Hahaha, must've read it too fast, oops.

Well, I figured without looking, heh...I mean Martin Sheen would be a tad too old to play Blair. Maybe about 20 years too old.

Raves for Maggie Gyllenhaal in Sherrybaby:

"Gyllenhaal, in a fearless performance, gives us someone who is unafraid when it comes to her daughter, and recognises and accepts the fact that she has made mistakes."

http://european-films.net/content/view/207/52/


"Buoyed by Gyllenhaal's hauntingly complex portrait of the vivacious but addictive Sherry, the film is no mere by-the-numbers chronology of addiction. Gyllenhaal's sympathetic and charismatic performance binds us to the horror of Sherry's personal demons. In true addict fashion, Gyllenhaal bounds between euphoria and despair."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/re ... 1001883373


"Gyllenhaal, in her most substantial role since "Secretary," does a fine, unshowy job of limning Sherry's faults without alienating the viewer or pleading for sympathy. "

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117929 ... Id=31&cs=1


"she perfectly portrays that person who can't seem to understand why the roof is falling when they're pulling it down on their own heads. Always feeling put upon, but never taking full responsibility, Sherry could cause a stirring of sympathy if and when she finally accepts her role in her problems."

http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?sec ... ws&Id=8365


"Reminiscent of last year's Sundance flick Down to the Bone (which is another darn good, if difficult, character piece), Sherrybaby rises and falls on the capable back of Ms. Gyllenhaal."

http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?m ... viewer=128


"Shapeshifting actress Maggie Gyllenhaal transforms herself yet again in "Sherrybaby," a detailed study of a convict mom's struggle to reintegrate herself into society after two-and-a-half years in jail. As Sherry Swanson, a just-paroled drug addict with a theft conviction on her record, Gyllenhaal doesn't so much act as become her character -- the sort of low-life recidivist who would be a villain in most mainstream Hollywood films. Her Sherry is a walking study in contradictory impulses: to nurture the now five-year-old daughter (Ryan Simpkins) she left behind when she went to jail; to counterattack fiercely against every imagined slight or wrong. She is vulnerable and aggressive, needy and domineering, as complex as life itself, and Gyllenhaal captures every nuance, from Sherry's brassy and cigarette coarsened-voice to a walk that is both defiant and terrified, a sashaying invitation into Sherry's unfinished life and a nervous warning to keep away."

http://www.boxoffice.com/scripts/fiw.dl ... terms=8516


""What do you need to recognize a captivating screen presence that can carry a movie, an Oscar nomination? You might just get it here.""

http://variagate.com/sherybab.htm?RT


"The subject of "Sherrybaby," a woman's rehab after prison, has been done before, yet Maggie Gyllenhaal's towering performance, as the white trash mom who's a recovering alcoholic and drug-addict, elevates the film at least two notches above its melodramatic trappings and nearly formulaic narrative."

http://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=2928



She should at the very least be considered

diane lane and helen hunt will BOTH be nominated.

The Kate will win it.

Sounds excellent, and Gyllenhaal imo already gave two of the best performances of the year in Trust the Man and World Trade Center and this sounds even better. But I wonder why the film only has 4.0/10 at imdb.com.

Weird. Though it has only about 100 votes. It will improve. Probably to 6.0 or so. It won't get high grades for the film itself, but Gyllenhaal's performance should earn her acclaim.

More praise for Gyllenhaal, though the film itself is only getting mixed reviews:

"Maggie Gyllenhaal’s performance as a frustrated alcoholic, druggie, and small-time thief is so gripping, so heartfelt on her part, that you can’t blamed for squirming in your seat when she is afforded restricted rights over her own little daughter, turning back to drugs out of sheer frustration. In the role of Sherry Swanson, she is in every scene, an actress who can in seconds change from a sexual temptress to a happy-go-lucky gal, then back to a justifiably angry person when disappointed to the point of defeat and hopelessness."

http://community.compuserve.com/n/pfx/f ... ws-showbiz



"Maggie Gyllenhaal dives headfirst into unglamorous wretchedness, the actress infusing her ugly character with a foundation of authentic pitifulness"

http://www.nickschager.com/nsfp/2006/09 ... _2006.html

You guys can take this for what it's worth (which is nothing...), but in the 3 Oscar seasons since we've been here, I've touted 3 lead actresses to win this early, and never waivered even an inch on that conviction. I never gave anybody else a prayer in hell of beating them. Hilary Swank was first, Reese Witherspoon was next, and this year it's Kate Winslett.

100% guaranteed victory. Every bit as confident about it as I was about Hilary and Reese. Mark it down!

Heh, did you really flaunt Hilary Swank this early?

I don't even remember Million Dollar Baby being on the release schedule in September, I thought they moved it in like November.

I didn't mean "this early" as in the date. My "this" was referring to the category. Early was just a general term, because I started touting her early and campaigned hard. Sorry about the confusion.

Winslet will most likely win not because of the merit of her performance (which without a doubt will be great as well), but more because of the fact that it'll be her 5th nom and that even though she just turned 30.

Helen Mirren might upset, though.

A real dark horse could be Laura Dern for INLAND EMPIRE, depending on how the film gets released here in the states. The early word out of Venice is that she is amazing, and pretty much the best part of the film.

It's between Winslett and Annette Bening this year. Helen Mirren is the type of actress who gets easily nominated but never wins unless it's in the supporting category - the veteran actress who is usually British.

I wouldn't call her a top favorite to win but I'd like to add Naomi Watts name to the long-list of contenders, The Painted Veil looks like an interesting project and the stills look good:

http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/image ... inted_Veil

The Painted Veil

Release Date: December 15, 2006 (NY, LA; top 10 markets: December 29; top 24 markets: January 5, 2007; top 40 markets: January 12; wider release: January 19)
Studio: Warner Independent Pictures
Director: John Curran
Screenwriter: Ron Nyswaner
Starring: Naomi Watts, Edward Norton
Genre: Drama
Plot Summary: [spoil]A love story set in the 1920s about a young English couple (a doctor and a society girl) who marry hastily, relocate to Hong Kong where they betray each other easily, and find an unexpected chance at redemption and happiness while on a deadly journey into the heart of ancient China. Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham.[/spoil]



It depends on if it is a stilted Merchant Ivory type or has some life and emotion to it.

Out of Venice, Mirren is carrying much bigger buzz than recent British veteran nominees (Judi Dench in Mrs Henderson Presents and Iris, Imelda Staunton in Vera Drake), so I won't count her out for an upset. I do think the tide will eventually shift away and toward Winslett once both lock up nominations.

As much as I love Winslet, Mirren is an amazing actress who may not get many more chances to win one. Winslet, on the other hand, should get plenty more opportunities. Without seeing either movie, I kind of want Mirren to win.

"this is Gyllenhaal's show, and her performance is all the proof anyone needs that her much-buzzed-about talent really does live up to the hype"

http://online.tvguide.com/newsearch/det ... oviereview

"Sherrybaby, distinguished by a gripping and emotionally wracking performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal, has nuance and complexity even in its seemingly throwaway title."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/rev ... view_x.htm


""Sherrybaby" stars Maggie Gyllenhaal -- was probably made because of her -- and she approaches the part with her usual mix of careful commitment and committed abandon, both refusing to pretty Sherry up and accepting all the scenes of sex and doping the script requires. That she manages to make this woman watchable, even sympathetic, is a tribute to her."

http://www.nj.com/movies/ledger/index.s ... xml&coll=1


"Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance in the title role is the gutsiest thing she's done since her breakout in "Secretary," and she succeeds despite serious contradictions in the writing of her character [...] for all the missteps, Gyllenhaal gives such a riveting central performance, the others tend to blend into the background. You can't takes your eyes off her and - you'll have to take my word for this - not just because she's naked most of the time. "

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainmen ... 9032c.html


"Gyllenhaal projects a real joy of acting and it's infectious, but unlike a lot of charismatic performances, it doesn't distract at all from the characterization."

http://www.dailynews.com/filmreviews/ci_4299633


"Maggie Gyllenhaal is such a miracle of an actress that she makes you respond to the innocence of Sherry's desperate, selfish destruction."

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/mov ... 0_,00.html


"Her biggest asset is the strong cast, namely Gyllenhaal in a bold, buzzworthy performance. Baring herself physically and emotionally, the kickass actress proves a fierce force onscreen and does her best, most nuanced work since that kinky-slinky turn in Secretary. Yeah, Maggie-baby."

http://www.eonline.com/Reviews/Facts/Mo ... 00,00.html


"A bleak drama of a petty thief and drug addict stumbling and fumbling to put her life in order after prison, "Sherrybaby" is not so much a film as a performance, and it's a great one from Gyllenhaal."

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cct ... 470738.htm


"Gyllenhaal holds the movie together with her performance, long enough for Collyer to get the story to a place where she can put her star to good use. Gyllenhaal's flippant air and nimble shifts to stark vulnerability really put across her character, who hasn't figured out that being selfless is the most important part of being a good person."

http://www.avclub.com/content/node/52603


"[...] it really is Maggie Gyllenhaal's movie, since few other actresses her age could have pulled off such a tough role, acting the way she does but still creating a sympathetic character. This amazing performance makes Sherry's plight is even more heartbreaking, but Gyllenhaal brings just enough of the childish wonder to the role to make you care about her and forgive her when she flips out or falls off the wagon. "

http://comingsoon.net/news/reviewsnews.php?id=16407


"Collyer teases a top-drawer performance out of Maggie Gyllenhaal who demonstrated her great talent in Secretary."

http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/ ... p?id=15975

________________________________________________________________________________________

If it easn't for the early release and the fact that the movie will only make a small dent at the box-office, I'd peg her as a near-lock for a nom. As it stands, though, she is just one of the many in the running.

Seems like Director Pedro Almodovar wants Penelope to be nominated.

"I pray every night for Penelope to be nominated (for an Oscar)," the Spanish filmmaker told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival. "She deserves a nomination." source

And with the 100% on rotten tomatoes, she just may go there. There was a 9pm showing last night of volver at the Toronto Film Festival and i'm trying to read on reactions, but can't find any articles yet

SInce Helen Mirren just won best actress at the Venice Film Festival for The Queen I think she's almost a lock in this category.

I think it would be a bit funny if Peter O'Toole and Helen Mirren won for Lead Actors and Actress. They are both over 60 right?

I, too, think it will come down to Winslet or Mirren but I have to hear more news about Winsle. I'm having a hard time oegging her the lead in the race only based on "5th nom"

Penelope I think will get nominated and could be the dark horse.

If Winslet doesn't win this time due to strong competition from Mirren, she will definitely win whatever she is nominated for next.

People have been saying that for years now. And Mirren may look like the frontrunner now, but we're still really early in this thing.

I'm not sure where all this hype about Winslet is coming from. The trailer for Little Children looks mildly interesting but nothing major.

A) She's due
B) The general consensus is that the trailer is rather enthralling
C) Early reviews are all amazing
D) Todd Field's last movie was In the Bedroom
E) The book (which I've read) is wonderful

I'm really not trying to be offensive here, AG, and maybe I'm going crazy or hallucinating, but I've noticed that you often seem to say things like "Little Children looks mildly interesting but nothing major" as if that's a fact and you don't understand something that's not agreeing with you.