Gold Derby’s Tom O’Neil corralled a bunch of Oscar bloggers over the weekend to discuss his topic of choice: Angelina Jolie’s Oscar chances for “Changeling” after an AMPAS funk for the last few years. I decided to abstain, since I won’t be seeing the film until next week and would prefer not to spin my wheels with the rest, but it’s a nice back and forth. Give it a look here.
O’Neil is also somehow surprised that Michael Sheen is being pushed as a lead for Universal’s “Frost/Nixon,” a fact we’ve been peddling around here for months. Here’s his reasoning against the move:
Yes, sure, they both really are leads, with Sheen actually having more face time and lines of dialogue to speak as British talk-show host David Frost compared to Langella as the disgraced U.S. president he infamously interviewed on TV in 1977: Richard Nixon.
That means nothing at the Oscars. Denzel Washington had less screen time and dialogue than “Training Day” costar Ethan Hawke, but won in lead while Hawke had to settle for a losing nomination in supporting. Forest Whitaker won best actor over “The Last King of Scotland” costar James McAvoy, who had more screen time and dialogue too, but was placed in the supporting slot where he wasn’t even nominated.
Welcome to four months ago. But all kidding aside, I don’t think “Frost/Nixon” is in the same vein as these films. Sure, Langella dominated on the stage, but I’m hearing that the film is more about Frost than Peter Morgan’s play. Our own John Foote wrote a few weeks back that it is “one of those “Amadeus” situations where one performance cannot exist without the other,” and I agree with that assessment.
Additionally, people close to the film have been thumping the lead drum for Sheen since the early summer, so they certainly think they have a shot. I have refused to move Sheen from our chart of 10 lead actor contenders because I could honestly see both men finding room, despite the crowded field.
What do you guys think? Is it crazy for Universal to ignore the supporting field for Sheen or can you just not put these things in neat little boxes?
Comments
9 responses to “Bloggers dish ‘Changeling,’ O’Neil surprised by Sheen’s lead push”
They´ll probably switch it again in december. I´m far more interested to see who´s going where for TDK.
Re: O’Neil’s article on Jolie, why are so many of these bloggers calling it a weak field for Best Actress? At this early point in the race, we already have at least five strong SEEN contenders, all with vocal supporters — Scott Thomas, Hathaway, Leo, Hawkins, Jolie. How often does that happen by October?
Some people really aren’t paying attention.
I have no idea, Guy. No idea. It’s actually the strongest field in years.
Re: the Jolie factor, I agree with you guys, if anything, it’s an extremely tough year. But I worry the most likely potential casualty is not Jolie, but the unknown Hawkins (which would so depress me), or the often-dismissed Kidman for another un-flashy (i.e.: unaided by prosthetics) performance.
Having seen “Changeling,” it’s actually the first time Jolie has genuinely impressed me.
It’s kind of a one-note role, but even if you agree with me or not about its quality, just looking objectively, I think her character suffers WAY too much for Oscar resist. Every single scene she experiences a new horrible thing to deal with and has about two dozen Oscar clips.
I don´t understand the folks that claim it to be a weak year for the women. I believe it was Anne Thompson at the Envelope piece about actresses amongst others. Many of the ladies are giving career best perfs and it´s suddenly weak?
A weak year? Seriously? We’re talking about the 2009 Oscars. It’s one of the strongest ones, actually. Guy already mentioned the buzzed-about actresses, and by December, those will have included Oscar nom faves such as Blanchett, Winslet, and Streep, and former Oscar winner Nicole Kidman.
By 2009, there’s a possibility that Jolie ends her AMPAS funk, that Blanchett or Winslet nabs her much-deserved Oscar, or even that Streep finally gets her 2nd Best Actress Oscar and her 3rd one after waiting for 25 years.
It’s a fight to the end if there ever was one. I’ve never been this excited for the Oscars!
Agreed, Eunice. However, why are so many people talking about an AMPAS “funk” in Jolie’s case? She was denied one nomination last year, for the only remotely worthy role she’d had in the eight years since winning for “Girl, Interrupted.” Yet, to read some reports, one would get the impression she’s been repeatedly snubbed. Plenty of actors have been harder done by.
[…] Guy Lodge on: Bloggers dish ‘Changeling,’ O’Neil surprised by Sheen’s lead push […]
I hear you, Guy. You’d think she’s never had an Oscar nom, much less an award, in her entire life. If we’re talking actual AMPAS ‘funks’ we might as well produce a list of actress as young as and older than Angelina Jolie. I mean, some people have to just settle for an honorary Oscar. Remember Peter ‘O Toole, bloggers?