4B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, ebruary 24, 2005 V V w w V. V V The Michigan ail: CATEGOiRY I IEsT ACTRESS Bening takes Swank head on in '05 race CATEGORY I EsT ADAPIED SCPEEMPLAY 'Sideways' is strongest contendei By Lindsey Bieber and Andy Kula Daily Arts Writers " WEOP1fmac1 0000O0 By Christopher Lochner For the Daily At the heart of 2004's best actress race is a rematch five years in the making. In 1999, Hilary Swank took the Academy Award for her role in "Boys Don't Cry," beating out Annette Bening, who was nomi- nated for "American Beauty." The two will face off again this year, with Swank nominated for "Million Dollar Baby" and Bening for "Being Julia." Though in good company, the two are generally considered frontrun- ners both receiving Golden Globe awards for their roles - Swank for best actress in a drama, Bening for best actress in a comedy or musical. In "Million Dollar Baby," Swank plays a thirty-something boxer who will stop at nothing to get to the top. Her undying determination and spirit is overwhelming. No other actress's performance this year comes close to being as intense as hers, and as the only nominee with a golden statuette in her possession, Swank is a likely choice, with her ability to nail an Academy Award playing the tough- girl character. After all, she has " " s 0 " " 0 " " 0 0 * Hillary Swank will win WIT... Imelda Staunton should win 0 0 0 . *0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0 " " " " " " " " " " s" 0 00 been mastering the role ever since "The Next Karate Kid" in 1994. Unfortunately for Bening, the Academy typically favors dramas over comedies like "Being Julia." Bening's portrayal of the 1930s stage actress Julia Lambert was cer- tainly strong, but it may prove too lighthearted to compete with the more dramatic roles of her competi- tors. However, Bening does have an impressive body of work without any Academy Awards to boast. Combined with her loss in 1999, her resum6 may be enough to draw votes from those looking to recog- nize a previously overlooked star. Fittingly, her character, who sought revenge on her enemies after a trou- bled love affair, may be the vehicle Bening uses to settle the score with The Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar tends to be one of the more forgotten categories for the movie industry's big- gest night. Nevertheless, this year's nominees combine clever ingenuity with quality writing to create a truly diverse field of nominees. Written by Richard Linklater, Kim Krizan, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, "Before Sunset" is the sequel to the 1995 hit "Before Sunrise." Nine years after the time of the original, Jesse * " " " 0 " " NOMNE0 APE~L Courtesy of Warner Bros. Hilary, just pretend it's the agent who got you that gig in "The Next Karate Kid." Swank. Just as Bening took on a Brit- ish accent for "Being Julia," Kate Winslet used an artificial American accent to win a nomination for her role in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spot- less Mind." Playing a quirky Barnes and Noble clerk named Clementine Kruczynski, Winslet provided the surreal film with enough energy to make it one of the most remarkable movies of the year. Though Winslet delivered an excellent performance, the role is not likely to win her an Academy Award. The character, while a lead- ing part, does not dominate the film in a way that screams "best actress." Also, the subtle story is not tragic or epic enough to satisfy the Acad- emy's traditional tastes. When all is said and done, Winslet's fourth act- ing nomination is not likely to lead to her first win. Also nominated is Catalina San- dino Moreno, whose performance in "Maria Full of Grace" helped make her mark on the film industry as the first Colombian to be nominated for an Academy Award. Her character, desperate to support her family and her unborn baby, becomes a drug mule, swallowing large tablets full of cocaine in order to smuggle them into the United States. While the script is not packed with dialogue, Moreno fills the gaps with expres- sions far more gripping than words themselves. Her performance is commendable and noteworthy, but because she has no Hollywood sta- tus and is still an aspiring actress, she is not likely to win the Oscar. Another newbie to the Academy Awards is longtime British actress Imelda Staunton. In "Vera Drake" Staunton plays a postwar British wife, mother and housecleaner with a heart of gold. However, her good intentions clash with those of the police when they find out that she has been ille- gally inducing abortions. Although the plot deals with a touchy moral subject, ethics do not factor into the affection felt for Vera Drake. Because Staunton's good- hearted nature reaches the film's other characters as well as the audi- ence, her performance proves her worthy of an Academy