe the academy didn't like the movie that has an all black cast because it's about an African-American family. There is no big Hollywood Insiders on it Samuel Jackson, but I'm mystified I thought it would I thought it would get something. I thought maybe Debbie Morgan who is one of the actresses in it. I'm placing Aunt would get us supporting actress nomination because she's she's great. She's been a lot of soap operas and Cat finally met. Into a great big screen part Lynn Whitfield was great. I don't know why are fairly small independent movie last year was supposed to be in the year. When all those Independence broke Hollywood's Larkin on the movie making business. And of course this year, that's your Hollywood return full blast. I don't know what's wrong with the independent film industry right now. They seemed your they didn't do very well the best pictures I mean Titanic is one of the best movies of the Year LA Confidential Boogie Nights. Even the most even the most groundbreaking films not just most popular the ones that did well, but the groundbreaking ones like I mean Boogie Nights was it I can't believe those made by Hollywood by Hollywood studio and it was Hollywood has come back in the independence. They had it all that one year. Maybe they'll get it back together next year. I'm not sure what happened there. It's just they're just weren't very nothing. Very good. There's a real blood of small American films that came out this year like Palookaville and they all seem to be about they all seem to be kind of Quentin Tarantino knockoffs and they need some originality before they they get back into the Oscar raise before they get back into making great movies. I really appreciate it was the boxer. Move me so much and I saw the other ones. I like LA Confidential I agree with you is complicated and I saw Titanic by the young actor's was, you know, anachronistic giving the finger and all the rest is just didn't ring true. But when I saw the and I just like Robin Williams very much in Good Will Hunting. but I was so moved by the cinematography and the the action of the I'm the person and it made me realize what's really going on in in Ireland. Then the Verity of it in the sadness of it. And when you want to come in on his acting to Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel day-lewis's is a fantastic actor. One of the greatest living actors. The boxer was about a man who's in the IRA and gets out of jail and starts boxing and he's and Daniel Day-Lewis train for a year me really threw himself into it got us some tattoo that all the boxers hat and Emily Watson. He was in breaking away is a nominated last year for Breaking the Waves played opposite him the very serious film Oscar the Oscar voters don't like things that are old that serious. They don't like things that are too overtly political about things that are going on still in the end. They was commenting on the IRA is controversial. And the Oscar Oscar the academy really doesn't like that. They're not interested in that. They're not interested in making any great political statements Beyond Gandhi was a great guy. Meant can we expect one of the actors or actresses or somebody to stand up tonight and give one of those by golly. Let's save the whoever I don't know last time Kim Basinger was was up and I think she was handing out an award. She had some kind of it. This was about six years ago. She had something written on her on her dress about to better Buddhism and that seems to still be that's she was ahead of her time. That's what's in Vogue right now is talking about human rights oppression in China and Tibet. So maybe someone will comment on that. I don't know. I don't know. I maybe they'll be another what do its soy bomb incident. 2 to 76,000 you like to join our conversation Stephanie Curtis is our guest this Our Big Time movie fan, and she's come by today to share her thoughts on all the Oscar nominees tonight. Of course is Academy Awards night Aldean Hollywood, they'll be giving out the statuettes and if you'd like to join our conversation again to 276 thousand in the Twin Cities outside the Twin Cities one 800-242-2828 and a quick review again best picture LA Confidential best actress Helen Hunt best supporting actor. Robin Williams. Best supporting actress was Kim Basinger. We didn't have you you're not on record yet on the best actor Peter Fonda. I really like Peter Fonda's performance in ulee's gold and it was understated in a way that Robert Duvall was completely over the Stop in the Apostle which some people loved and also I'm Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets was kind of doing the same Jack Nicholson thing. I mean Jack Nicholson is kind of an old-fashioned movie star. We're like Cary Grant he does the same thing over and over for the most part and he did it again in As Good As It Gets. I don't think I don't think that he's going to win because I think that's after the after people saw it and enjoyed it and I thought about his performance. They really know it is Jack Nicholson being Jack Nicholson. I think that it's up between Matt Damon what when he's too young and he'll dildo thrown the best original screenplay for Good Will Hunting along with his buddy, Ben Affleck, but I don't think he will win because he's so young that they can give it to him. Again. Dustin Hoffman was nominated for Wag the Dog where he plays a Hollywood producer. It's a great performance. It's really really funny enjoyable and smart and it's not just kind of a cold cynical vision of a Hollywood producer. He he's not like he's like a little kid. It's a great performer. But I think that they'll probably give it to Peter Fonda because in ulee's gold one. It's a great comeback story. You know, you keep hearing about that. And also what a great comeback story with Gloria Stuart nominate for Titanic. What