"Dream Big, Dream Fierce" This Oscar Season

The SAG Awards are receding in the review mirror, but the afterglow remains. How much power can emotional narratives have within our seasonal awards journey? Viola Davis has been a major actress for a long time within the showbiz community -- this very website first handed her two gold medals way back in early 2003 for her gobsmackingly great single scene in Antwone Fisher and her breakthrough year of smart character work in Far From Heaven and Solaris -- but it's only in the past few years that the mainstream has begun to learn her name and key in to her potent gift.  There's nothing like a 'who's that?' Oscar nomination (Doubt), A List friendship (Streep) and a big fat juicy hit (The Help) to boost your profile.

So I wasn't surprised but was definitely delighted to see her receive a standing ovation when she walked up to accept Best Actress for The Help.

Perhaps the standing ovation is an annual occurence and I've merely forgotten.

In some ways our relationship with the awards circus is a long one with deep pockets of memories, held grudges and fond crushes. In other ways it's as if we're goldfish swimming round the bowl and we're surprised by that little plastic castle every time.

But I think the true indicator that Viola Davis is the likely winner of the Best Actress Oscar is not the win itself with SAG, which has a much wider more diverse voting body than Oscar, but the crowd response. Reducing co-stars to tears is probably no great achievement. They were in the trenches with you so naturally Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer and Cicely Tyson were crying their eyes out. But making Zoe Saldana and Angelina Jolie all misty? Boosting Dick Van Dyke's mood when he was already high on life? 

What is going on here? (More after the jump)

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"Critics Choice" Winners From Viola to The Artist

Kirsten Dunst presented Best Supporting Actress to Octavia SpencerWe tried a live blog experiment which was very chaotic though conversational if you'd like to relive it vicariously through us if you weren't here. But otherwise, let's review the big speeches and the winner's roster.

Do you think all five of the major acting wins will translate to Globe and SAG hoopla... and then on to Oscar? It's been a surprising season to date so will it suddenly become a normal season where the same films and performances win each time?

SUPPORTING ACTRESS -Octavia Spencer for The Help

Okay um. Well I'm not prepared. I wasn't a Girl Scout. I guess the operative word here is Best Supporting  becasue I was truly supported by the most amazing cast and crew. Oh my god this is really kind of crazy. Okay. Uh. I'd like to thank everyone at Dreamworks -- Stacey Snyder thank you for giving me this chance. Holly Barrio. Chip Sullivan. Everyone at Disney. Rich [series of names that all blurred together for us] ...and then of course my two champions Tate Taylor and Brunson Green who have always believed in me. And thank God you believed in me enough to give me a job that actually paid this time!

But thank you so much to the BFCA. I am truly truly humbled by this. Thank you.

SUPPORTING ACTOR - Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Christopher Plummer, young againWinners and a Tearful Viola after the jump...

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Stage Door: "Company", "Measure for Measure", Tony Aftermath

The theater world gets a bit quiet during the summer, post Tony Awards, but there are still live performances to be seen and talked about. Like "Shakespeare in the Park" in, well, Central Park. If you've never been it's always worth going no matter what the show is because it's free and open air theater is truly a special everyone-should-try-it experience. But I wish they'd be more daring with their selections. Some years they stray from the bard, whilst retaining the title, like the year they relaunched HAIR -- god, that was a great production -- or when they mounted that Jonathan Groff / Anthony Mackie Euripides moment Everyone but me hated that one but I think I was just so glad to see something that wasn't performed as often and with two actors I quite like.

Danai Gurira rehearses for "Measure for Measure"

This year they're back to the bard. They're doing two of the "problem plays" Alls Well That Ends Well and Measure For Measure through June and July. Click here for dates.   I took in Measure for Measure which... well, I haven't much to say about it. The problem with the problem plays is that they're problematic -- PROFUNDITY! [Editor's note: I warned you!]  It was an absolutely decent production but it lacked a defining thrill, defining moment. As for definitive performances, I give my highest marks to Danai Gurira (The Visitor) who was in very strong form as the pious Isabella, who must choose between her brother's life or her chastity (long story!)  in the convoluted Jacobean plot. On the comic side, Carson Elrod as Pompei, "the tapster" (aka procurer of johns for the whores? That's how it read from my seat), who offers up a pretty great distillation of how to give a modern performance while still delivering Shakespearean language.

