2011 Academy Awards

[Ochi Chernye]

James Franco & Anne Hathaway Hosting the Oscars

Hollywood's biggest night is getting a double-dose of talent.

James Franco and Anne Hathaway will serve as co-hosts for the 83rd annual Academy Awards, producers confirmed Monday.

Franco has earned critical raves for his latest film, 127 Hours, the real-life story of outdoorsman Aron Ralston who cut off part of his arm after getting it stuck under a boulder. The actor's resume includes diverse roles in Eat, Pray, Love, General Hospital, Milk and Pineapple Express.

Hathaway's newest project is the much-hyped Love and Other Drugs in which she costars with Jake Gyllenhaal. She also showed off her singing and dancing chops when she performed a musical number with Hugh Jackman when he hosted the Oscars two years ago.

"James Franco and Anne Hathaway personify the next generation of Hollywood icons – fresh, exciting and multi-talented," Oscar telecast producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer said Monday.

The Oscars air live on ABC from the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 27.

people.com

 

[Ziegfeld Girl]

I really like James Franco and Anne Hathaway but I can't quite picture them as hosts. This will definitely be something different since they tend to have middle aged comedians hosting the ceremony. I hope they both pull it off.

 

[before]

Well it's definitely a change from what's been the usual rotation at the oscars but I don't know how worthwhile the change is. Maybe it'll get more ratings but...

Isn't Franco already a lock for a best actor nomination? Nominee and host, that's a bit too much on the plate. What if he doesn't get nominated but he's expected to host? Stranger things have happened...

As for Anne, she has great timing but she grates on me for some reason, a real people pleaser.

I think I'll warm up to these two hosting but I don't see them doing spectacularly good or bad, just decent (like all recent hosts).

 

[j'adore_couture]

Hmm. No doubt those two have talent, but I agree that they're not the likely duo for a host gig. And hosting kind of does shoot nomination's leash, doesn't it...

 

[sobriquet87]

I don't know about this. I can see why they chose them (to get the younger viewers), but I don't know.
I love them both, so I'm looking forward to it.

 

[MulletProof]

The fact that I can't imagine them as hosts either makes this exciting for me. And the fact that they're fairly good-looking too, I admit.

 

[Label Basher]

Wait this is real? As in true story. Wow I'm not against but it's sure different.

To me it will be really weird if James gets nominated as well. As before said he's pretty much a nominated lock but it's going to be awkward for him when Colin Firth walks up to accept (he's the lock for the win) and he's behind the stage.

 

[Belowen]

I'm guessing it might be a more "musical" Oscars, like when Hugh Jackman hosted...

 

[jemina]

I think that people have to give tem some credit. It can work out good

 

[Chaky]

Maybe Anne will sing like she did a couple of years ago. Seems like Oscar is desperate for any way to attract a bigger audience and maybe these two will get younger people to tune in who wouldn't normally be interested.

 

[*Bianca*]

Hope it's okay to post results from other awards, to get an idea of what's likely to be nominated for the Oscars.

National Board of Review:

Best Film: The Social Network
Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Best Actor: Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Best Actress: Lesley Manville, Another Year
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Best Foreign Language Film: Of Gods and Men
Best Documentary: Waiting for "Superman"
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Best Ensemble Cast: The Town
Breakthrough Performance: Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Best Directorial Debut: Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, Restrepo
Spotlight Award: Sylvain Chomet and Jacques Tati, The Illusionist
Best Original Screenplay: Chris Sparling, Buried
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Special Filmmaking Achievement Award: Sofia Coppola for writing, directing, and producing Somewhere
William K. Everson Film History Award: Leonard Maltin
NBR Freedom of Expression: Fair Game, Conviction, Howl
Production Design Award: Dante Ferretti, Shutter Island

Ten Best Films (in alphabetical order)
Another Year
The Fighter
Hereafter
Inception
The King’s Speech
Shutter Island
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Five Best Foreign-Language Films (in alphabetical order)
I Am Love
Incendies
Life, Above All
Soul Kitchen
White Material