a great comeback story Julie Christie. She's returned from the 70s. But Peter Fonda really it's a great comeback story because he was never a good actor is it this isn't to come back to a great acting tradition. He just was never any good and you and ulee's gold. It's really a great performance at first you feel like he's not a man you first watching anything go he's not doing anything. He's kind of wooden and then he slowly the character develops throughout the film and it's just an amazing performance. I think that he's going to get it. So I think he's going to deserve it. I think that the hot the academy voters who like settler performances will all vote for him and the ones who like more over the top performance eyes that are going to be Are going to be cut up between Robert Duvall and Dustin Hoffman. I don't think Jack Nicholson as a chance. Then there are a lot of fans out there who are outraged that Leonardo DiCaprio didn't get nominated for Titanic the big heartthrob but not in this movie. He doesn't deserve it really doesn't deserve it either. There's no way you can have a great performance with that scream played every every you know, that maybe they deserve it because they got decent performances out of a horrible scream play with horrible silly lines. Like I'm king of the world Leonardo DiCaprio have to yell from the end of the of the ship just he's a good actor. He deserve to be nominated before for What's Eating Gilbert Grape. He there's a great movie called This Boy's Life when he acts out that Robert De Niro as Robert De Niro step. Complete you hold hold his own. He's a wonderful actor. He doesn't deserve it for this film though. Alex you're coming. Please is for determining at the actor best actress in particular best picture. For instance. I did see the Sweet Hereafter and I'm a lay person so I don't have a critical eye and to me, you know, I get carried away by the emotion of stories and to me that was kind of a downer so I didn't like it so much but what about it? I get the Curious one of your critics say these are these is a great film and I feel like I'm clueless but I don't understand why and then the second question I have is is how do they how does the academy make their decision that seems to be the way you're making comments like Matt Damon won't because he's too young or Anthony Hopkins won't because not many people died at ease by you or not sure why? I just wondered it seems sort of like more than just There's some objective criteria of good acting and good, you know good directing or whatever. It seems like it's like there's so many factors involved and I just wondered if you could comment on both of those things questions great questions. Okay criteria for what makes a one picture. I mean go to two pictures and you like both of them, but somebody says all this is a terrific movie and this one while we're not going down like that. It's a mystery sometimes it's just how the camera looks and how beautiful it be now. They're just some films that are beautiful cinematography like an Amistad. The cinematography is beautiful. Gorgeous. Looking Feel So Many Colors, it's really a rich-looking tapestry, but but it is but that doesn't that's not all that's not all because it's not a good movie because I'm he's not a great movie. It's it's fine because the story is it is kind of spoon fed to you. You know, what's going to happen you're expecting it all along I go pee and now they're going to try and pin the key. Are you guys going to be freed and you're never held it any suspense? It's a mystery the alchemy that goes into a great movie. I love the Sweet Hereafter. I'm a big fan of atom egoyan his big problems usually is that he's very brainy and they're never really has a heart to in this movie really had a heart. You didn't know what was going to be happening. You really want to know what was going to be happening to the characters there every character that walks on screen and that movie feels like there's a background there in the movie Lone Star by John sayles had the same thing where every person that walks on screen you feel like there's a story to them. They are treated and you don't know you don't know how that happened because other movies like The Apostle everyone that comes on screen besides Robert Duvall just feels like they're standing there for Robert Duvall to look at What makes a great film it's it's the writing. It's the directing. It's the acting and it doesn't happen very often at all of them come together and their give me movies that are entertaining that are not great movies where you just where you can get yourself up and you have a great time for 2 hours, but it's not a great movie cuz it Doesn't stick with you the way a great movie does no Men In Black. What a what a blast what a fun film but you really don't think about the subtleties of it. Nothing at the characters face these remember the you know, Scarlett O'Hara walking up the stairs with Rhett Butler from the country who are thinking fondly even as we speak of Titanic scenes from Titanic. If you are painting a joke or two here, I never said Titanic wasn't a good movie never I said I Titanic was a good movie and it and that's why it's been nominated because the ship is just overwhelming and if there's any the last the last scene where the ship is going down and people are hanging on to the rubble of the ship. That's a great sea. That is a moving scene. It's going to stick with you Titanic is a great movie, but I won't win best picture. No doubt. The other question that Alex had had to do with the criteria at the Academy voters bring to bear what she suggests has seems to have a lot more to do with things other than just well, this is a good performance or whatever and Lauren Bacall last year was nominated for The Mirror Has Two Faces and it's because she been acting for