1998: Patricia Clarkson in "High Art"

We're revisiting the 1998 film year in the lead up to the next Supporting Actress Smackdown. As always Nick Taylor will suggest a few alternates to Oscar's ballot.

Unlike my last two companion pieces for 1998, which opened with well-deserved grousing about the meager recognition Velvet Goldmine and Beloved received from audiences and industry professionals alike, I actually feel pretty good about how High Art was received on the indie circuit. No, it didn’t get any notices from Oscar, but five nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards, with Ally Sheedy deservedly winning their Lead Actress prize, is a damn good run for any film, to say nothing of how well its reputation has grown since it debuted. But surely the best thing to come from High Art’s success is giving us Patricia Clarkson, Character Actress Extraordinaire™. Her highwire turn as the perpetually soused, washed-up German actress Greta earned Clarkson a handful of runner-up citations from critics groups who would go on to throw prizes at her for the first half of the ‘00s. The remarkable career that High Art made possible for Clarkson gives her performance a wonderful afterglow, and the fact that it still holds up as one of her best turns makes it even more glorious . . . .

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Showbiz History: Anne & Ellen, Liz & Dick, Rosemary & Baby

Here's what was happening on this day in showbiz history...

1930 Jim Nabors (aka Gomer Pyle) born in Alabama

1942 Anne Frank receives a diary for her 13th birthday. The diary will become world famous and receive multiple stage and film adaptations, most famously in the Oscar nominated '59 version from director George Stevens.

1963 Cleopatra has its premiere in New York City after years of tabloid sensations during the making of courtesy of Liz & Dick. Ever courting controversy, Liz & Dick did not attend the premiere!

1965 Actress Cathy Tyson (niece of Cicely!) born in Liverpool. She'll make a big splash (and receive a Golden Globe nomination) for her film debut in Mona Lisa when she's just 21...

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Q&A: Artists in Movies and Uninspiring Best Pic Lineups

For this weeks Q&A I asked for an art theme to celebrate the joint birthday of Vincent Van Gogh and Francisco de Goya on this very day! So we'll start with a few art-focused topics before venturing to rando questions.

TOM: Which film about an artist (in any field of the Arts) that you were not particularly knowledgeable about made you want to see/hear the real work by that artist? 

I vastly prefer non-traditional biopics so I'm susceptible to stuff that piques curiosity rather than gives you a greatest hits. So I like bios like Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993). I have some problems with I'm Not There (2007) which is my least favorite Todd Haynes film but I respect the hell out of it conceptually. In terms of movies about painters I definitely became more interested in Francis Bacon after Love is the Devil (1998) and not just because of Daniel Craig in the bathtub! I already cared about Caravaggio before seeing Derek Jarman's Caravaggio but I hope people see that one, too. 

BRIAN: If you had to recommend a budding Cinephile a movie based on an artist, a work of art, or has artistic themes what would it be?

Hmmm. A lot of movies about painting aren't very good (Watching someone paint being only a notch more interesting than watching someone write). So let's do "artistic" theme and the answer there is easily Amadeus (1984). It's such a useful movie to reference in ways both commonplace ("too many notes!") and contemplative (what makes the difference between competent journeyman skill and true genius?). One of my other favorite "art" movies is High Art (1998)...

8 more questions after the jump

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Ally Sheedy "We Were Under the Radar"

Gay pride week here in New York City has been eventful to say the least (see previous post) and the parade today was fun. But I thought what you'd most be interested in, given The Film Experience's leanings (actressexual), was a shared moment with Ally Sheedy!

I was on the guest list for Kiehl's Pride Party which was hosted by Dan Savage and his boyfriend Terry Miller of the awesome "It Gets Better" project (Can someone give them a Nobel Peace Prize already?). And so, to my utter delight, was Ally Sheedy. I had to reach out to her as she passed by me to tell her how much I loved her in High Art (1998). Once she'd stopped to chat, me being me, I had to then tell her I was rooting for her to win the Oscar but then she wasn't even nominated. Unspeakable Tragedy! Immediately after blurting that out, I worried I'd poured salt onto an old wound but instead she was all smiles, thank yous and bygones "We were under the radar!" she said cheerfully. We then swapped "Isn't Patty Clarkson awesome?" notes and to my surprise Ally introduced me to her lovely daughter. How is Ally Sheedy old enough to have a 17 year old daughter?!?  

I brought along my friend Jon and we're pictured to your left with Kenneth in the (212) who offers up an amusing rundown of the event and a rather skewed version of my chat with Ally Sheedy ;)  It's not that I don't love The Breakfast Club, trust! I just wanted to use the few seconds I had with her to talk about more pressing matters. And Oscar is always the most pressing matter, don't you agree?

In addition to a great crowd, the event featured gourmet cups of macaroni & cheese (4 or 5 different flavors. Don't confuse me with options) which everyone tried to pretend they weren't into. Everyone pretended badly.

How was your weekend? More on the weekend movies, box office and the True Blood premiere tomorrow. G'night.