1.
Academy Awards
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The various category winners are awarded a copy of a golden statuette, officially called the Academy Award of Merit, which has become commonly known by its nickname Oscar. The awards, first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, are overseen by AMPAS, the awards ceremony was first broadcast on radio in 1930 and televised for the first time in 1953. It is now live in more than 200 countries and can be streamed live online. The Academy Awards ceremony is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony and its equivalents – the Emmy Awards for television, the Tony Awards for theater, and the Grammy Awards for music and recording – are modeled after the Academy Awards. The 89th Academy Awards ceremony, honoring the best films of 2016, were held on February 26,2017, at the Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles, the ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and was broadcast on ABC. A total of 3,048 Oscars have been awarded from the inception of the award through the 88th, the first Academy Awards presentation was held on May 16,1929, at a private dinner function at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 270 people. The post-awards party was held at the Mayfair Hotel, the cost of guest tickets for that nights ceremony was $5. Fifteen statuettes were awarded, honoring artists, directors and other participants in the industry of the time. The ceremony ran for 15 minutes, winners were announced to media three months earlier, however, that was changed for the second ceremony in 1930. Since then, for the rest of the first decade, the results were given to newspapers for publication at 11,00 pm on the night of the awards. The first Best Actor awarded was Emil Jannings, for his performances in The Last Command and he had to return to Europe before the ceremony, so the Academy agreed to give him the prize earlier, this made him the first Academy Award winner in history. With the fourth ceremony, however, the system changed, for the first six ceremonies, the eligibility period spanned two calendar years. At the 29th ceremony, held on March 27,1957, until then, foreign-language films had been honored with the Special Achievement Award. The 74th Academy Awards, held in 2002, presented the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, since 1973, all Academy Awards ceremonies always end with the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Academy also awards Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, see also § Awards of Merit categories The best known award is the Academy Award of Merit, more popularly known as the Oscar statuette. The five spokes represent the branches of the Academy, Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers. The model for the statuette is said to be Mexican actor Emilio El Indio Fernández, sculptor George Stanley sculpted Cedric Gibbons design. The statuettes presented at the ceremonies were gold-plated solid bronze
2.
Evita (1996 film)
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Evita is a 1996 American musical drama film based on Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webbers musical of the same name. The film depicts the life of Eva Perón, detailing her beginnings, rise to fame, political career, after Stone stepped down from the project in 1994, Parker agreed to write and direct the film. Recording sessions for the songs and soundtrack took place at CTS Studios in London, England. Parker worked with Rice and Lloyd Webber to compose the soundtrack, reworking the songs by creating the music first. They also wrote a new song, You Must Love Me, principal photography commenced in February 1996, and concluded in May of that year. Filming took place on locations in Buenos Aires and Budapest, the films production in Argentina was met with controversy, as the cast and crew faced protests over fears that the project would tarnish Evas image. Evita held its premiere at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, Hollywood Pictures gave the film a platform release which involved releasing it in select cities, before expanding distribution in the following weeks. The film had a release on December 25,1996. Evita was a success, grossing $141 million worldwide against a budget of $55 million. The film received a critical response, reviewers praised Madonnas performance. In a cinema in Buenos Aires on July 26,1952, as the nation goes into public mourning, Ché, a member of the public, marvels at the spectacle and promises to show how Eva did nothing, for years. At the age of 15, Eva lives in the town of Junín. She persuades a tango singer, Agustín Magaldi, with whom she is having an affair, after Magaldi leaves her, she goes through several relationships with increasingly influential men, becoming a model, actress and radio personality. She meets Colonel Juan Perón at a following the 1944 San Juan earthquake. Peróns connection with Eva adds to his populist image, since they are both from the working class. Eva has a show during Peróns rise and uses all her skills to promote him. The groundswell of support that Eva generates forces the government to release Perón, Perón wins election to the presidency and marries Eva, who promises that the new government will serve the descamisados. At the start of the Perón government, Eva dresses glamorously, soon after, she embarks on what is called her Rainbow Tour to Europe
3.
Alan Parker
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Sir Alan William Parker, CBE is an English film director, producer and screenwriter. Parkers early career, beginning in his teens, was spent as a copywriter. After about ten years of filming adverts, many of which won awards for creativity, Parker is noted for having a wide range of filmmaking styles and working in differing genres. His films have won nineteen BAFTA awards, ten Golden Globes, Parker was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the British film industry and knighted as a Knight Bachelor in 2002. He has been active in both the British cinema and American cinema, along with being a member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain. In 2013 he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, the highest honour the British Film Academy can give a filmmaker, Parker donated his personal archive to the British Film Institutes National Archive in 2015. Parker was born into a family in Islington, North London, the son of Elsie Ellen, a dressmaker, and William Leslie Parker. He grew up on an estate of Islington, which has always made it easy for him to remain almost defiantly working-class in attitudes said the British novelist. Parker says that although he had his share of fun growing up, he felt he was studying for his secondary school exams. He had a background with no aspirations to become a film director, nor did anyone in his family have any desire to be involved in the film industry. The closest he came, he says, to anything related to films was learning photography. Parker attended Dame Alice Owens School, concentrating on science in his last year and he left school when he was eighteen to work in the advertising field, hoping that the advertising industry might be a good way to meet girls. His first job was office boy in the post room of an advertising agency, but more than anything, he says, he wanted to write, and would write essays and ads when he got home after work. His colleagues also encouraged him to write, which led him to a better position in the company. The great thing about advertising from a British point of view, is that it didnt have a kind of distinction as other jobs had. If you were half bright, they gave you a chance, I was very fortunate that they gave me that chance. Parker credits Puttnam with inspiring him and talking him into writing his first film script, by 1968, Parker had moved from copywriting to successfully directing numerous television advertisements. In 1970, he joined Alan Marshall to establish a company to make advertisements and that company eventually became one of Britains best commercial production house, winning nearly every major national and international award open to it
4.
Cold Comfort Farm (film)
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Flora Poste, an orphan in the 1920s, moves to the country with her rustic and backward relatives, the Starkadders. The Starkadders live in a farm off the beaten track in Sussex. Flora resolves to fix their situation, after the death of her estranged parents, Flora, who is an aspiring writer, decides that the only way for her to live whilst researching her writing is to stay with relatives. Her city-based relatives show no interest, so she sends letters to her country relatives, there are a few responses, most of which are unsuitable, but one is intriguing. She decides to go and stay with these relatives, the scene is complicated, but Flora soon realises that she can resolve the situation once she has assessed and solved each characters problems. Whilst she is doing so, she is pursued by a most unsuitable suitor, a most obnoxious character, in the process of her endeavours, the multitude of the complexities of the farm expose themselves and Flora excels at resolving all the issues. All the while it seems that things are impossible, but they are resolved in the end, kate Beckinsale as Flora Poste Joanna Lumley as Mrs. Hawk-Monitor Harry Ditson as Earl P. The Royal Military Canal was also used for scenes where Flora and Amos walk, cold Comfort Farm received generally positive reviews, it currently holds an 84% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. During its theatrical release in North America, the film grossed $5,682,429
5.
John Schlesinger
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John Richard Schlesinger, CBE was an English film and stage director, and actor. He won an Academy Award for Best Director for Midnight Cowboy, Schlesinger was born in London, into a middle class Jewish family, the son of Winifred Henrietta and Bernard Edward Schlesinger, a physician. After St Edmunds School, Hindhead, Uppingham School and Balliol College, Oxford, Schlesingers acting career began in the 1950s and consisted of supporting roles in British films such as The Divided Heart and Oh. Rosalinda. and British television productions such as BBC Sunday Night Theatre, The Adventures of Robin Hood and he began his directorial career in 1956 with the short documentary Sunday in the Park about Londons Hyde Park. In 1959, Schlesinger was credited as exterior or second unit director on 23 episodes of the TV series The Four Just Men and his first two fiction films, A Kind of Loving and Billy Liar were set in the North of England. A Kind of Loving won the Golden Bear award at the 12th Berlin International Film Festival in 1962 and his third feature film, Darling, tartly described the modern, urban way of life in London and was one of the first films about swinging London. Schlesingers next film was the period drama Far from the Madding Crowd, both films featured Julie Christie as the female lead. Schlesingers next film, Midnight Cowboy, was internationally acclaimed, a story of two hustlers living on the fringe in the bad side of New York City, it was Schlesingers first film shot in the US, and it won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture. During the 1970s, he made an array of films that were mainly about loners, losers and people outside the world, such as Sunday Bloody Sunday, The Day of the Locust, Marathon Man. In Britain, he did better with films like Madame Sousatzka, other later works include An Englishman Abroad, the TV play A Question of Attribution, The Innocent and The Next Best Thing. Schlesinger also directed Timon of Athens for the Royal Shakespeare Company, from 1973, he was an associate director of the Royal National Theatre, where he produced George Bernard Shaws Heartbreak House. He also directed operas, beginning with Les contes dHoffmann and Der Rosenkavalier. Schlesinger admitted to having voted for all three political parties in the UK at one time or another. Schlesinger was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to film in 1970, in 2003, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California Walk of Stars was dedicated to him. Schlesinger underwent a heart bypass in 1998, before suffering a stroke in December 2000. He was taken off life support at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs on 24 July 2003 and he was survived by his partner of over 30 years, photographer Michael Childers. A memorial service was held on 30 September 2003
6.
