2nd Annual American Film Institute 2001 Nominees (1 Viewer)

[Edwin Pereyra]

AFI Movie Of The Year

Nominees:

A Beautiful Mind (DreamWorks)

Directed by Ron Howard

Black Hawk Down (Columbia)

Directed by Ridley Scott

In The Bedroom (Miramax)

Directed by Todd Field

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (New Line)

Directed by Peter Jackson

The Man Who Wasn't There (USA Films)

Directed by Joel Coen

Memento (Newmarket)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Monster's Ball (Lions Gate)

Directed by Marc Forster

Moulin Rouge (Fox)

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Mulholland Dr. (Universal Focus)

Directed by David Lynch

Shrek (DreamWorks)

Directed by Adam Adamson and Vicky Jenson

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AFI Actor Of The Year - Movies - Male

Nominees:

Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind (DreamWorks)

Billy Bob Thornton, The Man Who Wasn't There (USA Films)

Denzel Washington, Training Day (Warner Bros.)

Tom Wilkinson, In The Bedroom (Miramax)

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AFI Actor Of The Year - Movies - Female

Nominees:

Halle Berry, Monster's Ball (Lions Gate)

Stockard Channing, The Business Of Strangers (IFC Films)

Sissy Spacek, In The Bedroom (Miramax)

Naomi Watts, Mulholland Dr.

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AFI Featured Actor Of The Year - Movies - Male

Nominees:

Steve Buscemi, Ghost World (MGM)

Brian Cox, L.I.E. (Lot 47)

Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums (Touchstone)

Tony Shaloub, The Man Who Wasn't There (USA Films)

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AFI Featured Actor Of The Year - Movies - Female

Nominees:

Cate Blanchett, Bandits (MGM)

Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind (DreamWorks)

Cameron Diaz, Vanilla Sky (Paramount)

Frances O'Connor, A.I. Artificial Intelligence (DreamWorks)

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AFI Director Of The Year

Nominees:

Robert Altman, Gosford Park (USA Films)

Todd Field, In The Bedroom (Miramax)

David Lynch, Mulholland Dr. (Universal Focus)

Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down (Columbia)

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AFI Screenwriter Of The Year

Nominees:

Rob Festinger and Todd Field, In The Bedroom (Miramax)

Christopher Nolan, Memento

Akiva Goldsman, A Beautiful Mind (DreamWorks)

Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff, Ghost World (MGM)

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AFI Editor Of Of The Year

Nominees:

Jill Bilcock, Moulin Rouge (Fox)

Dody Dorn, Memento (Newmarket)

Pietro Scalia, Black Hawk Down (Columbia)

Tim Squyres, Gosford Park (USA Films)

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AFI Cinematographer Of The Year

Nominees:

Ericson Core, The Fast And The Furious (Universal)

Roger Deakins, The Man Who Wasn't There (USA Films)

Slawomir Idziak, Black Hawk Down (Columbia)

Janusz Kaminski, A.I. Artificial Intelligence (DreamWorks)

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AFI Production Designer Of The Year

Nominees:

Stephen Altman, Gosford Park (USA Films)

Rick Carter, A.I. Artificial Intelligence (DreamWorks)

Grant Major, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (New Line)

Arthur Max, Black Hawk Down (Columbia)

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AFI Digital Effects Artist Of The Year

Nominees:

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (DreamWorks)

Scott Farrar, Dennis Muren

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (Warner Bros.)

Robert Legato, Nick Davis, Roger Guyett

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (New Line)

Jim Rygiel

Waking Life (Fox Searchlight)

Bob Sabiston

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AFI Composer Of The Year

Nominees:

Craig Armstrong, Moulin Rouge (Fox)

Angelo Badalamenti, Mulholland Dr. (Universal Focus)

Patrick Doyle, Gosford Park (USA Films)

Howard Shore, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (New Line)

~Edwin

 

[Dave L]

Golden Globes, Film Critics Awards from NY, Boston, LA, and everywhere in between, National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics -- the question arises: do we need another film award? Why did AFI decide to get into this business? Why are their awards any more/less valid than the rest? With so many awards and awards shows, the value of any of them is greatly diminished.

 

[Michael Reuben]

With so many awards and awards shows, the value of any of them is greatly diminished.

I'm not so sure. Given the number of films and the vastness of the audience, there's some advantage to having multiple arenas in which a film, especially a smaller film, may get some attention. And when the same films and performers appear on multiple lists, it tends to reflect a broadening consensus.

