Influential Filmmakers of the 1970s: Sidney Lumet

An Actors’ Director, Meticulous Craftsman, Social Commentator

Sidney Lumet was a highly regarded and prolific film director especially during the 1970s. Since his auspicious movie directorial debut in 1957, Lumet would often direct at least one film a year. He was known for being a meticulous, technical craftsman, dynamic storyteller and for taking a collaborative approach to filmmaking. He spent time rehearsing his actors and blocking his camera shots well before filming commenced. As a result, Lumet usually brought his films in under budget. He also had a reputation for being a well-respected humanitarian who instilled a sense of realism in his most noted films, which included themes of social justice and the Jewish experience in America.

^{Sidney Lumet – Festival de Cannes 2022}

Sidney Lumet believed strongly in the importance of character development to the story. He had a reputation as an actors’ director and for getting exceptional performances from his cast. Lumet directed Ingrid Bergman, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch and Beatrice Straight in Oscar winning performances. He also directed the following performers in Oscar nominated roles: Katharine Hepburn, Rod Steiger, Al Pacino, Albert Finney, Chris Sarandon, William Holden, Ned Beatty, Peter Firth, Richard Burton, Paul Newman, James Mason, Jane Fonda and River Phoenix.

Lumet himself was nominated four times for the Best Director Oscar and once for Best Adapted Screenplay. He was awarded a honourary Oscar in 2005. He was also nominated seven times for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures by the Directors Guild of America (DGA). The organization awarded him a DGA Honorary Life Member Award in 1989 and presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.

Beginnings

Sidney Lumet began his directorial career directing Off-Broadway productions and later became a highly regarded director of episodic television and TV movies in the 1950s and early 1960s. His television movies included The Dybbuk (1960), The Iceman Cometh (1960) and Rashomon (1960). He also directed episodic television including the following: Playhouse 90 (1956-1961), The United States Steel Hour (1953-1963), The DuPont Show of the Month (1957-1961), Kraft Theatre (1947-1958), Studio One (1948-1958), Goodyear Playhouse (1951-1957), The Alcoa Hour (1955-1957), The Elgin Hour (1954-1955), The Best of Broadway (1954-1955), You Are There (1953-1972), and Danger (1950-1955).

Lumet made his feature film debut with 12 Angry Men (1957) featuring Henry Fonda, Martin Balsam , Lee J. Cobb, and E.G. Marshall. Lumet was nominated for his first Best Director Oscar for the movie and the film was also nominated for Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay. Other notable films in the 1960s included: The Fugitive Kind (1960) with Marlon Brando, Anna Magnani and Joanne Woodward; A View from the Bridge (1961) with Raf Vallone, Maureen Stapleton and Carol Lawrence; Long Day’s Journey into Night (1962) with Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson and Jason Robards; The Pawnbroker (1964) with Rod Steiger and Geraldine Fitzgerald; Fail Safe (1964) with Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau and Fritz Weaver; The Hill (1965) with Sean Connery, Harry Andrews and Ian Bannen; The Group (1966) with Candice Bergen, Joan Hackett and Elizabeth Hartman; The Deadly Affair (1967) with James Mason, Simone Signoret and Maximilian Schell; Bye Bye Braverman (1968) with George Segal, Jack Warden and Jessica Walter; The Sea Gull (1968) with James Mason, Vanessa Redgrave and Simone Signoret; and The Appointment (1969) with Omar Sharif and Anouk Aimée. Katharine Hepburn received her ninth Best Oscar nomination for Long Day’s Journey into Night and Rod Steiger received his first Best Actor nomination for The Pawnbroker.

Films of the Early 1970s

Sidney Lumet began with the 1970s with directing the black comedy The Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) starring James Coburn, Lynn Redgrave and Robert Hooks. Based on a play by Tennessee Williams, the movie centres around a couple (Coburn and Redgrave) who marry on a game show and use the money to save the husband’s family planation in New Orleans. The movie was poorly received at the time by audiences and critics.

Lumet’s next film was the crime thriller The Anderson Tapes (1971) with Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon and Martin Balsam. Based on the best-selling novel by Lawrence Sanders, the film tells the story of a newly released criminal (Connery) who devises a robbery plan with the help of the mafia and while unknowingly being under electronic surveillance. The film did well at the box office and received mostly good reviews.

Lumet then directed the psychological thriller Child’s Play (1972) with James Mason, Robert Preston and Beau Bridges. Based on the play by Robert Marasco, a young gym teacher (Bridges) at a posh boys’ academy is caught in the middle of a dark, twisted and deadly feud between a popular English teacher (Preston) and a despised Instructor of classical languages (Mason). The film received mixed reviews when it was first released. James Mason’s performance was uniformly praised and he was nominated for Best Actor by the New York Film Critics Circle.

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Lumet’s next project was the British crime neo noir crime drama The Offence (1973) with Sean Connery, Trevor Howard, Vivien Merchant and, Ian Bannen. The film focuses on the consequences of a deadly interrogation of a suspected child molester (Bannen) by a stressed out police detective (Connery). Ian Bannen received a Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Film Award nomination for his role in the film.

Lumet had a huge critical and commercial hit with the biopic Serpico (1973) with Al Pacino, John Randolph and Jack Kehoe. Based on a true story, the film covers the life of an undercover New York City police officer (Pacino) who is working to blow the whistle on the corruption within his own police force. The movie received two Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Al Pacino was nominated for Best Actor. The film was also nominated for a Best Motion Picture – Drama Golden Globe and Al Pacino won the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. The film won Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium by the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Sidney Lumet received BAFTA and DGA nominations for Best Director for the movie and Al Pacino received BAFTA, National Society of Film Critics, and New York Film Critics Circle nominations for Best Actor. He was awarded Best Actor by the National Board of Review in a tie with Robert Ryan for The Iceman Cometh (1973).

Films of the Mid 1970s

Lumet next directed the drama Lovin’ Molly (1974) with Anthony Perkins, Beau Bridges, Blythe Danner, and Susan Sarandon. Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry, the film tells the 40-year tale of the ongoing rivalry between two Texans (Perkins and Bridges) as they compete for the affections of a beautiful and independent woman (Danner) who refuses to marry them both.

Lumet had another commercial and critical hit with Murder on the Orient Express (1974) featuring an all-star cast that included Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Rachel Roberts, Richard Widmark, Michael York, and Colin Blakely. Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot (Finney), a renowned Belgian detective, is stuck with other passengers on a snowbound train and ends up solving the murder of a wealthy American businessman (Widmark). The movie was nominated for six Academy awards including Best Actor (Finney), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design and Original Dramatic Score. Ingrid Bergman won her third Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actress, for the movie. Sidney Lumet received BAFTA and DGA nominations for Best Director. The movie was nominated for nine BAFTA Film Awards including Best Picture, Actor (Finney), Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design and Film Editing. Ingrid Bergman won for Best Supporting Actress and John Gielgud won for Best Supporting Actor. The film also received a Writers’ Guild of Great Britain nomination for Best British Screenplay.

Lumet had another commercial and critical hit with his next project Dog Day Afternoon (1975) with Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Penelope Allen, James Broderick, Lance Henriksen, and Carol Kane. Based on a Life magazine article about a real-life crime in Brooklyn, a pair of would-be robbers (Pacino and Cazale) holds a group of bank employees hostage when their bank holdup attempt goes awry. Sidney Lumet received a Best Director Oscar nomination for the movie, as well as BAFTA, Golden Globe and DGA Best Director nominations. Lumet won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director. The film itself received a total of six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Actor (Pacino), Supporting Actor (Sarandon) and Film Editing. It won for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The movie was also nominated for six BAFTA Film Award nominations, including Best Picture, Screenplay and Soundtrack, and winning Best Actor (Pacino) and Film Editing. In addition, it was nominated for seven Golden Globes including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Pacino), Supporting Actor (Cazale and Durning), Screenplay and New Star of the Year – Actor (Sarandon). The movie won the WGA for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen.

Lumet scored an even bigger commercial and critical hit with his next movie Network (1976) with Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty, and Beatrice Straight. The film is a dark satirical dramedy about a struggling television network that the exploits the antics of its mentally unhinged news anchorman (Finch), promoting him to cult-like status in order to gain ratings. Sidney Lumet received a Best Director Oscar nomination for the movie, as well as BAFTA and DGA nominations. He won Best Director honours from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes) and Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The film itself was nominated for a total of ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actor (Holden), Supporting Actor (Beatty), Cinematography and Film Editing. It won Oscars for Best Actor (Finch), Actress (Dunaway), Supporting Actress (Straight) and Original Screenplay. The film was also nominated for nine BAFTA Film Awards, including Best Picture, Actor (Holden), Actress (Dunaway), Supporting Actor (Duvall), Screenplay, Film Editing and Soundtrack, and winning Best Actor (Finch). In addition, it was nominated for five Golden Globes, winning Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Finch), Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama (Dunaway) and Screenplay. It was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama but did not win in that category. The movie won the WGA for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen.

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Films of the Late 1970s

Lumet followed the success of Network by directed the psychological drama Equus (1977) with Richard Burton, Peter Firth, Colin Blakely, Joan Plowright, Harry Andrews, Eileen Atkins, Jenny Agutter, and Kate Reid. Based on the play by Peter Shaffer, a psychiatrist (Burton) works to uncover the dark truth behind a disturbed and troubled young man (Firth)’s obsessive worship of horses. The movie received positive reviews and was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Actor (Burton), Supporting Actor (Firth) and Adapted Screenplay. The film won two Golden Globes for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Burton) and Supporting Actor (Firth). It was also nominated for five BAFTA Film Awards, including Best Supporting Actor (Blakely), Actress (Plowright), Screenplay and Music, and winning Best Supporting Actress (Agutter).

Lumet’s last movie of the 1970s was musical The Wiz (1978) with Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Lena Horne, and Richard Pryor. Based on the hit Broadway musical, the film is a re-visioning of The Wizard of Oz with an all-African American cast. Upon its initial release, the movie did not do well with critics and audiences, but has since become a cult classic. The Wiz was nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Art Direction-Set Decoration, Costume Design, and Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score.

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Later Years

In the 1980s, Lumet continued to be a prolific film director and was nominated for two more Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for Prince of the City (1981), starring Treat Williams and Jerry Orbach, and for Best Director for The Verdict (1982) with Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, and James Mason. The Verdict was nominated for a total of five Oscars including Best Picture, Actor (Newman), Supporting Actor (Mason) and Adapted Screenplay.

Other 1980s films that Lumet directed included: Deathtrap (1982) with Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve and Dyan Cannon; Daniel (1983) with Timothy Hutton, Mandy Patinkin and Lindsay Crouse; Garbo Talks (1984) with Anne Bancroft, Ron Silver and Carrie Fisher; The Morning After (1986) with Jane Fonda, Jeff Bridges and Raul Julia; Power (1986) with Richard Gere, Julie Christie and Gene Hackman; Running on Empty (1988) with Christine Lahti, River Phoenix and Judd Hirsch; and Family Business (1989) with Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman and Matthew Broderick. Jane Fonda received her sixth Best Actress Oscar nomination for The Morning After. River Phoenix received his only Oscar nomination for Running on Empty and the film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

Lumet continued to direct movies in the 1990s to the mid 2000s. His last film was Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007) with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, and Albert Finney.

In his personal life, Sidney Lumet was married four times including to heiress and entrepreneur Gloria Vanderbilt. He had two daughters two daughters. Lumet died at the age of 86 on April 9, 2011 in Manhattan from lymphoma.

Legacy

Lumet’s influence on filmmaking continues to be recognized today with his movies 12 Angry Men (1957), The Pawnbroker (1964), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Network (1976), as well as his documentary King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis (1970), being selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

~Terry Gale

Influential Filmmakers of the 1970s: Robert Altman

Robert Altman was a pioneer in the 1970s filmmaking. He was highly prolific during this decade often directing one to two films a year. His unique style included making films with multiple interwoven storylines in an episodic television-like format. His large ensemble casts often improvised their performances, which included overlapping dialogue. This process created a naturalistic and quirky feel to his films. He also took traditional genres, skewing and reworking their narrative structures, and producing ambiguous endings to many of his films. In addition, a number of his movies included his own strong social commentaries on the events of the day.

