Since the inception of the Academy Awards, the U.S.-based organization behind them has always strived to honor worldwide film achievements. Their extensive roster of competitive acting winners alone consists of artists from 30 unique countries, three of which first gained representation during the 2020s. The last full decade’s worth of triumphant performers hail from eight countries, while 42.1% of the individual actors nominated during that time originate from outside of America.
The academy’s history of recognizing acting talent on a global scale dates all the way back to the inaugural Oscars ceremony in 1929, when Swiss-born Emil Jannings (who was of German and American parentage) won Best Actor for his work in both “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh.” Over the next three years, the Best Actress prize was exclusively awarded to Canadians: Mary Pickford (“Coquette”), Norma Shearer (“The Divorcee”), and Marie Dressler (“Min and Bill...
The academy’s history of recognizing acting talent on a global scale dates all the way back to the inaugural Oscars ceremony in 1929, when Swiss-born Emil Jannings (who was of German and American parentage) won Best Actor for his work in both “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh.” Over the next three years, the Best Actress prize was exclusively awarded to Canadians: Mary Pickford (“Coquette”), Norma Shearer (“The Divorcee”), and Marie Dressler (“Min and Bill...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The 2024 Oscar race is on, and one film has the potential to accomplish a feat that hasn’t happened in 64 years. “Oppenheimer” leads the nominations with 13, and it’s on track to win several of those categories. If Christopher Nolan‘s epic claims Best Picture, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy) and Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), it will be the first time since 1960 that the same film (“Ben-Hur”) has won those three exact categories. And it would be only the fourth time it’s ever happened.
See Cillian Murphy interview: ‘Oppenheimer’
Since the Best Supporting Actor category was introduced in 1937, only three films have walked away with Best Picture as well as both male acting categories. In 1945, the inspirational musical comedy “Going My Way” not only became the highest-grossing film of 1944, but also won seven of its ten Oscar nominations, making it the big winner of the night. Beside the top prize,...
See Cillian Murphy interview: ‘Oppenheimer’
Since the Best Supporting Actor category was introduced in 1937, only three films have walked away with Best Picture as well as both male acting categories. In 1945, the inspirational musical comedy “Going My Way” not only became the highest-grossing film of 1944, but also won seven of its ten Oscar nominations, making it the big winner of the night. Beside the top prize,...
- 3/2/2024
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
Just 30 minutes after final voting for the Screen Actors Guild Awards wrapped up, I made a last-minute switch in my best actress prediction — from Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon” to Emma Stone in “Poor Things.” Let this be a lesson: Second-guessing yourself is seldom a good idea.
Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American and Indigenous person to clinch an individual SAG Award for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, in Martin Scorsese’s gripping crime saga. With a lead actress (drama) Golden Globe and a SAG Award now under her belt, Gladstone’s award-season momentum continues to be formidable. Historically, only seven performers have failed to win the Oscar after winning the unique combination of Globe and SAG:
1995: Lauren Bacall (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”) lost to Juliette Binoche 2001: Russell Crowe (“A Beautiful Mind”) lost to Denzel Washington (“Training Day...
Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American and Indigenous person to clinch an individual SAG Award for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, in Martin Scorsese’s gripping crime saga. With a lead actress (drama) Golden Globe and a SAG Award now under her belt, Gladstone’s award-season momentum continues to be formidable. Historically, only seven performers have failed to win the Oscar after winning the unique combination of Globe and SAG:
1995: Lauren Bacall (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”) lost to Juliette Binoche 2001: Russell Crowe (“A Beautiful Mind”) lost to Denzel Washington (“Training Day...
- 2/25/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Comedians are having to reinvent themselves in the modern era of social awareness. Comedy has long been a device to promote social discourse, used as a space for comedians to bring awareness to social issues and get people talking about them. Think Norman Lear sitcoms like "All in the Family" or George Carlin's controversial takes on religion and media.
But with social media and a changing barometer of what's socially appropriate, the business of comedy is changing. For some, the threat of being canceled means taking past punch lines off the setlist. But not everyone is listening.
For example, in a time when transgender rights are being stripped, Ricky Gervais and Dave Chapelle still recently released Netflix specials that included transphobic jokes. It caused a fair amount of backlash, though neither has suffered any real consequence, short of one Chapelle show cancellation in Minneapolis.
Before we went all-in on cancel culture,...
But with social media and a changing barometer of what's socially appropriate, the business of comedy is changing. For some, the threat of being canceled means taking past punch lines off the setlist. But not everyone is listening.
For example, in a time when transgender rights are being stripped, Ricky Gervais and Dave Chapelle still recently released Netflix specials that included transphobic jokes. It caused a fair amount of backlash, though neither has suffered any real consequence, short of one Chapelle show cancellation in Minneapolis.
Before we went all-in on cancel culture,...
- 3/13/2023
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
The 70th Academy Award ceremony on March 23, 1998, is the most-watched Oscar ceremony to date — most likely due to a “Titanic” film nominated for several awards. However, Gil Gates, who produced 14 Oscar ceremonies between 1990 and 2008, also wanted a special segment to recognize Oscar’s platinum anniversary, and arranged for 70 past acting winners to sit together on the stage, with Norman Rose announcing the films for which each performer won. It was a spectacular gathering of actors and actresses from Classic Hollywood, New Hollywood and the contemporary period.
Let’s flashback to the first Oscars family album featured in the ceremony 25 years ago.
SEEOscar flashback 25 years to 1998: Winners are Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Robin Williams and ‘Titanic’ ratings for ABC
Among those present was the first performer to win back-to-back acting Oscars, Best Actress champ Luise Rainer. At the age of 88, she was the oldest one on the stage; when she...
Let’s flashback to the first Oscars family album featured in the ceremony 25 years ago.
SEEOscar flashback 25 years to 1998: Winners are Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Robin Williams and ‘Titanic’ ratings for ABC
Among those present was the first performer to win back-to-back acting Oscars, Best Actress champ Luise Rainer. At the age of 88, she was the oldest one on the stage; when she...
- 3/7/2023
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
For Oscar voters, the unspoken rule regarding supporting male performances is the longer the better. An average winner in the category clocks in with 33 minutes and 55 seconds of screen time, and the last five champs have consistently raised that bar. Last year’s victor, Troy Kotsur, was honored for appearing in 35 minutes and 34 seconds (or nearly one-third) of Best Picture winner “Coda.” Of the 86 performances that have won Best Supporting Actor, his falls comfortably within the longer half.
Unlike the three Best Supporting Actor recipients who directly preceded him – Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”), Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), and Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”) – Kotsur’s category placement was uncontested, meaning there was no talk about him instead belonging in the lead race. Emilia Jones, the un-nominated star of “Coda” who plays Kotsur’s daughter, towers over him by a margin of 52 minutes. His is...
Unlike the three Best Supporting Actor recipients who directly preceded him – Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”), Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), and Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”) – Kotsur’s category placement was uncontested, meaning there was no talk about him instead belonging in the lead race. Emilia Jones, the un-nominated star of “Coda” who plays Kotsur’s daughter, towers over him by a margin of 52 minutes. His is...
- 1/21/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
It’s been nearly a year since Sian Heder’s “Coda,” the feel-good coming-of-age story of a teenage girl who is the one hearing member of a predominately Deaf family, delighted audiences and secured Oscars for Best Picture, Supporting Actor, and Adapted Screenplay. But, in the months since its big wins, has on-screen Deaf and disabled representation actually gotten any better?
In November 2022, more than six months after “Coda” won big at the Oscars, the National Research Group released a new study that examined Deaf representation on-screen. Per a Variety article that shared the study’s results, 56 percent of Deaf consumers shared that, even in the aftermath of “Coda” breaking through, they still “rarely” or “never” see their identities represented in film and television.
And when those identities are portrayed on-screen, the results were not satisfying.
Variety reported that “63 percent of Deaf consumers say movies and shows that feature Deaf...
In November 2022, more than six months after “Coda” won big at the Oscars, the National Research Group released a new study that examined Deaf representation on-screen. Per a Variety article that shared the study’s results, 56 percent of Deaf consumers shared that, even in the aftermath of “Coda” breaking through, they still “rarely” or “never” see their identities represented in film and television.
And when those identities are portrayed on-screen, the results were not satisfying.
