Page 61 - The Peorian Vol 3 Issue 1 Winter

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AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…
What, who are likely nominees as 2013 draws to a close
By Tim Wyman
T he end of fall, the passing
of Halloween, and the
onset of the deluge
of holiday commercials can
only mean one thing to the
vast majority of people — the
beginning of Oscar season.
No?
Most quasi-sane individuals
would lament the end of warmth
and shorts season, although if
rational movie-goers are honest
they would admit to being tired
of the cheesy-big-budget-blow-
everything-up movies that open
every Friday between Memorial
and Labor Day.
So, the big question is what is
on the horizon for the rest of the
year, and who are the contenders
for the big prize of Best Picture
that will be awarded March 2.
Rest assured fellow movie buffs,
Santa (and Hollywood) has some
big presents in his bag for us.
While the list is pleasantly
long this year (we must have
been really good boys and girls),
the biggest hopeful (at least on
my list) is August: Osage County
coming to theaters on Dec. 25.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and
Tony Award as a stage play, it
was penned by playwright/actor
Tracy Letts, who, when all is said
and done, will be considered
the Tennessee Williams of our
generation.
The story is about a family
coming together in the wake of
a patriarch’s death and dealing
with their mother’s alcoholism.
The play is at times uproariously
funny and other times achingly
heart-wrenching. When films
market they sometimes use
the expression “all-star cast”
to describe a movie. I find that
generally describes just bigger
names on the downside of their
career. This film’s all-star cast has
the name recognition it boasts,
but these are also some of the best
actors working today, including
Meryl Streep in the starring role.
The rumor out of Hollywood is
that she is a cinch for her fourth
Best Actress award.
The remainder of the cast is
rounded out by Julia Roberts,
Benedict Cumberbatch, Ewan
McGregor, Juliette Lewis, Dermot
Mulroney, Sam Shepard, and one
of my all-time favorite character
actors, Chris Cooper. What a
Christmas Day present!
At The Movies
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