_{Source: Indiewire ‘Robert Altman’s Top 15 Films’ October 13, 2014}

Altman was very much an actor’s director, directing Sally Kellerman, Julie Christie, Ronee Blakley, Lily Tomlin, Helen Mirren and Maggie Smith in Oscar nominated performances. Altman himself was nominated five times for the Best Director Oscar and was awarded a honourary Oscar in 2006. He won a Primetime Emmy award in 1989 for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for the mini-series Tanner ‘88 (1988).

Altman began his filmmaking career directing documentaries, as well as employee training, industrial and educational films. He later moved into television in the 1950s and 1960s, directing TV movies and episodes of shows such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-62), The Millionaire (1955-60), Whirlybirds (1957-60), Maverick (1957-62), Lawman (1958-62), Surfside 6 (1960-62), Peter Gunn (1958-61), Bonanza (1959-73), Route 66 (1960-64), Bus Stop (1960-61) and Kraft Mystery Theater (1960-63).

He made his feature film debut with Countdown (1967) with James Caan and Robert Duvall. He was fired during the editing process, as he refused to comply with studio demands. His next film That Cold Day in the Park (1969) was a critical and commercial failure.

Altman hit his stride as a notable film director with the breakthrough, dark comic-satire M*A*S*H (1970). The movie tells the story of the outrageous antics of a field hospital’s eccentric staff during the Korean War. Altman received his first Best Director Oscar nomination for the film. He was also nominated for a Best Director Golden Globe and a Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award. In addition, Altman won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie itself was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, Supporting Actress (Sally Kellerman) and Film Editing. It won one Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. It was also nominated for six Golden Globes (1970), including Best Actors in a Comedy or Musical (Elliot Gould & Donald Sutherland), Supporting Actress (Kellerman) and Screenplay. The movie won the Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Golden Globe that year. It also won a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium.

That same year, he directed the off-beat, surrealistic comedy Brewster McCloud (1970) about a reclusive young man (Bud Cort) living in the Huston Astrodome who is fashioning a pair of wings to help him fly.

Altman’s next major work was the acclaimed revisionist western McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971). Set in the late 1800s, a gambler (Warren Beatty) and a prostitute (Julie Christie) run a high-class brothel and experience problems when competitors try to purchase the business. Christie received her second Best Actress Oscar nomination for the movie. The movie was also nominated for a WGA Award for Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium. The film initially received poor reviews upon its release and did not do well at the box office. It achieved critical acclaim and recognition in later years.

The next year, Altman directed Images (1972) a psychological thriller about a vacationing, mentally unbalanced children’s books author (Susannah York) who becomes increasingly caught up in her delusions and fantasies with dire consequences. Altman was nominated for a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and York took home the Best Actress Prize. Altman was also nominated for a WGA award for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen. The film itself was nominated for a Best English-Language Foreign Film Golden Globe and was nominated for one Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score (John Williams).

Altman followed that film with the acclaimed, re-fashioned film noir The Long Goodbye (1973) about a private detective (Elliott Gould) who gets involved in a complicated murder investigation after helping a friend flee the country for Mexico.

The next year, Altman directed two movies Thieves Like Us (1974) and California Split (1974). A re-imagined, depression-era caper movie, Thieves Like Us tells story of two men (Keith Carradine and John Schuck) who, after escaping from prison, go back to robbing banks with the help of a new accomplice (Bert Remsen). The National Board of Review selected the movie as one of the Top Ten Films of 1974.

California Split (1974) was a buddy comedy about two gamblers (Elliott Gould and George Segal) who get involved in increasingly dark misadventures as they win and lose large amounts of money together.

Altman’s next movie Nashville (1975) is considered by many as his masterpiece.It is a dark satirical comedy, which skews the American way of life and its obsessions with fame and commercialism. Shot under 45 days, the film follows multiple storylines featuring various people involved in the country music industry and a political fundraiser. Altman received his second Best Director Oscar nomination for the movie. He was also nominated for a Best Director Golden Globe. The film itself was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Supporting Actresses (Ronee Blakley & Lily Tomlin) and winning for Best Original Song (I’m Easy). The movie was also nominated for eleven Golden Globes and won for Best Original Song. The film’s other Golden Globe nominations were for Best Motion Picture Drama, Supporting Actor (Henry Gibson), Supporting Actresses (Blakley, Tomlin, Geraldine Chaplin and Barbara Harris), Screenplay and Acting Debuts (Blakley and Tomlin). In addition, the movie was nominated for a WGA Award for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen and for five Best Actress British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Film Awards.

Altman followed the success of Nashville with the satirical, comedic, revisionist western Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976) which was poorly received by both critics and audiences. The movie’s story focuses on a fictional account of Buffalo Bill (Paul Newman)’s attempt to enlist Sitting Bull (Frank Kaquitts) to participate in Bill’s Wild West Show, which features negative portrayals of Indigenous Americans. Despite the film’s largely negative reception, the movie won the Golden Bear at the 26th Berlin International Film Festival.

Altman next directed the surrealistic psychological study 3 Women (1977) about two very different physical therapists (Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek) who become obsessive friends and roommates in an apartment building owned by an enigmatic pregnant woman (Janice Rule) and her drunken husband. The movie was praised by critics, but did not do well at the box office. Altman was nominated for a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Duvall took home the Best Actress Prize. Duvall was also nominated for a Best Actress British BAFTA Film Award and was awarded Best Actress by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Sissy Spacek took home the New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Supporting Actress award for the movie.

Altman returned to the style of filmmaking he was most famous for in the satirical black comedy A Wedding (1978) with multiple storylines and a large ensemble cast. The story takes place over a single day during the wedding between a young bride (Amy Stryker) from a nouveau riche Kentucky family and the young groom (Desi Arnaz Jr.) from a wealthy Chicago family with suspected ties to the mafia. Altman was nominated for two BAFTA Film Awards for Best Director and Screenplay (sharing the latter nomination with John Considine, Patricia Resnick and Allan F. Nicholls). They also received a WGA nomination for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen. In addition, Altman was nominated for France’s César Award for Best Foreign Film. Carol Burnett received a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globes nomination for playing the bride’s mother. The movie marked Lillian Gish’s 100^th film.