Everyone Says I Love You
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Set in New York City, Venice and Paris, the film features singing by actors not usually known for their singing. The emotions of an extended family in Manhattan are followed in song from NY to Paris. Various friends, lovers, acquaintances, and relatives act, interact, and sing, in New York, Venice, the film takes classic songs and fits them into an updated scenario, and in some cases with unexpected dance routines. The choreography is lively and the actors and actresses do not look like professional dancers and her voice was dubbed by Allen regular Olivia Hayman. The title song was written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, Allen is a well-known Groucho Marx fan. Marxs theme song from Animal Crackers Hooray for Captain Spaulding is featured, the film was released theatrically in North America on 8 December 1996 on three screens. Its opening weekend gross was $131,678 and it ended its North American run with $9,759,200. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 79% fresh rating, based on 43 reviews, the sites consensus states, A likable, infectious musical, Woody Allens Everyone Says I Love You is sometimes uneven but always toe-tapping and fun. Janet Maslin wrote a positive review in the New York Times, describing the film as a delightful. The film was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 54th Golden Globe Awards, Everyone Says I Love You at the Internet Movie Database Everyone Says I Love You at Virtual History
7.
Woody Allen
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Heywood Woody Allen is an American actor, writer, director, comedian, playwright, and musician whose career spans more than six decades. He worked as a writer in the 1950s, writing jokes and scripts for television. In the early 1960s, Allen began performing as a stand-up comedian, as a comedian, he developed the persona of an insecure, intellectual, fretful nebbish, which he maintains is quite different from his real-life personality. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Allen in fourth place on a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians and he is often identified as part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmakers of the mid-1960s to late 1970s. Allen often stars in his films, typically in the persona he developed as a standup, some of the best-known of his over 40 films are Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Hannah and Her Sisters. In 2007 he said Stardust Memories, The Purple Rose of Cairo, critic Roger Ebert described Allen as a treasure of the cinema. Allen won four Academy Awards, three for Best Original Screenplay and one for Best Director and he also won nine British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. His screenplay for Annie Hall was named the funniest screenplay by the Writers Guild of America in its list of the 101 Funniest Screenplays, in 2011, PBS televised the film biography Woody Allen, A Documentary on the American Masters TV series. Allen was born Allan Stewart Konigsberg in Brooklyn, New York and he and his sister, Letty, were raised in Midwood, Brooklyn. He is the son of Nettie, a bookkeeper at her familys delicatessen, and Martin Konigsberg and his family was Jewish, his grandparents immigrated from Russia and Austria, and spoke Yiddish, Hebrew, and German. His parents were born and raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. His childhood was not particularly happy, his parents did not get along, Allen spoke German quite a bit in his early years. He would later joke that when he was young he was sent to inter-faith summer camps. While attending Hebrew school for eight years, he went to Public School 99 and to Midwood High School, at that time, he lived in an apartment at 968 East 14th Street. Unlike his comic persona, he was interested in baseball than school. He impressed students with his talent at card and magic tricks. To raise money, he wrote jokes for agent David O. Alber, at the age of 17, he legally changed his name to Heywood Allen and later began to call himself Woody Allen. According to Allen, his first published joke read, Woody Allen says he ate at a restaurant that had O. P. S and he was then earning more than both parents combined
8.
Flirting with Disaster (film)
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Flirting with Disaster is a 1996 American black comedy film written and directed by David O. Russell about a young fathers search for his biological parents. The film stars Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Téa Leoni, Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal, Glenn Fitzgerald, Alan Alda and it was screened out of competition in the Special Screenings section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. Mel Coplin and his wife, Nancy, live in New York, near Mels neurotic, Jewish, adoptive parents, Ed and Pearl Coplin. Mel and Nancy have just had their first child, and Mel wont decide on a name for their son until he can discover the identity of his biological parents, after an adoption agency employee locates his biological mothers name in a database, Mel decides to meet her personally. Tina, the sexy but highly incompetent adoption agency employee, decides to accompany Mel, Nancy, the trip, of course, does not go as planned, and ends up becoming a tour of the United States. First, Mel is introduced to Valerie, a blond Scandinavian woman with Confederate roots whose twin daughters are at least six inches taller than Mel and they quickly realize that Valerie is not Mels biological mother, and Tina scrambles to get the correct information from the agency database. Meanwhile, Nancy becomes jealous as Tina and Mel begin to flirt, next, the group heads to Battle Creek, Michigan with the hope of meeting the man whose name appears as the person who delivered infant Mel to the adoption agency. The man, Fritz Boudreau, turns out to be a trucker with a violent streak, however, when he discovers that Mel might be his son, he becomes instantly friendly and lets Mel drive his semi-trailer truck, which Mel immediately crashes into a Post Office building. This leads to a run-in with two ATF agents, Tony and Paul, who are gay and in a relationship with each other and it is discovered that Tony and Nancy went to high school together. Charges are dismissed, and Fritz Boudreau tells Mel that he is not Mels father, Tina locates the current address of Mels biological parents, which turns out to be in rural New Mexico. Tony and Paul surprise everyone by deciding to tag along on the trip, while Mel and Tina become close, Nancy finds herself flirting with Tony, who returns the compliment, causing friction. The trip through rural New Mexico is fraught with more problems, at last the whole crowd descends on the front porch of Mels true biological parents, Richard and Mary Schlichting. They are asked to stay the night, while Richard and Mary are more than welcoming, Mels biological brother Lonnie is overly rude and jealous. It is during dinner that Mel discovers that Richard and Mary had to let Mel be adopted because they were in jail for making and distributing LSD in the late 1960s. Not only that, but Richard and Mary continue to manufacture LSD, as apparent when Lonnie, in an attempt to dose Mel with acid at dinner, accidentally doses Paul. In his drugged state Paul tries to arrest Richard and Mary and they attempt to escape and decide to take Mels car, hiding their supply of acid in the trunk. Mels adoptive parents arrive but then change their minds and decide to leave, when they change their minds again and make a blind U-turn, the two families crash. Mels adoptive parents are arrested while his biological parents escape to Mexico, not realizing what has happened Mel recounts the stories from dinner to Nancy and they agree to name the baby Garcia
9.
David O. Russell
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David Owen Russell is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His early directing career includes the comedy films Spanking the Monkey, Flirting with Disaster, Three Kings, Russell received his seventh Golden Globe nomination for the semi-biographical comedy-drama Joy. Russell was born in Manhattan, to Maria and Bernard Russell and his parents worked for Simon & Schuster, his father was the vice president of sales for the company and his mother was a secretary there. His father was from a Russian Jewish family and his mother was Italian American, russells maternal grandparents were Frank Muzio, born in Craco, and Philomena Brancata, born in Ferrandina, both in the province of Matera. His paternal grandfather, a butcher from the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Russell was raised in Larchmont, New York, in an atheist, middle-class household. When he was 13, he made his first film for a school project and he attended Mamaroneck High School, where he was voted Class Rebel. He fell in love with film in his teens but aspired to become a writer, Russell started a newspaper in high school and his parents worked for a publishing company, so he grew up in a household filled with books and novels. Russell received his A. B. degree from Amherst College and he wrote his senior thesis on the United States intervention in Chile from 1963 to 1973. After graduating from Amherst, Russell traveled to Nicaragua and taught in a Sandinista literacy program and he worked manual labor jobs, including waitering, bartending, and catering. Some of his colleagues included members of the Blue Man Group. He worked for an association and later became a community organizer in Maine. He used video equipment to document slums and bad housing conditions, Russell was a political activist and canvassed and raised money in neighborhoods, he also did community work in Bostons South End. In addition to working in several day jobs, he began to write short films, Russell directed a documentary about Panamanian immigrants in Boston, which led to a job as a production assistant on a PBS series called Smithsonian World. In 1987, Russell wrote, produced, and directed Bingo Inferno, A Parody on American Obsessions, two years later, he made another short titled Hairway to the Stars, which featured Bette Davis and William Hickey. Both shorts were shown at the Sundance Film Festival, after Russell made an award-winning short film for a Boston television station, he received grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Instead of the money going towards a feature about a fortune cookie writer, he decided to make Spanking the Monkey, as a result, Russell had to return the funds to the NEA. Spanking the Monkey, the 1994 independent dark comedy, was his first directorial effort, the film was produced by Dean Silvers, and starred Jeremy Davies as a troubled young man and Alberta Watson as his lonely mother. His next project was the Miramax comedy Flirting with Disaster, his collaboration with Dean Silvers
10.
Swingers (1996 film)
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Swingers is a 1996 American comedy-drama film about the lives of single, unemployed actors living on the eastside of Hollywood, California during the 1990s swing revival. Written by Jon Favreau and directed by Doug Liman, the film starred Favreau and Vince Vaughn, the film was honored on the 2007 Spike TV Guys Choice Awards. Mike Peters is a comedian who left New York City to find success in Los Angeles. To help Mike with his depression, his womanizing friend Trent and some other aspiring actor friends try, the movie opens with Mike telling his friend Rob about how desperately he misses Michelle and that she has not called him. Rob explains that somehow girls know not to call their ex-boyfriends until they have moved on from them. To help Mike recover, Trent coaxes him into a trip to Las Vegas. Trent succeeds in picking up two waitresses, but Mikes obsession with Michelle ruins Trents plans. Back in Los Angeles, Mike, Rob and other friends go bar hopping, stopping at party, and later an after-hours spot, inspired by this, Mike meets a girl named Nikki and gets her phone number. Back at his apartment, however, he leaves a series of increasingly anxious and desperate messages on her answering machine until she calls back, missing Michelle more than ever, he contemplates moving back to New York until Rob comes over and consoles him. Out again for swing night at a Hollywood night club, Mike spots a woman named Lorraine and he summons all his courage to approach and connect with her. The following morning, Mike receives a call from Michelle, when Lorraine calls him, Mike ends his call with Michelle to connect further with Lorraine. Jon Favreau as Mike Peters, a comedian from New York City. Vince Vaughn as Trent Walker, an actor, Mikes closest friend. Ron Livingston as Rob, Mikes friend from New York, patrick Van Horn as Sue, an irritable swinger who is named after the Johnny Cash song A Boy Named Sue. Alex Désert as Charles, an acquaintance of the group. One scene, in which Trent yells at Sue for insulting Mike, was written at Vaughns request to make it clear that beneath Trents swagger, Favreau and his friends gave readers theater performances of the script to drum up interest in and capital for the movie. Swingers was filmed on location at several Los Angeles nightclubs, particularly in the hip Los Feliz neighborhood, including the Dresden Lounge, filming locations Mikeys apartment is located in the Franklin Village area of Los Angeles, a few miles from the Dresden Room. The Dresden room is a bar and club in the Los Feliz neighborhood
11.
