Although he only made two fiction features, filmmaker Michael Roemer benefited greatly from an early rediscovery in the 1990s, thanks to the fortuitous unearthing of a film he made in 1969, The Plot Against Harry, a wry, dry comedy starring Martin Priest. His other film, 1964’s Nothing But a Man, is often compared by critics to the slicker, middle-America-friendly films that Sidney Poitier was making during the same era. Almost without exception, film about the minority experience in ’60s America were smoothed-over paeans to “the triumph of the human spirit,” starring or co-starring whites whose presence is required as witnesses, arbiters, and the final, thankful beneficiaries of growth and change. Bland but well-meaning, films like Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? and A Patch of Blue, seeking to instruct the white moviegoer by giving them a diagrammatic path to sociopolitical enlightenment, had a funny habit of discounting, even nullifying, the Black experience.
- 2/22/2024
- by Jaime N. Christley
- Slant Magazine
For most actors, winning an Oscar is seen as the absolute pinnacle of a Hollywood career. For a select group of performers, though, one simply isn’t enough.
There have been 44 different actors to have won multiple awards, the first coming in 1937 when Luise Rainer became the original two-time Oscar darling.
Some manage to win every time they are nominated. Others, such as the inimitable Meryl Streep, have careers peppered with nominations, winning only when the so-called narrative dictates.
In 2021, Anthony Hopkins took home his second statuette, for his role in The Father. The year before, Renée Zellweger took home her second Oscar after playing Judy Garland in Judy.
In 2020, Mahershala Ali picked up his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Best Picture winner Green Book. He previously won for Moonlight in 2017.
Here are the actors with the most Oscar wins.
Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins picked up his second Oscar for The Father,...
There have been 44 different actors to have won multiple awards, the first coming in 1937 when Luise Rainer became the original two-time Oscar darling.
Some manage to win every time they are nominated. Others, such as the inimitable Meryl Streep, have careers peppered with nominations, winning only when the so-called narrative dictates.
In 2021, Anthony Hopkins took home his second statuette, for his role in The Father. The year before, Renée Zellweger took home her second Oscar after playing Judy Garland in Judy.
In 2020, Mahershala Ali picked up his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Best Picture winner Green Book. He previously won for Moonlight in 2017.
Here are the actors with the most Oscar wins.
Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins picked up his second Oscar for The Father,...
- 3/12/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
For most actors, winning an Oscar is seen as the absolute pinnacle of a Hollywood career. For a select group of performers, though, one simply isn’t enough.
There have been 44 different actors to have won multiple awards, the first coming in 1937 when Luise Rainer became the original two-time Oscar darling.
Some manage to win every time they are nominated. Others, such as the inimitable Meryl Streep, have careers peppered with nominations, winning only when the so-called narrative dictates.
In 2021, Anthony Hopkins took home his second statuette, for his role in The Father. The year before, Renée Zellweger took home her second Oscar after playing Judy Garland in Judy.
In 2020, Mahershala Ali picked up his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Best Picture winner Green Book. He previously won for Moonlight in 2017.
Here are the actors with the most Oscar wins.
Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins picked up his second Oscar for The Father,...
There have been 44 different actors to have won multiple awards, the first coming in 1937 when Luise Rainer became the original two-time Oscar darling.
Some manage to win every time they are nominated. Others, such as the inimitable Meryl Streep, have careers peppered with nominations, winning only when the so-called narrative dictates.
In 2021, Anthony Hopkins took home his second statuette, for his role in The Father. The year before, Renée Zellweger took home her second Oscar after playing Judy Garland in Judy.
In 2020, Mahershala Ali picked up his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Best Picture winner Green Book. He previously won for Moonlight in 2017.
Here are the actors with the most Oscar wins.
Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins picked up his second Oscar for The Father,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
In 1998, 63-year-old Judi Dench earned her first Oscar nomination for her performance in “Mrs. Brown,” which made her the fifth oldest first-time Best Actress contender up to that point. That same year, 87-year-old supporting hopeful Gloria Stuart (“Titanic”) set a still-intact oldest female nominee record that Dench just came within 161 days of breaking by landing a featured bid this year for “Belfast.”
This marks Dench’s eighth career nomination, which makes her one of the six most-recognized actresses in Oscars history alongside Glenn Close and Geraldine Page and behind Meryl Streep (21), Katharine Hepburn (12), and Bette Davis (11). She has one past win to her name for her notoriously brief turn in “Shakespeare in Love” (1999). Pulling off a second supporting victory would make her the third actress to do so, after Shelley Winters and Dianne Wiest.
This is Dench’s third supporting outing. In terms of screen time, her average for her...
This marks Dench’s eighth career nomination, which makes her one of the six most-recognized actresses in Oscars history alongside Glenn Close and Geraldine Page and behind Meryl Streep (21), Katharine Hepburn (12), and Bette Davis (11). She has one past win to her name for her notoriously brief turn in “Shakespeare in Love” (1999). Pulling off a second supporting victory would make her the third actress to do so, after Shelley Winters and Dianne Wiest.
This is Dench’s third supporting outing. In terms of screen time, her average for her...
- 3/16/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Updated with latest: Networks are marshaling to set programming this month in tribute of Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking and Oscar-winning actor and civil rights activist who died last week at age 94.
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network will feature special programming this Sunday that includes the iconic actor’s 2000 and 2007 appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and an airing of his 1967 film To Sir, With Love. The network also said that it will air the 2015 special Oprah Winfrey Presents: Legends Who Paved the Way featuring Poitier at a gala honoring “some of the legendary men and extraordinary women of the civil rights movement who made history.”
To Sir, With Love and the Oprah Winfrey Show episodes will be available beginning Sunday on the WatchOWN app, the network said.
TCM said today that it will roll out 12 Poitier movies in a marathon programming block Saturday and Sunday, February 19-20. February 20 will mark what...
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network will feature special programming this Sunday that includes the iconic actor’s 2000 and 2007 appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and an airing of his 1967 film To Sir, With Love. The network also said that it will air the 2015 special Oprah Winfrey Presents: Legends Who Paved the Way featuring Poitier at a gala honoring “some of the legendary men and extraordinary women of the civil rights movement who made history.”
To Sir, With Love and the Oprah Winfrey Show episodes will be available beginning Sunday on the WatchOWN app, the network said.
TCM said today that it will roll out 12 Poitier movies in a marathon programming block Saturday and Sunday, February 19-20. February 20 will mark what...
- 1/13/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – With the passing of actor Sidney Poitier at the age of 94 on January 6th, 2022, another lion of the cinema – who represented succinctly an era of the movies – has left the mortal coil. HollywoodChicago.com presents the following appreciation through three film essays in retrospect by Patrick McDonald, Spike Walters and Jon Lennon Espino.
Although Poitier represented American blacks in his early career, often cast as the dignified presence among the bigotry floating around him, his early life was in the Bahamas. He moved to Miami at age 15 (he was born in Miami while his Bahamian parents sold produce there) and after serving in the Army during World War II, he joined the American Negro Theater in New York City.
Poster Art: ‘Lilies of the Field’ (1963), Featuring Oscar Best Actor Sidney Poitier
Photo credit: HBO Max (VOD)
After working in theater, he made his major film debut in 1950 with the incendiary “No Way Out.
Although Poitier represented American blacks in his early career, often cast as the dignified presence among the bigotry floating around him, his early life was in the Bahamas. He moved to Miami at age 15 (he was born in Miami while his Bahamian parents sold produce there) and after serving in the Army during World War II, he joined the American Negro Theater in New York City.
Poster Art: ‘Lilies of the Field’ (1963), Featuring Oscar Best Actor Sidney Poitier
Photo credit: HBO Max (VOD)
After working in theater, he made his major film debut in 1950 with the incendiary “No Way Out.
- 1/10/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
“Sidney Poitier was the epitome of Black Dignity, Black beauty, Black pride and Black power” by “N.Y. Times” Charles M. Blow Sidney Poitier family issues statement on his death: “he is our guiding light.” “Sidney L. Poitier Kbe, February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022, R.I.P. Sidney Poitier was a Bahamian-American actor, film director, activist, and ambassador. In 1964, he was the first black person and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two Academy Award nominations, ten Golden Globes nominations, two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, six BAFTA nominations, eight Laurel nominations, and one Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) nomination. Poitier’s entire family lived in the Bahamas, then still a British colony, but he was born unexpectedly in Miami while they were visiting for the weekend, which automatically granted him U.S. citizenship. He grew up in the Bahamas, but moved to Miami at age 15, and to...
- 1/8/2022
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Every artist hopes to make the world a better place. Sidney Poitier actually did.
