Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 22, 1991 TAG: 9103220323
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB THOMAS ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Long
Topping the nominations with 12, "Dances with Wolves" seems likely to stampede the 63rd annual Oscar extravaganza at the Shrine Auditorium (televised on WSET, Channel 13 beginning at 8 p.m. in the Roanoke viewing area). The gangster epic "GoodFellas," the most honored film by the nation's film critics, might be able to muster enough support to upset the favorite. Also nominated are "The Godfather, Part III," "Awakenings" and "Ghost."
The nominees for acting awards are a diverse group, including two who did not perform their roles in English. Gerard Depardieu, named as best actor, spoke his "Cyrano de Bergerac" lines in the original French. Graham Greene, nominated as supporting actor, did his "Dances with Wolves" dialogue in an Indian dialect.
Costner is also nominated as best actor, along with Richard Harris for "The Field," Jeremy Irons for "Reversal of Fortune," and Robert De Niro for "Awakenings."
Meryl Streep was nominated as best actress for the ninth time in a dozen years. She played an unaccented role as the actress struggling to come to terms with her overbearing mother (Shirley MacLaine) in "Postcards from the Edge." Other nominees: Kathy Bates, "Misery"; Anjelica Huston, "The Grifters"; Julia Roberts, "Pretty Woman"; Joanne Woodward, "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge."
Besides Greene, the nominees for supporting actor are Bruce Davison, "Longtime Companion"; Andy Garcia, "The Godfather, Part III"; Al Pacino, "Dick Tracy"; Joe Pesci, "GoodFellas."
In the race for supporting actress: Annette Bening, "The Grifters"; Lorraine Bracco, "GoodFellas"; Whoopi Goldberg, "Ghost"; Diane Ladd, "Wild at Heart"; Mary McDonnell, "Dances with Wolves."
Kevin Costner's gamble on "Dances with Wolves" violated at least three industry precepts:
It was a Western, and there hadn't been a hit from that genre since John Wayne was tall in the saddle.
Costner insisted on three-hours length. That meant theaters could offer one performance per prime-time evening, thus limiting the box-office take.
He wanted the native Americans to speak in their historical language. One-third of the film carries English subtitles, and American audiences are supposedly allergic to subtitles.
Instead of three strikes, Costner scored a home run, winning almost unanimously favorable reviews and a steady flow at the box office ($131 million after 19 weeks).
Academy history indicates that winners of the best picture award often have challenged Hollywood rules and regulations.
Who would have thought that a movie about the relationship of an elderly Southern lady and her black chauffeur would attract attention in the era of high-concept films? Best picture of 1989: "Driving Miss Daisy."
"It was turned down by all the major companies," reported Richard Zanuck, who produced "Daisy" with his wife, Lili. "No one thought it would be commercial. The consensus was that it would be a nice movie with good reviews, but it couldn't attract a wide audience."
Studios also wanted the Zanucks to use a younger star, like Meryl Streep or Shirley MacLaine. The producers insisted on Jessica Tandy, who won her own Oscar as best actress. After the budget was trimmed from $12.5 million to $7.5 million, Warners agreed to advance $5 million for the U.S. rights, and an English company supplied $2.5 million. The "nice movie" ended up selling $107 million worth of tickets.
"Rain Man," best picture of 1988, was another problem film. A movie that centered on an autistic savant seemed an unlikely box office draw. Such high-powered directors as Martin Brest, Steven Spielberg and Sydney Pollack signed on for the project, then resigned. Finally Barry Levinson turned it into a hit with the simple tactic of letting the two brothers interact. They were played by Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman was chosen as best actor for his role.
Oliver Stone tried for 10 years to make a film drawing from his own experiences as a soldier in Vietnam. Producers told him it was too downbeat, too violent; besides, Americans didn't want to hear any more about that bitter chapter in their history. Finally Stone filmed "Platoon," and it was acclaimed best picture of 1986.
Richard Attenborough took longer to complete "Gandhi," best picture of 1982. "The filming of Gandhi's life possessed me for 20 years," he said. "Nothing was more important to me. It took me over completely. It became an obsession." After unanimous turndowns in Hollywood, the director raised the $20 million from private investors and the government of India.
"Amadeus" appeared to be a dubious project. All that longhair music. Actors in wigs and lace. No stars. Yet Czech exile Milos Forman converted the stage success into a masterful movie, winning as best picture of 1984, as well as for F. Murray Abraham as best actor.
A bit actor named Sylvester Stallone wrote a screenplay about a prizefighter who wins the championship against great odds. Studios wanted to buy it for Burt Reynolds, James Caan or Ryan O'Neal. No sale, said Stallone, "I'll do it myself." He finally persuaded a pair of independent producers to star himself on a bare-bones budget. "Rocky" scored its own Cinderella win as best picture of 1976.
Would Academy voters ever bestow their highest honor on an X-rated film? They did in 1969 for "Midnight Cowboy." True, the X was less severe in those early years of the rating code, and the film was later rated R.
Producer Frank McCarthy tried for 20 years to film the biography of George S. Patton, the maverick general of World War II. War movies were passe, he was told. Finally Darryl Zanuck approved the film, which became best picture of 1970.
The list extends back into Academy history. "Tom Jones" (1963) managed to turn an ancient novel into rousing entertainment. "Marty" (1955) was an almost precious story of two misfits which had already appeared on live television. "Hamlet" (1948) disproved the theory that Shakespeare and movies didn't mix.
If, as expected, "Dances with Wolves" wins big Monday, it may encourage filmmakers anew to thumb their noses at Hollywood's "conventional wisdom."
by CNB