The COHN-HADDOW CENTER FOR JUDAIC STUDIES and the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan invite you to join us for two special lectures featuring. Oscar Who? JEVNA WEISSMAN JOSELIT Author of The Wonders ofAmeriaz: ReinventingJewish Culture, 1880-1950 "Americanization Begins at the Foot: History, Feminism and Fashion" The lecture will be preceded by a tour at 2 p.m. of the exhibit "Becoming American Women," led by Judith Levin Cantor, Guest Curator. There is a $3 charge for the tour to be paid at the door. Sunday, March 2, 1997, 3 p.m. Detroit Historical Museum 5401 Woodward at Kirby (Nearby parking is available) AND "Surviving Freedom: American Jewish Confront Modernity" An Illustrated Lecture Monday, March 3, 1997, 3 p.m. McGregor Memorial Conference Center Wayne State University (Guest parking is available across the street from the Law School.) Drawing on advertisements, etiquette manuals, sermons and surveys, Dr. Weissman Joselit will give us a lively and humorous account of how three generations ofAmerican Jews created their distinctive American culture — how they raised their children, deco- rated their homes, shopped and cooked, celebrated holidays, and marked birth, marriage and death. ere is one thing quibbling critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert agree on: They both pick Fargo, written and di- rected by the Coen brothers, as the best film of 1996. Young Jew- ish filmmakers, Joel and Ethan Coen are best known for the quirkiness of their scripts — Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink and The Hudsucker Proxy. All quirkiness aside, though, when it comes to the quality that Siskel and Ebert most look for in an award-hopeful film, Fargo has got it in abundance: The film is ad- venturous. Not adventurous in a John Wayne/Arnold Schwarzenegger sense but in that it has, said Siskel —in town with Ebert on a recent visit to Detroit — superb and groundbreaking form. These are the qualities both Siskel and Ebert find in only two of the Best Picture-nominated Os- *Seating is limited Please notify us if you intend to take the tour. Reservations by February 26, 1997. For further information, please contact the Center at 313-577-2679 Wayne State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Wayne State University — People working together to provide quality service. Wayne Slate Urifrently Geoffrey Rush is nominated for Best Actor for his performance in Shine. backing it up, which the Academy has a history of lik- ing, said Siskel, who joins "The To- day Show's" Gene Shalit, "Good Morn- ing America's" Joel Siegel and "Enter- tainment Tonight's" Leonard Maltin among a plethora of on-the-air Jewish movie critics. Now, it's time for you, our faithful readers, to get in on the Oscar action and tell us what you think. Whether you've seen the nominated movies or you've been read- ing about them in our JN Entertain- ment section, here is your opportunity to test your knowl- edge and intuition, and reap the re- The English Patient garnered the most nominations, wards. including one for Best Actress for Kristin Scott Thomas. Because Jewish News readers are MI 48034; or fax to (810) 354-6069 an avid movie-going audience, (no-phone calls). we anticipate that more than a — Entries must be received no few of you will come up with later than Wednesday, March 19. many of the correct answers. So — One entry per person (you make sure you cast your vote in must use the entry form, but pho- the all-important tiebreaker cat- tocopies are acceptable). egory: Best Documentary. See — Entrants must be at least 18 you at the movies! years of age. — In the event there are more THE RULES winners than prizes, winners will — Choose the entry in each cat- be drawn at random from those egory that you believe will win the entries with the most correct an- Oscar. Check one box only in each swers. category. (You will be disqualified — Winners will be announced if any categories are left blank or in the April 4 issue. if there is more than one box — Employees of The Jewish checked per category.) News, Olympia Entertainment, — Mail your entry form to At- the Maple Theatre and their fam- tention: Oscar, The Jewish News, ilies are not eligible to enter. 27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, THE DE TRO car contenders this year. In addi- tion to Fargo, the Chicago-based critics list Secrets and Lies in their top ten. Siskel described Shine, though a moving telling of the true story of an Aus- tralian Jewish pianist replete with superb performances, as "not that adventurous, a standard conquering- a-disability film." The English Patient was born from an already award-winning novel, and Tom Cruise's Jerry Maguire, he said, is typical Holly- wood fare. Although a thor- oughly entertaining film, it has a lot of Producer/screenwriter Ethan Coen, director of photography Roger names and money Deakins and director/screenwriter Joel Coen on the set of Fargo. -41011111110101111MiNsilleito.— Ausomr. THE PRIZES cocc 1 Grand Prize win- (T. ner will receive: — Concert/Theater Tickets for 4 (concert to '-be announced) — 8 Maple Theatre tickets — The opportunity to review an upcoming film for our JN Enter- tainment Reviews page (optional) 10 Runners Up will each receive: — 4 Maple Theatre tickets PHOTO BY JAMES BRIDGES Announcing thefirst annualJewish News Oscar Contest.