OSCAR SAYS EVERYONE'S AN OPTIMIST ARE VYING FOR OSCAR

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 15, 1993                   TAG: 9301150347
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Chris Gladden
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
OSCAR SAYS EVERYONE'S AN OPTIMIST ARE VYING FOR OSCAR
You only have to flip through the latest issues of Variety to realize that the Oscar campaign has begun in earnest.
Studios buy lavish full-page ads aimed at the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The ads usually begin with the words "For Your Consideration," and the optimism they convey is boundless.
For your consideration: "Wind."
This TriStar production had some nifty sailing scenes, but it was for the most part a foolish story set against America's Cup yacht racing.
For your consideration: "Basic Instinct." Noteworthy mainly for Sharon Stone's fashion statement about underwear and the millions of dollars Joe Eszterhas was paid for a script that didn't make sense.
For your consideration: "Patriot Games." Not this time, Harrison.
For your consideration: "Universal Soldier." This ad stumps for best-actor nominations for Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Though the members of the academy can be amazingly fickle at times, they hardly seem likely to pick these two Schwarzenegger bench warmers in even a publicist's wildest scenario. After all, big Arnold himself has never been nominated despite his staggering contributions to Hollywood's coffers.
Obviously, studios and independent distributors hope lightning will strike. This is understandable, in view of the academy's long history of making the annual and obligatory illogical and arbitrary selection. Just as obviously, some of the choices are made to stroke the egos of box office stars and reassure them that yes, they, too, are artists.
Some of the ads have a very real legitimacy. It's a fact that voters have short memories and may not remember that movies worth consideration came out early in the year. A reminder may be in order for such movies as "White Men Can't Jump," "Unforgiven," "The Player" and "Howards End." Ads, too, can remind voters that along with such obvious big-ticket items as "Malcolm X" and "A Few Good Men," 1992 brought out some worthy smaller pictures such as "Mississippi Masala," "Of Mice and Men," "Reservoir Dogs," "Glengarry Glen Ross" and "Gas, Food, Lodging."
In all, it was a good year with a wide variety of pictures. Who would ever have thought that "A River Runs Through It," Norman Maclean's memoir of family and fishing, would make it to the screen? Or that Clint Eastwood would at last get recognition for the kind of movie he does best - the Western.
The Oscar contest of 1993 could well be the most interesting - and at the same time the most maddening - in years.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB