Thompson On Hollywood

Oscar Party Circuit

After filing my various stories, I repaired to the Governor's Ball, where Pink Martini brought a welcome zest to the black-tie affair. At the tables decorated with cut-glass lamps and red roses, the winners and losers were chowing down on Wolfgang Puck's lobster, macaroni and cheese, and baked potatoes and caviar.

Academy executive director Bruce Davis was elated that the show ran only three hours, 20 minutes. The swift pace enabled Gil Cates to bring Once songwriter Marketa Irglova back for her acceptance speech. "That's when you know the producer is cocky about our time, it's never happened in the history of the Oscars," Davis said.

"The Once songwriters provided the best moment of the evening and spontaneity," declared Fox's Tom Rothman. "It's what the Oscars are supposed to be about."

"Jon had less angst," said writer Bruce Vilanch of host Stewart's second outing as host. "He was more relaxed about it and knew what he wanted to do."

Sony's Howard Stringer admired the acceptance speeches, which were "devoid of cliches," he said, "full of entertaining energy."

SPC's Tom Bernard agreed: "The speeches were about the movies," he said, "not kissing the ass of studios and agents. The Academy is trying to focus more attention on the movies and not the people outside the movies."

Picturehouse prexy Bob Berney, celebrating two wins for "La Vie en Rose," credited Marion Cotillard for spending several months in L.A. improving her English as well as the efforts of her CAA agent, Hylda Queally. Cotillard returns to work on Michael Mann's John Dillinger movie "Public Enemies," opposite Johnny Depp, on Tuesday.

The Warners table--complete with heavyweight execs Jeff Bewkes, Barry Meyer and Alan Horn--boasted Michael Clayton winner Tilda Swinton, sitting with her three-year boyfriend Sandro Kopp and agent Brian Swardstrom, who she had thanked in her acceptance speech. "Tilda kept us from getting skunked," said George Clooney, heading out into the night with girlfriend Sarah Larson.

As Swinton left the Ball, some 30 people cheered her as she held up her Oscar. She turned to her boyfriend and cracked, "That's more people than I think have seen Michael Clayton!"

At the end of the night, the Disney/Miramax contingent and many others repaired to the Bar Marmont on Sunset for a loud, raucous party dominated by infectious 80s dance music. Ben Affleck was consoling his brother Casey. Javier Bardem and his pals took over one end of the bar. John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Kathy Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Scott Rudin, Julian Schnabel, Tamara Jenkins and Jim Taylor, Bart Walker, John Sloss, Daniel Battsek, Mark Urman and others had a fine time.

Frances McDormand and husband Joel Coen were hanging with their 13-year-old son, who was experiencing his first Oscars. "They didn't buy it," she said of the Coens' Oscar wins. "They work hard. And will keep working hard."

[Photo: Ratatouille director Brad Bird with his wife and his Oscar on the way out of the Governor's Ball and heading toward the Miramax post-Oscar party at Bar Marmont.]

Juno, Savages, Diving Bell Are Big 2008 Spirit Award Winners

The Indie Spirits started out sunny---as the gaggle of execs, filmmakers, agents, writers and actors happily networked outside the Santa Monica beach tent-- but the skies turned grey and threatening as the show commenced around 2 PM Saturday. The rain drummed on the tent roof but let up by the time the show was over and folks headed towards the IFC Shutters party. I did not catch up with Brad and Angelina, who gamely participated in the event, even though Jolie was heading toward losing best actress to Juno's Ellen Page.

"Greetings indie weirdos," said host Rainn Wilson at the start of the Spirits show, citing the inclusion of a nominee like Juno that grossed more than $150 million and a host of others "so obscure you never heard of, like every other film here." He unveiled the source of all the energy for the first-ever green Spirits from behind a curtain: Ed Begley Jr. on a bicycle. "Keep peddling," ordered Wilson, as the lights dimmed.

Fox Searchlight had a great day, winning six awards: best picture, actress and best first screenplay for Juno, best screenplay and actor for The Savages and best foreign film for Once. Juno scripter Diablo Cody, resplendent in a low-cut red dress, thanked manager "Mason Novick who introduced me to Jason Reitman, who introduced me to Ellen Page, who introduced me to this mother-fucker," as she brandished her award. (At the IFC Shutters party later, Cody said that as soon as she got word that Galliano wanted to do her Oscar gown, she said "done!")

The Savages writer Tamara Jenkins thanked Searchlight for making her first and second films. "Hopefully they'll make my third if I ever write it," she said. Her husband, Sideways writer Jim Taylor, "has one of these at home. We can do bicep curls."

A radiantly pregnant Cate Blanchett won best supporting actress for Weinstein Co's I'm Not There, paying tribute to her co-star Heath Ledger. Director Todd Haynes, casting director Laura Rosenthal and the entire cast of I'm Not There won the first ever Robert Altman Award. Ledger, who had directed a number of music videos, was planning to direct his first film, Queen's Gambit, Haynes said. "I've no doubt he would have made an astounding director," he said. "I treasure the time we shared on this film."

