News Catch-up: Honorary Oscars, "Barbie", and RIPs
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 9:35PM by Nathaniel R
Peter Weir, picture here on the set of "The Truman Show", will receive an Honorary Oscar in November. © Paramount Pictures
We had intended for June to be our freshly energized new season but that fantasized new season here at TFE had its own mind and said "no no no, maybe July". Neverthless before June ends, a rundown on stories we haven't discussed in the early summer lull.
HONORARY OSCARS
First things first you have probably heard that the Honorary Oscar recipients were announced...
Directors Euzhan Palcy (previously celebrated right here), Peter Weir (who we will for sure do a retrospect of this November to celebrate), perpetual competitive-Oscar losing songwriter Diane Warren, and actor/activist Michael J Fox for the Humanitarian Award. What do you think of this quartet?
Our most fervent desire is that this honor will convince them to stop nominating Warren every time she composes a tiny ditty for films that barely have an imprint with anyone (not audiences, critics, media, or even Oscar voters outside of her songs) and let this suffice. She's deserved to win previously of course but these recent nominations have been highly questionable! Sometimes when you make people wait to win truly bizarre overkill starts happening (see also making Meryl's long wait for a third Oscar -- they just started nominating for everything, irregardless of quality which has run the gamut).
We're happiest about Weir because he's retired, getting on in years (78 this summer), and his filmography is long and remarkable and with 6 previous nominations from 3 different categories, he was overdue. My preferred trinity is Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Truman Show, and Witness but he made so many fine films that yours might well be different.
In other Oscar news, Best Actress winner Marlee Matlin was elected to the Board of Governors for the Acting branch.
RIPs
We haven't had time to pay proper tribute to these recent giants who passed but we thank them for all the fine cinema.
Jean-Louis Tringtigant in Michael Haneke's "Amour" © Sony Pictures Classics
JEAN-LOUIS TRINTIGNANT
The French legend died at 91 in the South of France, leaving behind a brilliant filmography, a few titles from which we've written about. Key titles include "Z" (Best Actor win at Cannes), the Oscar-winning Amour, and European classics like The Conformist, Three Colors: Red, ...And God Created Woman, Is Paris Burning?, My Night at Maud's and A Man and A Woman among many others.
Philip Baker Hall in Robert Altman's "Secret Honor" © Criterion Collection
PHILIP BAKER HALL
The enduring character actor, a regular on TV since the 1970s became an in-demand movie character actor much later in his career thanks to taking a chance on a novice filmmaker and agreeing to star in his short film in 1993. That young man was the genius Paul Thomas Anderson and Hall would go on to costar in his first three pictures Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia. His movie career included everything from prestige dramas (Secret Honor, The Insider, The Contender) to thrillers (Zodiac, Talented Mr Ripley), action films (Rush Hour, Rules of Engagement), comedy (Die Mommy Die, Bruce Almighty), and big auteur gambles (The Truman Show, Psycho, Dogville).
TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD.... "BARBIE" PHOTOS
Photos have been arriving steadily from the set, some official promo images (below), others less so. We hope some of the looks are for indoor scenes though so all the costumes aren't spoiled by the time the film opens a full 13 months from now.
It's definitely the most exciting summer film of 2023 on paper. We can't know exactly what to expect given Greta Gerwig's sure hand as writer/director despite the unlikely IP match. The internet has noticed that she dresses to match the vibe of whatever movie she's directing which we agree is ridiculously fun. Lots of tweets like so...
Greta Gerwig larps her own movies WHILE she's making them, just one reason she is supreme https://t.co/8u27RWL2JS
— Sarah Marrs (@Cinesnark) June 22, 2022
We cannot wait to see this. July 21st, 2023 dolls!
Reader Comments (17)
I don't have many expectations as you about "Barbie". I think there's only three ways to tell a story about the character:
-A satirical tale about the superficiality of the "modern world"
-A comedy that claims the role in society of women ... tall, blonde, slim and glamorous.
-A familiar movie in the same tone and mood of the animated TV films
Honestly I would prefer the third option (and that doesn't makes me happy at all) because the first two choices could it feel like oportunism to choose a popular title character (like Joker) and could provoque the opossite reaction of the intention of the movie and increase the sell of the doll that I coludn't care less if that happened but it would it be ridiculously paradoxical.
Peter Weir is a great choice for an Honourary Oscar, my favourite film of his has to be "Master and Commander".
As for Dianne Warren, her most recent output may not be her strongest, but she has earned the honour.
That Ryan Gosling photo is a Pride Month gift and we're so blessed.
What a nice tribute to Meryl's 73rd birthday.
It's spelled "Trintignant".
