5 things we learned from Oscar nominations

5 things we learned from Oscar nominations

The nominations for the Academy Awards were presented Thursday morning, and as always there were trends and surprises. Here are a few things we learned:

1. Make way for older women.

It's not for nothing that one of best jokes from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at the Golden Globes referred to the lack of meaty roles for actresses of a certain age: "Meryl Streep (is) so brilliant in 'August: Osage County,' proving that there are still great parts in Hollywood for Meryl Streeps over 60," said Fey. And yes, Streep was nominated for an Oscar (for best actress) as well.

But also nominated were Judi Dench, 79, and perhaps more surprisingly, June Squibb, 84. Squibb is a longtime character actress -- you may remember her as Elderly Woman in "Far From Heaven" or Mrs. Cone in an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" -- who got a chance to shine as Bruce Dern's exasperated yet caring wife in "Nebraska." In fact, of the 10 actresses nominated for either best actress or best supporting actress, six are over 40 and two others -- Amy Adams and Sally Hawkins -- are in their late 30s.

2. Diversity, but no diversity.

This year featured a number of notable movies starring or directed by people of color, including "Lee Daniels' The Butler," "Fruitvale Station," "42," "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" and "12 Years a Slave." But of that group, only "12 Years" got any support from the Oscars, with nine nominations. "Mandela" picked up a nod for a U2 song; "Fruitvale" -- despite showcasing rising talents Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler -- got nothing. And despite a $100 million box office -- and raves for performers Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey -- "The Butler" also came up with zero. During the Globes show, there was a Twitter hashtag protesting the lack of diversity: #notbuyingit. You'll probably see it again on Oscar night.

2014 awards season: Does diversity matter more than wins?

3. Where's Tom Hanks? What about Oprah?

Tom Hanks is one of the most beloved film stars in Hollywood. He's a successful producer and two-time Oscar winner. After a sluggish few years, marked by "Cloud Atlas," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" and "Larry Crowne," he was back in the good graces at the box office and with critics, thanks to "Captain Phillips" and "Saving Mr. Banks." The result? No Oscar nominations. Maybe he split the vote; maybe voters just weren't that impressed. (They certainly weren't by "Mr. Banks.")

As for Winfrey -- also a successful producer and personality -- the theory is that "The Butler's" summer release hurt its chances. But it was still a surprise that her name wasn't listed for either the Oscars or the Golden Globes. Better luck at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Oprah.

4. There are no sure things.

The handicappers were wrong about a lot. Take a gander:

• Snubbed: Robert Redford, "All Is Lost." An almost wordless solo performance goes for naught at the Oscars. "Lost," indeed. 

• Snubbed: The Coen brothers, "Inside Llewyn Davis." Despite their offbeat production, Ethan and Joel have become Oscar favorites -- even if it's just a scriptwriting nod. Not this year. Llewyn Davis will have to keep walking the streets (probably with a waterlogged shoe). 

• Snubbed: Emma Thompson, "Saving Mr. Banks." So much for "Banks" despite its Disney pedigree. 

• Snubbed: James Gandolfini, "Enough Said." The academy thought "Enough" was apparently too much, since neither Julia Louis-Dreyfus nor Nicole Holofcener's script were picked, either. 

• Surprise!: Sally Hawkins, "Blue Jasmine." The academy loves Woody Allen screenplays (he got nominated, too), and Hawkins wasn't overlooked. 

• Surprise!: "Philomena." A small, character-driven movie about a woman searching for her son? Best picture, best actress (Dench) and best adapted screenplay nominations are the prizes.

Special coverage: All things awards season

5. Love for "Dallas Buyers Club."

Perhaps "Hustle," "12 Years" and "Gravity" will duke it out for best picture. But remember "no sure things," because when it came to audience response at the nominations, "Dallas Buyers Club" was the clear winner, greeted with cheers for every nomination. It has an Oscar-friendly subject -- a heroic battle against AIDS -- and strong performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. It received a surprising six nominations.

The Academy Awards are March 2.

Source : http://edition.cnn.com/

Read More

'Gilligan's Island' Professor, actor Russell Johnson, dead at 89

'Gilligan's Island' Professor, actor Russell Johnson, dead at 89

Actor Russell Johnson, best known as Professor in the 1960s TV sitcom "Gilligan's Island," died Thursday, his agent said. Johnson was 89.

Johnson played the iconic role of Professor Roy Hinkley, whose scientific schemes to get the castaways rescued were always foiled by Gilligan's bumbling.

He died at his home in Washington, where he lived with his wife, Connie. She and their daughter, Kimberly, were at his side, said agent Mike Eisenstadt. Johnson is also survived by a stepson, Court, and a grandson, he said.

Johnson worked up until his death, signing autographs over the holidays, said Eisenstadt. He called Johnson's death "unexpected."

The chief deputy coroner in Kitsap County, Washington, told CNN that Johnson died from natural causes.

Johnson was "just a positive and nice guy" who always treated people with respect, his agent said.

His acting career began in the early 1950s with many jobs as a character actor on television. He played Marshal Gib Scott in two seasons of "Black Saddle," a Western that ran in 1959 and 1960.

Johnson acted in dozens of television shows after the four seasons on "Gilligan's Island," but his career seemed stranded on its own island because of the popular sitcom role.

A noteworthy big screen role was as a nuclear physicist in the 1955 science fiction film "This Island Earth."

Share your memories

Johnson was in Ray Bradbury's 1953 sci-fi classic "It Came From Outer Space."

Before becoming an actor, Johnson served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He was on a B-24 Liberator when it was shot down during a bombing raid over the Philippines in 1945, according to his official biography, and used his G.I. Bill benefits to pay for acting school after the war.

Johnson, in a 2004 interview for the Archive of American Television said the success of "Gilligan's Island, which he never expected to last more than the initial order of 13 episodes, was the result of the "great chemistry" of the cast.

Tina Louise, who played the glamorous Hollywood starlet Ginger on "Gilligan's Island said she was " very saddened to hear of the passing of Russell Johnson."

"My prayers and condolences go out to his wife Constance and his family," Louise said. "He will always be in our hearts and remembered from Gilligan's island as part of American pop culture history. He will truly be missed."

Advice to young actors

Johnson's advice to young actors was to "prepare yourself."

"Most of us have to really learn how to do what we do, and that takes some studying and being part of an acting group," he said. "Preparation is everything, and that means studying."

Another important ingredient to acting success is perseverance, he said. "You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't persevere, if you don't stick to it, it doesn't mean anything."

Source : http://edition.cnn.com/

Read More

Kate Gosselin's twins go silent on 'Today'

Kate Gosselin's twins go silent on 'Today'

Kate Gosselin appeared on "Today" with daughters Cara (left) and Mady on Thursday.

Despite Kate Gosselin's command to her twin daughters to just "spit it out," neither Cara nor Mady Gosselin were interested in speaking much on the "Today" show Thursday.

The 13-year-old twins, who became famous as kids on the TLC reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," appeared on the morning show along with their mother for an interview with "Today's" Savannah Guthrie.

The segment was supposed to be a chance for the twins to elaborate on the conversation they sparked with People magazine last week, in which they said their lives are pretty normal for having grown up under the lens of reality TV.

The only problem was that neither twin wanted to speak up during the awkward sit-down -- instead, they glanced around at their mom and each other.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

When Guthrie asked Mady what she would say to the world about how her family is doing in their post-reality life, she was met with an "um" and a long pause.

Mom Kate jumped in with instructions: "Mady, your words," she said. "It's your chance. Spit it out." When that didn't work, Guthrie tried to get a response from Cara, who was just as quiet.

"This is their chance to talk, this is the most wordless I've heard them all morning," Kate told Guthrie. "I don't want to speak for them."

After some coaxing and a few more lengthy silences, Mady piped up to speak for her sister.

"A lot of people think that filming our show has damaged us," she said. "But it's only really helped."

The original series, "Jon & Kate Plus 8," ended in 2009 along with Jon and Kate Gosselin's marriage. Kate Gosselin soldiered on with another reality show, "Kate Plus 8," but that ended up getting canceled as well. Aside from the occasional celebrity weekly story or OWN interview, Kate, Jon, and their brood -- which includes their 9-year-old sextuplets, Alexis, Aaden, Collin, Hannah, Joel and Leah -- have mostly faded from view.

But with the cover of People magazine's January 20 issue, Cara and Mady step back into the spotlight to correct any misconceptions the public has about their family.

"People expect us to be damaged," Cara said, as her sister chimed in that others "think we're supposed to be so messed up, like, 'Ooh, the poor Gosselin kids, they're going to be scarred for life, waaaaah.' Here's the big news: We're not messed up."

"It's so false," Cara said. "We're fine. We're better than ever, actually."

Those words are likely a relief to anyone who caught the "Today" interview and wondered why the two were so quiet.

According to Kate Gosselin, any press that they do are things that the twins agree to do.

"It's really frustrating when there is so much out there that is not true," she told Guthrie Thursday. "We know the truth, and that's why they're here, even though they're tongue-tied this morning, to say, 'hey, we're OK, we're doing well.'"

Source : http://edition.cnn.com/

Read More

Sofia Vergara accidentally flashes boob as she tumbles to the ground amid a New Year’s Eve party skirmish

The stunning 40-year-old actress tried to break up the fight at Story nightclub in Miami, but got knocked to the floor as one of her breasts popped out of a strapless dress. She had been partying with fiance Nick Loeb, who was furious.

Sophia Vergara flashed the nightclub when she stumble to the floor at a New Year's bash.

Sofia Vergara might have fallen on her behind, but she is not falling behind in the wardrobe malfunction category.

One of the “Modern Family” star’s breasts popped out of her sexy strapless number as she fell to the ground at a New Year’s Eve party.

The 40-year-old voluptuous actress strutted into Story, a Miami nightclub, in a suggestive outfit with ample cleavage on display. The long blue dress almost reached the ground, but the leather top left little to the imagination. Before long, the top would leave nothing to the imagination.

A fight broke out at a table near Vergara, who was partying with her fiancé, Nick Loeb, so she stepped over to break up the skirmish but got knocked to the floor, according to TMZ.

Although the buxom beauty was not hurt, her seductive leather top could not contain her famous breasts as one bounced free toward the flashbulbs.

Loeb was reportedly so furious at the man who knocked into Vergara that security forced him to leave the VIP section. Loeb even sustained a few bruises from the incident, according to reports.

Vergara is no stranger to wardrobe malfunctions. When she wore a form-fitting emerald green gown to the Emmy Awards in September, a wide opening exposed her white thong and booty. Luckily, she caught it before the “Modern Family” cast stepped on stage to accept its Outstanding Comedy Series award.

RELATED: NICK LOEB BOOTED FROM PARTY IN MIAMI OVER SPILLED DRINK

But she actually shared that bootylicious blunder with a photo on WhoSay.com.

"Yes!!!! This happened 20 min before we won!!!!" she wrote beside the photo.

But she unintentionally flashed the nightclub at the New Year’s bash. Her healthy bosom simply leaped from behind her top in a single bound – to the delight of all men present with the likely exception of her fiancé. 

Source : http://www.nydailynews.com

Read More