Altman ended the decade with two very different movies: the dystopian science fiction film Quintet (1979) and the romantic comedy A Perfect Couple (1979). The negatively reviewed, box office flop Quintet presented a futuristic, post-apocalyptic vision of the earth during a new ice age where a group of surviving humans is playing a deadly version of a game called ‘Quintet.’

A Perfect Couple was also negatively received by both audiences and critics. The centers on an older, repressed man (Paul Dooley) who is romancing a younger, bohemian musician (Marta Heflin).

Altman worked directing both theatre and motion picture productions in the 1980s. His film work during this decade began with two big budget disasters: the satirical comedy HealtH (1980) and the musical Popeye (1980) with Robin Williams. Later films during this decade included filmed treatments of theatrical productions such as Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982) with Cher, Sandy Dennis and Karen Black, Streamers (1983) with Matthew Modine, Michael Wright and David Alan Grier, and Fool for Love (1985) with Sam Shepard, Kim Basinger, and Harry Dean Stanton. Altman was nominated for his fourth Palme d’Or for Fool for Love.

In the 1990s to the early 2000s, Altman’s filmmaking career had a revival due in particular to three critically acclaimed films: The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993) and Gosford Park (2001). Altman received Best Director Oscar nominations for all three movies. For The Player, Altman also won a BAFTA for Best Director and was awarded the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He was also nominated for a DGA Award and a Golden Globe for Best Director. For Short Cuts, he received a Best Screenplay Golden Globes nomination and won the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Director. Finally for Gosford Park, he won the Best Director Golden Globe and was nominated for a David Lean Award for Direction at the BAFTAs. Julian Fellowes won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Gosford Park.

Altman’s last film was A Prairie Home Companion (2006) with Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep and Woody Harrelson.

In his personal life, Altman was married three times and had five children. Robert Altman died on November 20, 2006, at the age of 81 from leukemia.

Altman’s influence on filmmaking continues to be recognized today with his films M*A*S*H (1970), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), The Long Goodbye (1973) and Nashville (1975) being selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The Film Independent’s Robert Altman Award has been awarded to the ensemble cast, director and casting director of independent films since 2009.

~Terry Gale

Influential Filmmakers of the 1970s: Alan J. Pakula

Alan J. Pakula was a prolific film director in the 1970s known for his dark conspiracy thrillers, including his “paranoia trilogy.” In particular, Pakula was interested in exploring man’s psyches when faced with fear. He also had a reputation for being an actor’s director who directed Jane Fonda, Jason Robards and Meryl Streep in Oscar winning performances. He also directed Liza Minnelli, Jane Alexander, Richard Farnsworth, Jill Clayburgh and Candice Bergen in Oscar nominated roles.

Pakula began his career working as an assistant to the head of the cartoon department at Warner Brothers. He later became an assistant producer at MGM before moving to Paramount Pictures. By the 1960s, Alan J. Pakula was a well-established film producer who was nominated for an Oscar for producing Best Picture nominee To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

He made his directorial debut with The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), which was nominated for two Oscars for Best Actress (Liza Minnelli) and Best Original Song (Come Saturday Morning). Minnelli was also nominated for a Best Actress – Drama Golden Globe. The movie tells the story of a love affair between two inexperienced college freshmen, a neurotic young woman (Minnelli) and a reserved young man (Wendell Burton).

Pakula then directed the first of his three 1970s conspiracy thrillers Klute (1971). The movie was nominated for two Oscars with Jane Fonda winning her first Best Actress Oscar. The film was also nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. Fonda also won the Best Actress – Drama Golden Globe. In addition, the film was nominated for a Best Screenplay Golden Globe. Klute was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen. The film’s story focuses on a private detective (Donald Sutherland) who is investigating a missing person case and becomes involved with a high-priced prostitute (Fonda) being stalked by a killer.

Pakula next directed a romantic dramady Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (1973). The movie follows the story of a young American (Timothy Bottoms) on a bicycle tour of Europe who meets and falls in love with an older English woman (Maggie Smith).

He followed this movie with directing the second of his conspiracy thrillers The Parallax View (1974). The film was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium. The film is about a news reporter (Warren Beatty) who is investigating a conspiracy connected to the assassination of a senator and the shady dealings of a multinational corporation.

Pakula received his only Best Director Oscar nomination for his next project, which was the third of his 1970s conspiracy thrillers All the President’s Men (1976). He also received a Directors Guild of America and a Best Director Golden Globe nomination for the movie. The film was a commercial and critical success. It was nominated for a total of eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Supporting Actress (Jane Alexander) and Film Editing. It won four Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Jason Robards), Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction and Sound. The movie also received a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium. In addition, it received four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture, Supporting Actor (Robards) and Screenplay. Based on a best-selling novel, the movie tells the true story of investigative journalists Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) as they uncover the illegal activities surrounding the Watergate scandal, ending the presidency of Richard Nixon.

Pakula moved away from the thriller genre with his next film Comes a Horseman (1978). The movie is a western about a 1940’s struggling rancher woman (Jane Fonda) who refuses to sell her family’s land to a ruthless land owner (Jason Robards) buying up her neighbours’ properties in the quest for oil. The movie resulted in Richard Farnsworth receiving his first Oscar nomination (in this instance for Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Farnsworth was a former movie stunt man who transitioned in later life to a successful career as an acclaimed film actor.

Pakula’s last movie in the 1970s was the romantic comedy Starting Over (1979). The film was nominated for two Oscars with Jill Clayburgh receiving her second Best Actress Oscar nomination and Candice Bergen received her first Best Supporting Actress nomination. The movie was also nominated for four Golden Globes, including Best Actor – Comedy (Burt Reynolds), Best Actress – Comedy (Clayburgh), Best Supporting Actress (Bergan) and Best Original Song (Better Than Ever). In addition, the movie received a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. The movie follows a newly separated man (Reynolds) as he tries to create a new life for himself while juggling relationships with an independent school teacher (Clayburgh) and his cheating songwriter wife (Bergan).

