Kirk Douglas: A 'Diamond' In The Rough
2000 Oscar Nominations And News
The hype is starting to build over the new Michael Douglas comedy, "Wonder Boys " (and rightfully so). Meanwhile, there's another Douglas project surfacing without as much fanfare. Guess you could best say, for lack of better words, that it's a "diamond in the rough."
"Diamonds," as it is simply called, is the latest movie in the extraordinary career of the other Douglas -- the one who, ahem, started the Douglas legacy.
And as he's proven in the last few years, Kirk Douglas is a survivor. His rehabilitation from a major stroke is testament to that, and he's not afraid to tackle the subject matter with his roles onscreen.
"'Diamonds' was the first movie that I've ever done that was so close to me -- and that's a strange feeling," Douglas says. "I'm used to playing characters like Spartacus or Van Gogh.
"When I first read the script it was about a different guy, and I said, 'Listen. Let this guy have a stroke like I had,'" Douglas recalls. "I'd like the picture to do two things: Make sure it's interesting, and make a point that you can overcome an obstacle like a stroke."
Co-starring Dan Aykroyd and Lauren Bacall, "Diamonds" not only tells the story of a man overcoming a debilitating stroke, but also that of a family trying to overcome a lifetime of bad communication. Douglas plays an ex-prize fighter who goes on a life-changing road trip with his son (Aykroyd) and teenage grandson (Corbin Allred).
"I think everybody can relate to what occurs in that family," Douglas says. "I like the picture because it's not only poignant, but it's funny. It has lots of humor, and that's a good thing when your main character is a man with a stroke."
It's no mistake that Douglas' latest screen role is in a movie where the principal action is what occurs between people, rather than the shoot-'em-ups that often hit the big screen. A veteran of 82 movies that date back more than 50 years, Douglas says he's disappointed in the formulas that drive today's movie business.
"A movie should be about the relationships of people," he says. "I think nowadays we make too many movies with lots of explosions and guys getting shot. We tend to get away from the relationships of people, which is the most exciting thing in movies."
In addition to acting, Douglas is continuing with another art form: an author of children's books. He's just completed his seventh, "Young Heroes of the Bible," and while writing is clearly a different form of communication, Douglas says it is still very similar to acting.
"When I write a book I still think I'm an actor," Douglas says. "I put myself into the character that I'm writing about. I love it."
It seems to happen every year: Somebody who seems to be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination is left at the end of the nominating ceremony with nothing more than a red face.
If you haven't heard by now, audience favorite Jim Carrey's face has turned from red to a deeper shade of crimson, suffering embarrassment for the second consecutive year. This time he was not nominated for "Man On The Moon," despite receiving critical acclaim for the role.
I don't doubt for a minute that Carrey is hurting over this sn-, sn-, snu ...
Perhaps the word you've heard most in the most recent Carrey omission is "snub." And while even I'm guilty of using the same word in a recent Oscar-related survey that I helped write, I'm starting to rethink my position.
Now don't get me wrong -- it's not because I think Carrey wasn't deserving of a best actor nomination. In fact, I think he's an enormously talented, if not underrated, actor. I simply think the word "snub" is inappropriate in describing what happened to Carrey and others like "The Green Mile"director Frank Darabont, "Being John Malkovich" for best picture and John Malkovich and Cameron Diaz for their supporting roles.
That's because the Academy has a very large membership of voters, something to the tune of more than 5,000. To say Carrey was snubbed is to imply that he was purposefully passed over with some sort of ulterior motive.
But let's be real. While the nomination process is as political as it comes (the studios pour money into trade publication ads to promote their projects, etc.), I hardly think that the thousands of voters en masse said, "Let's make sure Jim Carrey isn't nominated."
On the contrary, I think the reason why Carrey wasn't nominated was simply because he wasn't one of the top five vote-getters.
Lame explanation? Perhaps. But nobody seemed to point out in his or her coverage of the Oscar nomination process that maybe Carrey came in sixth in the voting, or maybe he could have missed the fifth nom spot by one vote. Of course, since the Academy doesn't release this information, we'll never know. Either way, to assume that Carrey wasn't nominated because he didn't get enough votes is a lot more reasonable than assuming that he was the victim of some conspiracy.
I only hope that Carrey shows the same class that he did last year and comes to the ceremonies. He certainly gives it the boost that it so sorely needs. Madonna did it a couple of years ago when she got the "snub" for "Evita," and her performance of "You Must Love Me" was riveting.
I like that attitude. It's called keeping your chin up and charging on with the purpose for which they are in the business in the first place -- not to win awards, but to entertain. If not, look for that crimson to turn to a shade of purple.
Now that would be a shame. People have sported those colors before, though. Can you say "Leonardo?"
Web Site of the Week: Razzies Revisited
Although this was featured a few weeks back, I couldn't help but rename this anti-Oscar site as Web site of the week. Unlike before, though, "The Golden Raspberry Foundation" site has been updated to include this year's nominees for the ultimate film dishonor: The Razzie. The great part about this awards ceremony is that you can actually vote by becoming a member of the foundation. (Full Story)
Movie Reviews On WCCO-TV
Tune into Bill Carlson's movie reviews at 10 every Sunday morning on WCCO-TV. Reviews this week include "Diamonds," "The Whole Nine Yards."
Bill Carlson Interviews on WCCO-TV
Catch Bill Carlson's interviews with star actors and filmmakers each weekday on WCCO-TV's noon news broadcast at 12:25 p.m. (schedule subject to change).
--Additional reporting by Bill Carlson
To have it delivered right to your e-mail box for free, click here.
Note: Tim's column appears every Thursday in our Entertainment section. Have suggestions or questions you'd like to ask moviemakers? E-mail away!
