A Look Back At...Jane Fonda

7 nominations. 2 wins.

Here now is a look back at Jane Fonda's career with Oscar.

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969)
Nominee: Best Actress
Character: Gloria Beatty, a determined woman trapped in a never-ending dance competiton.
And the Oscar Went to…: Maggie Smith for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”

Thoughts: Her first performance for arguably one of her best performances. “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” isn’t an easy movie to watch, and Fonda’s character certainly isn’t the most uplifting. But here Fonda is so convincing in the role that it’s impossible not to root for her. We want her to win, whether that means the dance marathon or simply getting the hell out of there in tact. A great start for Fonda overall.

Klute (1971)
Nominee: Best Actress
Character: Bree Daniels, a hooker with a nasty client on her trail
And the Oscar went to…: Jane Fonda.

Thoughts: Easily the crowing moment of her career. And I’m always a little surprised to find how little people know about “Klute” because this is one case where Oscar got it right. If you haven’t seen it yet, I beg of you, rent it now!. You will be floored, even if you’re not as obsessed with Jane Fonda as I am. Winning moment: her shrink confessionals; truly acting at its very best.

Julia (1977)
Nominee: Best Actress
Character: Lillian Hellman, an up and coming playwright in search of her best friend
And the Oscar went to…: Diane Keaton for “Annie Hall”

Thoughts: “Julia” can be all over the place at times, but thankfully Fonda remains a consistently strong presence throughout. Sure, Vanessa Redgrave totally upstages her at the pub, but credit must be given to Fonda for building and later maintaining the suspense. The train montage in particular would have been, well, a train wreck, without her.

Coming Home (1978)
Nominee and Winner: Best Actress
Character: Sally Hyde, a conflicted volunteer during the Vietnam War
And the Oscar went to…: Jane Fonda

Thoughts: Sometimes you have to look at certain Oscar wins with historical context, and I think this is one of those instances. ‘78 was a big year for Vietnam movies, with both “Coming Home” and “The Deer Hunter” winning nearly everything, so it’s easy to see why Fonda got swept into the mix.

Having said that, I didn’t find this to be a very memorable Oscar-winning performance. Again, this could be because “Coming Home” is a little dated. But where Fonda was astonishing in “Klute”, she’s merely serviceable here. Nomination? Sure. But Oscar? Nah.

The China Syndrome (1979)
Nominee: Best Actress
Character: Kimberly Wells, an eager TV reporter tracking the story of her career
And the Oscar went to…: Sally Field for “Norma Rae".

Thoughts: The Three Mile Island crisis really must have influenced Oscar because, after her first four nominations, this performance simply doesn’t compare. It’s certainly a good one, and Fonda is a very believable reporter. Yet, and for those who have seen “The China Syndrome” are sure to agree, this is ultimately Jack Lemmon’s show. And besides: no matter how good Fonda was here, she was never going to top Bette Midler’s astonishing work in “The Rose” - well, for me anyway.

On Golden Pond (1981)

Nominee: Best Supporting Actress
Character: Chelsea Thayer Wayne, a resentful daughter coming to terms with her elderly parents
And the Oscar went to…: Maureen Stapleton for “Reds”

Thoughts: Despite this having my favorite Jane Fonda moment ever (the back flip!) I’ll admit the performance was a little silly. Same goes for the nomination - and, to an extent, the Oscars for Henry and Katharine Hepburn. It’s a nice little movie, sure, but…that’s about it.

However, after watching Fonda’s Private Screenings interview on Turner Classic Movies I have a newfound interest in “On Golden Pond.” I didn’t know her relationship with Henry was so rocky, which is why I want to see it again. Stay tuned.

The Morning After (1986)
Nominee: Best Actress
Character: Alex Sternbergen, a frantic woman in search of clarity after an inconvenient blackout
And the Oscar went to…: Marlee Matlin for “Children of a Lesser God".

Thoughts: An inexplicable nomination - and this is coming from a huge Jane Fonda fan. Some say it was a makeup nomination for the 1985’s “Agnes of God.” I’m personally as clueless as Alex. What were they thinking? I wish I knew.

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What about you? What is your favorite Oscar-nominaed performance by Jane Fonda?