Julian Schnabel was uncharacteristically gracious accepting the win for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and thanked his producer. "Without Jon Kilik, I don't want to make a movie," he said. Diving Bell cinematographer Janusz Kaminski won cinematography, and told the crowd he had refused to work for just $3,000 a week. Thank you, he said to producer Kathy Kennedy.

Several studio folks who don't usually venture into Spirit land showed up this year, including producers Walter Parkes and Laurence Mark, who won Best First Feature for screenwriter-turned-director Scott Frank's The Lookout. Frank developed the movie for 12 years at three studios and with as many directors, Frank said, until Spyglass stepped up to write the check for the movie, and Miramax agreed to distribute. Frank was happy he finally made the film with the actors he wanted and the ending he wanted, he said. At a studio that wouldn't have been possible, and the movie would have cost twice as much.

As usual the day before the Academy Awards there was much pre-Oscar talk, as many of us have doubts about some categories. David Ansen of Newsweek summed up the Marion Cotillard beating Julie Christie argument succinctly: "She's self-destructive, she sings and she's wearing makeup." We agreed that anyone who thinks they know who's going to win supporting actress is crazy. Ansen also believes that Tilda Swinton could win on the basis that Michael Clayton has to win something. It's a valid theory.

At the IFC party at Shutters, which was funneled downstairs in the noisy basement this year, John Waters was hanging with Todd Haynes and Christine Vachon in an outdoor smoking corner. "If you win at the Spirits you always lose at the Oscars," he reminded.

[Photos from top: Juno winners Ellen Page, Diablo Cody and producer Lianne Halfon; Juno director Jason Reitman and Fox Searchlight prexy Peter Rice; The Diving Bell and the Butterfly producer Jon Kilik and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski; The Lookout's Laurence Mark and Scott Frank; SKE's Bingham Ray and Newsweek's David Ansen; John Waters and David Alan Grier.]

The complete list of the winners and more photos are on the jump:

Oscar Weekend

It started on Thursday night, with the first round of parties. Due to the driving rain, New York-based IHOP PR chief Jeff Hill hosted his annual indie-confab inside the Avalon Hotel bar, rather than poolside. Sony Pictures Classics co-prexies Tom Bernard and Michael Barker, SKE marketing guru Bingham Ray, MPRM's Mark Pogachefsky, Michael Clayton Oscar-campaigner Michele Robertson and a good crowd relaxed in advance of their Oscar weekend labors.

Oddly, Paramount Vantage and Fox Searchlight hosted pre-Oscar celebrations at the same weeks-old restaurant, STK on La Cienega. They couldn't have been more different. The Vantage party Thursday night was packed with 500-odd souls, chowing down on a buffet dinner and jostling to pay their respects to Paramount's John Lesher and Nick Meyer and There Will Be Blood Oscar nominees Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Thomas Anderson. PTA seemed in good spirits and told me he's been getting through this pre-Oscar craziness by focusing on finishing the extras on the There Will Be Blood DVD. He wasn't so pleased when the NYT's David Carr, aka The Carpetbagger, admitted that TWBB wasn't his favorite Oscar movie:

Mr. Anderson laughed for a while. And then he laughed a bunch more.

“You know you don’t know a thing about movies,” he said.

(David Carr confirms that there was a "f**king" in there. But the NYT frowns on such language.)

By contrast, Friday night's TSC Fox Searchlight affair was an intimate sit-down dinner party. Jason Reitman introduced me to Juno's on-screen Dad, J.K. Simmons. Ellen Page really is a diminutive waif. Diablo Cody was wearing a faux leopard-skin coat. Searchlight prexy Peter Rice whooped it up with The Savages writer-director Tamara Jenkins and writer hubby Jim Taylor (Sideways).

WMA's Cassian Elwes didn't go to Ari Emanuel's party Thursday night; his wife went instead. Instead he had a blast at Salma Hayek and pal Penelope Cruz's black-tie Night of Elysium party for about 200 at the Beverly Hills Hotel on a 40s theme, complete with a domino contest. Charlize Theron won.

I must take off to the Spirits and beyond. Will report and blog when able.

Oscar Watch: Michael Clayton Sole Studio Best-Picture

Here's Ken Turan on the five Best Picture nominees and what they represent. Good piece. While Turan argues that Michael Clayton is the sole studio best-picture entry, it still got made as a $25-million indie within the system, with major star George Clooney not getting his price upfront and Boston financeer Steve Samuels behind it. I'm going to meet him today at the Indie Spirits.

Moore Calls for New Theatrical Distribution

After a disastrous year for indies and docs at the boxoffice, at an IDA pre-Oscar gathering Michael Moore calls for change.