Neil Patrick Harris as eternal bachelor "Bobby" puts the moves on Christina Hendricks in "Company"Company
The recent very brief Philharmonic staging of Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY played this past week in select movie theaters around the country. I wasn't paying close enough attention to times and missed my one best opportunity. Hopefully it'll come to DVD. Neil Patrick Harris led the all star cast as "Bobby". Company is only one of the greatest musicals ever written so if you ever have a chance to see it performed, do so. If any of you caught it, speak up in the comments.

I've always wanted someone to make this musical into a movie because the songs are just so spectacular. But I fear Hollywood wouldn't understand it. It's not "flashy" and that's the only kind of musical they make anymore.

Links!
Joe's Pub STREEP TEASE!!! That Meryl Streep Monologue show with an all male cast is coming to NYC next Monday night. One night only.
Broadway Blog wonders if Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark can join the list of shows that triumphed after rough starts?
Broadway Blog also looks at the history of Broadway songs on the pop charts. Does the man upstairs hold sway? It seems like it.
Billboard answers a question I was asking on twitter (Thanks Mark!) about whether in-theater sales of Original Cast Recording count on Billboard charts as record sales. The answer is both closer to a "maybe so" than a yes or a no. 
BlogStage wonders if Shakespeare is being performed too often in the world? My answer: Duh! I've been saying this for years.

Finally... Mocking Acceptance Speeches as a special theater event?

Q: What's so great about acceptance speeches?
A: What we discovered doing this show is that they're actually really joyful to watch even if the person is a self regarding narcissist.

I didn't even know about this until it was over. The theater community has yet to discover and worship The Film Experience properly. Where are my press invites?  ANYWAY... there's nothing quite like an acceptance speech which is why its hateful when the same people win 10 things in a row. Variety is wonderful... and so is a good variety show.

Supporting Actress Finale: Fashion, Speech and Reader's Choice.

I have displayed the talented women above in the order of Readers Choice voting. Jacki Weaver (25%)  just barely won your virtual Oscar over Amy Adams (24%) . Of course the Oscar went to Melissa Leo (21%), who memorably hammed it up with Kirk Douglas before bringing the crazy that we've come to expect and dropping a rare Oscar night F Bomb on the Kodak. Film Experience readers didn't wish the win on Hailee Steinfeld (15%) or Helena Bonham Carter (11%) in big numbers though I noticed that Hailee trounced her competition in Awards Daily's balloting of readers. Different crowd with some overlap. Like AMPAS & BAFTA ;)

It's all over but the memories... and the fallout... and the statistics... and the gowns. Oscar night has a way of bleeding over. Certain competitions remain in the popular memory, or at least the blog memory for long periods of time. Consider how often people still talk about Annette Bening vs. Hilary Swank (1999, 2004) as opposed to say, Marion vs. Julie (2007) ?  or especially Reese vs. No One (2005). I sense that Supporting Actress 2010 will be one of those categories we come back to time and again, not only for the real sense of "it could go to any one!" drama that sprung up in the hive mind of Oscar watchers, but for the way that Kirk Douglas almost psychically seemed to understand that dragging out the envelope opening to ridiculous but funny lengths as the women laughed nervously.

Melissa's Speech

Oh my god. oh wow. really really really really really really  truly wow. I know a lot of people said a lot of nice things to me for several months now but i'm just shaking in my boots here. ok all right. thank you David O. Russell. I wanna thank the actors Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy My Sweet Sister Amy, Jack, our lovely daughters. ok yeah I am kind of speechless. [Looks up] Golly sakes there's people up there, too.

When i watched Kate two years ago it looks so fuc [BLEEPED OUT] Alice Ward. Your beautiful family that opened your hearts. I saw Mick here earlier. Dick? all right Dick's not in the room. Thank you so much opening your hearts to all of us to make this film. I thank David. I'll thank him again. My family, my beautiful son who is traveling right now who couldn't join me. It's okay I'm okay Jeff. My mom and my dad and my brother and my friends and my family. And I want to thank the very most of all the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences [sic] the Board of Governors and all their members and many of you are here today. This has been an extraordinary journey getting to know what the academy is about. And first and foremost thank you Academy [suddenly shouting] because it's about selling motion pictures and respecting the work! Thank you so much.