Also: be sure to check back next week for week 2 of the "A Look Back At..." series!

"The Bourne Ultimatum" Trailer; Plus: Depp as Sweeney, and George and Renee in Leather

Yahoo! UK has the official (teaser?) trailer for "The Bourne Ultimatum" which you can check out here. They've been filming the movie all over Manhattan the past couple weeks. Sadly, I didn't get to see it - and by it I mean Matt Damon. :(

Also be sure to check out the first glimpse of Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd himself. Looks a little like Edward Scissorhands, no?

And finally: for the 2 Renee Zellweger fans left out there, JustJared has some on set pics from the December release "Leatherhead." This is like, my dream movie (I always wished the George/Renee couple rumors were true) so please humor me for a moment. Thanks.

A Look Ahead To...April

April is only 6 days away, so to prepare you guys for the next 30 days of movie watching, here are 5 flicks that might be worth seeing as spring kicks into full gear.

The Hoax

(April 6th - limited)

Will my dream of hearing the phrase "Academy Award-nominee Richard Gere" finally come true? Probably not. But with pretty solid reviews already coming in, "The Hoax" could prove that it's success at the Rome Film Festival last year was indeed no hoax.

(Trailer)

Year of the Dog

(April 13th - limited)

Molly Shannon was my favorite cast member during the SNL heydey, so I'm looking forward to seeing what she does in her first leading role. So far the critics think she put in a good effort, which means Shannon might become a supahstah! after all.
(Trailer)

The Nanny Diaries

(April 20th - wide)

This one has "The Devil Wears Prada" redux all over it. Whether it'll be as successful with critics and audiences remains to be seen. But with Scar Jo in the lead, "American Splendor's" Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini behind the camera, and Chris Evans playing a character named - wait for it - Harvard Hottie, hope remains for this relatively excited blogger.

(Trailer)

And of course...

The Repaing (April 5th) and Perfect Stranger (April 13th), which will likely put Hilary Swank back on the bad movie track, where she will join Halle Berry in what looks to be yet another misstep for the Oscar-winning actress. Don't believe me? Well, see for yourself.

What about you guys? Which April movies are you anticipating the most? What are you planning to avoid? And for those bloggers still in love with March, how excited are you for Meet the Robinsons and Blades of Glory? (don't answer that, please - you know how I loathe Will Ferrell ;) )

Confession Time!: Classic Movies You Still Haven't Seen

The American Film Institute is releasing a new 100 Years: 100 Movies list in June, which aims to include some of the more recent classics with Citizen Kane, The Godfather and what have you.

I was personally a big fan of the original list. I didn't necessarily agree with all of the selections, but it was - and still is - a great tool for every film lover. In a way, it's like the 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, only much more basic and much less daunting.

It's been about 10 years since the first list came out, and of course I've yet to complete it. And now that the new list is only a couple months away, I'm starting to wonder why I haven't seen certain classic movies.

Like "Rocky", for example. "Rocky" is a movie I should have seen by now, not only because it won Best Picture, but because it seems like everyone else has seen it once or twice, if not more. And the fact that I've yet to watch it makes me feel like all my movie watching days have gone down the drain. But I could just be paranoid.

What about you guys? Have you completed the original AFI List? If not, what do you have left to see? Also: what great movies not on the list - classic or contemporary - do you feel stupid for not seeing?

Jack & Rose Live On in "Revolutionary Road"

Thanks to 16 for the tip:

DiCaprio and Winslet Reunite on Revolutionary Road

Source: Variety

March 23, 2007
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are teaming for the first time since Titanic to star in DreamWorks' Revolutionary Road, reports Variety.

Sam Mendes will direct the movie, based on the acclaimed 1961 novel by Richard Yates about post-war disillusionment.

John N. Hart, Scott Rudin, Bobby Cohen and Mendes, who's married to Winslet, will produce in association with BBC Films.

Yates' heart-rending and bleak book, celebrated for its storytelling style, follows a seemingly happy suburban couple with two children in the mid-1950s who find themselves caught between their true desires and the pressure to conform -- with explosive consequences.

Mendes begins filming this summer from an adapted screenplay by writer Justin Haythe. Paramount Pictures has worldwide rights.