Variety reported that “63 percent of Deaf consumers say movies and shows that feature Deaf...
- 1/18/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Last week Tony Award-nominated star of stage and screen, and the first deaf actress to play a Marvel Superhero, Lauren Ridloff hosted the Media Access Awards, in partnership with nonprofit disability services provider Easterseals Southern California.
The virtual event, which was streamed Live on the Emmy Award-winning entertainment and pop culture news source, ExtraTV.com honored Selma Blair, Peter Farrelly, David Zimmerman, Allen Rucker, Sofia Sanchez, As We See It, Love on the Spectrum U.S, Cha Cha Real Smooth, and Only Murders in the Building.
Founded by Norman Lear in 1979, and now spearheaded by Executive Producer Deborah Calla, and writer Allen Rucker, the Media Access Awards is an annual celebration honoring those in film and TV who include disabled characters and actors in their work, the 2022 Media Access Awards paid tribute to those individuals, series, and films that have redefined on-screen representation for the disability community, while advancing the...
The virtual event, which was streamed Live on the Emmy Award-winning entertainment and pop culture news source, ExtraTV.com honored Selma Blair, Peter Farrelly, David Zimmerman, Allen Rucker, Sofia Sanchez, As We See It, Love on the Spectrum U.S, Cha Cha Real Smooth, and Only Murders in the Building.
Founded by Norman Lear in 1979, and now spearheaded by Executive Producer Deborah Calla, and writer Allen Rucker, the Media Access Awards is an annual celebration honoring those in film and TV who include disabled characters and actors in their work, the 2022 Media Access Awards paid tribute to those individuals, series, and films that have redefined on-screen representation for the disability community, while advancing the...
- 11/23/2022
- Look to the Stars
The Media Access Awards, in partnership with nonprofit disability services provider Easterseals Southern California, has announced the honorees of the 2022 Media Access Awards which will stream Live on the Emmy Award-winning entertainment and pop culture news source, ExtraTV.com; on Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 6pm Pt / 9pm Et.
Founded by Norman Lear in 1979 as an annual celebration honoring those in film and TV who include disabled characters and actors in their work, the 2022 Media Access Awards will pay tribute to those individuals, series, and films that have redefined on-screen representation for the disability community, while advancing the portrayal and employment of people with disabilities in Hollywood.
“We are thrilled to again be celebrating the immensely talented people paving the way to a more inclusive world. We salute them all!” said the co-ceo’s of the Media Access Awards Deborah Calla, also the show’s Executive Producer, and Allen Rucker the show’s writer.
Founded by Norman Lear in 1979 as an annual celebration honoring those in film and TV who include disabled characters and actors in their work, the 2022 Media Access Awards will pay tribute to those individuals, series, and films that have redefined on-screen representation for the disability community, while advancing the portrayal and employment of people with disabilities in Hollywood.
“We are thrilled to again be celebrating the immensely talented people paving the way to a more inclusive world. We salute them all!” said the co-ceo’s of the Media Access Awards Deborah Calla, also the show’s Executive Producer, and Allen Rucker the show’s writer.
- 10/27/2022
- Look to the Stars
William Wyler was a three-time Oscar winner who crafted several classics during Hollywood’s Golden Age, adapting his style to a wide variety of genres. Let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth” (1936), “Wuthering Heights” (1939), “The Letter” (1940), “The Little Foxes” (1941), “Mrs. Miniver” (1942), “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946), “The Heiress” (1949), “Detective Story” (1951), “Roman Holiday...
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth” (1936), “Wuthering Heights” (1939), “The Letter” (1940), “The Little Foxes” (1941), “Mrs. Miniver” (1942), “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946), “The Heiress” (1949), “Detective Story” (1951), “Roman Holiday...
- 6/29/2022
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Having paid my 8.50 to see Top Gun: Maverick last weekend, my local cineplex inadvertently improved my appreciation of the film. For three minutes the sound clicked off and, minus dialogue, I was instantly caught up in the soaring jets, hyper-caffeinated cast and the durable charisma of its star. Then sound returned, the story unfolded and reality set in: This is not really a plot but a superbly crafted business plan, half video game and half military recruitment film. It’s the perfect structure for a Tom Cruise genre-bashing blockbuster.
Historians may ultimately cite the movie as a turning point — the film that reignited audiences, young and old, to pay homage to their movie palaces. FiIm critics may also single out the Top Gun sequel as a defiant reinvention of the classic war genre.
Does it measure up to the classics? Sure it does, but only Cruise would set out to...
Historians may ultimately cite the movie as a turning point — the film that reignited audiences, young and old, to pay homage to their movie palaces. FiIm critics may also single out the Top Gun sequel as a defiant reinvention of the classic war genre.
Does it measure up to the classics? Sure it does, but only Cruise would set out to...
- 6/2/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Troy Kotsur has become the first deaf male actor to win a competitive Oscar, winning the Best Supporting Actor prize for his work on “Coda.”
Kotsur is preceded only by Marlee Matlin, his “Coda” co-star and on-screen wife, as the only other deaf individual to have won an Oscar. She won Best Actress for her work in “Children of a Lesser God” in 1986.
“This is amazing to be here on this journey,” Kotsur said through an interpreter as last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner, Yuh-Jung Youn, held his Oscar so he could sign his speech. “I really want to thank all the wonderful deaf theater stages where I was allowed to develop my craft as an actor.”
He added, “This is dedicated to the deaf community, to the Coda community, to the disabled community. This is our moment.”
Kotsur plays Frank Rossi in “Coda,” a deaf fisherman from Gloucester,...
Kotsur is preceded only by Marlee Matlin, his “Coda” co-star and on-screen wife, as the only other deaf individual to have won an Oscar. She won Best Actress for her work in “Children of a Lesser God” in 1986.
“This is amazing to be here on this journey,” Kotsur said through an interpreter as last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner, Yuh-Jung Youn, held his Oscar so he could sign his speech. “I really want to thank all the wonderful deaf theater stages where I was allowed to develop my craft as an actor.”
He added, “This is dedicated to the deaf community, to the Coda community, to the disabled community. This is our moment.”
Kotsur plays Frank Rossi in “Coda,” a deaf fisherman from Gloucester,...
- 3/28/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Every year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences gets together to single out the best movies, performances and craftsmanship, and sometimes they actually get it right. Sure, sometimes it goes the other way, but throughout the history of the Oscars, there are many excellent examples of actors who gave astounding performances for the ages. The types of roles may change, and the acting styles may evolve, but these Oscar-winning actors of yesteryear absolutely deserved their gold statues and remain some of the gold standards for screen acting.
Norma Shearer, “The Divorcee” (1930)
Norma Shearer gives an astoundingly multifaceted performance in Robert Z. Leonard’s “The Divorcee,” as a woman whose husband is unfaithful and decides turnabout is fair play, only to see her role in polite society shift dramatically. What could have been a tawdry and finger-wagging cautionary tale lights up because Shearer explores all the emotional complexity of her...
Norma Shearer, “The Divorcee” (1930)
Norma Shearer gives an astoundingly multifaceted performance in Robert Z. Leonard’s “The Divorcee,” as a woman whose husband is unfaithful and decides turnabout is fair play, only to see her role in polite society shift dramatically. What could have been a tawdry and finger-wagging cautionary tale lights up because Shearer explores all the emotional complexity of her...
- 3/23/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
The undeniable Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life is celebrating its diamond anniversary this season. Believe it or not, it has been 75 years since its release in December 1946.
Considering it has become the classic of classics for the yuletide season, this irresistible film starring James Stewart as George Bailey, a suicidal man who receives a visit from an angel to show him what life would have been like if he had never existed, was basically a box office flop upon its release after it was rushed into theaters to replace a film that wasn’t ready in time. Costing reportedly $3.7 million to make but only earning back $3.3 million, initially at least, it was the first significant return to acting for Stewart after serving in World War II, and originally planned at one time to star Cary Grant.
It was only many years later, thanks largely to television, that it...
Considering it has become the classic of classics for the yuletide season, this irresistible film starring James Stewart as George Bailey, a suicidal man who receives a visit from an angel to show him what life would have been like if he had never existed, was basically a box office flop upon its release after it was rushed into theaters to replace a film that wasn’t ready in time. Costing reportedly $3.7 million to make but only earning back $3.3 million, initially at least, it was the first significant return to acting for Stewart after serving in World War II, and originally planned at one time to star Cary Grant.
