Will Glenn Close Become a Double Nominee at the Oscars?

Glenn Close has been fighting to get Albert Nobbs, the 19th century drama about a cross-dressing woman in Ireland, made into a film for some time. She starred in the play in the summer of 1982, the same summer that her debut film performance in The World According to Garp arrived in theaters. She was famously Oscar-nominated for that debut.

Not only is she playing the role again 29 years later for the screen but she's co-written the adaptation*. It's her first screenplay credit and it could theoretically win her another "first timer" Oscar nomination. Once I imagined this scenario and narrative (AMPAS does respect a dream project) I couldn't let it go. Sometimes Oscar narratives get stuck in my head for weeks, impervious to all logic**.

A play poster; Mia Wasikowska and Glenn Close in the film.

Oscar obsessing takes up an alarmingly large percentage of my cerebrum and this blog and the charts (SCREENPLAY Predictions are ready for you***) are the results. But sometimes it gets a little out of hand. Neurologists were alarmed to discover that that same gold shiny fixation has now drifted to my brain stem. Studies show that my Oscar obsession is now a completely involuntary function... like breathing. They've asked me to donate my gray-gold matter to science when I'm dead.

*If she accomplishes this it won't be the first time. At least four other actors have written roles that they were Oscar nominated for both writing and performing. Can you name them?

** Logic like this troubling fact: none of Rodrigo García's well meaning but muted films have attracted much awards recognition. My personal theory is that someone needs to jolt him with electric shock on ocassion. I really want to love his films and I suspect he's a kindred spirit given his devotion to actresses but there's something too sleepy about the movies. And I don't mean boring. Does anyone feel me here? I just think they need some filmmaking crackle that's not entirely performance-driven.

*** I felt weird about not excluding Carnage in the predictions but the more I think about it the more I'm unsure of how well it will transfer to the screen.

Garp, The Big Chill, The Natural, Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons

P.S. (God shut up already, Nathaniel.) How would you rank Glenn's Oscar nominations? I still don't get what that 1984 bid was about at all -- other than involuntary nominating reflex, blame the AMPAS brain stem-- but fuckyeah on her 1980s run all told, right? She was nearly as Oscar ubiquitous as Streep. if they're both nominated this year for Albert Nobbs and The Iron Lady it'll be their third head-to-head showdown.

Too Much Adaptation.

Apologies: Having some computer maintenance issues today so it's slow going this weekend on these new Oscar predictions. Currently offline, I'm marvelling at the lack of Original material in the movies this year. It seems like almost all the major contenders are adapted from books or plays. For every 7 viable from a distance adapted contenders there's maybe one something that seems "original" screenplay-ish. Hmmmm.

2010: Thyme and Time

As we close out the film year, moments from the 20th minute and 10th second of the films of 2010. Here's Mike Leigh's Another Year.

Mary: Brought you a little present, some thyme. It's nothing much.
Gerry: Lovely.

This is the first of many times we see Mary (Lesley Manville) visiting Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) at home. She always arrives frazzled and they're (almost) always welcoming. It's kind of great that the gift she brings is a homophone for something that she's so worried of running out of. They're all getting on in years.

Such a lovely film. It's up for the Screenplay Oscar. Did it ever make it to a theater near you?

Meanwhile in Regular Awardage...

Nicole Kidman arrives at SBIFF. [photo via Scott Feinberg]Busy night for gongs last night. Nicole Kidman accepted her Vanguard award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. [Photo left via Scott Feinberg.] I'm sure she'll cherish that one as much as her Film Experience Gold Medal ;)

The Annie Awards for animation also took place even. You can see the results here. It was a huge night for How To Train Your Dragon which is such a good film but the wins will undoubtedly be viewed as unimportant due to the Annies troubled relationship with Disney/Pixar. Pixar won only Best Short for Day and Night.

The ADG handed out their Art Direction honors [full info at Gold Derby] which went to The King's Speech (Period), Inception (fantasy) and Black Swan (contemporary). Swan wasn't nominated for Oscar but DePrez took the bronze medal here at the Film Experience. I'm sure that'll be great consolation.

Earlier that evening the WGA handed out their screenwriting honors.

Original Screenplay: Inception
Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
(TSN also won the US Scripter yesterday)
Documentary Screenplay:  Inside Job
Drama Series: Mad Men
Comedy Series: Modern Family
Complete List of Winners Here

Note: The King's Speech was not eligible for the WGA which is how the path was cleared for Best Original Exposition to win the prize. Don't expect that to happen at the Oscars.

20:10 "You're allowed to make a statement."

Three years ago at the original blog, I created a series called 20:07 which became one of the most popular TFE features ever and spawned a slew of imitators 'round the web. Just for fun, let's resurrect that ol' pet for the remainder of Oscar season as we finish celebrating the films of 2010 before the new film year begins.

Screen capture: 20th minute and 10th second* -- or thereabouts. I worry about my dvd player's clock --  of The Social Network

Mark Zuckerberg: I've -- you know, I've already apologized in The Crimson to the ABHW to Fuerza Latina and to any women at Harvard who may have insulted as I take it they were. As for any charges stemming from the breach of security I believe I deserve some recognition from this board.

Administrator: I'm sorry.

Zuckerberg: Yes.

Administrator: I don't understand

Zuckerberg: Which part?

Be here tomorrow morning for the announcement of the Oscar nominations and commentary all day. Here's my complete prediction list and my ALMOST complete dream ballot (aka the annual film bitch awards. Everything is done sans writeups for reasons previously explained and the actress categories). ALMOST because it was a super tough day and I'm sick on top of that. Argh. My timing is terrible. But tomorrow is another day!

Are you all jittery waiting for tomorrow morning to get here? Will you get any sleep? It's totally Christmas morning to yours truly.