Why Will Smith May Benefit from the Jane Fonda Rule

I am giving my full Oscar predictions tomorrow, but I want to talk about Best Actor right now. Actually, I want to tell you why I'll be predicting Will Smith for Concussion to be among the nominees.

I call it The Jane Fonda Rule.

Jane Fonda, in case you didn't know, is a two-time Oscar winning actress, Academy Member, blogger, and Tweeter. And it's as a blogger and a Tweeter that she has stumped for certain films and performances over the past couple of years.

CHECK IT OUT AFTER THE JUMP.

Casting Coup: The French Connection

NOMINATIONS

Best Picture (WON)

Best Director - William Friedkin (WON)

Best Actor - Gene Hackman (WON)

Best Supporting Actor - Roy Scheider

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium - Ernest Tidyman (WON)

Best Cinematography - Owen Roizman

Best Film Editing - Gerald B. Greenberg (WON)

Best Sound - Theodore Soderberg / Christopher Newman

One of the reasons why I chose 1971 as my Retrospective year is this film -- I'd never seen it before, despite having heard a lot about it, and even reading William Friedkin's memoir where he discusses the making of it in detail. Obviously, that's been amended, and I can confidently say that the film is, indeed, pretty damn great.

And not that dated, either in execution or subject matter. Therefore, it's perfect fodder for a re-imagining -- indeed, the French side of the tale will be told this Summer in the film, The Connection starring Academy Award Winner Jean Dujardin. Which is a coincidence, because...well, why not read on?

Casting Coup Week: Roman Holiday

Casting Coup Week continues, as we play catch-up with a double-header. First The Robe; now, Roman Holiday, the film that swept ingenue Audrey Hepburn to stardom. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I'm sure you'll think my Princess Ann is predictable, since I said as much on Twitter not too long ago. Still, take a look -- not just at what I think, but at what Andrew has to say, too.

Awards Preliminary: The 2012 Longlists

It is a tradition, when I do my Hollmann Awards, to submit a longlist of contenders in each category beforehand. Inspired by the BAFTA tradition of same, the longlists not only allow me to gather my thoughts, but to highlight films and contributors that may not otherwise make my final ballot. You will, of course, find an entry for every one of my Top 25, but you will also see titles you may not expect -- Step Up: Revolution, Detention and The Guilt Trip are three films that I'm not necessarily mad about as a whole (ok, I'm totally in the tank for the bookenders), but whose strongest attributes I felt needed attention.

Except where noted, each category has 15 finalists.

CINEMANIACS: Road to Gold

So my best friend and I have this show called CINEMANIACS, and we did a "Road to Gold" show following the New York Film Critics' Circle and the National Board of Review. And now I'm posting it. It's kind of a dream come true, and I don't know how many of these we'll do, but take a look!

Casting Coup Month: The Big Country

NOMINATIONS

Best Supporting Actor - Burl Ives (WON)

Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture - Jerome Moross

William Wyler is one of the most celebrated, accomplished directors in the history of cinema. A glance at his filmography reveals a man who was as comfortable in comedy as he was in drama, content to either adapt a modest stage play or stage a Biblical epic. At twelve Oscar nominations, he holds the record for most nominated Director in history -- and he's tied with Frank Capra and John Ford for most wins in the category. Wyler was always able to snag talent, and there's little mystery as to how: 36 nominations, 13 wins. No other director has that kind of track record with their actors. Three of his films -- The Best Years of Our Lives, Ben-Hur, Wuthering Heights -- showed up on AFI's 1997 list of the 100 Greatest Films.

I've only seen three of his film, of course, because I have HUGE gaps in my film knowledge (but I've seen Rabid Dogs and Xanadu, dammit!). You'll be seeing two of them here, starting with my introduction to Wyler: the western The Big Country.

The Big Country was another film recommended by my grandfather, who felt Gregory Peck's protagonist was similar to my late uncle; I agree. My uncle was, I feel, just as honest and honorable as retired sailor James McKay, who arrives in the West to marry Patricia Terrill, whose family is embroiled in a decades-old feud with the rough Hannassey boys. Folk sing/Rudolph snowman Burl Ives won an Oscar for his portrayal of the Hannassey patriarch, and though I think he's one of the pleasant surprises of a great film...an Oscar win? Reportedly, the award had as much to do with his performance in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as it did here, and the only reason why he wasn't nominated for the Tennessee Williams adaptation was one Lesley Manville is familiar with: category confusion. But hey, at least he got it, and it's not a bad performance at that.

