TFC Journal at TheFilmChair.com

Top Story: Amy Poehler, one of the funniest women in entertainment today, is attached to star in Lunch Lady for Universal.  The studio picked up the rights to Jarrett Krosoczka’s children’s graphic novel series, the first installment of which will arrive in stores this summer. No word yet on a release date for the film. (THR)

In Other News: I feel so sorry for Conan fans. First you hear Ratner will direct a remake of the classic. Then you could breathe a sign of relief when he dropped out. Now Marcus Nispel, the guy who brought us such classic remakes as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th, will take the helm. My sympathies. (Variety)

Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle has inked a 3-year first look deal with Fox Searchlight, the distributor behind his little film’s big success. (Variety)

Opening Today:
The Taking of Pelham 123
Imagine That

Fin.

Top Story: Director Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election) has tapped Paul Giamatti and Reese Witherspoon for his next picture, Downsizing. Sacha Baron Cohen will also star.  The picture is a social satire about a man (Giamatti) who decides to undergo a shrink process to make his life easier. Witherspoon will play Giamatti’s wife and Baron Cohen twin Spaniards, one of whom is a little person. (Variety)

In Other News: Kevin Smith will direct Couple of Dicks, starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, for Warner Bros. The presumed action-comedy will be Smith’s first major studio picture. (erc BoxOffice)

Boyle, Danny Boyle. Maybe? (UK Telegraph)

Tony-winning writer/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights) will write an animated musical feature for DreamWorks Animation with High School Musical scribe Peter Barsocchini. Will a Tony winner lead to an Oscar for DWA? (HR)

Edward Zwick is set to direct an adaptation of In the Heart of the Sea about the true life story of a whaling ship that was destroyed by a sperm whale in 1820. (Variety)

And finally, the news we’ve all been waiting for: Sam Walton’s widow is going to produce a movie. She’ll finance an adaptation of Bless Me, Ultima and has Carl Franklin on board to direct. Christy Walton says this production will be a one-time endeavor. We will see. (Variety)

The most important precursor went to Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle last night. Boyle deserved this. Nothing stopping the Slumdog train now.

Will The Dark Knight get its Best Picture nod? Will Slumdog nab the most nominations? Will Woody Allen spoil the day for another director? Will Kate Winslet get the two nods she deserves?

What’s going to happen?!

Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST the Academy will announce the Oscar nominees. Anyone who has watched the Oscar knows there are bound to be surprises. People are starting to doubt The Dark Knight, but I’m not betting against it. TDK fans will have their day. My final predictions are listed below, but check out the Oscar Predix page to see the evolution of Oscar 2008/2009.

Best Picture

• Slumdog Millionaire - And the winner is…
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Solid, classy, the future of Hollywood.
• Milk - The kind of politically-charged, fight-for-what’s-right kind of story the Academy loves.
  
• The Dark Knight – Losing steam at the end, but still the likely to take the fifth spot.
• Frost/Nixon - Won’t go away. Too solid of a picture to ignore.
• In the Running: WALL-E,  Gran Torino

Best Director

• Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire - You’re likely winner
• David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – You’re likely runner-up.
• Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight - More likely than a Best Picture nod at this point.
• Gus Van Sant, Milk - His most solid work in years with a political environment that helps.
• Woody Allen, Vicky Christina Barcelona - Not going to get too many chances to nominate a legend like Allen again. And he really deserves it. Look for a screenplay win.
• In the Running: Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon; Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino;
  

Best Actress

• Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road - Fully loaded for a win here. More deserved than an Oscar for The Reader. But still a three way race.
• Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married - She’s young, hot and de-glams (though not to the extent that we’ve seen in the past) for the role. If there’s anything Oscar is consistent in awarding it’s the type of role Hathaway has here.
• Meryl Streep, Doubt - Doubt has become the actors’ movie of the year.  A Streep win would recognize the best movie actress working today, as well as a movie that appears to need some love.
• Angelina Jolie, Changeling - The star of the moment directed by one of the most respected directors in Hollywood.
• Melissa Leo , Frozen River - Taking Hawkins spot because sometimes the Academy does the right thing.
• In the Running: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Actor