[Photo courtesy indieWIRE]

Indie Spirits Kick Up Tent Celebration Saturday

The 23rd annual Independent Spirit Awards are coming up this Saturday--my fave event of the year. It all takes place inside a billowing white tent on the usually sunny Santa Monica Beach. It's a more relaxed and fun celebration of all things indie--the real action takes place outside the tent near the honeywagons, as folks grab a cig when the proceedings get dull.

Juno is expected to lead the wins, natch, but The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and I'm Not There could grab some prizes too. Rainn Wilson does the hosting honors for the first time. (Last year it was a profane Sarah Silverman; my fave is always frequent MC John Waters.) Dawn Hudson, exec director of Film Independent, has named Javier Bardem the Spirit's honorary chair this year (No Country for Old Men was too expensive to be eligible).

My favorite part of the show is always New York lyricist Jack Lechner's spoof lyrics of the main nominees, performed by various stars--Rosario Dawson was memorable last year. Saturday, David Alan Grier will sing Lechner's only song this year, a spoof of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

This year's scheduled presenters are:

Alan Arkin, Jason Bateman, Kate Beckinsale, Maria Bello, Cate Blanchett, Zach Braff, Maggie Cheung, Patricia Clarkson, Bryan Cranston, Shareeka Epps, Jon Hamm, Josh Hartnett, Felicity Huffman, Allison Janney, Lisa Kudrow, Eva Mendes, Ellen Page, Dennis Quaid, Ryan Reynolds, Keri Russell, Meg Ryan, Julian Schnabel, Kerry Washington, John Waters, Forest Whitaker, Tom Wilkinson, Steve Zahn and more to be announced…

And the nominees and special award recipients expected to attend include:

Christian Bale, Jeffrey Blitz, John Carney, Zoe Cassavetes, Don Cheadle, Diablo Cody, David Cress, Julie Delpy, Andrew Eaton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Pascale Ferran, Scott Frank, Marcus Carl Franklin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Dede Gardner, Richard Gere, John Goldwyn, Mark Gordon, David Gordon Green, Bruce Greenwood, Lianne Halfon, Ronald Harwood, Todd Haynes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tamara Jenkins, Angelina Jolie, Irfan Kahn, Janusz Kaminski, Tony Kaye, Kathleen Kennedy, Jon Kilik, Sidney Kimmel, Dan Klores, Frank Langella, Ang Lee, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kasi Lemmons, Tony Leung, John Malkovich, Laurence Mark, Kelly Masterson, Sienna Miller, Mason Novick, Cristian Mungiu, John Orloff, Ellen Page, Vincent Paronnaud, Walter Parkes, Parker Posey, Rodrigo Prieto, Jason Reitman, Marjane Satrapi, James Schamus, Julian Schnabel, Chris Smith, Russell Smith, James D. Stern, Marisa Tomei, Christine Vachon, Gus Van Sant, Jason Wehling, Tang Wei, Mike White, Ben Whishaw, Richard Wright, Steve Zahn, and Craig Zobel.

The show airs live beginning at 2:00 pm PST on IFC (Independent Film Channel). Live, exclusive red carpet footage will precede the show streaming live on IFC.com beginning at 11:30am PT, with an edited re-broadcast later that evening on AMC at 10pm EST/PST.

Oscar Watch: Get Your Oscar Info on Mobile

If you should decide to --heaven forfend--skip Sunday night's Oscar telecast, NBC Mobile's Entertainment Buzz host Seth Goldman will supply breaking Oscar news to your mobile. Two years ago, Goldman was the first reporter to cover the Oscars specifically for cell phones; this weekend he'll to do it again.

His mobile programming includes two pre-show clips: predictions of who should--and will--win in all the major categories, plus details on final preparations for the Oscar show. An additional two-clip package on the morning after the show will analyze the winners and Red Carpet fashion.

Buzz NBC Mobile to keep posted with text messages on the winners during the Oscar show by texting BUZZ to 46833.

Oscar Watch: Predicts

At long last, the Oscar ballots are in and it is the week before the Oscar kudocast! It's time to make your fearless forecasts and plunk your money down in your office pool. (I can tell you one thing--it's not easy to come out on top here at Variety, where everyone is an Oscar expert.)

I'll be filing my final Oscar predicts today at the LA Times Buzzmeter and MCN Gurus O' Gold polls. Oscar expert Pete Hammond lays out what's at stake for the Coen brothers: they could make Oscar history and equal Walt Disney's 1953 win in four categories. I don't think they will, though...Oscar voters are likely to parcel out some wins for other movies too. I'm betting the Coens win picture and director and not adapted screenplay (Ronald Harwood could steal it for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) and editing (as Roderick Jaynes). The movie could also pick up Javier Bardem and a sound award or two. I also don't buy into the thesis that No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood will cancel each other out. I suspect No Country will beat There Will be Blood in some categories like picture and director, and TWBB will win some others, like cinematography (because Roger Deakins is competing with himself and Janusz Kaminski will also pull some votes) and art direction.

As always, our own Oscar blogger Kris Tapley links to everything you'd ever want to know about the Oscar race, from Shootout's interviews with the likes of George Clooney to Nathaniel Rogers' latest Oscar symposium.