And then she stole Kirk Douglas cane. She brought the kooky and Oscar needs moments like that.

Three Questions
1. Best dressed of the category?
2. Who will be back the quickest to the nominee pool?
3. Who owes Melissa $200 dollars?

Mark Ruffalo and Sandra Bernhard on Oscar Night 2011

Mark with his wife Sunrise<--- Obviously this is not Sandra Bernhard. We'll get to her in a minute.

To fend off the silly depression that can often follow depressing Oscar outcomes, it's good to remember that anyone nominated for an Oscar just got a huge career boost. The "Losers", especially the first timers, won. They now have that "Oscar Nominee" stamp to throw around at the contract table and they also get a place in the history books. Oh sure, if you ask the general public to tell you about so and so's nominated turn in 1978 they won't know what you're talking about, but it's still a historical document of worth in your chosen profession. It's a win.

Before the Oscars last night I meant to post this acceptance speech that Mark Ruffalo tweeted "in case I lose". It went like so (spread across several tweets of course).

Thank You Sunrise. My wife and my partner in crime and fun and hard times and joy and sadness in heartbreak and healing and dinners and kids. Lisa Cholodenko, Thank you so much in your belief in me and allowing me. You love Actors and create a work place where we are free. Adore U.

I must thank my dear fellow Actors. Especially the Glorious Julianne Moore. Any recognition must be shared with her. It was all in the dance. Annette, Mia, Josh, Thank you for making it so easy to react off you and live off your brilliant naturalistic performances. Honored. The crew, thank you for being such a great team. We all had a hell of a good time and you didn't skip a single beat in 23 days of no sleep.

I would like to thank Stuart Blumberg and Lisa for creating a beautiful script with real people doing real and human things. Paul kicks ass. I would like to thank all the producers but especially Jeffery Levy-Hinte who is an unsung hero. You carried this movie to the finish.Thanks. James Shamus and the folks at Focus Features, Thank you. You have given this movie every opportunity and supported us in cash and spirit. XO.

Mom and Dad, Thanks for telling me I would be okay if I left home and went to LA. Thanks for helping me when you couldn't afford it. Love U. Keen, Bella, Odette my dearest ones, my little teachers. Thank you so much for being patient with Papa having to be away so much. Last but not least. The people who came out to see the movie and support it and talk about it and send your friends. You are being honored 2. I know I must be forgetting someone. IF I am I will amend my twit-speech. I would like to also shout out to all actors. 5000yr tradition!!

Sweet right?

Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem hug it out.

If you put yourself out there in the world, you open yourself up to those who snark or scoff but you also are putting yourself out there in the world. Sorry to get all Marianne Williamson on ya but I just go with my moods and it's a good one this Monday morn'. Feel the love.

In another tweet, responding to a fan's note on Julianne Moore, the Ruffster said "Julianne Moore you are a film Goddess" That's so true. I'm glad her peers know it.

We lived on farms. We lived in cities. Now we live on the internet.
-"Sean Parker" via Aaron Sorkin in The Social Network.

I've been an online presence now for a decade and it's been thrilling to watch the world change and shrink in a way. Unfortunately this new "closeness" hasn't changed our capacity to hate or war or any of that stuff -- hate travels just as fast as love  -- but it has definitely shifted celebrity and entertainment culture in interesting ways. You wouldn't have Lady Gaga without the virtual community of the internet. And you wouldn't have exchanges like I had with Sandra Bernhard last night.

Oh sure, that happened for a few seconds and it was over and it meant 11,000,000 times more to me than Sandra or anyone listening in but it's still a fact: Someone I have admired and followed and supported with my purchases who has made me laugh and think countless times since the late 80s "heard" something I said and responded.

It was a kick.

And if you've never seen The King of Comedy (1983) you really should. It's one of Martin Scorsese's best films and Sandra is riveting and scary and hilarious in it.

Which celebrities put smiles on your faces last night? Are you feeling love this morning or something else entirely in the way of SpeechGate ;) ?