It was only many years later, thanks largely to television, that it...
- 12/3/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2020, the Covid pandemic caused the motion picture academy to cancel the Governors Awards, which has been a stand-alone event since 2009. Instead, it presented the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to both Tyler Perry and the Motion Picture & Television Fund during the Oscars. This morale booster was a bright spot in the ceremony.
The Governors Awards are set to return on January 15, 2022. Honorary Oscars will be presented to multi-hyphenate Elaine May as well as actors Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Ullmann. Another actor, Danny Glover, will be feted with the Hersholt for his work on behalf of Unicef.
There have been four honorees at the Governors Awards every year but two since 2009. As detailed below, all but one of the academy’s 17 branches — Visual Effects — are represented among the roster of 138 winners of honorary Oscars. In the case of Visual Effects, the academy has presented special achievement awards to a host...
The Governors Awards are set to return on January 15, 2022. Honorary Oscars will be presented to multi-hyphenate Elaine May as well as actors Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Ullmann. Another actor, Danny Glover, will be feted with the Hersholt for his work on behalf of Unicef.
There have been four honorees at the Governors Awards every year but two since 2009. As detailed below, all but one of the academy’s 17 branches — Visual Effects — are represented among the roster of 138 winners of honorary Oscars. In the case of Visual Effects, the academy has presented special achievement awards to a host...
- 11/29/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
At the Media Access Awards on Wednesday, honoree Marlee Matlin summed up the mood by saying that when she came to Los Angeles in 1985, “words like equality and access were so far outside the mainstream of Hollywood, I had to make noise.” Receiving the Maa’s lifetime achievement award “pushes me to be even louder.”
The annual awards have long honored film and TV shows that offer positive portrayals of disabled people. Other honorees, which were announced in advance, included Selma Blair, Troy Kotsur, John Krasinski, Jamie Nieto, Ryan O’Connell, “Luca” producer Andrea Warren and Zeno Mountain Farm.
The Apple film “Coda” was the only winner of multiple awards, with Matlin, her co-star Troy Kotsur and the film’s casting directors Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood and Lisa Zagoria honored. The trio received the casting society of America award, with the film’s writer-director Sian Heder praising them as partners.
The...
The annual awards have long honored film and TV shows that offer positive portrayals of disabled people. Other honorees, which were announced in advance, included Selma Blair, Troy Kotsur, John Krasinski, Jamie Nieto, Ryan O’Connell, “Luca” producer Andrea Warren and Zeno Mountain Farm.
The Apple film “Coda” was the only winner of multiple awards, with Matlin, her co-star Troy Kotsur and the film’s casting directors Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood and Lisa Zagoria honored. The trio received the casting society of America award, with the film’s writer-director Sian Heder praising them as partners.
The...
- 11/18/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
This year, there were 366 films in Oscar contention, with 50-plus nominated — including three centering on disabled people. While that isn’t much, it’s three more than most years and, sadly, it qualifies disability awareness as an innovation.
The teams behind Amazon’s “Sound of Metal,” Netflix’s documentary “Crip Camp” and live-action short “Feeling Through” all express appreciation at the progress, but they’re aware that authentic depiction is an ongoing issue.
Supporting actor Paul Raci, one of the six Oscar nominations for “Sound of Metal,” says: “We haven’t turned the corner, but there is an opening in the consciousness, an expansion of awareness, and there are some initiatives to open up jobs to the deaf and disabled. We’ve heard this before. All we can do is keep expanding awareness, to make sure that films represent the population that we all live in.”
Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham,...
The teams behind Amazon’s “Sound of Metal,” Netflix’s documentary “Crip Camp” and live-action short “Feeling Through” all express appreciation at the progress, but they’re aware that authentic depiction is an ongoing issue.
Supporting actor Paul Raci, one of the six Oscar nominations for “Sound of Metal,” says: “We haven’t turned the corner, but there is an opening in the consciousness, an expansion of awareness, and there are some initiatives to open up jobs to the deaf and disabled. We’ve heard this before. All we can do is keep expanding awareness, to make sure that films represent the population that we all live in.”
Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham,...
- 4/15/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
You can count on one hand the number of times the same film won Oscars for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, the most recent being “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013) for Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. (See the rest below). Might Amazon’s “Sound of Metal” be the next movie to join this elite list? Lead actor Riz Ahmed and supporting player Paul Raci are both predicted to earn Oscar noms, according to our odds. In fact, Gold Derby founder Tom O’Neil predicts Ahmed will win and he has Raci in second place, behind only Leslie Odom, Jr. (“One Night in Miami”).
See Rashida Jones (‘On the Rocks’) could get rare acting recognition after industry plaudits for writing, directing and producing
Ahmed is an Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee for “The Night Of,” but his role as Ruben, a musician who loses his hearing in “Sound of Metal,” would...
See Rashida Jones (‘On the Rocks’) could get rare acting recognition after industry plaudits for writing, directing and producing
Ahmed is an Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee for “The Night Of,” but his role as Ruben, a musician who loses his hearing in “Sound of Metal,” would...
- 2/5/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Last week, the Media Access Awards, in partnership with nonprofit disability services provider Easterseals, celebrated the honorees of the 2020 Media Access Awards. This year’s event paid tribute, virtually, to those individuals, series, and films that have redefined on-screen representation for the disability community, while advancing the portrayal and employment of people with disabilities in Hollywood.
To view the show in its entirety and learn more about the showcase, visit:
MediaAccessAwards2020.com.
Advocate, producer, model and actor Nyle Dimarco served as the evening’s host and welcomed viewers to a night filled with memorable moments, touching tributes, and awe-inspiring performances. The night’s honorees were selected by the diversity committees of their professional guilds with awards from the Casting Society of America (Csa), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), and Writers Guild of America (WGA). This year’s honorees were:
SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award: Lauren Ridloff
Presented...
To view the show in its entirety and learn more about the showcase, visit:
MediaAccessAwards2020.com.
Advocate, producer, model and actor Nyle Dimarco served as the evening’s host and welcomed viewers to a night filled with memorable moments, touching tributes, and awe-inspiring performances. The night’s honorees were selected by the diversity committees of their professional guilds with awards from the Casting Society of America (Csa), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), and Writers Guild of America (WGA). This year’s honorees were:
SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award: Lauren Ridloff
Presented...
- 11/27/2020
- Look to the Stars
Comedian and actor Ramy Youssef challenged the misconception that actors with disabilities are more difficult to work with on set than other talent. Referring to the treatment of Steve Way, his friend and co-star on “Ramy” who was born with muscular dystrophy, Youssef said producers questioned how long Way could work per day and how well audiences would understand him.
“A lot of A-list stars only have four takes in them, and productions figure out how to really work around their demands and their needs, and someone like Steve doesn’t even have that many demands or needs in order to be put into a position to succeed,” he said during a speech at this year’s Media Access Awards Presented by Easterseals.
He was honored with the Writers Guild of America West Evan Summers Memorial award for his work on “Ramy” during the event, which celebrated those who help...
“A lot of A-list stars only have four takes in them, and productions figure out how to really work around their demands and their needs, and someone like Steve doesn’t even have that many demands or needs in order to be put into a position to succeed,” he said during a speech at this year’s Media Access Awards Presented by Easterseals.
He was honored with the Writers Guild of America West Evan Summers Memorial award for his work on “Ramy” during the event, which celebrated those who help...
- 11/20/2020
- by Eli Countryman
- Variety Film + TV
The Media Access Awards, in partnership with nonprofit disability services organization Easterseals, has announced the honorees of the awards show, which include critically-acclaimed documentary “Crip Camp,” Netflix’s “Away” and Ramy Youssef.
The award show, which will be presented virtually Nov. 19 and hosted by model and actor Nyle Dimarco, aims to pay tribute to creatives, series and films that have holistically portrayed individuals with disabilities and advanced representation for the disability community both on and off-screen.
“One out of four American adults has a disability, but they rarely see their lives reflected in the stories told on film and television. The Media Access Awards is an ongoing campaign to change that reality. And it will change. People with disabilities will be seen and heard,” Deborah Calla and Allen Rucker, co-CEOs of Media Access Awards, said in a statement.
The evening will see special appearances from Selma Blair, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Kimmel,...
The award show, which will be presented virtually Nov. 19 and hosted by model and actor Nyle Dimarco, aims to pay tribute to creatives, series and films that have holistically portrayed individuals with disabilities and advanced representation for the disability community both on and off-screen.
“One out of four American adults has a disability, but they rarely see their lives reflected in the stories told on film and television. The Media Access Awards is an ongoing campaign to change that reality. And it will change. People with disabilities will be seen and heard,” Deborah Calla and Allen Rucker, co-CEOs of Media Access Awards, said in a statement.
The evening will see special appearances from Selma Blair, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Kimmel,...
- 11/10/2020
- by Natalie Oganesyan and Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
The Media Access Awards — an event designed to honor disability and its depictions in film, TV, and new media — will go virtual Nov. 19 with Nyle Dimarco on board to host the Easterseals-presented show.
The honorees are selected by diversity committees of professional guilds with awards from the Casting Society of America (Csa), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA).
This year’s honorees are: SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award to Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead), presented by Joshua Jackson; Producers Guild of America George Sunga Award to Netflix’s Away as presented by Ato ...
The honorees are selected by diversity committees of professional guilds with awards from the Casting Society of America (Csa), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA).
This year’s honorees are: SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award to Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead), presented by Joshua Jackson; Producers Guild of America George Sunga Award to Netflix’s Away as presented by Ato ...
- 11/10/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Media Access Awards — an event designed to honor disability and its depictions in film, TV, and new media — will go virtual Nov. 19 with Nyle Dimarco on board to host the Easterseals-presented show.
The honorees are selected by diversity committees of professional guilds with awards from the Casting Society of America (Csa), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA).
This year’s honorees are: SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award to Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead), presented by Joshua Jackson; Producers Guild of America George Sunga Award to Netflix’s Away as presented by Ato ...
The honorees are selected by diversity committees of professional guilds with awards from the Casting Society of America (Csa), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA).
This year’s honorees are: SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award to Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead), presented by Joshua Jackson; Producers Guild of America George Sunga Award to Netflix’s Away as presented by Ato ...
- 11/10/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ryan Murphy’s new limited series “Hollywood” is about envisioning a filmic landscape more representative of real people. Murphy and co-screenwriter Ian Brennan envision a world where anyone, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation can thrive in entertainment. Their hope is that, by revising history, it makes the viewer think about how different movies (and our conversations about them) can be.
And, yet, there’s a crucial group whose contributions, either within the late-1940s landscape “Hollywood” is set in or in Murphy’s revisionist fairy tale, aren’t acknowledged: the disabled. People with disabilities are commonly ignored from inclusion talks so, sadly, this isn’t particularly surprising in the grand scheme of things. What is surprising is that Murphy, who has placed disabled actors in prominent roles before, ignores the actual strides disabled actors made by 1947-1948 (the year in which “Hollywood” takes place). And to create a...
And, yet, there’s a crucial group whose contributions, either within the late-1940s landscape “Hollywood” is set in or in Murphy’s revisionist fairy tale, aren’t acknowledged: the disabled. People with disabilities are commonly ignored from inclusion talks so, sadly, this isn’t particularly surprising in the grand scheme of things. What is surprising is that Murphy, who has placed disabled actors in prominent roles before, ignores the actual strides disabled actors made by 1947-1948 (the year in which “Hollywood” takes place). And to create a...
- 5/8/2020
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Richard Donner’s first feature post- Superman is a complete switcheroo — a small-scale character piece that delivers an impressive lineup of engaging actors. John Savage leads a ‘different’ ensemble of the walking wounded, that congregates at a neighborhood bar. Are friends the best therapy? The movie has a positive sports theme, and the way its characters overcome physical limits and psychological damage feels uplifting, never phony. Diana Scarwid earned an Oscar nomination, and the unappreciated Amy Wright is a heartbreaker in a strong, uncompromised role.
Inside Moves
Blu-ray
Scorpion Releasing
1980 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 113 min. / Street Date December 10, 2019 / 19.89
Starring: John Savage, David Morse, Diana Scarwid, Amy Wright, Tony Burton, Harold Sylvester, Bill Henderson, Steve Kahan, Jack O’Leary, Bert Remsen, Harold Russell, Pepe Serna.
Cinematography: Laszlo Kovacs
Film Editor: Frank Moriss
Original Music: John Barry
Written by Valerie Curtin, Barry Levinson from a novel by Todd Walton
Produced by R.W. Goodwin, Mark M. Tanz...
Inside Moves
Blu-ray
Scorpion Releasing
1980 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 113 min. / Street Date December 10, 2019 / 19.89
Starring: John Savage, David Morse, Diana Scarwid, Amy Wright, Tony Burton, Harold Sylvester, Bill Henderson, Steve Kahan, Jack O’Leary, Bert Remsen, Harold Russell, Pepe Serna.
Cinematography: Laszlo Kovacs
Film Editor: Frank Moriss
Original Music: John Barry
Written by Valerie Curtin, Barry Levinson from a novel by Todd Walton
Produced by R.W. Goodwin, Mark M. Tanz...
- 3/3/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Hollywood loves to imitate success: Superhero movies, remakes, sequels. However, it’s been almost 33 years since Marlee Matlin won her Oscar for “Children of a Lesser God.” So why haven’t studio executives demanded more actors with disabilities to play characters with disabilities?
Since 1988, one-third of Oscar’s 30 lead actor winners were portraying a character with a disability, from Dustin Hoffman through Eddie Redmayne. That’s 10 in just one category. In contrast, there have been only two winning actors with disabilities — two! — in Oscar’s entire 91 years: Harold Russell and Matlin.
This column was designed to put current Oscar hopefuls into historical context. But after Russell and Matlin, there are no more names to cite.
Hollywood stepped up its push for inclusion/diversity in 2015, and this year’s Oscar race includes more black and female filmmakers than ever before. However, there are very few films featuring people with disabilities (or...
Since 1988, one-third of Oscar’s 30 lead actor winners were portraying a character with a disability, from Dustin Hoffman through Eddie Redmayne. That’s 10 in just one category. In contrast, there have been only two winning actors with disabilities — two! — in Oscar’s entire 91 years: Harold Russell and Matlin.
This column was designed to put current Oscar hopefuls into historical context. But after Russell and Matlin, there are no more names to cite.
Hollywood stepped up its push for inclusion/diversity in 2015, and this year’s Oscar race includes more black and female filmmakers than ever before. However, there are very few films featuring people with disabilities (or...
- 12/4/2019
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
On Sunday, four film folk — actress Geena Davis, director David Lynch, actor Wes Studi and director Lina Wertmuller — were feted by the motion picture academy at the Governors Awards. This non-televised event has been around since 2009 when the academy moved these de facto lifetime achievement awards off of the Oscars.
By not being part of the televised Academy Awards, this has meant more people could be honored each year as there were no time constraints to consider. To that end there have been four honorees every year but two since 2009. And this change has allowed for a wider range of talents to be tapped.
As detailed below, all but one of the academy’s 17 branches — Visual Effects — are now represented among the roster of 135 winners of honorary Oscars. In the case of Visual Effects, the academy has presented special achievement awards to a host of films in years in which there was no competitive category.
By not being part of the televised Academy Awards, this has meant more people could be honored each year as there were no time constraints to consider. To that end there have been four honorees every year but two since 2009. And this change has allowed for a wider range of talents to be tapped.
As detailed below, all but one of the academy’s 17 branches — Visual Effects — are now represented among the roster of 135 winners of honorary Oscars. In the case of Visual Effects, the academy has presented special achievement awards to a host of films in years in which there was no competitive category.
- 10/27/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
William Wyler would’ve celebrated his 117th birthday on July 1, 2019. The three-time Oscar winner crafted several classics during Hollywood’s Golden Age, adapting his style to a wide variety of genres. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
SEEBette Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth...
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
SEEBette Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth...
- 7/1/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
One of Ryan O’Connell’s biggest pet peeves is when strangers on the street stop to ask him if he’s “Ok.”
But O’Connell, a gay man with cerebral palsy, knows how he’ll answer that question once his Netflix comedy “Special,” which he writes, executive produces and stars in, drops on Friday.
“I can’t wait to point to my billboard right now and say, ‘I’m just fine,'” he told TheWrap.
Also Read: 'Special' Star Ryan O'Connell Exclusive StudioWrap Portraits (Photos)
The show, co-produced by “Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons, centers around what is essentially a younger and more sheltered version of O’Connell, Ryan Kayes — an aspiring writer who still lives with his overprotective mother (Jessica Hecht) and starts an unpaid internship at a new-age confessional blog called “Eggwoke.”
“Ryan kind of has the coming of age journey at 28-years-old,” O’Connell said.
But O’Connell, a gay man with cerebral palsy, knows how he’ll answer that question once his Netflix comedy “Special,” which he writes, executive produces and stars in, drops on Friday.
“I can’t wait to point to my billboard right now and say, ‘I’m just fine,'” he told TheWrap.
Also Read: 'Special' Star Ryan O'Connell Exclusive StudioWrap Portraits (Photos)
The show, co-produced by “Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons, centers around what is essentially a younger and more sheltered version of O’Connell, Ryan Kayes — an aspiring writer who still lives with his overprotective mother (Jessica Hecht) and starts an unpaid internship at a new-age confessional blog called “Eggwoke.”
“Ryan kind of has the coming of age journey at 28-years-old,” O’Connell said.
- 4/12/2019
- by Itay Hod
- The Wrap
Three films in contention at this year’s Oscars earned nominations for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor: “Green Book,” “A Star is Born” and “Vice.” How likely is it that both these men will win Academy Awards on Feb. 24? In the 82 years since the supporting awards were introduced at the 9th Oscars, only five films could boast victories in both these races.
For such a male-dominated industry, it is surprising that these two acting categories are the least successful pairing at the Oscars while the two female ones are the most. Then again, the film industry has no shortage of roles for men (lead or supporting) so they have been able to spread the love across different male performers in different films. There has always been (and still is) a shortage of female roles, so there have been and are fewer films with such notable performances, be they lead or supporting.
For such a male-dominated industry, it is surprising that these two acting categories are the least successful pairing at the Oscars while the two female ones are the most. Then again, the film industry has no shortage of roles for men (lead or supporting) so they have been able to spread the love across different male performers in different films. There has always been (and still is) a shortage of female roles, so there have been and are fewer films with such notable performances, be they lead or supporting.
- 2/21/2019
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Among the biggest surprises of the 2019 Oscar race: There’s no such thing as a Netflix backlash. Not only did the most dominant force in Hollywood land 15 Oscar nominations, including “Roma” (10) and three surprise craft nods for the Coen brothers’ “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” but “Roma” is a historic achievement. It’s the 10th foreign-language nominee that also contends for Best Picture, tying Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) for the most nominations earned by a foreign-language film.
Alfonso Cuarón also became the first filmmaker in Oscar history to land nominations for Picture, Director, and Cinematography. “Roma” is the fifth film to be nominated for Foreign Language Film and Best Picture in the same year. Each of the previous four — “Z” (1969), “Life Is Beautiful” (1998), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Amour” (2012) — won for Foreign Language Film, but not Best Picture. If “Roma” wins Best Picture, it will be a...
Alfonso Cuarón also became the first filmmaker in Oscar history to land nominations for Picture, Director, and Cinematography. “Roma” is the fifth film to be nominated for Foreign Language Film and Best Picture in the same year. Each of the previous four — “Z” (1969), “Life Is Beautiful” (1998), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Amour” (2012) — won for Foreign Language Film, but not Best Picture. If “Roma” wins Best Picture, it will be a...
- 1/22/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Among the biggest surprises of the 2019 Oscar race: There’s no such thing as a Netflix backlash. Not only did the most dominant force in Hollywood land 15 Oscar nominations, including “Roma” (10) and three surprise craft nods for the Coen brothers’ “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” but “Roma” is a historic achievement. It’s the 10th foreign-language nominee that also contends for Best Picture, tying Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) for the most nominations earned by a foreign-language film.
Alfonso Cuarón also became the first filmmaker in Oscar history to land nominations for Picture, Director, and Cinematography. “Roma” is the fifth film to be nominated for Foreign Language Film and Best Picture in the same year. Each of the previous four — “Z” (1969), “Life Is Beautiful” (1998), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Amour” (2012) — won for Foreign Language Film, but not Best Picture. If “Roma” wins Best Picture, it will be a...
Alfonso Cuarón also became the first filmmaker in Oscar history to land nominations for Picture, Director, and Cinematography. “Roma” is the fifth film to be nominated for Foreign Language Film and Best Picture in the same year. Each of the previous four — “Z” (1969), “Life Is Beautiful” (1998), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Amour” (2012) — won for Foreign Language Film, but not Best Picture. If “Roma” wins Best Picture, it will be a...
- 1/22/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Yalitza Aparicio, 24, was an aspiring pre-school teacher with a degree in education when her sister decided to go to a casting call at a local community center for a movie that was being partly shot in their town of Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, in Mexico.
Turns out, her sister wanted her to audition, instead. “She was very, very happy for me that they cast me. Even though I’m not a talkative person,“ Aparicio said with the help of a translator at last month’s Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia.
The movie turned out to be “Roma,” a Netflix film that could make history as the first Best Picture nominee – and perhaps winner – to be produced by a streaming site. It would also be the only fully subtitled feature to ever win. The story of a middle-class family of six living in Mexico City in the ‘70s and their kind and devoted live-in housekeeper and nanny Cleo,...
Turns out, her sister wanted her to audition, instead. “She was very, very happy for me that they cast me. Even though I’m not a talkative person,“ Aparicio said with the help of a translator at last month’s Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia.
The movie turned out to be “Roma,” a Netflix film that could make history as the first Best Picture nominee – and perhaps winner – to be produced by a streaming site. It would also be the only fully subtitled feature to ever win. The story of a middle-class family of six living in Mexico City in the ‘70s and their kind and devoted live-in housekeeper and nanny Cleo,...
- 11/14/2018
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Our predicted Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee lineups cover 10 people (obviously), but only across seven films. Three films — “A Star Is Born,” “Green Book” and “Vice” — are expected to nab nominations in both categories, and wins for any of the pairs of co-stars would put their picture in elite company.
Only five films have won both male acting categories:
1. “Going My Way” (1944): Best Actor for Bing Crosby, Best Supporting Actor for Barry Fitzgerald
2. “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946): Best Actor for Fredric March, Best Supporting Actor for Harold Russell
3. “Ben-Hur” (1959): Best Actor for Charlton Heston, Best Supporting Actor for Hugh Griffith
4. “Mystic River” (2003): Best Actor for Sean Penn, Best Supporting Actor for Tim Robbins
5. “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013): Best Actor for Matthew McConaughey, Best Supporting Actor for Jared Leto
See Can Bradley Cooper (‘A Star Is Born’) become the latest actor to...
Only five films have won both male acting categories:
1. “Going My Way” (1944): Best Actor for Bing Crosby, Best Supporting Actor for Barry Fitzgerald
2. “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946): Best Actor for Fredric March, Best Supporting Actor for Harold Russell
3. “Ben-Hur” (1959): Best Actor for Charlton Heston, Best Supporting Actor for Hugh Griffith
4. “Mystic River” (2003): Best Actor for Sean Penn, Best Supporting Actor for Tim Robbins
5. “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013): Best Actor for Matthew McConaughey, Best Supporting Actor for Jared Leto
See Can Bradley Cooper (‘A Star Is Born’) become the latest actor to...
- 11/2/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
On Wednesday, five film folk — producing team Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, publicist Marvin Levy, composer Lalo Schifrin and actress Cicely Tyson — were singled out by the motion picture academy to be feted at the Governors Awards in November. This non-televised event has been around since 2009 when the academy moved these de facto lifetime achievement awards off of the Oscars.
By not being part of the televised Academy Awards, this has meant more people could be honored each year as there were no time constraints to consider. To that end there have been four honorees every year but two (2011, 2015) since 2009; this is the first year that there will be five. And this change has allowed for a wider range of talents to be tapped. Levy is the first publicist to be honored.
As detailed below, all but one of the academy’s 17 branches — Visual Effects — are now represented among the...
By not being part of the televised Academy Awards, this has meant more people could be honored each year as there were no time constraints to consider. To that end there have been four honorees every year but two (2011, 2015) since 2009; this is the first year that there will be five. And this change has allowed for a wider range of talents to be tapped. Levy is the first publicist to be honored.
As detailed below, all but one of the academy’s 17 branches — Visual Effects — are now represented among the...
- 9/6/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Three major Oscar players emerged from Venice and Telluride, wowing press and audiences at both festivals, including two Best-Director Oscar-winners, Damien Chazelle and Alfonso Cuaron, whose “First Man” and “Roma” now lead the Oscar race. They are joined by Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite” and Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born,” which is heading for commercial success and at minimum, a Best Actress nomination for Lady Gaga. The musical did not play in the rarified air of Telluride, so Toronto will test its long-term awards prospects.
Top Oscar Dogs
“First Man”: Chazelle follows up Oscar-winner “La La Land” with this riveting mission-to-the-moon drama, focused on what it took for astronaut Neil Armstrong to land on the moon. Nerves of steel, for one thing. “La La Land” star Ryan Gosling gives an intense, contained, and emotive performance as a brainy test pilot and engineer who, after the heartbreaking loss of his young daughter to cancer,...
Top Oscar Dogs
“First Man”: Chazelle follows up Oscar-winner “La La Land” with this riveting mission-to-the-moon drama, focused on what it took for astronaut Neil Armstrong to land on the moon. Nerves of steel, for one thing. “La La Land” star Ryan Gosling gives an intense, contained, and emotive performance as a brainy test pilot and engineer who, after the heartbreaking loss of his young daughter to cancer,...
- 9/3/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Three major Oscar players emerged from Venice and Telluride, wowing press and audiences at both festivals, including two Best-Director Oscar-winners, Damien Chazelle and Alfonso Cuaron, whose “First Man” and “Roma” now lead the Oscar race. They are joined by Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite” and Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born,” which is heading for commercial success and at minimum, a Best Actress nomination for Lady Gaga. The musical did not play in the rarified air of Telluride, so Toronto will test its long-term awards prospects.
Top Oscar Dogs
“First Man”: Chazelle follows up Oscar-winner “La La Land” with this riveting mission-to-the-moon drama, focused on what it took for astronaut Neil Armstrong to land on the moon. Nerves of steel, for one thing. “La La Land” star Ryan Gosling gives an intense, contained, and emotive performance as a brainy test pilot and engineer who, after the heartbreaking loss of his young daughter to cancer,...
Top Oscar Dogs
“First Man”: Chazelle follows up Oscar-winner “La La Land” with this riveting mission-to-the-moon drama, focused on what it took for astronaut Neil Armstrong to land on the moon. Nerves of steel, for one thing. “La La Land” star Ryan Gosling gives an intense, contained, and emotive performance as a brainy test pilot and engineer who, after the heartbreaking loss of his young daughter to cancer,...
- 9/3/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Today is a rare day in Hollywood: We have two major stars, Dwayne Johnson and Joaquin Phoenix, releasing films in which they play disabled characters. In “Skyscraper,” Johnson’s alter ego undergoes a below-knee amputation following an opening-scene explosion; “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” casts thrice Oscar-nominated Phoenix as John Callahan, the late artist who became quadraplegic in a car accident.
On-screen representation of disabilities is so infrequent it can seem like a fluke. According to the last U.S. Census, 19 percent of Americans have a disability, but a 2017 study from USC Annenberg’s Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative found that just 2.7 percent of all 2016 speaking roles included a discernible disability. So two in one week is progress, right?
Some disability rights advocates say: Nope. “We are over continually having non-disabled people trusted to tell our stories more than actual disabled actors,” said Rebecca Cokley,...
On-screen representation of disabilities is so infrequent it can seem like a fluke. According to the last U.S. Census, 19 percent of Americans have a disability, but a 2017 study from USC Annenberg’s Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative found that just 2.7 percent of all 2016 speaking roles included a discernible disability. So two in one week is progress, right?
Some disability rights advocates say: Nope. “We are over continually having non-disabled people trusted to tell our stories more than actual disabled actors,” said Rebecca Cokley,...
- 7/13/2018
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
Filmmaker Chloe Zhao vaults into a rarefied atmosphere of filmmaking mastery with her stunning second feature, “The Rider,” a neo-Western about rodeo riding, hobbled masculinity and reflective grace that feels unlike anything else out there.
Its compelling singularity no doubt has something to do with its milieu –Native American bronc and bull specialists on the rodeo circuit who hail from South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation — but it primarily derives from Zhao’s filmmaking choice to combine a deeply felt story and a risky-but-rewarding vérité approach. The result is at times heart-stoppingly effective, pulling us so close to some of the movie’s key characters that they begin to feel like family.
We meet Brady Blackburn (Brady Jandreau) by way of the formidable stapling in his shaved head, a physical scar that forecasts the psychological journey ahead. A gifted young Lakota horse trainer, Brady had been an up-and-coming saddle bronc star until a horrible rodeo accident put him briefly in a coma, set him up with a metal plate, and incurred a doctor-ordered end to his riding days.
Watch Video: 'The Rider': How Brady Jandreau's Brush With Death Led Him to Hollywood (Exclusive)
At home he endures watching his dad (Tim Jandreau), with whom he often clashes, sell Brady’s beloved horse Gus to pay debts. Brady also gets loving support from his autistic sister Lilly (Lilly Jandreau) and his rodeo pals. But he’s consumed by uselessness. Brady wants nothing more than to get back to training and riding, because his sense of incompleteness outside his life with horses is starting to feel like the worse injury. It’s a stubbornness doomed to embolden him, but what is he otherwise?
If you noticed that the actors’ last names are the same, it’s because Zhao is essentially telling Brady Jandreau’s story, starring Brady himself. After making her debut feature (“Songs My Brothers Taught Me”) at Pine Ridge, where she had ingratiated herself with the various tribes, Zhao got to know the laconic, horse-whispering Lakota cowboy before his accident, and witnessed his struggles afterward.
When she started putting together a version of Jandreau’s story as a film, Zhao made the decision to have everyone in Brady’s world play themselves. That included fellow professional rider Lane Scott, a rising star confined to a wheelchair after his own terrible accident, and visited onscreen in rehab by Brady. Their touching scenes eschew schmaltz for the more heart-tugging sensation of a lived-in camaraderie readjusted by tragedy.
Also Read: Cannes: 'The Rider,' 'A Ciambra' Win Top Prizes in Directors' Fortnight
Directors have used non-professionals since movies began, but what Zhao gets out of her 21-year-old real-life cowboy star — by turns stoically lost, humbled, loving, and defiant — is nothing short of miraculous. Jandreau’s is a true, camera-ready performance, filled with nuance, and it speaks to Zhao’s actor-whispering skills that it burns so brightly at the center of her film. Other movies have utilized non-actors to portray versions of themselves – one immediately thinks of Oscar winners Harold Russell and Haing S. Ngor – but they were intended to be elements in a larger, homogenized creation.
“The Rider” is fully Jandreau’s; it’s impossible to imagine it having the same impact without his committed, enveloping presence. He’s as powerful as any macho western protagonist stripped to the core — the gunfighter disarmed or the pioneer made homeless. That he’s Native American, pale-skinned but proud, only deepens the reconfiguring of this country’s myths that’s another undercurrent in “The Rider.”
See Photos: 17 Highest-Grossing Movies Directed by Women, From 'Mamma Mia!' to 'Wonder Woman'
“The Rider” also may be one of the best movies ever made about people and horses as a transcendent relationship. The documentary-infused scenes of Jandreau training and connecting with horses — the wild and ornery, the broken and fearful — are mesmerizing in their fluidity and intimacy, dramatizing a kind of tough love born of tradition and respect. Jandreau’s adoration of these animals is not only pulsating: it allows the horses to be flesh-and-blood co-stars in Brady’s story, not just four-legged accessories.
It’s all gorgeously photographed, too, by Joshua James Richards (“God’s Own Country”), who understands fully the magnetic power of a silhouetted horizon shot, a haunting landscape, or a close-up in a truck. And more importantly, that they all need to be seamlessly strung-together verses in the same evocative frontier poem.