Here's Salon on the Oscar race, the LAT's Patrick Goldstein on No Country for Old men producer Scott Rudin, Film School Rejects, and Oscar forecasts from Stephen Schaefer and Scott Feinberg. (Send me more, by all means.)

Glenn Kenny is doing the same he said/she said Oscar ritual--albeit in blog form--that I used to love doing at Premiere. (I couldn't do it this year.)

Over at his Vanity Fair Oscar blog, The Reeler has come up with a novel (and morbid) way to liven up your Oscar pool.

Here's one clip from the Shootout Clooney interview:

And an ode to the Oscar nominees (hat tip Awards Daily):

No Country, There Will Be Blood, Golden Compass Win Art Directors Awards

I get a kick from guild awards shows, particularly the art directors, because they not only celebrate the current year's best--No Country for Old Men took the contemporary prize, There Will Be Blood the period, and The Golden Compass the fantasy--but they look to the past to honor the pioneers who went before. At Saturday night's 12th annual production design awards, the art director's guild showed stills, designs and clips from veterans of the past entering the ADG Hall of Fame, as well as this year's Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Stuart Craig (right).

The ADG set up the Beverly Hilton's grand ballroom as an old-fashioned night club with low-key table lighting and the Johnny Crawford Orchestra crooning classic songs from Astaire/Rogers musicals. Comedy writer/actor Harry Shearer made a witty host. "This is the first awards show where the people up here who are not amusing can't blame it on the Writers Strike," he joked.

The art directors raised a toast to Robert F. Boyle, the famed production designer who is the first in 67 years, since John William Cameron Menzies in 1940, to win an honorary Oscar. The 98-year-old Boyle (North by Northwest, The Birds, Fiddler on the Roof) took a bow during the evening's first standing ovation. Later in the evening wheelchair-bound author Ray Bradbury honored stop-motion FX pioneer Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad), the best man at his wedding 60 years before, with an award for outstanding cinematic imagery. "I've seen his art develop," Bradbury said. "It had nothing to do with money, it was his ability to recreate dinosaurs."

"I never thought starting in my garage making funny stories for children would ever lead to this," Harryhausen said. Computer graphics, he admitted, "would have saved us somewhat. We did it the hard way."

Brit production designer Terence Marsh (A Bridge Too Far, The Shawshank Redemption) recalled that when he first brought his protege Craig to work with him on Scrooge, while he was a promising young man, Craig "did not know much about drafting," he said. But Craig came along, and eventually earned eight Oscar noms and three Oscar wins (Gandhi, The English Patient and Dangerous Liaisons). Most recently he designed all the Harry Potter movies. Craig cited the "unwinnable battle for the perfect production design that only you can ever know when it's good enough. Failure hurts and it kind of hurts forever. You do learn how to rule out compromise. I'm failing better these days."

Here are Sunday's Cinema Audio Society sound awards. And here's Kris Tapley on same. No Country for Old Men is winning everything--UPDATE--well, not everything. The Bourne Ultimatum and Sweeney Todd took top honors Sunday at the EDDIES, the American Cinema Editors awards.

The full list of ADG winners is on the jump:

Indie Spirit Watch: Casting Director of I'm Not There

As part of the ramp-up to the Indie Spirit Awards on February 23, here's an interview with Laura Rosenthal, casting director of I'm Not There.

Oscar Watch: Spielberg Speaks at Visual Effects Society Awards

[Posted by David S. Cohen]

Sunday night’s Visual Effects Society Awards became a love-in between lifetime achievement honoree Steven Spielberg and the vfx community that has drawn so much of its inspiration – and its work – from him over the years.

“Pirates of the Caribbean” vfx supervisor John Knoll, a presenter at the ceremony, told of being trapped on Maui with Spielberg during the a hurricane that interrupted shooting of “Jurassic Park” and having the helmer show up with flashlight and tell him “Why aren’t you shooting this? Get your camera and get up there.” But then Knoll cracked up the crowd by adding “I just made all that up, ‘cause I’ve never had the honor of working with Steven Spielberg.”

That inspired Patton Oswalt, the voice of Remy in “Ratatouille” to make up his own Spielberg tall tale, beginning with Lee Marvin and Karen Black showing up on the set of "Duel" with a case of tequila and finishing with with Spielberg telling Oswalt about a movie he wanted to make about a toothy grouper that was biting rich people off Martha’s Vineyard.

“I told him ‘Make it a shark.’” said Oswalt.

When it was his turn at the podium, Spielberg saluted the assemblage, saying “Thank you all you dreamers. Because that’s what you are…. I’ve always said we imagine for a living and I really believe that. And this is the one room in this creative community where I can say that this group dreams for a living and thank God for that.”

Oscar Watch: BAFTAs Go to Atonement, Cotillard, Day-Lewis

I went to BAFTA/LA's champagne brunch at UCLA with the intention of watching a live satellite feed of the awards--which only came through at the moment when Sir Anthony Hopkins was accepting his lifetime achievement award from Sir Dickie Attenborough. Then the show was over!