Pakula continued to direct motion pictures in the 1980s. His most notable achievement during this time period was Sophie’s Choice (1982), for which Pakula received his last Oscar nomination (in this instance for Best Adapted screenplay). The movie was nominated for a total of five Oscars with Meryl Streep receiving her first Best Actress Oscar for the movie.

In the 1990s, Pakula directed a number of notable films. These movies included the thrillers Presumed Innocent (1990) with Harrison Ford and Raul Julia, and The Pelican Brief (1993) with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. Pakula’s last movie was The Devil’s Own (1997) with Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt.

In his personal life, Pakula was married twice. His first marriage was to actress Hope Lange who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Peyton Place (1958). She was best known for her two-time Emmy winning Best Actress in a Comedy role in The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1968-1970), which was highly popular in syndication.

Alan J. Pakula died on November 19, 1998 at age 70 following a freak motor vehicle accident. Another car struck a metal pipe on the roadway sending the pipe through Pakula’s windshield and hitting him in the head. He then smashed his car into a fence. Upon arrival at the hospital, Pakula was pronounced dead.

Pakula’s influence on the filmmaking continues to be recognized today with his films All the President’s Men and To Kill a Mockingbird both being selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

~Terry Gale

Influential Filmmakers of the 1970s: Hal Ashby

Hal Ashby had a strong presence as a film director in the 1970s. In particular, Ashby was noted for his quirky, off-beat, anti-establishment, counterculture films, which elicited strong performances from his actors. He directed Lee Grant, Jon Voight, Jane Fonda and Melvyn Douglas in Oscar winning performances. He also directed Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, Jack Warden and Peter Sellers in Oscar nominated roles.

_{Hal Ashby directing Bound for Glory (1976)}

Ashby is recognized as being part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. This era in American cinema is also known as American New Wave or the Hollywood Renaissance. It is recognized as a time when a new generation of young, edgy, independent filmmakers dominated the film industry from the mid-1960s to early 1980s.

In the 1960s, Hal Ashby was a well-established film editor who won the Best Film Editing Oscar for In the Heat of the Night (1967). He made his directorial debut with The Landlord (1970), which earned Lee Grant both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress. The movie is a social satire about a wealthy young man (Beau Bridges) who purchases a run-down Brooklyn tenement.

Ashby’s next film was the cult classic Harold and Maude (1971), which was nominated for two Golden Globes and one BAFTA film award. The movie is a black comedy about a wealthy young man (Bud Cort) obsessed with death who falls in love with an eccentric, outgoing older woman (Ruth Gordon) who changes his life.

He followed this up with The Last Detail (1973) for which he was nominated for Palme d’Or. The film was nominated for three Oscars, two Golden Globes and four BAFTA film awards (winning two for Best Actor and Screenplay). The film is a social comedy about the adventures of two navy sailors (Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) who decide to show a younger recruit (Randy Quaid) a good time before escorting him to a military prison.

His next movie Shampoo (1975) is a social satire about a promiscuous hairstylist (Warren Beatty) as he juggles multiple relationships with his female clients on the eve of the 1968 American elections. The film was nominated for four Oscars, five Golden Globes and one BAFTA film award. Lee Grant won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the film.

Ashby’s next project was Bound for Glory (1976), the biographical tale of travelling folk singer Woody Guthrie (David Carradine) for which Ashby was nominated for his second Palme d’Or. The movie received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and four Golden Globe nominations. It won two Oscars for Best Cinematography (Haskell Wexler) and Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score (Leonard Rosenman).

Hal Ashby received is first (and only) Oscar nomination for Best Director for his next film Coming Home (1978). Ashby also received his third Ashby Palme d’Or nomination for the film. The movie is an anti-Vietnam War drama that tells the story of a love affair between the wife (Jane Fonda) of a serving marine (Bruce Dern) and a disabled veteran (Jon Voight). The movie was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and won for Best Actor (Voight), Actress (Fonda) and Original Screenplay (Nancy Dowd, Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones). It was also nominated for six Golden Globes, winning Best Actor (Voight) and Best Actress (Fonda) in a Drama.

Following the critical and commercial success of Coming Home, Ashby was able to negotiate a deal with Lorimar and established his own film production company Northstar.

Ashby received his fourth Palme d’Or nomination for his last film in the 1970s Being There (1979), a satirical comedy about a simplistic and naïve gardener (Peter Sellers) who becomes the unlikely advisor to a wealthy Washington businessman and political insider (Melvyn Douglas). The movie was nominated for two Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actor (Douglas). It was also nominated for six BAFTA film awards, winning Best Screenplay (Jerzy Kosinski), and six Golden Globes, winning Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical (Sellers) and Best Supporting Actor (Douglas).

Despite an auspicious career as a movie director in the 1970s, Hal Ashby’s career began to swiftly decline in the 1980s. Following Being There, Ashby was reputed to become more and more reclusive. Rumors also began to circulate about a drug addiction. In addition, Ashby began to have frequent clashes with studio executives during the production of his next films Second-Hand Hearts (1981) and Lookin’ to Get Out (1982), which culminated in his removal from directing Tootsie (1982). Ashby was also fired after producing a 20-minute rough cut of Neil Simon’s The Slugger’s Wife (1985), which went on to become both a commercial and critical flop. In addition, Ashby was let go on the final day of principal photography from his last film 8 Million Ways to Die (1986). As a result, Ashby became largely unemployable as a film director.

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Hal Ashby died on December 27, 1988 at the age of 59.