Doug Liman
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Douglas Eric Doug Liman is an American film director and producer best known for Swingers, The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Jumper, Fair Game, and Edge of Tomorrow. He has two siblings, Emily and Lewis, Liman began making short films while still in junior high school and studied at International Center of Photography in New York City. While attending Brown University, he helped to co-found the student-run cable television station BTV, Liman attended the graduate program at University of Southern California, where he was tapped to helm his first project in 1993, the comedy thriller Getting In/Student Body. Liman became attached to direct Swingers when its screenwriter Jon Favreau turned down offers from studios who wanted to cast established actors, the director agreed to cast Favreau and his friends in this comedy about struggling actors amid the L. A. club milieu. The result was a $250,000 dialogue-propelled film that became a sleeper hit, in addition to establishing a cult following, it jump-started the careers of the featured actors. Liman sold the film to Miramax for $5.5 million, shortly after the sale and they rekindled their friendship years later. Limans next effort, Go, tracked the events of one night through three different points of view as plot lines diverged and reconverged, Liman was also the films cinematographer. The film made a profit at the box office grossing $28.4 million worldwide against a $6.5 million budget. In 1999, Liman shot a commercial for Nike in which Tiger Woods, without letting the ball touch the ground, repeatedly bounced a ball on his club and then drove it into the distance. Liman enjoyed further success when he directed the action thriller The Bourne Identity. The film that Liman delivered lacked sufficient action sequences to satisfy test groups of young males, Liman remained with the Bourne franchise through three of its next four installments, but served instead as an executive producer while Paul Greengrass took over directing duties. Building on his success, Liman executive produced and directed the episode as well as the second episode of the successful Fox prime time drama The O. C. Liman produced and directed a series of shorts for the Chrysler Film Project. Liman also directed Mr. & Mrs. Smith, a thriller about an increasingly distant married couple. The film, his most commercially successful to date, is well known for the off-screen romance that developed between stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie after making the film. In 2005, Liman signed on to direct the episode of NBCs television series Heist. His film adaptation of Steven Goulds science fiction novel Jumper was released in 2008, in 2009, he co-founded the website 30ninjas. com which is geared towards fans of action movies and television, gaming, extreme sports and viral videos. He also maintains a blog on the site and he directed 2010s Fair Game, about the Plame affair, which competed for the Palme dOr at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
12.
As Good as It Gets
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As Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic and obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a mother with a chronically ill son. The screenplay was written by Mark Andrus and Brooks, the paintings were created for the film by New York artist Billy Sullivan. It is ranked 140th on Empire magazines The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time list, Melvin Udall is a misanthrope who works at home as a best-selling novelist in New York City. He suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder which, paired with his misanthropy and he takes an interest in his waitress, Carol Connelly, the only server at the restaurant who can tolerate his behavior. One day, Melvins apartment neighbor, a gay artist named Simon Bishop, is assaulted, Melvin is intimidated by Simons agent, Frank Sachs, into caring for Simons dog, Verdell, while Simon is hospitalized. Although he initially does not enjoy caring for the dog, Melvin becomes emotionally attached to it and he simultaneously receives more attention from Carol. When Simon is released from the hospital, Melvin is unable to cope emotionally with returning the dog, Melvins life is further altered when Carol decides to work closer to her home in Brooklyn so she can care for her acutely asthmatic son Spencer. Unable to adjust to another waitress, Melvin arranges through his publisher, whose husband is a doctor and she is overwhelmed at his generosity, and they agree there will be no physical relationship. Meanwhile, Simons assault and rehabilitation, coupled with Verdells preference for Melvin, Simon is approaching bankruptcy due to his medical bills. Frank convinces him to go to Baltimore to ask his parents for money. Because Frank is too busy to take the injured Simon to Baltimore himself, Melvin invites Carol to accompany them on the trip to lessen the awkwardness. She reluctantly accepts the invitation, and relationships among the three develop, once in Baltimore, Carol persuades Melvin to take her out to have dinner. Melvins comments during the dinner greatly flatter—and subsequently upset—Carol, and she abruptly leaves, upon seeing the frustrated Carol, Simon begins to sketch her semi-nude in his hotel room and rekindles his creativity, once more feeling a desire to paint. He briefly reconnects with his parents, but is able to tell them that hell be fine, after returning to New York, Carol tells Melvin that she does not want him in her life anymore. She later regrets her statement and calls him to apologize, the relationship between Melvin and Carol remains complicated until Simon convinces Melvin to declare his love for her. Melvin goes to see Carol, who is hesitant, but agrees to try, the film ends with Melvin and Carol walking together. As he opens the door at an early morning pastry shop for Carol, he realizes that he has stepped on a crack in the pavement, the soundtrack features instrumental pieces composed by Hans Zimmer and songs by various artists
13.
James L. Brooks
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James Lawrence Jim Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life, after dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the CBS News broadcasts. He moved to Los Angeles in 1965 to work on David L. Wolpers documentaries, after being laid off he met producer Allan Burns who secured him a job as a writer on the series My Mother the Car. Brooks wrote for several shows before being hired as an editor on My Friend Tony. Grant Tinker hired Brooks and Burns at MTM Productions to create The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970, the show, one of the first to feature an independent working woman as its lead character, was critically acclaimed and won Brooks several Primetime Emmy Awards. Brooks and Burns then created two successful spin-offs from Mary Tyler Moore in the shape of Rhoda and Lou Grant, Brooks left MTM Productions in 1978 to co-create the sitcom Taxi which, despite winning multiple Emmys, suffered from low ratings and was canceled twice. Brooks moved into film work when he wrote and co-produced the 1979 film Starting Over. His next project was the acclaimed film Terms of Endearment. Basing his next film, Broadcast News, on his journalistic experiences, although his 1994 work Ill Do Anything was hampered by negative press attention due to the cutting of all of its recorded musical numbers, As Good as It Gets earned further praise. It was seven years until his film, 2004s Spanglish. His sixth film, How Do You Know, was released in 2010, Brooks also produced and mentored Cameron Crowe on Say Anything. And Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson on Bottle Rocket, in 1984, Brooks founded the television and film company, Gracie Films. Although he did not intend to do so, Brooks returned to television in 1987 as the producer of The Tracey Ullman Show and he hired cartoonist Matt Groening to create a series of shorts for the show, which eventually led to The Simpsons in 1989. The Simpsons won numerous awards and is still running, Brooks also co-produced and co-wrote the 2007 film adaptation of the show, The Simpsons Movie. In total, Brooks has received 47 Emmy nominations, winning 20 of them, Brooks was born James Lawrence Brooks on May 9,1940 in Brooklyn, New York, United States, and raised in North Bergen, New Jersey. His parents, Dorothy Helen and Edward M. Brooks, were both salespeople, the Brooks family was Jewish, Edward Brooks changed his surname from Bernstein and claimed to be Irish. Brooks father abandoned his mother when he found out she was pregnant with him, during the pregnancy, Brooks father sent his wife a postcard stating that If its a boy, name him Jim. His mother died when he was 22 and he has an older sister, Diane, who helped look after him as a child and to whom he dedicated As Good As It Gets
14.
Deconstructing Harry
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Deconstructing Harry is a 1997 comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. The central plot features Block driving to a university from which he was thrown out. Three passengers accompany him on the journey, a prostitute, a friend, and his son, however, there are many flashbacks, segments taken from Blocks writing, and interactions with his own fictional characters. Deconstructing Harry received moderately positive reviews from critics, one night, Lucy gets a taxi to the home of author Harry Block. She has just read Harrys latest novel, in the novel, the character Leslie is having an affair with her sisters husband Ken. Lucy is angry because the novel is based on her and Harrys own affair, as a result. Lucy pulls a gun out of her purse, saying she will kill herself and she then turns the gun on Harry and begins firing. She chases him out onto the roof, Harry insists that he has already been punished, his latest girlfriend Fay has left him for his best friend Larry. To distract Lucy, Harry tells her a story he is currently writing, in therapy, Harry realizes he has not changed since he was a sex-obsessed youth. Harry discusses the honoring ceremony at his old university, taking place the next day, after the session, Harry asks his ex-wife Joan if he can take their son Hilliard to the ceremony. She refuses, stating that Harry is a bad influence on Hilliard and she is also furious at Harry for the novel he wrote. In it, the character Epstein marries Helen, but the marriage begins to crumble after the birth of their son, Harry runs into an acquaintance, Richard, who is worried about his health. After accompanying Richard to the hospital, Harry asks him to come to the university ceremony, Harry then goes to meet his ex-girlfriend Fay, who reveals that she is now engaged. Harry begs Fay to get together with him. He asks Fay to accompany him to his ceremony, but it clashes with Fays wedding and that night, Harry sleeps with a prostitute, Cookie. Harry then asks Cookie to accompany him to his ceremony, in the morning, Richard unexpectedly arrives to join Harry and Cookie on the journey. On a whim, Harry decides to kidnap his son Hilliard, along the way, they stop at a carnival, then at Harrys half-sister Doriss. Doris, a devoted Jew, is upset by Harrys portrayals of Judaism in his stories, during the journey, Harry also encounters his fictional creations Ken and Helen, who force him to confront some painful truths about his life
15.