The densely authentic space between neo-realism and documentary where “The Rider” exists is one of the most beautiful and affecting realms I’ve had the pleasure of visiting recently as a moviegoer. Having seen it twice — the first time unaware of its hybrid approach, the second time fully cognizant that I was watching real people in a form of healing re-enactment — the spell, I realized, was the same: a lyrical sense that life is lived and re-lived, acted out but ever retraced, and that to reclaim ourselves after a fall is perhaps what being human is all about. We live in identity-convulsive times, and I can’t think of a movie more attuned to the question “Who am I?” than this one.
Spiritual and earthy, forged in curiosity yet fortified with empathy, “The Rider” is why we go to the cinema, and it affirms Chloe Zhao as one of the most gifted new movie artists of our time.
Read original story ‘The Rider’ Film Review: Lyrical Tale of Injured Rodeo Star Heralds a Major Talent At TheWrap...
Its compelling singularity no doubt has something to do with its milieu –Native American bronc and bull specialists on the rodeo circuit who hail from South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation — but it primarily derives from Zhao’s filmmaking choice to combine a deeply felt story and a risky-but-rewarding vérité approach. The result is at times heart-stoppingly effective, pulling us so close to some of the movie’s key characters that they begin to feel like family.
We meet Brady Blackburn (Brady Jandreau) by way of the formidable stapling in his shaved head, a physical scar that forecasts the psychological journey ahead. A gifted young Lakota horse trainer, Brady had been an up-and-coming saddle bronc star until a horrible rodeo accident put him briefly in a coma, set him up with a metal plate, and incurred a doctor-ordered end to his riding days.
Watch Video: 'The Rider': How Brady Jandreau's Brush With Death Led Him to Hollywood (Exclusive)
At home he endures watching his dad (Tim Jandreau), with whom he often clashes, sell Brady’s beloved horse Gus to pay debts. Brady also gets loving support from his autistic sister Lilly (Lilly Jandreau) and his rodeo pals. But he’s consumed by uselessness. Brady wants nothing more than to get back to training and riding, because his sense of incompleteness outside his life with horses is starting to feel like the worse injury. It’s a stubbornness doomed to embolden him, but what is he otherwise?
If you noticed that the actors’ last names are the same, it’s because Zhao is essentially telling Brady Jandreau’s story, starring Brady himself. After making her debut feature (“Songs My Brothers Taught Me”) at Pine Ridge, where she had ingratiated herself with the various tribes, Zhao got to know the laconic, horse-whispering Lakota cowboy before his accident, and witnessed his struggles afterward.
When she started putting together a version of Jandreau’s story as a film, Zhao made the decision to have everyone in Brady’s world play themselves. That included fellow professional rider Lane Scott, a rising star confined to a wheelchair after his own terrible accident, and visited onscreen in rehab by Brady. Their touching scenes eschew schmaltz for the more heart-tugging sensation of a lived-in camaraderie readjusted by tragedy.
Also Read: Cannes: 'The Rider,' 'A Ciambra' Win Top Prizes in Directors' Fortnight
Directors have used non-professionals since movies began, but what Zhao gets out of her 21-year-old real-life cowboy star — by turns stoically lost, humbled, loving, and defiant — is nothing short of miraculous. Jandreau’s is a true, camera-ready performance, filled with nuance, and it speaks to Zhao’s actor-whispering skills that it burns so brightly at the center of her film. Other movies have utilized non-actors to portray versions of themselves – one immediately thinks of Oscar winners Harold Russell and Haing S. Ngor – but they were intended to be elements in a larger, homogenized creation.
“The Rider” is fully Jandreau’s; it’s impossible to imagine it having the same impact without his committed, enveloping presence. He’s as powerful as any macho western protagonist stripped to the core — the gunfighter disarmed or the pioneer made homeless. That he’s Native American, pale-skinned but proud, only deepens the reconfiguring of this country’s myths that’s another undercurrent in “The Rider.”
See Photos: 17 Highest-Grossing Movies Directed by Women, From 'Mamma Mia!' to 'Wonder Woman'
“The Rider” also may be one of the best movies ever made about people and horses as a transcendent relationship. The documentary-infused scenes of Jandreau training and connecting with horses — the wild and ornery, the broken and fearful — are mesmerizing in their fluidity and intimacy, dramatizing a kind of tough love born of tradition and respect. Jandreau’s adoration of these animals is not only pulsating: it allows the horses to be flesh-and-blood co-stars in Brady’s story, not just four-legged accessories.
It’s all gorgeously photographed, too, by Joshua James Richards (“God’s Own Country”), who understands fully the magnetic power of a silhouetted horizon shot, a haunting landscape, or a close-up in a truck. And more importantly, that they all need to be seamlessly strung-together verses in the same evocative frontier poem.
The densely authentic space between neo-realism and documentary where “The Rider” exists is one of the most beautiful and affecting realms I’ve had the pleasure of visiting recently as a moviegoer. Having seen it twice — the first time unaware of its hybrid approach, the second time fully cognizant that I was watching real people in a form of healing re-enactment — the spell, I realized, was the same: a lyrical sense that life is lived and re-lived, acted out but ever retraced, and that to reclaim ourselves after a fall is perhaps what being human is all about. We live in identity-convulsive times, and I can’t think of a movie more attuned to the question “Who am I?” than this one.
Spiritual and earthy, forged in curiosity yet fortified with empathy, “The Rider” is why we go to the cinema, and it affirms Chloe Zhao as one of the most gifted new movie artists of our time.
Read original story ‘The Rider’ Film Review: Lyrical Tale of Injured Rodeo Star Heralds a Major Talent At TheWrap...
- 4/12/2018
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
If Agnes Varda wins the Best Documentary Feature Oscar for “Faces Places” on Sunday night, she will become just the 13th person, and the first woman, to take home a competitive Oscar and an honorary award in the same year. This would be in addition to setting the record, at age 89, as the oldest person to win a competitive Oscar.
The French/Belgian filmmaker is already the 31st person to receive an Oscar nomination and an honorary award in the same year. If she wins, she would join a list that includes some of the titans of the film industry. While she would be the 13th person to accomplish this, it would actually be the 15th time that this has occurred, since Walt Disney did it three times. Listed below are the other instances where a person claimed competitive and honorary wins within the same year.
See: Predictions in all...
The French/Belgian filmmaker is already the 31st person to receive an Oscar nomination and an honorary award in the same year. If she wins, she would join a list that includes some of the titans of the film industry. While she would be the 13th person to accomplish this, it would actually be the 15th time that this has occurred, since Walt Disney did it three times. Listed below are the other instances where a person claimed competitive and honorary wins within the same year.
See: Predictions in all...
- 3/3/2018
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Oscar fever is in full effect, and before you watch this year’s Academy Awards, FilmStruck has a great opportunity for you to study some Oscar history with classic Best Picture titles.
Thanks to Filmstruck’s new partnership with Warner Bros. Digital Networks and TCM Select, the streaming service has added dozens of classic films to its catalog — meaning you can catch up on Oscar winners of years past any time you wish. The service’s vast back catalog now includes some of the most iconic films from the Golden Age of Hollywood — including five classic Best Picture winners that paved the way for modern winners.
They range from some of the most iconic films in Hollywood history (“Casablanca” and “On the Waterfront”) to the not-quite-as-ubiquitous (“The Best Years of Our Lives”). Check out five classic Best Picture winners from the 1940s and ’50s — smack in the middle of Hollywood...
Thanks to Filmstruck’s new partnership with Warner Bros. Digital Networks and TCM Select, the streaming service has added dozens of classic films to its catalog — meaning you can catch up on Oscar winners of years past any time you wish. The service’s vast back catalog now includes some of the most iconic films from the Golden Age of Hollywood — including five classic Best Picture winners that paved the way for modern winners.
They range from some of the most iconic films in Hollywood history (“Casablanca” and “On the Waterfront”) to the not-quite-as-ubiquitous (“The Best Years of Our Lives”). Check out five classic Best Picture winners from the 1940s and ’50s — smack in the middle of Hollywood...
