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Morgan Freeman Is Bromanced by Eastwood, Poitier, McConaughey at 39th AFI Life Achievement Awards

The really good AFI tributes are the ones where there's warmth in the room for the tributee. Morgan Freeman, winner of the 39th AFI Life Achievement Award, is in that category.

By Anne Thompson
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June 11, 2011 1:24 AM
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Golden Globes Nominations Led by King's Speech, with Seven

While The Golden Globes nominations have an impact on momentum going into the Oscar race, they are not predictive. That's partly because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (some 80 foreign correspondents) break their categories into Drama and Comedy or Musical. Thus it becomes easy to dismiss certain titles that the Oscars are likely to ignore, including Frankie & Alice, Burlesque, Barney's Version, Easy A, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Red, Casino Jack, The Tourist, and Love & Other Drugs. (Full list of nominees below.)

By Anne Thompson
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December 14, 2010 1:42 AM
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3 Comments

Sex Rating Watch: Blue Valentine vs. Black Swan vs. Love & Other Drugs

- Directors of two potential Oscar nominees are attacking the MPAA's rating system. Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) and Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) state their cases in the LAT against the questionable standards that land a film with a NC-17 rating (whichBlue Valentine and the Weinstein Co. are currently fighting.

By Sophia Savage
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December 6, 2010 5:26 AM
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1 Comment

AWARDS

By Sophia Savage
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October 29, 2010 6:06 AM
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1 Comment

Love & Other Drugs Early Reviews: "Shockingly Conventional," "Addictive," "Verbal Tartness"

Last night I sat in a Fox screening room packed with critics to see Edward Zwick's Love & Other Drugs. Writer-director Zwick has done what I have long wanted him to do--get into the James L. Brooks/Nancy Meyers smart comedy mode--as he did with partner Marshall Herskovitz (who adapted Jamie Reidy's book Hard Sell with Zwick and Charles Randolph) for so many great TV series, from 30 Something to Relativity. While previous Zwick efforts such as Defiance, Blood Diamond and The Last Samurai have tended toward high-minded commercial dramas packed with action, Love & Other Drugs is a Jake Gyllenhaal-Anne Hathaway romantic comedy with dramatic overtones--and plenty of artfully constructed sex and nudity.

By Anne Thompson
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October 26, 2010 5:45 AM
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8 Comments

AFI Fest Centerpieces: Company Men, Blue Valentine, Barney's Version, Tribute: King's Speech

The American Film Institute's AFI Fest 2010, which runs in Hollywood from November 4-11, has announced its Centerpiece Galas to accompany the previously announced opening and closing night selections (the world premiere of Edward Zwick's Love and Other Drugs and Darren Aronofsky's Venice stunner Black Swan). The Centerpiece Galas are Sundance holdovers The Company Men (John Wells), Abel (Diego Luna) and Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance) and Toronto entries Barney's Version (Richard J. Lewis) and Casino Jack (George Hickenlooper). AFI Fest will also mount a special tribute to fest circuit hit and Oscar front-runner The King's Speech with director Tom Hooper and stars Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush.