Thompson on Hollywood

AFI Movies of the Year: The Town, Toy Story 3, 127 Hours, True Grit Make the Cut

The American Film Institute voted their ten best AFI Movies and TV Programs of the Year Awards Sunday, proclaimed as the "only recognition that honors the community’s creative ensembles as a whole, acknowledging the collaborative nature of the art form." The AFI honors American films and series. Thus they chose British The King's Speech and Waiting for Superman as "Special Award" winners, having not met the AFI's standard criteria (posted below). Their Movies and TV Programs of the year, as chosen by film and television scholars, artists and critics, are as follows:

By Sophia Savage
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December 13, 2010 4:47 AM
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Oscar Watch: Social Network Sweeps Boston Society of Film Critics

The Boston Society of Film Critics got their votes out Sunday ahead of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, which arguably has more impact within an industry town. But fact is, The Social Network is emerging as a consensus choice among early critics groups, and dominated Boston with five wins including picture, director David Fincher, star Jesse Eisenberg, writer Aaron Sorkin and music (full list of winners below). LAFCA also announces its winners Sunday: stay tuned for updates. Black Swan had a good weekend as it broadened at the box office and landed best actress from Boston for Natalie Portman.

By Anne Thompson
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December 12, 2010 7:28 AM
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Oscar Talk: What's Up, Down After Gothams, Indie Spirits, National Board of Review

This week Kris Tapley, indieWIRE's Peter Knegt and I analyze the impact of the Gotham Awards, Indie Spirit noms, the National Board of Review and the Coens' finally viewed and reviewed True Grit on the awards race. Kris went to the Inception DVD/Oscar party (so did Amy Dawes). It's a contender--but 127 Hours could be a little shaky.

By Anne Thompson
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December 3, 2010 6:12 AM
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The Social Network Gets Best Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay at National Board Of Review Awards

And the award goes to…The Social Network, The National Board of Review's pick for Best Film, Best Director (David Fincher), Adapted Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin) and Best Actor (Jesse Eisenberg). Full list and and analysis below.

By Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
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December 2, 2010 8:09 AM
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The Fighter's Amy Adams Talks Holding Her Own with Russell, Bale, Wahlberg and Leo

We've seen Amy Adams grab an Oscar nom for her breakout role in June Bug, steal scenes from the likes of Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks in Charlie Wilson's War, hold her own with Leonardo di Caprio in Catch Me If You Can, and earn a surprise Oscar nom along with Meryl Streep and Viola Davis for Doubt. She can be sexy or innocent, a girlfriend or a nun, a girl-next-door or vamp. But given that range, The Fighter's earthy, beer-drinking, tough, Boston-accented Charlene is still a shocker. And by following David O. Russell's direction to play the yin to her showy castmates' yang, she could wind up stealing another supporting actress nomination. In short, Adams stands up to the power of Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo by being as quiet as they are noisy.

By Anne Thompson
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November 30, 2010 10:46 AM
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Celeb Watch: The Fighter's "Christian Bale May Kill Someone Yet," Gyllenhaal and Hathaway Go Naked

While AFI Fest opener Love & Other Drugs (check out its naked stars below) failed to yield much Oscar buzz, the fest's surprise screening of the The Fighter (here's the TOH review) boosted the prospects for Christian Bale's performance as the crackhead brother to Mark Wahlberg's punchy welterweight. It remains to be seen what the impact on Academy voters will be of John H. Richardson's lengthy and entertaining interview in Esquire with the Batman star, entitled "Christian Bale May Kill Someone Yet." From Newsies to The Machinist, this actor--who admits to having never seen Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story or Breakfast at Tiffany's---is as intense in real life as he is on screen. Straddling the line between pulling teeth and Bale's attempts to resist definition, Richardson asks Bale about the risks of being misunderstood:

By Sophia Savage
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November 18, 2010 6:17 AM
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Development Watch: Actresses Vying for Dark Knight Rises, Movies We Want, Ten Screenwriters to Watch

- "Sometimes reading news about Hollywood’s development slate is almost as depressing as the front-page stories about the economy," says Movieline, so they have a list of upcoming films they "actually want to see." Their selection includes Alfonso Cuaron's still starless Gravity, Raymond Chandler's detective novel Trouble is my Business (Clive Owen has the rights), noir puppet film-for-adults The Happytime Murders (think Team America meets Se7en), Paul Verhoeven's erotic ghost story The Eternal, and Natalie Portman's raunchy comedy for women, BYO.

By Sophia Savage
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November 17, 2010 6:29 AM
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Oscar Talk: The Fighter, AFI Fest, Black Swan, Britannia and Academy Governor's Awards

Oscar season is in full swing and this last week brought BAFTA's Britannia Awards and the AFI Fest, which unspooled the first L.A. showings of both David O. Russell's The Fighter and Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. Kris Tapley and I assess the current state of the race--is Natalie Portman the actress to beat? Will Amy Adams get in over Melissa Leo? Is Christian Bale a lock for a supporting win? Where is James L. Brooks?

By Anne Thompson
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November 12, 2010 7:24 AM
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AFI Fest Review: The Fighter is a Contender

The buzz on the street about David O. Russell's The Fighter--the boxing movie is a rousing crowd-pleaser, stolen by Christian Bale--was correct. "I had to do a lot of cheating, stealing and lying to get the movie made," said star and producer Mark Wahlberg at the start of the "secret" screening at AFI Fest (revealed via Paramount press release Tuesday morning). "I'm happy it got to the big screen. It took me such a long time to get the movie made that if you don't like the movie, I'll do two hours of hard labor. I did it to get the movie made and I will do it for anyone who doesn't like it."

By Anne Thompson
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November 10, 2010 9:39 AM
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Roles That Could Have Been, Women vs. Horror, Hereafter's Cecile de France

- A look back at the roles that got away might soothe Mel Gibson's nerves now that his Hangover 2 role has gone to Liam Neeson. (The LAT's Patrick Goldstein looks at how loose lips lose jobs.) Here's a sampling, courtesy of TheDailyBeast: Demi Moore lost the lead in 1983's Flashdance to Jennifer Beals; Matthew McConaughey lost Jack Dawson in 1997's Titanic to Leonardo DiCaprio; Sandra Bullock lost Runaway Bride to Julia Roberts in 1999, the same year Michael Cera competed with Haley Joel Osment for The Sixth Sense; Meryl Streep was at one point lined up to play Evita before Madonna took over in 1996; Charlize Theron was in the running for Elizabeth Berkley's stripper in Showgirls in 1995; Jake Gyllenhaal auditioned for Ewan McGregor's role in Baz Luhrmann's 2001 musical Moulin Rouge!; and Robert Redford chased Dustin Hoffman's part in 1967's The Graduate.