I usually have a bunch of Anglophile pals over to watch the show, which is witty and short and fun (especially when Stephen Frye is host). I was sitting next to ILM animation supervisor Hal Hickel, down from the Bay area to attend the VES awards tonight, who won the FX BAFTA award last year and was up this year for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. So he anxiously looked up the winners on his iPhone--and Golden Compass won. (They had already been leaked on the BAFTA website, even before the live show.) So now I'll watch the BBC America telecast with everyone else, already knowing the winners. Jeez.

So I had a yummy lunch with Hickel and his wife. I learned how complex and pioneering the swirling 20-minute Maelstrom storm in Pirates 3 was (water, water everywhere) and how much of the VFX in Iron Man have to do with Robert Downey, Jr's complex suit. Apparently director Jon Favreau likes to shoot as much live stuff as he can--which VFX people love, cause it makes their job easier.

I also talked to Little Miss Sunshine producer Ron Yerxa, who told me how up to the last minute at the Oscars last year, even sitting in the audience at the Kodak, he and partner Albert Berger kept being told one thing and then another about whether they should go up on stage. Right before the announcement, they were told they could go on. But then Sunshine didn't win.

Yerxa was up at Sundance with the Steve Coogan comedy Hamlet 2, which was rushed into completion for the fest--to his credit, Geoff Gilmore pushed the filmmakers to complete the film in time-- and sold to Focus Features for $10 million. Like Little Miss Sunshine, Yerxa and Berger had developed it for years before it finally got financed and made. It's ironic that the last thing admitted to the fest was its biggest sale.

The BAFTA winners are on the jump:

Grammys: Beyonce and Turner

Marc Malkin reports that one thing we can expect at the Grammys Sunday night is a duet between Beyonce and Tina Turner. The promise of that alone will make me not miss the show.

Oscar Watch: The Nominees Luncheon

[Posted by Tim M. Gray]
If there were any lingering doubts about the Oscarcast, AMPAS president Sid Ganis put them to rest on Feb. 4 by announcing, in a calm voice, "There's no doubt about it, we are going to do it."

The remark was met with enthusiastic applause at the 27th annual nominees luncheon Feb. 4 at the Beverly Hilton.

As always, the unwritten rule is to not make Oscar predictions at this event, which is in the "everybody here is a winner" spirit. The added unwritten law this year: Just assume the show will go on as usual, and don't even THINK otherwise.

"This is a day to bask in your nominee-ness," Ganis told the 115 Academy Awards contenders, "and when we present the awards..." Ganis used that "when" very casually, with no hint of "if."

The luncheon features one hour of schmoozing, followed by a one-hour lunch, which includes presentation of certificates to contenders. The event is very democratic: The Academy mixes it up, seating sound mixers with actors, makeup artists, Academy board members and staffers, etc. There is no Michael Clayton table, for example, or no actors table.

Journalists enter a lottery. I lucked out this year, sitting with John Lasseter, Alan Menken, Jason Reitman and docu-shorts contender James Longley, among others—a pretty swell group.

It's always fun to mingle with the nominees, who all look happy and relaxed (happy to be nominated, relaxed that they don't have to give a speech). Julie Christie looked spectacular, of course, and was totally charming. And so was Scott Rudin, slim and beaming. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova said they were having a great time. Even Robert Iger—who's been pretty damn busy lately with his WGA talks— looked relaxed and happy.

Midway through lunch, all nominees assemble on risers for taking of the "class photo," followed by each going to the stage to receive a certificate— a process that took 35 minutes. George Clooney chatted with Viggo Mortensen; Sissy Spacek moved closer to the stage, to take photos of hubby Jack Fisk on the risers; Diablo Cody whooped loudly for fellow Juno nominees; and Julian Schnabel, in purple trousers and a black overcoat, went to the stage, received his certificate and then indicated he wanted to say a few words into the microphone.

Maybe he was joking (at least one hopes so, since he must have noticed that none of the other contenders had spoken). Or maybe he remembered some things he forgot to say at the DGA awards.

Every year, there are a few no-shows in each category, which was true this year. But there was one notable exception: All 13 nominated screenwriters attended.

The biggest applause was reserved for Robert Boyle, the 98-year-old art director/production designer with credits ranging from North by Northwest and The Birds to In Cold Blood. During the prolonged ovation, Ganis jumped from the stage to bring the certificate to Boyle, including an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

Ganis said that he hopes negotiations have reached a happy conclusion by Feb. 24, so the industry and its workers can be functioning again. He stressed about the kudocast, "We will be presenting the awards, as scheduled, on the 24th," not in any old "show must go on" attitude, but rather to honor the people who did great work in 2007 films.