It was partly timing. When the actor, who died Friday, made his film debut in 1950’s “No Way Out,” Hollywood was ready to tackle the issue of racial equality. After centuries of bigotry, 20th century mass media like radio and newsreels alerted the public to cases of blatant prejudice like the 1931 Scottsboro trial. Consciousness was slowly being raised by negative examples as well as positive ones, such as the contributions of Black people during World War II.
So Hollywood cautiously opened the gates. There were other Black actors in lead film roles, including James Edwards and Harry Belafonte, but they were rare. It was Poitier who captured the public imagination, with his soft but powerful voice, his precise way of speaking and, crucially, his integrity.
Poitier was given opportunities in Hollywood; more important is what he did with them.
It was partly timing. When the actor, who died Friday, made his film debut in 1950’s “No Way Out,” Hollywood was ready to tackle the issue of racial equality. After centuries of bigotry, 20th century mass media like radio and newsreels alerted the public to cases of blatant prejudice like the 1931 Scottsboro trial. Consciousness was slowly being raised by negative examples as well as positive ones, such as the contributions of Black people during World War II.
So Hollywood cautiously opened the gates. There were other Black actors in lead film roles, including James Edwards and Harry Belafonte, but they were rare. It was Poitier who captured the public imagination, with his soft but powerful voice, his precise way of speaking and, crucially, his integrity.
Poitier was given opportunities in Hollywood; more important is what he did with them.
- 1/7/2022
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Sidney Poitier, the first Black actor to win an Academy Award (for his performance in 1963’s “Lilies of the Field”), has died at age 94. Tributes from friends and famous fans immediately began to pour in, honoring a trailblazer who forged a way forward for Black performers. Poitier enjoyed a lengthy career, first on Broadway and then starring in films including “In the Heat of the Night,” “A Raisin in the Sun” (in which he reprised his starring role from Broadway), “To Sir, With Love,” “A Patch of Blue,” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”
“What a landmark actor. One of a kind. What a beautiful, gracious, warm, genuinely regal man,” Jeffrey Wright shared on Twitter. Lee Grant, his co-star in “In the Heat of the Night,” tweeted, “Sidney was a force of nature. One of [the] most intelligent, beautiful, and unstoppable human beings I’ve ever known. He made our world,...
“What a landmark actor. One of a kind. What a beautiful, gracious, warm, genuinely regal man,” Jeffrey Wright shared on Twitter. Lee Grant, his co-star in “In the Heat of the Night,” tweeted, “Sidney was a force of nature. One of [the] most intelligent, beautiful, and unstoppable human beings I’ve ever known. He made our world,...
- 1/7/2022
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
Sidney Poitier, the trailblazing and iconic Black actor, director, civil rights activist and humanitarian, has died, the Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs announced Friday.
Details of his death were not immediately available.
The first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor — for 1964’s Lilies of the Field — Poitier was towering figure in Hollywood and beyond, starring in such classics as A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night and To Sir With Love, to name a select few, while taking on a global profile for his unceasing calls for civil rights, racial equality and human dignity.
Offscreen, Poitier’s work and support for civil rights in the 1960s put him at the forefront of the movement and made him one of its most prominent public faces. He attended, along with his lifelong friend Harry Belafonte, the 1963 March on Washington,...
Details of his death were not immediately available.
The first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor — for 1964’s Lilies of the Field — Poitier was towering figure in Hollywood and beyond, starring in such classics as A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night and To Sir With Love, to name a select few, while taking on a global profile for his unceasing calls for civil rights, racial equality and human dignity.
Offscreen, Poitier’s work and support for civil rights in the 1960s put him at the forefront of the movement and made him one of its most prominent public faces. He attended, along with his lifelong friend Harry Belafonte, the 1963 March on Washington,...
- 1/7/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Rita Moreno is one of a select few in Hollywood who have achieved the exceptionally rare honor of winning the Egot. But the legendary actress, who turns 90 on Dec. 11, isn’t done yet. After playing the scene-stealing Lydia on Netflix and Pop TV’s “One Day at a Time” for four seasons, she’s back on the big screen and could join the history books (again) in the very near future.
Moreno, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Anita in the 1961 film adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical “West Side Story,” could take home the same award for playing a different character in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the musical, which is set to hit theaters Dec. 10. In the new movie, Moreno plays Valentina, a reimagined version of the Doc character, who owned the corner store in which Tony worked and was played by...
Moreno, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Anita in the 1961 film adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical “West Side Story,” could take home the same award for playing a different character in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the musical, which is set to hit theaters Dec. 10. In the new movie, Moreno plays Valentina, a reimagined version of the Doc character, who owned the corner store in which Tony worked and was played by...
- 12/9/2021
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
The Best Supporting Actress awards were first handed out at the 9th Academy Awards ceremony held in 1937, and in the nearly 85 years since, 83 women have received this honor. Only two have won multiple Oscars in this category: Dianne Wiest and Shelley Winters. The great character actress Thelma Ritter holds the record number of nominations in this category with six, sadly without a win, while Amy Adams has had five bids in supporting (one in lead), also without a win.
This is a category that often sees first nominations, many times recognizing ingenues who go on to earn multiples nominations throughout their careers. The youngest acting winner of all time was a Best Supporting Actress recipient: 10-year-old Tatum O’Neal won for “Paper Moon” in 1974. However, veteran actresses are also considered, with some receiving their sole nomination in their golden years. In fact, seven of the 10 oldest nominees in this category each received her sole nomination,...
This is a category that often sees first nominations, many times recognizing ingenues who go on to earn multiples nominations throughout their careers. The youngest acting winner of all time was a Best Supporting Actress recipient: 10-year-old Tatum O’Neal won for “Paper Moon” in 1974. However, veteran actresses are also considered, with some receiving their sole nomination in their golden years. In fact, seven of the 10 oldest nominees in this category each received her sole nomination,...
- 10/16/2021
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
HollyShorts Film Festival Announces Dates and Lineup
Short films starring Taika Waititi, Jessica Chastain, Tiffany Haddish and those produced by Octavia Spencer and Leonardo DiCaprio are among highlights of the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, running Sept. 23-Oct. 1 at the Tcl Chinese Theatres and online.
Selections include Spencer Susser’s “Save Ralph,” starring Zac Efron, Waititi and George Lopez; Aneil Karia’s “The Long Goodbye” starring Riz Ahmed; Orlando von Einsiedel’s “Into Dust” produced by DiCaprio; Aidan Tanner’s “The Sands Between” starring Chastain; Minsun Park and Teddy Tenenbaum’s “Koreatown Ghost Story,” starring Margaret Cho; Zeberiah Newman’s “Right to Try,” produced by Spencer.
Other films on the slate are: Geoff Dunbar’s “When Winter Comes”; Lindiwe Suttle Müller-Westernhagen’s “Desmond’s Not Here Anymore;” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman’s “Life Unexpected,” Julien Joslin’s “No Longer Suitable for Use,” Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe’s Oscar-Winning “Two Distant Strangers,...
Short films starring Taika Waititi, Jessica Chastain, Tiffany Haddish and those produced by Octavia Spencer and Leonardo DiCaprio are among highlights of the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, running Sept. 23-Oct. 1 at the Tcl Chinese Theatres and online.
Selections include Spencer Susser’s “Save Ralph,” starring Zac Efron, Waititi and George Lopez; Aneil Karia’s “The Long Goodbye” starring Riz Ahmed; Orlando von Einsiedel’s “Into Dust” produced by DiCaprio; Aidan Tanner’s “The Sands Between” starring Chastain; Minsun Park and Teddy Tenenbaum’s “Koreatown Ghost Story,” starring Margaret Cho; Zeberiah Newman’s “Right to Try,” produced by Spencer.
Other films on the slate are: Geoff Dunbar’s “When Winter Comes”; Lindiwe Suttle Müller-Westernhagen’s “Desmond’s Not Here Anymore;” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman’s “Life Unexpected,” Julien Joslin’s “No Longer Suitable for Use,” Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe’s Oscar-Winning “Two Distant Strangers,...
- 8/30/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is naming its 10,000-square foot lobby for 94-year-old screen legend Sidney Poitier, the museum announced on Monday. The museum opens Sept. 30.
“It is an incredible honor to name our grand lobby — the nucleus of the Academy Museum, in celebration of Sir Sidney Poitier, whose legacy of humanitarian efforts and groundbreaking artistry continue to inspire us all,” said Bill Kramer, director and president of the museum, in a statement. “We are deeply thankful to everyone who supported this campaign, and to Sidney, his wife Joanna Shimkus Poitier, and their entire family for allowing us this great privilege.”
