Reader of the Day: Hayden
Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 12:45PM 
Sometimes when I'm reading the comments, at least for the frequent chatterboxes, I start to get a sense of which directors and actors some of you like. Other times it's hard to tell. With Hayden I knew in the subcategory of Warren Beatty Paramours we disagreed on Annette Bening and were sympatico on Julie Christie. So let's learn more in today's reader of the day.
Nathaniel: Do you remember your first moviegoing experience? first obsession?
HAYDEN: The first time I went to the movies was to see The Lion King, which fits because Elton John was my first concert. I was all of three years old in 1994, so I remember leaving early for crying or misbehaving or something. As for an obsession, I really got hooked on Woody Allen during my sophomore year of high school. There were dozens of his classics and lesser films OnDemand so I probably powered through thirty of them in one year.
You were three in 94?! [cough. *pauses to take some Geritol*]. When did you start reading the Film Experience?
2004 was the first year I actively followed the Oscars, and I first came here for the charts. I would say that I stayed when I realized that TFE blog was so fun to read, too. I think before you can enter the dialogue on the Oscar blogosphere, you need a semi-comprehensive sense of Oscar mythology. So I spent some time catching up on history before I started participating.
That's actually astute. There is a learning curve or at least a gateway year to sensible Oscar obsessiveness. Not that Oscar is a sensible state of being exactly! But moving on. Let us not speak of your bizarre hostility to The Bening. Your favorite 3 actresses?
Julianne Moore, Julie Christie, Vanessa Redgrave. And I’m not hostile towards the Bening so much as I think she gets slightly more credit than is due, in a sea of actresses who aren’t even close to getting the praise they deserve.
[short e-pause] I also want to add Blythe Danner to my "favorite actresses" thing. 'Cause she's so absurdly underrated.
Take away somebody's Oscar and give it to someone else. What year? who? why?
Well, I don’t want to pick on Driving Miss Daisy's Jessica Tandy, so I’ll just give Helen Hunt’s As Good As it Gets win to Julie Christie (Afterglow). Julie won so early in her career and has been ripe for a second win so many times. And I have a much easier time accepting (and embracing) wins like Marion Cotillard’s in La Vie En Rose and Jane Fonda’s for Klute than I do Hunt’s. (But seriously, Pfeiffer's The Fabulous Baker Boys was a Crowning Best Actress Moment if ever one existed.)
[Editor's note: I swear I did not pay Hayden to say that but all Pfans agree and thank him.]
Which newish directors are you rooting for in the coming decade?
I’ve been dying to see how Jonathan Glazer follows up Birth. If that wasn’t a fluke, he’ll be one of my favorite directors. I’m also dying for more direction from Sarah Polley.
previous readers of the day: Dominique, Murtada, Cory, Walter, Paolo, Leehee and BBats
Reader Comments (49)
Hayden! IMDB Oscar Buzz represent!
I spent some formative years on that board.
Oh God, I haven't been on that board for yeaaaaars!
I'm trying to think... It is possible that I discovered TFE on the Buzz Boards, but I'm not sure...
IMDB gets newsfeed from TFE, doesn't it? That's how I discovered this site.
caroline - good to know. I do have a newsfeed there yes. It's giving way less traffic than it used to since they switched their layout and the newsfeeds are much less prominent. (sigh)
Go Hayden! I totally agree about Glazer and Birth...fascinating film.
Who is this guy from Oscar Buzz? He's a cutie!
Hahahaha this was so cute :)
Hehe, I was 3 in 1994 as well. Good to know there's someone as young as me on these boards (and cute to boot!)
Oh no... please don't take the Oscar away from Helen Hunt. Pretty please? I absolutely adore her.
werd up, sexbot.<3
^lolshewaspwnttwice.
^I pwned you good
You were six when the Spice Girls were famous!
A true fan of mine would not give my Oscar for Away from Her to that French bitch.
That is all.
One of my favorite commenters! I, too, discovered Woody Allen my sophomore year of high school, though I did not have OnDemand. Alas! Thankfully, Netflix is helping me catch up.
I love Julie Christie. When she won the Oscar for Dreamgirls I was so happy <3
Oh you girls stop!
Every single one of you has AT LEAST an Oscar!
Helen Hunt, do I really need to remind everyone of your TV days?
Marion Cotillard, do I need to remind you of when you weren't famous? A French black-haired girl? Who the hell wants to see that?
And finally... Julie... I love you. If I could, I'd give you all three Oscars plus the one you actually won. And yes JANE FONDA, yours too. Just because I hate what you did in 'Coming Home'. Oh wait, you won for that too, didn't you? What what what were you thinking?!
And now I have to say: and ME, I've been famous forever, I've been nominated three times... WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE MY TURN? (I ask in a Natalie Portman-like 'Black Swan'-esque scream)
Eat a sandwich.
Oh, and for the record Fred, your conservative politics offend my more liberal persuasions. I have spent much of my life fighting against your kin. It is nice to know that my clearly superior beliefs have brought you to my knees and begging for mercy; a mercy which you shall not receive until you take back the above quote about embracing the victory of that French mole over myself.
Dominated.
Signing off,
Julie xx
Jules, please. Relax. Take a pill. Fred's antics aren't worth having a stroke over. This kind of thing runs in the family, so I'm sure Fred's parents are anorexic slave-owners too. Don't worry, karma will soon bite them in the ass. Look at me-- My Zionist bullshit cost me a daughter and a sister.
