Patrick Stoner welcomes your questions about movies and the people who make them. Send your questions to pstoner@whyy.org. Here's the current question and answer:
Q: What do we learn from this year's Academy Awards nominations? A: Being British helps. Take the Big Four acting categories: Best Actress and Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Actor. Of those 20 Oscar nominations, six are British. That's a pretty big contribution from a tiny island nation.
British artists maintain a standard level of respect year-in and year-out with Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members. Their work is the natural alternative to the many ambivalent American choices. For example, the only American in the Best Actress category is Helen Hunt. Few would contend that her performance is central to the Jack Nicholson vehicle AS GOOD AS IT GETS. Hunt does an excellent job, but her part and performance wouldn't have been nominated in years past.
Consider the five Best Picture nominations. THE FULL MONTY is a delightful film -- a little jewel of a comedy. But can you really suggest that the accomplishment of creating this excellent but simple film is comparable to the complexities of L.A. CONFIDENTIAL or the challenges of TITANIC?
Fine. What else did the nominations tell us about the current state of Hollywood? Here are some other observations:
- The studios are back in control of the awards as well as the box office. Small, independent movies performed modestly in both arenas.
- Shared studio credits are becoming more common and more successful (TITANIC, FACE/OFF, STARSHIP TROOPERS).
- Over-50 stars still pack box office and awards punch -- at least if they're men.
- Hollywood is in the mood to laugh. Two of the Best Picture nominations are comedies -- a genre usually excluded from the top category.
- Comebacks are welcome. Witness Peter Fonda, Julie Christie, Burt Reynolds, and even Gloria Stuart.
- Special effects are better than ever, but no guarantee of awards OR box office results. Repeat viewers of TITANIC aren't going back to see the ship sink.
- Scandals do not affect the Academy. Woody Allen now has more writing nominations than anybody else.
Uncertainty about the outcomes in several categories will guarantee a huge audience on March 23rd, 1998. I will be backstage once again to experience the suspense.
Past questions and answers.
