9 res atv . m 44 gtp g t e e 1 t} 4P'&4Pti PPgE 86 44 B 4g'T4i t &44s4eP $ . " , . 4B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. Magazine - Thursday, March 18, 1999 Work of minorities frequently ignored by Academy Daily - Weekend, etc. MaE The Michigan Top 10 Albums (The nation's top-selling albums for the week) By Ed Sholinsky Daily Film Editor Every year the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences fails to nomi- nate certain actors or films that critics and audiences alike feel warrant recognition. But an even more disturbing trend over, the past few years, has been the trend of the Academy overlooking minorities. In 1995 Jesse Jackson created the Rainbow Coalition in response to the omission of minorities in general, but specifically for snubs of the film "Devil in a Blue Dress" and its director and stars, Carl Franklin, Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle and "Sense and Sensibility" director Ang Lee. Though the Academy seemingly improved in 1996 - which included more nominations for minorities and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Cuba Gooding Jr. - 1997 had only one nomi- nation for a minority filmmaker (Spike Lee for his documentary "4 Little Girls"). And in 1998, no people of color have received nominations in any major cate- gories, despite much well-received work and many visible performances. The most controversial slight is of Shekhar Kapur, the director of the Best Picture-nominated "Elizabeth." Of the directors to be left off the list, Kapur seemed one of the least likely to be excluded due to the intensely visual nature of "Elizabeth" Interestingly enough, Roberto Benigni received a Best Director nomination, even though "Life Is Beautiful" is visually flat and considered more a writers' and actors' film. Additionally, "Elizabeth"'s. cinematography was nominated for an Oscar, something that would seemingly go hand-in-hand with a Best Director nomination. While Spike Lee's "He Got Game" opened to mixed reviews, Denzel Washington won universal praise for what was his best performance in years. Not surprisingly, however, Washington failed to garner a nomination. Other black actors Courtesy of Miramax Irene Bedard and Adam Beach star in Smoke Signals, the first film directed, produced by and starring Native Americans. The acclaimed movie gamed no nominations. who were shut out this year's Oscars despite well-received performances include Don Cheadle ("Bulworth" and "Out of Sight"), Ving Rhames ("Out of Sight"), Queen Latifah ("Living Out Loud"), Halle Berry ("Bulworth") and Angela Bassett ("How Stella Got Her Groove Back"). Worse, though, was the blanket-snub of "Beloved," excepting a few minor awards. The film not only opened to raves, but stars Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton and Kimberly Elise were all considered locks for Oscar nom- inations a few months ago. The Academy hasn't stopped at snub- bing Indians and African Americans, but Latinos and Native Americans also felt the brunt of this collective slight. Even though "Out of Sight" received many crit- ical awards, its female star has heard bare- ly a word of praise. Despite a star-making performance from Jennifer Lopez - which has set her up to become the high- est paid Latina in the history of Hollywood - she has yet to receive any awards or nominations. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that no Latino/a has won an Oscar since Rita Morena's supporting role in "West Side Story" in 1961. While the Academy might counter that one of this year's Best Actress nominees, Fernanda Montenegro ("Central Station"), is Brazilian, her selection fits more into the category of foreign actors getting nomi- nated - like Benigni. Beyond that, "Smoke Signals," the first film ever written, produced, directed by and starring Native Americans failed to garner any nominations, despite cleaning up at the Sundance Film Festival. Clearly, in any given year some deserv- ing movies will suffer omissions. But it's the continued exclusion of filmmakers and actors of color that is disturbing. In a year when minorities made many films worthy of nominations - "He Got Game""Beloved," "Down on the Delta," "Slam,' "Men With Guns" and "Smoke Signals" - it's fascinating that Whoopi Goldberg is hosting the event. While this is Goldberg's second time out - this isn't a new thing for her - one wonders if her presence legitimizes the omission of minorities. The Academy voters are most- ly older white males, and by them voting almost exclusively for whites, what is Goldberg's function? It's surprising that her hosting the event hasn't drawn more attention or criticism from those who attack the Academy for their lack of integration. Instead, her pres- ence seems a given, rather than an oxy- moron, at this year's ceremony. So, when this year's Oscars begin and awards are announced, expect Goldberg to be the lone trace of color on the stage. Frustrated and disappointed with the University? Need help making sense of your U of M experience? Check out http://universitysecrets.com courtesy of Chrysler When It comes to American sedans, the 300M is the top dog. Purists chastise its nomenclature, but younger buyers love it. ITE CHRYSLER 300M: AMERICKAS BEST SEDAN The Chrysler 300M is a driver's car, perfect for all destinations big and American, and not a bad choice for those in the $30,000 market. But it spreads a little thin when you get to the edges of the proverbial baguette that is the sport sedan market; one might say the 300M tries to be too many things to too many people. Car companies have a team of sooth- sayers on their side who figure out what car you and I will want to buy even before we hop on over to the local dealership. Chrysler's LHS and 300M are good examples of this game, as the two models share many parts, but in the end have two different characteristics. They're sort of like twins separated at birth: One is fresh from The Actor's Studio and will hit Broadway in months, the other went the way of Van Nuys, California and is destined to play screen roles. next to the likes of Jasmine St. Claire and Ron Jeremy. The main com- ponent that the two cars share is the 3.5 liter V-6 that trum- REILLY pets 253 horsepow- BRENNAN er - that's even more than the glori- ous 3.2 liter in-line six from BMW's M3. However, from that