The Full Monty
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The Full Monty is a 1997 British comedy-drama film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy, Gaz declares that their show will be better than the Chippendales dancers because they will go the full monty—strip all the way—hence the films title. Despite being a comedy, the film touches on serious subjects such as unemployment, fathers rights, depression, impotence, homosexuality, body image, working class culture. The Full Monty was a critical success upon release and an unexpected international commercial success. It was the film in the UK until it was outsold by Titanic. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Music Score, the film was later adapted into a musical in 2000, and a play in 2013. The once-successful steel mills of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, have shut down, former steel workers Gary Gaz Schofield and Dave Horsefall have resorted to stealing scrap metal from the abandoned mills to sell. Gaz is facing trouble from his wife, Mandy and her boyfriend Barry over child support payments that he has failed to make since losing his job. Gazs son, Nathan, loves his father but wishes they could do more normal stuff in their time together, one day, Gaz spots a crowd of women lined up outside a local club to see a Chippendales striptease act. He gets the idea to form his own strip tease group using local men in hopes of making money to pay off his child support obligations. The first to join the group is Lomper, a security guard at the mill where Dave. Depressed, Lomper attempts suicide, but is rescued by Dave who convinces him to join the group, next, they recruit Gerald Cooper, their former foreman at the mill, who is hiding the fact that he is unemployed from his wife. Gaz and Dave see Gerald and his wife, Linda, at a dance class and recruit him to teach them some actual dance moves. The four men hold an audition to recruit more members and settle on Horse, an older man who is nevertheless a good dancer, and Guy. The six men begin to practice their act, Gaz then learns that he has to pay £100 in order to secure the club for the night. He cannot afford this, but Nathan gets the money out of his savings, when they are greeted by two local women while they put up posters for the show, Gaz boasts theyre better than the real Chippendales because they go the full monty. Dave drops out due to body image issues and gets a job as a security guard at Asda. The others do a public rehearsal at the mill in front of female relatives of Horse, but are caught mid-show by a passing policeman
16.
In & Out (film)
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In & Out is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Debbie Reynolds, and Wilford Brimley. It is a story by screenwriter Paul Rudnick. Joan Cusack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, the film became one of mainstream Hollywoods few attempts at a comedic gay movie of its era, and was widely noted at the time for a 12-second kiss between Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck. Cameron does indeed win the award and, in his speech, thanks Howard, adding. Howards family, friends, students, co-workers and Emily are shocked and he angrily reassures those who know him that he is heterosexual. Although the other reporters leave after getting their story, one stays behind, on-camera entertainment reporter Peter Malloy, Howard continues to be harassed and dismayed by the changed attitudes of everyone around him, and decides that he must sleep with Emily in order to prove his heterosexuality. Howard finds he cannot go through with it due to his conflicting emotions, Howard crosses paths with Peter, who reveals he is gay and, trying to provide a helpful ear, narrates his own experience in coming out to his family. Howard insists that he is not gay, prompting Peter to kiss him, although shocked, Howard reacts somewhat positively to the kiss. Howards final measure to restore his heterosexuality is the use of an audio cassette. During the wedding ceremony, Emily recites her vow without hesitation, the wedding is called off, and although Peter is proud of Howard, Howard is angry with himself for hurting Emily. Howard is fired from the school because of his outing, despite no longer being on the faculty, Howard attends the graduation ceremony to support his students. When one student who got into college—thanks to Howards hard work—learns that he was dismissed for being gay, he and his classmates proclaim themselves to be gay as well, Howards family follows suit, as do his friends, and all the townsfolk assembled. Having learned of the media blitz while in Los Angeles. Although Howard does not win Teacher of the Year, Cameron presents him with his Oscar, Howards wedding-crazy mother finally gets a wedding—her own, when she and her husband renew their vows. Howard, Peter and the rest of the townsfolk attend the reception, among the crowd are Emily and Cameron, who appear to have begun a relationship. Everyone dances to the Village Peoples song Macho Man, according to Frank Oz, production had to be stopped temporarily because we all got sick. because we all got the flu. Oz and Wilford Brimley did not get along during production, at first, Frank Oz asked Miles Goodman to do the music for In & Out. Goodman, who composed several of Ozs previous films, died before he could do so, a soundtrack was released on Tuesday, September 23,1997, featuring previously recorded songs as well as Marc Shaimans instrumental music composed for the film
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Frank Oz
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Frank Oz is an English-born American puppeteer, filmmaker and actor. His career began as a puppeteer, where he performed the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in The Muppet Show, and Cookie Monster, Bert, and Grover in Sesame Street. He is also known for being the puppeteer and voice of Yoda in the Star Wars films and his work as a director includes Little Shop of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, What About Bob. In & Out, Bowfinger, The Score and Death at a Funeral, Oz was born in Hereford, England, the son of Frances and Isidore Oznowicz, both of whom were puppeteers. His father was also a window trimmer and his parents moved to England after fighting the Nazis with the Dutch Brigades. Ozs Dutch/Polish father was Jewish and his Flemish mother was a lapsed Roman Catholic, Oz left England when he was six months old and lived in Belgium until he was five. Oz and his moved to Montana in 1951. They eventually settled in Oakland, California, Oz attended Oakland Technical High School and Oakland City College. He worked as a puppeteer at Childrens Fairyland as a teenager with the Vagabond Puppets, a production of the Oakland Recreation Department. Oz is known for his work as a puppeteer, performing with Jim Hensons Muppets and his characters have included Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle on The Muppet Show, and Grover, Cookie Monster and Bert on Sesame Street. In addition to performing a variety of characters, Oz has been one of the primary responsible for the development of the Muppets over the last 30 years. His puppetry work spans from 1963 to the present, although he retired completely from the Muppets in 2000, in 2001, his characters were taken over primarily by Eric Jacobson (with David Rudman as Cookie Monster. Oz is also known as the performer of Jedi Master Yoda from George Lucas Star Wars series, Jim Henson had originally been contacted by Lucas about possibly performing Yoda. Henson was pre-occupied and suggested Oz to be assigned as chief puppeteer, while Stuart Freeborn designed and fabricated the Yoda puppet, Oz performed the voice and puppet for Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and Star Wars, Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Oz also provided the voice of the computer-generated imagery Yoda in Star Wars, Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars, the conversion to CGI was met with some criticism among fans but Oz himself said that was exactly what should have done. Oz had a deal of creative input on the character and was himself responsible for creating the characters trademark syntax. Inspiration as a film-maker came to Oz upon a viewing of the film Touch of Evil, I think it opened up my view of film—that theres so much more that could be done. Actually, by breaking so many rules, he allowed other people to say, Hey, I can maybe think of some stuff and he just opened up the possibilities more for me
18.
My Best Friend's Wedding
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My Best Friends Wedding is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by P. J. Hogan, starring Julia Roberts. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a global box-office hit. It is considered as one of the best and classic comedy films of all time. The soundtrack song I Say a Little Prayer was covered by singer Diana King and featured heavily in the film, the soundtrack featured a number of Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs. A Chinese remake of the name was released in China on 5 August 2016. Julianne Potter, a 27-year-old New York City restaurant critic, receives a call from her lifelong friend Michael ONeal, in college, the two made an agreement that if neither of them were married by the time they turned 28, they would marry each other. Three weeks before her 28th birthday, Michael tells her that in four days, he will marry Kimmy Wallace, Julianne is disappointed that Michael will marry someone so wrong for him, and someone he has known for such a short time. She realizes that she is in love with Michael, and heads to Chicago, soon after arriving she meets Kimmy, who asks her to be the maid of honor. This sets off a subplot in which Julianne must pretend to be the maid of honor while secretly scheming ways to prevent the wedding from happening. When these tactics fail, George persuades Julianne to do the obvious, One morning, Michael gets Julianne alone and tells her that itll be the last time they ever get to be alone. He expresses some skepticism in marrying Kimmy, explaining that he and Kimmy dont share a song like he. Michael discreetly gives Julianne the invitation to him shes in love with him. Michael starts singing their song as he grabs Julianne and holds her while they dance one last time, in spite of this, Michael and Kimmy decide they do love each other and want to get married after all. Julianne and Michael then take a walk, with Julianne finally confessing her love to Michael and she asks him to marry her instead, and passionately kisses him. Kimmy witnesses this, and runs off, but Michael chases her, Julianne pursues Michael, but finally realizes he loves Kimmy. Julianne finds Michael at Chicago Union Station, where he is looking for Kimmy, despite his anger at her deception, Michael forgives Julianne, and they split up to look for Kimmy. Julianne then tracks down Kimmy in the bathroom of Comiskey Park, Kimmy, rightly furious with Julianne, confronts her, while the other women watch, immediately siding with Kimmy and are disgusted with Juliannes dirty tactics. Julianne, however, apologizes and explains to Kimmy that she kissed Michael unexpectedly, Julianne declares that Kimmy has won, and that she accepts Michaels decision
19.
Shakespeare in Love
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For the theatre adaptation, see Shakespeare in Love. Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama film directed by John Madden, written by Marc Norman, the film depicts an imaginary love affair involving Viola de Lesseps and playwright William Shakespeare while he was writing Romeo and Juliet. Several characters are based on figures, and many of the characters, lines. Shakespeare in Love won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, in 1593 London, William Shakespeare is a sometime player in the Lord Chamberlains Men and poor playwright for Philip Henslowe, owner of The Rose Theatre. Shakespeare is working on a new comedy, Romeo and Ethel, suffering from writers block, he has barely begun the play, but starts auditioning players. Viola de Lesseps, the daughter of a merchant, who has seen Shakespeares plays at court, disguises herself as Thomas Kent to audition. Shakespeare pursues Kent to Violas house and leaves a note with the nurse and he sneaks into the house with the minstrels playing that night at the ball, where her parents are arranging her betrothal to Lord Wessex, an impoverished aristocrat. While dancing with Viola, Shakespeare is struck speechless, and after being ejected by Wessex. Wessex also asks Wills name, to which he replies that he is Christopher Marlowe, when he discovers her true identity, they begin a secret affair. Inspired by her, Shakespeare writes quickly, with help from his friend and rival playwright Christopher Kit Marlowe, completely transforming the play into what will become Romeo, then, Viola is summoned to court to receive approval for her proposed marriage to Lord Wessex. Shakespeare accompanies her, disguised as her female cousin, there, he persuades Wessex to wager £50 that a play can capture the true nature of love, the exact amount Shakespeare requires to buy a share in the Chamberlains Men. Queen Elizabeth I declares that she will judge the matter when the occasion arises. When Richard Burbage, owner of the Curtain, finds out that Shakespeare has cheated him out of money and the play, he goes to the Rose Theatre with his Curtain Theatre Company. The Rose Theatre company drives Burbage and his out and then celebrate at the local pub. Viola is appalled when she learns Shakespeare is married, albeit separated from his wife, will discovers that Marlowe is dead, and thinks he is to blame. Lord Wessex suspects an affair between Shakespeare and his bride-to-be, because Wessex thinks that Will is Kit Marlowe, he approves of Kits death, and tells Viola the news. It is later learned that Marlowe had been killed in an accident, Viola finds out that Will is still alive, and declares her love for him. When Edmund Tilney, the Master of the Revels, is informed there is a player at The Rose
20.