• Sean Penn, Milk - Possibly Penn’s best work to date, crawling inside the skin of Harvey Milk. Made us hope. Made us believe.
• Mickey Rouke, The Wrestler – Bigger than the movie itself. He’s running neck and neck with Penn.
• Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino – A fine performance from a legend. He’s never won, which may make this a three-way race.
• Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon - The veteran actor reprising his Tony-winning stage role should get the Academy’s attention.
• Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Holding on for dear life. Watch out for Jenkins.
• In the Running: Richard Jenkins, The Visitor

Best Supporting Actor

• Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight – Presumptive winner.
• Josh Brolin, Milk - Snubbed last year, but still hot. W. helps. Too quiet to overtake Ledger, but a worthy nomination.
• Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire – You can’t love the movie and not love Patel as older Jamal.  A big tell if Oscar is going down the Slumdog road.
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt – One of the finest actors working today in an actors’ movie.
• Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder - If you asked me this in August, I would have said no way. But now, the weak category helps his chances.
• In the Running: James Franco, Milk

Best Supporting Actress

• Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona - The kind of female actor the Academy loves to honor. If Kate gets the Oscar for Rev Road, this one is waiting for Cruz.
• Kate Winslet, The Reader - Dual nominations because she’s good. Dual wins? Welcome to the year of the Kate.
• Viola Davis, Doubt - Baity as hell and Davis hits this one, hard.
• Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - More popular than either Pitt or Blanchett at this point.
• Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler – An Academy favorite who could ride Rouke’s wave. A nomination here could foretell a Rouke win.
• In the Running: Amy Adams, Doubt

Best Original Screenplay

• Vicky Christina Barcelona
• Milk
• WALL-E
• The Wrestler
• The Visitor
• In the Running: Burn After Reading

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Slumdog Millionaire
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Frost/Nixon
• Revolutionary Road
• In the Running: Doubt

Slumdog may have took top prize, but Kate Winslet was the queen of the Golden Globes.  That long-overdue Winselt Oscar looks like a real possibility.

The winners:

Best Picture – Drama
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor – Drama
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

Best Actress – Drama
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road

Best Picture – Comedy/Musical
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Actress – Comedy/Musical
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Actor – Comedy/Musical
Colin Farrell – In Bruges

Best Director
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire

Original Score
A. R. Rahman – Slumdog Millionaire

Best Writer
Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire

Foreign Language Film
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

Animation
Wall-E

Original Song
“The Wrestler” – The Wrestler
Music & Lyrics By: Bruce Springsteen

Best Supporting Actress
Kate Winslet - The Reader

No real surprise as Slumdog Millionaire takes top prize (and 4 others) at the BFCA Critics’ Choice Awards. (Sorry, The Dark Knight fans.) All signs continue to point to Slumdog as the Best Picture favorite.

Damn me for not having cable television. I’d would have liked to seen some of these acceptance speeches, especially Kate Winslet’s for her surprise win in the Supporting Actress category. These speeches are make or break for a potential Oscar winner.  You’ll see more of them on Sunday at the Not the Oscars… err… Golden Globes.

Here are all your Critics’ Choice winners (courtesy of AwardsDaily.com):

Best Comedy Movie: Tropic Thunder
Best Acting Ensemble: Milk
Best Young Actor/Actress: Dev Patel
Best Writer: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Action Film: The Dark Knight
Best Composer: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Song: Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler
Best Documentary: Man On Wire
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Best Foreign Language Film: Waltz With Bashir
Best Animated Feature: WALL·E
Best Movie Made for TV: John Adams
Best Actress: tie – Meryl Streep, Doubt; Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Disney/Pixar’s WALL-E  nabbed the Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for Best Picture today.  In the past 25 years, 4/5 of the picture that received the prize went on to get an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. My initial guess is that WALL-E will join the ranks of those nomination-less winners of years past.  But this certainly gives WALL-E fans a little more hope going into the final month and a half ahead of the Oscar noms announcement. 

Other 2008 LAFCA winners
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Elegy
Screenplay: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky

Official Announcement