"August: Osage County" possibly being pushed comedy at the Globes

I say "possibly" because Gold Derby hasn't exactly been spot on with their revelations this awards season.  The latest news is that August: Osage County will be submitted in the Musical/Comedy category at the Golden Globes.  This obviously means that Meryl will be up for Best Actress in the category.  The Drama category is already plump with contenders, and considering August doesn't have overwhelmingly shining reviews, it makes sense for Harvey Weinstein to make this move.  Here's how I see the actress categories likely shaping up at the Globes:

Drama
1. Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
2. Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
3. Judi Dench (Philomena)
4. Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)
5.  Amy Adams (American Hustle)

Musical/Comedy
1. Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)
2. Julie Delpy (Before Midnight)
3. Julia-Louis Dreyfuss (Enough Said)
4. Sandra Bullock (The Heat)
5. Melissa McCarthy (The Heat)

Realistcially Blanchett, Dench and Thompson could just as easily be in the "lighter" Musical/Comedy category.  If August indeed stays in this category, it will exponentially increase Meryl's chances at winning the Globe, which in turn would be a nice boost for FYC ads come Oscar voting time. 

Susan B. Anthony project gains a bit of steam

A couple of months ago I posted a "wish list" entry about Meryl portraying 19th-centrury suffragist Susan B. Anthony in a feature film.  In it I included a link to an online screenplay by writer Helise Flickstein about the lives and work of Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  At the time, the script had no backing or buzz to speak of.  This week I've learned from Flickstein that the script has caught the attention of a couple of producers with Circa Productions and that they're going to pitch it at the American Film Market in early November.  In addition, Roseanne Barr has evidently shown interest in participating.  She-Devil reunion, anyone?

Despite this all being very preliminary, I'm so thrilled at the idea of this even being considered for production.  So many other things would certainly have to fall into place for Meryl to be involved, but remember that Streep herself stated last year that she wanted to do a film about Anthony and Stanton with Kathy Bates.  That chance just took one important step closer to reality.  Were this project to get financing, Streep could likely be sent the script (maybe Roseanne could give her a call to nudge her participation), deals could be worked out, directors sought, and we could be on track for filming by 2015.  Just in time for a possible 2016 release where our first viable female candidate for U.S. president may be in the grips of her campaign. 

This project has been a 10-year journey for Flickstein.  Best wishes in the coming weeks that The Revolutionists continues to move forward. 

Streep to receive Monte Cristo Award

I thought it would be a nice change of pace to post about something unrelated to Meryl's film work. Today it was announced that she will be the recipient of the Monte Cristo Award from the Eugene O'Neill Center for "her monumental achievements and contributions to the American theater."  I recommend reading the article, as it gives a nice bit of insight into Meryl's fledgling experiences in acting.  It's where she honed her incomparable skills after what she had called a very "intense education" at Yale Drama school.  The award will be presented at a ceremony held in New York on April 21.  Congratulations, Meryl.

New poster for "August: Osage County"

My co-worker Erika and I just got back from a weekend in Chicago visiting our friend Tiff.  The city's film festival began this weekend and lo and behold, August: Osage County is on the schedule.  Sadly, I headed home a day too early to catch it, as it shows tomorrow evening.  Rats.  I'll have to settle for this fun new movie poster that just debuted.  Great action shot of the dinner scene!  I anticipate this being a successful marketing tool for the film.

Cast of "August: Osage County" receives Hollywood Film Award

The cast of Meryl's upcoming film August: Osage County will be awarded the Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award for 2013.  My first reaction to this news was "big deal."  I know very little about this award, but needless to say it's not particularly prestigious.  I'm sure it's a nice recognition nonetheless, but I wonder if any of the major stars of the film will be attending the ceremony on October 21st in Beverly Hills.  Julia Roberts I imagine would be the most likely, as last week we learned that she's been awarded the Supporting Actress award to be presented the same night.  Julia's award suggests she's officially being pushed supporting, an idea further advanced today by updated predictions and a little blurb from the folks at In Contention.  Looks like Meryl may stand alone in the Lead Actress race for the film.  This customer satisfied.

Sandra Bullock in "Gravity"

Houston, we have a problem.  Now having seen both Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine and Sandra Bullock in Gravity, doubts are increasingly building in my mind for Meryl's chances to be a threat in the Best Actress Oscar race this year.  Yesterday my friend Scooter and I sprung for 3D IMAX tickets to Gravity, and needless to say, both of us were very impressed.   

The true star of this film is without question its spectacular cinematography.  Bullock however does a fantastic job in the role of Dr. Ryan Stone, who gets marooned in space following a debris collision.  I'm sure it's a challenging prospect to have so much time alone onscreen.  Much of the film has little dialogue, with Bullock basically having to portray someone in a constant state of fear and anxiety.  In that sense Bullock was particularly effective at drawing me in.

An enormous asset to Bullock's chances is going to be the tremendous box office returns her film will garner.  Already in its opening weekend Gravity set an October record with $50 million earned.  With the moderate reviews that we had for August: Osage County out of the Toronto Film Festival, Meryl will likely have nowhere near the word of mouth publicity when her film is released at Christmas.  I expect August to do well, but $100 million would be a tall task, something Gravity will accomplish in a matter of three weeks.   Add that to the fact that Meryl's performance reviews, while good, aren't amazing.  I still expect a nomination but vying for the win right now seems like a very tall task.

    

Grab bag

The post title refers to the fact that I'll be briefly touching on a handful of random topics.  The first is that last night Joe and I were pleased to be invited to our friend Annie's place for dinner and Meryl.  She selected Adaptation.  We all thoroughly enjoyed it of course, along with the delicious roasted chicken apple crisp!  Thanks again, Annie.  Joe astutely observed how Meryl in particular had the difficult task of portraying a real person (Susan Orlean) for the first half of the movie and has to completely switch gears and then portray someone who really has no connection to the original character's motivations and typical behavior (hope I didn't butcher that, babe).  I commented that it was likely good practice for what would be her upcoming participation in Angels in America, where she took on the task of four different character depictions.

In other news, tickets for the Twin Cities Film Fest's showing of August: Osage County go on sale tomorrow.  It's showing Saturday, October 26.  I'll be out of town that weekend, but if anyone is in the area and gets a chance to attend, report back!

Lastly, I saw an article today which claimed to show a "first look" at Johnny Depp as the Wolf in Into the Woods.  As you can see from the photo below, I'm guessing he's not actually in costume.  The second pic shows Jack's "beanstalk."  Filming is currently underway in and around London.