Little Voice (film)
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Little Voice is a 1998 British musical film written and directed by Mark Herman and made in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The screenplay is based on Jim Cartwright’s play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Laura Hoff, an only child, is a reclusive young woman who lives with her mother in a working-class home in Scarborough. She is known as LV for her reticence and her mother Mari, a promiscuous woman with countless affairs, jilts a man when her passion wanes. Billy, an engineer who mends their phone, approaches LV by giving her information pamphlets. Things improve when Mari is seeing Ray, He hears the girl sing, spots her gift and vows to make her a star, while Mari, Ray arranges with Mr Boo for LV to sing at his club. But her performance is somewhat of a failure as she is overcome by stage fright. Ray sees that LV needs encouragement on stage and organises a big band, lights, Ray gives her a pep talk, persuading her to perform by portraying her act as a tribute to her father. LV, therefore, agrees to sing again, but only as a one-off, when LV is to sing at a nightclub, she visions her father to help perform well. LV brings the house down and is a storming success, Ray thinks she is his ticket to the big time and arranges for a London agent to come up and see LV perform the following night. As Ray, Mari and Mr Boo toast their success, LV murmurs that she agreed to sing only the one time. The following night LV passively remains in her bed and Ray’s futile attempts to goad LV are dashed, Mari, who still scorns her child, prods her against her will. The selfish natures of Ray and Mari are very much revealed in these scenes, at the cabaret club the London agent finally loses patience after several third rate acts fill the time in LVs absence and leaves. Ray sings Its over as his career disappears before everyones eyes, meanwhile, the faulty wiring at LVs home finally starts a fire, trapping LV in her upper room and is rescued by Billy. In a final showdown with her mother, after being accused by her mother of arson. Blaming Mari for her father’s death and her meek nature with her domineering attitude and she walks away saying her name isnt Little Voice, its Laura. Mari is left by everyone, Ray is facing his debt-collectors, brenda Blethyn as Mari Hoff Jane Horrocks as Laura Hoff / Little Voice LV Michael Caine as Ray Say, who manages third-rate acts Ewan McGregor as Billy Jim Broadbent as Mr. Y. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times felt the story was amusing but uneven, but the movie doesn’t quite deliver the way we think it will. One problem is that the Michael Caine character, sympathetic and funny in the opening and middle scenes, another is that the romance, and a manufactured crisis, distract from the true climax of the movie
21.
Pleasantville (film)
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Pleasantville is a 1998 fantasy comedy-drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Gary Ross, and co-produced by Jon Kilik, Bob Degus, and Steven Soderbergh. It stars Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen, William H. Macy, J. T. Walsh, and Reese Witherspoon, with Don Knotts, Paul Walker, and Jane Kaczmarek in supporting roles. The story centers around two siblings who wind up trapped in a 1950s TV show, set in a small Iowa town, in their attempts to get comfortable, the two become more aware of social issues such as racism and freedom of speech. The film was released in the United States by New Line Cinema on October 23,1998. It was a box office bomb, only acquiring about $49.8 million of a $60 million budget, but received positive reviews for its visuals, acting, the film was J. T. Walshs final performance, and was dedicated to his memory. David and his twin sister Jennifer lead very different high-school social lives, Jennifer is shallow and extroverted, David is introverted and spends most of his time watching television. One evening while their mother is away, they fight over the TV, Jennifer wants to watch a concert on MTV, but David wants to watch a marathon of Pleasantville, a black and white 1950s sitcom about the idyllic Parker family. During the fight, the remote control breaks, and the TV cannot be turned on manually, a mysterious TV repairman shows up, quizzes David about Pleasantville, then gives him a strange remote control. The repairman leaves, and David and Jennifer resume fighting, however, they are transported into the Parkers black and white Pleasantville living room. David tries to reason with the repairman, but he succeeds only in chasing him away, David and Jennifer must now pretend they are Bud and Mary Sue Parker, the son and daughter on the show. David and Jennifer witness the wholesome nature of the town, such as a group of firemen rescuing a cat from a tree. David tells Jennifer they must stay in character and not disrupt the lives of the towns citizens, to keep the shows plot, Jennifer dates a boy from high school but has sex with him, a concept unknown to him and everyone else in town. Slowly, Pleasantville begins changing from black and white to color, including flowers, David introduces Mr. Johnson, owner of the burger joint/soda fountain where Bud works, to colorful modern art via a book from the library, sparking in him an interest in painting. Johnson and Betty Parker fall in love, causing her to home, throwing George Parker, Bud and Mary Sues father. The only people who remain unchanged are the fathers, led by the mayor, Big Bob. They resolve to do something about their increasingly independent wives and rebellious children, as the townsfolk become more colorful, a ban on colored people is initiated in public venues. Eventually, a riot is touched off by a painting of Betty on the window of Mr. Johnsons soda fountain. The soda fountain is destroyed, books are burned, and people who are colored are harassed in the street
22.
Waking Ned
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Waking Ned is a 1998 comedy film by English writer and director Kirk Jones. It stars Ian Bannen, David Kelly, and Fionnula Flanagan, Kelly was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for his role as Michael OSullivan. The film is set in Ireland but was filmed in the Isle of Man and it was produced by Canal+ and the British studio Tomboy Films and distributed by the American company Fox Searchlight Pictures. They obtain a list of customers from Mrs. Kennedy at the post office and invite the potential winners to a chicken dinner. He finds Ned in his home in front of the TV, still holding the ticket in his hand and that same night, Jackie has a dream that the deceased Ned wants to share the winnings with his friends, as he has no family to claim the ticket. Jackie wakes up after the dream, and before dawn, he, elsewhere in the village, Maggie OToole continues to spurn the romantic interests of her old flame, Pig Finn, a local pig farmer. Finn is convinced they belong together, as he thinks he is the father of her son Maurice, Finn has a rival in Pat Mulligan, also hoping to marry Maggie. Jackie and Michael call the National Lottery to make the claim, the inspector, Mr. Kelly, arrives to find Jackie on the beach and asks him for directions to Neds cottage. Jackie delays Kelly by taking him on a route while Michael races to the cottage on a motorcycle, completely naked. After discovering that the winnings are far greater than they anticipated, Jackie. All the villagers sign their name to a pact to participate in the ruse, except one—the local curmudgeon and she threatens to report the fraud in order to receive a ten-percent reward, and attempts to blackmail Jackie for £1 million of the winnings. Jackie agrees, but does not actually intend to pay her more than her fair share, the villagers go to great lengths to fool the inspector, even pretending Neds funeral is a service for Michael when the inspector wanders into the church. The inspector leaves, satisfied that the claim is legitimate, meanwhile, Quinn makes her way to the nearest working phone, a phone box outside the village on the edge of a cliff, and phones the lottery office. At the celebration, Jackie spots Maggie, who is content to marry Finn now that he has the money to give up pig farming, Maggie confides in him that Ned is Maurices real father, meaning that Maurice is technically entitled to the entire winnings. Jackie urges her to claim the fortune for Maurice, but she demurs, determined to keep the secret so that Maurice will have a father and the villagers will have their money. Finally, Jackie, Michael, Maurice, and several other villagers stand on a headland and raise their glasses to Ned, Jones originally developed the idea for Waking Ned as a roughly 10-minute short film, but later expanded the work into a full-length script. In a 2013 interview, Jones reflected, Investors responded to the humour and engaging story and came on board, I was grateful to the cast and crew who agreed to work for reduced fees in order to get the film made. When the film was finished, we put it in the boot of a car and drove to Cannes where we screened it and sold it to Fox Searchlight in the US, where it was released later that year
23.
Kirk Jones (director)
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Kirk Jones is an English film director and screenwriter. Jones was born in Bristol, England and he grew up in Long Ashton, Bristol and attended Backwell Secondary School in the 1970s then going on to Newport Film School from 1985–87, specializing in directing drama and television commercials. He graduated in 1987 after winning a National Student Film Award, kirks producer, Glynis Murray set up Tomboy Films in 1991 and he joined her soon after. His campaign for Heinz won a Silver Lion at Cannes in ’96, Kirk was nominated for a BAFTA as ‘Best Newcomer’ in 1999 for his first feature film WAKING NED, which he both wrote and directed. Proportionate to budget, Waking Ned was the second highest-grossing film in the world that year and won awards in the U. S and Europe. These included, New York Comedy Film Festival for Best Feature, Grand Jury, in 2005, Kirk directed his second feature film Nanny McPhee for Working Title and Universal Pictures. Starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, it was a top ten highest-grossing film in the UK with $30m, in 2008, Kirk wrote and directed his third film Everybodys Fine. Starring Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell, it is an adaptation of an Italian film and was released through Miramax 2009 and Disney worldwide in 2010
24.