Because it's a film that many respect but few seem to know, it seems ripe for a remake. And with True Grit perhaps resurrecting the Western, the time is just right.

BUCK HANNASSEY

Who is He: Hannassey's oldest boy, a roughneck given to booze and bouts. Buck hates the Terrills and has designs on local teacher Julie Maragon -- he also likes to swagger and show off his masculinity. He fights dirty, though, and that'll come back to bite him.

Originally played by:

Chuck Connors ("The Rifleman", Soylent Green)

My Choice:

Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, The A-Team)

Many a friend has criticized Cooper's smug film persona. Guess who that work for? A smug, muscular Western roughneck who people want to see taken down a peg? I get an actor I like in a film I admire, Cooper gets a great role, naysayers get satisfaction. Everyone wins.

MAJOR HENRY TERRILL

Who is He: Wealthy ranch owner, father of Patricia. He and Hannassey are engaged in a feud over a valuable patch of land with an important water supply. Terrill has been trying to buy the land so that he can ban Hannassey from using the river and put the white trash out of business. Terrill dresses nice, but he's a snotty man who takes advantage of the lawlessness of the West.

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Song of Bernadette, The Farmer's Daughter, Johnny Belinda)

Charles Bickford (A Star is Born, Days of Wine and Roses)

My Choice: BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Actor (Apocalypse Now), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Subject Was Roses), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Bobby, The Departed)

Martin Sheen (Echelon Conspiracy, Untitled Spider-Man Reboot)

Sheen can give gruff disapproval like no one's business. He can also do the back-slapping like it's gruff disapproval. Terrill would be both, like his character in Catch Me If You Can combined with the one in The American President. And I never say no to more Sheen.

RUFUS HANNESSEY

Who is He: A poorer ranch owner in a feud with Terrill over the river. Hannessey reacts strongly to Terrill's sabotage of his land, but he's surprisingly non-violent and honorable. He tries to keep his sons honorable, as well, but Buck is a hot-tempered one and difficult to reign in.

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actor (The Big Country)

Burl Ives (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, TV's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

My Choice: Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Barton Fink)

John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, Speed Racer)
He's certainly imposing enough for the role, but Goodman is just an all-around great actor in need of more roles that can showcase his talent. Personally, I think he could even do better than Burl Ives here.

STEVE LEECH

Who is He: Terrill's ranch-hand, a macho type who berates and insults McKay throughout his stay. McKay refuses to step up to the challenge, which makes Leach hate him all the more. For Leach, a real man lets everyone around him know his strength. He's in love with Patricia.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Actor (Ben-Hur), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor in a Drama (The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur) and in a Musical/Comedy (The Pigeon That Took Rome)

Charlton Heston (True Lies, Hamlet)

My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner/WGA Award Nominee for Best [Original] Screenplay (Good Will Hunting), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Shakespeare in Love)

Ben Affleck (The Town, The Company Men)

I believe him more as a macho guy than as a sensitive one (is it the chin?)

PATRICIA TERRILL

Who is She: McKay's fiancee, heiress to the ranch. She hates the Hannassey clan, and starts to lose interests in McKay when he refuses to get into macho theatrics.

Originally played by: Academy Award/BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best [Foreign] Actress [in a Drama] (Baby Doll)

Carroll Baker (Giant, How the West Was Won)

My Choice: SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Seabiscuit)

Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Make a Porno, The Next Three Days)

JULIE MARAGON

Who is She: A teacher who happens to own the plot of land where a significant river runs through. The Terrills want to buy the land from her, but she insists on putting them on equal footing with the Hannasseys. Although she's friends with Patricia, she knows that the engagement to McKay isn't a good match...and she starts to fall for him herself.

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Actress (The Happy Ending) and Best Supporting Actress (Hamlet), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Foreign Actress (Guys and Dolls, Elmer Gantry), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy (Guys and Dolls), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Hot to Make an American Quilt)

Jean Simmons (Divorce American Style, Dominique)

My Choice:

Jenna Fischer (Blades of Glory, Solitary Man)

Beautiful, but accessible. Intelligent and noble. These are the characters Jenna Fischer plays, and that's who Julie Maragon is. "The Office" won't be around forever, either, and I would hate to see her go.