Award. In an ideal world, Imelda Staunton would take home her first Academy Award on Feb. 27. Her dramatic per- formance touched hearts and won over moviegoers of all genres. Since she tied with Swank for Best Actress in the National Society of Film Critics Awards, her work in "Vera Drake" is clearly enough to make her a strong Oscar contender. Unfortunately, as deserving as she is, she will probably not get the rec- ognition. Academy Awards are sel- dom received for performance alone. Considering that "Million Dollar Baby" had much more mainstream appeal than "Vera Drake," Swank will most likely pull ahead. Also, being a first time nomi- nee, Staunton's experience does not match up to the more popular careers of Winslet and Bening. In the end, Bening may receive the Oscar as a personal tribute, but it is more likely that Swank will repeat. "Before Sunset" Richard Linklater,+ Kim Krizan, Ethan+ Hawke, Julie Delpy+ "Diarios de Motocicleta" Jose Rivera + "Finding Neverland" David Magee and Celine reunite when Jesse is on a book tour in Europe promoting his novel. Full of pleasant dialogue, Jesse and Celine stroll through Paris remi- niscing and hypothesizing about what could have been. The quartet of writ- ers make the sequel work by staying true to the original while expanding on the themes which made the first one so popular. The only foreign language film nominated in the category, "Diarios de Motocicleta," is adapted from the memoirs of Che Guevera and his cousin Alberto Grenado. The script was written by Jose Rivera and it recounts the journey of Che and Alberto through South America and how it ultimately shaped their des- tinies. While touching, the movie still finds time for humor, creating a package that is certainly worthy for Oscar contention. Guevera's character in particular keeps the film moving smoothly, which is an accomplish- ment for a foreign film. Adapted from a play by Allan Knee, the script for "Finding Neverland," written by David Magee, enchantingly tells the story of Scottish author J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) and how he came to write the children's classic Peter Pan. Brilliantly shot and enchantingly told, "Finding Neverland" is the most intimate and tender movie of the year. The fairytale theme is a fine line for scripts to walk, but Magee pulls it off beautifully. Directed by Clint Eastwood and with a screenplay by Paul Haggis, "Million Dollar Baby" is the story of a female boxer looking to beat the odds. The accolades for the movie are well- deserved, as Haggis, while sometimes too heavy-handed, still packs a punch when it comes to creating strong char- acters. There's a reason why East- wood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman all earned nominations for this movie. Lastly, adapted from the novel by Rex Pickett, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor created the script for "Sideways." Delightfully quirky and simultaneously emotionally grip- ping, "Sideways" is the story of col- lege pals Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) as they take a trip through the wine country of California before Jack heads to the altar. The characters in "Sideways" are beautifully defined, and the writing i at once heart breaking but uplifting which is what the Academy tends to like in this category. When the envelope is opened oi Oscar night, the subtle brilliance o What are Get a hea with a on( from Illir Technolo School of If you're grad-this business great job environmi Our uniq include - 16 cours( " Internati+ faculty " AACSB-a " Convenie Chicago Call I 312 E-mail I a RSVP w a~ Fittingly, her character, who sought revenge on her enemies after a troubled love affair, may be the vehicle Bening uses to settle the score with Swank. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classic " " " " " " " " " " " " 0 .0 The subtle brilliance of " "Finding Neverland" is likely to be overlooked "Million in favor of "Sideways," a movie about two thirty- Dollar Baby"; something men who are . washed up and burned out - something many Paul Haggis : film critics doubtlessly 0 relate to. Swank, when I was your age, I ... lived in a duplex! . ." ...." ." ." ." ." .. ." .." ." ." ." ." . """""." .. . .. .. .. . . . .. !" . "".. ". ..". . 0 00 Annette Catalina Imelda3 Bening Sandeno- Staunton * Morenok "Being Julia" "Maria Full "vera Drake" of Grace" ... ....... ..... ........ ... .. ...................... ....... " " " 0 Hilary Kate " Swank Winslet "Eternal Sun- . "Dlla by"shine of the e y" Spotless Mind"0 Courtesy of Fine Line Features, Focus, Sony Pictures Classic, Warner Bros. "Sideways" : . 0 Alexander Payne, . 0 Jim Taylor 0 . .0 Courtesy of Focus. Fox Searchlight, Miranax, Warner Bros., Warner Independent 0000 0000 0000 000 " rPii O O 0 " " " " " " " " " "Finding Neveriand": should win " " a " " "Sideways" will win 0