His influence on the films of the 1970s remains strong even today with his films Harold and Maude and Being There both being selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

~Terry Gale

Academy Award Predictions 2014

Here are my annual Oscar predictions for this year’s Academy Awards in the top categories, featuring the movie nominations from 2013. The winners of the 86th Academy Awards will be announced on March 2nd, 2014. “And the Oscar Goes To …”

Best Motion Picture

12 Years A Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
The Wolf of Wall Street

My Prediction: 12 Years a Slave
Strong Second Choice: Gravity
Surprise Omission: Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Achievement In Directing

Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

My Prediction: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Strong Second Choice: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Surprise Omission: Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street

My Prediction: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Strong Second Choice: Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Surprise Omissions: Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips / Robert Redford, All Is Lost

Lead Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Sandra Bullock, Gravity

My Prediction: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Strong Second Choice: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Surprise Omission: Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

My Prediction: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Strong Second Choice: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Surprise Omission: Daniel Brühl for Rush

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

My Prediction: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Strong Second Choice: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Surprise Omission: Oprah Winfrey, The Butler

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Before Midnight, written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Captain Phillips, screenplay by Billy Ray
Philomena, screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
12 Years a Slave, screenplay by John Ridley
The Wolf of Wall Street, screenplay by Terence Winter

My Prediction: 12 Years a Slave, screenplay by John Ridley
Strong Second Choice: Philomena, screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
Surprise Omission: The Spectacular Now, screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

American Hustle, written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine, written by Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club, written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
Her, written by Spike Jonze
Nebraska, written by Bob Nelson

My Prediction: American Hustle, written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Strong Second Choice: Her, written by Spike Jonze
Surprise Omission: Inside Llewyn Davis, written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Best Animated Feature Film

The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Ernest & Celestine
Frozen
The Wind Rises

My Prediction: Frozen
Strong Second Choice: Frozen
Surprise Omission: Monsters University

Best Foreign Language Film

The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
The Great Beauty (Italy)
The Hunt (Denmark)
The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
Omar (Palestine)

My Prediction: The Great Beauty (Italy)
Strong Second Choice: The Hunt (Denmark)
Surprise Omission: Many great foreign films were not eligible. Each country is only allowed one submission for consideration.

Best Documentary, Feature

The Act of Killing
Cutie and the Boxer
Dirty Wars
The Square
20 Feet from Stardom

My Prediction: The Act of Killing
Strong Second Choice: 20 Feet from Stardom
Surprise Omission: Stories We Tell

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

Happy from Despicable Me 2
Let It Go from Frozen
The Moon Song from Her
Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

My Prediction: Let It Go
Strong Second Choice: The Moon Song
Surprise Omission: Young and Beautiful from The Great Gatsby

The Best Reviewed Films of 2013

	The Best Reviewed Wide Releases of 2013
1		12 Years a Slave	Drama
2		Gravity	Sci-Fi
3		Before Midnight	Drama
4		Her	Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi
5		American Hustle	Comedy, Drama
6		Fruitvale Station	Drama
7		Dallas Buyers Club	Drama
8		Captain Phillips	Drama, Thriller
9		The Spectacular Now	Drama
10		The World’s End	Comedy, Action
11		Enough Said	Comedy, Drama
12		Blue Jasmine	Comedy, Drama
13		Philomena	Drama
14		Mud	Drama
15		Rush	Drama, Sports
16		The Hunger Games: Catching Fire	Sci-Fi, Action-Adventure
17		The Wolf of Wall Street	Drama
18		Side Effects	Thriller
19		Frozen	Animation, Family
20		Prisoners	Thriller
21		The Grandmaster	Foreign, Action
22		Star Trek Into Darkness	Sci-Fi, Action
23		The Conjuring	Horror
24		The Way, Way Back	Comedy, Drama
25		The Place Beyond the Pines	Drama

The Best Reviewed Limited Releases of 2013

1	Inside Llewyn Davis	Drama, Comedy
2	Stories We Tell	Documentary
3	The Act of Killing	Foreign, Documentary
4	Blue Is the Warmest Color	Foreign, Drama
5	All Is Lost	Drama
6	Nebraska	Drama, Comedy
7	Drug War	Foreign, Thriller
8	The Great Beauty	Foreign, Drama
9	Let the Fire Burn	Documentary
10	The Wind Rises	Foreign, Animation
11	War Witch	Foreign, Drama
12	Museum Hours	Foreign, Drama
13	Blackfish	Documentary
14	20 Feet from Stardom	Documentary
15	The Selfish Giant	Drama
16	La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus	Foreign, Documentary
17	The Past	Foreign, Drama
18	56 Up	Documentary
19	The Square	Foreign, Documentary
20	Cutie and the Boxer	Foreign, Documentary
21	These Birds Walk	Foreign, Documentary
22	Viola	Foreign, Drama
23	Short Term 12	Drama
24	Frances Ha	Comedy, Drama
25	A Hijacking	Foreign, Thriller

Source: Metacritic

Academy Award Nominations 2014

Best Motion Picture

Missing:

Inside Llewyn Davis
Saving Mr. Banks
Fruitvale Station
Blue Jasmine
Rush
Before Midnight
August: Osage County
The Butler

Best Achievement In Directing

Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity
Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave
David O. Russell for American Hustle
Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street
Alexander Payne for Nebraska

Missing:

Paul Greengrass for Captain Phillips
Spike Jonze for Her
Jean-Marc Vallée for Dallas Buyers Club
Stephen Frears for Philomena
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen for Inside Llewyn Davis
Woody Allen for Blue Jasmine
John Lee Hancock for Saving Mr. Banks
Lee Daniels for The Butler

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Christian Bale for American Hustle
Bruce Dern for Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club

Missing:

Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips
Robert Redford for All Is Lost
Oscar Isaac for Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix for Her
Idris Elba for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Forest Whitaker for The Butler

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Missing:

Emma Thompson for Saving Mr. Banks
Brie Larson for Short Term 12
Kate Winslet for Labor Day
Julie Delpy for Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig for Frances Ha
Berenice Bejo for The Past
Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Enough Said

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper for American Hustle
Jonah Hill for The Wolf of Wall Street
Michael Fassbender for 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Missing:

Daniel Brühl for Rush
James Gandolfini for Enough Said
Tom Hanks for Saving Mr. Banks
James Franco for Spring Breakers
Will Forte for Nebraska

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Missing:

Oprah Winfrey for The Butler
Scarlett Johansson for Her
Octavia Spencer for Fruitvale Station
Margot Robbie for The Wolf of Wall Street
Sarah Paulson for 12 Years a Slave

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Before Midnight: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Captain Phillips: Billy Ray
12 Years a Slave: John Ridley
The Wolf of Wall Street: Terence Winter
Philomena: Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope

Missing:

August: Osage County: Tracy Letts
Blue Is The Warmest Color: Ghalia Lacroix and Abdellatif Kechiche
Short Term 12: Daniel Cretton
The Spectacular Now: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
Lone Survivor: Peter Berg

