The Envelope In Print: The Acting Issue (November 12, 2008)

November 12, 2008

AWARDS

Angelina Jolie talks 'Changeling,' motherhood

Angelina Jolie appeared at the double-wide doorway of a penthouse suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel unsmiling and peering warily from behind a curtain of dark hair. Attired in an opalescent, knee-skimming silk dress, she seemed grave -- imperious and businesslike enough to give German Chancellor Angela Merkel a run for her new ranking as most powerful woman in the world. The actress was flanked by her manager, publicist and two burly security guards; together the pack had come from an adjoining suite where Jolie's team of hairstylists and makeup artists had just finished plying their trade.

November 12, 2008

AWARDS

Oscar likes to keep it real

" The Duchess." "W." " Changeling." " Defiance." "Frost/Nixon." "Milk." " Valkyrie." "Che." What do these films have in common, other than succinct titles? All are based on real people and events, and all happen to have release dates timed to award season.

November 12, 2008

CONTENDER Q & A

Richard Jenkins, 'The Visitor'

A longtime character actor with one of those "Don't I know you?" faces, Richard Jenkins has been building award buzz for his role in "The Visitor" since it first appeared on the festival circuit more than a year ago. If not exactly his "big break," for Jenkins, 61, the part is his first leading role.

November 12, 2008

CONTENDER Q & A

Melissa Leo, 'Frozen River'

Melissa Leo's perfor- mance in "Frozen River" has been ri- veting audiences and critics since the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, winning the grand jury prize. As a woman driven to smuggle illegal immigrants over the Canadian border, Leo is a portrait of desperation; an early close-up reveals a world of troubles in her eyes. The film began as a short by writer-director Courtney Hunt in 2004, also starring Leo, and with Missy Upham in the role of her smuggling partner. Upham also reprised her role in the feature film.

November 12, 2008

AWARDS

A moment with Kristin Scott Thomas

Actors whose characters battle demons -- think Russell Crowe in "A Beautiful Mind" or Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" -- get to thrash around. Performers who are playing the larger-than-life -- picture Daniel Day-Lewis in " There Will Be Blood" or Helen Mirren in "The Queen" -- are encouraged to be, well, larger than life.

November 12, 2008

AWARDS

Oscar season is off to a slow start, with winners hard to predict

Award season usually tends to put the business of Hollywood on hold for close to four months -- Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and world events slip into the background until Oscar cognoscenti have heard the contents of every red-wax-sealed envelope on that magical February evening. Not for the 81st Academy Awards, though. Attribute it to Prints & Advertising budget cuts, political-campaign fatigue or stock market blues, but the 2008 race for Oscar gold resembles more of a brisk walk so far.

November 12, 2008

RED CARPET REWIND

Kate Winslet's style: Over the rainbow

Kate Winslet is poised to be the darling of the upcoming award season. She stars with Ralph Fiennes in "The Reader," based on Bernard Schlink's bestselling novel about a young man's passionate affair during WWII with an older woman whom he meets again when she is tried for war crimes.

November 12, 2008

AWARDS

'Elegy,' 'Frozen River' beating the rush

It pays to be early, or so that was the thinking behind Sony Picture Classics' decision to send out the academy screener of the Sundance hit " Frozen River" back on Sept. 24.

November 12, 2008

IN CONTENTION

Oscar acting races

Looks like the sexiest acting races in eons. For the first time since costarring in Oscar heavyweight "Titanic," screen heartthrobs Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are back together in "Revolutionary Road" and pining for their own first wins. Real-life lovebirds Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt haven't been nominated in nearly a decade but now heat up the top races in separate films. And the academy may finally be smitten again with big, romantic epics thanks to Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman sizzling on screen in "Australia."

AWARDS

Lights, camera: Think warm

November 12, 2008

AWARDS

Upcoming contenders

The remaining weekends of the year are jam-packed with Academy Award hopefuls big and small. Although summer releases such as "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E" as well as more recent releases such as "Changeling" and "Rachel Getting Married" have already earned their fair share of Oscar buzz, there is still plenty more golden potential packed into November and December: