Matt vs. the Academy

Without question, this has been the quickest year of review in this blog's recent history. It took six weeks from first review to verdict, which may not sound that impressive until you consider that the last time I completed a review year in less time was just over nine years ago! The nominees for Best Picture of 1983 are: The Big Chill The Dresser The Right Stuff Tender Mercies Terms of Endearment As I watched the five films in contention for 1983's big prize, there were two common themes that became apparent. First, from a genre perspective, each picture could easily be classified as a character  (or characters) study. They all drill down deep into what makes people tick, and with the possible exception of The Right Stuff, relationships are at the forefront of that exploration. Second, none of these films shy away from taking their time to tell their stories. Each movie embraces a leisurely pace at some point - or in some cases, at many points - during their runtimes....

I'm once again back in Sydney, and with one more film to review in this review year, I clearly didn't meet the challenge I set myself a couple of posts ago, but it's still a comparatively quick turnaround for me, so I'll take it. Our final film from the Best Picture shortlist of 1983 is... The Right Stuff Director : Philip Kaufman Screenplay : Philp Kaufman (based on the book by Tom Wolfe) Starring : Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Barbara Hershey, Kim Stanley, Veronica Cartwright, Pamela Reed, Scott Paulin, Charles Frank, Lance Henriksen, Jeff Goldblum, Harry Shearer Academy Awards : 8 nominations 4 wins, including Best Film Editing and Best Original Score Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager (Shepard) joins the team of test pilots attempting to break the sound barrier, and soon becomes the first man to successfully do so. As the years pass, more pilots join the team, including Gordon Cooper (Quaid) and Gus Grissom (Ward), all trying to b...

I was 13 when I first visited Universal Studios, staring in fascination and excitement at all the sights on the studio backlot tour. I listened with eagerness as the tour guide announced which shows and movies were shot in each soundstage and outdoor set, particularly thrilled by Courthouse Square from Back to the Future. So, if you'd told 13-year-old me that one day I'd shoot a TV show on that very backlot, he probably would have fainted, but tomorrow, I'm pleased to announce, that is exactly what I'll be doing. (Contrary to my previous post, I am actually still in LA, having extended my trip by one week due to the aforementioned acting job.) I'll only be on set for one day, but to be working in the same location as so many iconic films and TV shows of the past will certainly be a career highlight. Time now to discuss another contender in the 1983 Best Picture race... The Dresser Director : Peter Yates Screenplay : Ronald Harwood (based on his play) Starring ...

My time in LA is nearing an end, though I hope to sneak in at least one more review before I travel back to Sydney next week. In fact, maybe I can even watch two films in quick succession to round out this year of review in less than three weeks, something I haven't done in almost 10 years. That sounds like a challenge... Our next 1983 Best Picture Oscar nominee is... Terms of Endearment Director : James L. Brooks Screenplay : James L. Brooks (based on the novel by Larry McMurtry) Starring : Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow, Lisa Hart Carroll Academy Awards : 11 nominations 5 wins, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (MacLaine), Best Supporting Actor (Nicholson) After her father dies, flighty Emma Greenway (Winger) struggles to deal with her stuffy and controlling mother Aurora (MacLaine) as they live together in suburban Houston. However, once she's old enough, Emma moves out to marry Flap (Danie...

This week, I had the pleasure of visiting the recently re-opened Vidiots , originally one of the most iconic video stores in 1980s LA, specialising in obscure and cult titles. Now, in the age of streaming, it's a non-profit organisation that complements its video rental services with regular screenings, many with filmmaker Q&As. I attended one such event in which editor Carol Littleton gave some fascinating insight into the film that is the subject of this post. So, let's continue our review of the Best Picture contenders from 1983 by discussing... The Big Chill Director : Lawrence Kasdan Screenplay : Lawrence Kasdan & Barbara Benedek Starring : Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, JoBeth Williams Academy Awards : 3 nominations 0 wins Seven close friends from college are reunited for the funeral of the eighth member of their group, Alex, who just committed suicide. Along with Alex's young girlfri...

Well, look at this. Thanks to the downtime I've had during this LA trip, this will be my third post in a week, a feat I haven't achieved in about 6 or 7 years. And there'll be more to come, too, as I prepare to attend a screening of one of the other nominees in this current review year. More on that in the next post. For now, we begin our look at the 1983 Best Picture contest with... Tender Mercies Director : Bruce Beresford Screenplay : Horton Foote Starring : Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Betty Buckley, Wilford Brimley, Ellen Barkin, Allan Hubbard, Lenny von Dohlen, Paul Gleason Academy Awards : 5 nominations 2 wins, including Best Actor (Duvall) Ex-country singer Mac Sledge (Duvall) finds himself in a small town motel in remote Texas after a drunken binge. The widowed owner, Rosa Lee (Harper), takes pity on Mac and accepts his offer to work for her in exchange for room and board. The two soon fall for each other and later marry, but his idyllic new life is disrupte...

Yet another review year that I left to drag on for two years. In the time it took me to watch these five films, the Academy added another 20 to my list. Obviously, at this rate, I'll never finish this crazy assignment I've set myself. And after some quick calculations, I reached the sobering conclusion that even if I watch just one movie a week from now on, it'll still take me another eight years to finish. Well, I don't know if I'll be able to achieve that one-a-week rate consistently, but I'm certainly going to try to cram in as many viewings as I can during this current trip to LA. Anyway, enough moaning. Let's get into this current verdict. The nominees for Best Picture of 1991 are: Beauty and the Beast Bugsy JFK The Prince of Tides The Silence of the Lambs 1991's nominees are definitely an interesting bunch. I'm a proud movie buff, so like always, I enjoyed each of these films, despite recognising that perhaps some of these films m...