Said Joanna Shimkus Poitier in the statement, “Sidney’s tremendous impact on the motion picture industry, and on audiences around the world, is inseparable from the story of his longstanding, collegial relationship with the Academy. Sidney has always taken great pride in the Academy’s recognition of this work.
“It is an incredible honor to name our grand lobby — the nucleus of the Academy Museum, in celebration of Sir Sidney Poitier, whose legacy of humanitarian efforts and groundbreaking artistry continue to inspire us all,” said Bill Kramer, director and president of the museum, in a statement. “We are deeply thankful to everyone who supported this campaign, and to Sidney, his wife Joanna Shimkus Poitier, and their entire family for allowing us this great privilege.”
Said Joanna Shimkus Poitier in the statement, “Sidney’s tremendous impact on the motion picture industry, and on audiences around the world, is inseparable from the story of his longstanding, collegial relationship with the Academy. Sidney has always taken great pride in the Academy’s recognition of this work.
- 8/30/2021
- by Diane Haithman
- The Wrap
Sidney Poitier — who turns 94 on Feb. 20 — has received virtually every showbiz award possible: An Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe, plus Life Achievement Awards from AFI, BAFTA, NAACP Image Awards, SAG and Kennedy Center Honors, to name a few. Though the kudos have been plentiful, they aren’t enough to convey the depth of his lasting impact on the entertainment industry, starting with being the first Black winner of best actor Oscar for the 1963 film “Lilies of the Field.”
The film industry’s lack of diversity is still an issue in the 21st century. But diversity was nearly non-existent when Poitier made his film debut in the 1950 “No Way Out.” There had been other Black actors in lead film roles, including James Edwards and Harry Belafonte, but they were extremely rare. And Poitier captured the public imagination like no one before him, with his soft but powerful voice and, crucially, his integrity.
The film industry’s lack of diversity is still an issue in the 21st century. But diversity was nearly non-existent when Poitier made his film debut in the 1950 “No Way Out.” There had been other Black actors in lead film roles, including James Edwards and Harry Belafonte, but they were extremely rare. And Poitier captured the public imagination like no one before him, with his soft but powerful voice and, crucially, his integrity.
- 2/20/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
In The Forty-Year-Old Version, first-time filmmaker Radha Blank (who also wrote and stars in the movie) plays a fictionalized version of herself. A satire of “the theater world, middle age, New York, the racial and gendered expectations of commercial art,” as K. Austin Collins detailed in his review, the beautiful black-and-white film stands as a celebration of New York City’s diverse communities and cultures.
In a new featurette video, Blank shares more of her inspirations, plus candid conversations with contributing musicians — Khrysis, Mickey Factz, Babs Bunny, Courtney Bryan, Styles P...
In a new featurette video, Blank shares more of her inspirations, plus candid conversations with contributing musicians — Khrysis, Mickey Factz, Babs Bunny, Courtney Bryan, Styles P...
- 12/9/2020
- by RS Editors
- Rollingstone.com
by Nathaniel R
Who do you suppose was in second place for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1965? We suspect Shelley Winters won in a landslide for her monster mom but perhaps Peggy Wood's Mother Superior was the runner up since The Sound of Music was so massive. What'cha think? We've noticed on the Smackdown posts that y'all don't really comment about the conversation of the podcast itself but just the write-up / blurb portion. We hope you're listening. The panelists (mwah) were super fun and lively. Here is the podcast again embedded below for your pleasure.
Podcast: 1 hour and 15 minutes
00.01 - Introductions: Spencer Garrett, Kayleigh Donaldson, Baby Clyde, Kevin Jacobsen, and Terence Johnson
06:30 - Othello , Laurence Olivier's "blackface", minstrelsy in that era, Dame Maggie Smith in her youth and today, and the documentary Tea with the Dames
27:00 - Shelley Winters in A Patch of Blue -- some people hate the performance,...
Who do you suppose was in second place for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1965? We suspect Shelley Winters won in a landslide for her monster mom but perhaps Peggy Wood's Mother Superior was the runner up since The Sound of Music was so massive. What'cha think? We've noticed on the Smackdown posts that y'all don't really comment about the conversation of the podcast itself but just the write-up / blurb portion. We hope you're listening. The panelists (mwah) were super fun and lively. Here is the podcast again embedded below for your pleasure.
Podcast: 1 hour and 15 minutes
00.01 - Introductions: Spencer Garrett, Kayleigh Donaldson, Baby Clyde, Kevin Jacobsen, and Terence Johnson
06:30 - Othello , Laurence Olivier's "blackface", minstrelsy in that era, Dame Maggie Smith in her youth and today, and the documentary Tea with the Dames
27:00 - Shelley Winters in A Patch of Blue -- some people hate the performance,...
- 10/12/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The Supporting Actress Smackdown series picks an Oscar vintage and explores...
The Nominees 1965 was all about the Julies, Christie and Andrews, headlining the years biggest hits but both were located in the lead actress category. When some of the year's most lauded supporting actress turned up in films Oscar wasn't interested in they selected quite an odd list from which films they were looking at, still missing one very obvious great choice. Recent Oscar winner Shelley Winters (A Patch of Blue) and recent nominee Joyce Redman (Othello) were invited back and future Dame and Oscar darling Maggie Smith (Othello) was invited for the first time. TV regular Peggy Wood (The Sound of Music) and a longtime Hollywood screenwriter Ruth Gordon (Inside Daisy Clover), nabbing her first nomination in an acting category, were also chosen. The resulting shortlist of characters included a nun, a child abuser, two women doomed by hateful petty men,...
The Nominees 1965 was all about the Julies, Christie and Andrews, headlining the years biggest hits but both were located in the lead actress category. When some of the year's most lauded supporting actress turned up in films Oscar wasn't interested in they selected quite an odd list from which films they were looking at, still missing one very obvious great choice. Recent Oscar winner Shelley Winters (A Patch of Blue) and recent nominee Joyce Redman (Othello) were invited back and future Dame and Oscar darling Maggie Smith (Othello) was invited for the first time. TV regular Peggy Wood (The Sound of Music) and a longtime Hollywood screenwriter Ruth Gordon (Inside Daisy Clover), nabbing her first nomination in an acting category, were also chosen. The resulting shortlist of characters included a nun, a child abuser, two women doomed by hateful petty men,...
- 10/11/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
A reminder that you have until Thursday October 8th (that's coming up so fast) to get your votes in before the next Smackdown. Send in your votes (1 to 5 hearts for each lady) by October 8th. Easy!
• Ruth Gordon, the 'crazy' mom, Inside Daisy Clover Amazon
• Joyce Redman, the help, Othello - YouTube
• Maggie Smith, the long-suffering wife, Othello - YouTube
• Shelley Winters, the 'monster' mom, A Patch of Blue- Amazon
• Peggy Wood, the reverend mother, The Sound of Music - Disney+...
• Ruth Gordon, the 'crazy' mom, Inside Daisy Clover Amazon
• Joyce Redman, the help, Othello - YouTube
• Maggie Smith, the long-suffering wife, Othello - YouTube
• Shelley Winters, the 'monster' mom, A Patch of Blue- Amazon
• Peggy Wood, the reverend mother, The Sound of Music - Disney+...
- 10/6/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Each month before the Supporting Actress Smackdown Nick Taylor selects performances for an alternate ballot...
Of the Golden Globes’ Supporting Actress nominees in 1965, three of their five were transplanted to Oscar’s lineup. Globe winner Ruth Gordon in Inside Daisy Clover, Joyce Redman in Othello, and Peggy Wood in The Sound of Music (who we all basically agree was not the best option from her movie) all made the cut, while Redman’s co-star Maggie Smith was imported from the Globes' Lead Actress-Drama category. Only Shelley Winters, who wound up winning the damn Oscar for A Patch of Blue, failed to show up anywhere at the Globes. The two Globe nominees left out to pasture come Oscar nomination morning were Nbr winner Joan Blondell in The Cincinnati Kid and never-winning Academy regular Thelma Ritter in Boeing Boeing. Both of the unlucky actresses co-starred in films that were blanked by the Academy completely.
Of the Golden Globes’ Supporting Actress nominees in 1965, three of their five were transplanted to Oscar’s lineup. Globe winner Ruth Gordon in Inside Daisy Clover, Joyce Redman in Othello, and Peggy Wood in The Sound of Music (who we all basically agree was not the best option from her movie) all made the cut, while Redman’s co-star Maggie Smith was imported from the Globes' Lead Actress-Drama category. Only Shelley Winters, who wound up winning the damn Oscar for A Patch of Blue, failed to show up anywhere at the Globes. The two Globe nominees left out to pasture come Oscar nomination morning were Nbr winner Joan Blondell in The Cincinnati Kid and never-winning Academy regular Thelma Ritter in Boeing Boeing. Both of the unlucky actresses co-starred in films that were blanked by the Academy completely.