Cheers!
Ness
You're too young for me 4 in 94 -- I was 7 when the 80s ended and 9 when Kathy Bates won for Misery -- if I were to think about you one second more I'd be Roman Polanski.
I was 4 in 94, nice actress taste i love em all, Sanner is balls out underrated
I love everyone picking the Lion King. It's feeding into my renewed interest in Disney movies...I missed the original theatrical release by a couple months, and by the time I was 4, it was The Lion King 2 that people were leading singalongs to. Ah, memories...anyway, I gotta catch up.
Sarah Polley is doing Take This Waltz, something like that, soon. Sharing!
I was also 4 in 94! Another young 'in.
Great smile Hayden and great taste ;D
Great taste, Hayden! I love Julie Christie *SO* much in "Afterglow- I was 17 for that particular Oscar race and really, really, wanted her to win ( even though I liked Helen Hunt as well).
How does one become a Reader of the Day?
It's cool to see so many young'ins on this site! lol Though I'm slightly older...I was 6 in '94.
tim@desotosales.com, glendale@desotosales.com
Oopps. Ignore last post. This is the link I meant to share:
http://www.movieline.com/2011/03/the-mystery-of-julie-christie-and-donald-sutherlands-sex-scene-in-dont-look-now-solved-nsfw.php
There aren't a lot of people out there who will defend Helen Hunt's Oscar. They do exist, though. I can't say that I am one of them.
Personally, I would have bent the rules and gave it to one of film year 1996's Best Actress nominees, seeing as there were so many deserving winners.
I cant wait to email Tim and Glendale!
Hayden, if you watch The American President, you will dive head first unto the Benning bandwagon. I did.
I was one year old in 1994!
You people need to chill.
Thanks, Nathaniel. This is super. Sorry for all the catfights between esteemed actresses happening up there. I think all of those women are classier than that.
Ah, I selfishly want to dislike this Reader of the Day because he is totally stealing all of my answers if I ever get the honor! Julie Christie is my all-time favorite actress and I secretly harbored an intense dislike against Annette Bening for longer than I am proud of because she has supplanted Julie in the national memory of Beatty loves. I am only slightly a crackpot.
Fortunately, Madame Bening managed to turn my opinion around this past Oscar season. I am now excited to go back and revisit her past performances.
Nathaniel, I think you have found yourself a very niche readership.
I haven't been commenting on all these 'Reader of the Day' posts but they are becoming a fun experience. It's quite interesting finding out more about all these people who debate Oscars and cinematic stuff here at TFE.
And it's been fun to see that a great number of us is young people such as myself (I was 5 in 1994). I never would have guessed we were that many.
Because of that silly nonsense above - and because I was about to answer to that 'Michelle Pfeiffer' comment - in my name it says 'Michelle Pfeiffer'. Grr.
Sorry for that, Nathaniel.
As I said...
What on Earth has that battle between Pfeiffer, Christie, Cotillard, Redgrave and Hunt to do with Hayden, may I ask? -.-
Moving on...
I haven't been commenting on all these 'Reader of the Day' posts but they are becoming a fun experience. It's quite interesting finding out more about all these people who debate Oscars and cinematic stuff here at TFE.
And it's been fun to see that a great number of us is young people such as myself (I was 5 in 1994). I never would have guessed we were that many.
I was born in 1994 so the young ones definitely are on this site
I was 9 in 1994. Thanks for making me feel fucking old Hayden. Other than that, nice answers!
@DaVinciSmetana - I am SO one of those people who will defend Helen Hunt's Oscar till they're dying days. Seriously. And I don't say this just to be a contrarian. I defend both Hunt and Nicholson's Oscars for that film. Such comic timing. Such heartbreak. Perfection. Love that they got matching statues for their work. Love. That. Film.
I think I discovered your site through both imdb Oscar BUZZ and awardsdaily...it was either 2002 or 2003. Your site was very different and very filmnerdy. That is what I like about your site Nathaniel.
Hayden: are you still on diapers? 1994 was like yesterday he he. I like that you gave the Oscar to Christie but Marion Cotillard totally deserves her Oscar
Are there any frequent readers of this site who were at least teenagers in 1994 (I was between 13 and 14 myself)?
Anyhoo, I absolutely love this series, as I find it fascinating to learn about other people's filmic tastes, obsessions, etc., especially in comparison to my own. For instance, I found Cotillard's performance in "La Vie en Rose" to be nothing but a series of loud, disjointed ACTING moments with absolutely no through line whatsover (not that the woeful film does her any favors), while Hunt at least gives us some semblance of an actual person. Of course, the best part is that we all have a shared love of TFE.
Hayden,
We are not classier than that, and we get plastic surgery too!
And I was much better in Away from Her than that frog!
Julie xx
@3rtfu11, Amen.
Reading Hayden's interview, his responses leave me feeling as if I should go back to english class; nicely put answers.
I have most of you beat, even La Pfeiffer. I was 20 in 1994.
Wow. Hayden and I had a lot of things in common: Vanessa Regrave, Helen Hunt Oscar, Love for Birth!!!
Troy H. You are younger than me! I was 15 in 1994
I just love what Nathaniel R. and Hayden have to express: so clever, so witty..just right on!
I could not approve more than I indeed do, the taste,the humor,the jazz and the film knowledge these guys possess!
I'm literally excited to have found this Blog and I don't say this Often,nor Do I Blog! But men... I need to stay in touch with these 2! Or 3.. lol