so long never got nominated Academy like never won an award at the Academy that we should know. Meet her and so she got nominated because she was a classic performer and they thought well, she's got some history. She deserves this not so much for the performance before her cumulative career and I was surprised last year when she did it when she lost a Juliette binoche and that's the same thing would like Gloria Stuart. So part of it's just whether your cumulative career says this person deserves an Oscar for all things being kind of equal go with the sentimental choice for My Best Friend's Wedding because it wasn't one of the Great Performances of the year. She was good. She is a great actor, you know, she's that she can be a great actress and some stuff. It was fun. She's a great movie star. She's fun to watch but she didn't get none they cuz it's not all that great of a performance. The other thing is publicity. If no one if if the directors in the producers and the studio of ulee's gold hadn't It up and said you don't Peter Fonda deserves to be deserve this nomination. If they hadn't put ads in the tray paper saying Peter Fonda deserves to be nominated to Ashley ads S8. You don't nominate this person vote for this person soap some of his publicity all the people in The Academy get mailed little freebies. They right now have video copies of Titanic which don't ignore all of the members of The Academy video copies of Titanic because they want you to see the movie you get that freebie and some other if if the director of LA Confidential had sent out any any free videos, he might not they might not have been nominated but there's a publicity campaign and people push for thinks it's just like you're on your high school student council young people are going through putting up a little peg board signs vote for me and they're doing everywhere in LA in all the trade papers. So it's a combination of whether the performance is any good whether the person deserves an Oscar or not, and whether they get pushed for it, whether it's by the people here that over and over again. Peter Fonda. Deserve this nomination you hear it everywhere at the actors go on David Letterman and all these things trying to make themselves more visible to the public to the academy and then they get the votes and they went Chris your comment, please list on what you just said. There's only about 1/3 or maybe less of the overall Academy. Seeing that's really worth our attention. And the rest of it is just Hollywood running or running around with each other and and and doing political stuff. But my question in particular word did Daniel Day Lewis win anything for in the name of the father. Do you know serious films? Tendon. When looking back on in the name of the father and say Well the box is closed and if that's another Irish political film, you know and plus in the name of the father had the great heart pumping ending of everyone being released and Vindicated and the boxer, you know, there is not that great solution. It was a nice tie up until people did leave the serious film, but people kind of left with that the right was done in the end and these guys were released and he was reunited with his father so you can have a serious film, but it can't be a total Downer. Phenomenon again, the other question I had was relating to your prediction for Good Will Hunting screenplay because I saw that movie and frankly, although I was really entertained. It was one of those movies were like you said earlier you see it and you feel good. And then after you've thought about it for a while other things come to mine and I found the screenplay to be kind of fly because it's really too facile of an ending. It really is and it was a good screenplay. They are there that they've got good dialogue. They have well-developed characters and I had a really easy ending Riptide it all up. It's not you know, this is why I don't want to give it away. I don't want to give I just wanted to say that at the ending everything is tied up nicely and you know where everyone is going and it's fine and I think will win anyway because it was a popular film and people liked it and the academy liked it and It was a good ending. It was it was a fine scream play. I don't think it was the best of the year of original screenplays or adapted screenplay of original screenplays. What else was nominated deconstructing Harry full monty and Good Will Hunting because they're not going to turn your Robin Williams win. They want to keep their hats the it's kind of fun to tip their hats to the right Young Riders. I think that the full monty is a great screenplay and I loved Boogie Nights. I think that that was probably that was the best original screenplay of the year. I really wish Boogie Nights have been nominated for best picture. I'm glad Julianne Moore was nominated for best supporting actress cuz she's great in it. She's a fantastic actress and I really wish you'd been nominated for best picture. That would be my hope is that they would give that to best original screenplay to Boogie Nights, but I think they're probably going to give it to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. And then the adapted screenplay of Donnie Donnie Brasco of their they're all great screenplays. I think that Donnie Brasco is will will probably win and deserves to win Donnie Brasco ISM. I wish that Al Pacino. I've been nominated for the best actor for that. He played a kind of a down-and-out gangster really low life and he did a great job and it's a great screenplay really really funny and sharp and the they did it was adapted from a memoir written by a an agent who went undercover and posed as a gangster and it was a great screenplay Lynn your next place. I was just calling in response to the earlier Oscar Oscar trivia question. I believe the answer is Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman played the two that were voted least likely to succeed. That's funny. I never heard that they fire looking at Dustin Hoffman despite his acting talents. You wouldn't think the guy was really going to go anywhere and look at where he is today. He's not the not the traditional Leading Men leading man and Hollywood when he started up was still coming out of the traditional leading man, and there was some method acting but they probably thought that Dustin off was a little bit of a screwball and not really handsome enough to get anywhere and he's made a great career. Gosh. That's funny Gene Hackman is I have no idea what you probably could have seen him. He seems like a total movie star to me and of the bananas good actor to the lot of fun movies and and second-guessing the academy and even psychoanalyzing them. My question is this The categories are actually voted on by the by the piers in other words. Correct me if I'm wrong best actor is voted on by members of The Academy who are actors and directors and producers vote for Best Picture People. Who do it are are going to know who's doing the best. So cinematography. They do not have actors voting on cinematography. They have cinematographers and this also kind of explains one of the big ones big sore point of Academy. Every year is the best documentary and very straightforward films get not nominated for best documentary very straightforward kind of what you might see in high school. Nothing very interesting on your flooring. The year is a documentary made by filmmaker name Errol Morris who always does wacky things. He's the man who did The Thin Blue Line a great movie called Gates of Heaven about a family that owned the pet cemetery in fast. You been out of control is bad for men when the lion tamer ones builds robots. When is a specialist and naked mole rats and one is a gardener and it flips back and forth between these men. It's not there's no traditional like this is how the Sun makes energy which is what they usually like in the documentary and and the documentary makers is most of them are very straightforward people want to teach who want to have a kind of boring documentary anything that's out of the ordinary doesn't get doesn't get voted on doesn't get nominated certainly doesn't win. And so you have had a dull documentary documentarians voting for their Del documentaries and you have cinematographers voting for cinematographers, which is which is good because I Take a lot of people wouldn't even know most of the academy wouldn't know good cinematography Titanic a little bit. I don't like that. I don't get to go to movies, but I rent movies a lot and you going back to what you said about if a movie stays with you. It's like Titanic I went to it cuz I was like 250 million dollars. I got to see what they did with one of the million dollar and I was just my husband I both are just so blown away by cuz he was going to go check movie and really liked it like the characters. We thought Gloria Stuart. Can I held it all together because you cared about What made her what what should become and what was her story? Why was she there and so we really like that? We thought she held the whole story together interesting. I know a lot of people who really loved her character and thought she had so much spunk into kind of that. She was that you did a great job and bodying Rose as an older woman and she Winslet work well together. I just didn't like her and I didn't think she did that great of a job but doesn't mean I did like Titanic Titanic. I don't know Stephanie Scott last comment plays a quick one year and although I didn't see deconstructing Harry. I want you to know if you felt that it got snowed in like say the acting categories or anything like that. I understand that some people just loved it and some people hated it. I thought it was really really funny. It's funny. It's a lot less a lot like many wouldn't Woody Allen films in the reason why it gets numb it is cuz he's so clever. His writing is so clever and I really do think that Kirstie Alley who's is from cheers and she's got this sitcom Veronica's Closet was incredible on that chip on the greatest scenes of the Year where she's throwing a fit at her husband and it is and try to speak to us therapy therapy patient. The same time she keeps running out of the room screaming and coming back and try to talk to her patients. She did a wonderful job and Judy Davis. Is the best actress almost every year in Australian actress? She has been nominated before she was in deconstructing Harry too and just a riot. They both did a great job and he gets nominated every year for the screenplay cuz he's funny but I think that is pictures people's don't see them as unique. They see them up yet. There's the Woody Allen picture again. I'm here best picture of 1998 so far because everybody will be going to see all of the nominated pictures you won't be able to get into those. So the new one that's a new one so far. Oh man, Gary 15 seconds. Dog is pretty good. I think I stomp your thanks Stephanie. Thank you Gallery confidential LA Confidential. I really believe it's going to be in Cleveland like Titanic them. Stephanie Curtis a big time movie fan here in Minnesota Public Radio producers say thanks. Everybody has been listening reminder that programming an empty our is supported by shandwick. Your company's reputation is an asset managing. It is the role of shandwick public relations. I'm learning Benson on the next All Things Considered. What does it take to write an oscar-winning screenplay great writing is not necessarily the key that story on the next All Things Considered weekdays at 3 on Minnesota Public Radio k n o w FM 91.1 you're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. 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