M.

 

[MichaelPe]

That's a nice list of nominees. I'm thrilled that Memento is being nominated in a few categories.

 

[Seth Paxton]

A) Now that I have realized that In the Bedroom is Miramax (thanks to Edwin elsewhere), it seems obvious that only 2 films are in the running for the Best Pix Oscar - In the Bedroom and A Beautiful Mind. This discussion can now end (yeah, I really mean it and I'm not bitter, just know a sure thing when I see it)
B) Pearl Harbor - denied. There were those talking about effects, etc. Think again. This film will most likely not appear anywhere near any awards (except some Blockbuster BS award)
C) I think the AFI list looks a lot like what we will see from the Academy. They touch on artistic efforts but keep their feet planted on the ground of mainstream.
D) Ben Kingsley - denied again. Color me surprised. I'd call it a bad sign for his chances the rest of the season.
E) Consistent with what we have already seen this year's awards look to be scattered across a wide range of films. There seems to be no clear favorite across the board, ala Titanic, Gladiator, Schindler, SPR/SIL, Braveheart, etc.
We might see many films getting 4-5 noms but no film getting 10. This year looks to be even more diverse than last year.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Another reason to prefer the AFI list or at least find it highly interesting...

from Variety.com

Unlike the Acad, the AFI panelists "don't vote on a piece of paper. The group is deliberative," meaning they hash out their choices together. In addition, the group provided explanations for their picks of the top 10 pics.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Speaking of explanations, from the AFI site:

A BEAUTIFUL MIND

Brian Grazer, Ron Howard

(Universal/DreamWorks)

A BEAUTIFUL MIND is one of the few films ever to suggest that the life of the mind can be as exciting and intriguing as any thriller. Based on the story of Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash, the film's subtle, but masterful cinematic technique puts audiences inside the mind of a troubled genius when he begins to question reality.

BLACK HAWK DOWN

Jerry Bruckheimer, Ridley Scott

(Columbia)

BLACK HAWK DOWN is an unrelenting combat experience. Leaving behind the traditional rules of the genre, the film immerses its audience in the cold reality of war. It arrives in theaters at a moment in American history which could not be more timely.

IN THE BEDROOM

Graham Leader, Ross Katz, Todd Field

(Miramax)

IN THE BEDROOM is a rich, subtle examination of the American family. It's a movie in which the characters talk to one another, but never really say what's on their minds or in their hearts. The filmmakers trust the audience to watch, listen and understand the truth revealed by the film's outstanding performances.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Tim Sanders

(New Line)

LORD OF THE RINGS taps the magical forces of American film to bring life to J.R.R. Tolkien's rich literary legacy. Never losing sight of the "human" elements of this first book in his trilogy, the scope of the film sets the standard by which future motion picture epics should be judged.

THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE

Ethan Coen

(USA Films)

THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE uses stunning black-and-white cinematography to evoke the memory of classic American film noir, but presents its story with a modern sensibility. By mixing dark humor with stark violence, the movie lays out a series of events where a man nobody notices changes the lives of everyone around him.

MEMENTO

Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd

(Newmarket)

MEMENTO turns the traditional rules of movie narrative upside down, backwards, forwards and sideways. The film is like a complex jigsaw puzzle, but after all the pieces are assembled, it turns out not to be the picture on the box.

MONSTER’S BALL

Lee Daniels

(Lions Gate)

MONSTER'S BALL is a love story that resists the usual tradition of movie romances. When a white prison correction officer and a black single mother are drawn together by a series of tragic events, the result is an unsentimental, complex mixture of sex, race and family that provides no easy answers.

MOULIN ROUGE

Martin Brown, Baz Luhrmann, Fred Baron

(Twentieth Century Fox)

MOULIN ROUGE is a kaleidoscope of melodrama, soap opera and opera, which updates the traditional American musical genre. The film tells the story of a passionate but doomed love affair in dynamic images that explode with color, energy and humor.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

Mary Sweeney, Alain Sarde, Neal Edelstein, Michael Polaire, Tony Krantz

(Universal Focus)

MULHOLLAND DRIVE is a classic example of the poetry of personal cinema. The film takes the audience to an erotic world - a dreamlike Los Angeles landscape where things are not always what they seem, but where the images never lose their beauty and power.

SHREK

Aron Warner, John H. Williams, Jeffrey Katzenberg

(DreamWorks)

SHREK is an animated film that takes an eraser to traditional fairy tale characters and situations. Moving at a fast pace with wit and intelligence, SHREK delivers solid family entertainment that is sheer pleasure for young and old.

