November. It's a Wrap
Sunday, November 29, 2020 at 4:30PM Hi readers. I know I got lost in the weeds a bit in November. It's that damn International Feature Oscar race. It really brings out my OCD qualities with those Oscar history overviews (Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) so I skimped on other stuff. ANYWAY, here are some of key posts of November in case you missed any. There's one day left but it's the holiday weekend so we're doing the wrap up early ;)
Highlights from the Month That Was
• Ethan Hawke at 50 -an appreciation. The definitive Gen X actor?
• Home for the Holidays -deserves to be a better remembered!
• "Gay Best Friend" -a delightful new series kicked off with My Best Friend's Wedding and Under the Tuscan Sun
• Netflix has too many Oscar contenders - considering the possibilities
• Nicole Kidman in The Undoing -giving us eyeball acting!
• Joan Crawford -Criterion's curated collection
• Cher in 1987 -how she ruled the world that year
• Gene Tierney - a three film retrospective for her Centennial
• Carmen Maura in Law of Desire - the definitive Almodóvar interpreter?
Most Discussed
• Amy Adams in Arrival - almost there at the Oscars
• Smackdown '87 - Olympia Dukakis vs Norma vs the Annes (x 3)
COMING IN DECEMBER / ANY REQUESTS?
Oscar chart updates this week. Then a new movie bonanza as the studios finally release their supposedly strongest Oscar contenders --mostly huddled around Christmas week as if they're pretending it's a normal awards-strategy year: The Prom, One Night in Miami, Soul, Promising Young Woman, The Father, Minari, Mank, Ammonite, Nomadland, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Beyond that flurry of titles we'll begin our "year in review" list-making frenzy.
Not sure how much time we'll have for older titles but which of the following birthdays/anniversaries would you most like to see celebrated? 10th: Black Swan, Rabbit Hole, The Fighter, True Grit, Blue Valentine, Another Year; 25th: 12 Monkeys, Dead Man Walking, Sense & Sensibility, Nixon, Waiting to Exhale, Cutthroat Island, Timothée Chalamet; 50th: The Aristocats, Donkey Skin, Husbands, Love Story, Horror of Frankenstein, The Wild Country, Puzzle of a Downfall Child, Little Big Man, Gimme Shelter, Regina Hall, Jennifer Connelly; 75th: Spellbound, Bells of St Marys, Leave Her to Heaven, or National Velvet?
Reader Comments (28)
sense and sensibility @ 25, please
I think we actually just missed the 15th anniversary of Walk the Line, but since you mentioned it, at some point a discussion about modern day journeyman directors would be fascinating. Who are our modern day Victor Flemings? Fleming made two of the greatest films ever in one year, but few would probably say they achieve greatness because of him. He most likely got those jobs because of being a consistently "good" and dependable filmmaker. I think James Mangold falls into that category currently. He's likely to never truly disappoint (critically or financially), but is he likely to ever be viewed as an auteur? Is that even a bad thing? Just wondering.
I am always here for anniversary content! Cannot believe Black Swan is about to be 10. I saw it one late December night at the now shuttered Lincoln Plaza Cinemas right down the street from Lincoln Center. That will always be a favorite NYC movie-going memory.
I have found 1970 to be a better year than it gets credit for. I just saw Altman's Brewster McCloud and what a weirdie that is!
I'd like to see a revisit of Nixon,much maligned at the time but Joan Allen is teriffic in it.
Rabbit Hole and more discussion of it's supporting cast as we all know it's one of Kidmans best.
Donkey Skin @50. That helicopter! Not to mention the father wanting to marry his own daughter! Not in a Tennessee Williams or Jean Genet play, but in a fairy tale! Anyone who likes fairy tales/folklore tales knows that everything happens in this universe. Incest is among the lightest topics, no joke. And Deneuve princess, more Disney princess than any princess Disney invented.
PS.: Many good options to choose. 🥪🥤
I am really curious to read about Cutthroat Island. Is it the perfect time to recognize it as a cult classic?
Donkey Skin is bonkers. It could be a fun write-up. I'll never know how the actors could keep straight faces while filming it.
Yeah, Preppie, I am hungry for that 50th celebration of the reviled / revered weepie Love Story!
On the anniversaries, I'll vote for Black Swan, Donkey Skin, Sense and Sensibility, Leave Her to Heaven, and Gimme Shelter.
Little Big Man is fantastic. Comedy, drama and social criticism. Dustin Hoffmann in a role tailored for his talent and height. And Faye Dunaway in a funny small role, she who became a star in Bonnie and Clyde of the same director, Arthur Penn. A kind of anti-heroic Dances With Wolves.
No love for Somewhere? You people suck!
Of those?
10th: The Fighter
25th: 12 Monkeys
50th: Jennifer Connelly
75th: Leave Her to Heaven
What about celebrating 12 Monkeys AND the short that inspired it, Chris Marker's La Jetee, easily one of the best movies ever?
Was about to ask where one can even find "Puzzle of a Downfall Child" - but turns out it has a new blu-ray out in two weeks, same day as "Diary of a Mad Housewife". Long live physical media.
Ooh, anniversary posts on Waiting to Exhale and Regina Hall would be fab!
I loved Regina in Support the Girls - and she was great also in Girls Trip and The Hate U Give. But I'd love to know what other essential Regina Hall movies I should seek out.
10 @ Dianne Wiest in Rabbit Hole
All The 50! It's a magic number! + Spellbound, the usual dose of Hitchcock the word(we) needs.
Please:
The Fighter, Blue Valentine, Dead Man Walking, Sense & Sensibility, Little Big Man, Spellbound, Leave Her to Heaven.
Bette Midler born 12/1/1945; Julianne Moore & Daryl Hannah 12/3/60; Kenneth Branagh 12/10/60.
Almost There
Paul Giamatti, Sideways
Hugh Jackman, The Fountain
Sam -- Thank you for the suggestions.
I'll have to do Giamatti one of these days since it's such a flagrant snub that was summarily compensated by a nomination the following year for a lesser turn. As for Jackman, did he really have Oscar buzz for The Fountain? I love that performance, but I'm not sure it fits the Almost There criteria.
The Father, Minari, Mank, Ammonite, Nomadland, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Beyond that flurry of titles we'll begin our "year in review" list-making frenzy.
I’d also be interested in a write up of Puzzle of a Downfall Child. Certainly an interesting movie that will unlikely get major attention elsewhere for its 50th anniversary.
Oh man those 10 year anniversaries are all great, great movies. I remember that year being one of my fav Oscar years in terms of what was nominated.
Blue Valentine @10 and Dead Man Walking @25!
The Fighter 10th, Sense and Sensibility/Dead Man Walking 25th!
Claudio - Giamatti’s snub was flagrant that year. I couldn’t believe it. Jackman didn’t have any precursors, but what a towering performance. So underrated. I would also include Rachel Weisz too.
Another suggestion would be Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained.
Regina King thankyouplease
JS -- do you mean Regina Hall? There's no Regina King anniversary coming up ;) though i'm sure she'll be a topic when her movie arrives (i think in January?)