2008 Woodie Awards
And 2005's Oscar Winners Are...
Kathy Arellano
Issue date: 3/2/05 Section: Valley Life
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"Million Dollar Baby"
Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Director
I love a movie that allows the viewer plenty of moments to cry. In fact, I rate a movie on the number of boxes of tissue needed to mop up the tears and corral the snot. "Million Dollar Baby" was a three-boxer!
I reached for a tissue early on, when there seemed to be a glimmer of hope that Eastwood's hardened, cynical character could actually become like family to the disillusioned-but-strong-inside woman that Swank so deftly portrayed. I kept grabbing those paper repositories all the way up to the final, heart-wrenching hospital scene when I just gave up and bawled into my husband's T-shirt.
"Baby" was one of those movies that I will buy on DVD and save for an afternoon when I really need a good, cathartic sob session.
You can bet Hilary, Clint and Morgan are not crying, though. And soon, they will be laughing all the way to the bank when this gem hits the stores.
"Ray"
Best Actor, Sound Mixing
Jamie Foxx definitely earned the Best Actor award for his incredibly convincing performance as talented and troubled Ray Charles. When I learned that Foxx had to wear latex eyelid prostheses for up to 14 hours a day to achieve the authenticity of the real Ray's face, rendering him temporarily blind, I had a new appreciation for his performance in this steamy, rhythmic, abusive movie. And, I got what I came for - fantastic acting and lots of great music.
"The Aviator"
Best Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Film Editing, Costume Design, Art Direction
What a wonderful likeness Cate Blanchett has created of the great Katherine Hepburn in "The Aviator." This film was beautiful to look at with lush scenery, period-correct costumes and aerial shots that actually made me queasy. It was a new look at an eccentric, highly creative, very rich and very strange man convincingly portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. It's definitely a must-see movie.
Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Director
I love a movie that allows the viewer plenty of moments to cry. In fact, I rate a movie on the number of boxes of tissue needed to mop up the tears and corral the snot. "Million Dollar Baby" was a three-boxer!
I reached for a tissue early on, when there seemed to be a glimmer of hope that Eastwood's hardened, cynical character could actually become like family to the disillusioned-but-strong-inside woman that Swank so deftly portrayed. I kept grabbing those paper repositories all the way up to the final, heart-wrenching hospital scene when I just gave up and bawled into my husband's T-shirt.
"Baby" was one of those movies that I will buy on DVD and save for an afternoon when I really need a good, cathartic sob session.
You can bet Hilary, Clint and Morgan are not crying, though. And soon, they will be laughing all the way to the bank when this gem hits the stores.
"Ray"
Best Actor, Sound Mixing
Jamie Foxx definitely earned the Best Actor award for his incredibly convincing performance as talented and troubled Ray Charles. When I learned that Foxx had to wear latex eyelid prostheses for up to 14 hours a day to achieve the authenticity of the real Ray's face, rendering him temporarily blind, I had a new appreciation for his performance in this steamy, rhythmic, abusive movie. And, I got what I came for - fantastic acting and lots of great music.
"The Aviator"
Best Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Film Editing, Costume Design, Art Direction
What a wonderful likeness Cate Blanchett has created of the great Katherine Hepburn in "The Aviator." This film was beautiful to look at with lush scenery, period-correct costumes and aerial shots that actually made me queasy. It was a new look at an eccentric, highly creative, very rich and very strange man convincingly portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. It's definitely a must-see movie.