Five Best Documentaries (in alphabetical order)
A Film Unfinished
Inside Job
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Restrepo
The Tillman Story

Top Ten Independent Films (in alphabetical order)
Animal Kingdom
Buried
Fish Tank
The Ghost Writer
Greenberg
Let Me In
Monsters
Please Give
Somewhere
Youth in Revolt

 

[*Bianca*]

British Independent Film Awards

* BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM The King’s Speech
* BEST DIRECTOR Gareth Edwards – Monsters
* THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR] Clio Barnard – The Arbor
* BEST SCREENPLAY David Seidler – The King’s Speech
* BEST ACTRESS Carey Mulligan – Never Let Me Go
* BEST ACTOR Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
* BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech
* BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech
* MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER Joanne Froggatt – In Our Name
* BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION Monsters
* RAINDANCE AWARD Son of Babylon
* BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT Monsters – Visual Effects – Gareth Edwards
* BEST DOCUMENTARY Enemies of the People
* BEST BRITISH SHORT Baby
* BEST FOREIGN FILM A Prophet

 

[mint condish]

Thanks for the information Bianca!

I'm a big fan of James Franco, but has anyone ever noticed -- I've seen him on a lot of talk shows, and he can be very awkward. He tells stories in the sloooooooowest manner and you're just always waiting for him to finish. Again, I love him, but in public he's not the best. Odd choice, I think. Dashing as hell yes, but public speaking? I don't know.

Hathaway on the other hand, I am not some great fan of hers, but she does a very good job on Saturday Night Live. Not any problem public speaking there, I have confidence in her.

No offence to anyone but I thought this year sucked for movies. I loved Inception and The Social Network, especially the latter, but I think this year has been very, very dry for movies! I saw Black Swan, but I'm a little unsure of what I think of that one. I think I experienced too much hype beforehand.

I did not understand the critical acclaim for The Town at all. Grr. It frustrates me!

The King's Speech opens in my city on Friday.

Are they going to do ten nominations for Best Picture again this year? If so.... how are they even going to find 10?

 

[*Bianca*]

^Pretty sure they're doing 10 again

International Documentary Association Awards

IDA Pare Lorentz Award - Waste Land, Queen of the Sun: What Are The Bees Telling Us? (Honorable Mention)
IDA Music Documentary Award - For Once In My Life
ABC News VideoSource Award - Bhutto
IDA Humanitas Award (Tie) - Presumed Guilty, The Oath
IDA David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award - Waiting For A Train: The Toshio Hirano Story, The Stinking Ship (Honorable Mention)
Distinguished Feature Documentary Award - Waste Land
Distinguised Short Documentary Award - Woman Rebel
Continuing Series Award - 30 for 30
Limited Series Award - Have You Heard From Johannesburg
Career Achievement Award - Barbara Kopple
IDA Pioneer Award - Alan and Susan Raymond
IDA/Jacqueline Donnet Emering Documentary Filmmaker Award - Jeff Malmberg

 

[*Bianca*]

The Washington DC Film Critics Association Awards

Best Film: The Social Network
Best Director: David Fincher (The Social Network)
Best Actor: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Best Acting Ensemble: The Town
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network)
Best Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan (Inception)
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Best Documentary: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Best Foreign Language Film: Biutiful
Best Art Direction: Guy Hendrix Dyas, Luke Freeborn, Brad Ricker and Dean Wolcott (Inception)
Best Cinematography: Wally Pfister (Inception)
Best Score: Hans Zimmer (Inception)

 

[*Bianca*]

News on films that made the Animated Feature and Documentary Feature Oscar shortlist (each list eventually being cut down to 5

15 Animated Features Line Up for 2010 Oscar® Race

Beverly Hills, CA (November 15, 2010) – Fifteen features have been accepted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards®.

