Monday, January 8, 2018

1946 - It's a Wonderful Life

Just over two weeks now until the Oscar nominations are announced, so let's take a quick look at how the lead acting categories are shaping up. Gary Oldman was the early frontrunner for the Best Actor prize for his transformation into Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. However, 22-year-old Timothée Chalamet could give him a run for his money due to a star-making performance in Call Me By Your Name. He'd be the youngest winner in that category by several years if he can pull it off. Tonight's Golden Globes (which are in progress as I write this) may boost one of their chances since they're competing against each other in the Best Actor in a Drama category.

The Globes may also provide some insight into the Best Actress race, which is much more unclear at this stage. Sally Hawkins probably has the most buzz so far for her role in The Shape of Water, but Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) have both garnered attention, too. And you can never rule out Meryl Streep (The Post) or her British Oscar-bait counterpart, Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul), though they probably have a more uphill battle.

Back to the 1946 Best Picture race. The next nominee is a staple of Christmas television, and even though we're already a week into the new year, I did indeed watch it (not for the first time) a few days after Christmas, so try to hang on to what's left of your festive spirit as you read my thoughts on...


It's a Wonderful Life
Director:
Frank Capra
Screenplay:
France Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra, Jo Swerling
(based on a story by Philip Van Doren Stern)
Starring:
James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen, Ward Bond, Gloria Grahame
Academy Awards:
5 nominations
0 wins

Christmas Eve in Bedford Falls and it seems like almost everyone in town is praying for George Bailey (Stewart) to get a lucky break. God answers those prayers by assigning a fledgling guardian angel named Clarence (Travers) to prevent George from taking his own life. In preparation, Clarence is shown a recap of all the important moments in George's life.

As a young boy, George shows his heroism and honesty. As a young man, he vows to get out of Bedford Falls and accomplish big things. But his plans are thwarted when his father unexpectedly passes away, leaving George in charge of the family's building and loan company. Through the following years, George's dreams slip further and further away, always seeming to take a back seat to his obligations.

Has there ever been a more charming movie than It's a Wonderful Life? A charming story, set in a charming town during a charming time of year with charming characters, this is feel-good cinema in its purest form, the epitome of the classic Hollywood film. Even seven decades later, it all holds up. The script is delightful, a mix of witty dialogue and heartwarming drama, wrapped up in a fantastically creative structure. Perhaps unexpectedly for a film that attempts to be so many different things, It's a Wonderful Life actually succeeds in being a well-rounded picture, finding the perfect balance of each of its elements and covering the gamut of human emotion. There's heart, there's drama, there's humour. Plus, there's some high concept fantasy, a plot device that can so often fail, but is executed perfectly here, never becoming so silly that it diminishes the dramatic realism.

It's impossible to imagine anyone but James Stewart in the role of George Bailey. As arguably the most affable movie star of all time, he embodies the selflessness and wide-eyed ambition of George wonderfully, earning himself a Best Actor Oscar nomination in the process. He's supported by a cast of wonderful actors, including Donna Reed as his supportive wife, the always delightful Thomas Mitchell as his uncle, a wonderfully slimy Lionel Barrymore as the town's rich bully, and the beautiful innocence of Henry Travers (pictured) as the rookie angel.

Along with its Picture and Actor nominations, the film garnered nods for its director Frank Capra (who had already won three Best Director Oscars by this point), as well as for its Film Editing and Sound Mixing, bringing its total nods to five. Sadly, though, this classic walked away with no wins at all.

2 comments:

  1. Not sure if you are going to have the time to post your Oscar nomination predictions. Here are mine for the top six categories. The last two slots in the supporting categories seem to be the most vulnerable.

    Best Picture
    1. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
    2. Lady Bird
    3. Get Out
    4. The Shape of Water
    5. Dunkirk
    6. Call Me By Your Name
    7. The Florida Project
    8. The Post
    9. I, Tonya
    10. The Big Sick

    Best Director
    1. Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water
    2. Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
    3. Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
    4. Jordan Peele, Get Out
    5. Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

    Best Actor
    1. Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
    2. Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
    3. Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
    4. James Franco, The Disaster Artist
    5. Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

    Best Actress
    1. Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
    2. Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
    3. Saorise Ronan, Lady Bird
    4. Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
    5. Meryl Streep, The Post

    Best Supporting Actor
    1. Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
    2. Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
    3. Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
    4. Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
    5. Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name

    Best Supporting Actress
    1. Allison Janney, I, Tonya
    2. Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
    3. Holly Hunter, The Big Sick
    4. Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water
    5. Hong Chau, Downsizing

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  2. Hey Mike,

    Just posted my predictions. We line up pretty well again. Only two differences - one in Best Picture and one in Supporting Actress.

    In Best Picture, I've substituted Mudbound for The Florida Project. I've gotten the feeling that The Florida Project has been losing momentum the last few weeks, so I'm not confident it'll get a BP nod. If I had to guess, I'd say there'll be 8 nominees anyway, so I don't think Mudbound will get one either.

    In Supporting Actress, you have Spencer and I went with Blige. I'm not confident about my decision at all. I wasn't all that impressed with Blige's performance and Spencer is clearly an Oscar fave, but in the end, I've gone with SAG's picks. I'm not really sure why. Spencer could very easily take Blige's spot, or Chau's, or maybe even Hunter's. Or Lesley Manville could sneak in and turn the whole thing upside-down.

    I agree also that the fifth slot in Supporting Actor is up for grabs. I do hope Stuhlbarg gets it. He's absolutely great in Call Me By Your Name.

    And in fact, many of the other minor categories have similar conundrums. There are 3 or 4 fairly obvious choices and then a small bunch of other potential nominees fighting it out for the remaining slots. It's allowed me to be a bit creative in some of my fifth-slot picks. I'm sort of pulling for Downsizing for Production Design and Song nominations, for some reason. Both are far from likely, so we'll see what happens, I guess.

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