- 10/1/2020
- by Nick Taylor
- FilmExperience
Are you ready for the the penultimate episode of this super-sized Supporting Actress Smackdown season? Up next 1965. The Nominees Were: Ruth Gordon (Inside Daisy Clover), Joyce Redman And Maggie Smith (Othello), Shelley Winters (A Patch of Blue) and Peggy Wood (The Sound of Music). Once you've watched that quartet of films, send in your ballots with "1965" in the subject line and a 1 (poor) to 5 (perfection) rating for each of the five performances. You're the collective final vote. Let's meet your fellow panelists, shall we?
Please Welcome... ...
Please Welcome... ...
- 9/22/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Maggie Smith's first Oscar nominationAs we keep promising you, the Smackdowns are much more fun if you play along at home. Up next is 1965 and there are only four movies to watch (all of which received multiple Oscar nominations) to prepare for the discussion on October 9th.
Supporting Actress Nominees Of 1965
• Ruth Gordon from Inside Daisy Clover (3 Oscar noms) - Amazon
• Maggie Smith and Joyce Redman from Othello (4 Oscar noms) - YouTube
• Shelley Winters from A Patch of Blue (5 Oscar noms)- Amazon
• Peggy Wood from The Sound of Music (10 Oscar noms) - Disney+
Once you're done watching those, send in your votes (1 to 5 hearts for each lady) by October 8th. Easy! You're then part of the Smackdown!
If you Really wanna dive into the cinema of 1965 before the event, here are key 1965 movies that are currently streaming for free.
Oscar Nominated 1965 Titles Currently Streaming...
Supporting Actress Nominees Of 1965
• Ruth Gordon from Inside Daisy Clover (3 Oscar noms) - Amazon
• Maggie Smith and Joyce Redman from Othello (4 Oscar noms) - YouTube
• Shelley Winters from A Patch of Blue (5 Oscar noms)- Amazon
• Peggy Wood from The Sound of Music (10 Oscar noms) - Disney+
Once you're done watching those, send in your votes (1 to 5 hearts for each lady) by October 8th. Easy! You're then part of the Smackdown!
If you Really wanna dive into the cinema of 1965 before the event, here are key 1965 movies that are currently streaming for free.
Oscar Nominated 1965 Titles Currently Streaming...
- 9/19/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The "Summer Movie Season Without...er... Movies" is officially over. Now we move on to Prestige Film Season... hopefully With Movies but you never know. The dog days of summer are over but here were a baker's dozen or so key posts from the month at Tfe in case you missed any of them.
Some Highlights
• French Exit Nathaniel suggests reading the book before the movie!
• When Tilda Swinton Went Mainstream - Sean dons the furcoat and angel wings
• The Australian New Wave - Glenn takes Criterion's journey down under
• The New Classics: Moonlight -Michael goes to the diner with Black & Kevin
• A Patch of Blue - Nathaniel gasps at Shelley Winters (second) Oscar
• The Furniture: The Poseidon Adventure - Daniel boards the (sinking) ship
• Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Nick for the 10th anniversary
• Revisiting Spotlight - Juan Carlos asks how the Best Picture has aged
Most...
Some Highlights
• French Exit Nathaniel suggests reading the book before the movie!
• When Tilda Swinton Went Mainstream - Sean dons the furcoat and angel wings
• The Australian New Wave - Glenn takes Criterion's journey down under
• The New Classics: Moonlight -Michael goes to the diner with Black & Kevin
• A Patch of Blue - Nathaniel gasps at Shelley Winters (second) Oscar
• The Furniture: The Poseidon Adventure - Daniel boards the (sinking) ship
• Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Nick for the 10th anniversary
• Revisiting Spotlight - Juan Carlos asks how the Best Picture has aged
Most...
- 8/31/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
We're celebrating the centennial of Shelley Winters. Here's Nathaniel...
Int. Nathaniel's apartment. Two best friends are bored, realizing it's another "exciting" Covid summer night of what will we eat for dinner / watch on TV?. Nathaniel presents a few movie options (inevitably related to whatever Tfe projects are in development). His friend's choice surprises him, "I think I'm really in a Shelley Winters mood." Nathaniel wonders for a split-second what a 'Winters mood' is before realizing he already knows... and approves! Up goes the movie and within seconds they glance at each other. "Shelley is going hard!" Nathaniel proclaims, half-stunned. He really shouldn't be. Going hard is, after all, a Winters mood and specialty.
Still and all, performances that begin at the pitch the Oscar winner risks for her introductory scene in A Patch of Blue rarely have anywhere go to thereafter...
Int. Nathaniel's apartment. Two best friends are bored, realizing it's another "exciting" Covid summer night of what will we eat for dinner / watch on TV?. Nathaniel presents a few movie options (inevitably related to whatever Tfe projects are in development). His friend's choice surprises him, "I think I'm really in a Shelley Winters mood." Nathaniel wonders for a split-second what a 'Winters mood' is before realizing he already knows... and approves! Up goes the movie and within seconds they glance at each other. "Shelley is going hard!" Nathaniel proclaims, half-stunned. He really shouldn't be. Going hard is, after all, a Winters mood and specialty.
Still and all, performances that begin at the pitch the Oscar winner risks for her introductory scene in A Patch of Blue rarely have anywhere go to thereafter...
- 8/16/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
We're celebrating the centennial of Shelley Winters each night for a few more days. Here's Eric Blume...
Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 film adaptation of Lolita lands right in the middle of Shelley Winters’ two Oscar wins (The Diary of Anne Frank and A Patch of Blue). Her balls-out performance in the first hour of this movie contains some true humdinger acting. She comes to the table to play and win here.
Obviously, especially when viewed within the context of today’s sensibilities, Lolita is a problematic picture. That's especially true since Kubrick plays each scene with his sympathies clearly in line with our leading man, Humbert Humbert, and actively against Winters, who plays mom of young Lolita, and who falls in love with Hh...
Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 film adaptation of Lolita lands right in the middle of Shelley Winters’ two Oscar wins (The Diary of Anne Frank and A Patch of Blue). Her balls-out performance in the first hour of this movie contains some true humdinger acting. She comes to the table to play and win here.
Obviously, especially when viewed within the context of today’s sensibilities, Lolita is a problematic picture. That's especially true since Kubrick plays each scene with his sympathies clearly in line with our leading man, Humbert Humbert, and actively against Winters, who plays mom of young Lolita, and who falls in love with Hh...
- 8/15/2020
- by Eric Blume
- FilmExperience
by Cláudio Alves
Last week, we took a look at the cast of A Raisin in the Sun for the Almost There pieces. Among that quartet of fabulous performances, Sidney Poitier's Walter Younger stood out as the most overwhelming one, so full of energy that the claustrophobic set seemed incapable of containing him. This week, we're again exploring the filmography of the first Black man to win the Best Actor Oscar, giving him a solo opportunity to shine. You could actually do an entire miniseries about the many times Poitier might have come close to an Oscar nomination and failed: A Raisin in the Sun, Edge of the City, Porgy and Bess, A Patch of Blue.
Today, however, we'll be looking at Poitier's 1967 Oscar bid, when the actor starred in three hits, two of which went on to be nominated for Best Picture. Of them, Norman Jewison's In the Heat of the Night...
Last week, we took a look at the cast of A Raisin in the Sun for the Almost There pieces. Among that quartet of fabulous performances, Sidney Poitier's Walter Younger stood out as the most overwhelming one, so full of energy that the claustrophobic set seemed incapable of containing him. This week, we're again exploring the filmography of the first Black man to win the Best Actor Oscar, giving him a solo opportunity to shine. You could actually do an entire miniseries about the many times Poitier might have come close to an Oscar nomination and failed: A Raisin in the Sun, Edge of the City, Porgy and Bess, A Patch of Blue.
Today, however, we'll be looking at Poitier's 1967 Oscar bid, when the actor starred in three hits, two of which went on to be nominated for Best Picture. Of them, Norman Jewison's In the Heat of the Night...
- 6/30/2020
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Sidney Poitier’s films of the 1950s and ’60s almost always put a statement about race in the forefront, and even when the message was obvious, his work as ambassador across the race divide made a big difference. This sweet tale of a possible romance across social barriers came at a time when interracial pairing was still illegal in some states. Poitier is his sweet self, but the film was stolen by young Elizabeth Hartman, a major talent with a tragic life story.