Philip Baker Hall and Jean-Louis Trintignant... may they rest in peace.
That picture of Ryan Gosling. When I first saw it... I laughed my fucking ass off. Honestly, he looks hilarious and stupid in a funny way. Yeah, I want to see this.
The decision not to honor Glenn Close with an honorary Oscar is surprising. You have to go back to 2012 to find a year the Board of Governors didn’t award a lifetime achievement Oscar to an actor. (Yes, I know they honored Michael J. Fox, but that is for Humanitarianism.)
Close has a whooping eight nominations. She is 75 years old. We don’t need another Richard Burton who passed with seven nominations and no lifetime achievement award. Or Thelma Ritter who died with a total of six nominations and no lifetime achievement Oscar.
The Board of Governors should mandatorily report to the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences headquarters and watch Dangerous Liaisons. Each recalcitrant Board member should be assigned to write a thousand words justifying their failure to recognize this amazing actress.
I quite enjoy this line-up of Honorary winners! I mean, honestly I'd like for at least one of them to be John Waters, but AMPAS isn't ready for that just yet.
As for those Barbie pics? LOVE. Clearly, this is going for Production, Costumes and Hair & Makeup next year and I'm LIVING. Also, Gosling looks hot in that sort of aged Early-2000's-Punk/Rock-Dad vibe.
As an Aussie, Peter Weir has been a movie hero of mine since the 70’s. My 3 favourites are Picnic at Hanging Rock (a classic Australian novel and film), Gallipoli (another Australian Classic) and The Year of Living Dangerously. OM’s to The Truman Show and Master and Commander. A retrospective would be wonderful :)
The Honorary line up is good,you are so right about Warren.
Top 3 Weir same as yours.
I'm thrilled with AMPAS's decision to honor Peter Weir. He was probably the person I most wanted to see receive the honor as his '80s and '90s films like Witness, Dead Poets Society, and Fearless were formative for me as a young cinephile, and I love his pre-Hollywood masterpieces like Picnic at Hanging Rock, Gallipoli, and The Year of Living Dangerously. I hope Mike Leigh is next.
Barbie is going to be great. The cast list is insane... the latest edition is Olivia Colman, I love the idea of how she might fit in on that set.
Underwhelmed. There are many other older people in the biz with stronger careers.
A totally unimpressive lineup. They look desperate to get people to show up for their "event". Is this turning into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, where the ceremony. and the ticket-sale revenues therefrom are more important than the awards themselves?
Also, I hope John Waters is never given a special award. Not because he doesn't deserve it, but quite the opposite - they don't deserve him. They shouldn't be allowed to associate themselves with his genius and confer his greatness on their mediocrity..
I love Peter Weir and didn’t realize he’s retired. Such a versatile director. I have a fondness for Witness, Dead Poets Society, Green Card and The Truman Show. Master & Commander was a great adventure too.
Outside of Weir, I don't think any of the names were on the radar but I can't be made about the choices. Palcy is absolutely worthy and Fox has done a lot to earn that humanitarian award. No one ever says anything bad about him.
As for Warren, she should have had an award by now, she is worthy given her work history, and she would be the first musician to receive the award.
@TomG
Diane Warren is not the first musician to be named and receive an honorary Oscar.
In 1941, conductor Leopold Stokowski and others received a certificate of merit "for their unique achievement in the creation of a new form of visualized music in Walt Disney's production, Fantasia, thereby widening the scope of the motion picture as entertainment and as an art form."
In 1942, composer Noël Coward received a certificate of merit “for his outstanding production achievement in In Which We Serve"
In 1945 the Board of Governors awarded a certificate to The House I Live In, the short subject addressing tolerance. The citation noted the following contributions, “produced by Frank Ross and Mervyn LeRoy; directed by Mervyn LeRoy; screenplay by Albert Maltz; song "The House I Live In", music by Earl Robinson, lyrics by Lewis Allan; starring Frank Sinatra; released by RKO Radio.”
In 1956 songwriter (among other accomplishments) Eddie Cantor was awarded a statuette “for distinguished service to the film industry.”
In 1985, film composer Alex North received an honorary Oscar "in recognition of his brilliant artistry in the creation of memorable music for a host of distinguished motion pictures."
In 2006 film composer Ennio Morricone received an honorary Oscar "in recognition of his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music."
In 2018 film composer Lalo Schifrin received an honorary Oscar "in recognition of his unique musical style, compositional integrity and influential contributions to the art of film scoring"
Where is the Meryl tribute?
rdf -- we have celebrated Meryl so many times here including top ten lists, entire filmography reviewed, a video montage, etcetera.. we'll need a real occassion for it. I guess her 75th is the next big occassion.