I’ve only seen one but no need to worry, it seems an obvious choice to me (wanna bet?).”
The 72nd Annual Academy Awards are coming up this month (Sunday March 26, 2000, 5:00 PST) and as usual this time of year, the media buzz is deafening. Well, at least in America, that is. If you’re living in Mexico or have been in Zihuatanejo for any length of time, its just possible you’ve never heard of any of these movies. Don’t be ashamed, its easy to get out of the loop down here in paradise and some of us actually prefer it. But as there are usually Oscar parties and betting polls going around, it could be a good idea to do a quick cram. As last years’ undisputed Oscar pot winner without seeing a single nominated film, I’m hear to tell you, you can still win even if you don’t know anything about these films. The Best Picture nominees this year are: The Sixth Sense, The Insider, The Green Mile, The Cider House Rules and American Beauty. Here’s the official line:
In THE SIXTH SENSE, eight-year-old Cole Sear is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. A helpless and reluctant channel, Cole is terrified by threatening visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. As child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe tries to uncover the ominous truth about Cole’s powers and purpose, the consequence for client and therapist is a jolt that awakens them both to something harrowing – and unexplainable.
Based on the true story of producer Lowell Bergman’s battle with CBS executives to air an interview with tobacco industry whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand on “60 Minutes,” THE INSIDER is the gripping tale behind one of the most important stories of the decade. Penetrating the inner sanctums of TV news and big business, this riveting docudrama explores the relationship between an impassioned journalist and an ordinary man caught in a web of extraordinary circumstances.
Paul Edgecomb guards prisoners on death row in a 1935 Louisiana penitentiary. Although his latest charge, John Coffey, was convicted of savagely killing two young girls, Edgecomb discovers that the massive inmate is a gentle giant who possesses miraculous powers. Adapted from Stephen King’s serialized novel, THE GREEN MILE explores an unusual friendship, the nature of humanity and the presence of God in the most unlikely places.
Homer Wells has never known a world outside of St. Cloud’s, an orphanage run by Dr. Wilbur Larch. Larch is like a father to Homer, who has mastered the art of medicine under his mentor’s tutelage and is expected to take his place when the good doctor dies. But when Homer gets the chance to experience life outside St. Cloud’s, he discovers that his destiny is his own to create. Adapted by John Irving from his best-selling novel, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES explores how far we must travel to find the place where we belong.
If anyone has lived a life of quiet desperation, it’s Lester Burnham. An unremarkable man trapped in a suburban wasteland, Lester is experiencing a midlife crisis that will be the catalyst for explosive change. And no one — not his driven, real estate-selling wife, glum teenage daughter, new neighbors, or adolescent obsession — will escape the blast of his self-destruction. Unsettling and provocative, AMERICAN BEAUTY is a portrait of suburbia as dark as it is illuminating.
I’ve only seen one but no need to worry, it seems an obvious choice to me (wanna bet?). And remember, the people that vote for these films are academy members: actors, directors, producers–busy folks, they don’t actually watch the films either.
-March 2000