foundation, the 300M plays to a younger audience than it's LHS brethren. It's more sporty and urgent than the longer LHS, which is perfect for the older gent on his way to the opera. I have no use for operas at this point in my life, so the 300M is better for me. A lot of Chrysler-philes are making a big stink about the 300M's "M." The Chrysler of old had a 300-letter series around the 1950's that featured huge, honking V-8s that were shoehorned into rear-wheel drive sedans. Today's 300M is front-wheel drive and has a V-6, hardly keeping in line with tra- dition. The doubters claim that this new breed is stealing too much history for sales' sake and not paying enough homage to older Chryslers. Although those older Chryslers were never part of my automotive life, I can understand why the 300M might be considered a sellout. Just imagine how you'd feel if your beloved Camaro Z28 reappears in thirty years with a four cylin- der and front-wheel drive. The automotive gods would turn over in their graves. If you can look past the nomenclature, the 300M is probably the best sedan America has to offer. The styling might be a little heavy-handed on the bulbous, cab-forward theme in the front, but comes together nicely with a big, chunky rear end. Sir Mix-A-Lot would like the 300M. My mother doesn't listen to Sir Mix-A- Lot, but she likes the 300M too, at least from the back. She's famous for making wild statements regarding things she knows little about (a trait perfect for mothering an automotive journalist), and once told me that she wanted to go out and buy "that Chrysler I saw today with the 300 on the back." When said mother saw the front end of said car, her reaction was very disapproving, and instead she opted for a Mercedes C230K. Dear old Mom would have liked the interior if she ever gave it any time. The Chrysler has some really nice analog gauges that glow green during the evening. In fact, my favorite interior touch might be the analog clock that centers the dash, which takes a while to get used to, but is a lot better than a clunky digital square above the radio. The seats are big and puffy and cov- ered in leather, but are probably a step down from those appearing in the new Grand Cherokee, which are the most comfortable seats that I've found in any American transport. It's a shame that the quality of these materials isn't more of a concern though - the shift gate's plastic louvres are perfect for a Neon but unac- ceptable for a car asking $30,000. The buttons on the radio aren't the best either, and I could move the entire center console side-to-side with a thrust of my arm. The 300M's Autostick, a manual setting for the automatic by use of the shifter, is a feature that I never really appreciate to the fullest. Standard with every 300M, I usual- ly end up forgetting about it until I acciden- tally floor through first gear's redline. Also, 1999 Chiysler 300M J Base Price: $28,700 J Price as Tested: $30,970 J Engine: 24.valve DOHC V.6 J Power: 253 hp / Performance: 0-60 in 8.5 sec / Torque: 255 ft-lb / EPA City driving: 18 mi/gal the shifter is a bit low when the average hand is resting on the armrest, making shifts hard on the forearm. Don't plan on using the Autostick with a drink in that cupholder in front ofthe armrest either, or plan on hav- ing Dr. Pepper all over your passenger. Where the 300M sings is on long trips on the highway, as the V-6's passing power from 50-70 mph is very quick for merging and passing. I spanked Mustangs last weekend. There's little road noise, and it's a fair- ly pleasurable ride on its passengers for extended travel. Gas mileage is pretty good as well at 27 mi/gal on the highway. Around town is where the argument for a smaller, German sedan might seem log- ical. The 300M is good off the line, but look out if you have to park it. The cab- forward thinking is out of control in this car, and as a result the front end is but a memory to even the tallest driver. I came hairs away from parking posts and other parked cars when wheeling out of my spot in a lot last week. For the young American professional with a hankering for highway trips and need for more interior volume than the family hatchback, the 300M is not only logical, but economical. You do get a lot of car for under $30,000. But in a class that includes the Lexus ES300, Acura 3.2TL, Mercedes C230K, BMW 323i and Audi A4 2.8 Quattro, the 300M is good for an American, but lacking when put up against its foreign competition. A 300N with a huge V-8 would do the trick, maybe with rear-wheel drive too. - When not filming in Van Nuys, Reilly Brennan can be reached over e-mail at brennanr@umich.edu. 1. TLC, "Fan Mail" 2. Lauryn Hill, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" 3. Eminem, "The Slim Shady Web" 4. Britney Spears, "... Baby 0 More Time" 5. Shania Twain, "Come on Over" 6. George Strait, "Always Nev the Same" 7. Cher, "Believe" 8. Dixie Chicks, "Wide Open Spaces" 9. The Offspring, "Americana" 10. The Roots, "Things Fall Apart" Source: Billboard ft Top 10 Books (The week's best-selling hard-cover fictic 1. "The Testament," John Grish 2. "Single and Single," John Le 3. "River's End," Nora Roberts 4. "Tara Road," Maeve Binchy 5. "Southern Cross," Patricia C 6. "Be Cool," Elmore Leonard 7. "A Sudden Change of Heart, 8. "Vector," Dr. Robin Cook 9. "Apollyon," Tim Lattaye and 10. "Ashes to Ashes," Tami Ho TV: The i What happened ol "Dawson's Creek": Joey makes Fair. Unfortunately, the painter that be Jack-out-ofthe-closet). Grams a makeover. It seems a Halloween was five months ag "90210": Gina and her mothe $60,000 from Donna's mothe extort himself a date with a nalistic ethics (barely). Kelly nasty after Matt's schitso w in a jet ski accident, but, ala yet again, the catlike McKa "Law and Order": (R) A courtro "Friends": (R) Chandler and discover they can't stand hir "ER": (R) Lucy throws a wild Barcalounger. Carter contem tie intern, but decides to wait those scrubs. "The Simpsons": (R) "There somewhere." "X Files": (R) Mulder swaps I ferent movies (you know, tha waterbed. Scully is left to fe "real" Mulder contends with "Ally McBea": Pre-empted. Calisi wastes away into ashes and dust at the SAG Awards. "Buffy The Vampire Slayer": Fa soul, but Buffy and gang thwar seat episode. Cordy continues finds resisting her wiles rather "Felicity": Preempted. The c to be lame.