Remembering Deborah Kerr in "Edward, My Son"

by Cláudio Alves

This week, I was a guest on The Lone Acting Nominees podcast. Every episode, the show considers a different film whose only Oscar nomination was for one of the four acting categories, going over the individual performance, the picture overall, and the awards season they found themselves within. For my first appearance, Gordon McNulty and I talked about George Cukor's Edward, My Son, a stage-to-screen adaptation from 1949 that earned Deborah Kerr her first Academy Award nomination. Of course, as we all know, she lost to Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress in what was to be one of six defeats in the race for gold. Not that Kerr's record-setting losses are widely mourned. She was never recognized for her best and riskier works, her Oscar sextet making for a terrible introduction to her talent. Still, you have to admire Kerr's big swings in Edward, My Son…

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Randomness... 1986

by Nathaniel R

Continuing our 80s retros for a couple more weeks. Strangely when I examined it on Letterboxd (are you following me there?) I realized I’d seen fewer films from 1986 than I had the years surrounding it. I'm not sure why this is. Anyway, I thought it might be fun to also share Letterboxd lists to go along with this 80s party, so 1986 is here. Okay, Let’s jump right into the favourites, alphabetically… 

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40th Annual Spirit Nominations - "Anora" and "I Saw the TV Glow" Lead

by Nathaniel R

Oscar hopeful Anora and probable future cult-classic  I Saw the TV Glow led the nominations for the 40th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards. As is the organization's tradition, there's a long time before the show. The awards aren't until February 22nd, 2025... significantly after or just around the time of awards shows that have not yet announced their nominations like the Golden Globes (Jan 5), Critics Choice Awards (Jan 12), SAG Awards (Feb 23), and the Oscars (March 2). 

The complete spirit nominations in tv and film categories and several comments and questions after the jump... 

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The "Wicked" workings of, you know who, the NBR!

by Nathaniel R 

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in "Wicked". © Universal Pictures 

The National Board of Review has spoken. Though they once fought tooth and nail to be "first" they long ago ceded that title to the Gotham Awards who now announce their nominees a full two months before year's end. Crazy. It's one reason, at least, that earlier releases aren't totally doomed come awards season. So there's that. This year their secret membership roster must be eagerly awaited the 'sing along' version of Wicked that's coming this month; they've bestowed three awards on the phenomenally successful Broadway juggernaut turned blockbuster two-part movie: Best Film, Best Director, and a special prize for the leading actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. It's quite a tonal departure from their favourite film last year which was Killers of the Flower Moon. Or is it? Both films involve a smart woman who gets a little dumb when it comes to men with obviously shady intention who aren't half the person she is. A stretch, I know, but it's fun to amuse yourself with forced connections from one year to the next. 

The NBR winners with commentary and trivia after the jump...

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A nice boost for "Nickel Boys" at the Gotham Awards and NYFCC

by Nathaniel R

This year’s small Gotham juries and the recurring members of the 40+ member New York Film Critics Circles have named their “bests” of 2024 in the past couple of days. The only film that managed to get kudos from both is RaMell Ross’s cinematic adaptation of the Pulitzer winning novel “The Nickel Boys”.

Winners and a few comments after the jump…

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