You've Got Mail
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Youve Got Mail is a 1998 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Nora Ephron, co-written by Nora and Delia Ephron, and starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The film is about two people in a romance who are unaware that they are also business rivals. It marks the third coupling of stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, Youve Got Mail received mildly positive reviews from critics. Kathleen Kelly is involved with Frank Navasky, a leftist newspaper writer for The New York Observer who is always in search of an opportunity to root for the underdog, while Frank is devoted to his typewriter, Kathleen prefers her laptop and logging into her AOL email account. Using the screen name Shopgirl, she reads an email from NY152, as her voice narrates her reading of the email, she reveals the boundaries of the online relationship, no specifics, including no names, career or class information, or family connections. Joe belongs to the Fox family which runs Fox Books — a chain of mega bookstores, Kathleen runs the independent bookstore The Shop Around The Corner that her mother ran before her. The two are shown passing each other on their ways to work, revealing that they frequent the same neighborhoods in upper west Manhattan. Joe arrives at work, overseeing the opening of a new Fox Books in New York City with the help of his best friend, Kathleen and her three store assistants, George, Aunt Birdie and Christina open up her small shop that morning. Following a day with his eleven-year-old aunt Annabel and four-year-old half-brother Matthew, Joe and Kathleen have a conversation that reveals Kathleens fears about the Fox Books store opening around the corner. He omits his last name and makes an exit with the children. At a publishing party for New York book business people later that week, Joe and Kathleen meet again and she accuses him of deception and spying, while he responds by belittling her store. The Shop Around the Corner slowly goes under, Kathleen enters Fox Books to discover the true nature of the store is one of friendliness and relaxation, yet without the same dedication to childrens books as her shop. Her employees move on to jobs, as Christina goes job hunting, George gets a job at the childrens department at a Fox Books store. They are exchanging emails without knowing each others true identities -, in some chance meetings Fox at first conceals his identity and then they clash, without realizing who each is. When they decide to meet, Joe discovers who he has been corresponding with, at first he decides not to meet with her, but then to meet with her without revealing his on-line identity, but they again clash. Joe soon resumes the correspondence, apologizes, and promises to tell her why he stood her up. After both break up with their significant others, Joe realizes his feelings towards Kathleen, and begins building a face-to-face relationship and he arranges a meeting between Kathleen and his on-line persona, but just before she is to meet this on-line friend, he reveals his feelings for her. Upon arriving at the meeting place, she hears Fox calling to Brinkley, who has run ahead, and sees that her on-line friend is really Fox
25.
Nora Ephron
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Nora Ephron was an American journalist, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, novelist, producer, director, and blogger. Ephron is best known for her comedies and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Writing, for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally. She won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for When Harry Met Sally and she sometimes wrote with her sister Delia Ephron. Her last film was Julie & Julia and she also co-authored the Drama Desk Award–winning theatrical production Love, Loss, and What I Wore. In 2013, Ephron received a posthumous Tony Award nomination for Best Play for her play Lucky Guy, Ephron was born in New York City to a Jewish family, the eldest of four daughters, and grew up in Beverly Hills. Her parents, Henry Ephron and Phoebe Wolkind Ephron, were both East Coast-born and were noted playwrights and screenwriters, noras younger sisters, Delia and Amy, are also screenwriters. Her sister Hallie Ephron is a journalist, book reviewer, ephrons parents based the ingenue character in the play and film version of Take Her, Shes Mine on the 22-year-old Nora and her letters from college. Both her parents became alcoholics during their declining years, Ephron graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1958, and from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, in 1962 with a degree in political science. Her first marriage, to writer Dan Greenburg, ended in divorce nine years. In 1976, she married journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame, in 1979, Ephron had a toddler son, Jacob, and was pregnant with her second son Max when she discovered Bernsteins affair with their mutual friend, married British politician Margaret Jay. Ephron was inspired by this to write the 1983 novel Heartburn, in the book, Ephron wrote of a husband named Mark, who was capable of having sex with a Venetian blind. She also wrote that the character Thelma looked like a giraffe with big feet, Bernstein threatened to sue over the book and film, but he never did. Ephron was married for more than 20 years to screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi until her death, the couple lived in New York City. Although Jewish by birth, Ephron was not religious and you can never have too much butter – that is my belief. If I have a religion, thats it, she quipped in an NPR interview about her 2009 movie, Julie & Julia and her son, Jacob Bernstein, directed an HBO movie on her life called Everything Is Copy. After graduating from Wellesley College in 1962, Ephron worked briefly as an intern in the White House of President John F. Kennedy and she also applied to be a writer at Newsweek. After she was told they didn’t hire women writers, she accepted a position as a mail girl, after a satire she wrote lampooning the New York Post caught the editors eye, Ephron landed a job at the Post, where she stayed as a reporter for five years. In 1966, she broke the news in the Post that Bob Dylan had married Sara Lownds in a private ceremony three-and-a-half months before, upon becoming a successful writer, she wrote a column on womens issues for Esquire
26.
Being John Malkovich
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Being John Malkovich is a 1999 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, both making their feature film debut. The film stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, with John Malkovich, the film follows a puppeteer who finds a portal that leads into Malkovichs mind. Released by USA Films, the film was nominated in three categories at the 72nd Academy Awards, Best Director for Jonze, Best Original Screenplay for Kaufman, Craig Schwartz is an unemployed puppeteer in a forlorn marriage with his pet-obsessed wife Lotte. Gaining a file clerk job through Dr. Craig enters a door hidden behind a filing cabinet. Craig is able to observe and sense whatever Malkovich does for fifteen minutes before he is ejected and dropped into a ditch near the New Jersey Turnpike and he reveals the portal to Maxine and they let others use it for $200 a turn. Craig tells Lotte, who becomes obsessed with the experience, allowing her to out her transgender desires. Lotte becomes attracted to Maxine and they begin a relationship via Lotte being inside Malkovichs head while Maxine has sex with Malkovich. Craig, forsaken by both women, binds and gags Lotte and locks her in a cage, then enters Malkovichs mind and has sex with Maxine, Craig discovers that he is able to control Malkovichs actions while in his head, causing the actor to become paranoid. He is ejected and meets Craig by the turnpike, Malkovich demands that the portal be closed, but Craig refuses. Lotte escapes with the help of the animals in the cage and phones Maxine, Maxine is annoyed but accepts it as she enjoyed the experience. Seeking help, Lotte finds Lester, who reveals himself to be Captain Mertin and he is aware of the portal and has a room dedicated to Malkovich. Lester explains that the connected to it becomes ripe for occupation on the eve of their 44th birthday. However, after the old host turns 44, the moves to its next host. The former allows one to increase their life before moving on to another host while the means being trapped within the unborn child. Lester, who has been using the portal to prolong his life, reveals his plan to use Malkovich for himself, offered the chance to join Lesters group, Lotte warns him that Craig has control. Craig finds he is able to remain in Malkovich indefinitely and he spends the next eight months in Malkovichs body, and through his control turns Malkovich into a world-famous puppeteer. Malkovich marries Maxine and learns that she is pregnant as their relationship grows distant, as Malkovichs 44th birthday approaches, Lester and his friends cut a deal with Maxine and fake her kidnapping. They call up Craig threatening to kill her if Craig does not leave Malkovich, Craig ends the call, causing Lester to think that he called their bluff
27.
Spike Jonze
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Spike Jonze is an American director, producer, screenwriter and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television. Jonze is well known for his music video collaborations with Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, Weezer, the Beastie Boys, Björk and he was a co-creator and executive producer of MTVs Jackass. He is currently the director of Vice Media, Inc. He is part owner of skateboard company Girl Skateboards with riders Rick Howard and he co-founded Directors Label, with filmmakers Chris Cunningham and Michel Gondry, and the Palm Pictures company. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, Best Director for Being John Malkovich and he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay, the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay, and the 2014 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Her. Jonze was born on October 22,1969 in Rockville, Maryland and his father, Arthur H. Spiegel III, was a distant relation of the Spiegel catalog family, and founded APM Management Consultants. His mother, Sandra L. Granzow, is a writer, communications consultant in developing countries and his brother, Sam Squeak E. Clean Spiegel, is a producer and DJ. He also has a sister, Julia and his father was from a German Jewish family, while his mother has German, Scottish, and English ancestry. Jonze attended the San Francisco Art Institute in San Francisco, California, when he was a junior in high school, Jonze spent time at a Bethesda community store, where the former owner Mike Henderson gave him his nickname Spike Jonze in reference to Spike Jones. He fronted Club Homeboy, an international BMX club, with Mark Lew Lewman and Andy Jenkins, the three also created the youth culture magazines Homeboy and Dirt. In 2006, he was nominated by the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Achievement in Commercials in 2005 and he was nominated for a body of work that included Hello Tomorrow for Adidas, Lamp for IKEA, and Pardon Our Dust for The Gap. He was a producer and co-creator of MTV television series Jackass and Jackass, The Movie, also directing some of the segments. Jonze has acted in videos and films, his most prominent role was in Three Kings as the sweet, dimwitted, casually racist Conrad. Jonze was a co-founder and editor of Dirt magazine along with Mark Lewman and Andy Jenkins, as well as an editor for Grand Royal Magazine and senior photographer for Transworld Skateboarding. In the past, Jonze shot street skateboarding videos, most notably Blinds highly influential Video Days in 1991 and he co-directed the Girl Skateboards film Yeah Right. and the Chocolate Skateboards video Hot Chocolate. In the closing montage of Yeah Right. Spike is shown doing a nollie heelflip in loafers and he is co-owner of Girl Skateboards. Jonze has many alter egos, including Richard Koufey, the leader of the Torrance Community Dance Group, the Koufey persona appeared when Jonze, in character, filmed himself dancing to Fatboy Slims The Rockafeller Skank as it played on a boom box in a public area
28.
Bowfinger
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Bowfinger is a 1999 American satirical comedy film directed by Frank Oz. It depicts a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a budget with a star who does not know that he is in the film. It was written by Steve Martin, to himself, Eddie Murphy in two roles, and Heather Graham as a vapid, ambitious starlet. The film was released on August 13,1999 and grossed $98 million, z-grade film producer Bobby Bowfinger is extremely eager to direct a B-movie of his own and has saved up for it his entire life — he now has $2,184 to pay for production costs. He has a script penned by an accountant, Afrim, and he manages to extract a promise from a film studio executive, Jerry Renfro, that the executive will distribute the film if it includes currently-hot action star Kit Ramsey. Ramsey — a rather pompous, neurotic, and paranoid actor — refuses, the plan goes well at first, Ramsey ends up starring in the film. However, Ramsey misinterprets the movies dialogue and believes he is being stalked by aliens. He finally goes into hiding in order to maintain his sanity and this puts a hold on the film production, and leaves Bowfinger wondering what to do next. A desperate Bowfinger resorts to hiring a Ramsey lookalike named Jiff, Jiff is kind, amiable and rather clueless. He even runs through a gauntlet of stunt drivers racing along a freeway when asked. Eventually, he becomes depressed about his lack of acting talent, Jiff is not sure how much of a talent that is. I mean, I am his brother. Using this new knowledge, Bowfinger has Jiff find out Kit Ramseys movements, all Bowfinger needs to shoot is the final scene at an observatory, with Ramsey shouting the final line Gotcha suckers. During the filming, Ramsey becomes terrified and thinks that they are real aliens, at this point, Ramseys mentor at MindHead, Terry Stricter, has discovered evidence that Kits aliens may not be just in his head. MindHead officials track Bowfinger to the observatory, and shut down production and it seems Bowfinger will never get his film. That is until his camera crew reveals that they were filming B-roll footage of Ramsey off-set, what they got was footage of Ramsey donning a paper bag over his head and exposing himself to an amused Laker Girl Cheerleading Squad. Bowfinger shows the footage to MindHead, and blackmails them, threatening to take the footage public, knowing that this material could ruin Ramseys career, MindHead advises the star to finish the project. Bowfinger finally gets to sit at the premiere of a film he himself directed, following the arguable success of the film, Bowfinger receives a rare Fed-Ex envelope—an offer to film a martial arts film called Fake Purse Ninjas starring Bowfinger and Jiff Ramsey. Steve Martin as Robert Bobby K. Bowfinger Eddie Murphy as Kit Ramsey / Jiffrenson Jiff Ramsey Heather Graham as Daisy Christine Baranski as Carol Terence Stamp as Terry Stricter Robert Downey, Jr
29.
Dick (film)
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Dick is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Andrew Fleming from a script he wrote with Sheryl Longin. It is a parody retelling the events of the Watergate scandal which ended the presidency of Richard Nixon and features several cast members from Saturday Night Live and The Kids in the Hall. Betsy Jobs and Arlene Lorenzo are two sweet-natured but somewhat ditzy teenage girls living in Washington D. C. in the early 1970s, betsy comes from a wealthy family in the Georgetown area, while Arlene lives with her widowed mother in an apartment in the Watergate building. One night, on a quest to mail a letter to enter a contest to win a date with teen idol singer Bobby Sherman and they manage to enter and leave through the parking garage by taping the latch of a door, accidentally causing the break-in to be discovered. They are seen by G. Gordon Liddy, who believe to be committing a jewel robbery, they panic. The security guard, startled by the door, calls the police. The next day, while at the White House on a school tour and they dont recognize him, but he recognizes them and instantly becomes suspicious. He points them out to H. R, the girls are naturally awestruck at being in the same room as Nixon — but more awestruck at being able to play with his dog, which gives Nixon an idea. In order to keep their silence, he appoints them his official dog-walkers, which means they must be admitted repeatedly to the White House. On these visits they accidentally influence major events such as the Vietnam peace process, Arlene, previously infatuated with Bobby Sherman, now falls equally hard for the president. Just after reading an 18½-minute message of love into his recorder, she plays back another part of the tape and, after hearing his coarse, brutal rantings. When they confront Nixon, he fires and threatens them, the girls now reevaluate what they have learned and decide to reveal everything to the radical muckraking bastards at The Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. So they become informants, two 15-year-old girls are the identity of the famous Deep Throat. Woodward and Bernstein — portrayed as petty, childish, and incompetent — are naturally skeptical of the two girls. To make matters worse, their only piece of physical evidence, eventually pushed to the limit after being chased by the Watergate plumbers, the girls decide to take action, sneaking into Haldemans house, they manage to find and steal a crucial tape recording. They give a transcription of it to Woodward and Bernstein thus ending Nixons political career, Nixon, finds Arlenes message on his tape and erases it, reasoning that hed be crucified if it was perceived that he had an affair with a 15-year-old girl. After the resignation, as Nixons helicopter flies over Betsys house, writers Andrew Fleming and Sheryl Longin attempted to write several different scripts with teenage girls as protagonists. The idea of using the Watergate scandal came from a real-life experience Longin had with Nixon when her family stayed at the hotel as Nixon
30.
Election (1999 film)
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Election is a 1999 American black comedy-drama film directed and written by Alexander Payne and adapted by him and Jim Taylor from Tom Perrottas 1998 novel of the same title. The plot revolves around a school election and satirizes both suburban high school life and politics. When Tracy qualifies to run for president, McAllister believes she does not deserve the title. Although a box office bomb, Election received critical acclaim, Jim McAllister is a high school teacher in the suburbs of Omaha, Nebraska whose enthusiastic involvement at school masks his frustration with other aspects of his life. Tracy Flick is a senior with a secret vindictive and sexual side. Earlier in the year, Tracy had an affair with another teacher, as a result, Dave was fired and divorced by his wife Linda, Tracy, however, walked away without reprisal or punishment. Tracy announces that she is running for student body president, which horrifies McAllister, set to run unopposed, McAllister decides to teach Tracy a lesson in humility by introducing another candidate. Paul Metzler is a polite and popular player at the school. However, Paul is unable to play football his final year due to a broken leg, McAllister convinces him to register for the election, giving him new purpose. This serves to bring out Tracys vindictiveness, as she is jealous of Paul’s ease at begin successful, meanwhile, Pauls younger sister Tammy is dumped by her lover, Lisa, who says that she is straight and was just experimenting. Lisa quickly becomes Pauls new girlfriend and campaign manager, in part to anger Tammy, in retaliation, Tammy decides to run for president as well, with a platform that student government is a sham. This rallies the student body to a standing ovation, fearing the student body will not vote, Tammy is suspended and kicked out of the election. While at school two nights later, Tracy tries to fix one of her posters, but accidentally tears it, in a fit of uncharacteristic rage, she destroys all of Pauls campaign posters. The next day, she claims innocence and threatens legal action against the school when McAllister accuses her, however, Tammy confesses to Tracys crime after witnessing her disposing of the refuse by the town factory. She is then transferred to a parochial school for girls. Jim, who is attracted to Linda, kisses her spontaneously the day before the election. Linda asks Jim to rent a room for a later rendezvous. He returns home to find Linda and his wife talking together, knowing hes been caught, he spends the night in his car
31.
Alexander Payne
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Alexander Payne is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer, known for the films Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants, and Nebraska. His films are noted for their humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society. Payne is a winner of the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Payne was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Peggy and George Payne, Payne is the youngest of three sons and grew up in what is now known as the Dundee-Happy Hollow Historic District, the same neighborhood as billionaire Warren Buffett. His father is of Greek and German descent, and his mother is of Greek ancestry and his paternal grandfather, Nicholas Nick Payne, anglicized the last name from Papadopoulos. His family comes from three areas in Greece, the island of Syros, Livadia, and Aegio, Paynes family was part of the fabric of Omaha, which he references as part of his upbringing. His grandfather was a founder of The Virginia Cafe, with Paynes father taking over the restaurant, Payne went there regularly as a child. The restaurant was destroyed in a fire in 1969, the W. Dale Clark Library is now located on the site, Paynes paternal grandmother, Clara Payne, was from a German Nebraska family from Lincoln, Nebraska. In Omaha, Payne attended Brownell-Talbot School, Dundee Elementary School and he graduated from Creighton Prep for high school in 1979. At Prep, Payne wrote a column for his high school newspaper and was the editor of the high school yearbook. Payne then attended Stanford University, where he majored in Spanish. Payne got his MFA in 1990 from the UCLA Film School, in the 1960s, Paynes father received a Super 8mm projector from Kraft Foods as a loyalty reward, and eventually passed it on to his son when Alexander was about 14 years old. The ensuing screenplay, which was turned down, would ultimately become About Schmidt and he says that he cleared about $60,000, which was enough to fund his simple lifestyle at the time for about five years. Payne sees his talent as being one of learned economy and he refers to the essay written by Tennessee Williams on The Catastrophe of Success. Payne worked in various capacities on films and television before he co-wrote and directed his first full-length film, Payne was nominated for an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay for Election. In 2003 he received a Golden Globe for his screenplay for About Schmidt, to the surprise of many who kept track of Hollywood news, Payne and his writing partner Jim Taylor were not nominated for an Oscar for the About Schmidt screenplay. He won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe in 2005 for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sideways, while the film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. In total, Sideways received five Academy Award nominations, Payne returned to directing in 2011 after a seven-year hiatus with the film The Descendants, starring George Clooney
32.