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Missing:

Inside Llewyn Davis: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Enough Said: Nicole Holofcener,
Gravity: Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron,
Saving Mr. Banks: Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith
Fruitvale Station: Ryan Coogler
Mud: Jeff Nichols
Prisoners: Aaron Guzikowski

Best Animated Feature Film

Missing:

Monsters University
Epic
A Letter To Momo

Foreign Language Film

Missing:

The Notebook (Hungary)
The Grandmaster (Hong Kong)
An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Two Lives (Germany)

Not Eligible:

Afternoon Delight (Phillippines)
Blue is the Warmest Color (France)
Child’s Pose (Romania)
Computer Chess (Germany)
Concussion (Germany)
Gabrielle (Canada)
Gloria (Chile)
Hijacking, A (Denmark)
Ilo Ilo (Singapore)
Past, The (Iran)
Rocket, The (Australia)
Touch of Sin, A (Italy)
Una Noche (Taiwan)
Wadjda (Saudi Arabia)

Best Documentary Feature

Missing:

Stories We Tell
The Crash Reel
Blackfish
Tim’s Vermeer
God Loves Uganda

Notable Movies of 2013

Here are the notable movies of 2013:

12 Years a Slave
42
All is Lost
American Hustle
August: Osage County
Before Midnight
Bling Ring, The
Blue Caprice
Blue Jasmine
Book Thief, The
Butler, The
Captain Phillips
Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus
Dallas Buyers Club
Don Jon
Enough Said
Foxy Merkins, The
Frances Ha
Fuitvale Station
Go For Sisters
Gravity
Her
In a World
Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete, The
Inside Llewyn Davis
Invisible Woman, The
Kill Your Darlings
Labor Day
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Mud
Museum Hours
My Sister’s Quinceanera
Nebraska
Newlyweeds
One Chance
Out of the Furnace
Philomena
Pit Stop
Place Beyond The Pines, The
Prisoners
Rush
Saving Mr. Banks
Short Term 12
Spectacular Now, The
Spring Breakers
This Is Martin Bonner
Upstream Color
Way, Way Back, The
Wolf of Wall Street, The
World’s End, The

Foreign Language Films

Afternoon Delight (Phillippines)
Blue is the Warmest Color (France)
Broken Circle Breakdown, The (Belgium)
Child’s Pose (Romania)
Computer Chess (Germany)
Concussion (Germany)
Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, An (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Gabrielle (Canada)
Gloria (Chile)
Grandmaster, The (Hong Kong)
Great Beauty, The (Italy)
Hunt, The (Denmark)
Hijacking, A (Denmark)
Ilo Ilo (Singapore)
Missing Picture, The (Cambodia)
Notebook, The (Hungary)
Omar (Palestine)
Past, The (Iran)
Rocket, The (Australia)
Touch of Sin, A (Italy)
Two Lives (Germany)
Una Noche (Taiwan)
Wadjda (Saudi Arabia)

Documentaries

20 Feet from Stardom
Act of Killing, The
After Tiller
Armstrong Lie, The
At Berkeley
Blackfish
Crash Reel, The
Cutie and the Boxer
Dirty Wars
First Cousin Once Removed
Gideon’s Army
God Loves Uganda
Let The Fire Burn
Leviathan
Life According to Sam
Manakamana
Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer
River Changes Course, A
Square, The
Stories We Tell
Tim’s Vermeer
Which Way Is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington

Animated Films

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
Croods, The
Despicable Me 2
Epic
Ernest & Celestine
Frozen
Letter to Momo, A
Monsters University
Turbo
Walking with Dinosaurs
Wind Rises, The

Blockbusters

Conjuring, The
Ender’s Game
Fast and Furious 6
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Great Gatsby, The
Grown Ups 2
Hangover Part III, The
Heat, The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The
Identity Thief
Iron Man 3
Insidious Chapter 2
Lone Survivor
Mama
Man of Steel
Now You See Me
Oz: The Great and Powerful
Pacific Rim
Star Trek: Into Darkness
This Is the End
Thor: The Dark World
We’re The Millers
Wolverine. The
World War Z
You’re Next

The 2013 Academy Award Winners

The Oscar 2013 Winners:

Here is the complete list of 2013 Academy Award winners:

Best Picture:

Argo: Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney

Best Director:

Ang Lee for Life of Pi

Best Actor:

Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln

Best Actress:

Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook

Best Supporting Actor:

Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained

Best Supporting Actress:

Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables (2012)

Best Original Screenplay:

Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Argo: Chris Terrio

Best Animated Feature:

Brave: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman

Best Foreign Language FIlm:

Amour (Austria): Michael Haneke

Best Documentary Feature:

Searching for Sugar Man (2012): Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn

Best Cinematography:

Life of Pi: Claudio Miranda

Best Film Editing:

Argo (2012): William Goldenberg

Best Production Design:

Lincoln (2012): Rick Carter, Jim Erickson

Best Costume Design:

Anna Karenina: Jacqueline Durran

Best Original Score:

Life of Pi (2012): Mychael Danna

Best Original Song:

Skyfall: Adele, Paul Epworth (“Skyfall”)

Best Sound Editing (tie):

Zero Dark Thirty (2012): Paul N.J. Ottosson
Skyfall (2012): Per Hallberg, Karen M. Baker

Best Sound Mixing:

Les Misérables: Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Simon Hayes

Best Visual Effects:

Life of Pi: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, Donald Elliott

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

Les Misérables: Lisa Westcott, Julie Dartnell

Best Animated Short:

Paperman: John Kahrs

Best Live Action Short:

Curfew: Shawn Christensen

Best Documentary Short:

Inocente (2012): Sean Fine, Andrea Nix

My Predicitons for the 2013 Academy Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will hand out the Academy Awards on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

Here are my predictions:

Best Motion Picture Predicted Winner:

Argo – This inspirational, true-life take on an incredible tale of courage and perseverance seems to have the most positive buzz among the press. It has also dominated the major categories at the Golden Globes, SAGs, DGAs, PGAs and BAFTA Awards. The snub for Ben Affleck in the Best Director category has seemed to help propel this film forward.