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Has anyone read the book? If so, what do you think about the casting? I'm personally excited about a Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater-Dawson reunion, but that's just me.

American Idol: The Crying Game

Last night's British Invasion theme brought out some pretty good results from the contestants. Melinda continued to excel, while Blake and Jordin (!!!!!) got my votes with two fantastic performances.

But it's difficult to talk about last night's show without discussing the name on everybody's lips: Crying Girl. No, she's not a contestant; just merely an obsessive fan with cute yet somewhat frightening emotional habits.

So I decided to join in on the fun by making a poster in honor of Season 6's most memorable moment. Let us all pray that Crying Girl never sees it for I fear she would burst into even more tears ---- if that's humanly possible.

Enjoy.

Box Office Report: March 16th-18th

From BoxOfficeMojo:


1. 300 - $31.185M
2. Wild Hogs - $18.825M
3. Premonition - $18M
4. Dead Silence - $7.77M
5. I Think I Love My Wife - $5.715M
6. Bridge to Terebithia - $5.14M
7. Ghost Rider - $4M
8. Zodiac - $3.07M
9. Norbit - $2.72M
10. Music and Lyrics - $2.2M
11. Amazing Grace - $2.05M
-. The Livers of Others - $0.83M
-. The Namesake - $0.69M

---I finally made it to see 300 this weekend hoping that it would be a better movie going experience than Premonition. And it was to a degree, but I don't really get the hype. It wasn't as campy as Troy (the sex scene, WTF?) and the story itself wasn't the least bit cinematic. Oh well. At least I'm keeping true to my Oscar season resolution.

What about you guys? Did you make it to the movies or were you too hungover from St. Patrick's Day?

So Bad It's...Well, Bad

I had a premonition that "Premonition" would be God awful the moment I saw the trailer. And the reviews this week confirmed all suspicions, as it currently stands at 08% fresh on the tomatometer. So why did I still go to see it? An undying love for Sandra Bullock, you ask? A secret obsession with time travel? Sadistic urges to torture myself for two hours?

Nah. I'm just a really big fan of camp. Ever since I saw "Showgirls" I've been actively seeking out the next great camp classic. So when I see that a film is less than 10% fresh, I tell myself it's a good thing. She wakes up one day and he's alive. She wakes up the next and he's dead! That sounds campy!
-

Well, it's not. Premonition is merely another one of those stupid Hollywood thrillers that had absolutely no reason to be made. The premise is absurd, Sandra is wasted and it doesn't even attempt to piss you off with any left field twists by way of M. Night Shyamalan. It's just crap.

But on the plus side: I did encounter perhaps one of the most random celeb sightings ever last night. After the movie ended my friend pointed out that the creepy old man who walked in during the previews was really Bill Nighy, alone at a 10:30 PM showing. Poor guy. I guess he isn't taking the whole "Vertical Hour" cancellation thing very well.

Cate Blanchett Joins Indy 4

This is kind of awesome. From The Hollywood Reporter:

"Blanchett on Crusade to 'Indiana Jones 4'"

By Tatiana Siegel
March 16, 2007
Cate Blanchett has signed on to star in the fourth installment of the "Indiana Jones" adventures.

Harrison Ford already has boarded the project, which will be produced by Lucasfilm and directed by Steven Spielberg.

With David Koepp's screenplay shrouded in secrecy, it is unclear what character Blanchett will play. However, sources said the Oscar-winning actress has landed a starring role.

Shooting will begin in June in Los Angeles and at undisclosed locations around the world. Paramount Pictures will release "Indy 4" day-and-date around the world on May 22, 2008, with a handful of territories opening the following day.

Frank Marshall is producing, with George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy executive producing.

Blanchett, who is filming David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," next will lend her voice to Wes Anderson's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox." In addition to her Academy Award win for "The Aviator," she received a supporting nomination this year for her role in Richard Eyre's "Notes on a Scandal."

She is repped by CAA.

American Idol: The Dirty Dozen

Here's a quick recap of tonight's telecast before I hit the hay:

01. Melinda (A) - Melinda easily has the best voice in the competition. She's also extremely humble, and therefore extremely likeable, which makes her the undisputed frontrunner. Can she even lose at this point? I wonder.

