1997: Debbi Morgan in "Eve's Bayou"

We're revisiting the 1997 film year in the lead up to the next Supporting Actress Smackdown. As always Nick Taylor will suggest a few alternatives to Oscar's ballot.

You’d be forgiven for not immediately lingering on Mozelle Batiste Delacroix. When we first meet her she’s one of several dozen luminous, handsomely dressed and manicured faces floating around a party at the home of the Batiste family in 1960’s Louisiana. Mozelle’s very first scene, giggling with her sister about some poor woman’s teeth before they’re interrupted, is largely dominated by other actors, and she doesn't mind sitting back and enjoying her niece and nephew’s shenanigans.

There’s also a lot of stuff happening around her. Not just the laying-out of key figures and relationships but the very nature of Eve’s Bayou as a memory play...

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Introducing... Gloria Stuart as Rose in "Titanic"

The Smackdown of '97 is in just 5 days. Here's how to vote.

We first see Gloria Stuart 11 minutes into Titanic (1997). Rose (age 100) is the first and only one of the film's main characters we meet in Titanic's twenty-one minute prologue which takes place in 1996. The television is on in the other room when we first see her in long shot. A news report about a discovery involving the RMS Titanic is playing, piquing her interest...

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Yes No Maybe So: "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio"

by Nathaniel R

This morning Netflix released the poster and teaser to Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio so it's really happening. Del Toro always has so many projects in development that it's something of a surprise when any of the long gestating projects emerges, complete. They're being somewhat cagey about actual dates beyond "November in theaters / December on Netflix" but a month is good enough for now. The trailer poster and quick Yes No Maybe So thoughts are after the jump...

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"my mother, myself"

Behold, The Lovely Laura Linney with her mother this week in Hollywood...

diplopia (noun)
dip·​lo·​pia \ di-ˈplō-pē-ə \
Definition of diplopia
: a disorder of vision in which two images of a single object are seen (as from unequal action of the eye muscles)
— called also double vision pic.twitter.com/WMh0PsRxlB

— Caitrin 🦊 (@CaitrinRoss) July 26, 2022

You're not seeing double. But Laura's mom is even doing the You Can Count on Me wave, to further slay our eyeballs. Just uncanny! 😍 

Links: Paul Sorvino's passing, BAFTA rule tweaks, and Nope's famous film strip

• NYT Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas, The Rocketeer, Nixon), beloved character actor and father of Oscar winner Mira Sorvino, has died at 83
• Guardian Sad news: Shonka Dukureh, who sang "Hound Dog" in her feature debut in Elvis as Big Mama Thornton has died at just 44

Much Happier links after the jump involving "Horse in Motion" from Nope, 'All the Way' Mae from A League of Their Own, Jessica Chastain's new film, and more...

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