Best Motion Picture Possible Upset:

Lincoln – This epic tale also has a small chance to take the top prize, as it made a strong showing with the number of Academy Award nominations. This upset is very slim though, as Argo is the more likely winner.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Predicted Winner:

Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln – A two-time Academy Award winner in this category, Day-Lewis has the most critical momentum and the most number of other honours for this role for him to take the top honor in this category.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Possible Upset:

Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables – Jackman is a very charismatic presence in Hollywood and has generated a lot of positive buzz around a heartfelt performance that shows off his skills as an actor and singer. Jackman though is not very likely to win over Day-Lewis.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Predicted Winner:

Emmanuelle Riva for Amour – As the oldest person ever to be nominated in this category, Riva has garnered a considerable amount of praise for her sensitive portrayal of a women in her declining years including the BAFTA award for Best Actress.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Possible Upset:

Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook – Lawrence is a huge rising star in Hollywood and has generated lots of positive buzz for her performance. She is definitely the “It” girl in Hollywood and has a very strong chance of taking home this award.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Predicted Winner:

Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained – This category is going to very close to predict with all the nominees being previous Oscar winners. Though most film critics are going with Robert De Niro, I will still have to go with Waltz for his portrayal of a menacing bounty hunter. He also has already picked up the Golden Globe and the BAFTA in this category and is well-respected in Hollywood.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Possible Upset:

Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln – Lee Jones is also very well liked and respected as an actor. His performance also has generated a lot of acclaim including a SAG award in this same category.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Predicted Winner:

Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables – Hathaway has generated the most positive buzz and acclaim for a performance where she shows off her talents as an actress and singer. She is also very well liked in Hollywood and is by far the favorite to win in this category.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Possible Upset:

Sally Field for Lincoln – Field has also received a lot of positive attention for her performance and is very well liked and respected in Hollywood. She has already won two Oscars and people like a comeback story. It is though very unlikely that she will win over Hathaway in this category.

Best Achievement in Directing Predicted Winner:

Michael Haneke for Amour – With Affleck and Bigelow out of the picture, the winner is likely going to be Haneke for directing for what many consider to be the best picture of the last year even though it is a foreign language film.

Best Achievement in Directing Possible Upset:

Steven Spielberg for Lincoln – The veteran filmmaker is one of the most successful and accomplished directors of all-time and has the name clout with voters. He is also a two-time winner in this category. As Affleck has taken home most of the other major prizes in this category, this one is harder to predict with even Ang Lee having a shot for Life of Pi, as Lee is also a previous winner in this category.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Predicted Winner:

Amour: Michael Haneke – This is really a close call; I will have to give a slight lead to Haneke for his screenplay for Amour, considered to be one of the best films of last year.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Possible Upset:

Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino – A previous winner in this category, Tarantino also has a really good shot at winning, having already won the BAFTA and Golden Globe for this screenplay. Tarantino also has the name recognition factor.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published Predicted Winner:

Argo: Chris Terrio – This category is also going to be really close. Though, I will have to go with the screenplay for Argo, which has already won a Writers Guild Award. Argo is very popular amongst award voters and has garnered more buzz due to Affleck’s snub in the Best Director category.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published Nominees:

Silver Linings Playbook: David O. Russell – Russell also has a really strong chance of winning in this category, having already won the BAFTA and Independent Spirit Award. The film also has a lot of positive buzz.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year Predicted Winner:

Brave – Out of all the animated films this past year, this film has generated the most acclaim and accolades, including the Golden Globe and the BAFTA in this category. Brave was also the highest grossing animated film at the box office this past year.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year Possible Upset:

Wreck-It Ralph – This film also has a shot in this category, as it also has had a lot of positive press and was a big draw at the box office this past year.

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Predicted Winner:

Amour (Austria) – This film is almost a sure bet in this category. Out of all the foreign language films this year, this one has garnered the most awards, including the Golden Globe and the BAFTA, acclaim and positive press.

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Possible Upset:

A Royal Affair (Denmark) – Though all the nominations were strong candidates, I will have to go with this costume period drama for a distant second place. Note: None of the films, including this one, really stand a chance against Amour in this category.

Best Documentary, Feature Predicted Winner:

Searching for Sugar Man – Out of all the Documentary Features, this film is the most crowd pleasing and has the most positive buzz, It has already won the BAFTA in this category, as well as Producers and Writers Guild awards.

Best Documentary, Feature Possible Upset:

The Invisible War – All the other contenders in this category deal with more somber subject matters and are all excellent films in their one right, making this category hard to call. I will have to go with this feature as a possible upset, as the film deals with the disturbing subject of sexual assaults of female personnel in the military. Though 5 Broken Cameras, The Gatekeepers, and How to Survive a Plague all also stand a chance of winning.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song Predicted Winner:

“Skyfall” from Skyfall: Adele, Paul Epworth – This was a huge film this year and the song was one of the many highlights. The song has already won a number of major awards and is also co-written and sung by Adele, who is extremely popular.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song Possible Upset:

“Suddenly” from Les Misérables: Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer – This film has generated a huge amount of buzz as well and most of the songs were not eligible for a nomination, as they were written originally for the stage production. Though it is unlikely to win over Skyfall.

Pop Culture Tales

Terry Gale's Hollywood Stories

Author: Terry Gale

Influential Filmmakers of the 1970s: Sidney Lumet

An Actors’ Director, Meticulous Craftsman, Social Commentator

Beginnings

Films of the Early 1970s

Films of the Mid 1970s

Films of the Late 1970s

Later Years

Legacy

Influential Filmmakers of the 1970s: Robert Altman

Influential Filmmakers of the 1970s: Alan J. Pakula

Influential Filmmakers of the 1970s: Hal Ashby

Academy Award Predictions 2014

The Best Reviewed Films of 2013

Academy Award Nominations 2014

Notable Movies of 2013

The 2013 Academy Award Winners

The Oscar 2013 Winners:

My Predicitons for the 2013 Academy Awards

An Actors’ Director, Meticulous Craftsman, Social Commentator

Beginnings

Films of the Early 1970s

Films of the Mid 1970s

Films of the Late 1970s

Later Years

Legacy

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The Oscar 2013 Winners:

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