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Oscar Vault Monday – Good Will Hunting, 1997 (dir. Gus Van Sant)
This was one of my favorite films when it first came out and it remains one of my favorite films to date. Actually, 1997 is one of my favorite years for film and I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite of the five films that were up for Oscar’s top prize that year. Good Will Hunting was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning two: Best Original Score Danny Elfman, Best Original Song “Miss Misery” by Elliott Smith, Best Film Editing, Best Supporting Actress Minnie Driver, Best Supporting Actor Robin Williams (won), Best Actor Matt Damon, Best Original Screenplay Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (won), Best Director Gus Van Sant and Best Picture. The other films up for Best Picture that year were As Good As It Gets, The Full Monty, L.A. Confidential and winner Titanic.
Movie Quote of the Day – Good Will Hunting, 1997 (dir. Gus Van Sant)
[reads a note from Will: “Sean, if the Professor calls about that job, just tell him, sorry, I have to go see about a girl.”]
Sean: Son of a bitch… He stole my line.
Jeremy Renner and the Best Actor Race
I’ve yet to see A Single Man or Crazy Heart, mostly due to living in the middle of nowhere, and thus can only comment on the three performances I have seen. I enjoyed George Clooney in Up In The Air, but he was better in Michael Clayton. My opinion on Morgan Freeman in Invictus will come up later on in this post. That leaves Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker. And of the three I’ve seen, he has my vote. It’ll be a difficult race for him, but I think he has a chance of pulling it off. He had perhaps my favorite reaction to his nomination when interviewed on Good Morning America yesterday. When asked about his competition, he replied, “I’ve gotta break some serious legs.”
Miramax Offices Close – The End of An Era
I hear on the grapevine though that the Weinsteins, who were bought out of Miramax years ago and started their own company – The Weinstein Company, are still trying to get the name back. I hope they do.
All through the 90s and early 00s Miramax, under the Weinsteins, pretty much dominated the Academy Awards.
the diary of a film history fanatic 