- 3/2/2018
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
Clint Eastwood’s latest film “The 15:17 to Paris” stages a daring casting stunt. It tells the story of three American soldiers, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos, who thwarted a terrorist attack aboard a train bound for Paris. And Eastwood cast Stone, Sadler and Skarlatos to play themselves and relive their heroics of that day. But Eastwood’s stunt isn’t without precedent, as other veterans throughout history have played themselves or versions of themselves on film. Some public figures have even gone beyond simple cameos to actually starring in their own life stories. Harold Russell – “The Best Years of...
- 2/7/2018
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Triumph over adversity is drama defined, and Oscar nominations often go to actors whose characters find victory over physical or mental afflictions. The earliest example goes back to 1947; that was the year that non-pro Harold Russell won Best Supporting Actor and a special award for “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Russell was a WWII veteran who lost both of his hands while making a training film. Of note: Of the 59, 27 of these nominations went on to a win. This year’s roster of stars playing afflicted characters includes Jake Gyllenhaal as bombing victim Jeff Baumer in “Stronger,” Andrew Garfield as polio survivor Robin Cavendish in “Breathe,” Bryan Cranston as a millionaire quadriplegic in “The Upside,” and Sally Hawkins in two roles, as an arthritic painter in “Maudie” and a mute lab worker in “The Shape of Water.”
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
- 9/25/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Triumph over adversity is drama defined, and Oscar nominations often go to actors whose characters find victory over physical or mental afflictions. The earliest example goes back to 1947; that was the year that non-pro Harold Russell won Best Supporting Actor and a special award for “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Russell was a WWII veteran who lost both of his hands while making a training film. Of note: Of the 59, 27 of these nominations went on to a win. This year’s roster of stars playing afflicted characters includes Jake Gyllenhaal as bombing victim Jeff Baumer in “Stronger,” Andrew Garfield as polio survivor Robin Cavendish in “Breathe,” Bryan Cranston as a millionaire quadriplegic in “The Upside,” and Sally Hawkins in two roles, as an arthritic painter in “Maudie” and a mute lab worker in “The Shape of Water.”
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
- 9/25/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
'The Pink Panther' with Peter Sellers: Blake Edwards' 1963 comedy hit and its many sequels revolve around one of the most iconic film characters of the 20th century: clueless, thick-accented Inspector Clouseau – in some quarters surely deemed politically incorrect, or 'insensitive,' despite the lack of brown face make-up à la Sellers' clueless Indian guest in Edwards' 'The Party.' 'The Pink Panther' movies [1] There were a total of eight big-screen Pink Panther movies co-written and directed by Blake Edwards, most of them starring Peter Sellers – even after his death in 1980. Edwards was also one of the producers of every (direct) Pink Panther sequel, from A Shot in the Dark to Curse of the Pink Panther. Despite its iconic lead character, the last three movies in the Pink Panther franchise were box office bombs. Two of these, The Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther, were co-written by Edwards' son,...
- 5/29/2017
- by altfilmguide
- Alt Film Guide
Teresa Wright ca. 1945. Teresa Wright movies on TCM: 'The Little Foxes,' 'The Pride of the Yankees' Pretty, talented Teresa Wright made a relatively small number of movies: 28 in all, over the course of more than half a century. Most of her films have already been shown on Turner Classic Movies, so it's more than a little disappointing that TCM will not be presenting Teresa Wright rarities such as The Imperfect Lady and The Trouble with Women – two 1947 releases co-starring Ray Milland – on Aug. 4, '15, a "Summer Under the Stars" day dedicated to the only performer to date to have been shortlisted for Academy Awards for their first three film roles. TCM's Teresa Wright day would also have benefited from a presentation of The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956), an unusual entry – parapsychology, reincarnation – in the Wright movie canon and/or Roseland (1977), a little-remembered entry in James Ivory's canon.
- 8/4/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the release of "Crash" (on May 6, 2005), an all-star movie whose controversy came not from its provocative treatment of racial issues but from its Best Picture Oscar victory a few months later, against what many critics felt was a much more deserving movie, "Brokeback Mountain."
The "Crash" vs. "Brokeback" battle is one of those lingering disputes that makes the Academy Awards so fascinating, year after year. Moviegoers and critics who revisit older movies are constantly judging the Academy's judgment. Even decades of hindsight may not always be enough to tell whether the Oscar voters of a particular year got it right or wrong. Whether it's "Birdman" vs. "Boyhood," "The King's Speech" vs. "The Social Network," "Saving Private Ryan" vs. "Shakespeare in Love" or even "An American in Paris" vs. "A Streetcar Named Desire," we're still confirming the Academy's taste or dismissing it as hopelessly off-base years later.
The "Crash" vs. "Brokeback" battle is one of those lingering disputes that makes the Academy Awards so fascinating, year after year. Moviegoers and critics who revisit older movies are constantly judging the Academy's judgment. Even decades of hindsight may not always be enough to tell whether the Oscar voters of a particular year got it right or wrong. Whether it's "Birdman" vs. "Boyhood," "The King's Speech" vs. "The Social Network," "Saving Private Ryan" vs. "Shakespeare in Love" or even "An American in Paris" vs. "A Streetcar Named Desire," we're still confirming the Academy's taste or dismissing it as hopelessly off-base years later.
- 5/6/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Teresa Wright: Later years (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright: From Marlon Brando to Matt Damon.") Teresa Wright and Robert Anderson were divorced in 1978. They would remain friends in the ensuing years.[1] Wright spent most of the last decade of her life in Connecticut, making only sporadic public appearances. In 1998, she could be seen with her grandson, film producer Jonah Smith, at New York's Yankee Stadium, where she threw the ceremonial first pitch.[2] Wright also became involved in the Greater New York chapter of the Als Association. (The Pride of the Yankees subject, Lou Gehrig, died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in 1941.) The week she turned 82 in October 2000, Wright attended the 20th anniversary celebration of Somewhere in Time, where she posed for pictures with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. In March 2003, she was a guest at the 75th Academy Awards, in the segment showcasing Oscar-winning actors of the past. Two years later,...
- 3/15/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Teresa Wright-Samuel Goldwyn association comes to a nasty end (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright in 'Shadow of a Doubt': Alfred Hitchcock Heroine in His Favorite Film.") Whether or not because she was aware that Enchantment wasn't going to be the hit she needed – or perhaps some other disagreement with Samuel Goldwyn or personal issue with husband Niven Busch – Teresa Wright, claiming illness, refused to go to New York City to promote the film. (Top image: Teresa Wright in a publicity shot for The Men.) Goldwyn had previously announced that Wright, whose contract still had another four and half years to run, was to star in a film version of J.D. Salinger's 1948 short story "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut." Instead, he unceremoniously – and quite publicly – fired her.[1] The Goldwyn organization issued a statement, explaining that besides refusing the assignment to travel to New York to help generate pre-opening publicity for Enchantment,...
- 3/11/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The old saying goes is that if you want to win an Academy Award then the best way is to undertake playing a disabled part or portraying a famous personality in a biopic. In some cases, actors have accomplished both themes and reached their Oscar-attaining goals (see Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker or Daniel-Day Lewis in My Left Foot for instance).
In Able to Disable: Top 10 Oscar-Winning Disability-Bound Movie Characters we will look at the top movie characters that became Academy Award-winning figures within their films. Interestingly, there have been a couple of performers that were real-life disabled individuals that convincingly embodied their fictional disabled alter egos (see Harold Russell from The Best Days of Our Lives or Marlee Matlin from Children of a Lesser God).
Anyway, this selection of Able to Disable: Top 10 Oscar-Winning Disability-Bound Movie Characters are (in alphabetical order according to film title):...
In Able to Disable: Top 10 Oscar-Winning Disability-Bound Movie Characters we will look at the top movie characters that became Academy Award-winning figures within their films. Interestingly, there have been a couple of performers that were real-life disabled individuals that convincingly embodied their fictional disabled alter egos (see Harold Russell from The Best Days of Our Lives or Marlee Matlin from Children of a Lesser God).
Anyway, this selection of Able to Disable: Top 10 Oscar-Winning Disability-Bound Movie Characters are (in alphabetical order according to film title):...
- 7/13/2014
- by Frank Ochieng
- SoundOnSight
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