An Ideal Husband (1999 film)
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An Ideal Husband is a 1999 film based on the play An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde. The film stars Jeremy Northam, Rupert Everett, Julianne Moore, Minnie Driver and it was directed by Oliver Parker. It was selected as the 1999 Cannes Film Festivals closing film, sir Robert Chiltern is a successful Government minister, well-off and with a loving wife. All this is threatened when Mrs. Cheveley appears in London with damning evidence of a past misdeed, sir Robert turns for help to his friend Lord Goring, an apparently idle philanderer and the despair of his father. Goring knows the lady of old and the plot to help his friend has unintended consequences, Cate Blanchett – Lady Gertrude Chiltern Minnie Driver – Miss Mabel Chiltern Rupert Everett – Lord Arthur Goring Julianne Moore – Mrs. Paper Magazine called it a witty comedy. It received a review from Roger Ebert. The New York Observer said it was immensely entertaining, on RottenTomatoes. com it has a positive review rating of 86% Fresh. Moore won the National Board of Review award for Supporting Actress for her performances, official website An Ideal Husband at the Internet Movie Database An Ideal Husband at Box Office Mojo
33.
Notting Hill (film)
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Notting Hill is a 1999 British romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, released on 21 May 1999. The screenplay was by Richard Curtis, who had written Four Weddings and a Funeral, the film stars Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, and Hugh Bonneville. Notting Hill was well received by critics and became the highest grossing British film released that year, the film won a BAFTA, was nominated in two other categories, and won other awards, including a British Comedy Award and a Brit Award for the soundtrack. William Will Thacker owns an independent book store, The Travel Book Co. in Notting Hill and he is divorced and shares his house with an eccentric, care-free Welshman named Spike and has a small, tight knit group of friends that includes his sister, Honey. Will encounters Hollywood superstar Anna Scott when she enters his shop, minutes later, they collide in the street and his drink spills on her clothes. Will offers his house nearby for Anna to change, before leaving, she impulsively kisses him and then asks him not to mention what just occurred. Days later, Spike belatedly relays a message from Anna, will calls and she invites him to visit her at the Ritz Hotel. Anna calls him back in and says she has cleared her evening, will is exhilarated, before remembering that he is expected at his sister Honeys birthday party, Anna surprises him by offering to be his date. At the house of Wills friends Max and Bella, Anna fits in perfectly as all share stories. Honey immediately recognizes Anna and declares them best friends instantly and she and Will share a private moment in a garden square as they walk back from the birthday party. The following evening they go to a restaurant, where Will overhears a group of patrons making crude remarks about Anna and attempts to defend her, before Anna steps in herself, as they walk back to her hotel, she invites Will up to her room. But when he arrives, she tells him he must leave immediately and her American movie star boyfriend appears and starts to bark orders at him, as well as make unflattering comments about Annas weight. Anna is apologetic and embarrassed, while a stunned Will leaves. Over the next six months, Max and Bella set Will up on a series of dates, trying to help him move on, however Will, still hung up on Anna. One day, a distraught Anna appears at Wills doorstep, some pre-stardom nude photos have been published in the tabloids, once she calms down, they spend some time on the rooftop patio rehearsing lines from Annas next film. She also apologizes for the incident, telling Will her boyfriend simply showed up out of the blue. When she sees a poster of the Marc Chagall painting La Mariée on his kitchen wall and that night, Anna goes to him and they have sex. The next morning, the press besiege Wills house and get pictures of him and Anna half-dressed
34.
Roger Michell
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Roger Michell is a South African theatre, television and film director. Michell was born in Pretoria, South Africa but spent significant parts of his childhood in Beirut, Damascus and he was educated at Clifton College where he became a member of Browns house in 1968. He studied at Queens College, Cambridge and in 1977, he won the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company Buzz Goodbody Award, Michell graduated from Cambridge in 1977. Michell was married to the actress Kate Buffery, but they are now divorced and they have two children, daughter, actress Rosie and son Harry. His wife is now Anna Maxwell Martin, with whom he has two daughters named Nancy and Maggie, during this period, he also worked with stage manager Danny Boyle, who would also go on to a successful directing career. In 1979 he left the Royal Court Theatre and began writing and directing projects on his own, the most successful of these ventures was 1982s Private Dick a comedy which won the Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival. The play later debuted in Londons West End and featured Robert Powell as Philip Marlowe, in 1985, Michell joined the Royal Shakespeare Company where, over six years, he was an assistant director and then a resident director. At the RSC, Michell directed Some Americans Abroad, which transferred to Broadway in 1990, in 1993, he directed the acclaimed BBC miniseries adaptation of Hanif Kureishis autobiographical novel The Buddha of Suburbia, starring Naveen Andrews. He followed that with the BBC film Persuasion in 1995, after it won the 1995 BAFTA for Best Single Drama. The film was released in theatres in America to great success, Michell then directed My Night with Reg and Titanic Town. Michell was next chosen by Richard Curtis to direct his script Notting Hill, at the end of that film, Julia Robertss character is seen reading the novel Captain Corellis Mandolin as she and Hugh Grant relax in a park. This is a little in-joke, as it was to be Michells next film for the same company, however he had a health scare, which required him to pull out and be replaced by John Madden. He then directed the 2002 box office hit Changing Lanes starring Ben Affleck, in 2003, he directed The Mother, written by Hanif Kureishi and starring Daniel Craig. Craig also starred in Michells next film, Enduring Love, an adaptation of Ian McEwans novel, Michell then directed Peter OToole to an Oscar nomination in 2006s Venus, again written by Kureishi. Michell was in negotiations to work with Craig yet again in 2006 and direct the James Bond film Quantum of Solace and his next film was 2010s Morning Glory, a comedy starring Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford set in the world of morning news, produced by J. J. Michell directed Hyde Park on Hudson starring Bill Murray as United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 2013, Roger was announced as a new judge on the panel for the 2014 Norwich Film Festival
35.
Nurse Betty
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Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock play the hitmen who killed her husband and subsequently pursue her to Los Angeles. For her performance, Zellweger won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, in a small Kansas town, Betty, a diner waitress, is a fan of the soap opera A Reason to Love. She has no idea that her husband, Del, a car salesman, is having an affair and she also doesnt know that her husband supplements his income by selling drugs. When Betty calls to ask about borrowing a Buick LeSabre for her birthday, the LeSabre has drugs hidden in the trunk. Two hitmen, Charlie and Wesley, show up at the house and they torture Del into revealing that he has hidden the drugs in the trunk of the LeSabre, but Wesley scalps him anyway. Betty witnesses the murder and enters a state, assuming the identity of a nurse in the daytime drama. That evening, Sheriff Eldon Ballard, local reporter Roy Ostery and she seems oblivious to the murder, even with the investigation going on right in her house. At the police station, a psychiatrist examines her, Betty spends the night at her friends house, sleeping in a childs bedroom. In the middle of the night, she gets into the LeSabre, Betty stops at a bar in Arizona, where the bartender talks about her vacation in Rome, and Betty tells her that she was once engaged to a famous surgeon. Meanwhile, the two hitmen are in pursuit, having realized that Betty has the car with the drugs, as they search, Charlies heart begins to soften towards Betty, to Wesleys consternation. In Los Angeles, Betty tries to get a job as a nurse looking for her long-lost ex-fiancé. She is turned down due to having no résumé and references but manages to get a job in the pharmacy, despite an injunction against touching any patients, Betty becomes popular with them and their families. She ends up living with Rosa, a Hispanic legal secretary who offers to help Betty find her surgeon boyfriend, Rosa learns from a colleague that David is a soap opera character, and goes to the pharmacy window to confront Betty. Thinking her friend is jealous, Betty is impervious to the revelation, the lawyer supplies tickets to a charity function where George McCord, the actor portraying David, will be appearing. Betty meets George at the function, George is inclined to dismiss her as an overimaginative fan, but something about her compels him to talk to her. He begins to think that Betty is an actress determined to get a part in the soap opera, after three hours of her staying in character, he takes her home. George begins falling in love with her, and he and his producer decide to bring her onto the show as a new character, when Betty arrives on set, she falls out of her fantasy world back into real life. After two failed takes, she realizes that she is on a set and that the people she thought were real are just characters, George confronts her and Betty walks out
36.
Almost Famous
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Almost Famous is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, and starring Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson and Patrick Fugit. The film is semi-autobiographical, as Crowe himself was a writer for Rolling Stone. The film is based on Crowes experiences touring with rock bands Poco, The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Crowe has discussed how during this period he lost his virginity, fell in love, and met his heroes—experiences that are shared by William Miller, the boyish main character of the film. Although a box office bomb, the film received acclaim from critics. It was also awarded the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Roger Ebert hailed it the best film of the year, and also the 9th best film of the 2000s. It also won two Golden Globes, for Best Picture and Kate Hudson won Best Supporting Actress, in 1969, child prodigy William Miller struggles to fit in with the world. His widowed mother Elaine has led him to believe he is 12 years old, until Williams older sister, Anita and his age is actually 11, his mother had him start first grade at 5 years old and then he skipped 5th grade. Their mother strictly controls and protects him and his older sister Anita, forbidding rock music and other unwelcome influences, driving Anita to leave home and become a flight attendant. In 1973, 15-year-old William, influenced by the rock left by his sister, aspires to be a rock journalist. Rock journalist Lester Bangs, impressed with his writing, gives him a $35 assignment to review a Black Sabbath concert and he cant get backstage, but opening band Stillwater arrives, and after he flatters them with critical praise they bring him along. Lead guitarist Russell Hammond takes a liking to him, partly because of Williams new friendship with veteran groupie Penny Lane, feigning retirement from her glory days, she takes William under her wing. William is contacted by Ben Fong-Torres, editor of Rolling Stone and he convinces Ben to let him write about Stillwater, and he is instructed to go on the road with them. Tensions between Russell and lead singer Jeff Bebe are evident, William begins to interview the members of the band, but Russell repeatedly puts it off. Penny watches the interaction and sympathizes with William, whom they call the enemy because hes a journalist. The band experiences problems with promoters and venues on the tour, and hires Dennis, Penny is told she must leave them before New York, where Russells ex-wife/girlfriend Leslie will join them. Stillwater loses Pennys three protégé groupies to another band in a game, she acts nonchalant but is devastated. Also, Dennis has chartered a plane to allow them to play more gigs than their tour bus does, and there is no room on it for Penny
