Movies chat, 2/20

3rd & 7 37yd

Good afternoon! It's pre-Oscars Friday, and time for one last chat.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:00:23 PM
And, as we hope for some lively speeches on Oscar night, here's an interesting statistic: In a recent analysis of more than a thousand archived Academy Award acceptance speeches, the most-thanked person is Steven Spielberg, with 42 mentions. Right after him is Harvey Weinstein and James Cameron. God, for some reason, is down in sixth place.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:03:18 PM
Oscars: Steven Spielberg Is the Most Thanked in History, More Than God
The Hollywood ReporterAnd the award for most mentioned name in Oscars acceptance-speech history goes to Steven Spielberg.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:03:29 PM
News from the Academy: There will be, apparently, a great deal of singing in this year's ceremony. In addition to performances of the nominated Best Songs, we'll be treated to unidentified tunes from Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson and Anna Kendrick. I am a little nervous about this.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:07:42 PM
And surely Neil Patrick Harris has some sort of big musical number planned; something along the lines of his actually quite fabulous Tony Award songs. But he's not talking.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:08:58 PM
How can the Oscars telecast be enlivened a bit, other than a lot of singing? I have ideas -- do you?

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:09:46 PM
1. Have winners accept their awards on an elevated platform, which begins to slowly sink with every name they thank -- but rises if the winner says something witty.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:10:18 PM
2. Have presenters arrive on stage via a large scary staircase. The BAFTAs used to do this, and it was mesmerizing. You've never seen A-list actresses, in long dresses and heels, look so terrified.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:11:02 PM
3. Of course, Colin Firth or somebody equally gallant should be waiting at the bottom of that staircase.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:11:19 PM
4. A couple of years ago, there was some idea floated that the nominees' mothers would tweet during the ceremony. This didn't happen, but it's a wonderful idea that I think moms everywhere could get behind.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:12:54 PM
5. For example, if my mom were tweeting right now, she'd tell me to sit up straight. Which I am doing.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:13:09 PM
6. All awards should be presented by actual comedians, who develop their own material. No committee-scripted banter.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:13:48 PM
7. John Travolta should introduce everyone by name.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:14:47 PM
Any other ideas?

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:15:04 PM
Meanwhile, is anyone else as horrified as I am that E.L. James is, apparently, going to Seize More Control of the upcoming "50 Shades of Grey" sequels? Which will make them EVEN WORSE?

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:17:12 PM
Oscars: Steven Spielberg Is the Most Thanked in History, More Than God
The Hollywood ReporterAnd the award for most mentioned name in Oscars acceptance-speech history goes to … Steven Spielberg!
The director has been thanked 42 times out of all 1,396 acceptance speeches currently archived online by the Academy, according to Vocativ.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:17:18 PM
Oops, sorry; didn't mean to pop up Spielberg again:

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:17:36 PM
'Fifty Shades' Sequel: Author E.L. James Demands Control Over Script (EXCLUSIVE)
VarietyNow that "Fifty Shades of Grey" has become an international box office phenomenon, author E.L. James is seeking more control over the sequel by writing the script herself. Universal Pictures, which...

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:17:38 PM
I guess the new movie will be called "Fifty Shades Duller."

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:17:57 PM
Ok then. Let's talk Best Picture. This is actually, for once, a race with some suspense in it; there are a couple of front-runners, but no clear winner (as is usually the case). "Boyhood" is the sentimental favorite -- everyone loves this movie. "Birdman" has been winning all the pre-Oscar awards. "Grand Budapest Hotel" is the dark horse. "American Sniper" is the box-office favorite. It's not unthinkable that "Selma," if the Academy watches its screeners, could pull an upset. And you can't rule out "The Imitation Game," which seemed, sight unseen, like the most Oscar-friendly of the bunch.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:21:26 PM
I'm thinking, if I had to put my money on it, that "Birdman" will win. But I should warn you that my Oscar-prediction skills are quite sketchy.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:22:02 PM
One year, I got 22 out of 24 categories right. One year, I got 8 out of 24 right. (That was a very depressing year, with people calling me up complaining that I caused them to lose their Oscar pool.) Generally I can pull off 15-16 right, but you never know.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:22:54 PM
And really, NOBODY knows those short film categories.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:23:05 PM
Some general theories for the tricky categories: The loudest film wins Sound Mixing. (That would be "Interstellar.") The grimmest documentary usually wins (actually, they're all pretty grim this year). One of the two screenplay awards goes to a movie that isn't getting anything else (probably "Whiplash").

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:29:37 PM
Who gets Best Actir?

by Ron Bryan 2/20/2015 8:29:39 PM
Hi, Ron. Best Actor is the only one of the acting races that isn't a foregone conclusion -- Julianne Moore, J.K. Simmons, and Patricia Arquette have the other three sewn up, and let's just hope they have some good speeches planned.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:30:10 PM
Michael Keaton is absolutely the sentimental favorite -- it's hard to imagine the Academy missing the opportunity to award a former Batman for starring in a movie about a former Birdman. But then again, Eddie Redmayne has been sweeping up the pre-Oscar awards, and is playing the kind of role (physical transformation, real-life inspiration story) that Academy voters love. Plus he's been giving some pretty sweet speeches on the circuit. I still think it might be Keaton, but I'm likely wrong. Definitely not Steve Carell or Bradley Cooper -- it's not their year. Benedict Cumberbatch has an outside shot, but not much of a one.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:32:11 PM
Let me also add, though, that the Best Actor category was amazingly crowded this year, with several performances that definitely would have made the cut any other year: David Oyelowo, "Selma"; Timothy Spall, "Mr. Turner"; Ralph Fiennes, "The Grand Budapest Hotel,"; Jake Gyllenhaal, "Nightcrawler." Take a bow, gentlemen.

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:33:16 PM
I like Micheal Keaton, but feel he would win in large part because of his story, coming back from obscurity.

by Ron Bryan 2/20/2015 8:33:42 PM
Getting near the end of the chat; anyone want to toss in a prediction or two?

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:53:42 PM
I'd like to award a few Oscars of my own. Best Nominated Performance in a Film Almost Nobody Saw: Marion Cotillard, heartbreakingly good in "Two Days, One Night." (She might have won, in a non-Julianne-Moore year.)

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:54:50 PM
Best Documentary That I Have Absolutely No Idea Why It Wasn't Nominated: Steve James' "Life Itself," a wonderfully moving tribute to the late Roger Ebert. (Who probably, now that I think of it, would have had a theory on why it wasn't nominated. We miss you, Roger.)

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:55:55 PM
Most Beautiful Cinematography That Likely Won't Win: Dick Pope's, for "Mr. Turner." (Maybe it will win. But I think it'll be "Birdman," for all that one-shot wizardry. "Mr. Turner," though, definitely had the year's most exquisite light and color.)

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 8:58:50 PM
Agree about "Life Itself." Just saw it earlier this week via Netflix, and it was all the things Roger was. I miss him all over again. It's unthinkable that such a fine documentary, about a figure so influential in the movie world, would get omitted.

by Hayseed 2/20/2015 8:59:57 PM
Wrapping up now, but do join me on Oscar night! (And, if any of you had problems with this chat in our newly re-launched seattletimes.com, please email me and I'll report it: mmacdonald@seattletimes.com.) I'll be kicking off with red-carpet chat (oh, I do love me a nice gown) at 4pm; those who just want to talk about the ceremony can join in at 5:30 p.m. See you then!

by Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times 2/20/2015 9:00:30 PM