JAMES MCKAY

Who is He: Retired Maryland boat captain who comes to the big country to marry his fiancee, Patricia Terrill. How the hell they met and hit it off enough to become engaged, I don't know. James is an honorable and honest man -- even when he buys Julie's land, he still allows the Hannassey clan to use the river. When Buck and Steve challenge him to public fights, he refuses to engage -- he doesn't need to prove his manhood. Instead, he tries to reason; when that doesn't work, he deals with them privately. James McKay is so fucking awesome.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Actor (To Kill a Mockingbird), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor (The Yearling)

Gregory Peck (Roman Holiday, TV's Moby Dick)

My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner/WGA Award Nominee for Best [Original] Screenplay (Good Will Hunting), SAG Award Nominee for Best Actor (Good Will Hunting), Best Supporting Actor (Invictus) and Best Ensemble (Good Will Hunting, The Departed)

Matt Damon (EuroTrip, True Grit)

One of the few actors who could be as convincing a leading hero as he is a bookish type. To see him as the bookish, noble James McKay is no great stretch, I think. I, personally, would love to see Damon in more. Yeah, I know, he's in four things a year; doesn't matter. He's awesome.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Best Actor: Matt Damon

Best Actress: Jenna Fischer

Best Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, John Goodman, Martin Sheen

Best Supporting Actress: Elizabeth Banks

Casting Coup Tuesdays: Cheers

I've discovered many shows by just watching whatever followed reruns of The Golden Girls. The Nanny, Designing Women, Cybill...and eventually, Cheers. Naturally, Cheers was different from these other shows for many reasons. For one, it appealed to men more. For another, it was a show I remembered from childhood, having watched it in syndication with my parents during lunch. I remembered nothing except the opening credits and Norm, except what I had gathered by watching Frasier. So, when Hallmark offered, I accepted.

It's a hilarious show, if you've never seen it. The ensemble is a collections of employees and regulars at a bar in Boston. The protagonist, Sam Malone, is a former baseball star and recovering alcoholic. We never see him partake of what he proffers, though he indulges liberally in women. His unquenchable lust meant the first couple of seasons centered around the on-and-off relationship with snobby, intellectual barmaid Diane Chambers (She would later fall for, bring along, and eventually leave psychiatrist Frasier Crane; he, in turn, would meet and marry Dr. Lilith Sternin). Diane looks at the patrons of Cheers as below her intellectually, but divorcee/head barmaid Carla Tortelli always managed to outsmart her, especially in the clever insults department. The most notable of the barflies are mailman Cliff Clavin, who lives with his mother, and Norm Peterson, an accountant who LOVES his beer. Sam's old Coach served as bartender until his passing, then farmboy Woody came in. And, of course, there was rich, neurotic Rebecca Howe, who bought the bar from Sam after Diane left Boston. It's a rich mythology.

If it wasn't for the fact that I'd found the perfect new Sam Malone, this CCT might not have happened. But one night, I was watching it, and thought to myself, "Oh, you know who'd make a GREAT Sam...?" It all just snowballed from there. Perhaps I had grown used to the idea of recasting TV shows from the increase of film adaptations and TV reboots of old series. The cineplexes this year got The A-Team, a new Hawaii Five-O series is on its way, and there's no end in sight. Why not hop on and join in the (possible, but not guaranteed) fun?

ERNIE "COACH" PANTUSSO

Who is He: Sam's former coach on the Red Sox, he came to Cheers to bartend. Having taken a number of pitches to the head, Coach isn't the brightest of the group, but he's the kindest man, a father to everyone in the bar.

Originally played by: Three-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Cheers)

Nicholas Colasanto (Family Plot, Raging Bull)

My Choice: Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Actor (Hard Eight), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Boogie Nights, Magnolia)

 Philip Baker Hall (Rush Hour, Fired Up!)

WOODY BOYD

Who is He: An old pen pal of Coach's (they exchanged pens), Woody comes to Cheers to meet him. Upon learning of his death, Woody takes over as bartender. Hailing from a small town Indiana, Woody is a naive innocent, frequently misunderstanding the goings-on at the bar. He's a gentleman and pretty handsome, too, which means girls tend to find him attractive.