~Edwin

 

[teapot2001]

Roger Ebert was a member of the panel and has an article about the AFI awards on his website: http://www.suntimes.com/output/eb-fe...ftr-afi18.html
~T

 

[Seth Paxton]

See, that is both a reason to really like the idea of this new awards ceremony and to respect the Oscars. It's an honest attempt to resolve the film year in some manner. I like that. I mean they actually discussed openly with each other rather than watch crappy screener tapes while sipping the champagne that came with them.

That being said, I think Ebert's comments and the variety of choices simply verifies what I've been saying about the Oscars. People may think they are a crock, but they actually resemble what you get when you ask a GROUP what they think about film. The film's that touch EVERYONE will rise to the top, while the "edgy" films that only some people love and others hate will get slightly less recognition which will piss people off yet will also be fair.

People just don't respect other people's opinions very much I think. Requiem was amazing, but not everyone loved it or respected it. I didn't care for Gladiator except as an average picture, but so many others loved it that I can't call the Best Pix Oscar complete crap.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

I guess my thread title is misleading as this is the inaugural awards for the AFI. The winners will be announced on Saturday, January 5th, which will make it the first awards to be given out leading up to the Oscars.

Somehow, I think the AFI will be setting the tone of things to look forward to at the Oscar ceremonies.

~Edwin

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Just a heads up, the awards will be broadcast tonight on CBS.

~Edwin

 

[Terrell]

I didn't care for Gladiator except as an average picture, but so many others loved it that I can't call the Best Pix Oscar complete crap.

Thank you Seth for an absolutely true and well put point. I've been waiting for that point to be made perfectly by someone. I loved Gladiator and thought it deserved to win. But I grew weary of people saying Best Picture was crap simply because they didn't care for it and their film of choice didn't win. There is no single correct answer every year for Best Picture. You could practically take any Oscar Winner in Best Picture and have someone that could say something else was robbed or that Best Picture was crap. There were so many that did love the film. You put it perfectly. You don't have to agree with the choice or like the film, but don't call it crap because your film of choice didn't win.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

You don't have to agree with the choice or like the film, but don't call it crap because your film of choice didn't win.

You're lucky you missed that entire debate about Gladiator. Considering there were other heated discussions in the past (i.e. Titanic over L.A. Confidential, Shakespeare In Love over Saving Private Ryan, etc.), I'm sure there will be more in the future.
~Edwin

 

[Terrell]

I'm well aware of the disgust most of this forum has for Gladiator. Well, maybe disgust is too harsh a word. Let's just say most here don't care for it. It still boggles my mind considering most other people rave about it.

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Terrell,

I don't want to stir up the Gladiator debates again, but I don't think most of this forum is disgusted with it. I'd bet that most of the forum likes it, but some of the more active posters have felt the need to take some of the air out of its balloons.

 

[Terrell]

That's probably a fair assessment. Anyway, as to the list, a great group of nominees.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

I'd bet that most of the forum likes it, but some of the more active posters have felt the need to take some of the air out of its balloons.

It's a good thing I was around to put most of it back in.
~Edwin

 

[MatS]

this is on CBS right now

 

[Seth Paxton]

I'm the number one anti-Gladiator poster, in terms of activity.
HOWEVER, I never said I didn't like the film, I was just stunned by it's consideration as one of the finer films of the year. I felt everyone but Crowe was just so-so, the script was just a repeat of Fall of the Roman Empire and Ben-Hur, except that Hur had great character and story depth and Gladiator was straight action.
Head to head I would place Gladiator behind Road Warrior as both a film and an action film, which is how I view Gladiator. Gladiator is an entertaining popcorn flick that you don't have to check your brain at the door on (as it should be with any decent film).
This is all IMHO and I just wanted to make it clear that I was far from hating it, just a little confused over the massive raves as one of the greatest films ever. I did think it was the least of the Oscar winners from the last 20 years. But I own it and enjoy watching it from time to time.
And thus ends my serious thread derailment.
I came looking for the active discussion on the AFI awards going on. I love the Oscars (even last year) and thought that the AFI put together a good group of nominees.
They are talking about Memento right now. Hey, there's Joe

 

[Seth Paxton]

Is there no AFI chat BTW? Like we did with the Oscars?

Memento for script!!! Moulin Rouge for Editing.

I think Memento is running strong for Best Screenplay Oscar now. Kick ass.