Speaking to the kudos hopefuls, Oscarcast producer Gil Cates acknowledged "it's traditional to harangue you" into making short and interesting speeches, but he declined to do that this year. Cates said, "With everything going on in the world and everything going on in this town," he said he feels sure that the speeches will be "thoughtful, graceful... and heartfelt."

Here's Diane Garrett's report from the nominees lunch press room.

[Nominees attending the lunch, from top: Actor George Clooney, screenwriter Diablo Cody and writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, actresses Amy Ryan and Marion Cotillard, production designer Jack Fisk and wife Sissy Spacek, and actress Julie Christie]

Oscar Watch: No Country Wins Producers Guild award

No Country for Old Men's road to the Oscars is looking inevitable: the Coen brothers picture won the PGA too, after winning DGA and SAG awards.

Here's how Miramax kept the slow fire burning.

Paste's Art-House 100

I've never read Paste magazine, but nonetheless they're already publishing their third Annual Art Powerhouse 100, which "celebrates those who make the independent film industry possible." The list is pretty predictable. It would make more sense to do this a tad earlier, when the list might have some influence on the awards season. It now seems somewhat after the fact.

PASTE Magazine’s 3rd Annual Art House Powerhouse 100
Our Favorite Actors
Viggo Mortensen
Laura Linney
Forest Whitaker
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Naomi Watts
Cate Blanchett
Evan Rachel Wood
Natalie Portman
Don Cheadle
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Juliette Binoche
Daniel Day-Lewis
Josh Brolin
Christian Bale
Cillian Murphy
Parker Posey
Jack Black
Ryan Gosling
Nicole Kidman
Javier Bardem
Jake Gyllenhaal
Johnny Depp
Ellen Page
Casey Affleck
Emile Hirsch
Paul Dano
Jason Schwartzman

More Paste favorites on the jump:

Screen Actors Guild Award Winners

The NYT and Variety posted the SAG winners as they came in.

A list of film winners of the 14th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards:
Movies:
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."
Actress: Julie Christie, "Away From Her."
Supporting actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."
Supporting actress: Ruby Dee, "American Gangster."
Cast: "No Country for Old Men."
Stunt ensemble: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Coens Win DGA Feature Director Prize

The Coen brothers won the DGA's top prize Saturday night. I suspect No Country for Old Men will also win the SAG ensemble award tonight on its way to a Best Picture Oscar win. Yes, There Will Be Blood will be formidable competition.

There Will Be Blood cinematographer Robert Elswit won the top prize from the ASC this weekend, but even he admitted that Roger Deakins being nommed for two pics probably split the vote.

Here's an MP3 of the Coens winning their prize Saturday, via The Envelope's Tom O'Neill.

Oscar Watch: Nominations Analysis

There were some welcome surprises this nominations morning. (Here's Variety's story.) Atonement made it to best picture. While Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Joe Wright did not win noms, Saorise Ronin did. Christopher Hampton earned a screenplay nod. The Guilds don't always reflect the Academy, clearly; this means the battle for the fifth slot was fierce. But Atonement got seven noms altogether; Michael Clayton seven, Juno four, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, four, and Sweeney Todd got only three (Johnny Depp, art direction and costume); Juno's Jason Reitman, not Tim Burton, landed a director's slot. A surprise, but well-deserved. (I was talking to him here in Park City last night at the WMA party; he was nervous because he didn't get a writing nom last time for Thank You for Smoking.)

Atonement took the fifth best picture slot away from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Julian Schnabel got director, and Harwood screenplay, but Diving Bell, which is foreign language, didn't make it all the way.

Into the Wild must not have been that strong because Sean Penn and Emile Hirsch did not get nominated. It was shut out earned expected supporting actor nom for Hal Holbrook and editing. Eddie Vedder's music might have gotten in if it hadn't been disqualified. I never thought Into The Wild would score with the Academy, but Paramount Vantage gave it the full court push.

If Jonny Greenwood's score hadn't been disqualified, There Will be Blood might have nine noms to No Country for Old Men's eight. Vantage, Miramax and producer Scott Rudin, who partnered on those two films, are having a very good day.

The Academy loves Cate Blanchett, nominating her twice, for Elizabeth and I'm Not There, movies she dominated. She can do no wrong. Laura Linney beat Angelina Jolie, which is an upset but proves that the Golden Globes and SAG do not necessarily match up with the Academy. The Savages is well respected; so is Linney; so is screenwriter Tamara Jenkins. When in doubt, the Academy goes with the class act. Four solo women screenwriters got nominated, my USA Today pal Susan Wloszczyna pointed out on the phone this morning.

I had a flash that Tommy Lee Jones could be nominated for not only In the Valley of Elah, but also on some level No Country for Old Men. I wish I had listened to that instinct. And Viggo Mortensen got a deserved first Oscar nomination for David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises.

Casey Affleck took the fifth supporting actor slot. And Jennifer Garner didn't make it; Ruby Dee got the older vet slot, for American Gangster.

The full list of noms are on the jump.