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor [in a Drama] (The People vs. Larry Flynt) and Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (No Country for Old Men), Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Cheers), Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger)

Woody Harrelson (White Men Can't Jump, Zombieland)

My Choice:

Michael Angarano (Man in the Chair, Gentlemen Broncos)

He's handsome, young (but not too young), and has played naive, goofy kids before. Maybe not ever this dim, but that's acting, right?

DR. LILITH STERNIN

Who is She: A cold, analytical psychiatrist with a hidden libido, Lilith dates and eventually marries Frasier.

Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)

Bebe Neuwirth (Celebrity, The Faculty)

By the way, Neuwirth only did one Woody Allen film? For shame!

My Choice: SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Sideways)

Sandra Oh (Bean, Blindness)

Too obvious? She has that voice, after all.

FRASIER CRANE

Who is He: A well-to-do psychiatrist from Seattle. Despite a childhood of pretensions and snobbery, Frasier warms to the beer-and-nuts crowd of Cheers. At first in love with Diane, he is eventually set up with, and marries, Dr. Lilith Sternin.

Originally played by: Four-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Actor in a Comedy (Frasier)

Kelsey Grammer (Toy Story 2, Swing Vote)

My Choice: Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor (What's Love Got To Do With It?), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Mystic River, Bobby)

Laurence Fishburne (Othello, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)

The man's voice is almost British in its lyricism. And he's surprisingly funny, too: in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, he plays the bear in the beer commercial!

CLIFF CLAVIN

Who is He: A mailman with little to no social skills, a mind full of useless trivia, and a bedroom in his mother's house.

Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)

John Ratzenberger (The Empire Strikes Back, House II: The Second Story)

My Choice:

Ed Helms (Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Hangover)

Not much of a stretch from his previous roles, maybe...but we could still give him a mustache!


NORM PETERSON
Who is He: Accountant, house painter, interior decorator. Norm is the most beloved of the regulars, greeted by a chorus of "Norm" whenever he enters. Norm loves the bar, loves the beer, and loves his friends. He's Cliff's bestie, which means he's the only one subjected to invitations to craft days with Cliff and his mother.

Originally played by: Six-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)

George Wendt (House, Dreamscape)

My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Chicago), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy and Best Song - "Walk Hard" (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Anniversary Party, The Good Girl), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Chicago)

John C. Reilly (Dark Water, Step Brothers)
Isn't this obvious? He's like the skinnier George Wendt (think about that). Pudgy and lovable, he has an easygoing-ness about him. He's also one of the best at both understated and over-the-top comedy, which could serve him well here.


CARLA TORTELLI
Who is She: Head waitress/barmaid of Cheers. Carla is a tough-talking, wise-cracking, working-class broad with three marriages and eight kids under her belt. Though unlucky with men, she does get lucky quite often. She hates Diane and Cliff with equal disdain.

Originally played by: Four-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)

 Rhea Perlman (We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Matilda)

My Choice:

Wanda Sykes (Pootie Tang, Monster-in-Law)
So she's not Italian. So what? She's sassy, funny and tiny, and that's all I need to know to cast her as Carla. Tortelli's just her married name, anyway.


REBECCA HOWE
Who is She: After Diane leaves Boston, Sam sells Cheers to a corporation. Rebecca is assigned to manage it, and boy is she nuts. She wants to present herself as a poised, in-charge woman, but she's often clumsy and neurotic. Rebecca often goes after rich men, though there is considerable tension between her and Sam.

Originally played by: Emmy Award Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)

Kirstie Alley (Look Who's Talking, Drop Dead Gorgeous)

My Choice: Academy Award/SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Junebug, Doubt), BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Nominee/Hollmann Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress/SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Doubt), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress in a Comedy (Enchanted), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Junebug)

 Amy Adams (Drop Dead Gorgeous, Serving Sara)
Neurotic. Funny. Hot. I think we've got these bases covered.


DIANE CHAMBERS
Who is She: The only child of a wealthy family, Diane arrives at Cheers after being jilted by her lit professor/lover Sumner Sloan. She begins waitressing there, but considers herself intellectually superior to everyone around her. Intelligent yet naive, elitist yet attracted to Sam, Diane is a hodgepodge of sexy and awful. She and Sam are perpetually on-again-off-again, due less to their compatibility than to their sexual chemistry.

