Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!trwrb!cepu!ucla-cs!reiher From: reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: Acadamy Award nominations Message-ID: <3815@ucla-cs.ARPA> Date: Fri, 8-Feb-85 03:58:57 EST Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.3815 Posted: Fri Feb 8 03:58:57 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 12-Feb-85 05:50:43 EST Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department Lines: 93 Well, the Oscar nominations are out. I will only list the main category nominies here. See a newspaper for a full list. Best Picture: "Amadeus", "The Killing Fields", "A Passage to India", "Places in the Heart", and "A Soldier's Story" Best Actor: F. Murray Abraham "Amadeus", Jeff Bridges "Starman", Albert Finney "Under the Volcano", Tom Hulce "Amadeus", Sam Waterston "The Killing Fields" Best Actress: Judy Davis "A Passage to India", Sally Field "Places in the Heart", Jessica Lange "Country", Vanessa Redgrave "The Bostonians", Sissy Spacek "The River" Best Supporting Actor: Adolph Caesar "A Soldier's Story", John Malkovich "Places in the Heart", Noriyuki (Pat) Morita "The Karate Kid", Haing S. Ngor "The Killing Fields", Ralph Richardson "Greystoke" Best Supporting Actress: Peggy Ashcroft "A Passage to India", Glenn Close "The Natural", Lindsay Crouse "Places in the Heart", Christine Lahti "Swing Shift", Geraldine Page "The Pope of Greenwich Village" Best Director: Woody Allen "Broadway Danny Rose", Robert Benton "Places in the Heart", Milos Forman "Amadeus", Roland Joffe "The Killing Fields", David Lean "A Passage to India" A few comments. The most noticeable omission, in my view, is Richard Burton for Best Supporting Actor for "1984". I fully expected him to be nominated, particularly in view of his recent death. Since I feel that his was the finest performance, male or female, leading or supporting, of the year, I am disappointed. In his absence, the category is a race between Richardson, getting the sympathy vote, and Ngor. Ngor may never give another performance in his life, but he was quite perfect for this role. Pat Morita might have won in a slower year for the category, but not this year. Caesar and Malkovich did good, solid work, but aren't in the same league. As usual, the Best Picture nominations went to solemn, "quality" pictures. Personally, I wouldn't place "Amadeus", "Places in the Heart", or "A Soldier's Story" among the twenty best American films of the year. However, they take themselves so seriously that apparently they fooled the Acadamy. I'd guess that "The Killing Fields" will win over "A Passage to India", but both Lean's film and "Amadeus" have a good chance. "Places in the Heart" and "A Soldier's Story" can consider themselves lucky to get this far. They won't go farther. A very slow year for leading performances, male and female, and the best ones weren't nominated. Steve Martin (who won several critics' groups awards) for "All of Me" and John Hurt, who was so good in "1984", both failed to make it, as did Matthew Modine and Nicholas Cage, for "Birdy". Kathleen Turner wasn't nominated for either "Crimes of Passion" (her best performance this year) or "Romancing the Stone" (lesser, but better than some of what did get nominated. Diane Keaton probably deserved a nomination for either "Mrs. Soffel" (preferably) or "The Little Drummer Girl" (more likely). From what we have, I'd guess that Albert Finney will win for "Under the Volcano". No way in hell the Acadamy will give an Oscar to a kid who starred in "Animal House" (Hulce wasn't that good anyway), but he should drain some votes off from Abraham, who was pretty good. Sam Waterston's performance isn't forceful enough to win. Bridges was very inventive in "Starman", but not inventive enough, I think, to win. Judy Davis just might win an Oscar by default. None of the nominated performances are dominating work, and the other four ladies have already won Oscars. Field and Spacek probably stand the best chances, after Davis. Best Supporting Actress is a two woman race, between two different, excellent performances. Peggy Ashcroft is integral to the story of "A Passage to India" and gives a supporting performance in the fullest sense of the word. Geraldine Page is peripheral to the main action of "The Pope of Greenwich Village", but her performance is so entertaining and strong that she steals the picture. The other actresses are along for the ride. (Apparently the Acadamy has a bylaw which states that Glenn Close must be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. I can think of no other reason her competent but undistinguished performance was nominated.) I'd bet on Ashcroft. In terms of who actually did the best job directing, I'd place it between Allen, Lean, and Joffe. Only the latter two really stand a chance. Lean has already gotten his Oscars, but this may be the last chance to give him another. Joffe's direction was also good, but he did not dominate his film the way Lean did. Giving the Oscar to Benton or Forman would be a crime. I'd guess Lean. Other notes of interest: Robert Towne's dog, P.H. Vazak was nominated for best adapted screenplay. The cinematography nominations are very well chosen, not a loser in the bunch. If there is any justice (there isn't), the editors of "The Cotton Club" will win for that film. "Dune" was nominated for sound, but not for visual effects. "Amadeus" and "2010" are destined to lose the makeup award to "Greystoke". The Acadamy always loves seeing actors turned into monkeys. -- Peter Reiher reiher@ucla-cs.arpa {...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiher