Oscar Blog

« 10/30 Oscarweb Round-up | Main | The Envelope's "Buzzmeter... »

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Polanski, McMurtry rally behind 'Diving Bell,' 'No Country'

It's always helpful to an Oscar campaign if high-profile supporters are willing to be ambassadors for the cause.  Just ask controversial director Roman Polanski, who experienced a marshalling of troops in 2002 that led to three unexpected Oscar wins for his Cannes sensation "The Pianist," including Best Director.

Perhaps in the way of giving back a little, Polanski himself hosted a screening last week of Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" at the Pathé Films headquarters in Paris - and he invited a slew of friends, sources tell me.  Guests in attendence included Oscar-nominated actress Anouk Aimée and filmmaker Jean-Jacques Annaud.  Also attending, of course, was Polanski's wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, who plays the pivotal role of Céline in Schnabel's film.

It's always difficult for a foreign film to push into Best Picture contention.  It's only happened four times in the past, after all (five if you count last year's "Letters from Iwo Jima").  But it's also worth keeping in mind the cronyism involved when you have someone like Roman Polanski campaigning for your film, not to mention the producing combo of Kathleen Kennedy and Jon Kilik, six Best Picture nominations between them.  "Diving Bell" could have a healthy amount of support heading into the race that we may not have suspected before.

Miramax is actually enjoying a lot of good will from the industry this year, it seems.  In this week's issue of Newsweek, western author Larry McMurtry writes an essay about Cormac McCarthy and the Coen brothers' adaptation of "No Country for Old Men."  According to Miramax honcho Daniel Battsek, McMurtry approached the studio about writing something for the film, they didn't seek out his sponsorship.  And what a sponsor to have.

Comments

In 1938, Jean''s Renoir''s Grand Illusion was the first foreign-language film nominated for a best picture Oscar. And more recently, Il Postino was also a best picture contender.

Aha! Cries and Whispers. I stand corrected.

With the amount of stats bouncing around in my head this time of year, something is bound to fall out here an there.

"It's always difficult for a foreign film to push into Best Picture contention. It's only happened three times in the past, after all"

Four: Z, Cries and Whispers, Life is Beatiful and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Post a comment

Display Name

Change Image
Before submitting this form, please type the characters displayed above.
Note the letters are NOT case sensitive.

About

About

Kristopher TapleyRed Carpet District is Variety contributor Kristopher Tapley's attempt at making sense of the ever-expanding glut of film awards coverage. He's been on the beat for six years. Email Kristopher Tapley

80th Academy Award Contenders

Jan. 28 - AMPAS - final ballots mailed
Jan. 28 - MPSE - final ballots distributed
Jan. 30 - ASIFA Annie Awards
Jan. 30 - DGA - feature film final ballots due
Jan. 30 - VES - online viewing & voting begins
Jan. 31 - DGA Awards
'The Doctors'
Sit down at any dinner table in America and you know someone will start talking about health issues, even if it makes you squirm to hear about grandma's latest ailment.
'Doctors' deliver daytime ratings
Daytime Emmys may have new home
Mickey Rourke
Award season is not only a love fest for stars, the red carpet also has become a match made in heaven for brands.
Marketers vie for Oscar night spotlight
The ultimate acceptance speech
Cate Blanchett
After more than two decades of honoring independent film, the rowdy Spirit Awards remain the other hot ticket of Oscar weekend.
Spirits Awards spotlight edgy fare
Coogan continues Spirit's irreverence

Recent Comments

  • student lingerie on Screen Actors Guild Awards
  • Loan Rate >> How can I refinance my cc . on Screen Actors Guild Awards
  • MilmeteNumMit on A milkshake just arrived at my doorstep...
  • High class London escorts on Jonny Greenwood's 'Blood' score disqualified by AMPAS
  • HixRhymnmix on 11/8 Oscarweb Round-up
  • Categories

  • 3:10 to Yuma (10)
  • American Gangster (17)
  • Amy Adams (3)
  • Andrew Dominik (1)
  • Ang Lee (2)
  • Angelina Jolie (5)
  • Animation (20)
  • Atonement (50)
  • Australia (1)
  • Awards (8)
  • Away from Her (2)
  • Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (15)
  • Benicio Del Toro (1)
  • Beowulf (20)
  • Best Actor (64)
  • Best Actress (45)
  • Best Adapted Screenplay (27)
  • Best Animated Feature (22)
  • Best Art Direction (21)
  • Best Cinematography (27)
  • Best Costume Design (16)
  • Best Director (34)
  • Best Documentary Feature (15)
  • Best Film Editing (17)
  • Best Makeup (7)
  • Best Original Score (26)
  • Best Original Screenplay (18)
  • Best Original Song (19)
  • Best Sound Editing (17)
  • Best Sound Mixing (28)
  • Best Supporting Actor (37)
  • Best Supporting Actress (36)
  • Best Visual Effects (13)
  • Body of Lies (1)
  • Brad Pitt (2)
  • Bryan Singer (1)
  • Casey Affleck (13)
  • Cate Blanchett (13)
  • Charlie Wilson's War (30)
  • Chris McCandless (5)
  • Chris Weitz (1)
  • Christian Bale (3)
  • Christopher Nolan (5)
  • Coen Bros. (21)
  • Critics (7)
  • Critics Awards (25)
  • Daniel Craig (1)
  • Daniel Day-Lewis (28)
  • Defiance (2)
  • Denzel Washington (9)
  • DGA (11)
  • Diablo Cody (8)
  • Dreamworks SKG (1)
  • Eddie Vedder (12)
  • Edward Zwick (1)
  • Ellen Page (18)
  • Emile Hirsch (11)
  • Enchanted (6)
  • Eric Roth (1)
  • Festivals (6)
  • Film Awards News (23)
  • Focus Features (3)
  • Fox Searchlight Pictures (4)
  • Francis Ford Coppola (1)
  • Frank Langella (4)
  • Frost/Nixon (2)
  • George Clooney (17)
  • Golden Globes (23)
  • Guerilla (2)
  • Guild Awards (22)
  • Guild Screenings (8)
  • Hairspray (11)
  • Hal Holbrook (12)
  • Heath Ledger (14)
  • Helena Bonham Carter (4)
  • HFPA (5)
  • Independent Spirit Awards (1)
  • Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (1)
  • Interviews (4)
  • Into the Wild (47)
  • Jack Nicholson (4)
  • James McAvoy (1)
  • Jason Bateman (1)
  • Jason Reitman (6)
  • Javier Bardem (12)
  • Jennifer Garner (2)
  • Joe Wright (3)
  • John C. Reilly (1)
  • Johnny Depp (10)
  • Jon Stewart (4)
  • Jonny Greenwood (6)
  • Josh Brolin (5)
  • Judd Apatow (3)
  • Julian Schnabel (11)
  • Julie Christie (3)
  • Juno (57)
  • Kate Winslet (1)
  • Keira Knightly (2)
  • Knocked Up (5)
  • La Vie en Rose (6)
  • Laura Linney (6)
  • Leonardo DiCaprio (1)
  • Lionsgate Films (1)
  • Lust, Caution (6)
  • Marion Cotillard (8)
  • Michael Clayton (42)
  • Miramax Films (7)
  • Morgan Freeman (1)
  • New Line Cinema (3)
  • News (21)
  • Nicole Kidman (1)
  • No Country for Old Men (97)
  • Oscar Events (19)
  • Oscar News (20)
  • Oscars (5)
  • Oscarweb (292)
  • Paramount Pictures (3)
  • Paramount Vantage Pictures (16)
  • PGA (4)
  • Phillip Seymour Hoffman (11)
  • Picturehouse Entertainment (1)
  • Predictions (4)
  • Press Screenings (6)
  • Ratatouille (19)
  • Revolutionary Road (2)
  • Ridley Scott (1)
  • Robert Zemeckis (2)
  • Ron Howard (1)
  • Russell Crowe (4)
  • SAG (14)
  • Saoirse Ronan (4)
  • Sean Penn (8)
  • Shia LaBeouf (1)
  • Sidney Lumet (5)
  • Sony Pictures Classics (1)
  • Starting Out in the Evening (1)
  • Steven Spielberg (1)
  • Sweeney Todd (57)
  • Tang Wei (2)
  • Technical Categories (12)
  • The Argentine (3)
  • The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (21)
  • The Bucket List (5)
  • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (3)
  • The Dark Knight (9)
  • The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (38)
  • The Golden Compass (13)
  • The Great Debaters (17)
  • The Kite Runner (15)
  • The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (1)
  • The Reader (1)
  • The Savages (14)
  • The Weinstein Company (1)
  • There Will Be Blood (82)
  • Tim Burton (13)
  • Tom Cruise (1)
  • Tom Hanks (5)
  • Tom Wilkinson (6)
  • Tommy Lee Jones (4)
  • Tony Gilroy (11)
  • Universal Pictures (5)
  • Valkyrie (1)
  • Vanessa Redgrave (1)
  • Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (3)
  • Warner Bros. Pictures (11)
  • WGA (14)
  • Youth Without Youth (1)
  • Zodiac (6)