A Patch of Blue
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1965 / B&W / 2:35 widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date June, 2019 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Hartman, Wallace Ford, Ivan Dixon, Elisabeth Fraser, John Qualen.
Cinematography: Robert Burks
Film Editor: Rita Roland
Original Music: Jerry Goldsmith
From the novel Be Ready With Bells and Drums by Elizabeth Kata
Produced by Pandro S. Berman
Written and Directed by...
A Patch of Blue
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1965 / B&W / 2:35 widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date June, 2019 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Hartman, Wallace Ford, Ivan Dixon, Elisabeth Fraser, John Qualen.
Cinematography: Robert Burks
Film Editor: Rita Roland
Original Music: Jerry Goldsmith
From the novel Be Ready With Bells and Drums by Elizabeth Kata
Produced by Pandro S. Berman
Written and Directed by...
- 6/8/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Regina King just won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for her performance as a mother determined to help her pregnant daughter clear her boyfriend’s name in “If Beale Street Could Talk.” It was an especially sweet victory, considering the Golden Globe and Critics Choice winner overcame snubs at SAG and BAFTA on her way to the podium. She became the 83rd person in history to clinch that prize, beating out Amy Adams (“Vice”), Marina de Tavira (“Roma”), Emma Stone (“The Favourite”) and Rachel Weisz (“The Favourite”). Tour our photo gallery above of every Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress, from the most recent winner to the very first one.
SEE2019 Oscars: Full list of winners (and losers) at the 91st Academy Awards
The supporting categories were added in 1936 at the ninth Academy Awards, with Gale Sondergaard (“Anthony Adverse”) claiming the first victory in Best Supporting Actress. Initially,...
SEE2019 Oscars: Full list of winners (and losers) at the 91st Academy Awards
The supporting categories were added in 1936 at the ninth Academy Awards, with Gale Sondergaard (“Anthony Adverse”) claiming the first victory in Best Supporting Actress. Initially,...
- 2/25/2019
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
10 Essential Sidney Poitier Movies, From ‘Blackboard Jungle’ to ‘To Sir, With Love’ (Photos)
“No Way Outâ€. (1950)
In his big-screen debut, Sidney Poitier makes a memorable impression as a pioneering African American physician who runs afoul of a racist thug (Richard Widmark) whose brother died in his care.
“Blackboard Jungleâ€. (1955)Â
In this melodrama, the first Hollywood feature to include rock songs, Glenn Ford plays a new teacher at a troubled inner-city school where Poitier is music-loving rebel.
“The Defiant Onesâ€. (1958)
Poitier starred opposite Tony Curtis in Stanley Kramer’s Oscar-winning drama about two escaped convicts who — since they are still chained together — reluctantly agree to cooperate despite their differences.
“A Raisin in the Sunâ€. (1961)
Reunited with much of the cast of the 1960 Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry’s play, Poitier plays the ambitious young Chicago man squabbling with his family over how best to spend their late father’s insurance money.
“Lilies of the Fieldâ€. (1963)
Poitier plays a former G.I. who agrees to...
In his big-screen debut, Sidney Poitier makes a memorable impression as a pioneering African American physician who runs afoul of a racist thug (Richard Widmark) whose brother died in his care.
“Blackboard Jungleâ€. (1955)Â
In this melodrama, the first Hollywood feature to include rock songs, Glenn Ford plays a new teacher at a troubled inner-city school where Poitier is music-loving rebel.
“The Defiant Onesâ€. (1958)
Poitier starred opposite Tony Curtis in Stanley Kramer’s Oscar-winning drama about two escaped convicts who — since they are still chained together — reluctantly agree to cooperate despite their differences.
“A Raisin in the Sunâ€. (1961)
Reunited with much of the cast of the 1960 Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry’s play, Poitier plays the ambitious young Chicago man squabbling with his family over how best to spend their late father’s insurance money.
“Lilies of the Fieldâ€. (1963)
Poitier plays a former G.I. who agrees to...
- 2/20/2019
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Sidney Poitier celebrates his 92nd birthday on February 20, 2019. The Oscar-winning star broke down barriers for actors of color, becoming a Hollywood leading man at a time before black Americans were even granted full civil rights. He also opened doors for black directors after stepping behind the camera for nine features. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1927, Poitier made his big screen debut in “No Way Out” (1950), playing a doctor treating a racist white bigot (Richard Widmark). Just eight years later he was competing at the Oscars as Best Actor for “The Defiant Ones” (1958), which centers on two runaway fugitives chained together — one black, the other white (Tony Curtis). His bid made him the first black male performer to contend in an acting category at the Academy.
SEEOscar Best Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy...
Born in 1927, Poitier made his big screen debut in “No Way Out” (1950), playing a doctor treating a racist white bigot (Richard Widmark). Just eight years later he was competing at the Oscars as Best Actor for “The Defiant Ones” (1958), which centers on two runaway fugitives chained together — one black, the other white (Tony Curtis). His bid made him the first black male performer to contend in an acting category at the Academy.
SEEOscar Best Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy...
- 2/20/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Sidney Poitier celebrates his 92nd birthday on February 20, 2019. The Oscar-winning star broke down barriers for actors of color, becoming a Hollywood leading man at a time before black Americans were even granted full civil rights. He also opened doors for black directors after stepping behind the camera for nine features. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1927, Poitier made his big screen debut in “No Way Out” (1950), playing a doctor treating a racist white bigot (Richard Widmark). Just eight years later he was competing at the Oscars as Best Actor for “The Defiant Ones” (1958), which centers on two runaway fugitives chained together — one black, the other white (Tony Curtis). His bid made him the first black male performer to contend in an acting category at the Academy.
He would soon be joining the winner’s...
Born in 1927, Poitier made his big screen debut in “No Way Out” (1950), playing a doctor treating a racist white bigot (Richard Widmark). Just eight years later he was competing at the Oscars as Best Actor for “The Defiant Ones” (1958), which centers on two runaway fugitives chained together — one black, the other white (Tony Curtis). His bid made him the first black male performer to contend in an acting category at the Academy.
He would soon be joining the winner’s...
- 2/20/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It has been 13 years since Rachel Weisz was nominated for and won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for playing a doomed activist in “The Constant Gardener” (2005). She hasn’t been up for an Oscar since then, but she’s on the right track for a return bid this year for her role in “The Favourite.” And it’s looking more and more like the door is open for her to win, which would make her only the third woman to win Best Supporting Actress twice, and the first to do so undefeated.
The first woman to double up in this category was Shelley Winters, who prevailed for “The Diary of Anne Frank” (1959) and “A Patch of Blue” (1965). Before those victories she had lost in the leading category for “A Place in the Sun” (1951), and afterwards she earned one last bid for “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972).
Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s...
The first woman to double up in this category was Shelley Winters, who prevailed for “The Diary of Anne Frank” (1959) and “A Patch of Blue” (1965). Before those victories she had lost in the leading category for “A Place in the Sun” (1951), and afterwards she earned one last bid for “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972).
Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s...
- 1/16/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Turkey Day is upon us, our country’s annual holiday that brings families together and forces them to fill their mouths with stuffing and yams so they can’t discuss politics. But imagine if you got paid to gorge on your favorite goodies and then found yourself in the running for a coveted prize because of it. Then you won said coveted prize for doing what comes all too naturally for most of us – packing on the pounds.
As Oscar mavens know all too well, sacrificing a trim physique for a role of a lifetime is a regular ritual for movie stars seeking awards glory. It thrills me that two presumed lead actor candidates this year have fully engaged this tradition. Viggo Mortensen packed on 45 pounds to play Italian bouncer and chauffeur Tony Lip, who does like his food, in “Green Book,” which opens wider this week. He is joined by Christian Bale,...
As Oscar mavens know all too well, sacrificing a trim physique for a role of a lifetime is a regular ritual for movie stars seeking awards glory. It thrills me that two presumed lead actor candidates this year have fully engaged this tradition. Viggo Mortensen packed on 45 pounds to play Italian bouncer and chauffeur Tony Lip, who does like his food, in “Green Book,” which opens wider this week. He is joined by Christian Bale,...
- 11/21/2018
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Horror Highlights: The Omen Limited Edition Vinyl Score, Mondo’s Preacher Statues, Images from Elves
Jerry Goldsmith's impeccable composing for Richard Donner's The Omen (1976) will be released as a limited edition (only 666 available) white vinyl courtesy of Varèse Sarabande. Also in today's Highlights: a look at Mondo's new Preacher statues and images from the new holiday horror film Elves.
The Omen Limited Edition Score on Vinyl: Press Release: – Varèse Sarabande will release a limited edition (666 units) demonic white vinyl version of The Omen – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on June 25, 2018, available exclusively on VareseSarabande.com. Each copy of this completely remastered LP release will be hand numbered. The album features Jerry Goldsmith’s original score composed for Richard Donner’s 1976 horror masterpiece.
In The Omen, American diplomat Robert (Gregory Peck) adopts Damien (Harvey Stephens) when his wife, Katherine (Lee Remick), delivers a stillborn child. After Damien's first nanny hangs herself, Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton) warns Robert that Damien will kill Katherine's unborn child. Shortly thereafter,...
The Omen Limited Edition Score on Vinyl: Press Release: – Varèse Sarabande will release a limited edition (666 units) demonic white vinyl version of The Omen – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on June 25, 2018, available exclusively on VareseSarabande.com. Each copy of this completely remastered LP release will be hand numbered. The album features Jerry Goldsmith’s original score composed for Richard Donner’s 1976 horror masterpiece.
In The Omen, American diplomat Robert (Gregory Peck) adopts Damien (Harvey Stephens) when his wife, Katherine (Lee Remick), delivers a stillborn child. After Damien's first nanny hangs herself, Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton) warns Robert that Damien will kill Katherine's unborn child. Shortly thereafter,...
- 6/26/2018
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Triumph over adversity is drama defined, and Oscar nominations often go to actors whose characters find victory over physical or mental afflictions. The earliest example goes back to 1947; that was the year that non-pro Harold Russell won Best Supporting Actor and a special award for “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Russell was a WWII veteran who lost both of his hands while making a training film. Of note: Of the 59, 27 of these nominations went on to a win. This year’s roster of stars playing afflicted characters includes Jake Gyllenhaal as bombing victim Jeff Baumer in “Stronger,” Andrew Garfield as polio survivor Robin Cavendish in “Breathe,” Bryan Cranston as a millionaire quadriplegic in “The Upside,” and Sally Hawkins in two roles, as an arthritic painter in “Maudie” and a mute lab worker in “The Shape of Water.”
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
- 9/25/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Triumph over adversity is drama defined, and Oscar nominations often go to actors whose characters find victory over physical or mental afflictions. The earliest example goes back to 1947; that was the year that non-pro Harold Russell won Best Supporting Actor and a special award for “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Russell was a WWII veteran who lost both of his hands while making a training film. Of note: Of the 59, 27 of these nominations went on to a win. This year’s roster of stars playing afflicted characters includes Jake Gyllenhaal as bombing victim Jeff Baumer in “Stronger,” Andrew Garfield as polio survivor Robin Cavendish in “Breathe,” Bryan Cranston as a millionaire quadriplegic in “The Upside,” and Sally Hawkins in two roles, as an arthritic painter in “Maudie” and a mute lab worker in “The Shape of Water.”
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
- 9/25/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Pioneering actor to receive BAFTA’s highest honour.
BAFTA is to honour Us actor Sidney Poitier with its Fellowship honour at the Ee British Academy Film Awards in London on Feb 14.
Awarded annually, the Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, television or games.
Fellows previously honoured for their work in film include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Sean Connery, Elizabeth Taylor, Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Lee, Martin Scorsese, Alan Parker and Helen Mirren. Mike Leigh received the Fellowship at last year’s Film Awards.
Poitier said: “I am extremely honored to have been chosen to receive the Fellowship and my deep appreciation to the British Academy for the recognition.”
The pioneering actor’s award-winning career includes six BAFTA nominations, including one BAFTA win for The Defiant Ones (1958), and a British Academy Britannia Award for Lifetime...
BAFTA is to honour Us actor Sidney Poitier with its Fellowship honour at the Ee British Academy Film Awards in London on Feb 14.
Awarded annually, the Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, television or games.
Fellows previously honoured for their work in film include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Sean Connery, Elizabeth Taylor, Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Lee, Martin Scorsese, Alan Parker and Helen Mirren. Mike Leigh received the Fellowship at last year’s Film Awards.
Poitier said: “I am extremely honored to have been chosen to receive the Fellowship and my deep appreciation to the British Academy for the recognition.”
The pioneering actor’s award-winning career includes six BAFTA nominations, including one BAFTA win for The Defiant Ones (1958), and a British Academy Britannia Award for Lifetime...
- 1/12/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The Bahamas International Film Festival (Biff) has announced that Academy Award® winner and renowned global icon Sir Sidney Poitier has agreed to the naming of the prestigious Career Achievement Award at the Bahamas International Film Festival the “Sir Sidney Poitier Tribute Award.” Biff founder and executive director Leslie Vanderpool made the announcement.
“There is no person on Earth who is better suited to have the Career Achievement Award be named after him,” Vanderpool said. “Poitier is one of the finest actors for generations and is, simply put, an icon and a legend.” The American Film Institute named him among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.
Poitier stretched his reach within the industry on film and on stage acting in productions such as "A Raisin in the Sun" (1959) and "Lysistrata." For his film role in "The Defiant Ones," Poitier was the first male actor of African descent to be nominated for a competitive Academy Award in 1958. A few years later in 1964, Poitier was the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a riveting and memorable performance as Homer Smith in Ralph Nelson’s "Lilies of The Field."
Thirty-eight years after receiving the Best Actor award, Poitier received an honorary tribute from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being. In 2009, Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.
A global legend, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1968 and highly respected author, director and “actor’s actor,” with more than fifty films and television shows to his credit, Poitier has starred in some of Hollywood’s most important and biggest films and earned critics’ praise for several commanding performances. Poitier’s reputation solidified with leading roles in mainstream films: "No Way Out" (1950), "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), "The Bedford Incident" and "A Patch Of Blue" (1965). The most successful films that catapulted Poitier’s career in 1967 where, "To Sir with Love," "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" and "In the Heat of the Night."
Directing was not far away from his achievements having a directorial debut with the western "Buck and the Preacher" soon followed by "Uptown Saturday Night," "Let’s Do It Again," "A Piece Of The Action," "Stir Crazy," "Hanky Panky," "Fast Forward’ and ‘Ghost Dad."
From 1995 to 2003, Poitier served as a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company. Proud to represent The Bahamas, Sir Sidney was the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan, a position held from 2002 to 2007, while being the Ambassador of The Bahamas to Unesco.
What makes this addition so momentous is that he is a Bahamian who believes in building future generations of filmmakers while honoring the actors and actresses who broke ground, furthermore, upholding their careers with poise. Sir Sidney possesses a true love and appreciation for the people of The Bahamas.
One of the Bahamas International Film Festival’s missions is to ensure youth in The Bahamas have the opportunity to remember Sir Sidney while celebrating the achievements of others within the film industry.
“Leslie Vanderpool’s efforts have been extraordinary in making it possible for The Bahamas to have not only a film festival, but to also attract some of the great film artists and filmmakers from around the world. People like Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Glover, Alan Arkin, Sir Sean Connery, Sophie Okonedo, Lee Daniels, Lenny Kravitz and my own daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier, who have found, to their great surprise, that the Bahamas is moving swiftly toward a bona fide motion picture community--all of which have been structured by the imaginative young Bahamians who have committed themselves to The Bahamas having a film community of its own,” Poitier said.
Adding to his many achievements, Poitier has published four best sellers "This Life," "The Measure of A Man," "Life Beyond Measure: Letters to my Great-Grand Daughter" and "Montaro Caine." Additionally, he has many talents having recorded an album with the composer Fred Katz called ‘Poitier Meets Plato’ reciting passages from Plato’s writings.
Family is most important for Sir Sidney, He and his wife Joanna Shimkus, a Canadian-born former actress of Lithuanian and Irish descent have two daughters Anika and Sydney Tamiia Poitier. Poitier has four daughters Beverly, Pamela, Sherri and Gina from a previous marriage. In addition to his six daughters, Poitier has eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Leslie Vanderpool and Sydney T. Poitier will be instrumental in overseeing the granting of the Sir Sidney Poitier Tribute Awards.
“There is no person on Earth who is better suited to have the Career Achievement Award be named after him,” Vanderpool said. “Poitier is one of the finest actors for generations and is, simply put, an icon and a legend.” The American Film Institute named him among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.
Poitier stretched his reach within the industry on film and on stage acting in productions such as "A Raisin in the Sun" (1959) and "Lysistrata." For his film role in "The Defiant Ones," Poitier was the first male actor of African descent to be nominated for a competitive Academy Award in 1958. A few years later in 1964, Poitier was the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a riveting and memorable performance as Homer Smith in Ralph Nelson’s "Lilies of The Field."
Thirty-eight years after receiving the Best Actor award, Poitier received an honorary tribute from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being. In 2009, Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.
