More Tom O'Neil Nonsense

[Mister Tee]

People here whose opinions I respect -- BJ and Magilla among them -- have expressed great affection for Bening's work, so I can't say the online groundswell for her has come from nowhere. But the sheer volume and unanimity of the push for her since Sundance has persuaded me anew that Bening has a cheering section well in excess of her accomplishments -- the group who insist, to this day, that Swank in '04 stole her Oscar, when I'd presume it was Staunton and Winslet with the right to complain.

I'd have no big problem with Bening being nominated this year (along with Moore and Lawrence, and, presumably, some of the still unreleased). But the idea that she should waltz to a win baffles me. I'll be very interested to see the critics' groups weigh in on this. If any of the majors (NBR and BFCA excluded) choose her, I'll have to shift my view and acknowledge she has wide support. But my take ahead of time is that Portman, Lawrence and Williams are likely to dominate NY, LA and National Society. (Unless Manville stays in lead, which would throw everything into chaos)

While on this topic: I'm also wondering how Firth will do in these same critics' prizes. The film had a smash opening weekend, and presumably NBR is locked in (with BFCA to come). But, given some of the crabbier reviews I've read in recent days, I'd expect the big three to opt more for Franco, Gosling, or even Eisenberg when it comes to best actor.

[Big Magilla]

Right now I'd say it's going to be Bening, Kidman, Manville, Portman and Williams unless Manville starts winning critics' awards in support, in which case her Oscar nomination will be in that category and either Moore or Lawrence will be the beneficiary. It will be some combination of those seven.

[Sabin]

Right now, my choices are as follows:

Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Hye-ja Kim, Mother
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right
Birgit Minichmayr, Everyone Else


...Kim and Minichmayr don't have a chance, but I'm becoming increasingly confident that Bening, Lawrence, and Moore are solid bets for nominations, and I've heard nothing but great things about Kidman, Portman, and Williams. It looks as though we have a solid answer to last year's sad lineup.

[Big Magilla]

Actually the dark horse is Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine, although the NC-17 rating does throw a bit of a pall on her chances.

[rudeboy]

Thirded. I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed Moore's performance here, the first time I've liked her on screen since The End of the Affair. Bening's rather blank performance didn't register much with me at all, although the fact that the script so undersold her didn't help - I was much more interested in Moore and Ruffalo's characters (and in Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson's for that matter). And Tom O'Neill's idiocy grows by the year.



Edited By rudeboy on 1290962060

[Reza]

While everyone is wondering if Bening, Moore, Portman or Kidman is going to take home the Oscar...........along might come the new babe on the block..........Jennifer Lawrence !!

[Damien]

I watched Kids Are All Right Friday and I really don't care much for Bening in the film. She does fine, but she just glares and growls...it's like she's trying to channel her inner bull dyke and I wouldn't really call it a performance. She doesn't even seem to have a heart in it.

I agree. I think Bening is a one-note bore. Moore, on the other hand, gives a richly detailed, complex performance.

[Big Magilla]

I think if Kidman hadn't won before she would be tough one to beat this year, but two Oscars are not easy to come by unless you're up against Annette Bening. Wait, she will be! :;):

[FilmFan720]

My instinct is that Nicole Kidman becomes a two-time Oscar winner

[Big Magilla]

I watched Kids Are All Right Friday and I really don't care much for Bening in the film. She does fine, but she just glares and growls...it's like she's trying to channel her inner bull dyke and I wouldn't really call it a performance. She doesn't even seem to have a heart in it.

I thought just the opposite. It's Julianne Moore's character who doesn't seem to have a heart. Not only does she break Bening's, by screwing around with Mark Ruffalo she ruins any chance he might have had of being in the kids' lives. Moore was clearly the villain of the piece, a repentant villain, but a villain nonetheless.

But this Tom O'Neill nonsense is just going to deflate Bening's chances of winning by building sympathy for Moore. In the end I suspect the smart money will be on Natalie Portman and the veteran support will fall in line behind Lesley Manville, unless of course she is relegated to support.

Unlike last year when I had an early sneaking suspicion that Sandra Bullock would end up with the Oscar I don't have a handle on this year's race at all. Will they do the usual and give the Oscar to the hottest young actress around or will they do what they occasionally do and give it to a veteran? This is one of those years when anything can happen.

[OscarGuy]

I watched Kids Are All Right Friday and I really don't care much for Bening in the film. She does fine, but she just glares and growls...it's like she's trying to channel her inner bull dyke and I wouldn't really call it a performance. She doesn't even seem to have a heart in it.

[Damien]

The delusional Tom O'Neil and whatever acolytes he manages to attract may condescendingly be pushing the absurdity that Julianne Moore should be supporting, but Out magazine named her Artist Of The Year. (And there was no mention of Dame Benning.)



Edited By Damien on 1290932104

[Sabin]

I'm reading this and all I can think is how much easier my life would be if I had a trust fund too.

[Okri]

I wonder how this man can be taken seriously by his followers.

Oh, it gets even worse. One of my favourite moments was when he demanded Cynthia Nixon, after winning the emmy, praise his website for helping her select the correct tapes. She clearly had no idea what he was talking about, but gave a polite response (with her mouth. Her eyes were saying "Get me out of here.")

[Uri]

Somehow I don't think that Manville is "dropping" or "taking the bait" or doing anything. It seems to be totally out of her - and any other outsider to that ridiculous Oscar buzz oriented community – way of grasping herself and her cosmic place in the universe. I'm sure she'd love to win an Oscar and she will probably do some sort of campaigning, but somehow I don't see her as someone whose self definition is depending on it. Benning, on the other hand, is much more likely feeling she needs one and maybe even being owed one. And why not – in a universe where Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry win acting awards she definitely could be consider a grand thespian, regardless of the rather bland nature of her celebrated performances.