Atonement Leads BAFTA Noms

OK, so it doesn't look good for Atonement for a best picture Oscar slot. What about McAvoy, Knightley and Wright, pictured here? It's such a competitive year. I'm still scratching my head about why so many folks haven't responded to this wonderful movie the way the British Academy of Film & Television Arts did. Of course, the Brits are rewarding their own. Atonement led the BAFTA pack with 14 noms.

Was the structure too strange? The central figures not likable enough? The Academy usually loves the Brits, the period, the scale and scope of a movie like this. I come back to the same thing. Despite Focus Features' best efforts not to let this happen, the early fest raves in the fall, combined with the withholding of screenings, led to the film finally not meeting expectations. It's doing some business. But this film did not perform with the Guilds the way I expected it to. One other culprit: the high end reviews that knocked it, led by A.O. Scott in the NYT.

The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 10 at the Royal Opera House in London; stateside it's on BBC America on Feb 10 at 6 PM Eastern.

Awards Party Circuit: AFI

With the pre-Golden Globes party atmosphere muted and overshadowed by the ongoing Writers Guild strike, the well-attended (and untelevised) 8th annual AFI Awards lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel Friday was about as festive an awards season celebration as you’re going to get.

Convened to honor the ten best films and television programs of 2007, the lunch was crammed with stars and studio heads and would-be Oscar contenders. Michael Clayton star George Clooney talked about convening a meeting of top players who could talk to both sides in order to restart the WGA's strike talks.

New York producer Scott Rudin, sitting at Miramax’s No Country for Old Men table with Daniel Battsek, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem, was making a rare appearance at a Hollywood public fete. “Don’t get used to it,” he warned.

Into the Wild producer Art Linson, sitting next to Hal Holbrook, was prepping to hit Sundance for the first time with his Hollywood tell-all What Just Happened, which he wrote and Barry Levinson directed, starring Robert DeNiro as Linson, which is a hot acquisition title.

Among the revelers were Mad Men star Jon Hamm, sporting a thick beard. “It’s a strike beard,” he said. “I’m bored and lazy and I’m on vacation. We finished the first season and we’re waiting for the second season to begin.”

Of the 20 clips shown at the lunch, by far the biggest applause went to attendee Alec Baldwin’s bravura impersonation on 30 Rock of Tracy Morgan's parents in a therapy session. On the movie side, a powerful There Will Be Blood clip seemed to resonate in the room.

Screenwriters Diablo Cody (Juno) and Tamara Jenkins (The Savages) were cracking each other up at the Fox Searchlight table. Critic and AFI film jury chair Leonard Maltin defended the inclusion of the French-language The Diving Bell and the Butterfly on the basis of its American producers, Jon Kilik and Kathleen Kennedy, and director Julian Schnabel. Judd Apatow objected to the “benign little scene” of Knocked Up chosen by the AFI, Maltin said. So Apatow supplied something much snarkier.

At the lunch’s end, WGA veteran Frank Pierson gave an elegiac speech about Hollywood then and now. “The sad reason Hollywood hates writers is that until the writers are done, no one can go to work,” he said. “That seems to be where we are now, as the future holds its breath.”

Pierson recalled when Hollywood was a “smaller factory town where the bosses knew the workers and workers knew the bosses. It was all up close and personal, and everyone knew their place. Police did not arrest a movie star; they drove him home. People ate in the commissary; the writers’ table was the place to sit because the jokes were supposed to be funnier. That collegial atmosphere is pretty much past and it’s not going to come back.”

When Pierson worked with Carl Reiner, Bob Altman, John Cassavetes, Bob Rafelson, Jack Nicholson and Henry Jaglom at Columbia, he recalled, he and Nicholson once watched Marlon Brando eat his lunch in the studio commissary. “It was up close and personal, we were so star-struck,” Pierson said. “That’s the way it was, a little bit the way it is here.” He thanked the storytellers convened at the AFI lunch, saying, “You are all people who made life a little bit more worth living in a very difficult year.”

Producers Noms Omit Atonement, Sweeney Todd

Atonement and Sweeney Todd, the two big winners at the Golden Globes, are heading into Oscar nominations January 22 without a lot of support from the Guilds. Now the PGA has given Atonement and Sweeney Todd a pass, too. This top five may very well be the final five for best picture on January 22, unless Into the Wild knocks The Diving Bell and the Butterfly out of a slot.

And the nominees are:

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR AWARD THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax)
“Juno" (Fox Searchlight)
“Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax/Paramount Vantage)
“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage/Miramax)

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR AWARD IN ANIMATED THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
"Bee Movie" (Dreamworks Animation)
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation)
"The Simpsons Movie" (20th Century FOX)

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR AWARD IN DOCUMENTARY THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
"Body Of War" (Phil Donahue Productions/Mobilus Media)
"Hear And Now" (HBO)
"Pete Seeger: The Power Of Song" (The Weinstein Company)
"Sicko" (The Weinstein Company)
"White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki" (HBO)

THE DAVID L. WOLPER PRODUCER OF THE YEAR AWARD IN LONG-FORM TELEVISION
"Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" (HBO)
"The Bronx Is Burning" (ESPN)
"High School Musical 2" (The Disney Channel)
"Jane Eyre" (PBS/BBC)
"The Starter Wife" (USA Network)

Golden Globes: Day-Lewis and Atonement Win

Daniel Day Lewis wins best actor for There Will Be Blood. As expected. He will be the front-runner for the Oscars as well. The comedy Globe winner, Johnny Depp, will be his biggest competition.