Originally played by: Emmy Award Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)

Shelley Long (Irreconcilable Differences, The Brady Bunch Movie)

My Choice:

Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up, The Ugly Truth)
She is Diane. In interviews, she comes off as smart, but not as smart as she thinks. She declares herself to be a feminist, but she stars in films in which she surrenders to an alpha male. But she's also a fine actress who could excel in this role.


SAM MALONE
Who is He: Former relief pitcher for the Red Sox, recovering alcoholic, owner/bartender of Cheers. Sam is a notorious ladies' man, regaling Norm and Cliff with tales of his conquests. He frequently proposes to, and is denied by, Diane Chambers, until she leaves to pursue a writing career. He then turns his attentions to Rebecca, though Diane still haunts him.

Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)

Ted Danson (Saving Private Ryan, Little Danson Man)

My Choice:

Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, The Hangover)
Handsome, fit, funny, and a little smirky, Cooper has that great combination of humor and charm -- and MAN -- that is Sam Malone. Expect the fireworks between him and Heigl, or him and Adams, because it would be explosive. He's also got great chemistry with most of his co-stars, which would work with an ensemble-heavy project like this.

This Team Gets an A!

There are two chief flaws in Joe Carnahan's cinematic remake of the TV series The A-Team.

One is the editing/cinematography of some action sequences. Oftentimes, it wasn't until the last punch was thrown that I would finally figure out who was winning or what was happening. I hope they eventually stop editing action movies like this, because it really pisses me off. Shouldn't I be able to enjoy the action in an action movie? And the murky cinematography of some of these sequences is no help, either. It's strange because this isn't a big problem throughout most of the film, but as soon as the adrenaline starts running, the picture suddenly gets all blurred and bizarre. Weird.

The second is the way they've padded out the running time by going back to some scenes to remind us of information we didn't need reminding of. OK, so Bradley Cooper gives Jessica Biel a phone. He tells her to hold on to the phone. Five minutes later, she's in her office, and the phone rings. She looks at it...and we flash back to the scene where he says, "Hold on to that phone." Really? Did you really think the audience was going to think, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, where'd that phone come from?" Really strange and condescending choice, that.

These two problems stick out because the movie is just SO GOOD. After seeing Splice last night, it was a surprise to see that the more negatively-reviewed action flick -- one that I saw because I just wanted brainless action that "specializes in the ridiculous" -- was the more consistent and together one. The characters were all distinct and consistent! The music serviced the story! There were actual arcs that were believable! Yes, believable character arcs in what very well might as be Macho Posturing: The Movie!

I can never fault a film for being consistent and knowing what it is. Half the problem with the movies this year is that they don't know what they want to be, even the ones I like (The Runaways, Get Him to the Greek, Alice in Wonderland). The A-Team has no such problem. Everything is big and broad, but consistently so, and it within the universe it creates for itself, everyone's behavior makes sense. It's outrageous and audacious, especially with the pro-violence message that, according to Mr. T, is completely at odds with the original series.

What's refreshing is that everyone seems to be having a good time. I don't just mean the actors are having fun picking up a paycheck and and firing weapons; I mean the characters themselves are having fun. The chemistry between the four leads carries the film. Liam Neeson is both a solid action hero and a reassuring father figure. Bradley Cooper is always great with the one-liners, while Rampage Jackson has a great screen presence. Also, he's a big teddy bear. Sharlto Copley, the star of District 9, almost manages to steal the show as crazy Murdock, oddly convincing with his perfect redneck accent and crazy eyes. Yet no one really stands out from the pack, because all of them are very giving co-stars, never upstaging each other, always working as a team.

Jessica Biel is fine, though she's given the leats to work with. This movie doesn't care about women...though considering this, Biel's character never has to be saved, remaining a strong female protagonist and sometimes threat; it's just the romantic subplot with Cooper doesn't always make sense. Patrick Wilson's CIA agent is deliciously wonderful, playing the maybe-he-is-maybe-he-isn't villain as an overgrown fratboy hilariously, though still convincingly a threat. Co-writer Brian Bloom appears as another villain, and the greatest shame of all is that he doesn't get more screen time. The guy's tops.

I totally recommend this movie. The script really doesn't make a lick of sense, and the editing is sometimes awful, but the cast absolutely sells it! A welcome relief after last night's mistake.