128 -The rthigan Daily - Weekenetc. Magazine-- Thursday, rch 22, 2000 0 0 0 0 The Mi ichigan Daily -Weekend, etc ... LONG TIME PASSING 0 0 Will Robert's 'Brockovich' 2000 said its good- byes to several screen legends. By Andy Taylor-Fabe Daily Arts Writer The year 2000 saw the passing of some phenomenal and unforgettable actors, ranging from stars of the stage-o comedians to masters of drama. Although their legacies live on in the films they gave us, we are still saddened by their deaths. They will be missed. Jason Robards passed away on December 26 from lung cancer. Robards. who had a strong presence in both theater and film, made his debut on the stage in the'50s, and since then he appeared in over 50 films, Robards won a Tony award for his performance in "The Disenchanted," and he received two Best Supporting Actor Oscars for his roles as Washington Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee in "All the President's Men" in 1976 and as Dashiell Hammett in "Julia" in 1977. Robards made in indelible impres- sion with some of his roles in the '80s and '90s as well. His part in "Parenthood" (1989) as Frank Buckman, a gruff, distant patriarch, was the perfect complement for the already stellar cast, and his deathbed scenes in "Magnolia" (as Earl Partridge) were painful to watch but enthralling. Walter Matthau died from a heart attack on July 1. This comic genius is known best for his timeless role as well meaning slob Oscar Madison in "The Odd Couple" (1968), Paired with Jack Lemmon (as neurotic neat freak Felix Unger), Matthau changed the face of the buddy picture forever. He went on to star in many other films with Lemmon in which they played on their unique chemistry, including "Buddy Buddy," "Grumpy Old Men" and eventually "The Odd Couple II." Matthau won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1966 for "The Fortune Cookie," and he was nominated in 1971 and 1975 for "Kotch" and "The Sunshine Boys," respectively. Timeless scene from "The Odd Couple": As an undershirt clad Oscar plays poker with his friends, he walks in with an armful of sandwich- es (with one tucked under his armpit) and says "You want ... uh ... brown sandwiches.,,or green sandwiches?" When asked what the green is, he replies, "It's either very new cheese or very old meat." go down for the Courtesy of New Line Cinema Jason Robards on the set of his last film, "Magnolia," with director Paul Thomas Anderson. U. .1 Sir Alec Guinness died on August 5 of liver cancer. Guinness was a prolific actor both on the screen and stage in England, and he was knight- ed in 1959 for his contributions to cinema and theater. lowever. the role that most will remember him by is aging Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" Trilogy. (is role was the first film that got him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor.) I is portrayal of Luke Skywalker's mysterious and wise mentor is etched into our mem- ories forever. No one can forget the cautious but confident look on his face as he quietly waves his hand and utters the immortal words. "You don't need to see his identification . these aren't the droids you're looking for." Richard Farnsworth died on 1 October 6 of a self inflicted gunshot wound after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few months earlier. Farnsworth began his career as a stuntman in westerns and other action films, but he gradually made a successful leap to acting. Although most of his roles were limited to sup- porting characters. his kind, weather- beaten face and piercing blue eyes have made him a famuiliar face across many types of films. le had parts in "Misery" (1990). "The Getaway" (1994). "llavana" (1990), "The Ni tural" (1984) and "Anne of Green Gables" (1985). le earned a best supporting actor nomination in 1978 for "Comes a Horseman" and he was nominated for best actor for his role in David Lynch's "The Straight Story" (1999). Jim Varney died on February 10 of lung cancer. Varney was known best See PASSING, Page 138 By Wilhelmina Mauritz Daily Arts Writer In a business that notoriously objectifies women, the Best Actress category has often been criticized for pandering to and attempting to appease those critical of misogynistic Hollywood. This year, however, many strong and vibrant actresses have delivered powerful performances that have triumphed the female strength, mind and cleavage. The first nominee for the category of best leading actress is Joan Allen. Nominated for her role in "The Contender," Allen plays Senator Laine lanson. a vice-presidential nominee, whose past history is put under public scrutiny during her con- f'irmation hearings. Allen must work well under pressuic, as she was also nominated for her role as a persecut- ed witch in 1996's "The Crucible," This is Allen's third nomination, but it doesn't look like this will be her lucky year: though a dependable per- formance. "The Contender" failed to fain much notice. Juliette t3inoche is the second non- inee for Best Actress and is being r ec- ognized for her work in Lasse f lal lstrom 's '' hocolat "' Binoche pflay \'ianne ocher, a nysterious woman who comes to a small French village with her daughter and turns it upside down %%when she opens a choco- late shop. Linoche has long been known to a small circle of movie lovers for her roles in such IilmtIs as "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and Kr.ys,'tof Kic sicowski'h "Blue. "White" and "Red" trilogy, but it was only in 1996 that she became widely recognized with her Oscar winning performance in "The English Patient." Nominated for her performance in "Requiem for a Dream," Ellen Burstyn plays Sarah Goldfarb, a housewife in Brooklyn who becomes addicted to diet pills because she wants to get on television. No stranger to Oscar nominations, this is Burstyn's sixth. However, she has only actually won the Oscar once, for her role in 1974's "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" and it doesn't look like her luck will change, considering "Requienm"s dark tone and limited release, This year saw the first Oscar nomi- nation for Laura Linney with her star turn in Kenneth Lonergan's "You Can 'Count'? Count on Me." Linney plays Sammy Prescott, a single mother whose life gets thrown out of control when her irresponsible brother comes to visit. Linney is by far the smallest name on this year's best actress list, and because of that, she will probably not come away the winner. The final nominee and front-runner for this year's Oscar is Julia Roberts for her role in Steven Soderbergh's "Erin Brokovich." The film is based on the true story of a sassy legal assis- tant who takes on a powerful utilities company after they polluted a com- munity's water supply. Roberts plays the title role, This is Robert's third nomination ("Steel Magnolias" in 1989 and "Pretty Woman" in 1990) it looks like the third time just may be a. very sweet charm (in the form of a golden statuc). I I r- Mommie Dearest: Julie Robert g n t Digital Ismscraicv 'computers and the Shaping of Public Opinion Deliberative Polls ...and the potential for extending them using computer systems James S. Fishkin & Robert C. Luskin, University of Texas, Austin Democratic Deliberation on the Internet Vincent E. 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