A global legend, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1968 and highly respected author, director and “actor’s actor,” with more than fifty films and television shows to his credit, Poitier has starred in some of Hollywood’s most important and biggest films and earned critics’ praise for several commanding performances. Poitier’s reputation solidified with leading roles in mainstream films: "No Way Out" (1950), "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), "The Bedford Incident" and "A Patch Of Blue" (1965). The most successful films that catapulted Poitier’s career in 1967 where, "To Sir with Love," "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" and "In the Heat of the Night."
Directing was not far away from his achievements having a directorial debut with the western "Buck and the Preacher" soon followed by "Uptown Saturday Night," "Let’s Do It Again," "A Piece Of The Action," "Stir Crazy," "Hanky Panky," "Fast Forward’ and ‘Ghost Dad."
From 1995 to 2003, Poitier served as a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company. Proud to represent The Bahamas, Sir Sidney was the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan, a position held from 2002 to 2007, while being the Ambassador of The Bahamas to Unesco.
What makes this addition so momentous is that he is a Bahamian who believes in building future generations of filmmakers while honoring the actors and actresses who broke ground, furthermore, upholding their careers with poise. Sir Sidney possesses a true love and appreciation for the people of The Bahamas.
One of the Bahamas International Film Festival’s missions is to ensure youth in The Bahamas have the opportunity to remember Sir Sidney while celebrating the achievements of others within the film industry.
“Leslie Vanderpool’s efforts have been extraordinary in making it possible for The Bahamas to have not only a film festival, but to also attract some of the great film artists and filmmakers from around the world. People like Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Glover, Alan Arkin, Sir Sean Connery, Sophie Okonedo, Lee Daniels, Lenny Kravitz and my own daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier, who have found, to their great surprise, that the Bahamas is moving swiftly toward a bona fide motion picture community--all of which have been structured by the imaginative young Bahamians who have committed themselves to The Bahamas having a film community of its own,” Poitier said.
Adding to his many achievements, Poitier has published four best sellers "This Life," "The Measure of A Man," "Life Beyond Measure: Letters to my Great-Grand Daughter" and "Montaro Caine." Additionally, he has many talents having recorded an album with the composer Fred Katz called ‘Poitier Meets Plato’ reciting passages from Plato’s writings.
Family is most important for Sir Sidney, He and his wife Joanna Shimkus, a Canadian-born former actress of Lithuanian and Irish descent have two daughters Anika and Sydney Tamiia Poitier. Poitier has four daughters Beverly, Pamela, Sherri and Gina from a previous marriage. In addition to his six daughters, Poitier has eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Leslie Vanderpool and Sydney T. Poitier will be instrumental in overseeing the granting of the Sir Sidney Poitier Tribute Awards.
- 7/12/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
'The Fixer' movie with Alan Bates, Dirk Bogarde and Ian Holm (background) 'The Fixer' movie review: 1968 anti-Semitism drama wrecked by cast, direction, and writing In 1969, director John Frankenheimer declared that he felt "better about The Fixer than anything I've ever done in my life." Considering Frankenheimer's previous output – Seven Days in May, the much admired The Manchurian Candidate – it is hard to believe that the director was being anything but a good P.R. man for his latest release. Adapted from Bernard Malamud's National Book Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (itself based on the real story of Jewish brick-factory worker Menahem Mendel Beilis), The Fixer is an overlong, overblown, and overwrought contrivance that, albeit well meaning, carelessly misuses most of the talent involved while sadistically abusing the patience – and at times the intelligence – of its viewers. John Frankenheimer overindulges in 1960s kitsch John Frankenheimer...
- 5/13/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Continues Thursday Night with The Defiant Ones and A Patch Of Blue
February is Black History Month, and to help celebrate, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting a Tribute to the 86-year old Sidney Poitier at their Classic Black Film Festival. Lucky St. Louis movie buffs will have the opportunity to view eight vintage Sidney Poitier on the big screen. Every Thursday in February, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting two Poitier films at St Louis Cinemas Galleria (630 St Louis Galleria, Richmond Heights, Mo 63117).
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Film Festival continues this Thursday night (February 20th) with two Poitier classics; The Defiant Ones and A Patch Of Blue
Sidney Poitier continued to break race barriers with the formula jail-break drama The Defiant Ones in 1958. Tony Curtis and Poitier play white and black inmates who, while chained together at the wrist,...
February is Black History Month, and to help celebrate, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting a Tribute to the 86-year old Sidney Poitier at their Classic Black Film Festival. Lucky St. Louis movie buffs will have the opportunity to view eight vintage Sidney Poitier on the big screen. Every Thursday in February, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting two Poitier films at St Louis Cinemas Galleria (630 St Louis Galleria, Richmond Heights, Mo 63117).
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Film Festival continues this Thursday night (February 20th) with two Poitier classics; The Defiant Ones and A Patch Of Blue
Sidney Poitier continued to break race barriers with the formula jail-break drama The Defiant Ones in 1958. Tony Curtis and Poitier play white and black inmates who, while chained together at the wrist,...
- 2/17/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
February is Black History Month, and to help celebrate, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting a Tribute to the 86-year old Sidney Poitier at their Classic Black Film Festival. Lucky St. Louis movie buffs will have the opportunity to view eight vintage Sidney Poitier on the big screen. Every Thursday in February, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting two Poitier films at St Louis Cinemas Galleria (630 St Louis Galleria, Richmond Heights, Mo 63117).
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Film Festival continues this Thursday night (February 13th) with two Poitier classics; To Sir With Love and In The Heat Of The Night
Poitier played a British, engineer-educated novice teacher of a challenging classroom of undisciplined English teenagers in To Sir With Love in 1967. The title song, which became a hit, is warbled by Lulu, who plays one of the students as does sexy Suzy Kendall and Judy Geeson...
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Film Festival continues this Thursday night (February 13th) with two Poitier classics; To Sir With Love and In The Heat Of The Night
Poitier played a British, engineer-educated novice teacher of a challenging classroom of undisciplined English teenagers in To Sir With Love in 1967. The title song, which became a hit, is warbled by Lulu, who plays one of the students as does sexy Suzy Kendall and Judy Geeson...
- 2/10/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
February is Black History Month, and to help celebrate, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting a Tribute to the 86-year old Sidney Poitier at their Classic Black Film Festival. Lucky St. Louis movie buffs will have the opportunity to view eight vintage Sidney Poitier on the big screen. Every Thursday in February, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting two Poitier films at St Louis Cinemas Galleria (630 St Louis Galleria, Richmond Heights, Mo 63117)
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Film Festival kicks off this Thursday night (February 6th) with two Poitier classics; Lilies Of The Field and Guess Who’S Coming To Dinner
Lilies Of The Field (1963) is the story of Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier), an itinerant jack-of-all-trades, who stops to help a group of German nuns newly arrived in New Mexico. His cheerful generosity is disdained by the stern, demanding Mother Superior (Lilia Skala) until he...
The Sidney Poitier Tribute Film Festival kicks off this Thursday night (February 6th) with two Poitier classics; Lilies Of The Field and Guess Who’S Coming To Dinner
Lilies Of The Field (1963) is the story of Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier), an itinerant jack-of-all-trades, who stops to help a group of German nuns newly arrived in New Mexico. His cheerful generosity is disdained by the stern, demanding Mother Superior (Lilia Skala) until he...
- 2/3/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In 1963, Sidney Poitier became the first black man to win an Acadeny Award for acting for his role in Lilies Of The Field. In 1967, he starred in three of that year’s most acclaimed filmsL To Sir With Love, Guess Who’S Coming To Dinner, and the Best Picture Oscar winner In The Heat Of The Night. All three films revolve around the race of the characters Poitier portrays.
February is Black History Month, and to help celebrate, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting a Tribute to the 86-year old Sidney Poitier at their Classic Black Film Festival. Lucky St. Louis movie buffs will have the opportunity to view eight vintage Sidney Poitier on the big screen. Every Thursday in February, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting two Poitier films at St Louis Cinemas Galleria (630 St Louis Galleria, Richmond Heights, Mo 63117)
Here’s the...
February is Black History Month, and to help celebrate, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting a Tribute to the 86-year old Sidney Poitier at their Classic Black Film Festival. Lucky St. Louis movie buffs will have the opportunity to view eight vintage Sidney Poitier on the big screen. Every Thursday in February, The St. Louis Black Film Festival will be presenting two Poitier films at St Louis Cinemas Galleria (630 St Louis Galleria, Richmond Heights, Mo 63117)
Here’s the...
- 1/14/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Despite reaping a SAG bid, Oprah Winfrey was snubbed by the Golden Globes for her supporting performance in "The Butler." But how important is a Globe nomination when it comes to taking home Oscar gold? Turns out 20 performers have been embraced by the motion picture academy after getting the cold should from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. And half of those were winners of the Supporting Actress Oscar: Shelley Winters, "A Patch of Blue" (1965) Sandy Dennis, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966) Estelle Parsons, "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) Helen Hayes, "Airport" (1970) Eileen Heckart, "Butterflies Are Free" (1972) Ingrid Bergman, "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974) Beatrice Straight, "Network" (1976) Geena Davis, "The Accidental Tourist" (1988) Marisa Tomei, "My Cousin Vinny" (1992) Marcia Gay Harden, "Pollock" (2000) It is w...
- 12/12/2013
- Gold Derby
By Mark Pinkert
Contributor
…
This is the first article in a three-part series
In his 2006 Oscar acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor, George Clooney said the following about Hollywood as a forum for social change:
We’re the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn’t really popular. And we, you know, we bring up subjects. This Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. (About.com; “The Politics of George Clooney; Actor and Liberal Activist”)
Hollywood is often more progressive than other parts of the country, sure, and great films often lends pathos to social issues. They may even galvanize movements or rally support from previous non-believers. But there are other, extenuating facts we ought to consider before labeling Hollywood and the Academy the vanguard of social progress.
Contributor
…
This is the first article in a three-part series
In his 2006 Oscar acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor, George Clooney said the following about Hollywood as a forum for social change:
We’re the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn’t really popular. And we, you know, we bring up subjects. This Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. (About.com; “The Politics of George Clooney; Actor and Liberal Activist”)
Hollywood is often more progressive than other parts of the country, sure, and great films often lends pathos to social issues. They may even galvanize movements or rally support from previous non-believers. But there are other, extenuating facts we ought to consider before labeling Hollywood and the Academy the vanguard of social progress.
- 11/20/2013
- by Mark Pinkert
- Scott Feinberg
Chicago – Evoking the civil rights melodramas of the ’60s, such as Guy Green’s wrenching “A Patch of Blue,” with a dash of Robert Benton’s 1979 masterpiece, “Kramer vs. Kramer,” Travis Fine’s “Any Day Now” shamelessly aims to tug at the heartstrings. And tug at them he does with considerable success, thanks in large part to the riveting, career-best performance delivered by Alan Cumming. It’s the sort of work that could’ve easily been honored with an Oscar nod, had Fox Searchlight or Harvey Weinstein picked it up.
Set in California circa 1979, the film centers on a gay couple struggling to care for a young boy who is in desperate need of a family. Though the couple desires to be considered as his parents, they find themselves in the same predicament as the distraught father figure in Patrick Wang’s 2011 masterpiece, “In the Family.” Yet whereas Wang’s...
Set in California circa 1979, the film centers on a gay couple struggling to care for a young boy who is in desperate need of a family. Though the couple desires to be considered as his parents, they find themselves in the same predicament as the distraught father figure in Patrick Wang’s 2011 masterpiece, “In the Family.” Yet whereas Wang’s...
- 5/8/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Let's talk about jilted actresses, boys.
The Oscars are next Sunday, and we still have plenty of Academy history to reinspect like amateur Clouseaus. Today's cold case: the 10 greatest Best Actress-nominated performances that didn't win an Oscar. Apologies to my other sentimental favorites like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys, Julie Christie in McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole, Anne Bancroft in The Graduate, and my darling Elizabeth Hartman in A Patch of Blue because I could only pick 10. Here they are.
10. Natalie Wood in Splendor in the Grass
Look, I hear you. Natalie Wood: not so inspiring in Rebel Without a Cause; barely survivable in West Side Story. But what she achieves in Splendor in the Grass, is to me, the absolute best kind of melodrama. As heartsick teen Deanie Loomis in this epic adaptation of William Inge's play, Natalie Wood jumps from lustfulness (since she's dating a young,...
The Oscars are next Sunday, and we still have plenty of Academy history to reinspect like amateur Clouseaus. Today's cold case: the 10 greatest Best Actress-nominated performances that didn't win an Oscar. Apologies to my other sentimental favorites like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys, Julie Christie in McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole, Anne Bancroft in The Graduate, and my darling Elizabeth Hartman in A Patch of Blue because I could only pick 10. Here they are.
10. Natalie Wood in Splendor in the Grass
Look, I hear you. Natalie Wood: not so inspiring in Rebel Without a Cause; barely survivable in West Side Story. But what she achieves in Splendor in the Grass, is to me, the absolute best kind of melodrama. As heartsick teen Deanie Loomis in this epic adaptation of William Inge's play, Natalie Wood jumps from lustfulness (since she's dating a young,...
- 2/18/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
Every year we hear from the Oscar cynics. "Marisa Tomei for My Cousin Vinny?" they clamor. "Ingrid Bergman in Murder on the Orient Express?" they ask. "Ugh, Renee Zellweger in Cold Mountain?" they huff, ending with a self-satisfied moan. Yes, the Oscars routinely reward the wrong people, but there's a bigger problem at hand: We need to criticize bad Oscar decisions even when it means disagreeing with conventional wisdom and not looking cool. It's a hard job, but I'd rather be right than a run-of-the-mill hater.
Since I already posted my list of the 5 All-Time Best Supporting Actress-winning performances, I thought I'd update my ranks with another Supporting Actress rundown. This time it's a whinier mission: Let's point out five winners who are never called out for their undeserving performances. Rest easy, Mira Sorvino. This time we're going after the titans.
5. Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Melissa Leo was blistering...
Since I already posted my list of the 5 All-Time Best Supporting Actress-winning performances, I thought I'd update my ranks with another Supporting Actress rundown. This time it's a whinier mission: Let's point out five winners who are never called out for their undeserving performances. Rest easy, Mira Sorvino. This time we're going after the titans.
5. Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Melissa Leo was blistering...
- 1/30/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." – Martin Luther King, Jr.
You said it, Reverend. Greetings from the apocalypse! As we continue our trek across this wind-blasted winter landscape of mediocre cinema, it's important not to toss hope in a ditch like grandma's ashes. Jumpstart the Vw bus we found abandoned next to the exploded gas station and let's move onward into the long Mlk weekend with our head held high and noseplug firmly secured. It's how the good Doctor would have wanted it.
Friday, January 18
January is always a dumping ground for crap horror flicks, which is why this week's Survivor of Thunderdome is such a labored breath of fresh air: the Guillermo del Toro-produced frightmare "Mama." Based on a short film from 2008, it chronicles two creepy little tikes discovered living la vida feral in the woods, where they've been under the watchful eye of...
You said it, Reverend. Greetings from the apocalypse! As we continue our trek across this wind-blasted winter landscape of mediocre cinema, it's important not to toss hope in a ditch like grandma's ashes. Jumpstart the Vw bus we found abandoned next to the exploded gas station and let's move onward into the long Mlk weekend with our head held high and noseplug firmly secured. It's how the good Doctor would have wanted it.
Friday, January 18
January is always a dumping ground for crap horror flicks, which is why this week's Survivor of Thunderdome is such a labored breath of fresh air: the Guillermo del Toro-produced frightmare "Mama." Based on a short film from 2008, it chronicles two creepy little tikes discovered living la vida feral in the woods, where they've been under the watchful eye of...
- 1/18/2013
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
Chicago – Travis Fine’s “Any Day Now” is an old-fashioned social problem film painted in the broadest of strokes. Fairly early on, the audience is faced with two choices: either resist the film’s assuredly tear-jerking formula or submit to it. Though some critics will always opt for the first choice, regardless of a film’s merits, I’m willing to praise a formula as long as it’s well-executed.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
At its best, Fine’s film appropriately evokes civil rights melodramas of the ’60s, such as Guy Green’s wrenching “A Patch of Blue,” with a dash of Robert Benton’s 1979 masterpiece, “Kramer vs. Kramer.” Fueling the fractured heart of “Any Day Now” is the love that two would-be parents feel for a young boy in desperate need of a family. The fact that the two “parents” are a gay couple unable to marry in America circa 1979 places a...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
At its best, Fine’s film appropriately evokes civil rights melodramas of the ’60s, such as Guy Green’s wrenching “A Patch of Blue,” with a dash of Robert Benton’s 1979 masterpiece, “Kramer vs. Kramer.” Fueling the fractured heart of “Any Day Now” is the love that two would-be parents feel for a young boy in desperate need of a family. The fact that the two “parents” are a gay couple unable to marry in America circa 1979 places a...
- 1/3/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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