Atonement wins drama for Golden Globes. This has little impact whatsoever on the Oscar race. The ballots are in. It helps the eventual nominees look like winners and gain momentum, is all. If in fact Atonement gets many nominations, then this strange Globe win (which will be plastered all over ads everywhere) helps them. If it doesn't, then it doesn't. Same with Sweeney Todd, which is more likely to get lots of technical nods and Depp than best picture.

UPDATE: Here's the estimable Dave Germain's A.P.story. And Variety.

The winners of the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards are:

Golden Globes: Christie Wins

Best TV Drama series: Mad Men has won in its first year. "What a night for Jon Hamm," says Bush sagely, "although there's a lot of smoking going on in the movie."

In anticipation of the best actress clips, we see footage of Angelina Jolie emerging fully clothed from a 1999 swimming pool after winning a Globe for Gia. "A see-through dress by the way," observes Bush. "This show is produced by men," responds O'Dell. If I were Jolie, nominated for a serious role for A Mighty Heart, this would royally piss me off. Julie Christie wins best actress in a drama, as expected.

Golden Globes: Depp, Sweeney Todd Both Win

Johnny Depp's win is no surprise here. Neither is Sweeney Todd as best comedy or musical.

Golden Globes: Schnabel Beats Coens

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly's Julian Schnabel beat the Coens for best director. Again, the HFPA has rewarded a global movie, French language, and a sophisticated European sensibility. But it's a surprise.

Golden Globes: Extras and Fey Win

Best TV comedy series: the Globes love Extras, and Brit comedian Ricky Gervais. Again, it's the Hollywood foreign press.

Best actress in a TV comedy: Tina Fey for 30 Rock. "Tina is one of the great writers," says Bush.

"She wears so many hats for 30 Rock, she probably never thought she'd win an award for actress," adds Karger. "The Globes love the new up-and-coming actors."

Golden Globes Live: Bardem, Latifah Win

Javier Bardem wins best supporting actor for No Country for Old Men. "Everyone expected him to win," says O'Dell. Bush says that the movie may go over $100 million, which is an accomplishment for a "boutique" film. Oy. Dave Karger says Bardem can't be stopped. That's not necessarily true. We don't even know the Oscar nominations yet.

Queen Latifah won best actress in a special or mini-series for Life Support.

Golden Globes: Cotillard Wins

Marion Cotillard has won for La Vie en Rose. Remember it's the FOREIGN PRESS! Bush is sounding horrified and complaining that the film was not a comedy or a musical, but a drama with singing. He was rooting for Ellen Page; she's a North American actress, and very new at that. The Oscars will come through with a nom for her, but she may not win that one either. Cotillard will be up against Julie Christie for the Oscar.

Golden Globes: Hamm, Ratatouille Win

Best actor for TV drama: Jon Hamm for Mad Men. That's another case of the HFPA wanting him to show up.

Best animated feature: Ratatouille. "A really clever movie," says Bush. Jeez.

Poor Nikki Blonski --they've rerun for the nth time that horrid footage of her live nomination reaction.

Golden Globes: Blanchett Wins

I'm watching Access Hollywood. (The slow-road to getting the news. But it's a show.) Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell are hosting. There's an interview area and Shaun Robinson is interviewing Dave Karger. EW is running through the likely winners both in film and TV. It's very showbiz.

Now they're getting into supporting actress clips. They had to have some filler in here. They're getting fed info from the live press conference. They're cutting between taping live reactions to the news and taped footage.

Cate Blanchett is the winner for her role as Bob Dylan in I'm Not There. Having swept so many critics' groups, many thought Amy Ryan would win. "At the end of the day it's a woman imitating a man," says Bush. The reason for this vote is that the HFPA wanted Blanchett to show up to the ceremony that never happened. They have always loved her. She had two noms this year, one for Elizabeth: The Golden Age. And she has been nominated seven times altogether. She also won for Elizabeth back in 1999.

Golden Globes Predicts

Let's see how I do--I'll be live-blogging the press conference from my sofa.

Best Picture, Drama: No Country for Old Men

Best Comedy or Musical: Sweeney Todd

Best Actress, Drama: Julie Christie

Best Actor, Drama: Daniel Day Lewis

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy: Marion Cotillard

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy: Johnny Depp

Best Actress, Supporting: Amy Ryan

Best Actor, Supporting: Javier Bardem

Best Animated: Ratatouille

Best Foreign: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Director: Joel and