-

02. Jordin (A) - Cute and bubbly with a powerhouse voice and commercial appeal. Lisa Tucker, eat your heart out!

-

03. LaKisha (B+) - I think LaKisha is ridiculously overrated, but I'll admit tonight's performance was good. Still, I'm not buying into the hype just yet.

-

04. Blake (B) - Interesting performance, but Blake is doing everything I hoped he wouldn't at this stage of the game. Instead of beat boxing your way through the competition, try showing a little range instead. It'll help in the long run.

-

05. Stephanie (B) - Another good but not great performance from the 19 year old Beyonce wannabe. I want to like her, but part of me feels that she's not worth the effort.

-

06. Phil (C) - Needs to tone it down about 50 notches.

-

07. Chris R. (C-) totally butchered my favorite Diana Ross song, but he's kinda sort of adorable so I can't really be too hard on him, can I?

-

08. Chris S. (C-) I completely forgot he had performed until the recap at the end. Maybe he should wear glasses from now on.

-

09. Gina (D+) - Major identity issues. First she wants to be Celine Dion. Then she wants to be Amy Lee. Now it appears she wants to be Kelly Clarkson. Well, in order to do that you need to be able to sing, not shout.

-

10. Haley (D) - Poor Haley. Tonight she did everything to prove why she shouldn't have made it to the top 12 to begin with. Likeable personality, but her voice is anything but.

-

11. Sanjaya (D-) - Horrible yet again, but I've gotten used to this kind of BS by now. Eventually, America will wake up and vote Sanjaya off for good (see: John Stevens and Kevin Covais for more reference)

-

12. Brandon (F) - Not worth remembering if he can't even remember the lyrics. Ugh. What happened? He showed so much potential in his audition but has sucked ever since. I don't get it.

Trailers and Posters and Clips (Oh My!)

A couple of noteworthy items have made their way onto the internet this week. Among them:

---the trailer for the upcoming flick"The Savages" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney. Reviews from Sundance were relatively positive, and after watching the trailer I can see why. Will Hoffman and Linney make their way back to the Kodak this season? We shall soon find out.

---ShoWest has released a number of posters for the upcoming summer movie season. Among the best: The Bourne Supremacy, Waitress and Evan Almighty.


---And for all you Keira Knightley fans: check out the sneak peek of "Atonement", due in theaters later this year.

"Waitress" Trailer

Check out the trailer for the Sundance hit "Waitress" here.

Initial thoughts: it looks more cutesy and less baity than I had anticipated but I'll still be there opening day. I have to do my best to kick the Keri Russell Comeback Campaign into full gear.

What do you guys think? Will "Waitress" be the next Sundance hit or are we entering into light romcom territory here?

Oscar Season Resolutions

Now that the 2006 race is over, is there anything different you plan on doing as 2007 gets underway?

For me, my goal is to simply see more movies. I already see enough as it is, but there were still a few I wish I hadn't passed on - random ones like "Hollywoodland" and "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints". So this year, if there's anything I'm kinda, sorta interested in, I'm just gonna see it. 300 would be a good example, and I'll probably head to the theater sometime tomorrow.

What about you guys? How are you planning on making 2007 a better Oscar season?

Most Anticipated Performances: 2007

I'm a little scarred by my excessive "Dreamgirls" coverage last year, so instead of releasing a most anticipated films list I thought I'd shake things up a bit. Below is a list of 10 performances that have piqued my interest in some way shape or form. Keep in mind that this list is in no particular order, has little to do with Oscar, and was compiled on a first glance basis only. I'm well aware that I'm forgetting a boat load of performances, so please: no hate mail. ;)

With that in mind, here are 10 performances I'm looking forward to seeing in 2007:

Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
I know I said these weren't in order, but Cate Blanchett's performance in "I'm Not There" is the one I'm secretly anticipating the most. The concept of the movie completely fascinates me, and even though the Academy might think it's too weird, it's bound to be an interesting expereince at the very least. And plus: it's Cate Blanchett. She's the type of actress who could make anything work---even Bob Dylan.

Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
David Poland has already gone on record to say that "Sweeney Todd" will earn Johnny Depp his 3rd nomination. That's fine, but I'm not really interested in awards just yet. I'm more interested in seeing what Depp actually does with the role. Specifically: can he sing? Better yet: can he sing well? Sweeney is a challenging role in the vocal department, and Depp appears to be up for the challenge. Will it pay off? Time will tell.

Keri Russell, Waitress
There are certain actresses I randomly latch on to for no reason, and Keri Russell is one of them. She pretty much disappeared after the cancellation of "Felicity" and I've been waiting for a comeback ever since. She might have found it the late Adrienne Shelly's "Waitress", one of the most popular movies to play at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The reviews are optimistic, and so am I.

Clive Owen, The Golden Age
because he's my favorite actor and I'm itching to see him win an Oscar one day. Could this role be the one to bring home the golden guy? Let's hope so.

Nicole Kidman, Margot at the Wedding
Nicole was one of our finest working actresses until she went off the deep end and started making one shitty movie after another. I'm still not ready to make nice after the disasterous "Bewitched", but I will admit this project sounds pretty good.

Joaquin Phoenix, Reservation Road
Joaquin didn't completely wow me in "Walk the Line" but I admired his dedication to the film and I think he's generally very talented. Other people must agree because, from what little I've seen, he's already being listed as one of the frontrunners to win Best Actor. Exciting!

The Cast of "Evening"
I sometimes have a love/Ok, I'm cheating, but look at this cast!! I'm already in movie heaven.

Matt Damon, The Bourne Ultimatum
Matt Damon's performance in "The Departed" confirmed my feelings that he is the most underrated working actor today (are people still not over the Ben Affleck thing?) He's made a real career for himself post-Oscar and the "Bourne" series is one of the hilights. Of course, "Ultimatum" is likely to win him more money than awards, but hey: at least it'll be fun to watch.

Norah Jones, My Blueberry Nights
Most random casting decision ever? Probably. But Wong Kar Wai is a smart guy, so there's bound to be a reason behind this, right?

Right?

Russell Crowe, American Gangster
Negative publicity aside, Russell Crowe is one of our finest actors, so I'm hoping for a mini-comeback this year. I have no idea if he's the lead or not (it's Denzel, right?) but the fact that Crowe is working with Ridley Scott is fun news in itself.

What about you guys? What are your most anticipated performances? Who did I forget? And to throw a wrench into the mix: are there any performances you're not anticipating? Bring those claws out, bloggers!

If you need a laugh...

...check out the poster for the new Sandra Bullock movie "Premonition." I don't think I've laughed this hard since the trailer for "The Lake House" came out.

My Two Cents: Zodiac

I normally don't go to the movies at this time of year. Part of the reason why is because I'm still exhausted from the previous Oscar race. Mostly, though, it's because the movies released between January and March tend to, well, suck. Case and point: Because I Said So, a shrill, by the numbers romcom that my sneaky friends duped me into seeing.

But every so often a tiny diamond emerges from the rough. It happened last year with Spike Lee's bank robber flick "Inside Man", which earned Lee some of his best reviews and box office numbers to date. Now, another gem has been found, this time by way of "Zodiac," David Fincher's psychological thriller about the unsolved murders of the Zodiac killer.

Despite a number of hits, Fincher has remained relatively under the radar. And while "Zodiac" won't do much for his career awards wise, it's nevertheless a testament to his consistency behind the camera. At nearly 3 hours, Fincher dives deep into the case in a way that's both engaging and down right scary. In fact, certain scenes are such a mind fuck that become reminiscent of great thrillers like "The Silence of the Lambs."


Of course, on the whole "Zodiac" is nowhere near as good as Demme's Oscar-winning masterpiece. While scary, "Zodiac" can sometimes feel a little tedious. Also, the film covers a huge chunk of time with little makeup or costume change, which might confuse some. But it's still a genuinely smart and well crafted movie, and in a season where films like "Norbit" and "Wild Hogs" are hogging the box office, that's all you can really hope for.

B+

In the future...

...what would you guys like to see happen at the blog? 2007 predix won't be out for at least a couple weeks, and after that we're going to have a lot of down time as summer approaches.

So if you have suggestions please post them here. I have a couple ideas brewing already but I'd like to hear from you guys, too. Thanks.