The 15 features are:

• “Alpha and Omega”
• “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”
• “Despicable Me”
• “The Dreams of Jinsha”
• “How to Train Your Dragon”
• “Idiots and Angels”
• “The Illusionist”
• “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”
• “Megamind”
• “My Dog Tulip”
• “Shrek Forever After”
• “Summer Wars”
• “Tangled”
• “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue”
• “Toy Story 3”

“The Dreams of Jinsha,” “The Illusionist,” “Summer Wars” and “Tangled” have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and meet the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process.

Under the rules for this category, in any year in which 8 to 15 animated features are released in Los Angeles County, a maximum of 3 motion pictures may be nominated. If 16 or more animated features are submitted and accepted in the category, a maximum of 5 motion pictures may be nominated.

Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

15 Documentary Features Advance In 2010 Oscar® Race

Beverly Hills, CA (November 18, 2010) – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards®. One hundred-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

• “Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer” Alex Gibney, director (ES Productions LLC)
• “Enemies of the People” Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
• “Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
• “Gasland” Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
• “Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould” Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors
  (White Pine Pictures)
• “Inside Job” Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
• “The Lottery” Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)
• “Precious Life” Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) “Megamind”
• “Quest for Honor” Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)
• “Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films)
• “This Way of Life” Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films)
• “The Tillman Story” Amir Bar-Lev, director (Passion Pictures/Axis Films)
• “Waiting for ‘Superman” Davis Guggenheim, director (Electric Kinney Films)
• “Waste Land” Lucy Walker, director (Almega Projects)
• “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe” Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler, directors (Disturbing the Universe LLC)

The Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed all the eligible documentaries for the preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist.

- oscars.org

 

[xPedro]

I really hope Social Network wins Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor, it really deserves it!

 

[*Bianca*]

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

Best Picture
* The Social Network
* Runner up: Toy Story 3

Best Actor
* Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network
* Runner up: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech (by one vote)

Best Actress
* Natalie Portman for Black Swan
* Runner up: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Best Supporting Actor
* Christian Bale for The Fighter
* Runner Up: Andrew Garfield for The Social Network

Best Supporting Actress
* Juliette Lewis for Conviction
* Runner Up: Melissa Leo for The Fighter

Best Director
* David Fincher for The Social Network
* Runner up: Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan

Best Screenplay
* Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network
* Runner up: Nicole Holofcener for Please Give

Best Cinematography
* Roger Deakins for True Grit
* Runner Up: Matthew Libatique for Black Swan

Best Documentary
* Marwencol
* Runner up: Inside Job

Best Foreign-Language Film
TBD

Best Animated Film
* Toy Story 3
* Runner Up: The Illusionist

Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer)
* Andrew Weisblum for The Black Swan
* Runner Up: Lee Smith for Inception

Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy)
* Jeff Malmberg for Marwencol
* Runner Up: David Michod for Animal Kingdom

Best Ensemble Cast
* The Fighter
* Runner Up: The Kids Are All Right

Best Use of Music in a Film
* Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross forThe Social Network
* Runner Up: Carter Burwell for True Grit

 

[LolaSvelt]

My acting predictions for December.

Actor:
Bridges - True Grit
Eisenberg - The Social Network
Firth - The King's Speech
Franco - 127 Hours
Gosling - Blue Valentine
Don't count out: Duvall for Get Low and Eckhart for Rabbit Hole

Actress:
Bening - The Kids Are All Right
Kidman - Rabbit Hole
Lawrence - Winter's Bone
Manville - Another Year
Portman - Black Swan
Don't count out: Williams for Blue Valentine

Supporting Actor:
Bale - The Fighter
Damon - True Grit
Garfield - The Social Network
Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
Rush - The King's Speech
Don't count out: Rockwell for Conviction

Supporting Actress:
Adams - The Fighter
Bonham-Carter - The King's Speech
Leo - The Fighter
Weaver - Animal Kingdom
Wiest - Rabbit Hole
Don't count out: Steinfeld for True Grit

 

[Chaky]

Black Swan and True Grit are now easily at the top of my must see list. Neither out in the UK until late January. :/